Latest news with #WKRGNews5
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Storm damages Loxley neighborhood — car catches fire, tree crushes home
LOXLEY, Ala. (WKRG) — Strong thunderstorms caused severe damage across Baldwin County Thursday morning. In one Loxley neighborhood off of County Road 56, the people who live there told WKRG News 5 things got dangerous very quickly. New details in Destin double-drowning investigation This is what one Loxley family saw right outside their front door moments after the storm. 'It came out of nowhere,' Loxley resident Axel Torres said. 'It came out of the blue, you know. I was at work and my brother called me, said the car was on fire.' A fallen power line went up in flames, burning straight towards one of the family member's blue Mustang parked in the driveway. Another family in the neighborhood saw a different kind of damage to their home once the storm cleared out. 'I was not expecting this,' Loxley resident, Kathy Volkman, said. 'I was laying in bed and my husband just started screaming, tornado, tornado!' She tells us that soon after that, she heard the loud crash of a tree falling on the back of her home. 'It took a little bit of the edge of the roof off,' Volkman said. 'Then we heard that there's fire down here and everybody's power went out except for ours.' Many of the other homes in the neighborhood saw similar damage from fallen trees and limbs. Power crews along with the Robertsdale Volunteer Fire Department and the Loxley Police department were on scene in the neighborhood for hours working to repair the damages after the storm. Termite season is among us, Gulf Coast — here's how to get rid of them There were no reported injuries in the area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Drive
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Driver Wedges Dump Truck Under Highway Overpass After Forgetting to Lower Its Bed
The latest car news, reviews, and features. A Florida man behind the wheel of a dump truck was unaware that the truck bed was raised. But don't worry, friends. An overpass reminded him. Traveling northbound on Florida State Road 285, a 54-year-old man from nearby Crestview was in for an impactful drive. Somehow oblivious to the fact that the dump bed of his truck was in the 'up' position, the raised rear hit the underside of the Interstate 10 overpass as the truck drove underneath. Or attempted to. According to WALA Fox 10 , the impact caused the bed to completely dislodge from the truck frame. The posted speed limit along that stretch is 55 mph, but it probably doesn't take much to behead something too tall for the ride. And like a beacon of idiocy, the bed remained wedged and upright in the left lane of the two northbound lanes. A Florida Highway Patrol incident report noted that the dismembered truck bed stayed stuck for 'a short while,' said WKRG News 5 . The incident occurred at 2:20 a.m. on Friday. Neither the driver nor his passenger was injured, but they're definitely a couple of lucky ducks. A similar incident last year (also in Florida) resulted in serious injuries to the driver. CDL Life reported that the dump truck veered off the highway and crashed into a wooded area. Another vehicle traveling behind was hit with the debris, but the driver was not hurt. Beverly Braga has enjoyed an eventful career as a Swiss Army knife, having held roles as an after-school teacher, film critic, PR manager, transcriber, and video producer – to name a few. She is currently a communications consultant and freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous outlets covering automotive, entertainment, lifestyle, and food & beverage. Beverly grew up in Hawaii but roots for Washington, D.C., sports teams. .article-sidebar]:pt-0>
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bishop State linemen and trucking students get hands-on workforce training
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Students at Bishop State Community College are learning skillful trades to get ready to enter the workforce. 'Sand In My Boots Festival' prep underway — what to know ahead of the event WKRG News 5's Akievia McFarland visited the truck driving and lineman programs to see the benefits of their hands-on training. The first stop on this route is the college's truck driving program, the largest of its kind in Alabama. 'We produce more students than any other college,' Transportation Department Division Chair Brad Wallace said. Over a course of eight weeks, future truckers 18-years and older learn road regulations, different types of trailers, and how to drive a big truck safely. 'The mindset that we give them here makes them very successful when they go out in the field and work for a company,' Wallace said. 'Most of our students don't have any accidents or incidents along the way for the first year of their career.' Having skills behind the wheel isn't all students want, they're also in it for a brighter future. 'To make more money and things, and explore, see what the world is like,' student Jeremiah Ervin said. 'In eight weeks you can change your career and go to work making anywhere, starting at $40,000 a year to $100,000 a year,' Wallace said. Baldwin County EMA concerned about FEMA's uncertain future as hurricane season approaches Chances for big pay are up for these students as the program has a 98% placement rate and most students are pre-hired before classes end. This isn't the college's only program taking students to new heights. Some linemen students are learning the process of hanging insulators and dealing with electricity over 11 to 12 weeks. 'They initially learn how to climb and work aloft off of wooden poles, off of concrete and steel structures and certain types of lattice towers,' instructor Daniel Matson said. 'We teach them the basics of your first day of being on the job to start the apprenticeship program of being a lineman one day.' With a placement rate of 95% among graduates, these linemen could go on to make upwards of $100,000 annually. But first, they have to learn the basics, like being able to safely recognize hazards in the field and climb in full gear. 'They always have to wear a hard hat, close toed shoes, long sleeve shirts, they have to wear appropriate gloves,' BSCC Industry Liaison Daphne Stamps said. 'The equipment probably weighs about 50 to 60 pounds that they have to wear daily.' The equipment is heavy, and the climb might be a little intimidating, but students say you get used to it all. Mobile County street to close for bridge replacement 'My favorite part is going up the pole now. It wasn't at first. It took me a little minute to ease into it but once you get the hang of it and trust the equipment and stuff while you're up there, it's a breeze,' student Kendall Patrick said. Whether their career takes them toward the skies or for a drive, students are learning lucrative skills to continue Powering Progress in Alabama`s workforce. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
REAL ID requirement, Day 1, at Mobile Regional Airport — what travelers should know
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — For travelers coming in and out of Mobile Regional Airport, they now must show a new form of identification before boarding their flight. Dauphin Way Baptist Church confirms it's selling long-time property After years of hearing it was coming, the 'enforcement deadline' for having a REAL ID, also known as STAR ID, is finally here. If you're planning on travelling anytime soon, you might want to double-check your driver's license. It should have a REAL ID star on the front. 'If they have a star in the corner, they have a REAL ID or as Alabama has termed it STAR ID,' Joshua Thompson with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The star in the top corner means you're set to go. For anyone 18 and older, the star is required to fly domestically, enter certain federal buildings, or even to use TSA pre-check, unless you have a passport and or other federally accepted forms of ID that you can use in its place. Now that deadline is here, the big question, is everyone prepared? WKRG News 5 spoke with passengers to find out who's ready. 'My license actually expires in June and I did not have time to do my REAL ID, but I knew I could take my passport. So I brought my passport with me,' Christine Newbegin, a traveler from Madison, Wisconsin said. 'I got it last August,' Levy Knox, a Mobile resident travelling to Atlanta, said. 'I believe that opportunity comes through those who are prepared. So we need to be prepared.' But if you don't have your STAR ID yet, that doesn't mean you have to panic. 'You can still obtain your STAR ID after today. Today is just the day that it goes into effect,' Thompson said. 'You can still travel domestically, you can still access federal buildings. You just might need a different proof of identification.' Alabama bill combating gun violence signed into law So if you've got a trip coming up and no gold star, you might want to pack your passport. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
DHR stops tracking EBT fraud reports — News 5 investigates
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — WKRG News 5 is responding to the many reports viewers have sent in about their EBT benefits being stolen. Woman hits Mobile police cruiser trying to escape during chase, MPD says After hundreds of dollars are wiped from their account, they are receiving no relief after congressional funding expired in December. 'It's almost like they didn't care,' fraud victim Sarah Smith said. In January, Smith woke up to find nearly $300 wiped from her SNAP benefits account. 'I wanted to throw my hands up, I wanted to cry because that's all I had for that month,' Smith explained. She said her account stated two separate transactions over $150 from a deli in New York when Smith lives in Atmore Ala. 'I was like, oh my god, I've never been to New York, and I got my benefits stolen from New York, like how in the world did this happen?' Smith said. According to the Department of Human Resources, between September and December 2024, $12.4 millions of benefits were replaced. But since funding expired in December, DHR has not kept track of how many people have reported the theft. Alabama Forestry Commission warns of fungal disease infecting pine trees Even though they still recommend that victims report the fraud. 'They don't care. They're letting the criminals and stuff get away with doing this,' Smith said. We reached out to congressional representative Shomari Figures to see if any relief will be coming in the future. He sent back this written statement: 'This is simply wrong — families who rely on SNAP benefits shouldn't be left with nothing because of theft. I'm working on this issue currently on the House Agriculture Committee. We must equip states to replace the stolen benefits, and we need to implement a more modern system that is more secure than what we currently have. We also need to focus law enforcement on identifying and prosecuting those who are stealing these benefits.' Smith said people do not realize how crucial SNAP benefits are to people who receive them. 'It's very important because when I didn't get mine for that month, I didn't know how I was going to eat or how my family was going to eat,' Smith said. She still has not received any relief from that month. DHR also recommends changing your EBT card PIN every day and downloading the ConnectEBT app. Former U.S. Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, a Mobile, Alabama native, dies at 77 I reached out to Governor Kay Ivey's office; her spokesperson referred me to Alabama DHR. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
