ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Apopka homeowner is struggling to receive calls from his home insurance company after his roof was torn off by strong winds during Hurricane Helene.

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“Heard something that sounded like a freight train. The next thing we know when we look out the window is parts of the roof flying off,” Lynn said.

Lynn said he has been calling his insurance company continually since the roof was torn off the house around 7:30 p.m. but has received no response.

Read: Channel 9 brings you the impact of Hurricane Helene in Florida

“I thank God none of us in my family were hurt,” said Fred Lynn, homeowner.

Lynn said he has lived in his home for over 50 years and had never suffered damage from a storm, tornado or previous hurricanes until the wind damage from Hurricane Helene.

WFTV walked through Lynn’s front and back yard to survey the damage and debris and noted that Lynn’s home was the only one in the neighborhood that was hit.

Read: AAA offers safety and insurance tips to help those injured by Helene

Insurance experts said during hurricane season, CTAs are ready for homeowner claims and the first thing a homeowner should do in the event of a loss is to call insurers and contact them electronically.

“The quickest way is to submit your claim online or electronically. There is either an 800 number on your home insurance policy or you should call,” said Thomas Cotton, president of Hugh Cotton Insurance.

According to Citizen’s Insurance, Florida’s largest insurer, claims reports will be few and far between in the first two days after Helene.

“What people are figuring out now is what kind of wind deductible they have. They’re now finding out that if they don’t have flood insurance, they don’t have flood insurance,” Cotton said.

Read: Aftermath of Helene: Waste collection services will resume in these counties

Given the state’s insurance crisis after past hurricanes devastated the state and litigation over roof damage, homeowners across the state are feeling the pressure of rising insurance premiums and are now faced with the challenge of obtaining compensation for damages.

“Florida’s homeowner market is largely domestic. Most of our airlines are Florida-only airlines,” Cotton said.

The hesitation to make contact now increases the stress of recovering from the storm’s destruction. Thanks to a local roofing company and neighbors, he is now forced to install several large tarps on his roof until he receives a call for an expert to assess the damage.

Lynn said since he called early and is still waiting in limbo, he fears the wait for help will only get longer for people who haven’t called their insurance companies about the damage.

“I don’t think it should be that hard to get something done,” Lynn said.

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The impacts of Hurricane Helene’s rain and winds are causing damage throughout East Tennessee.

The steady rain of a typical storm first began to penetrate East Tennessee this week, then the outer bands of Hurricane Helene blew into the southern Appalachians. Now the remnants of the storm have made their way here, bringing the winds that caused damage across much of Florida and Georgia.

“Fallen trees and power lines are expected to cause power outages. Turn back, don’t drown,” warned experts at the National Weather Service office in Morristown.

Schools are closed and football games are canceled.

MILWAUKEE – The Mets still have everything on the line in the regular season and nothing for the Brewers, but you wouldn’t have known that until Friday’s game.

Perhaps the Mets’ biggest upset was an angry Carlos Mendoza barking at plate umpire Ramon De Jesus before and after the manager was ejected for protesting a so-called third strike on Francisco Alvarez in the fourth inning.

The Mets were flat-footed in every way for the second straight game, and that was even before Alvarez grabbed his lower back after sliding into third base in the seventh inning and had to leave.

The catcher, who was diagnosed with back spasms, needed help from his teammates to walk from the dugout to the clubhouse.

The Mets’ total disaster night ended with an 8-4 loss at American Family Field, leaving them tied for the NL’s second wild card with Atlanta.

Arizona, also in the running for a wild card, played a later game in San Diego after even starting the day with the Mets.

Francisco Lindor returned to the lineup after missing the last eight games with lower back tightness and reached base three times – he was 2-for-4 with a walk – but the shortstop appeared unsteady at times and committed a throwing error, which resulted in an unearned throw run.

The Brewers, seeded No. 3 for the postseason, jumped on Sean Manaea from the start and continued to add runs.

In his worst start in the second half, Manaea lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up six runs, one unearned, on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.

The start was his shortest since August 10 in Seattle and the five earned runs allowed were his most since July 19 in Miami.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Timberwolves open training camp next week and made a blockbuster trade on Friday evening.

According to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the Timberwolves are trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick.

Why it matters

Towns was selected No. 1 overall by the Timberwolves in 2015 and spent nine seasons in Minnesota. He is the team’s best player alongside Anthony Edwards and one of the faces of the franchise. It appears Towns himself was caught off guard, judging by his reaction on social media Friday night.

Towns helped the Timberwolves to their best regular season in 20 years last season and their first trip to the Western Conference finals in two decades. He is a four-time NBA All-Star and 2015 Rookie of the Year. Last season, he averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, making him one of the best perimeter shooting big men in the league.

Towns begins the first year of a four-year, $220 contract extension this season. The Timberwolves posted a video of Towns practicing at Mayo Clinic Square earlier this week. He never once asked to be traded from Minnesota, despite rumors that he was in the trade for several offseasons. Originally from New Jersey, Towns will now play for former Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau and front office boss Gersson Rosas, both of whom work with the Knicks.

What it means

The Timberwolves open training camp next week and will host a media day on Monday. That means Anthony Edwards is the face of the franchise, if he wasn’t already. Randle and DiVincenzo will need to work their way into the rotation and fit in with Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley Jr., Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid.

Tim Connelly continues to show that he is not afraid to take bold steps. He traded five draft picks and four players to the Utah Jazz to get Rudy Gobert, who was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth time last season.

The team has not confirmed Towns’ trade.

A boat captain who recently went missing after his vessel capsized in the Oregon River is now presumed dead.

On Thursday, September 26, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office released a statement regarding a victim identified as Michael Shufeldt of Woodland, Washington.

According to the sheriff’s office, “The search for a missing boater began at 11:39 a.m. yesterday.” [Wednesday, Sept. 25] has now been designated a recovery mission.”

Shufeldt’s boat was found with the help of the Skamania County Dive Team around 2 p.m. local time “in the Columbia River at a depth of approximately 40 feet near the mouth of the White Salmon River.” Efforts to remove the boat from the water continued until Thursday.

The sheriff’s office added that Shufeldt “was not near the vessel and is presumed deceased.”

Rescue teams have tried to locate the victim using additional means such as remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV), but the search has so far been unsuccessful.

While the investigation continues, authorities believe Shufeldt’s boat may have sunk “as a result of rapidly deteriorating weather conditions.”

“The commercial lead boat capsized after encountering a large wave at the stern. Conditions at the time of the accident were treacherous and initial evidence points to a tragic accident,” the statement said.

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Hood River County Emergency Services was first alerted to the incident after receiving a call around 11:39 a.m. Wednesday reporting a capsized boat in the Columbia River near the mouth of the White Salmon River, the release said .

Within 15 minutes, law enforcement officers had arrived at the scene and “several other law enforcement boats” were assisting in the search.

There were seven people on board, including Shufeldt. Of those seven, two people were taken to hospital, authorities said, adding that certain details were withheld: “Out of respect for the families of those on board, the names are not being released at this time.”

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia River Intertribal Fisheries Officers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Skamania County Sheriff’s Office and several civilian vessels assisted in the search from day one, according to HRCSO. Additionally, the sheriff’s office aircraft and U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Astoria Station also participated.

On Thursday, before the sheriff’s office identified the victim, Shufeldt’s friend Josiah Darr published a Facebook post expressing his sadness.

“There are not enough good things to say about Michael Shufeldt. “He was one of the kindest, most humble and entertaining people I have ever had the pleasure of calling my friend,” he began.

The post included seven photos of Shufeldt, who was seen smiling in all but one of the photos while spending time outdoors. Just in case he wasn’t in nature, he was in a kitchen holding a laughing toddler.

“He also ruined the fish, but he never seemed to care that much. He was much more likely to talk about his children or his wife. Some things just don’t make sense and never will. I love you, buddy,” Darr concluded.

Bangladesh passed laws in 2009 to ensure citizens’ right to information, but this right remains little more than a paper promise.

“I have been trying to get information from a VAT office in Savar for a year and a half. Despite several attempts and even involving the Supreme Court, I still have not received it,” said Arup Roy, staff correspondent of Savar-Manikganj Bangla daily Ajker Patrika.

Arup has been a journalist since 1980 and has worked with several leading national newspapers. So far he has made 560 requests for information to various offices.

“But I won’t give up; I plan to return to court with a new plea,” he said, reflecting on his challenges in obtaining information under the Right to Information Act, 2009.

On February 5, 2023, Arup requested information about confectionery factories, traders and hotels from the Excise and VAT Customs Office in Savar Circle.

After not receiving the information within 20 working days, he appealed to the relevant VAT office.

When that failed, he approached the Information Commission on April 16, but the VAT Commissioner did not comply with the Commission’s request. Despite a virtual hearing where the officer was again asked to provide the information, he still did not do so.

Disappointed, Arup said: “I submitted a written application to the Supreme Court on June 20, 2024. Although the court ordered the information to be released, my renewed application was again rejected on July 14th. I will continue to fight and enforce my right to information.”

Arup said he had made 560 requests for information to various offices since 2009. Of these, only 10% were fulfilled through standard channels and 2% through appeals to higher authorities.

He obtained 50% of the information by filing complaints with the Information Commission. “All these efforts to get information have cost me around Tk 4-5 lakh so far,” Roy told TBS.

“When I file a complaint with the Information Commission, I feel like I am the culprit,” Arup said, suggesting that the commission often prioritizes protecting administrative activities over enforcing the law.

The Information Commission was established on 1 July 2009 under the Right to Information Act 2009 and is intended to function as an independent body.

According to the Commission’s website, complaints from citizens about the unavailability of information are being processed. Its primary mission is to assist individuals in obtaining information from all public, private and foreign-supported non-governmental organizations while promoting compliance.

The Commission’s aim is to resolve complaints related to access to information and to impose disciplinary measures against those who provide false or misleading information.

However, service recipients alleged that the commission has not worked effectively and independently in the last 15 years under the leadership of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.

“Commission should be free from political influence”

Hasibur Rahman, executive director of the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI), told TBS: “Accessing information after submitting an application comes with limitations and important information is rarely available this way.”

Then there is Section 7 of the Act, which allows the authority not to provide certain information, he said.

“Section 6 of the Act deals with voluntary disclosure of information beneficial to the public. If all information were made public on the government’s 40,000 websites, it would alleviate many of the public’s problems,” he said.

Furthermore, the decisions of the Information Commission are not enforced locally. Its intended role should be to serve the public, he said, adding that the commission should operate free from political influence.

Hasibur Rahman also pointed out that an analysis of the Commission’s previous rulings on information claims found that almost 40% of requests came from journalists.

Even after 15 years, there is still a lack of awareness among the public about this law and its application, he added.

13 points from the TIB to guarantee the right to information

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) unveiled 13-point recommendations on its website yesterday to ensure universal right to information, information accessibility and public participation.

Recommendations include effective implementation of the Right to Information Law, removal of all legal and institutional barriers, comprehensive reform of the Information Commission, and amending and repealing laws inconsistent with the Right to Information Law, etc.

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told TBS that the remarkable sacrifices of the youth and the overthrow of the authoritarian regime have inspired extraordinary optimism for rebuilding a new Bangladesh.

“Freedom of expression, the right to disagree and the unrestricted flow of information are essential goals of this vision. Ensuring the free flow of information is fundamental to our belief in creating a transparent, accountable and corruption-free Bangladesh,” he said.

Iftekharuzzaman called on the interim government to prioritize freedom of expression and the right to information as essential elements of this new era.

Five weeks into the 2024 season, Ohio State is expected to face its first Power Four opponent of the year when it travels to East Lansing on Saturday in a match against Michigan State. The Buckeyes went through a non-conference slate that included Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall, which they defeated by a combined score of 157-20.

According to ESPN, Ohio State University’s schedule – which also included an early bye in Week 3 – ranks 131st out of 134 FBS teams through the first four weeks. During an appearance on “College Football Live,” former Michigan star, Ohio native and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard poked fun at the Buckeyes’ schedule ahead of their trip to Michigan State.

“During the week I was preparing and I said, ‘Hey, Marissa, you need to look something up,'” Howard said. “‘I look at the top 25 teams in college football, and I look at Ohio State. Are they the only team that hasn’t played a Power Four team in four weeks? And she said, ‘Yeah, Desmond, you’re right.’ So Ohio State basically took the whole month off – the whole first month – and now they’re playing Michigan State. After all, they are playing against a Power Four team. They go on the road and play a Michigan State team that leads the conference defensively in sacks and tackles for loss.

“The trenches, look at the battle in the trenches.” I’m not sure – I’ll have to ask Pete [Thamel] later because Michigan State lost at least three wide receivers to start the season. I don’t know who’s coming back. … But Ohio State, finally welcome to the 2024 college football season in East Lansing against Sparty.”

While the former Wolverine certainly has personal reasons for mocking Ohio State’s schedule, he’s far from the only college football expert to have criticized the Buckeyes’ early lineup. Former OSU head coach Urban Meyer, who is still closely associated with the program, made a similar comment before the season began.

“Their schedule is kind of a joke to begin with,” Meyer said on his podcast “The Triple Option” in late August. “I mean, they’ll be 50-point favorites in the first three games. They have a bye week and then they play Michigan State, which is just a shell of itself right now.”

Howard got some pushback from the College Football Live panel, which included ESPN’s Pete Thamel, “Stanford Steve” Coughlin and Jen Lada, but the former Michigan wide receiver leaned on the facts about Ohio State’s schedule.

“All I’m saying is they didn’t play anyone,” Howard said. “Week 5, and they didn’t play a Power Four team. That’s crazy.”

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LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MI – A boy struck by a falling tree died from his injuries Thursday evening, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office reported Friday, Sept. 27.

Police were called to the Howell Nature Center at 1005 Triangle Lake Road at 3:32 p.m. on Sept. 26 for a report that a falling tree had struck a child.

Related: Tree falls on 12-year-old boy, causing life-threatening injuries

At the time, the boy had been visiting the nature center with a group from Our Lady of Victory Catholic Parish in Northville. Police said the tree broke and landed on him while a teacher was talking to the children.

The boy suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to CS Mott Children’s Hospital by the University of Michigan Survival Flight. He died on Thursday evening around 8 p.m., police said.

The boy’s name has not yet been released.

“We are heartbroken and deeply saddened by the incident that occurred here at Howell Nature Center.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the child, his family, his classmates, teachers and staff during this difficult time,” CEO Tina Bruce said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The park and clinic were closed on Friday “so that employees could gather and process the events,” the statement said.

The Howell Fire Department, Livingston County EMS and Michigan State Police assisted responders.

(The Center Square) – Los Angeles City Manager Kenneth Mejia warned residents, “LA is going broke,” noting that the city spent half of its reserves last year. In April, the city faced a $476 million deficit, leading to significant cuts to Mayor Karen Bass’s Inside Safe program for homeless people in hotels. However, concerns about rising crime also led to an increase in the police budget, an increase in funding that Meija has strongly opposed.

“Just a year ago, the reserve fund was historically strong at $648 million,” Mejia said on via Budget). It’s getting close to falling below the 2.75 percent mark and if that happens, the city council will have to determine that there is financial distress.”

Last month, the city of Los Angeles agreed to pay $38 million in compensation to the federal government for failing to make enough of its federally funded “affordable” housing accessible to people with mobility, vision and hearing disabilities.

“The city needs honest budgeting: no inflated revenue projections, no underbudgeted liabilities, and wishful thinking that civilian departments (whose budgets have been cut) can operate on shoestring budgets while the LAPD can routinely overspend without spending controls,” Mejia continued on finances the city.

Mejia has particularly focused on increasing police spending to combat rising crime. He pinned a tweet about the LAPD’s helicopter spending to the top of his profile on X, noting that the program costs about $50 million a year.

The Republican Party, which has not had a Los Angeles mayor since Rick Riordan between 1993 and 2001, blamed the city’s financial situation and deteriorating quality of life on the Democratic Party, which has governed the city ever since.

“Despite all the high taxes we pay, Angelenos should live in a world-class city,” LAGOP spokeswoman Roxanne Hoge told The Center Square. “Instead, Mayor Karen Bass and her party have brought us decline at a very high price.”

The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will put the city’s governance on full display, with a promise for the notoriously car-dependent city to host a “car-free” Olympics contingent on the city’s ability to complete major new public transportation projects – including multiple rail connections Lines – before games start.

One such project is the 2.25-mile Automated People Mover, designed to transport people between the airport and the LA Metro. The project began in 2018 with a service launch date of 2023, which has now been pushed back to late 2025 or early 2026. The cost of the program could rise to as much as $3.3 billion if a new $400 construction delay agreement is approved, in addition to the existing $200 million set aside for lawsuits earlier this year.

Crack crisis

The space agency is increasingly concerned about leaks in a tunnel connecting the Russian segment of the International Space Station to a docking port, according to a new report from NASA’s inspector general.

Worse, officials still aren’t entirely sure what’s causing it.

“Persistent cracks and air leaks in the service module transfer tunnel pose a major safety risk,” the report said. “And NASA and Roscosmos are working together to investigate and repair the cracks and leaks, determine the root cause, and monitor the station for new leaks.”

In April, NASA “detected an increase in leakage to its highest level ever,” releasing 3.7 pounds of atmosphere daily, a massive increase compared to just under 1 pound in February Ars Technica Reports.

“Although the root cause of the leak remains unknown, both agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds,” the report said.

Fixing the problem could be a difficult one because of the “supply chain issues” that NASA’s contractors are struggling with, a problem that could make maintaining ISS operations even more difficult before the agency officially decommissions them in 2030 goes into operation.

Close the hatch

In June, NASA upgraded the cracking problem to the highest level of concern in its “risk matrix.” Ars Technica reported at the time.

If the leaks persist, NASA and Roscosmos could be forced to permanently close the hatch to the affected tunnel, which would prevent astronauts from using any of the station’s four docking ports.

“According to NASA, Roscosmos is confident that they will be able to monitor and close the service module hatch before the leak rate reaches an unsustainable level,” the inspector general report said. “However, NASA and Roscosmos have not reached agreement on the point at which the leak rate becomes unsustainable.”

This is an unpleasant realization given the space station’s already limited shelf life. In 2030, NASA plans to get help from SpaceX to deorbit the station and allow it to crash into the Pacific Ocean. As Ars points out that NASA and Russia have not yet agreed to continue operations after 2028.

Another option would be to make changes to the station to extend its lifespan beyond 2030, which the inspector general said would “require significant funding” and “require acceptance of increased risk due to its components and aging structures.”

More about leaks: Russia confirms small but growing leak in space station