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Iowa amusement park's former owner settles lawsuit over 11-year-old's drowning

Iowa amusement park's former owner settles lawsuit over 11-year-old's drowning

An Iowa amusement park's former operator has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of an 11-year-old boy who drowned on a water ride in 2021.
A company that previously owned Adventureland park in the Des Moines suburb of Altoona, along with its former CEO and three managers, reached a settlement with the family of Michael Jaramillo on Sunday. Jury selection had been scheduled to start Monday for a trial over the lawsuit brought by the family. The settlement terms are confidential.
Michael Jaramillo, his parents, two brothers and another family member were strapped into a 1,700-pound (770-kilogram) raft on the Raging River ride on July 3, 2021, when it flipped over. All six hit their heads on the surface under the water, but Michael Jaramillo and one of his brothers could not get out of their seatbelts and were trapped, head-down, underwater for about 10 minutes, according to the family.
The lawsuit alleged that for years, Adventureland failed to properly maintain and repair its rides, including the Raging River. It also said the park continued to operate the water ride on the day of the accident despite reports of serious problems.
The park's former owner, Adventure Lands of America, former CEO Michael Krantz, and the three managers, denied that the ride had been operated improperly or insufficiently supervised. But Fred Dorr, an attorney for the family, said Tuesday that their lawyers believe they built a strong case that the park and its employees were responsible.
'Imagine the terror going on in those kids' minds,' Dorr said. 'And then you turn to the jury and say, 'What's that worth, to watch your child die like that?'
An attorney for Adventure Lands of America did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Tuesday. However, in answering the lawsuit, the defendants said the accident resulted from 'a series of unexpected and intended factors' and that, in the 38 years the ride operated before the accident, no raft had overturned.
Krantz is a member of a Des Moines-area family that began operating Adventureland in the 1970s and sold it and other affiliated assets months after the accident to the subsidiary of an international amusement park company based in Spain.
In March, Herschend, a company based in the Atlanta area, purchased the Spanish company's U.S. properties, including Adventureland. Herschend operates the Dollywood theme park in Tennessee and Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri.
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Multiple shooters wanted after 3 killed, 9 wounded at Brooklyn lounge, NYPD says
Multiple shooters wanted after 3 killed, 9 wounded at Brooklyn lounge, NYPD says

CBS News

timean hour ago

  • CBS News

Multiple shooters wanted after 3 killed, 9 wounded at Brooklyn lounge, NYPD says

New York City police are searching for multiple gunmen after three people were killed and at least nine were wounded in a mass shooting at a lounge in Brooklyn. The NYPD said Sunday up to four shooters opened fire inside the crowded Taste of the City Lounge at 903 Franklin Ave. in the Crown Heights neighborhood overnight in what appears to be gang-related violence. Multiple shooting victims found inside Brooklyn lounge NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers found multiple shooting victims inside the lounge after several 911 calls came in shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday. She said it is believed the gunmen started firing at people during a dispute. Three men were pronounced dead and nine people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, Tisch said. The victims include nine men and three women, whose ages range from 19 to 61 years old, she added. The three men killed have been identified as 19-year-old Marvin St. Louis, 27-year-old Amadou Diallo and 35-year-old Jamel Childs. Officers recovered at least 42 shell casings from what appeared to be multiple guns inside the lounge, Tisch said. Police also discovered a gun near Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway, but it was not immediately clear if the firearm was part of the lounge shooting. Investigators were trying to find surveillance video of the incident and, so far, have not made any arrests. Mayor asks witnesses to come forward Mayor Eric Adams urged anyone with information about the Brooklyn shooting to come forward by calling the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline. "If you were inside the club, if you heard individuals talking about this shooting, if you witnessed someone fleeing the location. Every piece of information will allow us to put the puzzle together to solve this crime," Adams said late Sunday morning. For tips in English, the hotline is 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). For tips in Spanish, call 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). As the investigation continues, it's still being determined whether or not the Taste of the City Lounge will remain open. "We're going to find out were any searches in place, and we're going to allow anyone from the building department to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to the police department all to come together to determine what should be the next step with the lounge," Adams said. Taste of the City Lounge released a statement on Instagram saying, in part, "The safety and well-being of our guests and community has always been our top priority. We are working closely with law enforcement." The mayor noted this was the city's second deadly mass shooting in less than three weeks. Another gunman stormed a Midtown Manhattan office building on July 28 and killed four people before turning the gun on himself. Anti-violence groups say they need more funding to help communities Despite the recent events, Tisch said gun violence is down this year across the five boroughs. "We have the lowest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year that we've seen on record in the city of New York. Something like this is, thank God, an anomaly and it's a terrible thing that happened this morning. But we're going to investigate and get to the bottom of what went down," Tisch said. The NYPD says about 60% of the city's shootings are gang-related. The city is now mobilizing its mass shooting plan, deploying crisis management partners to prevent retaliatory shootings. The anti-violence group Elite Learners came out Sunday after learning of the shooting. "Our numbers for gun violence are down, but this is traumatic," Elite Learners founder and executive director Camara Jackson said. They say more funding is needed to get them on the street seven days a week. "We need the NYPD budget," Jackson said. "Public safety is a community effort, but when you look at the New York City crisis management system and you look at NYPD, we don't come close." "I've been doing a lot of advocacy work with State Senator Zellnor Myrie and State Assemblymember Monique Chandler Waterman around legislation that they're both holding to change the definition of mass shootings so that more resources can pull down from both the state and federal government," New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson said. There was also a mobile trauma response unit providing mental health services, along with the nonprofit Brownsville Think Tank Matters. "We all have our own trauma. We don't know what everybody been through, so this right here can spark up something that may have happened in their past," said Derrick Adams, a violence interrupter with Brownsville Think Tank Matters.

This New Wellness Resort Has The Largest Spa In Central America—And Sits Inside A Volcanic Crater
This New Wellness Resort Has The Largest Spa In Central America—And Sits Inside A Volcanic Crater

Forbes

time3 hours ago

  • Forbes

This New Wellness Resort Has The Largest Spa In Central America—And Sits Inside A Volcanic Crater

Hotel La Compañía del Valle, located in El Valle del Anton, Panama. Hotel La Compañía del Valle For decades, Costa Rica has been a magnet for wellness-centered getaways packed with surf, sun and spas, setting it apart from anywhere else in the region. But what of this Central American haven's next-door neighbor, Panama? Despite sharing much of the same natural beauty, excellent connectivity, and impressive biodiversity, Panama is only just getting started when it comes to drawing tourism, of the wellness-focused variety and otherwise. The debut of Hotel La Compañía del Valle, complete with the largest spa in Central America, will change that. At a time when Panama is poised to draw more stopover travelers than ever, this mountain retreat helps put one of the most beautiful corners of the country on display as a destination worth traveling for, offering a wellness experience travelers are craving. The property has a focus on art and wellness, including a one-of-a-kind sculpture park. Hotel La Compañía del Valle With its eponymous canal and bustling business center, Panama City has long been thought of as more of a place to pass through than to savor. But those in-the-know travelers who've heard the whispers about just how cool Panama City really is will recognize the name of Hotel La Compañía. After a years-long restoration and transformation of centuries-old buildings in the Casco Antiguo neighborhood of Panama City, Hotel La Compañía debuted in 2022 and immediately set a new standard for travelers in the city. The hotel occupies an entire city block within Panama City's historic center, with edifications dating back to the 1600s when Jesuit missionaries from La Compañía de Jesús built the first foundations of the property. Now, the 88-room luxury boutique hotel comprises a Spanish colonial era wing, an 18th century French wing, and a 20th century American wing, each with their own unique style and historical details. Anchoring the revitalization of Panama City's historic center and creating arguably the first luxury property of its kind in the city, Hotel La Compañía has felt nothing less than revolutionary. Its new sister resort located in El Valle de Anton seeks to inspire the same excitement around one of the country's most serene spots. "Hotel La Compañía is our guiding light," said Chris Lenz, the owner and visionary behind La Compañía Hotels & Resorts, as we walked the grounds at the newest property. "We knew we had to keep them similar in their essence and feel, and in several of the important details and luxuries. But this is not designed to be a carbon copy of the city property; it can't be.' Instead, Lenz offers an important comparison: 'Hotel La Compañía del Valle is like [Hotel La Compañía] in that it is made exclusively for its location, fitting the experience travelers are looking for when they come here." Hotel La Compañía del Valle has 70 rooms and suites. Hotel La Compañía del Valle Inside Hotel La Compañía del Valle Travelers come to El Valle de Ancon looking for rest and relaxation, and they'll certainly find it here. Hotel La Compañía del Valle is a Tuscan-inspired boutique property spread across several sprawling acres that blend into the forested sides of a long extinct volcanic crater. The hotel's four wings each make the most of breathtaking mountain views and seem to magnify the fresh mountain air that had beckoned city dwellers for generations. Each of the property's 70 rooms and suites offers an oversized balcony or terrace, bringing the outside in in a way that feels intimately authentic to the reason visitors make the journey to this Eden in the first place. Rooms and suites are thoughtfully designed with furnishings and decor pieces that marry modernity with elegance, with tranquil color palettes that draw in glimpses of the lush surroundings through floor-to-ceiling windows. Amenities include Molton Brown bath products and Nespresso machines for preparing fresh Panamanian coffee. Beds here are so cozy that you'll want to order the same bedding for your own home. Hotel La Compañía del Valle also prides itself on its collection of one-of-a-kind art and sculptures. Its sprawling sculpture park is just as much designed to get visitors into a reflective state as the oversized wellness center is. A rendering of the spa at Hotel La Compañía del Valle, set to debut within the next few months. Hotel La Compañía del Valle A Wellness Getaway The Elysium Spa, an 18,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art space, will tie together the entire experience. El Valle de Anton has always been first and foremost a retreat from the city, so this expansive wellness-focused space feels like a natural fit for the destination. Though work continues at the spa, with its expected opening date scheduled for later this year, I got to peek behind the curtain while I visited and wow, is it impressive. Stone-clad changing rooms and relaxation spaces lead down to Roman baths, where a waterfall invites guests into an indoor-outdoor pool. Some of the most important leaders in the wellness world consulted on creating the space and the extensive menu of treatments it will offer. Think floatation therapy, chocolate and wine therapies, and more, far beyond just a traditional menus of spas, facials and scrubs. Hotel La Compañía del Valle within the crater of a long inactive volcano. Hotel La Compañía del Valle Panama's Untouched Interior With such an expansive spa, this mountain resort is a place to easily spend an entire weekend without setting foot off the property. However, the beauty of the destination is also part of the hotel's appeal. The town of El Valle de Anton is admittedly tiny, but the stunning mountainsides surrounding are the the perfect addition for a more active wellness getaway. Hikes range from the relatively easy to more adrenaline pumping, but most offer sweeping views as a well-earned reward. Before I set out on my trek to La India Dormida, the hotel concierge answered all my questions, though they also arranged guides for experiences ranging from hiking and horseback riding to e-biking and day trips further afield. Venture outside of the resort and you'll notice that despite being a weekend escape for Panama City's elite, there's truly nothing like Hotel La Compañía del Valle in the area. Though Panama has welcomed a handful of upscale resorts along the coast in recent years, especially in blossoming Bocas del Toro near the border with Costa Rica, there's little in its lush, ecologically diverse interior to speak of. La Compañía Hotels & Resorts is, again, the first of its kind. Sculptures on the property at Hotel La Compañía del Valle. Hotel La Compañía del Valle Pieces of Panama Many guests will spend a few days in Panama City at the brand's original Casco Antiguo property before heading into the mountains to unwind at the new resort; the properties were designed to fit together well within one travel experience, and they accomplish their goal. But more than just building brand loyalty, Lenz expresses pride that the new hotel opens travel into areas of the country that many people still have yet to experience. 'Panama has everything going for it, and we're excited to welcome more visitors to see it in a new way,' he says. After all, it's the guiding light of a brand making a meaningful impact in one of the region's most exciting new destinations.

ComEd Restores Power to 80 Percent of Customers Impacted by Pair of Weekend Storms
ComEd Restores Power to 80 Percent of Customers Impacted by Pair of Weekend Storms

Associated Press

time6 hours ago

  • Associated Press

ComEd Restores Power to 80 Percent of Customers Impacted by Pair of Weekend Storms

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 17, 2025-- Following two rounds of storms that both included high winds of up to 70 mph across all of northern Illinois Saturday and Sunday, ComEd crews have restored power to more than 80 percent of impacted customers. Some of the hardest hit areas from this afternoon's storms included Crystal Lake, DeKalb, Joliet, Mount Prospect, Rockford, and Skokie. Approximately 40,000 customers remain without power as of 10 a.m. Sunday. Over 500 ComEd crews are deployed throughout the region and will soon be joined by 33 additional crews Sunday afternoon. All crews will continue to work around the clock to restore service to all remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible. Based on storms of similar magnitude, ComEd expects power to be restored to nearly all of these customers by 2 p.m. Monday. When responding to power outages caused by storms, ComEd's priority is to restore critical facilities such as police and fire stations, nursing homes and hospitals first, followed by repairs that will restore power to the greatest number of customers. 'Safely restoring power to all our customers impacted by this weekend's storms remains our number one priority, and our dedicated crews are working around the clock to bring all affected customers back,' said David Perez, executive vice president and COO of ComEd. 'We recognize that losing power at any time can be frustrating, and we appreciate our customers' patience as we continue to assess damage throughout the region and restore power.' Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of severe weather. ComEd has been investing in power grid upgrades and tree trimming to minimize the impact of storms. Since smart grid upgrades began in 2011, ComEd has avoided more than 24.7 million power outages and improved overall reliability by more than 57 percent. In 2024, ComEd was named most reliable utility in the Midwest. Public safety is paramount, and ComEd encourages customers to take the following precautions: ComEd urges customers to contact the company immediately if they experience a power outage. Customers can text OUT to 26633 (COMED) to report an outage and receive restoration information and can follow the company on Twitter @ComEd or on Facebook at Customers can also call 800 EDISON1 (800-334-7661), or report outages via the website at Spanish-speaking customers should call 800-95-LUCES (800-955-8237). With ComEd's new Outage Tracker, customers can report outages, check estimated time of restoration, view crew status updates, and explore our outage map. Visit ComEd's mobile app for iPhone and Android® smart phones gives customers the ability to report power outages and manage their accounts; download the app at source version on CONTACT: ComEd Media Relations 312-394-3500 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: UTILITIES ENERGY SOURCE: ComEd Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 08/17/2025 04:13 PM/DISC: 08/17/2025 04:13 PM

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