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Midtown Deck Collapses; Michael Jackson: Doc Denies Drug Claims; Janet Honors Brother, Joe Jackson Plugs Label
(Monday, 29 June 2009) A midtown Atlanta parking deck collapsed during Monday's lunch hour. Other top stories: Stars honor Michael Jackson at the BET Awards; lawyers for Jackson's personal physician deny their client prescribed painkillers to the pop icon; Janet Jackson makes her first public appearance since her brother's death, and Joe Jackson surprises viewers with a bit of his interview on the red carpet. See all the video on today's KISS News Now!
(KISS News Now) Part of a parking deck at 5th and Spring Streets in midtown Atlanta collapsed shortly before 12:30 this afternoon, when many people were headed out to lunch.
The multi-level deck services the Centergy complex, and an LA Fitness is also at that intersection. The Atlanta Fire Department arrived quickly at the scene, but a fire captain said it is too early to know whether anyone was inside, whether there are any casualties, or the extent of the damage. There are no reports of injuries.
Four levels of the deck apparently collapsed, and several mangled cars could be seen. At least 32 vehicles have been damaged.
Judith Allen, who works for Accenture, said she was heading for lunch around 12:20 when the noise of the collapse stunned her.
"I was walking out and all of a sudden it was just a boom, lots of air, lots of dust everywhere," she said.
"My car is actually on the fourth level, which is not the part--I mean, it's right next to the section that collapsed. Right now, we're just hoping that everyone's okay and that no one is injured, but we really don't know. I need to head back. I've been asked to do a head count to make sure everyone's okay."
Police, firefighters and other emergency personnel were on the scene at the multilevel parking structure.
It is likely to be a slow, careful search and rescue effort for firefighters entering the unstable building. They have to shore up damaged walls to make them more secure so they can enter to look for any victims. A man who was inside the deck when a portion of it buckled described what happened.
"I was eating lunch in my car and it just...I heard a sound like a building was being demoed," said Shaun Dodson. "Just the sound and the whole truck was shaking. So at the top, I got out, went around the back side of the deck, and you could see down to the first floor."
Part of Spring Street is cordoned off. Be sure to stay tuned to KISS 104.1 for traffic updates.
Should there be anyone else that might be considered to take custody? Leave your comments below.
The multi-level deck services the Centergy complex, and an LA Fitness is also at that intersection. The Atlanta Fire Department arrived quickly at the scene, but a fire captain said it is too early to know whether anyone was inside, whether there are any casualties, or the extent of the damage. There are no reports of injuries.
Four levels of the deck apparently collapsed, and several mangled cars could be seen. At least 32 vehicles have been damaged.
Judith Allen, who works for Accenture, said she was heading for lunch around 12:20 when the noise of the collapse stunned her.
"I was walking out and all of a sudden it was just a boom, lots of air, lots of dust everywhere," she said.
"My car is actually on the fourth level, which is not the part--I mean, it's right next to the section that collapsed. Right now, we're just hoping that everyone's okay and that no one is injured, but we really don't know. I need to head back. I've been asked to do a head count to make sure everyone's okay."
Police, firefighters and other emergency personnel were on the scene at the multilevel parking structure.
It is likely to be a slow, careful search and rescue effort for firefighters entering the unstable building. They have to shore up damaged walls to make them more secure so they can enter to look for any victims. A man who was inside the deck when a portion of it buckled described what happened.
"I was eating lunch in my car and it just...I heard a sound like a building was being demoed," said Shaun Dodson. "Just the sound and the whole truck was shaking. So at the top, I got out, went around the back side of the deck, and you could see down to the first floor."
Part of Spring Street is cordoned off. Be sure to stay tuned to KISS 104.1 for traffic updates.
- The BET Awards become a Michael Jackson celebration--with stars singing King of Pop tunes, Jamie Foxx re-enacting the choreography of Beat It, and his baby sister Janet Jackson putting the entire night in perspective.
"My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful, so they elected me to be here,'' she said sadly. She thanked everyone for their love and support. "We miss him so much," Janet said, her voice breaking.
"To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family, and he will forever live in all our hearts." - Some were outraged and flabbergasted as 80-year-old Joe Jackson took a moment on the red carpet to plug a new business venture while he was being interviewed by CNN's Don Lemon. Lemon was asking how the rest of the family was holding up in their grief about Michael's death, and Jackson replied, "They're all doing fine. But I want to make this statement--this is a real good statement here. Marshall and I have...we owned a record company called--tell him!" "Ranch Records," said another man, who stepped up to the microphone and is presumably the "Marshall" Mr. Jackson meant. "Okay...Blu-Ray technology."
In another part of the interview, Mr. Jackson acknowledged that it had "been tough" since Michael's death, said funeral arrangements had not yet been made, and that while he couldn't "get into" the circumstances surrounding his son's death, "I don't like what happened."
- The Los Angeles Times quotes a source as saying a private pathologist hired by the family performed a second autopsy on Jackson's body over the weekend.
A second autopsy can allow the family to get some information about a death almost immediately, including signs of heart, brain or lung disease or fresh needle punctures, said Dr. Michael Baden, a medical examiner not involved in the Jackson case and who is well-known for his HBO shows.
"Usually if it looks normal with the naked eye, it looks normal under the microscope,'' said Baden, who recently performed a second autopsy on actor David Carradine.
- More details are emerging about Michael Jackson's final moments. A lawyer for Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray (shown right in a photo from July 2006), says Dr. Murray has told police Jackson was alive, warm with a faint pulse but not breathing when he found him in bed Thursday. Matt Alford says the doctor immediately began CPR.
"When the doctor arrived to the bedside of Mr. Jackson, he was believed to still have a pulse at that time, but wasn't responsive," says Alford. He says Murray is cooperating with police and has not fled Los Angeles, contrary to rumors and speculation. He says the doctor is a witness--not a suspect.
Alford also says any drugs Murray prescribed for Jackson were for specific medical problems and he never gave Jackson Demerol, OxyContin or any drugs that would have contributed to his death. Toxicology results are pending.
"It's hard on him. It'd be hard on anybody, as you can imagine, but he's holding up well," says Alford. "He's real upset about the passing of Mr. Jackson--as most of the people in the world are--but especially because he was close to him."
Another attorney, Edward Chernoff, says the promoter of Jackson's 50-show London concerts, AEG Live, owes the cardiologist $300,000.
"His contract with the promoters states he would receive an amount of money each month to be his (Jackson's) personal physician and they have failed to honor that contract," Chernoff said. "They are two months behind."
Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, acknowledged the contract called for Murray to be paid $150,000 a month, but said the contract required Jackson's signature.
"Michael never signed the contract," Phillips said.
- An attorney says Joe and Katherine Jackson will take custody of their grandchildren Prince Michael I (Michael Jr.), Paris Katherine, and Prince Michael II. This, as the mother of the first two children reportedly says the kids were not biologically Michael's. A British tabloid, News of the World, quotes Debbie Rowe as saying that she was artificially inseminated by an anonymous donor.
Should there be anyone else that might be considered to take custody? Leave your comments below.
- TV pitchman Billy Mays dies at home in Tampa, a day after his US Airways jet had a hard landing. Mays told a TV station he got hit in the head by items falling from the overhead. Later at home he told his wife he didn't feel well and was going to bed--and she couldn't wake him the next morning. An autopsy is set for today.
- South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's Argentianian mistress speaks out in a statement to Buenos Aires TV. Maria Chapur acknowledges that she has had a relationship with Sanford, but says she will not talk about her private life. The divorced mother of two sons says the e-mails between the two of them were leaked to a newspaper after someone hacked into her Hotmail account late last year. She says she knows who, and that it is not a friend; the New York Times had reported a man Chapur had dated was responsible for stealing and leaking the info. Sanford says he will not resign.
- Some Atlanta residents promise political payback if the City Council approves a property tax hike. At least five have said they will vote yes; they say the revenue could end police and firefighter furloughs.
- Before breaking for its summer recess, the U. S. Supreme Court may decide whether to take up the case of convicted killer Troy Davis, on Georgia's death row for the 1989 murder of a Savannah policeman. Lawyers for Davis have petitioned for a new hearing based on the witnesses who have since recanted their testimony.
- The KISS 104.1 weather forecast : mostly sunny, high 90, lows 59-67. Tuesday, sunny and low humidity; a little breezy with a high near 90.
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