The state of Alaska reported 863 new COVID-19 cases over the last two days and is no longer the state in the U.S. with the highest rate of new cases, now ranking second to Maine for the first time in three weeks. Alaska became the state with the highest level in the nation of cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days on Jan. 26, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Maine's case rate of 1,314.2 is higher than Alaska's rate of 804.9. The U.S. territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands and Palau — a nation in free association with the U.S. — still rank higher than both Maine and Alaska. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 389 new resident cases of COVID-19 and six nonresident cases on Monday, and 461 resident cases and seven nonresident cases on Tuesday for a cumulative total of 863 new cases over the last two days.  

A large fire tore through the Villa Hills Civic Club and destroyed it early Thursday, fire officials say. A passerby reported the blaze at 2:46 a.m. The club's single-story building is located off Rogers Road near Lakeshore Drive and the Villa Hills Police Department. Fire crews with the Crescent Springs Villa Hills Fire Department responded to find it fully engulfed in flames. No one was hurt, but the building looks like a total loss, according to Fire Chief Jeff Wendt. "It's a tragic thing...a loss for the city," said the club's director, Mike Martin. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Wendt said it may have started in the back of the building. Martin said the private club was formed nearly 61 years ago, in May 1961, is owned by the members and now amasses 23 acres in a beautiful country setting with fishing ponds.  

Located at corner 14 North Monroe Street, the New York City Fire Department (FNDY) fire station was built in 1903 by Hook & Ladder Company 8. Initially, the building was designed to be the first in a series of Beaux-Arts-style firehouses by Alexander H. Stevens who was the city superintendent of buildings. The nostalgic exterior of the fire station has earned the fire department the name Ghostbusters Fire Station as it was used for scenes for the fictional film's franchise Ghostbusters released in 1984. The building brings about feelings of a mix of nostalgic childhood emotions as well as the thrill of the possibility of actually running into a ghost! This is where Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston who were all famous characters from the set of Ghostbusters were known to set up their ghostbusting operations.  

On Monday, Feb. 14 the Helena Fire Department shared a sneak peek at their new fire trucks. The trucks truly stand out from their predecessors in that they are Helena's signature Husky blue as opposed to the traditional red. "Our love for the community is now on display," the department wrote in a Facebook post. "That's right, our new Husky Blue firetruck has arrived and will soon be in service at Station 1." Fire Chief Pete Valenti said the change in image was the idea of Mayor Brian Puckett. "[Puckett] wanted a white fire engine with Husky Blue striping," Valenti said. "I, being a 37 year veteran at Helena Fire Department, was reluctant to the change." After a few conversations with the mayor, Valenti came around, and he told Puckett if they were going to make a change, they may as well go all the way. Hence the blue fire trucks were born.  

The Brockton Fire Museum was built to preserve the proud history of Brockton Firefighting which includes a special tribute to the 13 firefighters who lost their lives at the Strand Theatre fire in 1941. Brockton Firefighters Local IAFF 144 was instrumental in purchasing the historic Squad A truck that made its return to Brockton in 2021. The Squad A truck served the city of Brockton in multiple fires, most notably the Strand Fire of 1941 that killed 13 firefighters.