Latest news with #Cutrona
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Girls as young as 7 were startled awake by flooding that devastated their beloved Camp Mystic. How the deadly tragedy unfolded
The emergency weather alert had come early Fourth of July morning: There would be life-threatening flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas. And Camp Mystic – an all-girls Christian camp situated along the Guadalupe River – housed about 750 campers on the flood-prone site as heavy rains started pouring. Girls as young as 7 were peacefully asleep in the cabins where, days before, their parents had dropped them off for the season's second session, expecting their daughters would spend the summer outdoors enjoying everything from archery to yoga together. For 10-year-old Lucy Kennedy, the sense of security that enveloped the camp was punctured when she was awakened by loud crashes of thunder. 'Settle down and go back to sleep,' Lucy said their counselors told them. Even as the cabins shook and kept Caroline Cutrona awake, the counselor thought nothing of the storm. They regularly had bouts of thunder and lightning in her 11 summers at the camp, and it was going to be OK, she thought. But Lucy couldn't sleep. She had a gut feeling something was wrong. That same feeling hit camp photographer Nancy Clement when water rose up the porch of Cozy cabin in the middle of the night. And at Bug House cabin, counselor Laney Owens was awakened by water puddling on the floor. She ran to the camp office and notified staff the flooding was becoming dangerous – and they needed to start evacuating cabins. That's when Camp Mystic owner Dick Eastland and his son, Edward Eastland, one of the camp directors, told the girls at Bug House cabin to quickly grab pillows and blankets, a 12-year-old camper recounted. They would pile the group of girls into their cars and head to the recreation hall. When 19-year-old counselors Silvana Garza Valdez and María Paula Zárate were told by other counselors flooding had engulfed part of Camp Mystic's property, they told their campers to pack a bag with their necessities and led them to a cabin on higher ground. Then, they wrote the girls' names on their skin, wherever they could be visible. At that point, the emergency alerts had become more dire: The campers needed to get to higher ground – quickly. But Cutrona, who says she and other counselors were told to turn in their phones at work, didn't get the alerts. The severity of the flooding only became clear when another counselor came to Cutrona's hilltop cabin on Cypress Lake and told the 14 campers they were going to play a fun game: They needed to hand the counselor one pair of shorts, one top and a pair of underwear as quickly as they could, Cutrona recounted. The counselors realized they would need to do whatever it took to guide their young adventurers to safety – even if it meant navigating chest-deep gushing waters in the stark darkness of night, the counselors, campers and their parents said. As the seemingly never-ending night went on, branches and furniture from the campgrounds rushed past the cabin where Zárate, Garza Valdez and their young campers sheltered. The girls asked what was happening, and the two teen counselors reassured them they were safe. To distract them, they played games and sang songs, waiting until they could be evacuated. And at the Wiggle Inn, a junior cabin, security guard Glenn Juenke placed 7- to 10-year-old girls on mattresses to help them ride out the storm as the water rose, he said. Right about then, young girls at another junior cabin were screaming and crying as floodwaters seeped through Chatterbox cabin. Because she had a top bunk, a 9-year-old who was in the cabin with her twin sister told the other campers they could keep their 'lovies' and 'stuffies' there for safekeeping. As flocks of young girls from the intermediate and senior cabins evacuated to the recreation center, Clement and fellow staff members also piled up their belongings onto their beds, figuring the water wouldn't reach there, Clement said. Even if it did, the mattresses would float, they thought. That's when their cabin door snapped in half. The water suddenly burst in. 'Then we were like, 'OK, we need to get out of here,'' Clement recounted. Clement forcefully pried open the other cabin door as the water pulled against it. Once they were able to exit the cabin, the college-aged staffers dispersed along the porch, holding columns to keep steady. When the water reached their shoulders, they knew it was no longer safe there. They had to escape to higher ground. The girls from Bug House made it to the recreation hall around 3 a.m. local time, a 12-year-old camper recounted. The next several hours were 'a blur of prayer, singing, and confusion,' Owens, their counselor, said. With only flashlights to see through the darkness, hundreds of girls spent the night on the second floor of the hall. Their belongings were left on cheer mats – with some floating away. The recreation hall was no longer a fun performance space, where girls would put on colorful costumes and act, sing and dance. 'Everyone was scared, because there was water coming in, and the water started coming in really fast,' the 12-year-old, whose mother did not want her family to be named to protect their privacy, said. Meanwhile, at Chatterbox cabin, her 9-year-old twin sisters saw a car they thought would be rescuing them float away. So the counselors told them to climb out of the window, one by one, the twins said. 'The water was really high, so we walked over, and the counselors were helping us get over,' one of the twins said. When they got to a hilly area, the counselors realized three of the Chatterbox girls were missing, so they went back to search for them, the twins said. 'It was really, really scary because we didn't know where they were. We didn't know if they got washed away in the rapids. We didn't know anything,' one of the twins said. By then, Clement – using the windowsill as a foothold – hoisted herself onto the roof, clutching her phone, wallet and a soaked stuffed animal she's had since she was 2 years old. Then she helped pull other camp employees up, embodying the camp's motto of 'Be Ye Kind, One to Another.' When one staffer who was trying to get on the roof got swept away and caught on a volleyball net, the others tied their shirts together to help, only to find that the staffer swam against the current and made it back, Clement said. The others went back down and helped lift her onto the roof. Once safe, the Chatterbox children – soaked and freezing – cuddled on the hill. Counselors brought the girls water while they waited 'so long' for the flooding to recede. 'Whenever we were cold, they kept giving us hugs and when we were crying, they would always comfort us,' one of the 9-year-old twins said. The twins soon saw a rainbow, which they interpreted as 'a sign from God.' To pass the time, the girls at the recreation hall sang camp and worship songs, prayed and slept until the rain eventually stopped around 6 a.m. When they heard the campers singing nearby, the staffers on the roof felt relieved. 'It was like a sense of hope, even though at that point, the water was still up really high,' Clement said. The staffers took turns praying as a group, hoping the little girls made it out safely, Clement recalled. At the recreation hall, counselors did a roll call. That's when it hit the girls that some of their friends could be lost in the waters. 'Nobody probably would have thought that anyone would be missing,' the 12-year-old girl said. 'You think maybe they're just somewhere else, they're probably just with another group.' The campers' next stop: the Cypress Lake dining hall. In their five hours there, the exhausted girls kept themselves busy by doing arts and crafts and trying to sleep on tables. Nibbling at the pizza counselors handed out, the 12-year-old camper couldn't help but think her cabin 'was probably fully submerged underwater, like this stuff was just gone.' Later that morning, Zárate and Garza Valdez got word they would be evacuated. 'All the girls started panicking, they all began crying because they didn't want to leave the campgrounds, because they wanted to be with their parents,' Garza Valdez told news channel N+ FORO. Finally, helicopters arrived to bring the hundreds of girls and their counselors to safety. The girls were soon loaded onto buses, some barefoot with cuts on their feet after losing their shoes in the rapids. Lucy, the 10-year-old camper, had given away her Crocs to another camper whose shoes were swept away. On one bus, the girls sang a hymn called 'Pass It On.' Then there were gasps and exclamations of 'oh my God' as the girls laid their eyes on the scale of the disaster. Cars stacked up on top of each other and turned upside down. Piles upon piles of debris in place of their beloved second home. Walls ripped off of the buildings where they made their summer memories with friends turned sisters. Now, word was starting to spread of campers still unaccounted for. 'Wake up, Caroline, wake up. This is not real. I'm in a dream,' Cutrona told herself. Parents held their breaths, agonizingly waiting and praying the goodbyes they said to their daughters would not be their last. Hundreds of local, state and federal crews in helicopters and on boats began the extensive search for the girls that afternoon, combing the area and picking up campers and their counselors out of trees. The girls who made it onto the school buses arrived at Ingram Elementary, where they were reunited in tearful embraces. It had been a long day for the cold, hungry and sleep-deprived children, who were emotionally shaken and ready to head home. Only days later would the fallout come into focus: At least 27 campers and counselors were dead. Young and old generations of campgoers, who credit the almost century-old Camp Mystic for shaping them and teaching them essential life skills, were left to grapple with the devastation. At a Monday vigil honoring the victims, Stacey Merchant said she received the first letter her 12-year-old daughter, Reese, sent from camp in the mailbox Monday. Her daughter was safely evacuated. 'I just realized today that some parents are gonna be getting letters, that first letter, from their daughter today,' Merchant told CNN affiliate KTRK as her voice broke. 'And that's heartbreaking to even imagine.' Mourners linked hands, singing, 'From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; all is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Goodnight, Camp Mystic, we love you.' CNN's Anderson Cooper, Ed Lavandera, Caroll Alvarado, Graham Hurley, Cindy Von Quednow, Aditi Sangal, Sarah Dewberry, Shoshana Dubnow, Sara Smart, Emma Tucker and Taylor Galgano contributed to this report.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Speed cameras banned in Ohio counties, townships
BOSTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) – Counties and townships across Ohio can no longer use speed enforcement cameras. The ban comes with the governor's signature on an $11 billion transportation budget bill, but it does not prevent cities and villages from continuing to use them. Former coach accused of sexual conduct with teen student The news comes less than five months after Boston Township in Summit County started using the cameras. The township, which extends from Boston Mills Ski Resort south to just above Blossom Music Center and from Richfield east to Cuyahoga Falls, insists the cameras were not used to bring in a cash windfall. 'Last month, February, not March, we had maybe fifty tickets issued, that's it, this is not a big thousand tickets a month thing,' said Board of Trustees Chairperson Amy Anderson, who has lived in the township all of her life. 'I can remember four Fatalities on Kendall Park Road, and it's not a big road; speed was a part of them,' she told Fox 8 News. Retired Beachwood officer facing misdemeanor charge: I-Team 'This was just one more tool that we had to try to get people going the speed limit and keep everybody safe,' said Trustee Randy Bergdorf, recalling a high-speed pursuit near the ski resorts that police ended because it threatened cyclists and others using the parks. 'It was just one other method. They were still doing the traditional pull them over but we had another option to try to help with the safety.' The objection was written into the bill by Ohio Senator Al Cutrona of Canfield in Mahoning County. 'My constituents in my district, my neck of the state, are very frustrated with this type of practice that has been going on,' Cutrona said. 'It has nothing to do with public safety and it's nothing more than a money grab, so I wanted to be able to change that,' he told Fox 8 News on Tuesday. How much rain we could see from multiple systems The ban was added to House Bill 54, a lengthy budget bill in which one simple line addresses the cameras, on page 96 of the 227-page document. 'No county, township, or representative of a county or township shall utilize a traffic law photo monitoring device to detect and enforce traffic law violations,' he said. What frustrates trustees here, however, is that the cameras are not banned in cities and villages. That includes the village of Peninsula, in Bostown Township, where the use of speed cameras has been the focus of harsh criticism. FOX 8's I-Team revealed how the village was issuing thousands of camera enforcement tickets. 'The Ohio constitution has a provision in there that we call home rule, which would prevent us from being able to legislate something in those cities,' said Cutrona. Summit County inmate dies following medical emergency The Township contracts with the village of Peninsula to do its camera enforcement. Bergdorf is also concerned that the ban was, what he calls, a 'last-second' add to the budget bill giving them almost no time to provide testimony arguing against it. 'You couldn't even, if you wanted to, get down to Columbus and testify in person and we barely got written testimony in,' he told Fox 8 News. The senator disagrees, saying he started discussing the ban in previous legislative sessions. All parties involved agree on one fact, insisting they do not advocate for anyone to speed or to drive dangerously. But the trustees insist their use of the portable cameras does not add a windfall to the township's coffers. It helps compensate the officers who are patrolling the roads in a township where a large amount of the property is a national park. US issues new travel advisory for The Bahamas 'Obviously, when you are trying to police the roads, it has to be paid for and our situation out here is 92% of the community is tax exempt, so there's not a lot of revenue,' Bergdorf said. '50 tickets are not going to make or break the township, so the money isn't a factor,' said Anderson, who is not yet sure if they will have any legal remedy to challenge the ban. 'You know, frankly, if its a conversation they want to continue to have, we can always have that. Its called the Ohio Revised Code, you can always revise it and make changes,' Cutrona said. 'I don't know if there is a single one of my constituents who feels these are necessary.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Safety or money grab? Budget tackles local camera tickets
VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKBN) – A new measure in Ohio's Transportation budget could put an end to speed cameras, nixing a department's ability to send a driver a ticket in the mail for a violation captured on a traffic camera. The measure sits on Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's desk that would toss out a county or township's ability to utilize speed cameras to enforce traffic laws.'I've had hundreds of people — and probably over the last five or six years in my time in the legislature, it's probably upwards of thousands. The number one thing people are tired of is getting tickets in the mail,' said State Senator Al Cutrona, R -33rd District. The transportation budget, if passed, would prohibit all Ohio counties and townships from operating traffic-camera programs, excluding cities because they operate under Home Rule.'The governor has the ability to line-item veto. So for those communities with police and safety services, I would encourage them to reach out to the governor's office and ask him to line-item that portion of the bill,' said State Representative Nick Santucci, R-64th District. In 2015, the state legislature passed a law requiring a law enforcement officer to be stationed near a camera to issue fines. The budget bill that challenges their use is receiving push-back from local townships in Trumbull County who rely on the cameras as a source of revenue. In Vienna, the cameras have been used as a lifeline out of a dire financial crisis. 'It just seems like Columbus continues to beat on the townships,' said Vienna Township Trustee Phil Pegg. 'Vienna Township was in a position where we did not have enough money to run the township due to our ongoing legal problems, but this was the only option we had.' But that's where Cutrona draws the line, saying the speed cameras shouldn't be used as a source of revenue. and calls into question their use for public safety. 'If it's really a public safety concern, law enforcement should stop the infraction,' Cutrona said. Right now, the transportation budget hasn't been signed by DeWine. Cutrona expects that to happen soon. He also says he doesn't anticipate the governor nixing the item via a line item veto. There are three townships that utilize the speed cameras here in the area — Vienna, Weathersfield and Liberty, all of them in Trumbull County. The measure would eliminate their ability to ticket drivers for violations, cutting a huge source of funding for each township. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Bill in Ohio would raise penalties for animal abuse
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A recently introduced Ohio bill would increase penalties for animal abuse and add limitations for offenders who seek to own or live with a pet. Senate Bill 64, introduced in February by Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield), would upgrade multiple animal cruelty offenses to a greater charge and require judges to impose the maximum prison term for offenders. The bill applies to companion animals, which are defined in state law as any animal that is kept inside someone's residence, as well as any dog or cat. Teens push lawmakers for stricter tobacco regulations 'As an attorney, and fellow dog owner, it is difficult for me to objectively view the current criminal punishments for these acts of animal cruelty and be satisfied,' Cutrona said at the bill's first hearing last month. 'Dogs, cats or any other pets for that matter are the backbone and foundation of our families and the law should reflect that.' Although state law currently classifies knowingly committing an act of cruelty to a companion animal as a first-degree misdemeanor on a first offense, the bill would upgrade the charge to a fifth-degree felony. It also upgrades negligently committing an act of cruelty to a companion animal from a second-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree misdemeanor. Similarly, the charge for dog kennel owners or workers who knowingly commit an act of cruelty against a pet would rise from a fifth-degree felony to a third-degree felony. For kennel employees who negligently commit an act of cruelty, the bill would upgrade the penalty from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony. The legislation would also require courts to impose the maximum sentence for offenders convicted of an animal cruelty charge. For example, under Ohio law, a third-degree felony is punishable by nine to 36 months in prison. If a kennel worker was convicted of or pleaded guilty to knowingly committing an act of cruelty against a dog – a third-degree felony – the court would be required to sentence the offender to the maximum term of 36 months in prison. Financial expert warns of overracting to stock market volatility NBC4 reached out to multiple criminal justice reform organizations for their viewpoint on the bill, but they either did not respond or said they did not have a stance on the legislation at this time. Under current state law, felony animal abuse offenders cannot own or reside in a residence with certain animals for three years after their release from prison, or after their imposed punishment is complete. The current prohibition includes dogs older than 12 weeks old who have not been fixed, and any 'dangerous' dog. The bill would change this part of the law and apply the prohibition to all companion animals. In support of the bill, Cutrona cited a 1997 study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University that found people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. 'It is my strong belief, along with countless other Ohioans, that the act of committing violent, abusive crimes against companion animals should be subject to increased criminal punishments,' Cutrona said. SB 64 was assigned to the Judiciary Committee, where it awaits opponent and proponent testimony. For the full list of charges that would be affected by the bill, see the document below. Bill-analysis-for-Senate-Bill-64Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio bill would eliminate sales tax for guns and ammunition
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio Senators have introduced legislation that would eliminate sales tax for guns and ammunition, while establishing a tax credit for firearm manufacturers in the state. The sponsors of Senate Bill 59, Sens. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) and Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), claim Ohio is losing out on gun sales due to buyers traveling to neighboring tax-free states. Competing bills seek to change Ohio marijuana law 'In 2021, similar language was adopted into law in the state of West Virginia, highlighting the necessity of this legislation; to ensure that Ohioans support Ohio businesses,' Schaffer said at an introductory hearing for the bill. Currently, West Virginia is the only state neighboring Ohio that has adopted a sales tax exemption for gun and ammunition purchases. Guns in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon are also sales tax free since these states do not collect sales tax at all. It is legal to buy a gun in one state and take it to another, as long as the transaction is legal in both states, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. If the bill were to pass, Ohio's sales tax exemption would specifically apply to any non-shotgun firearm that is .50 caliber or smaller, and any shotgun that is 10 gauge or smaller, according to Schaffer. Ammunition for such firearms would also qualify. The measure, introduced in January, would also establish a tax credit capped at $10 million per fiscal year for firearms and ammunition manufacturers that either plan on moving to Ohio or are expanding an existing facility. 'The intent behind this bill is to protect our Second Amendment and remove the burdensome nature of taxes,' Cutrona said. 'Additionally, this is a jobs bill and will create more opportunities for Ohioans. Ohio is open for business and I look forward to the positive impact this legislation will have on our economy.' Father behind 'Lauren's Law' in Ohio sues care facility after eviction The tax credit, called the 'Constitutional Commerce Credit,' would be administered by the state Department of Development, and awarded to businesses that make a capital investment of at least $2 million. Companies would be eligible to receive the refundable tax credit for up to 15 years. Businesses receiving tax incentives would have to maintain operations in the state for the greater part of seven years or the term of the credit plus three years. If a business fails to comply with the rules, the Department of Development could intervene and recapture up to the full amount of the credit awarded, Cutrona said. The pair introduced a similar bill in the last General Assembly, but it only received one hearing and did not pass by the end of the legislative session. A spokesperson with the Ohio Council of Churches, a Christian organization fighting against gun violence, told NBC4 the group is against the bill, calling it 'morally and ethically' irresponsible. Waverly, Ohio teenager on life support after getting the flu 'According to the New England Journal of Medicine, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in America,' a spokesperson said. 'Yet our state legislature apparently is bent on not only removing the tax on firearms sales … but actually seeks to encourage the manufacture and distribution of firearms, by bestowing tax incentives on the manufacturers.' SB 59 was assigned to the Senate's Ways and Means Committee. It has had one introductory hearing and awaits proponent and opponent testimony. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
