Category: US

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Dozens of people were rescued from a ride at Orlando’s ICON Park Saturday evening after a power failure, Orange County Fire Rescue reported.

The department said crews responded to reports of a power failure at the Orlando Wheel around 6:20 p.m. There were 20 occupied pods on the Ferris wheel when it lost power, trapping 62 people on the ride. 

Pictures and videos on social media showed a small fire at the base of the ride, which is what caused it to malfunction and lose power.

Orange County Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Ashley Gipson said over 80 firefighters responded to the park. In order to rescue the riders, they had to manually maneuver the wheel to reach each pod.

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At 10:43 p.m., OCFR confirmed on Twitter all pods were clear, and all 62 riders were safe. There were no injuries reported or hospital transports required, Gipson said.

All the department’s rescue climbers on duty responded to the theme park to assist with the evacuations. Additional off-duty climbers also showed up at the park, Orange County Fire Rescue said on Twitter.

ORLANDO FREEFALL: OPERATING GROUP PLANS TO TAKE DOWN RIDE AFTER TEEN’S AMUSEMENT PARK DEATH

According to the theme park’s website, the Orlando Wheel is 400-feet tall, and it takes 18 minutes to complete the ride. It opened in 2015 after three years of construction.

In a statement to Fox 35 Orlando, ICON Park confirmed the Wheel lost power and park officials were working with first responders to evacuate the riders.

In March 2022, ICON Park experienced tragedy when 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death from the Orlando Freefall, a drop tower ride at the park. Sampson was visiting the city on spring break with another family from St. Louis, Missouri.

The ride was closed immediately after Sampson’s death and was permanently shut down in October.

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Residents and visitors in Kyiv on New Year’s Eve expressed a resolve to celebrate the new year, and also hope that 2023 could bring peace, as Russia’s invasion grinds on.

Daria Zhabinska, a 19-year-old student who works for Visit Ukraine, said her wish for 2023 is for Ukraine’s 1991 borders as an independent state to be restored.

“For us to return to the borders of 1991 is the only dream. And I want all my loved ones to be healthy,” she told CNN. 

“We do not have a New Year’s mood like in previous years; in previous years, we had everything decorated and prepared for a month, and we still do not even have a Christmas tree. We are going to look for one now and if we find one, we will have one this year and if not, that’s OK,” she said. 

“All this adrenaline, all this stress, when you read the news or talk to someone, you just want to celebrate this new year,” she added.

Twenty-year-old student Anastasia Grimaylo said she has stocked up on candles as Russian strikes cause repeated power outages across Ukraine.

“We’re ready for anything,” she told CNN.

Dariya Chesnokova is a schoolteacher, and Yurii Nagotnuk works in the information technology sector. Both are 25 years old and are from the southern city of Kryvyi Rih.

“We came to Kyiv to visit friends, to get a sense of the New Year’s mood. We are also taking presents to our friends,” she said.

Chesnokova said her wish for 2023 is for Ukraine to win the war, “and then we will rebuild everything.”

Natalia Vaganova, 27, an employee of a consulting company who lives in Brovary in the Kyiv region, said she will celebrate at home with family.

“We expect victory and peaceful skies from 2023,” she said.  

Olexander Oleksiyenko, a 26-year-old who works in IT and lives in Kyiv, said he will not celebrate this New Year’s because his girlfriend is abroad, adding that he plans to “just drink some wine and eat something delicious.”

“In 2023, of course, I don’t expect the war to end, but I would like it very much. I am a realist, and I think the war could last another 2 years. But I would like minimum stability and some peace,” he said.

Alyona Bogulska, a 29-year-old financier from Kyiv, said she plans to celebrate the new year with “a glass of champagne and … a sandwich with red caviar.”

“From 2023 I really want to win, and also to have more bright impressions and new emotions. I miss it very much. I also want to travel and open borders. And I also think about personal and professional growth, because one should not stand still. I have to develop and work for the benefit of the country,” she said.  

Tatiana Tkachuk, a 43-year-old pharmacy employee in Kyiv, said her Christmas tree this year symbolizes survival and victory.

“This year we had a family question whether to prepare for (the) new year and whether to put up a Christmas tree. We made up our minds — a Christmas tree should be at home. This year, it’s a symbol, not that it’s a small victory, but a symbol that we survived the year. There were a lot of scary things, but there were some good things, too. … Children are born, it is a good sign,” she said.

“And from the new year we expect only victory. And I know for sure there will be one. It is the desire of all Ukrainians, and if everyone wants something, it will happen,” she said. 

“I want to thank everyone who helps Ukraine. We’ve made a lot of friends. And in order to understand that we have a lot of good things, unfortunately, we had to go through terrible things. But so many people are doing real miracles for Ukraine. In other circumstances, we would never have known that we were capable of it,” she added.

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The National Championship for Jan. 9 is set.

No. 1 Georgia will meet No. 3 TCU after taking down No. 4 Ohio State, 42-41, on Saturday night in the Peach Bowl.

Georgia’s repeat hopes are still alive, having defeated Alabama in last season’s title game. Georgia is now 14-0 this season.

Earlier in the day, No. 3 TCU defeated No. 2 Michigan, who also entered the day undefeated, in the largest upset in CFP history.

Georgia was favored to win, but for a long while, it certainly didn’t seem like that was the case.

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Georgia was down 14 entering the fourth quarter, but they kicked a field goal early to make it an 11-point deficit. After forcing a three-and-out, Stetson Bennett found Arian Smith on the first play of their next drive for a 76-yard drive. They went for two and got it, making it a 38-35 game with 8:41 to go. The Buckeyes had to settle for a field goal with 2:43 to go, giving a streaking Georgia offense one more chance. Well, they were in the red zone in about a minute. On 2nd and 5 from the Buckeye 10, Stetson found Adonai Mitchell for the 10-yard touchdown, and the ensuing field goal gave Georgia a 42-41 lead with 54 seconds left.

C.J. Stroud had less than a minute to send the Buckeyes to the National Championship after Georgia overcame a 14-point deficit to take a one-point lead – they were in field goal range in about 30 seconds. Noah Ruggles came on for a 50-yard field goal with eight seconds left, but he missed wide left, giving Georgia the victory.

Ohio State got off to a 21-7 lead as they picked off Bennett after going up a touchdown and turning that into another seven points (who else but Marvin Harrison Jr. to score twice in the first half). But after Kendall Minton brought the Bulldogs back to within a touchdown, they forced a three-and-out, and Bennett ran one in to tie the game. The Bulldogs added a field goal with 1:44 to go in the half, but Stroud threw for 75 yards on just four plays in less than a minute to take a 28-24 lead into the locker room.

Georgia got the ball to start the second half but went three-and-out, and OSU took advantage, as Stroud found Emeka Egbuka for a 10-yard touchdown to go up 11. Both teams exchanged punts, but Kearis Jackson returned the Buckeyes’ punt into field goal range. However, Jack Podlesny missed the field goal, and Ohio State took another trip toward the end zone. However, on 3rd and goal, Stroud was looking for Harrison again, but he took a hard hit and had to be tended to by trainers. After a brief stop, the Buckeyes knocked the field goal to go up 38-24, and Harrison never returned to the game.

And then, well, the rest is history.

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The Bulldogs outscored OSU 18-3 in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory.

Bennett completed 23 of his 34 passes for 398 yards and three touchdowns, while 10 Bulldog receivers had at least one catch.

Stroud threw for 348 yards on 23 of 34 passing, while Egbuka and Harrison combined for 218 receiving yards on 13 catches.

Georgia and TCU will face off at SoFi Stadium in Southern California.

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Two men were taken into custody in Georgia in a $22 million drug bust, according to authorities.

Candido Rangel Garcia, 45, and Aldolfo Solorio Garcia, 31, were arrested during a traffic stop in Oakwood, Georgia, shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

About 305 kilos of liquid methamphetamine were seized with the assistance of drug investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit.

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The drugs were being transported in multiple gas can-like containers, the sheriff’s office said, and the estimated street value is $22 million.

The two suspects were charged with trafficking methamphetamine, and both are being held without bond.

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The sheriff’s office said it does not anticipate any further arrests in connection with the drug bust.

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Country music is one of the oldest, most popular genres of music in history. 

And Hank Williams, a country music icon, was one of the leading U.S. singers of the 1940s. 

On this day in history, Jan. 1, 1953, music legend Williams passed away at just 29 years old. 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DEC. 27, 1932, RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL OPENS TO GREAT FANFARE IN NEW YORK CITY

Hank Williams was born Hiram King Williams in Mount Olive, Alabama, to a family of strawberry farmers and log company workers, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

In addition to growing up in a family dealing with poverty, Williams himself was managing a different type of struggle. 

Williams was born with a spinal deformity called spina bifida occulta.

In this condition, people suffer from a small gap between the bones in the spine, as a result of incomplete formation during the mother’s pregnancy. 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DEC. 25, 1941, BING CROSBY PERFORMS ‘WHITE CHRISTMAS’ FOR THE FIRST TIME

Williams experienced pain throughout his life as a result. 

He started playing the guitar when he was just eight years old and made his first radio debut at 13, according to Britannica. 

In 1937, Williams’ mother moved the family to Montgomery, Alabama, where Williams, at age 14, formed his first band named Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys. 

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Williams was exempt from military service during the war due to his spinal deformity — but many of his bandmates were called to serve. That made it difficult for the band to carry on. 

He spent time between Montgomery, where he played music, and Mobile, where he worked in shipyards, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Williams married Audrey Mae Sheppard, his manager, in December 1944 and restarted the Drifting Cowboys after the war. 

“Lovesick Blues” was a hit in 1949, allowing him to join the Grand Ole Opry that same year. 

Known for his lyrics and his ability to successfully create a country hit, Williams was deemed the “Hillbilly Shakespeare” of his time.

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Some of his other smash hits include “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Jambalaya,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “Hey, Good Lookin’.”

After divorcing Audrey in 1952, he married singer Billie Jean Horton. 

Just two months later, Williams died of heart failure. 

His death may have resulted from years of drug and alcohol abuse, according to Britannica. 

The son whom he and Audrey had together — Hank Williams Jr. — has had a successful music career himself. 

He was born in May 1949 and today is 73 years old. 

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