Addressing the deadly Washington D.C. train crash Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board said the operator of the train that “slammed into a stationary train in front of it apparently had activated the emergency brakes in a failed effort to stop before the accident.” as reported in the Washington Post. Hersman said the “emergency brake button, known as the ‘mushroom,’ was depressed, and the steel rails showed evidence that the brakes were engaged.”

Grain Bin Deaths – Fines Must be Kept High
This morning, NPR broadcast a story about deaths that occur across the County in grain bins. The details of the working conditions and the description of how workers die in grain bins was extremely unsettling.