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Peoria’s Hometown Newspaper
April 25, 2019
Peoria firefighters recovering after explosion BY ANDREA ESTRADA Peoria Times Staff Writer
An investigation is underway after an explosion at an Arizona Public Service (APS) substation in Surprise injured eight West Valley firefighters on April 19, Peoria Fire-Medical spokesman Michael Selmer said at an April 22 press conference. While four Peoria firefighters – Capt. Hunter Clare, Engineer Justin Lopez and firefighters Matt Cottini and Jake Ciulla – were involved in the incident, as of print only three remain hospitalized, under stable conditions, as the fourth recovers from home after being discharged. The other four, from the Surprise Fire-Medical Department, received nonlife-threatening
injuries and were also discharged. Selmer said the four Peoria firemen responded to reports of smoke the evening of April 19 because they were the closest hazardous material (HAZMAT) team to the APS facility near Grand Avenue and Deer Valley. The explosion occurred after 8 p.m. Lopez, who, as of April 19, had undergone two surgeries, “experienced the biggest portion of this explosion,” Selmer said. Lopez suffered a nose fracture, skull fracture, collapsed lung, rib fractures and right leg tibia and fibula fractures. Clare sustained bilateral ankle fractures, a possible wrist fracture, a thoracic fracture and multiple burns and lacerations, as well
$33M in bonds authorized for city projects
as a scapula injury that will be left to heal on its own. “Both Engineer Justin Lopez and Capt. Hunter Clare were flown. So, those injuries were pretty severe,” Selmer said. On a post to the Peoria Fire-Medical Twitter on April 21, officials noted Lopez was “awake and doing as well as can be expected.” The post continued, “He was very anxious until his wife Sara came in the room.” It added that Clare’s “surgery was successful and he is in great spirits.” Cottini and Ciulla, who were both grounded to the hospital following the explosion, were released then readmitted SEE EXPLOSION PAGE 3
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BUSINESS ... 30 Woman expands pottery business to Peoria
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Peoria Times Managing Editor
A number of long-awaited capital improvement projects seem to finally be on the way, as Peoria City Council recently authorized approximately $33 million in general obligation bonds. The unanimous decision by Mayor Cathy Carlat and councilmembers will help fund parks, trails, drainage, streets and public facilities. City officials expect to issue the bonds next month. “A GO bond is used by the city to finance large capital projects. It requires voter approval and is repaid from property taxes. GO bonds are direct SEE BONDS PAGE 2
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