Wednesday, December 20, 2017

She was handcuffed and in the back of a police vehicle.  How did this modern day Houdini manage to lead police on a wild police chase....in their ride??  See for yourself in today's "Video of the Day"

Tax reform....not so fast!  Hold the phone.  NBC News Radio National Correspondent Bill Zimpfer checks in with Tony from the nation's capital. 

Critical safety technology designed to automatically slow or stop trains that are going too fast was not working on a section of track outside of Seattle where that Amtrak train derailed, killing three people.  Sound Transit said Tuesday that the company was on schedule to have positive train control installed and operational in the spring, ahead of a December 2018 federal deadline. The NTSB for its part said it is reviewing the event data recorder from the lead locomotive after having already retrieved the device from the rear engine, which showed the train was going 80 mph in a 30 mph zone.  A spokesperson also confirmed two people were in the cab: the engineer and a conductor who was training.  ABC's Alex Stone is on sight and has the latest with Tony.

Nearly 100 years ago to the day, we here in Kentucky experienced our own rail disaster.  On December 20, 1917, what has been remembered as possibly the worst train wreck in L&N Railroad history took place in Shepherdsville only yards from the lot where Ridgway Memorial Library would be built many years later.
On that cold winter evening a century ago, the No. 41 train carried approximately one hundred passengers as it pulled into the station in Shepherdsville. No. 41’s travelers were likely coming from a day of Christmas shopping, visiting friends and family, or running errands in the city, when the No. 7 Express train collided with them at twenty-five miles an hour. In a matter of moments, the No. 41 was demolished.
By the wee hours of the next morning, forty-nine people—ages ranging from sixty-nine to as young as eight months—were confirmed dead. The tale of the 1917 train wreck is a sad and unfortunate series of events.
Said local historian David Strange, “In one stunning moment of Christmastime tragedy, families and communities from Shepherdsville to Bardstown to Springfield were dramatically affected. In some cases, entire family lines were ended on that dark, snowy evening in which normally unimportant choices often made the difference between life and death.”
The Bullitt County Public Library and Bullitt County History Museum will mark the 100th anniversary of this notable event on Wednesday, December 20th at Ridgway Memorial Library.
The Centennial Commemoration will begin at 6:00 PM with introductory remarks, followed by a presentation by local historian and author Charles Hartley. Mr. Hartley will share the full tale of the tragedy, from the events leading up to the collision to the outpouring of compassion and charity demonstrated in the aftermath. Most of all, the event will honor the victims of this terrible tragedy.
At 7:00 PM tonight, following the presentation and a question and answer period, the community is invited to a reception, where they can enjoy light refreshments and explore the wreck further through photos and video. Mr. Hartley’s book, Train Wreck: The Story of the Shepherdsville Train Wreck on December 20, 1917, will also be available for purchase and signing, and additional local history information will be available from the Bullitt County History Museum and the Bullitt County Public Library system.

As discussed in the show open today, the song"Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea that we played to open the show.