Daily Archives: December 24, 2018

A child calling Santa reached NORAD instead. Christmas Eve was never the same.

Col. Harry Shoup was a real by-the-book guy. At home, his two daughters were limited to phone calls of no more than three minutes (monitored by an egg timer) and were automatically grounded if they missed curfew by even a minute. At work, during his 28-year Air Force career, the decorated fighter pilot was known as a no-nonsense commander and stickler for rules. Which makes what happened that day in 1955 even more of a Christmas miracle. It was a December day in Colorado Springs when the phone rang on Col. Shoup’s desk. Not the black phone, the red phone. “When that phone rang, it was a big deal,” said Shoup’s daughter, Terri Van Keuren, 69, a retiree in Castle Rock, Colo. “It was the middle of the Cold War and that phone meant bad news.” >click to read<19:54

A fishing family tradition

Each year in December, Newport Fishermen’s Wives collect and distribute toys, food and clothing to fishing families that need the extra boost. The outreach program began as an effort to make sure there was food in the pantry and presents under the tree for Christmas, and it started because of a now-annual issue, a delayed crab season. It’s an outgrowth of the cooperation that marks an industry known for its close ties and a spirit of unity. “Many families in this area make the majority of their yearly income from crabbing,” said NFW President Taunette Dixon. “And when it starts late, like it has every year since we began this program, it can be devastating for families.” >click to read<

The North Carolina Fisheries Association Wishes You a Merry Christmas!

 

Tsunami death toll rises as rescue efforts expand along the Indonesia coast

The death toll from a tsunami that hit the coast of Indonesia after a volcanic eruption rose above 370 on Monday, as rescuers dug through rubble with heavy machinery and bare hands along an expanding section of coastline affected by the deadly waves.  More than 120 people are still missing, and more than 1,400 were injured when the tsunami struck the Indonesia islands of Java and Sumatra almost without warning late Saturday, shortly after the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted in the Sunda Strait dividing the islands. Earlier on Monday morning, Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency had put the death toll at 281. But the agency later said 373 people were confirmed dead, 1,459 injured and 128 missing. >click to read<10:41

A Christmas Miracle – Cruise Ship Rescues Fishermen Lost at Sea for Three Weeks

Two fishermen have been rescued by a cruise liner after drifting out at sea for 20 days in what was described as a “Christmas miracle.” The sailors had been in the Caribbean Sea for nearly three weeks after their ship ran out of petrol when they were blown off from their gear during strong winds. The sailors had reportedly gone days without water, leaving one of the men unable to walk at the time they were rescued.The men were saved by the cruise only after it was forced to alter its original route toward Cuba because of a recent storm in the area. >click to read<09:28