Sinkhole sucks Fla. man from his bedroom into earth

Florida authorities hold a news conference to discuss the latest in the sinkhole that appeared under a house near Tampa.

By Elizabeth Chuck and Ian Johnston, NBC News

Officials and engineers are searching an unstable area of land after a sinkhole enveloped a Florida man?s bedroom in the middle of the night, sucking him down into the earth.

Local media, including?WFLA.com, NBC's station in Tampa, identified the victim as Jeffrey Bush, 36. He has not been heard from since the 20-foot-deep by 20-foot-wide hole opened underneath the Bush family?s Hillsborough County home late Thursday night, sending part of the house plummeting but leaving the exterior remarkably intact.

?They heard a sound they described as a car crash?emanating?from the bedroom,? Hillsborough County Fire Chief Ron Rogers said at a Friday morning news conference outside the Seffner, Fla., house. ?They rushed in. All they could see was part of a mattress sticking out of the hole. Essentially, the floor of?the room had opened.?

At that point, able to hear Jeffrey Bush but not able to see him, Bush's brother, identified by WFLA.com as Jeremy, jumped into the hole to try to rescue him, Rogers said.

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Jeremy Bush, brother of Jeff Bush, breaks down as he speaks to the media about attempting to rescue Jeff as he disappeared in a sinkhole.

Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and were able to free Jeremy, but not his Jeffrey. They were forced to abandon the house as the ground continued shifting overnight. Once they came back with an engineering team and better equipment, they were able to resume their efforts.

On Friday morning, Rogers refused to discuss the possibility Jeffrey Bush was not alive. ?The sooner we can locate the victim and determine his status, the better.?

However, he added, "We have to make sure we don't endanger other personnel or other people in the process. It doesn't help to compound the situation."

According to The Tampa Bay Times, there were five adults, one child, and two dogs inside the house when the sinkhole tore through it; all the other members of the household escaped safely and returned on Friday, dazed, as rescue workers attempted to get to Jeffrey Bush, The Tampa Bay Times reported.

"I just wanted to get my brother back," Jeremy Bush told the newspaper of his efforts last night to rescue his brother. "That's all I wanted."

Standing with his aunt, Janell Wheeler, in front of his house where his brother remained buried Friday, he added,?"I couldn't do anything. Everything in the room was gone."

Wheeler, clad in her pajamas, reported The Tampa Bay Times, said, "It's a dream, right?"?

Flanking the county's fire chief at Friday's news conference in front of the Bush home was Bill Bracken, president of Bracken Engineering, a Florida-based firm called in to assist with the rescue. Bracken told reporters that while the sinkhole itself was 20 feet wide, its ?safety zone? ? the land around it that was considered unstable ? extended out 100 feet. ?

?It started in the bedroom and has been expanding, taking the house with it,? he said.

Engineers are capturing three-dimensional photos of the soil and receiving other data of the area to figure out the best way to stop the spread of the sinkhole, Bracken said.

Despite the home's instability, photos of the neighborhood showed little destruction.

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Engineers work in front of a home where sinkhole opened up underneath a bedroom and swallowed a man on Friday, March 1 in Seffner, Hillsborough County, Fla.

"Ultimately, it looks just like a normal neighborhood,"?Hillsborough County spokesman?Willie Puz said. "The sinkhole is still under the footprint of the home itself. You can?t see anything from the exterior. There?s been a lot of helicopters that have been flying overhead, but if you look down, it just looks like a normal house and neighborhood.?

The Bush family and neighbors on both sides have been evacuated and are receiving assistance from The Red Cross. Officials did not know if the neighborhood, located near Tampa, has had problems with sinkholes in the past.

Sinkholes are relatively common in Florida, but do not always cause injury or major disruption.

"Florida is made out of limestone. There's a lot of groundwater that goes through the limestone and can erode the limestone away. As the water table rises and falls, sometimes those voids in the limestone can't support the weight that is on top of them, and they cave in," Puz said, adding that there are numerous other scenarios that can cause sinkholes.

Some sinkholes form depressions in the ground first; some collapse immediately. In this family's case, Puz said, "it happened very quickly," but officials don't know what processes were happening underground, and for how long, before the sinkhole ripped open their home.

Rescue efforts are underway in Florida to find a missing man who may be in a sinkhole that swallowed at least two bedrooms of the house. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

Related stories:

This story was originally published on Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:58 AM EST

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/01/17145165-sinkhole-sucks-florida-man-from-his-bedroom-into-the-earth?lite

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Sinkhole Swallows Florida House; Man Missing

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Fish migrate to safer environments

Mar. 1, 2013 ? Research now reveals that fish can migrate to avoid the threat of being eaten. A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that roach fish leave lakes and move into surrounding streams or wetlands, where they are safer from predators.

Every year, millions of animals migrate worldwide. In most cases, this is due to a shortage of food or other environmental factors. However, few research studies have focused on migration as a strategy to avoid predators. It is not easy to measure and quantify the risk of an animal being eaten.

"Our findings are therefore quite unique," says Ben Chapman, a researcher from the Department of Biology at Lund University.

In collaboration with Danish colleagues, the researchers at Lund University have published the results of their study. These show that fish, in this case roach, flee from a lake to surrounding streams and wetlands when there are a large number of cormorants hunting in the lake. Ben Chapman and his colleagues note that their findings are among the first evidence that the threat of predators can be a reason for seasonal migration in animals.

The researchers used an inventive method to track the fate of individual roach. They individually marked thousands of fish with a little chip resembling a barcode, and then went to the cormorants' resting places and scanned the earth for chips in the birds' excrement -- i.e. the remains of the fish that have passed through the birds' digestive systems. In this way, the researchers have been able to obtain large quantities of data on which fish were eaten. It emerged that it was mostly larger roach that fell victim to the cormorants.

The fieldwork has been carried out in the Danish lakes of Viborg and Loldrup on Jutland. In the next fieldwork season, the researchers plan to expand their work to include Krankesj?n lake in southern Sweden and to investigate whether fish can change their migration patterns in response to increasing numbers of predators.

The study has been published in the scientific journal Biology Letters and will also be featured in Nature.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Lund University, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. C. Skov, B. B. Chapman, H. Baktoft, J. Brodersen, C. Bronmark, L.-A. Hansson, K. Hulthen, P. A. Nilsson. Migration confers survival benefits against avian predators for partially migratory freshwater fish. Biology Letters, 2013; 9 (2): 20121178 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.1178

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ikr3ZBLleWU/130301051621.htm

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Buffett calls 2012 'subpar' for Berkshire Hathaway

Alex Crippen, Executive Producer , CNBC ? ? ? 2 hrs.

Warren Buffett called 2012 "subpar" in his annual letter to shareholders as Berkshire Hathaway's per-share book value rose 14.4 percent, less than the S&P 500's 16-percent increase.

It's the ninth time in 48 years this has happened. Buffett notes that the S&P has outpaced Berkshire over the past four years and if the market continues to gain this year the benchmark stock index could have its first five-year win ever.

"When the partnership I ran took control of Berkshire in 1965, I could never have dreamed that a year in which we had a gain of $24.1 billion would be subpar ... But subpar it was."

Buffett notes that while he believes Berkshire's intrinsic value will probably beat the S&P by a "small margin" over time, the company's relative performance is better when the market is down or unchanged.

Even so, Buffett warned that he and partner Charlie Munger "will not change yardsticks. "It's our job to increase intrinsic business value ? for which we use book value as a significantly understated proxy ? at a faster rate than the market gains of the S&P." If they are successful, Berkshire's share price will beat the S&P "over time."

Berkshire's boss did have praise for his two new investment managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, writing that "we hit the jackpot with these two." Buffett said they both outperformed the S&P by "double-digit margins" in 2012. Using a very small font, Buffett added, "They left me in the dust as well."

Buffett also expressed disappointment that Berkshire didn't make a major acquisition last year. "I pursued a couple of elephants, but came up empty-handed."

Echoing what he told us after Berkshire announced two weeks ago that it's teaming up with 3G Capital for a $23 billion acquisition of H.J. Heinz, Buffett said even though that deal accounts for much of what Berkshire earned last year, "we still have plenty of cash and are generating more at a good clip."

"So it's back to work; Charlie and I have again donned our safari outfits and resumed our search," Buffett said.

For its fourth quarter, Berkshire's operating earnings per share came in at $1704, below the consensus estimate of $1755 from the few analysts who follow the firm.

Warren Buffett will be live with Becky Quick for all three hours of CNBC's Squawk Box this coming Monday morning starting at 6 am ET. We want your questions. Send them by email to AskWarren@cnbc.com or by Twitter with the hashtag #askwarren.

? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/buffett-calls-2012-subpar-letter-shareholders-1C8645124

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HBT: Iraq Vet who lost leg tries out for Dodgers

Daniel ?Doc? Jacobs already made history. He was the first amputee to return to active duty in the Navy?(see update below) going so after an IED explosion in Iraq took his lower left leg and led to 50 surgeries. Yesterday he did something else that was pretty impressive: he tried out for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It was an open tryout, and Jacobs participated after being encouraged to do so by Tommy Lasorda, who Jacobs met at a disabled veterans event last year. The result, reports the Long Beach Press-Telegram were not unlike anyone else?s at this sort of thing:

Unless you were looking closely at his left leg, Jacobs? tryout was indistinguishable from most. He fielded a pair of ground balls cleanly but long-hopped both throws. A backhand was hit to his right side, but it went under his glove and rolled onto the outfield grass. Another backhand met Jacobs? glove cleanly, but he short-hopped that throw.

Sadly, that?s not good enough for the big leagues, but since Jacobs said he was there for the experience, we can safely call this a success.

A photo montage of Jacobs? tryouts can be seen here.

UPDATE: A reader corrects the story from the Press-Telegram, noting that Jacobs was not the first amputee to return to active duty in the Navy. That honor goes to Master Chief Carl Brashear:

In 1967, a year after an injury onboard the salvage ship Hoist cost him his left leg, Brashear became the first Navy diver to be restored to full active duty as an amputee.

The more you know.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/01/iraq-veteran-who-lost-his-leg-tried-out-for-the-dodgers/related/

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Can South Africa's justice system handle the Oscar Pistorius case? (+video)

The lead detective in the Oscar Pistorius murder case has been replaced. But can the South African police force recover from the mistakes made to date?

By Staff,?CSMonitor.com / February 21, 2013

Detective Hilton Botha sits inside the court witness box during the Oscar Pistorius bail hearing in Pretoria, South Africa. Botha is off the case, and now faces attempted murder charges himself over a 2011 shooting, police said Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013,

AP Photo/Themba Hadebe

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The lead investigator in the Oscar Pistorius murder case has been replaced. Why? Detective Hilton Botha himself now faces charges of attempted murder.

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Hilton Botha, the lead investigator in the Oscar Pistorius case was replaced Thursday. Botha faces attempted murder charges.

Yes, the detective investigating the murder of Reeve Steenkamp had attempted murder charges reinstated on Feb. 4 ? some 10 days before the Pistorius case. Botha and two other police officers face seven counts of attempted murder in a 2011 shooting incident. The drunk policemen allegedly fired at a minibus they were trying to stop.

In an attempt to rebound from this setback, South Africa's National Police Commission Riah Phiyega said Thursday that a team of "highly skilled and experienced' detectives will now take over the investigation. South African Olympic runner Pistorius faces a premeditated murder charge for the killing of his girlfriend Reeva SteenKamp.

But this sudden removal of Botha, in addition to his testimony during three days of bail hearings, is raising questions not only about the quality of the prosecution's case but the effectiveness of South Africa's judicial system.

During Thursday's bail hearing, Pistorius's defense attorney Barry Roux cast doubt on the version of events given by Botha on previous days.? Prosecutors claimed Steenkamp had fled to the bathroom after a fight, fearing an enraged Pistorius. But Pistorius's version of events was that she had gone to the bathroom to relieve herself, and he didn't know it was her behind the door when he fired the gun four times. He thought she was an intruder.

On Thursday, Botha conceded that the angle of the shots was consistent with Pistorius's version of events.

As The Guardian live blog on the case reported:

"Defence lawyer Barry Roux said that Steenkamp?s bladder was empty when she died, indicating she had indeed got up to use the toilet. Usually at 3am you would not find an empty bladder, Roux said. Roux said Steenkamp?s autopsy showed no sign of defensive wounds or an assault. Botha said that was correct. Roux said that Steenkamp might have locked the toilet door to protect herself when she heard Pistorius shouting that there was a burglar. And he said that Botha could not say for sure that the shots were fired from 1.5m away and at the angle he described ? and Botha admitted he couldn?t be sure about that. Roux also criticised Botha?s handling of the crime scene, saying the police had failed to find a bullet cartridge and that Botha had walked in to the house without protective feet covers on, contaminating the scene."

And there were other mistakes that came to light on Wednesday, as The Christian Science Monitor reported, "Police ... left a 9 mm slug from the barrage that killed Reeva Steenkamp inside a toilet and lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house."

"Unfortunately there are too many instances of poor police work," Gerhard Kemp, a professor of criminal law at the University of Stellenbosch, told Reuters. "It's absolutely not CSI. It's a totally different world."

On Thursday, Desmond Nair, the magistrate in charge of the bail hearing, also raised questions about the competence of Botha's work, asking why the police hadn't acquired Steenkamp's phone records yet.

"Do you agree that [if] the deceased received SMSs or Phonecalls at 3 a.m., would it change the position of case?" the judge asked.

Pistorius's attroney, Roux pressed his advantage Thursday. "The poor quality of the evidence offered by investigative officer Botha exposed the disastrous shortcomings of the state's case," Roux said. "We cannot sit back and take comfort that he [Botha] is telling the truth."

Asked about Botha's court performance and handling of the investigation, National Police Commission Phiyega said South Africa's police force "can stand on its own" compared to others around the world, according to The Associated Press.

And Reuters reports:

With huge international media interest in the case against a global celebrity, many South Africans feel that apparent initial slip-ups by the police are hurting the country's image.

"Bring someone from outside to sort out this mess," said businessman Godfrey Baloyi. "The whole justice system needs an overhaul."

The bail hearing in Pretoria is scheduled to continue on Friday.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/P76Hp9gzA4s/Can-South-Africa-s-justice-system-handle-the-Oscar-Pistorius-case-video

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Mountains can influence lake-effect snow

Jim Steenburgh, University of Utah

Erik Steenburgh of Salt Lake City skis deep powder during a lake-effect snowstorm at Alta Ski Area in Utah's Wasatch Range in April 2011. Steenburgh is the son of Jim Steenburgh, a University of Utah atmospheric scientist.

By Andrea Thompson
LiveScience

Those who live around the Great Lakes are very familiar with the snow those bodies of water can bring, a phenomenon called lake-effect snow. But a new study suggests that lakes aren't always the only feature behind the falling flakes.

Nearby mountains can enhance or dampen a lake-effect storm, depending on where they sit in relation to the lake, and they may even be necessary to trigger some lake-effect snowfall, the study finds.

University of Utah researchers explored the role that local topography plays in driving lake-effect snow with computer simulations of a lake-effect storm around Utah's Great Salt Lake, even with the relatively gentle terrain around the lake.

"It is going to help us with weather prediction? helping forecasters recognize that in some lake-effect events, the mountains or hills can play an important role in triggering lake-effect snow bands" over large bodies of water, study author Jim Steenburgh said in a university release.

Mountains' influence
Here's how the lake effect works: A cold air mass moves over a large body of water that is warm in comparison (because more heat has to be released to change the temperature of water than air); the air picks up moisture and heat, then rises. As it does so, the air cools, and the moisture it contains condenses out, forming snow if the air is cold enough.

Jim Steenburgh, University of Utah

This map shows how mountains surrounding Utah's Great Salt Lake interact with the lake to cause some "lake-effect" snowstorms. Air masses from the north-northwest are channeled by mountains north of the lake so they converge above the lake. The air picks up heat and moisture from the lake, so it rises, cools and produces snow as it is funneled into the Salt Lake Valley by surrounding mountains.

It was previously known that lake-effect snow could intensify as it moved up over a mountain, which further cools the air and forces more moisture out over the highlands. But the simulations of lake-effect storms around the Great Salt Lake that Steenburgh and his colleagues ran showed that sometimes the influence of the mountains extended below the high mountain altitudes, triggering snow over lowlands and the lake itself when the mountains were downstream of the body of water. [The World's Weirdest Weather]

In other cases, mountains upstream of the lake dampened the lake-effect snow, because the cold air descending down the side of the mountain warmed and dried before it hit the lake. This resulted in less snow fall than if the mountains weren't present.

The configuration of mountains can also force together cold air masses, making them converge over the lake.

"Most people recognize that mountains get more precipitation than lowlands, because of moist air being lifted over the mountains," Steenburgh said in the release. "Everybody recognizes that it plays a role in lake-effect storms. What we're showing here is a situation where the terrain is complicated. There are multiple mountain barriers, not just one, and they affect the air flow in a way that influences the development of the lake-effect storm over the lake and lowlands, rather than just over the mountains."

Missing from models
This unrecognized ability of the mountains to both dampen and trigger snow could help explain why forecasters have difficulty predicting the occurrence of lake-effect storms and how much snow they will drop?on Utah's cities, Steenburgh said. The models currently used don't adequately include the Wasatch Range or the northern mountains along the Nevada-Idaho-Utah border.

Gaining a better idea of the factors influencing lake-effect snow will help forecasters better predict the traffic snarls the weather can cause, as well as the fresh snow it can provide to ski resorts.

"These influences need to be better represented in weather forecast models," Steenburgh told OurAmazingPlanet in an email.

The new study was published Feb. 18 in the American Meteorological Society's journal, Monthly Weather Review.

Reach Andrea Thompson at athompson@techmedianetwork.com and follow her on Twitter @AndreaTOAP and on Pinterest. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter @OAPlanet. We're also on Facebook and Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/27/17118480-mountains-can-have-big-influence-on-lake-effect-snow?lite

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