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More than 20 barges break loose on Ohio River, recovery efforts underway
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating after more than 20 barges broke loose and floated down the Ohio River.
The commander for the Pittsburgh district of the Army Corp of Engineers told KDKA the 26 barges that broke loose have been accounted for, with some of them resting against the Emsworth Lock and Dam on the Ohio River.
He said early investigation found no issues with the dam and no one was hurt.
Pittsburgh Police said the call came in around 11:30 on Friday night.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said 26 barges broke away from a vessel at mile marker one. Of the 26 barges, 23 were loaded and three were empty.
Those that were loaded were carrying dry cargo such as coal, but no hazardous materials were being carried.
There have been no reports of contamination or pollution.
Eleven of the barges came to a stop, pinned against the river bank by Brunot Island and now are being held by a tugboat.
The commander said that 9 stopped at Emsworth Lock and Dam.
Meanwhile, the remaining six went through the dam and have been accounted for downstream, five of them have been located and it’s believed one of them sunk.
In the process, Peggy’s Marina sustained extensive damage, and there was damage to other docks in the area.
The incident is under investigation but the commander told KDKA the high water levels played a factor.
Campbell Transportation Company owns and operates the barges.
The bridges that were closed overnight have since reopened.
We will have coverage all morning long on KDKA-TV, CBS News Pittsburgh, and KDKA.com.
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The U.S. Mint has revealed the five historical female figures who will appear on the reverse sides of quarters for 2025, the last year it will issue American Women Quarters Program coins featuring iconic American women.
The trailblazing women to be featured on the tail side of coins include Ida B. Wells, Juliette Gordon Low, Dr. Vera Rubin, Stacey Park Milbern and Althea Gibson, the U.S. Mint, part of the U.S. Treasury, said Wednesday.
“I am honored to announce the 2025 designs for the fourth and final year of the historic American Women’s Quarters Program,” U.S. Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson said in a statement. “This program has recognized the remarkable legacies of these extraordinary she-roes. These beautiful American Women quarters will be in circulation for decades to come and continue to educate the American people on our incredible honorees.”
2025 will mark the fourth and final year of the program, which will have issued 20 new quarters featuring the images of trailblazing figures from diverse ethnic, racial and geographic backgrounds. The head side of the coins feature Founding Father George Washington.
Who are the women on the 2025 coins?
- Ida B. Wells was a prominent African-American investigative journalist, suffragist and civil rights activist. She died in 1931.
- Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the United States of America, created the organization to help girls unlock their full potential and build confidence.
- Dr. Vera Rubin, the astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates.
- Stacey Park Milbern, an activist for people with disabilities.
- Althea Gibson, a professional tennis player and golfer who was the first Black player to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
What was the selection process?
The Treasury partnered with the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative, the National Women’s History Museum and the Congressional Bipartisan Women’s Caucus to select its honorees. It also solicited the public’s input into whom it should feature on the coins.
Coins featuring previous years’ honorees are for sale on the U.S. Mint’s website, while the new coins will begin circulating in 2025.
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