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Channel 7 News Miami

November 10, 2010 by · Comments Off on Channel 7 News Miami 

Channel 7 News Miami, (AP) – Two tugboats slowly pulled a disabled cruise ship with nearly 4,500 passengers and crew toward San Diego on Wednesday.

The 952-foot Carnival Splendor crept into cell phone range and the onboard phone system started working on a limited basis, allowing passengers mostly cut off from communication since an engine fire Monday to finally reach their loved ones.

Officials said the ship could arrive in San Diego as early as mid-day Thursday.

Among those making calls was David Zambrano, who phoned his employer, Denver TV station 9NEWS, to describe what was happening on the ship. He said people were trying to keep their spirits up by singing, socializing and playing cards.

The ship’s bars, casinos, pools and the upper deck were closed. Rooms in the interior of the ship were pitching black and passengers propped open their doors to let in air and emergency lighting from the hallways.

“So really, all we’re doing is just kind of hanging out on a boat waiting for the next mealtime,” Zambrano said.

Mealtime requires a two-hour wait for cold food. Passengers have been subsisting on Spam, Pop Tarts and canned crabmeat flown in by Navy helicopters.

“It’s almost like a diet cruise because we’ve been eating salads and fruit and small sandwiches,” Zambrano said. “It’s nothing like anyone expected, no.”

The Splendor left Long Beach on Sunday for a seven-day trip to the Mexican Riviera.

On Wednesday, it was 125 miles south of San Diego and was expected to arrive Thursday afternoon or evening if the weather remained good, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Rick Foster said. No storms were forecast.

The journey hit more glitches when a second tugboat sent to help the first was forced to turn back because it wasn’t powerful enough and a third was hooked up Wednesday morning and pulling with no problem, Coast Guard officials said.

Carnival first planned to haul the ship to the Mexican port of Ensenada, not far from a movie studio complex used to film “Titanic,” and bus passengers to the U.S. But the cruise line decided they would be more comfortable on board, spokesman Vance Gulliksen said.

Zambrano said passengers were overjoyed to hear they were heading straight back to California and wouldn’t have to go through the tedious customs process at the border.

“When they said they were towing us to San Diego instead of Ensenada, the cheer could be heard all the way around the boat,” he said. “Everybody was screaming and then every time the rescues boat shows up, people run to the side and they cheer and they wave and they take pictures.”

The ship was 200 miles south of San Diego and about 44 miles off shore when the engine room fire killed its power.

No one was hurt, but those on board were left without air conditioning, hot water or Internet service. Most telephone service also was out.

The ship’s auxiliary power allowed for working toilets and cold water, Gulliksen said.

The U.S. Navy resupplied the ship on Tuesday with thousands of pounds of food and other supplies ferried by helicopter from the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier diverted from maneuvers nearby.

Passengers were being entertained with acoustic music, board games, dancing, trivia contests and even a scavenger hunt for children, Gulliksen said.

“Overall, generally, the mood on the ship is good,” he said. “The passengers have been very understanding.”

Carnival spokeswoman Joyce Oliva said the ship’s command is able to communicate with outsiders on a backup system.

The situation will be costly for Miami-based Carnival Corp., which is refunding passengers, offering vouchers for future cruises and may have to dry dock the ship if the damage is extensive.

“We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience,” Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said in a statement.

The last major cruise accident was in 2007 when a ship with more than 1,500 people sank after hitting rocks near the Aegean island of Santorini, Mathisen said. Two French tourists died.

In May, a machine room fire in a cruise ship off the coast of Norway forced off the 607 people on board.

Wsvn

November 10, 2010 by · Comments Off on Wsvn 

Wsvn, Inaugural Miami Style Awards recognized not only the fashion elite South Florida in style at the W South Beach, but organizers officially announced at the event that Miami International Fashion Week will be back in Miami Beach in 2011 and will renamed the Miami Beach International Fashion Week (MBIFW). The biggest fashion event in Latin American and international United States design innovative designers from around the world is scheduled to take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center March 3-6, 2011.

Since his departure from Miami Beach in 2006, the annual event has grown significantly in its global reach and won an influential role in the garment South Florida, tourism, international trade, and hotels.

“During 2010 shows the Shops at Midtown Miami, we had over 58 international designers from 22 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Lebanon, Europe, who have unveiled their latest collections for women in the evening wear, ready-to-wear, swimwear, menswear, jewelry and accessories, “said founder and president Beth Sobol. “Overall, an estimated Fashion Week contributes about $ 10 million annually to the local economy as participants spend money on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and transportation.”

MBIFW continue many of its events such as the brand exciting Miami Moda & Music Awards ® show that takes place last night and presents honors and awards to pioneering designers and features electrifying performances by recording stars.

“We are delighted to welcome the Miami Beach International Fashion Week in the island and the Miami Beach Convention Center,” said Bob Balsam, Global Spectrum General Manager at the Miami Beach Convention Center. “Our site and its international flair of Miami Beach make it the ideal place to host an event of this magnitude and prestige. We are convinced that this is the beginning of a very successful partnership and long term with the MBIFW. ”

During the Miami Style Awards, the five winners chosen for their personal style as well as their community service were extraordinary worldly and philanthropists Lea Black, Abigail Pollak, and Alexia Echevarria, famous shoe designer Lisa Pliner, and success beauty and fashion entrepreneur Loren Ridinger. Later that evening, the Grammy-winning singer, producer and composer Albita took the stage for an amazing performance.

Co-organized by the famous fashion designer Julian Chang and MIFW Founder & President Beth Sobol, the event was a spectacular evening of fashion, food, music and cocktails for the Foundation MFW. Celebrity emcee Elaine Lancaster co-organized with Brian Andrews, former WSVN anchor and WTO and director of English TV News NCR to Colombia, and Ileana Garcia, host of Radio Alfombra Roja Romance.

The clothing designers who presented collections during the awards ceremony were Miami Style Julian Chang, Nicolas Felizola, Viviana G Petit Pois, Andres Vieira sewing Souls, Zebra, Erin Healy and Luca Luca. The creators of jewelry and accessories included Amalo Art to Wear, Shannon St. Clair Ankora jewelry, jewelry Musa, Charles Albert Jewelry, Cyclus, Zunco and Accessories.

Tiffany & Co., W Hotel South Beach Morracanoil, Miami Institute for Age Management & Intervention, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Cravings Magazine, Laser Cosmetica, and Capponi Group are sponsors of the event. Solea Restaurant Catering with music provided by DJ Frank Delour.

About Fashion Week in Miami
Beth Sobol, president of Sobol Fashion Productions, Inc., founded Miami Fashion Week ® in 1999 after a distinguished career as an international fashion model. She has worked with some of the most influential designers of the fashion world and the producers and launched Miami Fashion Week provide a platform for designers from Latin America for an international exhibition. Over the past 12 years, FW has become one of the events of the fashion world featuring premier designers in Europe, USA and Canada, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia as well as the largest showcase of Latin American design talent in the United States.

Missle Over California

November 10, 2010 by · Comments Off on Missle Over California 

Missle Over California, (AP) — The Pentagon Tuesday said it was trying to determine if a missile was launched Monday off the coast of Southern California and who might have launched it.

Spokesmen for the Navy, Air Force, Defense Department and North American Aerospace Defense Command said they were looking into a video posted on the CBS News website that appears to show a rocket or some other object shooting up into the sky and leaving a large contrail over the Pacific Ocean.

The video was shot by a KCBS helicopter, the station said Tuesday.

“Nobody within the Department of Defense that we’ve reached out to has been able to explain what this contrail is, where it came from,” Lapan said. “So far, we’ve come up empty with any explanation.”

Lapan said officials are talking to the Air Force, Navy and NORAD as well as civilian authorities who control and monitor air space.

“Right now, all indications are that there was not (Department of Defense) involvement in this,” Lapan said, adding that some object might have been launched by a private company.

Officials had no information to make them suspect that the action was taken by any U.S. adversary.

“At this point, until we know more information about what it may have been, there is not alarm,” Lapan said. “But that could change depending on what we find out.”

Tropical Storm Lisa

September 21, 2010 by · Comments Off on Tropical Storm Lisa 

Tropical Storm Lisa, Tropical Storm Lisa was formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, National Hurricane Center said Tuesday.

The center of the storm was 530 miles / west-northwest of the islands of Cape Verde, the hurricane center said. It was moving north at 5 mph /.

At the other side of the Atlantic, hurricane winds Igor keeps mph/120 75 kmh as it churned miles/460-suroeste 285 miles south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Its center moves near the southeastern tip of Newfoundland on Tuesday.

The Tropical Storm Lisa was becoming better organized and environmental conditions are expected to remain favorable for further strengthening in the next 36 hours, he said.

There was no storm watches or warnings in effect from 7 am EDT / (1100 GMT) and major land masses or energy assets were in the immediate path of the storm.

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