Imperial Valley Press Quick News

Lack of smoke detectors blamed for spread of fire

By SILVIO J. PANTA

The lack of smoke detectors was blamed for how a garage fire swept through an El Centro home early today and forced eight people to flee for their lives, a fire captain said.

Heavy winds also fueled the flames that destroyed the three bedroom house in the 500 block of Tangerine Drive where two fire engines and a paramedic unit rushed to the scene of the 1:45 a.m. blaze, said Fire Capt. Chad Whitlock. Flames engulfed the entire structure of the home, making the crew of nine firefighters douse the fire on the home's exterior so as to prevent damage to an adjacent house, Whitlock said.

The fire was sparked inside the garage where newspapers and other combustible materials were stored, Whitlock said. One of the eight people smelled the smoke and alerted the others, he said. Whitlock stressed the importance of having at least one working smoke detector inside a home. A program is currently available that provides the mechanism to those who can't afford one, Whitlock said.None of the occupants were injured.

 

Brawley Beef imports banned from Japan

The Japanese government on Tuesday suspended beef imports from National Beef's plant in Brawley after banned cattle parts were found in a shipment from the Northend plant.

Vetebral material, which was banned by the Japanese government for fear of mad cow disease, was found in a shipment of beef that came from the Brawley plant in August 2007, but the suspension did not start until Tuesday, Reuters News Service reported today based off comments from a Japanese Ministry of Agriculture official.

This latest ban is the first since U.S. imports of beef to Japan were halted in December 2003. The ban was lifted in July 2006 under the strictest of conditions.

The ban against Brawley Beef was announced Tuesday by a beef importer and meat packers after a box of bone-in short loin containing vertabrae was mixed in with a shipment of 700 boxes of short plate beef.

National Beef would not comment this morning, instead directing the media to the American Meat Institute on National Beef's behalf. 

El Centro among top 20 cities in nation for car theft

By SILVIO J. PANTA

El Centro is among the top 20 cities in the nation for auto theft, ranking the Imperial Valley city at 17 and putting it behind San Diego last year, according to figures released Tuesday.

El Centro went up a notch in new national rankings following San Diego, which now has the nation's third highest rate, statistics by the National Insurance Crime Bureau said.

IID votes to defer implementation of new energy manager

The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors voted in closed session to defer implementation of the new energy manager until June 24. The board voted 3-2 to give general manager Brian Brady time to evaluate the energy department.

Board directors Mike Abatti and James Hanks dissented.

We will have more information in Wednesday's edition of the Imperial Valley Press

>> Staff Writer Brianna Lusk