DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

NEW YORK (AP) — A man was trapped inside a steel-reinforced concrete jewelry vault in New York City overnight after firefighters had to abandon an attempt to rescue him for safety reasons. Fortunately, the vault was on a timer and opened on its own Wednesday morning, officials said. Sarrocco did not explain how the man became trapped. Fire and police department personnel were in communication with the man inside the vault and could watch him on a security camera. “The process was started to breach the wall at the vault,” he said in a news conference at the scene.

Persons: John Sarrocco, Sarrocco, ” Locations: New York City, midtown Manhattan

☆ Florida is experiencing the 'biggest migration' in a generation. Here are 10 states locals are moving to.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Floridians moving to Georgia, Texas and North Carolina have the same impetus for leaving, Meyer Lucas said. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe typical cost of a home in Florida was $384,300 at the end of 2022. The typical cost of a home in Georgia was $340,000 and the typical cost of a home in North Carolina was $345,100, according to Redfin. For those relocating to Texas, Meyer Lucas observed that people aren't going to places like Dallas, Houston, or Austin.

Persons: —, Holly Meyer Lucas, Floridians, Meyer Lucas Organizations: Service, Sunshine State, Florida, Yorkers Locations: —, — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, New York, California, Florida, Florida , Arizona, South Georgia, Georgia , Texas, Dallas, Houston, Austin

☆ Wall Street and money moved into South Florida, driving up prices. Now some residents want to move out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

They're looking to nearby smaller cities in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. They're picking places like Knoxville, Tennessee; Greenville, South Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; and Asheville, North Carolina; which she collectively refers to as "the Villes." AdvertisementAdvertisementWhy CEOs moved their lives — and their businesses — to FloridaWall Street moved to South Florida in droves in 2020 and 2021. Billionaire hedge-fund CEOs — like Citadel's Ken Griffin — paid record-shattering amounts for South Florida homes , added offices, and moved their businesses there entirely from New York, Chicago, and Silicon Valley. They bought a 2,400-square-foot, four-bedroom home on an acre of land for the same price in Greenville, South Carolina.

Persons: —, There's, Nicole Panesso, Holly Meyer Lucas, Meyer Lucas, Ken Griffin —, Brian Guzman, Guzman, Jonathan Miller, Ken Griffin, PATRICK T, FALLON, It's, Larry Ellison, Miller, Michael Bordenaro, Greg May, Marcia Straub, Keller Williams, Jill Cody, she's, Ryan Wilson, Jami, Alexander Spatari, Jami Wilson Organizations: Service, Sunshine State, Census Bureau, Orlando, Coral, Fort Myers, Florida Wall, Billionaire, Guzman Advisory Partners, Getty, West Palm Beach, Florida Atlantic University, Silicon, Oracle, South, South Florida metros, Fortune, Miami, Homes, Army Locations: Florida, Greenville, Knoxville, South Florida, Chattanooga , Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina , Georgia, Tennessee, Knoxville , Tennessee, Greenville , South Carolina, Huntsville , Alabama, Asheville , North Carolina, Realtor.com, Asheville, Miami, Gulf Coast, New York, Chicago, Silicon, West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Texas, North Carolina, Greensboro, Fort

PARIS (AP) — Police arrested a man climbing Thursday on the Eiffel Tower, leading to visitors being temporarily stranded at the summit — including a reporter for The Associated Press and a Washington, D.C., couple who decided during the wait to get married. But when the lifts were temporarily shut down because of the climber, stranding the couple and others at the top, Khan decided to spring his surprise. “I figured we might be here longer than I imagined," Khan told the AP reporter. "So I didn’t want to miss dinner and she always wanted to be proposed to on or under the Eiffel Tower. Besides, when trapped at the top of a 1,083-foot (330-meter) tower, how can anyone say “No?”Had that happened, “somebody else would be climbing the Eiffel Tower today possibly,” she joked.

Persons: Amir Khan, Kat Warren, Khan, Pat Eaton, Robb, ’, ” Warren, ”, Alice Beunardeau, Beunardeau, she’d, Billie Eilish, “, ’ ”, “ I’m, AP's Eaton, Kathleen, ___ John Leicester, Le Organizations: PARIS, — Police, Eiffel, Associated Press, D.C Locations: Washington, Paris, Connecticut, Versailles, Le Pecq, France

☆ Suspect in killing of French teacher put under formal investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

French police and firefighters stand in front of the Gambetta-Carnot school, where French teacher Dominique Bernard was killed in a knife attack on Friday, after the school was evacuated following a bomb alert in Arras, northern France, October 16, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - A 20-year-old man suspected of stabbing a teacher to death and wounded three people at a French school has been placed under formal investigation for murder in connection with a terrorist organisation, the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said. The main suspect in the Friday attack, known as Mohammed M, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said before the man was placed under investigation on Tuesday evening. Mohammed M's 16-year old brother was put under formal investigation for complicity in murder in relation with a terrorist organisation and their cousin was put investigation for voluntarily abstaining from preventing a crime, the office said in a statement on Wednesday. Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gambetta, Carnot, Dominique Bernard, Pascal, Mohammed M, Jean, Francois Ricard, Mohammed M's, Gerald Darmanin, Dominique Vidalon, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Arras, France, Israel

☆ Floridians are looking to move to these 7 states
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Many Floridians have been priced out and are eyeing a move to nearby states. Florida homeowners were happy to make the million-dollar profits selling to wealthy families from New York and California, Meyer Lucas said. But people now are taking these profits "out-of-state along with the people who are teachers, cops, and firefighters," Meyer Lucas said. Realtor.com data shows that Floridians are looking at homes in Georgia the most, as well as other surrounding Southern states. Below are the top seven states Floridians searched for homes between July and October, according to Realtor.com.

Persons: —, they're, Holly Meyer Lucas, Meyer Lucas, Floridians Organizations: Service Locations: Florida, —, New York, California, Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia, Southern, Texas

☆ French school where teacher was stabbed evacuated over bomb alert
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Pascal Rossignol | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] French police and firefighters stand in front of the Gambetta-Carnot school, where French teacher Dominique Bernard was killed in a knife attack on Friday, after the school was evacuated following a bomb alert in Arras, northern France, October 16, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol Acquire Licensing RightsARRAS, France, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A high school in Arras, northern France, where a French teacher was fatally stabbed on Friday, was evacuated on Monday morning following a bomb alert, according to a Reuters photographer who was at the location. After the bomb alert on Monday, teachers, some of them in tears and holding each other, left the building, as did pupils who had come to lay flowers in tribute to Bernard. As a police bomb squad arrived, teachers and students gathered in the courtyard of a building opposite their school as civil protection personnel comforted them. Reporting by Pascal Rossignol; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Toby Chopra, Sudip Kar-Gupta and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gambetta, Carnot, Dominique Bernard, Pascal Rossignol, Gerald Darmanin, Lycee Gambetta, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Bernard, Ingrid Melander, Toby Chopra, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Lycee, Thomson Locations: Arras, France, ARRAS, Israel

☆ A temporary pay bump for federal firefighters is slated to end in November, raising fears that up to 50% of the workforce could quit as the country faces more extreme wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Federal wildland firefighters could see sizable pay cuts if Congress doesn't step in soon. Per the US Department of Agriculture, the entry-level salary for a federal wildland firefighter is roughly $34,000, absent the temporary pay increase. But the legislative fix was only temporary, and Biden pushed for the permanent pay when he submitted his administration's 2024 budget earlier this year. AdvertisementAdvertisementDemocratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado has been one of the most prominent supports of the increased firefighter pay on Capitol Hill. AdvertisementAdvertisementNeguse has introduced legislation that would permanently boost federal firefighter pay, but it has so far not advanced in the House.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Joe Neguse, Kevin McCarthy of, I'm Organizations: Service, The Times, US Department of Agriculture, Capitol, National Federation of Federal Employees, Times Locations: Colorado, Kevin McCarthy of California, Interior West

☆ Teams Tackling Madeira Wildfires Reinforced as Missing Tourists Found
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Civil Protection authority on Friday morning located the missing tourists. They had fled to a cave in a mountainous part of Porto Moniz and an operation to rescue them from the area was under way, it said on social media. "It was a complicated night, a difficult night," Civil Protection secretary of state Patricia Gaspar told public broadcaster RTP at Lisbon's military airport. A few houses have been destroyed in Calheta and Porto Moniz, but no serious injuries reported so far, authorities said. Porto Moniz mayor Emanuel Camara told RTP it was a "night to forget" and that "many people" were evacuated as a precaution.

Persons: Catarina Demony, Porto, Porto Moniz, Patricia Gaspar, Carlos Teles, Emanuel Camara, Gaspar, Inti Landauro, John Stonestreet Organizations: Friday, Porto Moniz, RTP, Camara de Lobos Locations: Catarina Demony LISBON, Portugal, Madeira, Calheta, Porto, Camara, Funchal

Hawaiian Electric, the state’s primary electric utility company, has acknowledged its power lines started a wildfire on Maui that morning. One caller said cars were being routed into a gated parking lot and were forced to turn around. A third caller told dispatchers they needed to open a road on the south side of town, warning that the blocked exit would result in people dying. One dispatcher told a caller stuck in traffic that emergency workers were busy “because Lahaina has a couple of house fires going on right now.”“If you’re safe, you need to stay there,” she said. Associated Press writers Lisa Baumann in Seattle; Chris Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed.

Persons: ”, “, “ It’s, Alana Pico, Hale, cinders, we’ve, ‘, We’re, Mahina Martin, ” Martin, ” ____ Lauer, Johnson, Lisa Baumann, Chris Keller, Claire Rush Organizations: Associated Press, Electric, Hawaiian Electric, Flames, Maui Police Department, AP, Lahaina Civic Locations: LAHAINA, Hawaii, Maui, Lahaina, Philadelphia, Seattle, Boone, Boise , Idaho, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Portland , Oregon

BUENA PARK, Calif. (AP) — An ammonia leak at a Southern California business sent 11 people to the hospital Friday morning, authorities said. The leak was reported shortly before 9:15 a.m. in a commercial building in Buena Park, the Orange County Fire Authority said. The building was evacuated and 12 people were decontaminated, with 11 being sent to hospitals where they were in stable condition, the fire authority said. A hazardous materials team determined that the chemical released was ammonia, firefighters said. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThere was no immediate word on what caused the leak.

Organizations: Orange County Fire Authority, U.S . Centers for Disease Control Locations: BUENA, Calif, Southern California, Buena Park, Orange County

☆ Luton Airport fire: All flights suspended at London hub following ‘significant’ blaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —All flights have been suspended in London’s Luton Airport following the breakout of a “significant” fire in the airport’s Terminal 2 parking lot, the airport said in a statement on Wednesday. The airport said it would be closed until at least 3 p.m. local time, with passengers advised not to travel to the airport. “Crews have controlled and extinguished the fire at Luton Airport,” it said in a statement posted on X/Twitter. Efforts are still ongoing to extinguish a serious fire at Luton Airport. For anyone whose travel plans may be affected, please refer to the advice being provided by London Luton Airport.

Persons: “ Crews, Andy Hopkinson, Marcin Nowak, Shutterstock Hopkinson, Hopkinson, Tamara Hardingham, Gill Organizations: London CNN, . Bedfordshire, Rescue Service, Luton Airport, Luton DART, London Luton Airport, Airport, Wizz Air, Ryanair Locations: London’s Luton, ”, Bedfordshire, London

☆ Paraguay's biggest prison set ablaze, rioting inmates take guards hostage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Police stand outside the Tacumbu penitentiary during a riot after inmates took hostage a dozen officials and caused a fire, in Asuncion, Paraguay October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Cesar Olmedo Acquire Licensing RightsASUNCION, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Inmates at Paraguay's largest prison rioted on Tuesday, taking 11 guards hostage and setting fire to facilities in the crowded Tacumbu penitentiary on the outskirts of the capital. Two hostages were later released as government and military forces responded to the revolt, according to Interior Minister Enrique Riera. Tacumbu houses nearly 4,000 inmates in a ramshackle, tin-roof building and, according to local security experts, gangs exert near-total influence over life inside. Interior Minister Riera said Paraguay would push for prison reform once the riot was quelled.

Persons: Cesar Olmedo, Enrique Riera, Riera, Daniela Desantis, Kylie Madry, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Police, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Asuncion, Paraguay, Rights ASUNCION

NEW YORK (AP) — From auto production lines to Hollywood, the power of labor unions is back in the national spotlight. The tightest U.S. labor market in decades is adding to leverage workers feel they have to challenge their employers. UNION RATES HAVE BEEN FALLING FOR DECADES. That came around the same era that states also began to pass labor laws for their own public workers. Generally, states in the Northeast, upper Midwest and West Coast adopted more expansive collective bargaining laws — reaching all different categories of public employees, Vachon explains.

Persons: ” Alexander Colvin, Johnnie Kallas, ”, Eunice Han, Todd Vachon, Taft, Hartley, Vachon, Ronald Reagan, “, John F, Kennedy, ” Vachon, Han, Colvin, ” Colvin Organizations: Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Associated Press, Cornell University’s Labor, P Global Market Intelligence, Labor, University of Utah, U.S . Federal Reserve, Rutgers School of Management, Labor Relations, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Labor Relations, West Coast, Starbucks, Gallup Locations: Hollywood, Union, U.S, United States, Midwest, West

☆ Can U.S. drone makers compete with cheap, high-quality Chinese drones?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Brad Howard | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. domestic drone industry has found itself at a disadvantage when it comes to producing these useful remote-controlled flying machines in America. Chinese drone maker DJI remains the king of the industry, controlling more than 70% of the global drone market. DJI drones are currently used by state university researchers, police departments, firefighters and other groups across the U.S. that could be affected by potential bans on Chinese-produced drones. "It is going to be key that the U.S.-produced drones, or drones produced by trusted allies, become more affordable." Watch the video above to find out if the U.S. drone industry can compete with Chinese drone producers.

Persons: Adam Bry, Adam Welsh, Mark Montgomery Organizations: CNBC, Israel, Center, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Locations: America, China, U.S, DJI, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Top US general: No indications other Israeli adversaries to join war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli firefighters work to put out vehicles on fire after a rocket, launched from the Gaza Strip, landed in Ashkelon, southern Israel, October 11. "I'm not seeing any indications of additional players that are going to get involved to the detriment of Israel," Brown, a four-star Air Force general, said at a Brussels press conference. Hamas gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns over the weekend, killing 1,200 people and taking scores of hostages to Gaza. At least 14 Americans were killed during the Hamas attack on Saturday, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday. The United States also bolstered U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region, and moved to replenish Israeli air defenses and munitions stockpiles as Israel moves against Hamas.

Persons: Amir Cohen, General C.Q, Brown, Joe Biden, Gerald R, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Israel, Hamas, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force, U.S ., Ford Carrier Strike, United, . Air Force, NATO, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Ashkelon, Israel, Rights BRUSSELS, Palestinian, Brussels, United States

The city of Sderot, a mile from Gaza, was hit on Saturday by a brutal terrorist attack by Palestinian gunmen. An analysis of available footage shows an estimated 20 civilians were killed across multiple locations, though the toll could climb. Officials said that about a dozen soldiers, firefighters and police had also been killed. The footage shows the indiscriminate ways gunmen killed civilians and how Israeli police and military responded. Two more were killed in a van and a car around the corner and 100 yards from there.

Persons: Menachem Begin Organizations: The Times, Motorists, Workers Locations: Sderot, Gaza

☆ Paraguay's Biggest Prison Set Ablaze, Rioting Inmates Take Guards Hostage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ASUNCION (Reuters) - Inmates at Paraguay's largest prison rioted on Tuesday, taking 11 guards hostage and setting fire to facilities in the crowded Tacumbu penitentiary on the outskirts of the capital. Two hostages were later released as government and military forces responded to the revolt, according to Interior Minister Enrique Riera. Tacumbu houses nearly 4,000 inmates in a ramshackle, tin-roof building and, according to local security experts, gangs exert near-total influence over life inside. Police braced behind riot shields while the entrance to the prison was in flames, though authorities said later that firefighters had brought the blaze under control. Interior Minister Riera said Paraguay would push for prison reform once the riot was quelled.

Persons: Enrique Riera, Riera, Daniela Desantis, Kylie Madry, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Police Locations: ASUNCION, Paraguay

☆ London Luton Airport suspends flights after car park inferno
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Britain's London Luton Airport suspended all flights until 1400 GMT on Wednesday after a car fire triggered a wider blaze that led to a partial collapse of one of its multi-storey car parks. There were no known fatalities in the fire, which was first reported to emergency services late on Tuesday evening. "Our priority remains supporting the emergency services and the safety of our passengers and staff. [1/5]Flames are seen as emergency services respond to a fire in Terminal Car Park 2 at London Luton airport in Luton, Britain, October 10, 2023. Britain's easyJet (EZJ.L), whose flights operate from Luton airport, said "airlines are currently experiencing some disruption to their flying programmes."

Persons: Peter Cziborra, Britain's, Baranjot Kaur, William James, Mrinmay Dey, Chris Reese, Sonali Paul, Kate Holton, Paul Sandle Organizations: Luton Airport, London, REUTERS, Civil Aviation Authority, Ryanair, Wizz, Thomson Locations: London Luton, Luton, Britain, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Bengaluru, London

☆ Can the U.S. compete with Chinese drones?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Brad Howard | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCan the U.S. compete with Chinese drones? Chinese made drones have dominated the market for quadcopters for over a decade. They're used by university researchers, firefighters, and police around the world. But growing geopolitical concerns, and the use of drones as weapons of war in Ukraine, and by Hamas during attacks on Israel, have made some critics concerned about U.S. dependence on these small but capable Chinese made machines.

Persons: They're Locations: U.S, Ukraine, Israel

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco police said they shot and killed a driver on Monday who crashed into the Chinese consulate lobby, prompting a massive response from officers and firefighters. A Honda sedan was seen crashed into the visa office and the area in front of the building was cordoned off. Winters said they didn't know why the vehicle crashed into the building or how many people were inside at the time but said they didn’t have reports of other injuries. Political Cartoons View All 1205 ImagesPolice are working and coordinating with investigators from the U.S. Department of State and the Chinese consulate. The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China is on a major street across from the city’s Japantown neighborhood.

Persons: —, Kathryn Winters, Winters, “, ” Winters Organizations: FRANCISCO, U.S . Department of State Locations: — San Francisco, People’s Republic of China

You could say Joe Cristalli tweeted his role as co-executive producer and co-showrunner on the new “Frasier” sitcom into existence. Political Cartoons View All 1205 ImagesThis “Frasier” stars Grammer in the title role of the high-brow psychiatrist, as he moves back to Boston. They also reference the original series sparingly and smartly — which is an act of restraint that Cristalli said Harris helped him to understand. That’s not Frasier.’ The next day he’s got, you know, longer pants and the next day it's a blazer. Bruce Miller composed the original ”Frasier" theme.

Persons: Joe Cristalli, Frasier, “ Frasier ”, Cristalli, Kelsey Grammer, “ Frasier, Frasier ”, Grammer, “, Chris Harris, Freddy, John Mahoney, Harris, Frasier Crane, ”, Chris, We’re, Jack Russell, James Burrows, “ Will, Grace ”, ” Burrows, Jack Cuttmore, Scott, Anders Keith, David, Frasier's, Niles, Daphne, Kelsey, he’s, he’ll, ’, Bruce, Jason Miller, Bruce Miller, hipper, Martin, —, It's, Glenda Rovello, ‘, Burrows Organizations: Paramount, Harvard Locations: Boston, Cambridge, Mahoney's

☆ Where This Summer Was Relentlessly Hot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Zach Levitt | Elena Shao | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Where This Summer Was Relentlessly Hot The planet just experienced its hottest months on record, and by a large margin, scientists said. Some areas, including northern Canada and some of Greenland, show temperatures more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) above average. Phoenix, which is known for its extreme heat, shows temperatures more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) above average. The global map spins to South America, where average daily temperatures were higher than normal for much of the continent. Areas of Sudan and Ethiopia show temperatures greater than 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) higher than normal.

Organizations: Phoenix, El, Democratic Locations: North America, Canada, Mexico, Greenland, United States, El Paso, Texas, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, La, Chilean, America, Paraguay, Europe, Croatia, Switzerland, Marseille, France, Spain, Romania, Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, East, Ethiopia, China, Turpan, Mongolia

☆ 'Stoneman Willie' Beloved Pennsylvania Mummy Gets Burial, Real Name
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Julio-Cesar Chavez and Rich McKayREADING, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - A leather-skinned mummified man - a longtime curiosity lying in an open coffin in Reading, Pennsylvania and known only as "Stoneman Willie", got two things Saturday he went without for 128 years - a burial and his real name. A group of funeral home employees and well-wishers, said in unison, "Rest in peace, James," as they unveiled his tombstone, with his real name in small letters below large type reading, "Stoneman Willie." Because Murphy gave a fake name when arrested, local officials were unable to locate relatives, said local historian George Meiser. "Weeks passed, months passed, years passed and no one claimed the remains," Meiser said at the service. (Reporting by Julio-Cesar Chavez in Reading, Pennsylvania, writing and additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; editing by Diane Craft)

Persons: Julio, Cesar Chavez, Rich McKay, Stoneman Willie, James Murphy, James, Murphy, Kyle Blankenbiller, Theo C, George Meiser, Weeks, Meiser, Stoneman, Pastor Robert Whitmire, Diane Craft Organizations: Reading, Auman Inc Locations: Pennsylvania, Reading , Pennsylvania, New York, Reading, Atlanta

A group of funeral home employees and well-wishers, said in unison, "Rest in peace, James," as they unveiled his tombstone, with his real name in small letters below large type reading, "Stoneman Willie." Because Murphy gave a fake name when arrested, local officials were unable to locate relatives, said local historian George Meiser. "Weeks passed, months passed, years passed and no one claimed the remains," Meiser said at the service. Pastor Robert Whitmire told the gatherers that to those who may have known him, "Stoneman Willie...at one time may have been a beloved friend and family member." Reporting by Julio-Cesar Chavez in Reading, Pennsylvania, writing and additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: James Murphy, Stoneman Willie, James, Murphy, Kyle Blankenbiller, Theo C, George Meiser, Weeks, Meiser, Stoneman, Pastor Robert Whitmire, Julio, Cesar Chavez, Rich McKay, Diane Craft Organizations: Reading, Auman Inc, Thomson Locations: Reading , Pennsylvania, U.S, Pennsylvania, New York, Reading, Atlanta

Search resuls for: "Firefighters"

25 mentions found