Beef Jerky News » Road Trips

Vehicle hits side of Yuba City eatery

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:30:12 +0000

A black pickup hit the side of a Yuba City sandwich shop late Wednesday after it was struck by a white sedan that sped away without stopping, a witness said.

“Somebody ran a red light and the white car hit the back of the truck and (the truck driver) over-corrected right into the building,” said Megan Laughlin of Marysville.

Laughlin, 21, was getting gas when she witnessed the collision at about 9 p.m. at Colusa and Gray Avenue in Yuba City.

“The car kept going and kind of pushed the truck out of it’s way and kept going,” Laughlin said.

The vehicle’s driver reportedly sped away west on Colusa Avenue.

“And I’m sure they still haven’t stopped driving,” Laughlin said.

The truck was stopped by the wall at the Togo’s and Baskin Robbins chain store, but it was not clear if the building was damaged. A building inspector was called out to assess the situation.

No one appeared to be hurt.

Names of the people involved were not available Wednesday night.

Laughlin said she was unable to get a look at the driver of the white car.

Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to call the Yuba City Police Department at 822-4660.

Truck driver’s mom seeks help freeing son from Mexican jail

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:30:15 +0000

El Paso lawyer Carlos Spector says the U.S. truck driver who was arrested in Juárez with a truckload of ammunition had legitimate deliveries to make in El Paso before he ended up in a wrong southbound lane at the Bridge of the Americas.

Jabin Akeem Bogan, 27, of Dallas, faces serious charges in Mexico, because it is illegal to transport weapons and ammunition across the border without authorization.

The truck driver was arrested April 17 with 268,000 rounds of ammunition, most of them 308 Pakistani rounds, which among other things have commercial uses.

Spector said Bogan’s employer, Demco Inc., said Bogan was supposed to transport the cargo from Johnson City, Tenn., to Phoenix, with intermediate deliveries to three El Paso companies on April 17.

Those companies are:

Siemen Energy and Automation, 1400 Henry Brennan.

Nichirin Coupler Inc., 9600 Plaza Circle.

Care Fusion, 1550 Northwestern Drive.

Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives previously said the manifests for the cargo appeared to be in order and did not suggest any wrongdoing on the truck driver’s part.

Bogan is charged with introducing ammunition that is for the exclusive use of the military, which could net a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.

“It was while Mr. Bogan was traveling on the border freeway towards the West side of El Paso, Texas, that he accidentally entered into Juárez, Mexico,” Spector said.

Bogan’s mother, Aletha Smith, and another relative traveled to El Paso to seek help to get her son out of the jail in Veracruz, Mexico. She was at a news conference Wednesday at Spector’s office.

“My son is not a criminal,” said Smith, who broke down in tears. “When you see me, it’s like seeing him. Return my son to me. He only made a mistake.”

Spector said that according to Bogan’s account, an officer wearing a blue uniform at the bridge did not permit Bogan to use the regular turnaround because his truck was blocking traffic. The officer “indicated to (Bogan) to drive further (south) where he could make the turn,” Spector said. but Bogan soon found himself on the Mexican side of the bridge, where officials detained him and seized the cargo.

El Pasoan Kevin Huckabee, whose son had been tortured and imprisoned in Juárez, said Bogan did not have a U.S. passport and therefore had no intention of crossing the border.

A staffer for U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who represents the district where Bogan lives, confirmed that the lawmaker’s staff is looking into the case.

Bogan’s relatives said they went to the bridge Wednesday to see how the truck driver wound up in the wrong lane and took pictures. while they were at the bridge, an officer took away their cellphones and erased the pictures they took.

Roger Maier, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said no one at the agency recalls such an encounter. “We’re not the only ones with blue uniforms at the bridge,” he said.

Spector said an investigation is needed on the U.S. side of the border to determine how Bogan was directed by U.S. officials toward the Mexican side of the border instead of being allowed to turn around before reaching the international boundary.

Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6140.

Call to make drivers pay for breakdowns

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:30:11 +0000

Updated May 14, 2012 10:43:11

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) says drivers who break down on Melbourne’s freeways are getting a free ride.

The association is calling for motorists who become stranded on freeways because of a mechanical problem or because they have run out of petrol to pay a fee.

VTA spokesman Phil Lovel says two trucks break down on City Link every day and one truck runs out of fuel every week.

He says there is nothing to penalise drivers who simply forget to fill up.

“How can you run out of fuel if you do a pre-check of your truck, which every responsible operator should do and every driver should do,” he told ABC local radio.

“[If] they run out of fuel on one of the middle lanes on City Link, they get pushed to the side. It’s a safety issue.”

He says City Link then goes out and gives them petrol and they drive off with no penalty.

“Why don’t we just charge them for the fuel they’ve got and then also an administration charge for the service vehicle who had to go out and see them?”

Luke Donellan, the Opposition spokesman for road safety says cutting back the incident response teams on Victoria’s arterial roads is going to have a major impact on congestion.

“The real issue here is they’ve cut the incident response units in half, by 50 per cent.

They take care of 11,000 incidences per year on arterials and freeways. That is going to have a major impact.”

first posted May 14, 2012 10:23:03

Pickup truck driver crashes into Sylmar motel; 3 injured, arrested

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:30:19 +0000

Three people were injured when a 62-year-old man lost control of his pickup truck and accidentally rammed into a motel in Sylmar on Wednesday. | See photo gallery.

Two of the injured people decided to walk out of the hospital because they were wanted on outstanding felony warrants, according to Sgt. Larry Jones, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division. Officers eventually arrested them.

The incident began around 9:20 a.m., when the driver of a Toyota Tundra experienced a “medical issue.”

“He was apparently stopped at the curb, lost control, and his truck jumped the curb and went right into the motel,” Jones said. “It went all the way in – we’re so lucky nobody got killed.”

Two men and a woman inside the Roxford Motel sustained injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken leg, and were taken to a hospital.

Jones said both men later walked out of the hospital without being released, but police arrested them. He said the woman was also detained in connection with traffic violations.

christina.villacorte@dailynews.com

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Sable driver nabbed for stealing FRA maize

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:30:11 +0000

Semi Drivers Road Rage?

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:30:08 +0000

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A report from the Iowa State Patrol suggests the drivers of two semis might have been involved in some road rage Tuesday. the drivers exchanged words on a CB radio shortly before they crashed.

The report says 54-year-old Daniel Smoot of Atlanta, Missouri passed 61-year-old Stephen Greever of Red Oak, Iowa on Interstate 29. Smooth merged in front of Greever and hit the brakes.

The report says there was no vehicle in front of Smooth that would have caused him to slow down. Greever rear ended Smoot’s semi causing enough damage to disable his semi.

Both drivers refused medical transport.

Smoot was cited for failing to signal and rapid deceleration.

The incident was reported at 4:22pm in the southbound lanes of Interstate 29, milemarker 35, in Mills County, Iowa.

Smoot was operating his semi for Dickey Transport.

Greever was operating his semi for Sully Transport.

House bill increases hunter access to public lands

admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:30:09 +0000

The measure requires federal land managers to support hunting and fishing on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land. The BLM can only close public lands to recreational shooting for specific reasons such as national security and fire safety. it must also submit a report to Congress detailing the location and evidence justifying any closure.

The lead issue refers to efforts by environmentalists to ban the use of lead in ammunition and fishing tackle. They say lead poisoning kills 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals every year and that hunters who eat what they hunt have also been shown to have higher levels of lead in their bloodstreams.

The Environmental Protection Agency, in 2010 and again this year, rejected petitions from conservation and some hunting groups to ban lead bullets, shotgun pellets and fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act, saying the issue was not within the agency’s jurisdiction.

The House bill would give legal backing to that position, by clearly limiting the EPA’s authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act. it amends that act to allow for the sales of traditional ammunition and fishing tackle.

Congress in 1976 banned the EPA from regulating ammunition, but anti-lead groups have argued that that ban does not prohibit the agency from regulating the components of ammunition.

Bill Snape, senior counsel for the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the petitioners, said there are many commercially available alternatives to lead ammunition. “No one wants to take away hunting by those who hunt by the rules,’’ he said. “What we are trying to do is stop hunting with ammunition that harms everything in sight.’’

The American Bird Conservancy, which did not participate in the most recent petition, said 3,000 tons of lead are shot into the environment by hunting every year, 4,000 tons are lost in ponds and streams and 80,000 tons released at shooting ranges. At least 75 wild bird species are poisoned by spent lead ammunition, including bald eagles and endangered California condors, it said.

Trucks as Art: Pakistan’s Colorful Tradition, With a Midwestern Twist

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:30:11 +0000

An American artist wants to bring Pakistan’s most cacophonous art form to the U.S.

Cargo trucks painted in bright colors, with an extremely intricate level of detail, are a common sight on the the highways of Pakistan. The paintings — often coupled with lines of poetry, religious calligraphy or common phrases — represent the truck driver’s identity and regional background. The images on the trucks embody a wide range of themes, including landscapes, celebrities, beautiful women, mythical creatures, religious imagery and national heroes.

While these fully functional trucks are used only for transporting goods in South Asia, Asheer Akram, a young American artist from Kansas City, Missouri has embarked on the project of building a Pakistani cargo truck with a Midwestern twist in the hope of mixing venerable South Asian traditions with modern American culture.

“Why can’t I bring this art form to the States to help educate people and promote cultural awareness and understanding,” asks Akram. “I can — but not without proper funding help from everyday people who would like to see this idea manifest itself in reality,” he explains. Currently, Akram and his team are attempting to raise funds for the Pakistani Cargo Truck Initiative through Kickstarter, where the project has managed to raise a little less than half of their $30,000 goal with 19 more days to go. Here’s our interview with Akram.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Pakistani Cargo Truck Initiative, and your collaborators in this project?

The basis of our project is the visual aesthetic of the cargo trucks of Pakistan and the ideas that surround their use. we are building a cargo truck in the traditional Pakistani style with a Midwestern twist and a new function.

After coming up with the idea we started applying for grants, both locally and nationally. we had little luck. So when we caught wind of Kickstarter, we were more than thrilled, since Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects that will allow us to gain the support we need as well as present it to a wide audience. we are hoping our project will be rolling through towns and cities across the U.S. thanks to the support of the public rather than donations and grants from large art organizations with their own agendas.

Our collaborators are mainly artists and artisans from the Kansas City, MO area and other Midwestern cities. after I had announced publicly that I was undertaking the project, people just started getting on board. Most of them I know personally and professionally. they are all extremely focused, talented individuals.

Brock Deboer and Linda Lighton are local ceramicists, each of whom is involved with many of the ceramic details we have planned for the truck. Lighton has already produced several pieces for the interior knobs and panels in the truck, and DeBoer will make ceramic aspects of the back body of the shell of the truck, including panel work.

Bill Heineken will be making the truck bling, with custom spinners for the wheels.

Jorge Calvo is heavily involved in the production of planking and exterior woodwork for the truck, of which there’s quite a bit since the truck’s grill, doors and bed are all wood-intensive.

A few years ago, Jesse McAfee together with will Burnip developed The Print Factory, a mobile woodblock printing studio which travels the country giving handmade prints away and selling custom versions of their printing press. McAfee will build a compact printing press that will ride around as the cargo in our truck. Burnip will also be working on the hand-carved detail work we’ve envisioned for our truck’s door.

Kathy Bernard will create stained-glass-like elements for the top of the cab and cargo bed. The glass will elegantly illuminate the interior of the vehicle, providing a gorgeous multicolored display of natural light.

Two members of your team, native Pakistani artists Haider Ali and Rahim Akbar, have both exhibited their work internationally. how were you able to enlist their help with the PCTI?

I read about Haider Ali‘s internationally acclaimed truck-painting skills as soon as I started working on this project. I had never thought or meant to contact him; however, I saw a man named “Truck Artist” on Facebook, friended him and everything fell into place. Haider was very interested in our idea, and if we are able to raise enough funding on Kickstarter, we intend to bring him to the U.S. to collaborate with our artists on certain aspects of the truck.

Haider is one of Pakistan’s finest truck artists and has exhibited his work in multiple international festivals and exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe. he also painted a truck in Luton, United Kingdom for a special Truck Art exhibition at the Stockwood Discovery Center in 2011. The truck, now a part of the Center’s transport collection, is the only one of its kind in the U.K., possibly Europe.

Rahim Akbar happened upon our project via his Kickstarter support. Rahim offered up his masterful woodworking skills and became a part of the team instantly. he has been instrumental in gaining support, via press and funding, and is an integral part of our team.

An engineer and naval architect by profession, Rahim is a third-generation traditional woodworking artist. he is interested in reintroducing centuries-old art forms from the Middle East and South Asia using modern tools and technology. he hails from the Mughal family with a rich history in architectural design, woodworking, iron smithing and masonry. Naqashkari (decorative masonry scroll work) by his grandfather adorns mosques from Punjab to Sind in Pakistan. following his grandfather’s footsteps, Rahim has made intricate carved wooden mehrabs (interior niches) for mosques in the U.S. he was recently commissioned to do the largest carved solid wood mehrab in the U.S. at the Institute of Knowledge in Los Angeles, which also houses his carved dome calligraphy in 23-karat gold leaf.

Last year you explained to the Kansas City Star that the inspiration for this project came during your 2010 visit to Pakistan. was there a particular moment when the idea came to you?

My last trip to Pakistan inspired me to begin dreaming about this project. these vehicles stick out on the open road against a backdrop of neutral landscape and cityscape. being a fine artist and craftsman, I was astonished to have never heard of the existence of these trucks. to be honest, I was a little upset that I had to travel all the way to Pakistan to find them.

That’s when the ideas started rolling in. why can’t I bring this art form to the States to help educate people and promote cultural awareness and understanding? I can — but not without proper funding help from everyday people who would like to see this idea manifest itself in reality. I knew this project needed to be a collaborative effort, and the support we have found from local and international artist and artisans has been overwhelming.

What is the significance of decorated trucks in Pakistan? and what kind of themes and imagery do they generally portray?

The visual component of these vehicles creates a hierarchical system of value and class; the more ornate and beautiful the truck is, the more valuable the goods it will be carrying. The tradition comes from the era of crafts and craftsmen from the Mughal empire. these vehicles take hordes of Pakistani craftsmen and many months to complete. Extreme attention is paid to the intricate details in every aspect of these trucks, from the paint job to the finely hand-carved wooden doors.

This elaborate style stems from the old style of palace decor employed during the Mughal era. The themes usually employed in the decoration of these trucks vary from the drivers’ favorite actors or sports stars all the way to aspects of traditional local culture in the Pakistani provinces that they hail from. more than anything the drivers of these trucks use the decorations to define who they are and what they are proud of. Our truck is intended to do the same.

What’s the purpose behind creating this visually elaborate truck in the U.S.?

For this project we have selected a 1952 Chevrolet grain truck as a shell. this style of truck is distinctly American and has been a longstanding staple in the farming industry of the Midwest. we will be tasking Midwestern fine artists and artisans with taking the basic format of the traditional Pakistani cargo truck and breeding it with an American aesthetic to create a completely original, functional and culturally mixed final product. The truck will be displayed as a piece of fine art and used as a tool for social and cultural enrichment. we intend for this truck to travel from one coast to the other, bringing a visual aesthetic not seen by the majority of the population, to teach sculpture workshops and raise awareness of the importance of cultural enrichment and understanding.

[Photo credit: Rich Sugg]

this article originally appeared at Asia Society, an Atlantic partner site.

Truck driver issued a citation in I-26 wreck

admin — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:30:13 +0000

Published: Monday, April 9, 2012 at 5:02 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, April 9, 2012 at 5:02 p.m.

The driver of a tanker carrying sulfuric acid that wrecked on the Peter Guice Bridge on I-26 last week has been charged with exceeding a safe speed, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.

Allan Thomas VanDamme, 43, of Ontario, Canada, was issued the citation Thursday, said Trooper Gene Williamson.

Williamson said he did not expect any further charges against the driver. the specifics of what caused the accident are still under investigation, according to Williamson.

VanDamme is scheduled to appear in court on June 20 in Henderson County.

After the crash at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, all lanes of the interstate in Henderson County near mile marker 54 — eastbound and westbound — were closed for more than 17 hours. Westbound lanes reopened to traffic around 3:20 p.m. Wednesday.

N.C. Department of Transportation officials began inspecting the bridge Wednesday afternoon to assess its structural integrity. all lanes of I-26 were reopened this weekend after the repairs to the bridge were completed.

World BulletinThird Turkish truck driver killed in Syria violence in past ten days

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:30:09 +0000

A Turkish truck driver who died of fatal wounds on Sunday in Turkey has become the third Turkish truck driver killed in Syria violence in the past ten days.

Suphi Ezer, 45, who was heavily injured in Syria died on Sunday in a hospital in Gaziantep, a city on the Syrian border.

He was wounded in a gunfire on March 16 in Syria and was brought to Gaziantep Avukat Cengiz Gökçek State Hospital for treatment. he was then transferred to Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research Hospital and remained in the intensive care since. he had three bullet wounds and his left arm was broken.

Ezer’s body was sent to his hometown Hatay’s Reyhanlı district.

Ezer is the third Turkish truck driver killed in Syria violence in the past ten days. Another Turkish driver, Mustafa Üçtaş, shot to death in Idlib last week. he was father of three.

On March 15, Hasan Koçak, another Turkish truck driver, died in an armed conflict as he was passing through Syria.

Two Turkish journalists have also been missing in Syria for days. some reports said they were held by the Syrian intelligence but Turkish officials denied the claim.