Latest news with #DelaCruz
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NTSB goes aboard Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtémoc to interview crew about Brooklyn Bridge crash
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board went aboard the Mexican naval ship Cuauhtémoc Tuesday to interview remaining crew about the ship's deadly crash into the Brooklyn Bridge. The NTSB also gained access to the ship to check if there are any data recorders holding pivotal evidence of how the crash occurred. 'Today members of the NTSB team met with Mexican officials aboard the Cuauhtémoc,' the NTSB said Tuesday night. 'The meeting was very productive and the team looks forward to continuing to work with the Mexican Navy and government in gathering critical information about the bridge strike event.' New York City's Office of Emergency Management spokesman, Aries Dela Cruz, said officials are wrapping up their damage assessment with Marine Surveyors and contractors accessing the ship. The Cuauhtémoc hasn't sustained any damage to the hull, which would allow it to be moved off Pier 37 with tugboat assistance, officials said. The Cuauhtémoc has remained docked off Pier 37 as work crews shore up the ship's three splintered masts. The ship is expected to be towed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it will be dry-docked as the investigation continues, OEM officials said Tuesday. The decks of the boat are being secured for possible wind and rain Wednesday and Thursday that would halt the boat from being towed. The Cuauhtémoc is expected to move to a dry dock facility by Sunday, Dela Cruz said. 'NTSB's investigation into the incident is proceeding diligently. … We commend the vital support from NYPD, who are providing video surveillance footage to assist the investigation,' Dela Cruz added, noting: 'City Hall is playing a crucial role in facilitating coordination with various agencies and Mexican officials.' The Coast Guard and the NYPD were flying drones over the ship to check exterior hull damage Tuesday, the agency said. The ship cannot be moved until a full assessment of the damage is completed. Two crew members died on the ship when its masts snapped off upon impacting with the underside of the bridge Saturday night. Crew members on the masts were left dangling in the air by their harnesses after the East River crash, but no one ended up in the water. With Fleet Week scheduled to begin Wednesday with a parade of U.S. and Canadian naval vessels sailing into New York Harbor, an interagency task force met at 10 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the next phase of the Cuauhtémoc investigation, city officials said. Participants included officials from the Coast Guard, the NTSB, the city Office of Emergency Management and the mayor's office. A second meeting was scheduled for the afternoon. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday denied reports that tensions were high between crew members and first responders in the moments following the crash. 'My team was telling me someone stated there was some type of tension,' Adams said at his weekly briefing in City Hall. 'I don't know where that came from. Everyone was extremely receptive and collaborated well, so we were able to get (the injured) to immediate care. 'No one was in anyone's way,' added Adams, who came aboard the boat Saturday night with FDNY, the NYPD and members of the Office of Emergency Management. Adams was supposed to tour the Cuauhtemoc a few days before the crash while it was docked at Pier 17, but his schedule changed and he wasn't able to make it. 'There were 277 people on that vessel. That could have been a real tragedy if it wasn't for the fast response on the New York side,' Adams said of the first responders. While they work on gaining access, NTSB board member Michael Graham asked anyone who has video of the crash to reach out to investigators at witness@ Earlier Tuesday, the NTSB conducted interviews with eyewitnesses and did an inspection of the Brooklyn Bridge, officials said. Before the collision, the ship was sailing against the river's tide and facing 10 mph wind. The NTSB will focus on what mechanical issues and conditions in the river may have led to the crash. The agency will also be checking tugboat protocols in the East River after officials expressed that a tugboat taking the ship away from Pier 17 at South Street Seaport should have towed the vessel farther away. Video of the incident shows a tugboat racing to catch up with the ship as it drifts in the wrong direction. After leaving the pier, the ship accelerated backward, ultimately reaching a speed of about 6 knots. 'At 8:24 p.m., the VHF radio broadcast was sounded requesting assistance from other tugboats in the area of the bridge,' investigator in charge Brian Young said. That broadcast was followed by additional calls for assistance. 'At 8:24 and 45 seconds, the vessel's masts struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge,' Young said. Investigators are still trying to determine exactly why the ship began to accelerate backward. The bridge avoided serious damage and was never at risk of collapse, officials said. Adams on Tuesday speculated that the East River's harsh tides could have played a factor in the crash. 'We don't know what happened here, (but) our currents and tides are very strong,' Adams said. 'People don't realize that people fall in the river by the Statue of Liberty and find themselves in the Bronx somewhere.' Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday the boat would likely be repaired at a New York shipyard and returned to the Mexican Navy. Many of the crew members from the ship returned to their home country on Monday. The ship was heading for Iceland when it drifted into the East River span, which is about 30 feet lower than the ship's masts. It was supposed to head south to refuel in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, before heading out of New York Harbor and was never meant to sail under the bridge. Crew members were harnessed to the masts for the ship's traditional departure performance at the time of the collision. According to the FDNY, at least 19 of those aboard were treated for injuries, with 11 initially in critical condition. Only two victims remained hospitalized Tuesday, with the Mexican government arranging for their families to fly to New York, according to city officials. The Navy plans to bring the crew of the Cuauhtémoc to Sunday's Fleet Week Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, officials said. The deceased were identified as America Yamilet Sanchez, 20, and Adal Jair Marcos, 23. They have been repatriated to Mexico, where a vigil for Sanchez was held. The Cuauhtémoc arrived in New York last week as part of a global goodwill tour. It had been docked at Pier 17 and was open to visitors. _____
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big changes coming to Wahiawa
WAHIAWA (KHON2) — Big changes are coming to Wahiawa. Old buildings are being demolished and modern facilities are going up. Blaze devastates newly revamped playground at Wahiawa park Many said it will help revitalize the old plantation town and help bring crime levels down. On Thursday, Wahiawa residents said they heard a loud boom coming from the former Wahiawa General Hospital. 'I looked outside and I couldn't believe it was finally happening,' said Keoni Ahlo, who owns several Wahiawa businesses including BioFit and Teaspresso across the street from the hospital. 'We had been hearing rumors about it coming down, we didn't know if it was true or not, but apparently it is true because they are tearing it down.' The dilapidated long-term care facility building was built in 1966 and closed back in 2022, then the hospital was taken over by Queen's Medical Center. 'It's been around for a while, and it's definitely something we're used to seeing every day, so seeing it gone is going to be quite unusual.' Queen's Medical Center hasn't announced plans for what will replace the Saturday, Wahiawa Public Library will close its doors as it prepares for a new chapter and will be demolished along with the Dept. of Education's Wahiawa High Core store front building. 'Both those buildings are sorely outdated,' explained Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz (D) Mililani Mauka, Wahiawa, Whitmore Village. 'I mean we're talking about almost termites holding it up.' In about two years, the library will be part of a three-story building along with a parking garage. 'We'll see a new library on the bottom, central district offices on the second floor, and community college classrooms on the third floor,' Dela Cruz explained. He said the Wahiawa Center for Workforce Excellence will provide educational opportunities for North Shore too. 'I think we'll see an uptake in usage of library especially for rural communities that might not have access to technology, computers and audio books, they can come to the library and that's all accessible to them,' Sen. Dela Cruz added. Construction is set to begin this summer and completed in Spring 2027. It will be located right next door to the new Civic Center which will house the new Satellite City Hall and have a two-story judicial building which is slated to open December 2025. Dela Cruz and others say all the work will help revitalize Wahiawa. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news '[Wahiawa] kind of gets a bad rep once in a while, but if you look deep into all the different areas there's a lot going on here, you can see changes, they're subtle, we're not trying to gentrify the area but we want to bring it up, clean things up and bring better and newer things to Wahiawa,' Ahlo said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
30-04-2025
- CBC
Manitoba Filipino communities 'unite as 1' at vigil mourning 11 killed in Vancouver festival attack
More than 300 people packed into a Winnipeg auditorium on Tuesday night to honour the 11 people killed and dozens injured during the attack on the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver last weekend. The Philippine flag outside Philippine-Canadian Centre of Manitoba in Winnipeg was flying at half mast as community members arrived for the 7 p.m. event. Radisson MLA Jelynn Dela Cruz, whose office organized the event, said the tragedy is a "shared hurt" for members of the Filipino community across Canada. "There are also people far beyond the walls of this room who share in our grief, nationwide, across the seas," she said. "We're all in this together." A black SUV drove into the street festival crowd as the event was winding down around 8 p.m. PT on Saturday, killing 11 people and injuring dozens. A Vancouver man is now facing multiple second-degree murder charges in relation to the attack. Winnipeg is home to the largest per capita Filipino population in Canada, Dela Cruz said, calling the city a "year-long Filipino festival." She said the hurt caused by the Vancouver attack is deeply felt here. "The entire community feels that harm because we are so integrated in the framework and the fabric of this province," Dela Cruz said. Winnipeggers worried for loved ones in Vancouver At the vigil, community members spoke to the deep connections within the Filipino diaspora across Canada. Bayani Marcelino told CBC news he has family living in Vancouver, calling them to check in as soon as he heard about the attack. He said they had planned to attend the festival, but thankfully didn't go on Saturday. Still, he said he couldn't sleep days after the attack because the people impacted "are all family." "They are all Filipino and we are Filipino, so we have to give our support and our condolences to those families," Marcelino said. Dela Cruz said a family friend, who had recently moved from Winnipeg to Vancouver, was injured in the attack. "The father has stabilized now and the two-year-old son is still in the ICU," Dela Cruz said of her loved ones, adding a GoFundMe campaign has helped cover flights costs for family and friends visiting the boy in hospital. As of Tuesday morning, more than $1.5 million had been raised for the victims and their families across multiple online fundraising platforms. Winnipeg mourners 'unite as one' At the Keewatin Street centre, hundreds of people from across Winnipeg's diverse communities showed up to pay their respects. After Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Christian religious leaders offered prayers and words of support, mourners were invited to approach a table at the front of the room, lined with candles and framed pictures of those who died in Vancouver. As the procession progressed forward, violinist Paolo Camus repeatedly played Hindi Kita Malilimutan — which means "I will never forget you" in Tagalog — by Basil Valdez. Evo Paguio was standing along the side of the auditorium — every seat in the room was full —- singing along to the song, which he said reminds him of his late mother. "I want to give my support to them, the families that lost their mother, father, kids … I wish I could hug them and give my regards to them," he said. "Every time that tragedy happens, we unite as one," Paguio said.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Senate unveils budget plan: Balancing cuts, crisis, key investments
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The state legislature is about to begin important budget negotiations, with the Senate unveiling its spending plan for the next two years. But with federal funding cuts looming, lawmakers are faced with tough choices. The Senate's proposed budget is based on cautious revenue projections and prepares for a recession that Ways and Means Chair Senator Donavan Dela Cruz says he's anticipating. Lawmakers want changes in HTA as new board members confirmed The Senate's budget proposes $19.9 billion for the fiscal year starting July 1 and $19.7 billion for the following year. The largest item in the budget is committed to the Lahaina Settlement – about $807 million in the first year and $407 million in the second year. To prepare for shortfalls due to federal funding cuts, the Senate is putting more than $260 million into construction. 'We know that construction is always something that has helped hold up Hawaii's economy. So we're putting quite a bit of money into construction, especially some general fund money,' Dela Cruz Senate's budget proposal also directs millions into affordable housing, workforce development and economic development, as well as biosecurity. The Senate says in order to stabilize the economy, they are investing in tourism and diversification, especially agriculture. Dela Cruz said he's been the Ways and Means chair through previous crisis such as COVID, the Kauai floods and the Kilauea eruption. He says there is always some type of incident that puts certain parts of the budget in flux. Victim identified in Hilo murder, suspect charged 'We just have to be calm, cool and strategic, and I don't think we should be overreacting and then make a decision that's going to be harmful,' he said. To help save money, the Senate's budget proposes eliminating state government jobs that have been vacant prior to 2020. Those jobs established after 2020 will not be cut. 'We were able to identify at least $50 million in savings if we were to cut those vacancies,' Dela Cruz said. The Senate and House money committee members will now meet in conference over the next few weeks to work out their differences and agree on a final bill to be approved. But the question still remains: will federal funding cuts force future difficult decisions? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Housing, clean energy bills pass key Hawaii legislative committee
The critical state Senate Ways and Means Committee has moved out four bills on the eve of next week's deadline to keep bills alive, including one that would provide more state funding to improve and upgrade low-income housing projects. Collectively, the four bills that passed the Senate's finance committee would address some of Hawaii's 'most urgent needs during this legislative session, ' Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz (D, Mililani-Wahiawa-Whitmore Village ) said in a statement. 'Through these measures, we are investing in Hawai 'i's future by building a more resilient, self-sustaining economy and a higher quality of life for our residents, ' Dela Cruz said. Legislators in both the House and Senate are working to move out bills ahead of the March 6 deadline to send bills that originate in the House or Senate to the opposite chamber and keep them alive this session—or essentially kill them by the 'crossover ' deadline. The bills that passed out of WAM this week are :—The latest version of SB 65, which would fund repair and maintenance needs for residents in low-income housing projects. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. The upgrades are just one part of the state's overall strategy to provide affordable housing for virtually all income levels to help make Hawaii more affordable and stem the exodus of residents leaving for states with lower housing costs. Hawaii needs an estimated 50, 000 additional affordable housing units.—The latest version of SB 125, which would create tax incentives for local farmers and businesses that process local farm products, to help them compete with outside markets.—The latest version of SB 448, which would help maintain agriculture lands involved in food production, especially in Central Oahu. It would allow the state Agribusiness Development Corp. to preserve the lands for food production.—The latest version of SB 1269, which would provide funding to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to look at geothermal energy potential in the neighbor islands—particularly Hawaii island, home to the Puna Geothermal Venture, which generates power from geothermal gas from Kilauea Volcano. Exploring more geothermal energy opportunities would be part of Hawaii's larger effort to find clean, reliable and cost-effective energy and reach its net-zero carbon emissions goal while providing more affordable power. DBEDT Director James Tokioka said in written support of SB 1260 that 'Hawaii's heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels has historically resulted in some of the highest electricity costs in the nation. 'Increasing our geothermal capacity presents a strategic opportunity to enhance grid reliability, reduce dependency on volatile global oil markets, and provide cost-effective energy solutions that benefit both businesses and consumers.' Geothermal energy also has the potential to expand a tech industry that, Tokioka said, could spur 'future economic growth, particularly in sectors such as advanced manufacturing and data centers. These industries depend on reliable and affordable electricity to remain competitive. Without a stable energy supply, Hawaii risks losing out on investment opportunities that could otherwise diversify our economy, create high paying jobs, and foster technological innovation.' But Keoni Shizuma opposes expanding geothermal technology. He and others submitted identically worded testimony in opposition that said : 'Unlike wind, solar, or wave energy generation, geothermal requires permanent damage and desecration to the environment. The drilling into the 'aina, once done, can't be undone. 'In Hawaiian culture, the surface of the ground is sometimes seen as a body form of our goddess Papaha naumoku. To drill into the ground would be to desecrate parts of her, while if wind, solar, or even wave energy generation was pursued, all the structures would be temporary and merely sit on the surface (or in the ocean ). 'I would request that out of respect for Hawaiian cultural values and beliefs, Hawaii not pursue geothermal energy generation. We live in the perfect environment for innovations in renewable energy technology. Let Hawaii become a leader in new techniques and technologies in this field, push forth the field at University of Hawaii, and learn from international leaders of energy technology.' Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said in his written testimony that the Big Island's early geothermal efforts have 'not yet translated into tangible economic outcomes. Now is the time to take the next step, to see if these resources can be developed to power our economy and benefit our communities.' The bill would ensure safeguards for construction of a future geothermal power plant, Alameda wrote. 'This roadmap is designed with clear, measurable benchmarks so that legislators can easily assess whether or not the project is on track. If the benchmarks are met, it will demonstrate that this is a wise investment for the state, with the potential for significant returns in the form of reliable, renewable energy. If the benchmarks are not met, the legislature will have the clarity to redirect funds and efforts elsewhere. This approach ensures that we only continue to invest in geothermal if it proves to be a commercially viable and sustainable solution for Hawaii's energy future.' The latest version of SB 65 has received no written opposition. Its House companion, House Bill 907, has not been scheduled for a hearing and appears unlikely to cross over to the Senate. In written testimony in support of SB 65, Hakim Ouansafi—executive director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority—wrote, 'The age of Hawaii's public housing inventory presents significant challenges ' to house people that include families that earn less than 30 % of the area median income, people with disabilities and kupuna. 'Many properties were constructed over 50 years ago and require extensive updates to remain safe and habitable, and the HPHA faces a capital needs backlog of approximately $720 million, ' Ouansafi wrote. 'Additional funding is urgently needed to address this backlog and to ensure public housing units remain safe, decent and sanitary and available to those who need them most. As the HPHA relies on federal funding for approximately 90 % of its operations, and as this funding is tied to unit occupancy, the rehabilitation of vacant units is critical to maximizing federal support. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD ) does not subsidize vacant units, and HPHA's administrative fees to pay staff are also tied to occupancy, compounding the urgency of this work.' Catholic Charities Hawaii wrote in support of increased funding, in part because it will make affordable units available 'to house homeless persons and many elders who face homelessness. The HPHA offers the most affordable housing available to the community. Tenants pay only 30 % of their incomes for rent. This makes these units affordable even to homeless persons, seniors struggling with limited income, and very low-income families. However, many units cannot be occupied due to health and safety issues in the units. These units must be brought into shape ASAP to house our state's residents with extremely limited incomes. 'These units are 'low hanging fruit' that should be immediately repaired to add them to our inventory of safe and decent housing, ' Catholic Charities wrote. 'These units do not need to wait years for permits or construction. Legislative funding could make them available very fast compared with funding for new construction.'
