Haitians found stability in Maryland's poultry plants. It's now in jeopardy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cargo ships blocked after coal carrier explosion near site of Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse
BALTIMORE — The main channel used by cargo ships to enter and exit the Port of Baltimore was still shut down Tuesday morning as the Coast Guard probed the cause of a Monday evening explosion on board a coal carrier. No large ships have been able to carry goods in or out of the port since the explosion near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. The coal ship, the W-Sapphire, spent the night anchored and surrounded by tugboats just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. South of the bridge, several cargo ships — some of which were due in the port Monday night — waited. A Tuesday morning notice from the Maryland Port Administration says that the Fort McHenry Federal Channel will remain closed until the U.S. Coast Guard determines that it's safe to reopen for ship traffic and schedules new arrival and departure times for the blocked vessels. The agency referred all other questions to the Coast Guard, which did not immediately respond to questions about the closure. The W-Sapphire needs to be cleared to continue sailing, the Coast Guard said Monday evening. The coal carrier is scheduled to be at sea for over a month, traveling from Baltimore to Mauritius, an island off Africa's east coast. Part of the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier exploded Monday evening, causing a fire in a portion of the ship, according to Baltimore City Fire Department. The fireball had burst out of the vessel, which departed a Curtis Bay coal pier at around 6 p.m. Monday, as it passed through the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse site. 'The W-Sapphire is on fire in the middle of the channel,' one person is heard saying in recorded marine radio transmissions, shortly before a crew member calls a mayday for a coal explosion. The 751-foot, coal-carrying ship showed signs of a fire consistent with an explosion, according to Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson John Marsh. 'Firefighters responded by both land and water, including the department's fireboats,' Marsh said. 'The vessel remained afloat and was being assisted by tugboats.' All 23 of the crew members were accounted for and uninjured, according to fire officials. The ship had two pilots aboard, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Matthew West. The Coast Guard also assisted in the rescue of the crew and the recovery of the ship, and is investigating the cause of the explosion. Coal is the Port of Baltimore's largest export by weight — and it's considered hazardous cargo. In 2017, a ship carrying coal from Baltimore to Portugal exploded, killing one crew member and injuring three others. W Marine Inc., the Greek firm that manages the W-Sapphire, did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday morning. Gov. Wes Moore said Monday night that he was in touch with authorities, and more information about the explosion would be provided 'as it becomes available.' ---------------- Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Man wins $200,000 lottery prize using numbers from a license plate
Aug. 19 (UPI) -- A Maryland man took inspiration from another vehicle's license plate and bought a Pick 5 lottery ticket that earned him a $200,000 prize. The St. Mary's County man told Maryland Lottery officials he was on his 70-mile commute to work when his lottery inspiration struck. "I was going to work and stopped at a red light in Charlotte Hall and I noticed the tag on a truck, 19363," the player said. He used those numbers to buy tickets for the Aug. 6 evening and Aug. 7 midday Pick 5 drawings. The man checked the results after the Aug. 7 drawing and recalled thinking, "That number looks familiar." The digits earned the man a $200,000 prize. "I was gasping for air. I was so happy," he said. "I'm going to renovate the old house." The winner said there is one additional celebratory purchase in his near future: "Oh, I'm going to get a crab cake!" Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Associated Press
Explosion on cargo ship closes Baltimore shipping channel near site of 2024 bridge collapse
BALTIMORE (AP) — Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine what caused an explosion aboard a cargo ship laden with coal as it departed Baltimore's harbor for East Africa. Officials said no one was injured in the blast Monday evening, which prompted a mayday call when it was reported near the site of last year's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Video of the explosion showed flames shooting high into the air, followed by a large plume of dark smoke billowing over the Patapsco River. The Port of Baltimore's main shipping channel was closed Tuesday morning. 'The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency in the response and will determine when the channel can safely reopen, as well as the timing of vessel arrivals and departures,' port officials said in a news release. The 751-foot (229-meter) merchant vessel W-Sapphire was en route from Baltimore to East Africa, according to marine tracking websites. It was expected to arrive in the Port of Mauritius in about a month. Built in 2012, the ship is currently sailing under a Liberian flag. Officials said it was transporting coal. There were 23 crewmembers and two pilots aboard at the time of the explosion, according to Coast Guard officials. Baltimore Fire Department spokesperson John Marsh said the agency responded to a fire below deck. There were no reports of property damage beyond the ship, according to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his office was closely monitoring the situation. The Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard (1,829-meter) safety zone around the site of the explosion. 'Reports state the fire has been extinguished and plans for the vessel are being formulated,' the agency said in a statement. Officials didn't provide a timeline for when the federal shipping channel was expected to reopen. It was closed for months after the deadly bridge collapse in March 2024, which killed six members of a roadwork crew and effectively brought port operations to a standstill. The bridge was destroyed when the container ship Dali lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns.
