Monthly Archives: <span>February 2021</span>

150 Years of Spills: Philadelphia Refinery Cleanup Reveals Toxic Legacy of Fossil Fuels

Wearing blue hard hats, white hazmat suits and respirator masks, workers carted away bags of debris on a recent morning from a sprawling and now-defunct oil refinery once operated by Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES). Other laborers ripped asbestos from the …

Citrus Crop Losses Expected in Texas After Deep Freeze

The historic cold snap that has frozen Texas this week with brutal winter weather and brought snow all the way to beaches along the Gulf of Mexico is also bringing headaches for citrus growers at the southern tip of the …

Done Deal: Bold Penguin Is Now a Subsidiary of American Family

Madison, Wisconsin-based American Family Insurance has closed the deal on acquiring the digital exchange Bold Penguin that serves small businesses. The Bold Penguin technology is used by insurance agents, brokers and other distributors to match, quote and bind policies from …

Freeze Slams Texas; Power Could Be Out for Days

The deep freeze that has forced the shutdown of U.S. refineries, oil wells and meat plants, disrupted shipments of soybeans and corn, and is still leaving more than 3 million customers without electricity could continue to keep parts of Texas …

Storm System Spawns Tornado in Florida, Several Homes Damaged

A tornado in Florida’s Tampa Bay region peeled off rooftops, snapped trees and roused residents from bed early Sunday morning. The National Weather Service said there were no serious injuries reported from the twister that might have begun as a …

Man Who Broke Ankle on Obstacle Course on Michigan Farm Wins Appeal

A man who broke an ankle on an obstacle course at a pumpkin patch will get his foot inside a courthouse again. A judge wrongly dismissed Tarek Hamade’s lawsuit against DeBuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, the Michigan Court of …

New Year, New Threats? Cyber Pros Say Attacks Will Continue to Increase in 2021

Although a new year is underway, many cyber professionals are saying the threat environment will only continue to ramp up in 2021. Cyber attacks are ranked as the fastest growing crime in the US, and globally, cyber crime damages are …

Officials in Small Iowa Town Charged with Embezzlement, Other Felonies

The mayor, police chief and current and former city clerk of a small Iowa town have been charged with a string of felonies and misdemeanors after a multi-year investigation uncovered embezzlement and other abuses, authorities say. The Emmett County Sheriff’s …

South Central Region Shut Down by Winter Storm

A winter storm dropped snow and ice and sent temperatures plunging across the southern Plains, prompting a power emergency in Texas a day after conditions canceled flights and impacted traffic across large swaths of the U.S. Rotating power outages were …

Historic Atlanta Krispy Kreme Owned by Shaq Damaged by Fire

A historic Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store in Atlanta owned by basketball star Shaquille O’Neal that dates back to the mid-1960s was engulfed in flames early last week, heavily damaging the structure. Atlanta fire crews responded to the iconic restaurant on …