Latest news with #Broom
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Homeowner's driveway becomes an eyesore after city water main break underground
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Residents say homes in the Warwick Estates neighborhood have experienced recurring water main breaks. One homeowner filled out an open records request and found nearly 800 main occurrences in surrounding areas over the last decade. 'We're just all tired of it. There's been so many of these,' said Marlene Simpson. SIMILAR: Neighborhood sees nearly a dozen water main breaks in 6 months Simpson has lived in the Warwick Estates neighborhood for decades and says she's at her wits' end with water main breaks. 'The first one was the south side of my driveway rather than the north. The second one was an indoor slab leak, the third one is another city water main break under the driveway,' Simpson said. The water main break under Simpson's driveway happened last Wednesday, but other neighbors say the water woes date back years. Norman City Council approves Rock Creek phasing plan, includes contingencies 'We've talked to folks at the water trust, we've talked to our city council. We're more than anything trying to find out information and trying to work with the city to figure out what can we do looking forward to prevent it,' Mark Falk said. John Broom is another concerned resident, saying, 'It's a mounting financial problem in many of these neighborhoods of Northwest Oklahoma City.' Broom took matters into his own hands, filling out an open records request with the City of Oklahoma City. His findings show areas near North Memorial, South Britton, West Portland, and Hefner have seen a total of 791 main breaks since January 1, 2015. 'It's a growing problem. It's just getting worse,' said Broom. The Oklahoma City Utilities Department said the main break under Simpson's driveway has been repaired. Simpson was initially looking at six to eight weeks for repairs to be complete. However, a city worker called Simpson called late Wednesday afternoon, letting her know her driveway would be repaired sometime on Friday. News 4 reached out to the City of Oklahoma City Utilities Department on Wednesday and they sent the following statement below: We understand the concerns from residents in Warwick Estates and appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity about our water infrastructure and operations in that area. Utilities customers can rest assured we not only have a corrective action plan in place — we have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, where the challenges are and how to solve them. The necessary funding is in place, and we are actively executing this work. However, with more than 4,000 miles of water lines across the city, even a well-funded, strategic plan takes time to implement due to the logistical realities of replacing aging infrastructure at this scale. As mentioned previously to KFOR, each year a portion of our Utilities Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget is allocated to water line replacements. In the recent past, that budget has been roughly $10 million annually. However, moving into Fiscal Year 2026, which starts July 1, 2025, we are doubling that investment to approximately $20 million to accelerate our replacement plan. Based on the allocated budget, our engineering team evaluates line segments across Oklahoma City's 600+ square miles using a data-driven approach that considers a variety of risk and performance factors. While over the past 10 years, we've responded to hundreds of main breaks, that is not uncommon for large (4k+ miles) water systems such as ours, especially considering the age of the underground infrastructure and highly corrosive soil within certain areas of the city. Currently, we have a project under design that will replace a portion of an 8-inch water main along Greenwick Drive. This type of targeted project helps improve reliability in specific locations, but broader replacements in other sections of the neighborhood are not included in our planned capital improvements for the next two fiscal years. We anticipate the next opportunity for additional scheduled work to occur around July 2027. In the meantime, our crews will continue to respond promptly to breaks and leaks to maintain service and minimize disruption. Some residents have expressed concern that our water main breaks may be causing slab leaks in homes. While we understand the frustration associated with any plumbing issues, it is highly unlikely that breaks in our public water mains are the source of slab leaks. These breaks typically occur in the street or public easements and are physically separated from private home plumbing systems. However, we do want to acknowledge that high water pressure inside a home can contribute to slab leaks, particularly in older plumbing systems. The water pressure in Oklahoma City's distribution system is generally consistent as it leaves our treatment plants, but due to natural elevation changes across the city, pressure can fluctuate. Areas located at lower elevations, like parts of Warwick Estates, may experience higher pressure, in some cases exceeding 100 psi. It's important to note that this is within operational norms for municipal systems. According to Oklahoma plumbing code, homes are required to have pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) installed when incoming pressure exceeds a certain level. These devices are not installed by the water utility, as they're part of the private plumbing system and help manage pressure inside the home to prevent damage and maintain safety. If a home does not currently have a functioning PRV, we recommend having a licensed plumber evaluate the system. We remain committed to addressing immediate repair needs and investing in long-term solutions that support safe, reliable service for our entire community. We are working with urgency, and we hope to soon provide a more comprehensive overview on our website to help explain our plans in greater detail. City of Oklahoma City Utilities Department Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Snead and Cullman communities mourning the loss of 2 men killed in Smith Lake boat crash
CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A fatal boat crash on Smith Lake claimed three lives Wednesday morning, impacting two central Alabama communities. The crash occurred during a Major League Fishing tournament. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, 58-year-old Joey Broom was killed when the boat he was on was struck by a nitro bass boat. Broom was a city council member in Snead. 44-year-old Kelly Clark, of Cullman, and 62-year-old Jeffrey Little, of Mississippi, were thrown overboard from the boat that was struck. ALEA said their bodies were recovered near the Miller Flats area of Smith Lake. Major League Fishing confirmed that Flint Davis, one of the tournament's competing anglers, was involved in the crash. A memorial wreath now stands outside the entrance of Snead's town hall, where Broom served as a council member. Greg Ogles, Broom's good friend and fellow council member, believes Broom was out on a guided fishing tour. 'The world just lost a real good, a real good person, and if everybody in the world was like him, we wouldn't have no problems,' Ogles said. All Properties of Alabama realtor Stephanie Buchanan worked with Clark. 'If you talked to a lot of people that knew him, it's like everybody felt like he was their best friend. He was that kind of guy,' Buchanan said. 'He was just a wonderful guy, one of the good ones.' The crash remains under investigation by ALEA's Marine Patrol Division. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Friends, colleagues remember two local men killed in boat crash on Lewis Smith Lake
(WHNT) — Several communities are mourning the loss of three men who died Wednesday in a boat crash on Lewis Smith Lake. Joey Broom of Snead and John 'Kelly' Clark of Cullman were two of the three men who were killed. Friends and colleagues of Broom and Clark tell News 19 these two men were kind and special. Starstruck: 40 years since the Stars fell on Huntsville Broom is a familiar name to many people in his hometown of Snead, and one people say won't soon be forgotten. News 19 was told that everyone knew him, and he was the kind of person to go out of their way to help others. Greg Ogles was Broom's childhood friend. 'He's like a brother to me, just been a part of my life,' Ogles said. He says the first thing you'd notice about Broom was his smile, and that smile had a way of making even bad circumstances seem better. 'Don't matter about the situation, how bad the situation is, he always finds a positive side to everything,' he they grew up together, Ogles and Broom found themselves serving their community together from the town hall. 'When we have a council meeting, he's always the light of the room,' Ogles said. 'Everybody just wants to be around him.' Ogles said that Broom leaves behind a wife, four children, and ten grandchildren. Those who work at Snead's Town Hall are asking for prayers for Broom's family and for the community. Clark, who went by Kelly, was a native of the Cullman area, a father of four and a grandfather. He worked in the poultry industry and was a part-time realtor. Clark's friend and colleague Stephanie Buchanan said he was special, saying: 'Kelly was a great guy, honest, always smiling, always laughing and joking around. If you ask anyone who knew him, they'd probably tell you he was their best friend. He was just one of the good ones. It's going to be hard to fill his spot in some areas of people's lives.' The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency told News 19 on Thursday that investigators are still working to piece together how this crash occurred, and no further details were available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 Killed, 3 Injured in Boat Wreck at Major League Fishing Tournament
A Major League Fishing tournament was cut short Wednesday due to a tragic boat wreck in which three people died and three others were injured. The fatal wreck involved two boats and occurred on Alabama's Smith Lake at 7:03 a.m. on April 16, according to local law enforcement. Officials have identified the three individuals killed as Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona, Alabama; John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, Alabama; and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi. In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Major League Fishing confirmed that tournament angler Flint Davis was one of the boaters involved in the crash, but did not specify his role in the incident. No officials have released details yet about who was injured. 'This is a heartbreaking moment for our entire organization,' MLF executive vice president Kathy Fennel said in the prepared statement. 'Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy.' In the announcement accompanying Fennel's statement, MLF said it was canceling the third and final day of competition on Thursday. Details behind the crash are still emerging, and MLF says its organization will not release any more information at this time out of respect for those involved. But according to initial reports from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the fatal crash occurred in the Miller Flats area of Smith Lake. ALEA says a center console vessel 'was struck by a Nitro bass boat.' In a TikTok video posted the day of the crash and before any victims were identified, Alabama Bass Council president Allen Johnson shared some additional but unconfirmed details around the incident. Johnson claimed in the post that a center console vessel was being operated by a striped-bass guide who had multiple anglers onboard. According to Johnson, the bass boat came around a corner and collided with the center console vessel, running over the vessel and then going airborne. 'It threw the driver of that [bass] boat 50-60 feet away, and knocked the other guys out of the boat,' Johnson stated in his video. ALEA Lt. Jeremy Burkett told that the three men who died — Broom, Clark, and Little — were all onboard the center console vessel, and that Broom was pronounced dead at the scene. The agency said Clark and Little were thrown from the boat, and their bodies were recovered from the water near Miller Flats. It's unclear if either man was wearing a life jacket. Neither ALEA nor MLF have confirmed who was operating the two boats, but a Facebook photo of the Nitro bass boat that was recovered from Smith Lake shows Flint Davis' name on the side. Authorities have not clarified if anyone was onboard or if Davis was fishing solo in the three-day event, which was the third stop on the Tackle Warehouse Invitational circuit. Davis, who lives in Leesburg, Georgia, confirmed his involvement in a post he shared to his Instagram stories Wednesday. Related: Pro Bass Anglers 'Could Have Been Killed' in Crash While Speeding Back to Weigh-In WBRC reports that Broom was a councilman in Snead, a small town in Blount County, and that he was well-known in his local community. 'He always had a smile on his face. No one ever had a bad thing to say about him,' Snead mayor Tim Kent told the local news outlet. 'He always put the town of Snead and its people first. They are deeply saddened and shocked. He will be missed.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three dead after horrific boat collision at Major League Fishing event
Three people have died, and at least another three were injured in a boating collision during a Major League Fishing competition in Alabama. The two-vessel crash occurred just after 7 a.m. Wednesday during day two of MLF's Tackle Warehouse Invitational on Lewis Smith Lake near the city of Cullman. Joey Broom, 58, of Altoona, John Clark, 44, of Cullman, and Jeffrey Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi, were identified as the victims by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Broom, a councilmember in nearby Snead, was believed to be on board the Center Console vessel and was fatally injured when the boat was struck by the Nitro Bass Boat near the Miller Flats portion of the lake, ALEA said. Broom was pronounced dead at the scene. Clark and Little, who were also on board the Center Control Vessel, were thrown overboard during the collision and drowned, the agency said. 'Both individuals drowned and have been pronounced deceased. However, their bodies were recovered near the Miller Flats area of Smith Lake in Cullman County,' ALEA said. At least three other individuals were injured in the incident, as reported by WBMA. Neither the ALEA nor MLF provided further details of the crash or the conditions of those injured. The agency said its Marine Patrol Division is investigating the collision. No information about the driver or passengers on board the Nitro Bass Boat has been released. However, MLF said that competing angler Flint Davis was also involved in the crash. Davis was in 15th place on Monday before the incident. Photographs obtained by WBMA of one of the two vessels believed to be involved in the crash show a 'Flint Davis' decal on the boat's side. Davis issued a short statement on his Instagram story on Wednesday evening: 'I want to thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers. 'I ask that you keep me and all of the other affected people and families in your prayers. I'll let you guys know more when I can.' Alabama Bass Counsel member Allen Johnson said he witnessed the moment one of the boats 'went airborne.' 'Neither one of them saw the other one,' he told CBS affiliate Local 12. "The boat that he hit was kind of at an angle… the drivers went across the front of the boat, across the center console, but it went airborne.' MLF cancelled the final day of the competition, which was due to take place on Thursday. Angler David Kilgore scooped the top prize of $80,000. 'This is a heartbreaking moment for our entire organization,' Kathy Fennel, MLF executive vice president, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. 'Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy.' Joseph Webster, who finished fifth in the tournament, wrote on Instagram: 'Words are hard to come by after today's events. Our prayers are with everyone affected by the tragic accident on Smith Lake.' Alabama State Senator Garlan Gudger Jr sent thoughts and well-wishes to the victims and their families. 'We wanted to let the families know, the people that were in the Major League Fishing wreck on Smith Lake, that our prayers are with you and your families,' Gudger said in a video posted to Facebook.
