NEWS OF THE DAY
From Across the Nation
1 Flooding: A Southern California desert community cleaned up Friday after thunderstorms unleashed muddy torrents through streets, threatened a commuter rail line and forced rescues of trapped motorists. The downpours struck Thursday north of Los Angeles in semirural Acton as monsoonal flow of moist air streaming across the region boiled up into huge thunderheads. In all, 14 people were rescued by fire crews, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. Rushing water damaged tracks used by the regional Metrolink commuter train service. Metrolink reporting delays and cancellations Friday.
2 Train derailment: A propane fire caused when at least 32 freight cars derailed in Hyndman, Pa., burned itself out overnight, CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle said Friday. Smaller sulfur fires continued burning Friday as crews worked to clean up the mess from Wednesday’s derailment about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. About 1,000 people remain evacuated because of the remaining fires. No one was injured.
3 Police shooting: Federal officials said Friday that they agree with a decision not to prosecute a white Tennessee police officer who fatally shot a black man after a traffic stop and have concluded no further action is warranted. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement it had worked with the FBI and the Department of Justice in reviewing the fatal shooting of Jocques Clemmons in February. Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk announced earlier he wouldn’t seek charges against Josh Lippert, saying the officer’s actions met the definition of self-defense. Police and a key witness said Clemmons had a gun. The decision drew an outcry from the NAACP and Clemmons’ family.
4 Skydiving deaths: A skydiving instructor and a German tourist were found dead after they did a tandem jump from a plane flying near Lake Tahoe in western Nevada, authorities said. An initial investigation indicated both were attached by a single harness and had been connected to one parachute and also had a reserve chute, said Sheriff ’s Capt. Dan Coverley. Officials did not disclose whether the parachute did not open Thursday or whether it malfunctioned. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating. The two were found near the Minden-Tahoe airport. The instructor was identified as Ashlie Caceras, 43, of Lodi (San Joaquin County), and the tourist was David Becker, 21, of Sankt Martin, Germany. 5 Rescue honors: The Coast Guard awarded medals Friday in Baton Rouge to four people for rescuing a woman and her dog from a sinking car during flooding in Louisiana last summer. David Phung jumped off a boat and ripped open the top of a convertible to rescue Hailey Brouillette on Aug. 13 — then dipped down to save her poodle mix, Sassy. Phung’s brother-in-law, Jason Dixon; his 14-yearold nephew, Brandon Barrett; and WAFBTV reporter Robbie Reynold also were honored.