Latest news with #JordanHighSchool
Express Tribune
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Walter Scott, co-founder of R&B group 'The Whispers', dies at 81
Walter Scott, co-founder of the renowned R&B group The Whispers, has passed away at the age of 81. His death was confirmed by family and friends, marking the end of a musical legacy that helped define soul and R&B from the 1960s onward. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Walter and his twin brother Wallace 'Scotty' Scott relocated to Los Angeles in 1959. The brothers began singing while attending Jordan High School, and in 1964, they formed The Whispers, a group that would become one of R&B's most enduring acts. The Whispers achieved mainstream success in the late 1970s and 1980s with a series of gold and platinum records. Their most celebrated hits include 'And the Beat Goes On,' 'Rock Steady,' 'It's a Love Thing,' 'Lady,' 'Love is Where You Find It,' and 'Love at Its Best.' In a 2017 interview with the L.A. Sentinel, Walter reflected on their breakthrough: 'We knew by 1981, we didn't think of it as made it, we thought of it as the validation from our peers and fans that they liked us.' Scotty added, 'From that point on, up until 1988 everything we recorded was either gold or platinum.' Walter and Scotty remained active performers well into their later years. In 2023, they headlined the Taste of Soul Family Festival, continuing to bring their classic sound to new generations of fans.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
175 years of human error, Mother Nature and tragic results
Throughout the Beehive State's history, human error and Mother Nature have on occasion created truly devastating results. At times, both share the blame. The state's history has been peppered with natural disasters, airline and railway disasters, mining tragedies, and fires, among other catastrophic events. Deseret News has, for 175 years, covered all of them. This is a sampling of events that have shattered lives and broken hearts. But many of them have also provided lessons that improved safety for others. One of the most tragic crashes in Utah history and the worst-ever railroad crossing crash — though not the worst train disaster — occurred Dec. 1, 1938, when a Jordan High School bus carrying about 40 students stopped in front of the railroad tracks near 10600 South and 300 West in South Jordan. The driver, Farrold Silcox, was looking for signs of a train, but could see nothing in the blizzardy conditions that day. Since he'd crossed the same tracks without ever encountering a train at the same time almost daily in the past, he pulled onto the tracks. A northbound Denver & Rio Grande Western train, however, was not on its usual schedule and its crew, too, was unable to see because of the storm. The 50-car train slammed into the bus, pushing it a half-mile and scattering wreckage and bodies along its path. In all, 23 school kids and Silcox died; the rest of the passengers were injured. Deseret News reported that just two passengers on the bus were able to walk when ambulances and first responders arrived. To this day, it's thought to be the worst railroad crossing tragedy in U.S. history. Seventy-five years later, Deseret News reported on a memorial erected in honor of those who perished. And safety rules changed with the wreck. Even now, as a result of that tragedy, school bus drivers are supposed to not only look, but open their door and listen for the sound of an approaching train. Many crashes on Utah roads have been weather-related. And while you might expect snow, fog and cold to dominate, Utah's varied seasons bring different potentially problematic conditions. Eight people, including four children, were killed July 25, 2021, in a multicar pileup caused by a dust storm between Fillmore and Kanosh in Millard County. Another 10 people were taken to hospitals, including at least three who had critical injuries. The crash involved 22 vehicles as high winds kicked up sand and dust that limited visibility. Per the original Deseret News article, 'Troopers said Monday they believe minor crashes initially blocked the roadway. While trying to stop for those crashes, a semitrailer is believed to have rear-ended a pickup truck, according to the UHP.' Others then slammed into the wreckage. An even bigger pileup — the largest in Utah history — occurred Dec. 18, 1980, wrecking more than 134 vehicles near Point of the Mountain as drivers failed to recognize the light coating of ice on the road and adjust to reduced visibility. A minor accident launched a chain reaction that lasted minutes, not seconds, and included 78 northbound vehicles and 56 that were southbound. Almost unbelievably, no one died, though there were numerous injuries. Weather's not always a factor, either. A dusty desert road about 45 miles from Escalante was the scene of a crash that killed 13 and injured 26 others when a cattle truck loaded with Boy Scouts, their leaders and several others rolled backwards off a 35-foot embankment June 10, 1963, tumbling down a ravine. A Deseret News reporter was among those killed, as were some Scouts and leaders and a Salt Lake teacher. A monument was erected on the 30th anniversary of the tragedy. In another crash, December 19, 1990, a semitrailer truck collided with a Greyhound bus, killing seven and injuring 21, some critically. Another 45 were temporarily displaced and stayed with nearby residents in the Evanston area, just over the Utah border. According to one of the News' articles, the impact knocked the Chicago-bound bus off the road 'and it slid about 100 yards on its side before coming to rest against a fence at the bottom of another 15-foot embankment.' Law enforcement said it appeared the driver of the truck overcorrected. Utah roads have been the scene of too many deadly crashes to provide more than a sampling. On Oct. 24, 1947, a United Airlines DC-6 crashed over Bryce Canyon, killing 53 people, which matched the national record at the time for deadly plane wrecks. That fact was not recognized for years, as a tiny baby born at the time of the crash or expelled from the womb was not counted among the dead. The mortuary filled out a death certificate at the time, but it was years before the count was updated. The News reported that the pilot, E.L. McMillen, was trying to make an emergency landing at the Bryce Canyon Airport due to a fire onboard. He radioed that, frantic to lighten the plane so it would stay aloft, passengers and crew were tossing luggage, seats and other items from the plane. He thought they might make it, but the plane crashed, aflame, 1,500 yards short of the runway, with no survivors. According to a later Deseret News story, 'With the Cold War heating up, the FBI initiated a sabotage investigation. But it was later determined the fire started from a fuel overflow during transfer from one tank to another. It was ignited by the cabin heater intake scoop located in the belly of the plane, an area then inaccessible from the cabin.' A United Air Lines Boeing 727 Jetliner caught fire while landing at the Salt Lake City airport on Nov. 11, 1965. Deseret News reported that 42 of the 91 people aboard died. Other plane crashes have also made headlines over the years, including a chartered DC-3 plane with 13 aboard bound for a Brigham Young University-New Mexico football game that crashed in the hills northwest of Camp Williams Nov. 10, 1965, and burst into flames. Ten people died in the early afternoon of Jan. 15, 1987, when a single-engine Mooney aircraft collided in midair over Kearns with a SkyWest aircraft carrying eight passengers. It was subsequently determined that air traffic controllers were 51% responsible for the crash as 'visibility at the time of the accident made it difficult to see each other without assistance from air traffic controllers.' Snow, trees and rocks — some called it a rock slide, others an avalanche — shot down Bingham Canyon Feb. 17, 1926, smashing into and encapsulating businesses, homes and a boarding house. Despite varying counts, it's now believed that 40 of the 75 who were buried in the debris died. The story became national news. Other tragedies have been spun out over days and even weeks. That's the story of the wicked 1948-49 winter, when harsh weather, including blizzard conditions, killed 76 people in the region, including 10 in Utah who died of exposure in January. Deseret News described the weather as a 'frightful combination of both snow and cold' in which people, livestock and fruit trees died. In contrast, the 1965 flash flood in Sheep Creek Canyon was as sudden as it was deadly. A couple, their three children and two nephews were on a camping and fishing vacation near Flaming Gorge when a flash flood on June 9 overtook them. They all died. A construction worker called police after spotting a station wagon floating upside down in floodwaters near the Palisades Campground. A family member who came to the flood site after learning of the deaths told Deseret News that 'the river sounded like thunder because of all the big rocks that were flowing underneath.' Over time, all but one of the bodies were recovered. Paul Swenson, who turned 13 the day before, was never found. Mines have been an important part of Utah history. And also a source of great sorrow for whole families and communities. One of the greatest tragedies in Utah history occurred in 1900, when at least 200 miners on duty at the Winter Quarters mine in Scofield died in a morning explosion, the cause never learned. The disaster led to a union movement and mine safety reforms. 'Women and children waiting, moaning and crying out the names of their beloved ones and as every man is brought out from the mine on a stretcher, everyone rushes forward, raises the covering from the face and shrieks awful to hear penetrate the dark and gloomy atmosphere as someone rushes forward only to faint at the foot of their husband's or father's corpse,' is the description in the May 1, 1900, article. Even President William McKinley sent his condolences. Some households lost every male member; Robert Hunter died with three of his sons and four nephews, Deseret News reported. 'At least 20 of the dead were mere boys who worked with their fathers as couplers and trap boys.' It would not be the last underground tragedy. On March 8, 1924, a series of explosions at Mine No. 2 Utah Fuel in Castle Gate entombed 175 miners. A hoped-for escape at the far end of the collapsed tunnel never occurred. Deseret News reported that all in the tunnel died in the 'living grave' — fathers and sons, men who'd gotten jobs there just hours before and others. One, Andrew Gilbert, 73, had been hailed a hero in the Winter Quarters disaster in 1900. Dec. 20, 1984, days before Christmas, 27 miners were trapped inside the Wilberg Mine in Emery County. Despite repeated efforts, would-be rescuers were repelled by toxic smoke pouring from the mine. It would take just three days shy of a year to bring the dead miners — 26 men and one woman — to the surface. The following September, Deseret News reported that a monument was dedicated in a 'short but solemn service.' On Aug. 6, 2007, a 'seismic event' that was a 3 a.m. collapse at the Crandall Canyon Mine measured 3.9 on the Richter scale. Close to an hour later, the Emery County Sheriff's Office was notified and rescue attempts began. Six miners were trapped 1,800 feet underground. The next day, part of a tunnel caved in with another seismic 'bump.' Another on Aug. 16 killed two rescue team members and a federal inspector attempting to tunnel their way to the miners. The three died and six others were injured, buried in coal and debris. The attempt to rescue the miners from underground was suspended on Day 12, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. noting it had gone from a 'tragedy to a catastrophe.' Efforts to find their bodies continued from above ground until Aug. 31, when all search ended. The mine was later sealed, the miners' remains inside. Utah's worst all-time train wreck occurred near Promontory Point on the Lucin Cutoff early on Dec. 31, 1944. Two westbound trains smashed into each other about 18 miles west of Ogden, killing 48. Deseret News reported the dead included 29 U.S. Army and Navy personnel, nine railroad employees and 10 others, including a 15-year-old teen from Salt Lake City. An additional 83 people — including 44 more in the military — were hurt. 'Train wreck toll set at 48″ and 'Camera highlights of the worst train wreck in the West' were headlines Deseret News readers woke to on New Year's Day. An investigation found the engineer of an express mail train traveling about 60 mph had a heart attack and died seconds before his train slammed into the rear of a passenger and freight train going 18 mph. Death is not the only way to reckon a tragedy. Among the most-often-recounted tragedies is a fire more than a century ago. 'Utah's proud and prosperous mining camp has practically been wiped out of existence' by the worst fire in the state's history, as Deseret News reported at the time. On Sunday morning, June 19, 1898, fire erupted, leaving at least 500 miners and members of their families 'homeless and destitute.' The fire began in the Freeman of America House about 4 a.m. 'But before there could be any effective response, the hotel was completely enveloped and doomed to swift and certain destruction, as well as all contiguous buildings. There was no time for the removal of goods from stores, money from places of deposit, books and papers from shelves or safes, horses from barns — scarcely time to save human beings from being cremated alive," the story in the next day's paper read. The fire 'resembled a great fire furnace which illuminated the heavens in all directions.' The fire was stopped by blowing up houses that would have fed it, reports said. Then they breached the Marasac mill flume and sent water tumbling, quashing the inferno.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- CBS News
Atlas Metal recycling plant in Watts permanently closed after hazardous waste case
The troublesome Atlas Iron and Metal Corp. will permanently close its Watts recycling plant after its owners pleaded no contest to polluting a nearby school campus with hazardous materials. Father Gary Weisenberg and son Matthew Weisenberg, the owners of Atlas, are expected to be sentenced to two years of probation, ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and fined $10,500 each. Their plea agreement also mandates that their company pay $1 in restitution to the Los Angeles Unified School District, along with $150,000 in fines and penalties. Atlas must also pay $850,000 to the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the LA County Fire Health Hazardous Materials Division and the District Attorney's Office. "This outcome shuts down a dangerous facility that has threatened this community for more than 75 years," District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. "We will relentlessly pursue any business that poisons our neighborhoods. Let this be a warning — if you break the law and put public health at risk, we will hold you accountable." Atlas has faced backlash for the past few years after community members claimed the recycling facility has sent shrapnel onto the school's campus and has exposed students at the neighboring Jordan High School to toxic chemicals. According to the Los Angeles Unified School District, there are dangerous levels of lead and other metals on the campus amounting to 75 times higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency defines as hazardous. In 2021, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office sued the company for being a public nuisance. The City Attorney's office alleged that the campus was once evacuated after a 6-inch shard from a military device blasted 1,500 feet into the air before landing at the school Additionally, the city alleges metal fragments have been ejected from the facility onto Jordan High's campus at least eight times in 2020. Four years later, problems at Atlas continued after an explosion on Aug. 12, 2024, sent smoke into the air right before students returned from summer break for the first day of the school year. "This company prioritized profits over the community's well-being for far too long, and this shutdown presents a welcome reprieve," LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. "Let this decision send a crystal-clear message: The safety of our schools and communities is not negotiable, and no company is above the law." Atlas also agreed to clean the site, fulfill state remediation requirements and remove the container wall on its property that minimizes disruptions to Jordan High School. It must also relinquish all rights under the Jordan Downs Urban Village Specific Plan or similar entitlement for operating a recycling facility. Finally, the agreement outlines a deal where the company will execute a land use covenant preventing the site from being used for recycling or similar purposes and grants LAUSD and the city of LA the right of first refusal to any future sale of the property.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Workers discover hidden history
A chance discovery in the woods behind Jordan High School has turned up a mystery of sizeable proportions – literally. While cleaning some of the garbage and brush out of the woods behind the school, maintenance workers at the high school discovered an ornamental stone, dating back to as early as 1897, from the former Jordan High School along Varner Street that was gutted by a March 7, 1920 fire. District Maintenance Director Tom Voigt said workers discovered the stone earlier this month while cleaning the woods behind Jordan high and elementary schools. They brought a Bobcat back into the woods to bring out the massive block of Jordan sandstone – about 8 feet long, 1 foot wide and 1 foot thick. 'It was in three pieces,' Voigt said. 'We got it back together the best that we could.' The stone clearly reads 'Jordan High School' and has the date sometime in the 1890s, although the last number has broken off the stone. 'It's really cool,' Voigt said. 'You can read the letters. The letters are as crystal clear as can be. 'I would have to assume it was from the school that burnt down in the early 1900s. The question is, how did it get there?' According to a March 11, 1920, edition of the Jordan Independent: 'Fire of mysterious origin broke out in the attic of the Jordan public school building about half past ten o'clock, Sunday morning and before it was checked, some three hours later, had wrought havoc to the handsome building, causing a loss estimated at $40,000. The insurance carried totals of $18,500. Spontaneous combustion is the only way known to explain how the fire started.' After the former high school burned down in 1920, a new school was built on the site. That school was used until 1979, when the high school moved into the building that is now Jordan Middle School along Sunset Drive. While he attended the new school on the Varner site, Voigt said he didn't remember ever seeing the stone there. He said he talked to Dave Worm, a custodian at the elementary school. Worm told Voigt he remembered seeing the stone at the old school but also has no idea how it came to rest in the woods behind the new high school, which wasn't built until 2004. 'If anyone knows how it got there, we want to know,' Voigt said. 'There's all sorts of possibilities.' In the meantime, Voigt said he's also looking for advice from area residents on how to restore or repair the stone, which is cracked in three places. 'We have to figure out how we're going to cement it together,' he said. 'If we have anybody who knows how to piece back together, that would help.'
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cool Jobs: Only the tough need apply
Editor's note: This is an occasional series focusing on local residents' interesting, unusual or even oddball occupations. If you know someone with an odd job, e-mail editor@ The wildfire fighters worked fast with chainsaws. If they didn't, fire could get out in front of their crew of about a dozen, putting them in danger. Among them was Mike Riker, an 18-year-old Jordan High School football player and wrestler chosen to be part of the North Star Fire Crew in Alaska. The crew often spent two to three weeks at a time in the Alaskan wilderness after flying into isolation to work 16- to 20-hour shifts cutting wide swaths through the forest to rob a blaze of the fuel to rage on. Firefighters subsisted mostly on military-style ready-to-eat meals, carrying 50-pound packs, striking camp around three miles from their saw lines. 'Sometime's the nearest road's 100 miles away,' Riker said. Only the physically and mentally tough can make it and thrive in such a crew, where members deal with what Riker called 'long hours, little sleep and crappy food.' Some firefighters 'broke' and had to be taken back to civilization. 'They'd get sent back,' he said. Not Riker. This was pretty close to his dream job. He took a teenager's sense of invincibility to Alaska in mid-May and returned from the largest state in the U.S. feeling somewhat more finite. 'You definitely take a whole new perspective on the value of life,' Riker said. Read more in Thursday's Shakopee Valley News.
