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Temporary Channel Opens as Authorities Strive to Clear Key Bridge Wreckage

THE AFRO — “I know there’s an urgency to move fast, and nobody feels that urgency more than the people standing up here today, but we have to be clear on the risks,” Governor Wes Moore said during an April 1 press conference. “This is a steel bridge that is sitting on top of a container ship in the middle of the Patapsco River. We’re talking about tons of steel that is mangled and tangled up and water that is so murky and so filled with debris that divers cannot see any more than a foot or two in front of them.”
The post Temporary Channel Opens as Authorities Strive to Clear Key Bridge Wreckage first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 year ago

April 2, 2024

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By Megan Sayles | AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com

It is still unclear when the rubble of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Dali container ship will be removed from the Patapsco River following the structure’s collapse on March 26.

The Unified Command spent 10 hours cutting and lifting a 200-ton piece of the North section of the bridge out of the channel on March 30. They are scheduled to remove an estimated 350-ton span of the bridge on April 1, barring lightning.

Governor Wes Moore stressed the need to prioritize safety over speed while cleanup efforts are underway.

“I know there’s an urgency to move fast, and nobody feels that urgency more than the people standing up here today, but we have to be clear on the risks,” Moore said during an April 1 press conference. “This is a steel bridge that is sitting on top of a container ship in the middle of the Patapsco River. We’re talking about tons of steel that is mangled and tangled up and water that is so murky and so filled with debris that divers cannot see any more than a foot or two in front of them.”

Crew members remained on board the Dali, which has a section of the bridge across its bow. Unified Command and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have reportedly stayed in close contact with the seafarers.

Crew members’ living quarters were not impacted by the fall of the bridge and kitchen operations remain intact.

Unified Command has described the bridge’s remains as “chaotic wreckage.” According to U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath, the steel beams are intertwined, making it difficult to determine where to cut them before they can be hoisted out of the water.

“It’s turning out to be more challenging than we thought it might be just in trying to determine how they’re tangled and how we’re eventually going to cut through them,” Gilreath said.

As authorities work to remove the debris, a temporary 11-foot channel for commercial vessels has opened under the Northern part of the bridge that remains standing. The action is a step in restoring transit to the Port of Baltimore.

The channel will be marked with government lights to aid vessel navigation. A second, temporary 15-foot channel is expected to open on the Southwest side of the waterway in the ensuing days.

Moore said at least 8,000 port jobs have been affected by the collapse.

“These are individuals who work hard, never complain and get the job done,” Moore said. “Many have continued to work on the docks. Many haven’t been able to get back to work at all.”

“We want to let them know this: we have their backs because they’ve always had ours,” Moore added.

Following a request by the state of Maryland, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is now deploying low-interest loans of up to $2 million to businesses affected by the incident. Since March 30, the agency has received 57 applications for the relief.

“We cannot rebuild the bridge until we clear the wreckage, but I’m telling you, we are going to get this done,” Moore said. “We will clear the channel, we will move the Dali and we will rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member.

The post Temporary Channel Opens as Authorities Strive to Clear Key Bridge Wreckage first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”