Fatalities Of Children Left In Vehicles During The Summer

Every year, summer sets in, hot days fill our weeks. We know it’s summertime when we want to walk through the sprinklers to cool down. We also know it’s summer when the news starts reporting on a child found dead in a car.

It’s shocking for me that parents will still leave a child in their car, with temperatures outside in the 80’s, 90’s and above. I’ve always believed that is one of the worse kind of child abuse. The sad thing is, it continues to happen each year.

Researcher Jan Null has been tracking data of fatalities due to hyperthermia, since the late 1990’s. He has already documented 18 fatalities this year, with 8 of them having been reported since June 13. Not all of these are because of a parent leaving the child in the car. Some were from children going back into an unlocked car, and getting locked in.

“In Portageville, Mo., 2-year-old twins Allannah and Alliya Larry were found dead in their grandmother's car on June 16 as temperatures pushed into the mid-90s. New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens said the children apparently got into the unlocked car on their own and were locked inside the vehicle for two hours.”(WRAL)

The following are statistics I pulled from http://ggweather.com/heat/index.htm, a report posted online by Jan Null, CCM, Adjunct Professor of Meteorology,San Francisco State University. Out of the 463 children that Null reported have died since 1998, he records that 30%, or 133, of these children were under the age of 1.


“STATISTICS
Total number of U.S. hyperthermia deaths of children left in cars, 2010: 18
Total number of U.S. hyperthermia deaths of children left in cars, 2009: 33
Total number of U.S. hyperthermia deaths of children left in cars, 1998-2010: 463
Average number of U.S. child hyperthermia fatalities per year since 1998: 37
Circumstances
An examination of media reports about the 443 child vehicular hyperthermia deaths for an twelve year period (1998 through 2009) shows the following circumstances:
51% - child "forgotten" by caregiver (228 Children)
30% - child playing in unattended vehicle (131)
18% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult (80)
1% - circumstances unknown (4)”

Making Lemonade On The Interstate

An overturned truck on interstate 5 in Los Angeles had drivers smelling lemonade in the air. The northbound lanes were covered with lemons, and were being "squeezed" by drivers trying to get around them. Here is a picture of the lemonading.

College Students Protest BP

A group of college students protested BP. Members of the group hope to raise money for the Gulf Restoration Network, a group works toward protecting the natural resources in the Gulf area. WRAL reported on this protest. You can watch the video below for their story.

I came across this on the WRAL website and was surprised by some of the comments that were left in regards to the protest and WRAL’s reporting of it. The protest consisted of ten college students. This may seem like a small amount, but they got their message heard. They stood up for a cause they believed in. Isn’t that what a protest is about?

I think WRAL did a great job reporting on this protest. It’s a local human interest story and it speaks to an important issue.

One comment that was left, “Do you know why WRAL reported on this non news worthy story? Liberal media.. Liberal agenda…” appears to be from someone that isn’t concerned about anything outside his/her own little world.

Another commenter said, “10 people?? you gotta be kidding me. no question the gulf situation is dire and there ll be hell to pay as we move forward in time.

two points.

first bp has a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$, so i imagine they ll be standing for a lot of what has gone on and what will need to be paid for as days go by.

second obviously some college students have too much idle time on their hands.

ps. wraltv...............this is NOT newsworthy!!!”

I believe that these people have missed the importance of the protest and of WRAL reporting on it. Right now, the oil spill is not affecting us in NC. However, in time, that may change. The oil spill is still out of control. There is a real possibility that it may get caught up in the Gulf Stream and head around FL and up to our coast.

These 10 college students took time to protest. They took time to help raise awareness of what is going on in the Gulf. I think they should be commended and hooray for WRAL for reporting on them.

Tragic Death On Fort Bragg

2 contractors and a soldier were shot yesterday of Fort Bragg in NC during a live fire training exercise. One of the contractors that was shot died at Womack Army Medical Center. Both contractors work for Echota Technologies Corp., a private corporation that helps military personnel operate tactical ranges on Fort Bragg. The names of the contractors have not been released.

Both OSHA and the Army are investigating the incident. OSHA is conducting it’s own investigation because of the civilian contractors involved.

This tragic accident is sad and unfortunate. It is also a part of life in the military. Our soldiers train with live ammunition, under circumstances that are designed to mimic those of real life situations they may find themselves in. Our soldiers need this training. They place themselves in line of fire, in hostile environments, to protect us. It’s sad when there is an accident because of friendly fire and during a training exercise.

It is also a credit to them that there are not more accidents. Given the amount of training accidents that our military conducts on a daily basis, the occasional accident is expected. Unfortunate as it is, and as sad and heartbreaking for the families of those that are victims to training accidents, the military should not be blamed or harassed because of them.

I continue to support the men and women that serve in our military. My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in this latest tragedy. I hope God gives them strength to move on after the latest tragedy on Fort Bragg.

Valley doctor says moms can help prevent autism before and during pregnancy

Valley doctor says moms can help prevent autism before and during pregnancy

In an interview on ABC 15 News,Dr. Cindy Schneider, mother of two autistic children, stated what she believes to be the reasons for autism and how to decrease the chances of your child being diagnosed ASD.

You can watch the interview below. I agree that some of what she says mya sound logical, but it's also misleading. She states that she believes that genetics and envvironmental factors cause autism. She goes on to suggest that moms take cerain precautions before and during pregnancy. I think some of what she says is frustratingly erroneous.

I have one autistic child and one that isn't. I did the same things with both pregnancies. Granted, I was under less stress with my second, but that is the only difference. I was around the same weight at the beginning of both pregnancies. I may have actually weighed a little less prior to my first pregnancy, which was my autistic son.

Now, with this doctor going on air with a respected news station, I'm afraid people may start blaming moms for their child being autistic. We walk a delicate tightrope and we need everyone to be careful what they sat to the media. The media also needs to start giving a more balanced account of all interviews. I would have felt better if the reporter had stressed that what was said was the doctor's opinin and not proven medical fact.

Mythbusters Rocket Expert Erik Gates Dies in Accident

On December 20, 2009, Erik Gates, age 47, died. He fell thirty feet from a skylight at the headquarters of Xirrus Inc. He died at the hospital from the injuries sustained from the fall. Erik Gates is known to my family from his guest appearances on the show Myth Busters.


"He was a good guy," Steve DeGennaro, Xirrus' co-founder (along with Gates' brother, Dirk), tells the paper. "He survived cancer, he jumps with parachutes, he base jumps. He's an active guy who was used to taking precautions. This was a freak accident that shouldn't have happened." - Zap 2 It








I enjoyed watching his appearances on Mythbusters. He will be missed by many fans and friends. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family in their time of sorrow. This was a horrible accident that should not have happened. Proper safety precautions should have been taken on the roof. I hope that others will learn from this. Terrible accidents can happen to anyone and it is extremely important to put safety first.

Body of a Marine Found at Camp Lejeune

Body of Marine discovered at Camp Lejeune :: WRAL.com

The body of a dead Marine was found at Camp Lejeune in North Carolin Wednesday afternoon. For more details, you can click on the above link. The authorities have not released the name of the Marine. My prayers go out to the family of this Marine. I come from a military family, and having this happen to a loved one is awful. You accept the risks that are inherent in a soldier's life. You accept the fact that your loved one's life can be ended in serving his or her country.

To have it ended when home, is hard to accept or understand. Although we don't know the details yet, I can't help but feel that this death is senseless. I thank God that my husband is no longer in the military. I also thank God that I know where my family members are and that they are safe.

Our soldiers do an extremely important job. They make sacrifices for our safety and their families make sacrifices, too. I remember growing up and spending the holidays without my father. He was infantry army. He would leave and be gone for weeks, months and sometimes a year at a time. He loved what he did, but missed us whenever he was gone. I remember the times when he would come home and mom would make him strip down before entering the house, then it was straight to the shower. I never thought of his life being in danger whenever he was away. As a child, I didn't think in those terms.

Now, I am an adult and I am thankful that my father served twenty years and always returned to us. I admire my mom for the strength it took to raise two daughters, mostly on her own, while her husband spent so much time away. I admire her for being strong and never letting her fears be known to us.

While you are going through your day, say a special prayer for this Marine and his family. Also, say a prayer for all the soldiers that are protecting us everyday. They serve our country and defend us with their lives. Say a prayer for their families that have to make sacrifices everyday so that their loved ones can keep us safe.

Latest News on Tiger Woods 7th Mistress Holly Sampson of Caught in the Act

The number of mistresses that have been "uncovered" by the press is up to seven. They are Rachel Uchitel, Mindy Lawton, Jaimee Grubbs, Kalika Moquin, Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist, and now Holly Sampson.

Holly Sampson is a 36 year old porn star with numerous films to her credit. She hasn't confirmed or denied having an affair with Tiger. Rumors going around that Tiger is being encouraged to take action and people are speculating about who will manage to land an interview with him. Bryant Gummbel and Oprah seem to be the top runners.

At this point, I wish he would give a public interview. Once he has done so, the feeding frenzy over his personal life will die down. Right now, the press is having a field day speculating about who Tiger has been involved with. They can link him with someone he was in the same room with at a party, and not be held accountable for the truth.