Latest news with #Bitton
CBS News
5 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Colorado visitor from Israel rushes to help those injured in Boulder attack: "Huge ball of flames"
Bystander jumps in to help those injured in attack on Boulder's Pearl Street Bystander jumps in to help those injured in attack on Boulder's Pearl Street Bystander jumps in to help those injured in attack on Boulder's Pearl Street A man visiting Colorado from Israel was there on Sunday as the attacks happened on Boulder's Pearl Street. Naor Bitton said he joined others who rushed to help those injured and tried to put out the flames. Authorities say Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly was disguised as a gardener to get closer to a group holding its weekly demonstration for the release of hostages in Gaza. Soliman is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at members of the group Run for Their Lives on Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder on Sunday afternoon. Crime scene tape on Pearl Street in Boulder after the attack on June 1, 2025. CBS Bitton says he tried to stay between the suspect and a crowd that wanted to go after the suspect. Bitton is from Israel but was vacationing in Boulder when he saw the demonstration march down Pearl Street. "I wanted to walk around Pearl Street, because I heard it's beautiful," Bitton said. "They had American flags. They had Israeli flags, and... a sign of bringing the hostages back home. And I was really touched." Just as soon as Bitton started talking with those in the group, the suspect allegedly began attacking the crowd. "Suddenly, I feel this immense amount of heat on my left side. I looked to my left and I see this huge ball of flames," Bitton said. Naor Bitton can be seen in this cell phone video taken after the attack on Pearl Street. He is in the center wearing khaki shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. Brian Horwitz Bitton said people were initially in shock as they worked to help others. "Four to five people with flames on their bodies, burning their hands, burning their legs, and one specific woman," Bitton said, "She was being burned alive." Quickly, Bitton said, witnesses jumped into action. "A few people tried to throw on clothes at her, like the one person, I think, even jumped to try and put out the flames," he said. That's also when Bitton says his military training kicked in as he began shouting for others to call 911. He began running to get water to try and put out flames, and then he says he got to the front of the crowd to try and stop the attacker until first responders arrived. "I was probably one of the first ones to run and get water, but everyone was there and could help, did that. And I believe that any person in my position would have done, I hope, would have done what I did," he said. Through it all, Bitton says he is grateful to be able to help anyone involved survive. Naor Bitton CBS "I think that if I hadn't been there I would, I would feel more regret than being there," Bitton added, "I'm glad that I had the opportunity to help people."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Israeli man visiting Boulder helps victims in firebombing attack: ‘I'm used to it'
BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — One of the bystanders jumping in to help in Sunday's terror attack in Boulder was a man visiting from Israel. Naor Bitton tells FOX31 he is visiting the United States after finishing his military service in Israel. On Sunday, he had planned to go to Boulder for the first time. Family of Boulder attack suspect taken into immigration custody 'I was heading to Boulder because I wanted to hike in the Flatirons and, before going on the hike, I saw this beautiful city walk in Pearl Street,' Bitton said. While walking along Pearl Street, Bitton saw the Run for Their Lives Boulder weekly walk happening before him. 'I was really touched because, you know, I love my people,' Bitton said. 'Five months ago when I just arrived to the U.S., I went to New York and they had another demonstration like that. And they also do that once a week on Sundays. It was beautiful.' Bitton tells FOX31 he walked up and started talking to one of the walk participants. 'And suddenly I felt this immense heat on my left side of the body,' he said. 'I turn left and I see this huge fireball engulfing like the center of the group. People started to disperse. There were a few people that were set on fire hands, legs and one elderly woman, I was told she was 88 years old, she was completely engulfed in flames. It was terrible to watch.' Footage from witnesses captures Bittom in the midst of what police have identified as an act of terror. 'We tried to put out the flames with the clothes and there was one guy that even jumped on her and tried to pat her, but it didn't work because of the gasoline, so she was continuously burning,' he said. 'I understood we needed water and a lot of water. So I started running back and forth, shouting at people to bring water, to call 911. First, it seemed like they were in shock. They didn't really respond.' Bitton said he ran back and forth to bring water until the flames stopped burning the elderly woman before him. Burn surgeon speaks on Boulder terror attack victims recovery while few still remain in hospital 'After we finished putting her out of flames, I looked at the at the attacker and I see him standing with two gasoline bottles in his hands, chanting, 'Free Palestine,' chanting, 'I did it,' and 'I'll do it again.' And there were still active fire spots on the scene and people were trying to approach him. And it seemed like that's a no go.' Bitton said he tried to create distance between the accused attacker and those around him. 'I'm just glad I could help,' he said. 'Instead of saying the wrong place, wrong time. I feel that I would have regretted not being there and being able to help.' Bitton said that he was able to jump into action, not freeze in shock, because, while saddening, this act was not shocking to him. 'The simple answer is that I'm used to it,' he said. 'We are used to it. In Israel, terror is sadly very common in Israel. I was really sad when it happened. But I was not surprised. It was not. I mean, you know, having it happen in the States is surprising. But it wasn't, I wasn't knocked off my feet. ' Bitton is in the United States for three more weeks before he goes back home to Israel. He tells FOX31 he served in the military for five years, and he is using his experience to pursue a passion for becoming a discipline coach. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Scottish Sun
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Ex-Celtic star who's seventh on club's most-decorated list says beating relegation would be ‘greatest achievement'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER Celtic star who won 18 trophies at Parkhead could complete his "greatest achievement" this weekend. Nir Bitton may be seventh on the list of the club's most decorated players but his dream has been to keep Ashdod in Israel's top division since returning to his boyhood club in January. 3 Nir Bitton is seventh on Celtic's most-decorated players list Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 The Israeli left Parkhead in 2022 after nine years and 18 trophies Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 The 33-year-old is now battling relegation with his boyhood team Credit: Kenneth Ramsay On Saturday, the 33-year-old will lead them in a season-defining game against relegation rivals Maccabi Petah Tikva. Ashdod stood in second bottom place when Bitton returned to the club 12 years after leaving for Celtic. The former Hoops midfielder, who has been holding the fort in central defence this season, has shored things up at the back with Ashdod extending their unbeaten league run to seven games with a 0-0 draw at Bnei Sakhnin last weekend. Victory for the Port City team would see Ashdod move three points clear of Petah Tikvah ahead of the final round of fixtures with their 10-goal difference advantage almost certain to keep them up. And that accomplishment would top winning eight Premiership titles, four Scottish Cups and six League Cups during his illustrious spell in Glasgow. Bitton said on the day he rejoined: "If we manage to stay in the league with Ashdod, it will be the greatest achievement of my career." He came through the ranks at Yud-Alef Stadium before moving to the Hoops in 2013 and regrets that he wasn't able to lift silverware with his hometown club. But avoiding relegation, something Bitton has never personally experienced anywhere during his professional career, will spark joyous scenes in the city where his parents still live and he calls home. Meanwhile, Celts have announced a bumper new kit deal with Adidas. The existing deal, which was signed in 2021, was set to run out in the summer. Next season will be Brendan Rodgers' LAST as Celtic manager says Robert Grieve But the happy parties have now agreed a continuation of the sponsorship for beyond the next five years. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City launches study in quest to close long-standing east-west divide
Turner Bitton knows all too well about the struggles that trains pose on his daily commute. As a Glendale resident, he's often blocked by trains while trying to make it over to the city's east side or make it back home. Some of these trains can be stopped for hours, forcing drivers to detour several blocks to find one of the few access points linking both sides of the tracks. Don't have a vehicle? Good luck. "It can be a very long trip," said Bitton, chairman of the Glendale Community Council. "Folks who are on a short schedule. If a train stops, it can be a real problem." Between I-15 and railroad lines, residents of Salt Lake City's west side have long fumed over the barriers that separate themselves from the rest of the city. The city is now looking at a way to reduce as many of those barriers as possible. Salt Lake City announced Wednesday it has formally launched its much-anticipated West-East Connections Study to review options that can improve transportation connections between the two sides. The city plans to review options that can improve driving, walking, bicycling or riding transit across the city. "Future transportation investments must reflect the voices of west-side residents — not just because it's the right thing to do, but because the best solutions come from the residents who live with these challenges every day," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall in a statement. "The west side deserves more ways to connect, and this study is the next step in making them happen." Salt Lake City's transportation divide dates back to the 1870s. Shortly after the transcontinental railroad was completed in Utah, railroad companies began building a corridor that helped link the city with the rest of the country. That decision proved to be detrimental. City officials pointed out, in a description of the study, that the west side of the tracks became "less desirable and often used as a dumping ground for waste." The side had always been "racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse," but the rails were used to help redline residents to that side in the 1940s. The divide worsened in the late 1950s, as I-15 was constructed a few blocks west of the railroad. Today, only a handful of roads have bridges or tunnels that allow for traffic flow between the city's two sides, adding to road congestion and difficulty for neighborhood residents without vehicles. "The east-west divide is more than just a mobility challenge. It's really feeling like the west side is underinvested in," said Joe Taylor, a Salt Lake City transportation planner. "That's what we're trying to get at with the folks who live it every day." The city and other agencies have taken some steps to address the problem in recent years. Salt Lake City and other agencies have already looked at a few ways to improve these barriers. In 2023, the Utah Transit Authority opened a pedestrian bridge along 300 North over the rails in a section often blocked by trains. Construction is expected to pick up this year on a 400 South trail over the freeway, following the Folsom Trail opening in 2022. Bitton says he's also appreciative of the 9-Line Trail's expansion in the city. The new study aims to find larger solutions. City officials gathered $3.7 million to study the issue in recent years, a large chunk of which came from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. Taylor said the city is planning to review every possibility as it looks to close transportation gaps over the next two years. "That can range from anything from major infrastructure to small treatments," he said. "We're wide open on what the solutions will be." That could lead to more paths and bridges, or it could point to wider measures like the Rio Grande Plan, a resident-led initiative to bury the railroad lines across a large section of the corridor near downtown. The latter would allow freight and commuter trains to move through a tunnel while opening up dozens of acres for new development. It's since gathered support from city and county officials but also requires massive funding with its estimated cost now ranging from $3 billion to $6 billion. Salt Lake City Councilman Dan Dugan told last year that the Rio Grande Plan could be viewed in the study once it's started because it could solve the biggest barrier and open up new economic opportunities to recoup the cost. "I think it's got a lot of potential," he said at the time. "This is the core section of town that we really need to connect well from east to west." Contributing: Andrew Adams
