Dean Narciso, Bailey Gallion Columbus Dispatch Fri, 18 Oct 2024 09:57 UTC
A woman was mauled to death by two pit bulls in the village of Ashville Thursday as those around her watched and screamed for help.
Jo Echelbarger, 73, was taken to Grant Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 4 p.m.
Echelbarger lived in a condominium complex in the 600 block of Kildow Court on the village's north side, and she was gardening when two dogs broke loose from a nearby home and began attacking people, according to witnesses and a family member.
Pickaway County Commissioner Gary Scherer said the county dog warden, county prosecutor and city attorney will discuss whether to bring criminal charges in the case at a meeting on Monday.
Ashville police are handling the investigation but did not return calls for comment on Friday. Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew Hafey said the initial 911 call came in at 3:11 p.m. A second call followed about 15 minutes later.
Bert Cline, Ashville village administrator, called the incident "kind of a shock to the system," noting that dog attacks are rare in the community.
Four French départements are on the highest weather warning due to flooding and heavy rains, with motorways and several rail lines closed on Thursday.
On Thursday, heavy rain and flooding in southern France led to road closures, train cancellations and well as school closures.
French national weather service Météo France placed four départements in south-eastern France on the highest (red) weather warning due to heavy rains and flooding. These are; Rhône, Loire, Ardèche, and Haute-Loire.
Meanwhile, 20 other southern départements were placed on orange alert.
Authorities have warned that people should not walk or drive anywhere near a flooded road or waterway.
Be sure to pay attention to signage, particularly if there is a route barrée (road closure) sign.
Major floods in southeast France cause significant damage, power cuts
Massive floods caused serious damage and power outages on Friday in parts of France's mountainous southeast region after days of heavy rain, though there were no immediate reports of any casualties.
France's weather authority Météo France placed six departments south of the city of Lyon on a red flood alert on Thursday. The alert was downgraded to 'orange' on Friday, indicating that water levels would come down again.
"At certain places in the Ardèche region, up to 700 milimetres of water has fallen in 48 hours. That's more than a year's rainfall in Paris, so it's absolutely gigantic," Agnes Pannier-Runacher, the environment minister, told BFM TV.
French news stations showed cars, traffic signs and cattle being swept away by the floods. The A47 highway close to Lyon was temporarily transformed into a giant stream of water.
The French interior ministry said Paris had dispatched 1,500 additional firefighters to the affected areas.
Civil Protection of the state of Nuevo Leon reported that due to the passage of cold front #4, which is affecting the state with heavy rains in the metropolitan area of Monterrey. On the night of Wednesday, October 16, the largest amount of water was recorded with more than 127 millimeters.
This caused flooding in 121 homes, 164 stranded cars, 27 fallen trees, 24 short circuits and 16 fallen cables, in addition to the report of three people dead.
In the municipality of Guadalupe, a dam located in the Nuevo Mexico neighborhood overflowed, causing 13 vehicles to be swept away by the current, said Mayor Héctor García.
On the other hand, this Thursday, October 17, the rains continued and from 6:00 p.m. they have intensified in the citrus zone and in the metropolitan area.
A total of 2,066 residents in Aceh Province, specifically in Aceh Tamiang Regency, had to evacuate due to flooding that has occurred for the past two days.
Meanwhile in the Riau Islands Province, precisely in Batam City, heavy rain that has poured since Monday, October 14, 2024, has paralyzed city activities.
Skiers and riders could hardly contain their excitement on Wednesday after Jay Peak in Vermont reported a foot of snow.
The ski area, named the best ski resort in Vermont by Boston.com readers earlier this year, posted photos on social media of snowy trails amid foliage, writing, "Well today was certainly a treat, no tricks, thanks to a foot of snow near the summit and cover down to the base since this storm cycle started Monday. Gotta love the blending seasons and the foliage doing its best to hang on as winter takes over the top for now."
Thousands of followers promptly liked the Facebook post and hundreds commented on it.
A hailstorm described by locals as the worst in living memory has smashed a Victorian town, damaging cars and homes and forcing businesses to shut.
Giant hail and torrential rain from a severe thunderstorm pummelled Casterton, a historic town in western Victoria, on Wednesday afternoon.
The Severe Weather Victoria Facebook page described "unreal scenes" as the supercell caused flooding, landslides, ice-covered roads and destruction of homes and vehicles.
"Never seen anything like," it wrote.
Higgins Storm Chasing said damaging to destructive winds tore roofs off some houses.
There was "plenty of damage" with "hail up to tennis ball size" smashing windows and car windscreens.
Residents also reported house fires breaking out due to the damage.
A tragic incident occurred in Rampura village, Molakalmur taluk, where an 11-year-old boy was fatally attacked by stray dogs. The boy, identified as Mithun, was walking to his tuition classes when he was bitten on his head, cheeks, and other parts of his body.
A local auto-rickshaw driver, Rajappa, intervened and rescued the boy from the attack. Mithun was immediately rushed to Rampura Hospital but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries while being transported to VIMS in Ballari for further treatment.
Rampura Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
Heavy flooding in the town of Al Ashkhara in Oman on Tuesday.
Several people were rescued in Oman after torrential rain caused by a tropical storm left many parts of the country inundated.
Four members of a family were rescued in Sur after floodwaters trapped them inside their house, the Omani Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said on social media.
In separate incidents, three more people were rescued after their vehicles were swept away by flood waters.
Oman closed schools on Tuesday and issued a safety alert in response to storms sweeping across the country.
Authorities announced distance learning for pupils in response to the severe weather and urged the public to remain indoors and monitor government channels for weather updates.
Comment: Update October 18
Reuters reports: