One Heartland volunteer fire department needs a boost after the COVID-19 pandemic cuts its main source of income. "Right now, the in is not as good as it could be," said Ray Hunter, Campbell Hill volunteer firefighter. Hunter is talking about the money coming into his department and how the pandemic is drying up that main source of income. "The biggest effect that it's had on us is fundraising. We have already had to cancel two fundraisers. We've had to cancel our annual meeting and we've canceled the picnic this summer," he said. Hunter said that's like cancelling the department's entire budget. "We're not a taxing body so we make our money off of fish fries and dues payments and chicken fries, raffles and things like that," he said.  

A man accused of setting fire to a Chicago police vehicle while wearing a Joker mask during protests over police misconduct will be held in custody until trial, a federal judge ruled Monday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes ordered Timothy O'Donnell held pending trial after prosecutors asserted O'Donnell, 31, had a criminal record that included bond forfeiture and failure to appear for hearings in five states, including Illinois. Defense attorney Michael Leonard said Metropolitan Correctional Center officials, without professional consultation, stopped giving O'Donnell medication that controlled seizures and convulsions. In his ruling, the judge said he intended to reach out to jail officials for assurances O'Donnell receives adequate medical care.  

Firefighters responded to a garage fire on East Cook Street Monday evening. Springfield Firefighters Local 37 Union reported on their Facebook page, the Springfield Fire Department rushed to a home at the intersection of South 11th and East Cook Streets around midnight to a report of a fire. Crews reported seeing flames coming from the garage and moving towards the house. There were no reported injuries as of 5:15 a.m. Tuesday. WAND News will update this story as more information arrives into the newsroom.  

The Cary Fire Department was on scene at a structure fire about 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1000 block of Woodbridge Drive. All residents of the house, who were in the backyard of their property at the time of the fire, were uninjured. Flames reportedly were showing from the two-story structure, where bystanders were using a garden hose to try and control the fire. No damage estimate was immediately available and the house is not hospitable. The fire was under control by 6:52 p.m. according to a news release from the Cary Fire Protection District, as firefighters remained on scene for over an hour and a half to conduct an investigation, as well as salvage and overhaul operations. A ceiling did collapse on three firefighters, who emerged unharmed and refused medical treatment.  

VIDEO: Firefighters battled a blaze that erupted and spread into a produce market in downtown Los Angeles Monday, the L.A. Fire Department said. Propane tanks were seen exploding outside of the one-story building at 815 Kohler St., fire officials said after the blaze was reported around 3:20 p.m. The produce market was open for business and people were self-evacuating when firefighters arrived at the scene, according to LAFD. The fire was dubbed a major emergency incident about 20 minutes after it ignited and 112 firefighters responded to the scene, going into defensive mode. "Due to the extreme fire conditions, crews are getting water on the fire from the exterior prior to making an interior attack. There are multiple bays within this structure which have heavy fire," the fire department said in an alert.  

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation has announced five families of front line workers who will receive temporary mortgage payments through its COVID-19 Heroes Fund. "As COVID-19 lockdowns lift and America begins to reopen, we cannot forget the brave men and women on the front lines who gave up their lives to protect ours during this unprecedented pandemic," the organization said in a statement. "The Tunnel to Towers Foundation will honor heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice by supporting the spouses and children they left behind." "We are here to show these families our support not just with words, but with actions," Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said. "We want them to know that we will not forget their names or their bravery serving on the front lines of this pandemic. While no amount of money can replace the sudden loss of a spouse or parent, we hope these payments will give them the time to grieve free of this financial burden."  

The cleanup effort at the memorial along West 7th Street started Monday and featured ordinary citizens who showed up hoping to erase the vandalism. Among the volunteers was a Fort Worth native who said he understands the hurt behind the recent events, but was adamant: This is not the answer. The vandals spray painted anti-police rhetoric like "F**K 12" and "ACAB" across several stones on the memorial grounds. But righting a wrong has the power to unite. "For me, memorials and stuff like that are just off limits," Mark Houston said. Houston heard the memorial was vandalized and spray painted with "BLM." "I'm a black man in America I get it, right," he said. "I have the fortunate vantage point of having police officers in my family, so I kind of see both sides." Houston said he decided it was his duty to "bridge the gap." He showed up with his own cleaning supplies and began to clean up the vandalism.  

A mechanical engineer at the University of Virginia has built a semi-autonomous robot to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. According to a release, studies have found that the COVID-19 virus can be destroyed by ultraviolet light and heat while on surfaces, including countertops, chairs, walls and floors. Last year, mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Tomonari Furukawa designed a roving robot that can move about hazardous areas, and he recently realized that adding UV and heat lamps to it could make it into a decontamination device that could be used in medical clinics, supermarkets and other businesses. "In response to the pandemic of COVID-19, we began to work on the virus decontamination robot, since we had recently demonstrated in a contest that our robot can complete a large number of tasks in a disaster scenario, such as firefighting," said Furukawa. "We knew we could use our state-of-the-art technology right away for robotic decontamination."  

A general alarm fire reported as the worst in the history of Kingston destroyed two lumber companies, four homes, seven vehicles and injured 21 people, mostly firefighters, on Aug. 9, 1964. More than 260 firefighters from across the Wyoming Valley were called to battle the massive blaze at John and Union streets. More than 60 men from the 109th Field Artillery were called to assist in crowd and traffic control and help in evacuating homes that were threatened by flames. "The fire which broke out about noon was fanned by high winds which spread it over one quarter block area," the Times Leader reported Aug. 10, 1964. Most of the injured firefighters suffered minor burns and lacerations as well as smoke inhalation, the newspaper reported. Clarence Hyatt, a member of the Columbian Fire Co., was the lone firefighter admitted to Nesbitt Memorial Hospital in Kingston.