Tag: Dallas

Passengers who helped restrain disruptive man on American Airlines flight describe chaos

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A passenger on a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was so disruptive, he had to be duct-taped to his seat. Witnesses who were on board the American Airlines flight on Thursday night told CBS News New York his behavior was putting everyone at risk. Juan Mejia, a retired law enforcement officer, and Richard Olenick say the chaos unfolded about two hours into their flight from Dallas, Texas.

“Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos,” Mejia said. “I turned around to look, and the poor gentleman that was sitting next to him in the aisle seat, the individual had his hands around his neck and was, like, assaulting him.” “He called one of the flight attendants the N word,” Olenick said. “Everyone who was in first class was basically victimized by his spewing of hatred and the discrimination, and the hostility, and vulgarness that was coming out of his mouth,” Mejia said. Mejia and Olenick, who were sitting two rows in front of the unruly passenger, say they jumped in to help restrain the man, wrapping him with duct tape and tying him down with zip ties provided by a flight attendant.

“He bit my hand. He didn’t break skin, just left teeth marks on my hand. We were covered in his blood,” Mejia said. “He was bleeding quite a bit from cuts that he inflicted on himself.” The pilot diverted the flight to Baltimore, where local police and the FBI took over. “On Sept. 3, American Airlines flight 618 diverted to Baltimore (BWI) due to a disruptive customer. Upon arrival, law enforcement met the aircraft and assisted with deplaning the customer before the flight continued to its destination. The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence. We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding,” American Airlines said in a statement.

Travel experts say these cases are becoming all too common and the actions taken on this flight are legal and within protocol. “It’s a common protocol. If they are that unruly, they are getting the duct tape out and they are getting the zip ties out because they’ve gotta restrain them and they’ve gotta keep them in that position until they divert,” CBS News travel expert Peter Greenberg said. Mejia and Olenick say they don’t know what may have triggered the passenger, but believe alcohol may have played a role. “I remember one of the stewardesses saying they only gave him one drink,” Mejia said. More from CBS News

Source: Passengers who helped restrain disruptive man on American Airlines flight describe chaos – CBS Baltimore

Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:3

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Melati, Dallas Zoo’s 20-year-old “supermodel” Sumatran tiger, euthanized after age-related decline

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Bengal tiger standing among rocks and tropical plants

Melati, a 20-year-old Sumatran tiger and longtime resident of the Dallas Zoo, has been euthanized after age-related health problems began to impact her quality of life, officials said. “This is never a decision our teams take lightly,” the zoo said in a statement. “In Melati’s case, it was the most compassionate choice we could make to prevent further discomfort and allow her to pass peacefully.” Zoo staff said Melati, the oldest tiger participating in the Sumatran tiger Species Survival Plan, had been closely monitored as she grew older, with her treatment and daily care adjusted as needed. Her health had worsened in recent weeks, according to the zoo. Preliminary findings from a necropsy found that she suffered from kidney disease, which can occur in aging cats.

Dallas Zoo Melati came to the Dallas Zoo in 2009 and became well known among the staff members who cared for her. “Known as the supermodel of our tiger building, she was beautiful, smart, fiercely independent, and always made you work for her trust,” the zoo said. Although Melati never gave birth to cubs, zoo officials said she showed interest in young tigers being raised by staff and would spend time near them. The zoo said her reaching 20 years old marked an unusually long life for a tiger and reflected years of care from the teams responsible for her health and well-being. “Melati had a personality all her own, and those who knew her best will remember her as a queen in every sense of the word,” the zoo said. “Rest easy, Melati. You will be deeply missed.”

Source: Melati, Dallas Zoo’s 20-year-old “supermodel” Sumatran tiger, euthanized after age-related decline – CBS Texas

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Galatians 6:8

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North Texas heat wave sparks power outages across Dallas neighborhoods

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Parched suburban street with dry lawns, homes, trees, and pedestrian

The extreme heat in North Texas is straining electrical equipment and causing scattered power outages across several Dallas neighborhoods. More than a dozen residents in the Kessler Park neighborhood told CBS News Texas they experienced two outages on Monday during the extreme temperatures. One lasted about an hour, and the second about 30 minutes.  Will Mallery, who was home for one of the outages, said they didn’t cause any major issues. “It was really just like a surge… like it went off, the TV went off, the appliances went off,” Mallery said. “It came back on pretty quickly; it was just kind of like a reboot of everything.”

The Kessler Park Day School confirmed the outages and said it notified parents, asking them to pick up their children early as a precaution. An apartment complex in Dallas’ Design District was also affected. CBS News Texas contacted ERCOT about grid conditions. A spokesperson said the grid is “operating with sufficient reserves to serve the region,” adding that “any outages experienced are local in nature and unrelated to overall grid reliability.” Oncor told CBS News Texas that during periods of sustained high heat, “it’s possible for some electrical equipment to experience added stress, which may lead to power outages.”

“I do a little work for companies doing electrical equipment, so I know quality is a big thing, and there’s people that are all hands-on deck working on those types of issues, and trying to safeguard events like that from happening,” Mallery said. With the heat wave stretching into its third day on Wednesday, Mallery said the impact can be more serious for some. “I think people with children and maybe elderly people, it’s a little more pressing, but for me, it was no big deal,” he said. “Don’t stay outside too long.”

Source: North Texas heat wave sparks power outages across Dallas neighborhoods – CBS Texas

For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:6

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