Latest news with #Fucci
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Mount Etna Eruption in Sicily: What Travelers Should Know
Mount Etna tours have resumed following the Sicilian volcano's eruption on Monday, June 2, that sent hikers fleeing from its large plumes of smoke and ash. The scene, while dramatic, is not an unusual occurrence for the Italian island, and no injuries or fatalities have been reported. The June 2 eruption was the largest in four years, but posed no danger to visitors or the local population, according to officials. 'As every Sicilian knows, since the dawn of time, Mount Etna does erupt few times a year, resulting mainly in ashfall,' Condé Nast Traveler travel specialist Marcello Giancoli, who specializes in planning trips to Italy, says. 'This means that the volcano activity is a regular part of local life, that, with safety measures in place, is a natural hazard as well as a wonderful attraction to experience.' If you have an upcoming trip planned to Sicily, here's everything you need to know about the recent eruption. Monday's eruption lasted several hours and produced lava fountains, bursts of gas, and ash clouds visible across much of eastern Sicily, according to the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. This was the volcano's fourteenth eruption since mid-March. Volcanic activity at Mount Etna is 'predominantly effusive, characterized mainly by the emission of lava flows that do not impact surrounding populations,' Ernesto Fucci, a trip designer for Sicily and Puglia at Butterfield&Robinson, tells Condé Nast Traveler. 'Eruptions characterized by lava flows, which are harmless, are frequent and occur at regular periods, and also represent a remarkable attraction." 'There is no major impact on a day-to-day life in the surrounding cities, but when explosive activity happens there could be inconvenience due to ash accumulation,' he adds. An aviation warning was put in place at Catania Airport on Monday, the Associated Press reported, but the airport did not close and flights were not significantly disrupted. In the past, ash from the volcano has occasionally shut down flights to Sicily for several hours or days. 'The alert level has soon dropped to yellow and will drop to normal in the coming days,' Fucci says." There has been a slight impact on flights to and from Catania airport, but it lasted only a few hours, and the situation is completely back to normal now." Scientists have developed automatic alert tools that predict Mount Etna's eruptions 'hours to days in advance by monitoring gas emissions, earthquakes, and ground changes,' Giancoli says. As of Wednesday, June 4, the Italian government has the alert level for Mount Etna listed as 'yellow,' which means signs of volcanic activity are slightly above normal ('orange' means there are significant signs of an imminent eruption, and 'red' indicates an ongoing eruption). 'Etna's volcanic activity is highly monitored by Civil Protection Department and the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology,' Fucci says. 'The latter is the most important authority on the matter, and it constantly issues information and updates regarding the volcanic activities.' Mount Etna, whose stunning peak rises 11,014 feet tall and slopes toward the Ionian Sea, is a popular attraction for both hikers and tourists. Video footage obtained by CNN shows a tour group running downhill away from the explosion on June 2; Italian officials have confirmed that all hikers were evacuated safely. Hikers have since returned to the volcano's slopes following the eruption, but officials are advising tourists to check for warnings before venturing towards the summit, Reuters reports. Trekkers are required to be accompanied by an authorized guide in order to hike Mount Etna above 2500m (8202 feet). 'There are many activities that can be organized, always in safety, on Mt. Etna, from helicopter tours to guided jeep excursions, from mountain biking to very immersive hiking in the company of experienced volcanologists,' says Fucci, who notes there are also several winery visits and tastings offered in the area. This is a developing news story and will be updated with information as it becomes available. Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler The Latest Travel News and Advice Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips Stop Counting the Countries You Visit How Safe Is Flying Today? 5 Things Experts Want Travelers to Know The Best Places to See the Northern Lights Worldwide
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
St. Paul: Music festival gets higher sound level limit for Allianz Field
When the Breakaway Music Festival rolled into the lots just outside Allianz Field last year, window-rattling dance music and F-bombs from the mic followed, with noise carrying for miles away. Organizers called the event a commercial success, but ensuing noise complaints flooded St. Paul Police lines, as well as the phone lines of the city council. Music festival organizers promised the touring electronic dance music series would return to Allianz Field this year with sound-shielding improvements. On Wednesday, following an hour-long city council discussion, their sound level variance requests for June 6 and June 7 won the support of the majority of the council with a 4-2 vote, over the objections of city staff. Rather than turn down the volume, the council voted to allow the Breakaway Music Festival an even higher decibel limit than they were approved for a year ago. To mitigate the noise, the music festival plans to reorient its speakers away from Cub Foods and toward Allianz Field, and use a different speaker system, as well as an online feedback portal so organizers can assess complaints in real-time and conduct sound testing in any problem areas as the event unfolds. 'We are going to dispatch a team physically to that location,' said festival president Jarrod Fucci, addressing the city council on Wednesday. The city's Department of Safety and Inspections will maintain a staffer at the event, and festival organizers will be required to monitor the decibel levels from an approved distance from each noise source and create a report that records the general operating levels within 15 minutes of the start of each act, as well as at intervals no greater than 60 minutes apart after that. Fucci said the event might be canceled if organizers did not get their requested variances, and that they were looking for different concert venues within the capital city for future years. 'Candidly, honestly, it depends how this goes,' he told the council. 'We want to stay within the city of St. Paul.' 'It is not lost on me that our event was disruptive,' Fucci added, emphasizing that the festival has been working with the Union Park District Council and city officials to consider any neighborhood impacts, including noise. 'Dance music fans are really unique. They have a really high expectation for the execution of these events. … In order for this event to be sustainable, we want to continue to deliver an excellent audio experience.' The council was presented Wednesday with two versions of a potential sound level variance resolution, each with different decibel limits and other conditions, generating some confusion and protracted discussion. Council Member Anika Bowie, who represents the stadium area, attempted to fuse aspects of each version, drawing concerns from three fellow council members who urged her to hold off on a vote for a week. She chose to push forward anyway. Bowie said the festival organizers had been 'really transparent and honest' about past challenges and how they would mitigate those issues going forward. 'I appreciate them promoting our city. … It seemed like the organizer really took into consideration all of our concerns.' Last year, the festival asked to be allowed a sound level variance with a limit of 103 decibels at 125 feet from the main stage, but the council approved only 97 decibels at 50 feet. The festival likely operated at 103 decibels anyway, according to city staff. Festival organizers this year again requested — and were approved for — sound level variances for 103 decibels at 125 feet from the main stage, as well as a limit of 101 decibels at 100 feet from their secondary stage. Both limits are above the noise levels associated with a typical outdoor concert, or even a construction site, DSI staff said. The city's Department of Safety and Inspections had recommended a 30-minute earlier end time — 10:30 p.m. — and that the festival compensate the city up to $640 for 10 hours of staff overtime to have a DSI inspector monitoring sound on-site throughout the event. The council and festival organizers agreed to both conditions. The request for a higher decibel limit, however, was not supported by DSI, and drew probing questions from council members. Last year, 'community members literally had buildings shaking,' said Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, who voted against the sound level variance. 'If the orientation of the stage has changed, but the sound level has not, and we're recommending a higher sound level this year than what we allowed last year, is the hope that the staff presence would gain compliance? … I just want us to make sure we're being consistent with festivals, no matter what the genre.' DSI had recommended a sound limit of 100 decibels at 100 feet from the main stage, and 99 decibels at 75 feet from the secondary stage. The city council appeared poised to approve the second version of the resolution until Bowie realized that it included the lower limits recommended by DSI. She then asked for amendments joining the two versions, incorporating the higher decibel limits, the earlier end time and compensation for the DSI staffer in one resolution. Council Member Nelsie Yang joined Council President Rebecca Noecker and Johnson in urging Bowie to delay a vote for another week, which would give the council more time to consider her suggested amendments. 'It just seems like there's just a lot of back and forth right now, and I would motion for a layover,' Johnson said. Added Yang later, 'This is just an example, for me, of something that could have been done behind the scenes. It sounds like there's room for negotiation and compromise.' Bowie, after receiving reassurance from staff that a 'no' vote would still allow her to introduce the original version of the resolution if need be, pushed forward. 'It just seems like it makes sense to give them a threshold they can work with, and they're not going to be at the max of 103 (decibels) the entire time,' she said. 'I think the proper adjustments have been made.' Bowie, Yang, Saura Jost and Matt Privratsky then voted to support the amended noise variance at the 103 decibel limit, and Noecker and Johnson voted against it. Council Vice President HwaJeong Kim was absent. Fucci told the council performers will include the American DJ John Summit, Dutch DJ Tiesto, Australian DJ Alison Wonderland, and about 20 national and 60 St. Paul-area performers. Some 12,000 visitors arrived each day of the two-day festival last year, for 24,000 in total, bringing with them $2 million in ticket sales and as much as $6 million in economic impact for the area. Privratsky, who lives just north of the site, said, 'I firmly believe having more events and more things going on in the city is better for the community, and also at this site, where we put significant public dollars into building out the Allianz Field district.' Steeple fire at historic St. Paul church likely sparked by lightning Letters: Seasons rule. We need permanent standard time, not DST Bremer Bank CEO to step down after merger with Old National St. Thomas wins fight on Goodrich Avenue loading drive near Binz Refectory Maria Toso: Downtown's in bad shape. But we can make it really good
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
Convicted killer Aiden Fucci transferred to different prison to continue serving life sentence
The St. Johns County teen convicted in the May 2021 stabbing death of his 13-year-old classmate has been moved to another prison. Aiden Fucci, 18, is serving a life sentence for killing Tristyn Bailey. He pleaded guilty in February 2023. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Action News Jax has learned that Fucci was transferred to a different facility this week. Since March 2023, he's been in the Suwanee Correctional Facility. He's now being housed at a facility in Cross City, Florida in Dixie County. Officials said Fucci's prison move was a routine transfer. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Palm Coast woman arrested in St. Augustine, accused of sex offense against 13-year-old boy Read: SJSO: Ole Miss player Khari Coleman arrested, charged with indecent exposure [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
