Latest news with #RyanWallace
Fast Company
08-07-2025
- Fast Company
Texas flood recovery efforts face an unexpected obstacle: drones
The flash floods that have devastated Texas are already a difficult crisis to manage. More than 100 people are confirmed dead after the July 4 deluge, and many more remain missing. But while recovery efforts are underway, Texas authorities are grappling with a compounding challenge: civilian drone operators interfering with emergency response. Amateur pilots are either trying to capture dramatic footage of the disaster or, in some cases, attempting to locate missing or stranded people themselves. That's not just unhelpful—it's dangerous. 'We know that people want to volunteer, but what we are starting to see is personal drones flying,' Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said at a recent press conference. Rice discouraged these have-a-go heroes with drones. 'These personal drones flying is a danger to aircraft, which then risks further operations,' he added. What might seem like good intentions from above is, in practice, making things worse on the ground. 'Particularly with emergency response, people think that they're doing good, when, in reality, they're causing more harm than good,' says Ryan Wallace, a professor and drone expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This isn't a new problem. In January 2025, a drone collided with one of two Super Scooper amphibious aircraft fighting the Los Angeles wildfires. The collision forced the aircraft to land and be decommissioned, instantly halving the region's firefighting capacity. 'It's a sad reality that people have been flying drones over disaster zones without permission ever since the technology came into widespread use over a decade ago,' says Arthur Holland Michel, a drone expert and author of Eyes in the Sky. The growing availability of consumer drones over the past decade has worsened the issue. 'As drones became less expensive in the 2010s, more people had them for unregulated recreational use or professional photography,' explains Robin Murphy, professor emeritus at Texas A&M University. She recalls how, during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, officials had to call the sheriff to stop a civilian trying to film flood footage to sell to the news, just so official drone teams could gather time-sensitive emergency data. Between 2015 and 2025, there have been 190 recorded instances of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) incursions, conflicts, or airspace intrusions that interfered with wildfire and U.S. Forest Service operations, according to Wallace. Despite repeated education campaigns, the message isn't sinking in. 'Aviation authorities have tried again and again to educate drone users about the very real risks of interfering with rescue efforts and disaster relief, but it just doesn't seem to get through to some people,' Wallace says. While technical and legal options exist to disable unauthorized drones, the burden often falls on responders, who should be focused on saving lives and not policing airspace. The comparison, Murphy notes, is stark: 'It's like a civilian walking up to a SWAT team commander during an active shooter event and offering to help cover off an angle because they have a gun permit. There are so many problems with this,' she says. 'The person doesn't have radios, doesn't know the parlance, isn't trained in SWAT, there are procedures for joining an agency, the agency would be liable for this person's actions, and so on. Same thing with self-deploying drones.' Low-flying civilian drones also pose a collision risk to helicopters operating just above the ground to aid trapped residents. In crowded and chaotic airspace, the presence of rogue drones can quite literally turn deadly. Even when drone pilots aren't disrupting emergency aircraft, their contributions often can't be used. 'The emergency managers usually can't use the data because it is not verified,' says Murphy. 'For example, agencies can't accept a report from a person claiming to be a civil engineer they have never met and without credentials who says a building is about to collapse; the agencies have a process for obtaining data according to accountability standards.' The file formats from commercial drones also don't always align with agency tools. One colleague, Murphy recalls, spent 40 hours converting well-meaning footage from a civilian into a usable format after a fire. 'What is disturbing to me personally is the lack of enforcement or consequences,' she adds. 'The agencies are in a no-win situation and can't do it; if they come down hard on self-deployed teams—assuming they had time during a response.' As for why early warnings didn't prevent more loss of life during the Texas floods, some observers point to recent staffing cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which may have led to the early retirement of a key local meteorologist. The forecasting question may take time to answer, but the drone problem is already making itself known.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio man accused of burning 100 books on Black, Jewish, LGBTQ history
An Ohio man is accused of burning 100 library books on African American, Jewish and LGBTQ history, sparking a public outcry. The Beachwood Police Department said the man checked out the books in April, days after he went to the Beachwood library branch on Shaker Boulevard and got a library card, NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland reported. He allegedly told the librarian that his son was a member of the LGBTQ community and that he was trying to learn more about it, the news station reported. The library was informed that the man had posted a photo showing a car trunk full of books on the site, according to WKYC. The books had Cuyahoga County Public Library stickers on them. The library was later informed that the man posted a video that appeared to show him burning all of the books he checked out. The books were worth around $1,700, the news station reported. The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism described Gab as "an online hub for extremist and conspiratorial content" that it mostly used by "conspiracy theorists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, members of militias and influential figures among the alt right." The Beachwood library directed NBC News to the Cuyahoga County Public Library, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Interfaith Group Against Hate, a coalition led by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian congregations, quickly condemned the man's actions and said it wants to collect 1,000 "new books lifting up Black, Jewish, and LGBTQ+ voices," Congregation Mishkan Or said in a Facebook post Monday. 'Whoever perpetuated the idea that you can burn us out of Cleveland, deport us out of Cleveland and deny our ideas and oppress us and frighten us to the corner…they picked the wrong community!' Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk from Mishkan Or said in a statement. 'And that community will continue to respond with love. Let's use this moment to instead of standing in fear, to stand against this oppressive act, and deepen our convictions to learn about each other's faith, race, culture and values,' he continued. "We want to take this act of hate and turn it into a powerful symbol of unity, solidarity and love," Rev. Ryan Wallace of Fairmount Presbyterian Church said. Sen. Kent Smith, a Democrat, said the man's actions "cannot be tolerated." "I condemn this act, not only because it is a crime against our institutions and community, but also because it is fundamentally un-American," Smith said in a statement. "This act of violence is not just a crime against the public catalog of literature that was destroyed, but also is a violation of the marketplace of ideas that is a bedrock principle of American life." It's not clear if the man faces charges. Police said the incident is most likely a civil matter, and the local prosecutor would determine if charges are warranted, according to WKYC. Police said the library wanted the incident documented and that the books are not yet overdue, the news station reported. The man will receive a bill once they are overdue, and the bill will be sent to collections if it is not paid. Beachwood police said the investigation is ongoing and the city prosecutor will determine "whether there is probable cause to believe a crime was committed." "The Beachwood Police Department is actively investigating this incident," Chief Dan Grispino said in a statement. "Our department stands against antisemitism and all acts of bias-motivated crimes. We are committed to vigorously investigating and prosecuting any hate-motivated incidents within the City of Beachwood. Our priority is to maintain a community that can thrive without the fear of threats of intimidation or violence." The prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article was originally published on
NBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Ohio man accused of burning 100 books on Black, Jewish, LGBTQ history
An Ohio man is accused of burning 100 library books on African American, Jewish, and LGBTQ history, sparking a public outcry. The Beachwood Police Department said the man checked out the books in April, days after he went to the Beachwood library branch on Shaker Boulevard and got a library card, NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland reported. He allegedly told the librarian that his son was a member of the LGBTQ community and that he was trying to learn more about it, the news station reported. The library was informed that the man had posted a photo showing a car trunk full of books on the site, according to WKYC. The books had Cuyahoga County Public Library stickers on them. The library was later informed that the man posted a video that appeared to show him burning all of the books he checked out. The books cost around $1,700, the news station reported. The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism described Gab as "an online hub for extremist and conspiratorial content" that it mostly used by "conspiracy theorists, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, members of militias and influential figures among the alt right." The Beachwood library directed NBC News to the Cuyahoga County Public Library, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Interfaith Group Against Hate, a coalition led by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian congregations, quickly condemned the man's actions and said it wants to collect 1,000 "new books lifting up Black, Jewish, and LGBTQ+ voices," Congregation Mishkan Or said in a Facebook post Monday. 'Whoever perpetuated the idea that you can burn us out of Cleveland, deport us out of Cleveland and deny our ideas and oppress us and frighten us to the corner…they picked the wrong community!' Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk from Mishkan Or said in a statement. 'And that community will continue to respond with love. Let's use this moment to instead of standing in fear, to stand against this oppressive act, and deepen our convictions to learn about each other's faith, race, culture and values,' he continued. "We want to take this act of hate and turn it into a powerful symbol of unity, solidarity and love," Rev. Ryan Wallace of Fairmount Presbyterian Church said. Sen. Kent Smith, a Democrat, said the man's actions "cannot be tolerated." "I condemn this act, not only because it is a crime against our institutions and community, but also because it is fundamentally un-American," Smith said in a statement. "This act of violence is not just a crime against the public catalog of literature that was destroyed, but also is a violation of the marketplace of ideas that is a bedrock principle of American life." It's not clear if the man faces charges. Police said the incident is most likely a civil matter, and the local prosecutor would determine if charges are warranted, according to WKYC. Police said the library wanted the incident documented and that the books are not yet overdue, the news station reported. The man will receive a bill once they are overdue, and the bill will be sent to collections if it is not paid.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calvary Day preps for second-round playoff matchup
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Calvary Day baseball team continues preparation for Whitefield Academy, which is their second-round opponent in the GHSA Class 3A-A private playoffs. Calvary Day looks to advance to the state quarterfinals in back-to-back years. The Cavaliers looked dominant in their opening-round sweep. In the second game, Noah Bauer and Ryan Wallace combined for a no-hitter. They will look for more solid pitching as they take on Whitefield Academy… A team that has won four of its last five contests. 'We just talked about it yesterday with our mental performance coach,' head coach Phillip Lee said. 'She kind of hit on, like, 'Hey, this is the playoffs and is it a new thing? Is it a continuation of the season and we kind of had mixed feelings. But you know, at the end of the day, it's win or go home from here on out. That's just something we've been trying to continue to press to our guys and they understand that.' Calvary Day will play Whitefield Academy on May 1 at Islands High School. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for 4 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
