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Massive sinkhole swallows Illinois soccer field after mine collapses, official says
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A park in Alton, Illinois, was closed after a massive sinkhole swallowed part of its soccer field Wednesday morning.
Security footage obtained by CBS affiliate KMOV shows the moment the sinkhole opened up at Gordon Moore Park. It shows a stadium light sinking and plumes of debris billowing into the air.
“It was surreal,” Michael Haynes, the director of the city’s parks and recreation department, told the station. “Kind of like a movie where the ground just falls out from underneath you.”
Footage captured by 618 Drone Service shows the large hole, which is estimated to be at least 30 feet deep and 100 feet wide.
The collapse is thought to be a result of a working mine, Hayes told KMOV. No injuries were reported.
“The mines have been here and in this area for decades and decades,” Haynes said. “It’s never been brought up before so I’m told it’s an anomaly. We’ll wait until the investigation is complete.”
The turf fields where the collapse happened were added to the park in 2019, Haynes told the station, costing over $1 million. He didn’t expect the city to have to pay for repairs.
All scheduled events were canceled and Gordon Moore Park was closed “while the sinkhole investigation is being completed,” Alton Parks and Recreation said on social media.
The New Frontier Materials company told KMOV that the impacted area was secured and will be off-limits while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs.
The city of Alton, Illinois, is located about 18 miles north of St. Louis, Missouri.
CBS News has reached out to the New Frontier Materials company and the city of Alton for more information.
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Nikki Hiltz, transgender runner, qualifies for U.S. Olympic team after winning 1,500-meter final
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American transgender middle-distance runner Nikki Hiltz qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games on Sunday with a record-breaking performance in the women’s 1,500-meter final.
Hiltz finished the race in first place with a final time of 3:55.33 at the U.S. Olympic track & field trials, held at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, surpassing Elle St. Pierre’s 2021 U.S. trials record of 3:58:03.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
In an Instagram post, Hiltz, who uses they/them pronouns, called the moment “a childhood dream of mine” that came true. They went on to thank supporters, saying, “All I know is today I’m waking up just so grateful for my people, overwhelmed by all the love and support, and filled with joy that I get to race people I deeply love and respect around a track for a living.”
This will be the 29-year-old’s first trip to the Olympics. They won a silver medal at the Indoor World Championships earlier this year.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Sunday’s race was on the last day of Pride Month, adding significance to the monumental moment for Hiltz. In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Hiltz said the accomplishment is “bigger than just me.”
“I wanted to run this for my community,” Hiltz continued, “All of the LGBT folks, yeah, you guys brought me home that last hundred. I could just feel the love and support.”
The 2024 Olympic Games will begin on July 26, 2024, in Paris, France.
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