The flightseeing plane that crashed in Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness on Aug. 5 struck a tree first. That's new information released in the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report. The report also found that other pilots reported low cloud cover in the area the same day the plane crashed, killing all six people onboard it. "It's basically who, what, when, where," NTSB Alaska Chief Clint Johnson said when he discussed the report. "It gives a better picture of the weather conditions at Ketchikan at the departure time. And the timeline as far as the tour goes." Southeast Aviation operated the flight that carried five passengers and a pilot. It went down on its way back to Ketchikan. "The weather in Ketchikan was flyable at that point," Johnson said. "But unfortunately, at the accident site, vastly different. Low ceilings, and considerably different from what was being reported in Ketchikan."  

Tulsa firefighters are battling a house fire that broke out Wednesday evening near 81st and Mingo. The Tulsa home has severe damage after the fire. A viewer sent video of the home completely engulfed in flames a little after 7 p.m. Witnesses said the fire spread quickly. Osage Drone 6 captured footage of the smoke flowing from the house and the roof that had collapsed on the home. Firefighters have not released any details about what caused the fire or if anyone was inside.  

When he joined the Worcester Fire Department 2½ years ago, Heath Tisdale knew that he'd be at higher risk than the general public of getting cancer. His chances of dying from the disease would also be greater. Did it give him pause about his career? "Not one bit," he said. "Not at all." Tisdale, Firefighter Casey Gates and Capt. Paul McCaffrey all came from the McKeon Road fire station to Polar Park Tuesday for a free skin cancer screening offered by DetecTogether and UMass Memorial Medical Center. All three left with no need for further screening, but about 20% of the firefighters who were screened were going to need a second look at suspect skin spots. Some will undergo biopsies next week, a minor procedure for additional testing.  

PHOTO: First responders on the Northshore hope to use newly developed technology to monitor flooding in real-time. The St. Tammany Parish Fire District No. 4 partnered with the city of Mandeville to place a solar-powered sensor at the intersection of Carondelet and Lakeshore Drive. That sensor records the depth of water in the area. Assistant Fire Chief Clint Ory told WDSU that the technology could help local leaders respond more proactively during storms. "The idea is that, from a response standpoint, even before we start to get the calls that it's flooding, we would be able to either alert the people who live in that area, or we would be able to start sending resources that way to help get them out before water enters a structure," Ory said. He said the first sensor was placed in a flood-prone area to test the system's effectiveness.  

At first glance, Napa artist Sam Tubiolo seems a quiet, unassuming man with a shy smile. Hidden beneath that façade, however, is a powerhouse of monumental artistic creativity and technical expertise. "I wanted to be an architect when I was in school, but all the math was daunting," he said with a soft laugh. "I turned to art, although I didn't know how to do it." He graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology having learned drawing and printmaking before receiving his MFA from the University of New Mexico and his secondary teaching credential from San Francisco State University. He worked as a cartographer and illustrator draftsman for archologists in Colorado prior to becoming a sculptor, public artist and a university and community college instructor in New Mexico and California.  

Video released by a team of federal investigators shows more evidence of extensive corrosion and overcrowded concrete reinforcement in a Miami-area condominium that collapsed in June, killing 98 people. The National Institute of Standards and Technology also announced Wednesday it will conduct a five-pronged investigation into the Champlain Towers South collapse, which will be led by Judith Mitrani-Reiser. She is a Cuban-born engineer who grew up in Miami. "We are going into this with an open mind and will examine all hypotheses that might explain what caused this collapse," Mitrani-Reiser said. "Having a team with experience across a variety of disciplines, including structural and geotechnical engineering, materials, evidence collection, modeling and more, will ensure a thorough investigation."