Investigators from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Jasper County Sheriff’s Department have begun investigating the remains of the Islamic Society of Joplin Mosque for signs of arson. Officials have confirmed that surveillance equipment was destroyed in the fire, and it is unlikely that video evidence will emerge. Here’s some quick info on the rewards offered for information:
(Photo via Tonawanda News)
![Second fire completely destroys Islamic Center in Joplin, Missouri
After an act of arson carried out on July 4, 2012 caused minor damage to the Islamic Society of Joplin Mosque, a second blaze started that began early Monday morning has leveled the religious building. While authorities have not yet determined the fire’s cause, mosque leader Iman Lahmuddin has confirmed to local press that it did completely destroy the structure and everything inside. “But since we are people of faith, we just can remember that this is a thing that happened because God let it happen,” said Lahmuddin, continuing, “and we have to be patient, particularly in the month of Ramadan, [to] control our emotions, our anger.” (Photo via KSN) source
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After an act of arson carried out on July 4, 2012 caused minor damage to the Islamic Society of Joplin Mosque, a second blaze started that began early Monday morning has leveled the religious building. While authorities have not yet determined the fire’s cause, mosque leader Iman Lahmuddin has confirmed to local press that it did completely destroy the structure and everything inside. “But since we are people of faith, we just can remember that this is a thing that happened because God let it happen,” said Lahmuddin, continuing, “and we have to be patient, particularly in the month of Ramadan, [to] control our emotions, our anger.” (Photo via KSN) source
Any projects that have not come in for approval, we’re not going to be able to fund those as this point. We’re going to postpone those. Our goal is to keep this disruption as short as possible, but it was prudent.FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate • Describing the reasons that FEMA is putting their long-term work to repair Joplin, Mo. on hold, and instead putting that money towards Hurricane Irene. Another issue arising in the Hurricane Irene situation? They might run into yet another wall of House Republican suck. That’s because House Majority Leader Eric Cantor makes no guarantees about funding Irene cleanup unless there are budget cuts to match, which is a real jerk move which shows how out-of-touch with reality that the GOP is. Now, granted, Ron Paul pitches ideas like these all the time. But when the GOP leadership continues to do so without regard to the current situation at hand, it makes you you want to vote all the bums out en masse next year. source (via • follow)
I wanted to make a lot of little girls feel like princesses on that first day of school.Susan Stewart, a teacher in Joplin, Missouri • Discussing her efforts to give young students an emotional boost. Students are back in school after Joplin was hit with devastating tornadoes and storms back in May. Stewart created “Project First Day,” which helped create over 1,400 new dresses for girls on their first day of school. Members of the project sewed from across the country to help out a devastated town. source (via • follow)
Joplin’s victims remembered: Around 37 of the victims of last week’s deadly Joplin tornado are listed on this page. It’s a reminder, as we get overwhelmed by the photos and the videos and the numbers of it all, that real people were involved and each of them have stories. The site was actually modeled off a similar one by the Tuscaloosa News. Check out both sites if you want to put the pieces together of stories ended by the deadly 2011 tornado season. (thanks @JuliaJRH)
» And this is where the numbers really get confusing: With two different organizations — the state of Missouri and the city of Joplin — reporting two different official death toll figures (126 and 132, respectively), and around 19 of the missing identified as victims on the list of those accounted for, you’d be forgiven for being a bit confused by all these numbers. Let’s simplify it for you: It was a lot of people, and those still alive have a lot to recover from.
Our goal is to get that number to zero. We will dedicate as much state resources as needed around the clock to ensure those family who have loved ones that they cannot find are connected.Missouri Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Andrea Spillars • Describing the group’s goal to whittle down the list of 232 missing people in Joplin — some of whom are amongst the 126 killed in Sunday’s storm, but perhaps haven’t been identified. Others may remain missing, but others still may have skipped town without informing friend and relatives of their departure. Let’s hope it’s the latter. source (via • follow)
Photo: REUTERS/Ed Zurga
Today in politicizing things that shouldn’t be politicized.
spacebaw said: and this is significant…how?
» SFB says: Because a woman died when reacting to another person’s death after the deadliest tornado in modern U.S. history — a tornado which has turned a city of 50,000 into rubble. Sorry if it doesn’t pass muster for you. It did for us. In fact, it really affected us. (EDIT: Not to belabor the point on this, but this Tumblr is sticking by their incredibly insensitive point. “Meanwhile, nobody cares.” Really? Try losing someone you love and see how you feel.) — Ernie @ SFB
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#@#$%!.tumblr.com
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Another crushingly sad tale from the Joplin storm: After a 54-year-old woman found out on Tuesday that her father died in Sunday’s incredibly tragic tornado in the Missouri town, she had a heart attack and later died. The woman, a schoolteacher, lived in a nearby town and attended church in the city of 50,000. Despite the fact that she wasn’t killed in the storm itself, the coroner says that they will consider her death a storm-related casualty. Such a gut punch. Officials in the city plan to continue searching for those missing, combing over areas they’ve covered as many as three times already — all in the hopes of finding a survivor in the rubble. Hold out hope. source
Rusty Burton finds important papers and a stuffed bear he won for his grandson as he sifted through the remnants of the child’s home Tuesday in Joplin. Family members are frantically searching for 16-month-old Skyular Logsdon; the boy disappeared during Sunday’s tornado. Skyular’s parents, Carol Jo Tate and Cordero Logsdon, were both injured and are hospitalized in Pittsburg, Kan. “I’m starting to lose hope,” Burton said. “But I don’t want to think about that.” The family rejoiced when the boy was not found at a temporary morgue; they’re also looking through hospital logs. Burton keeps a photo on his cellphone, ready to show to anyone who may have seen the boy. Post-Dispatch photo by Robert Cohen • rcohen@post-dispatch.com
Could you imagine having to do a search like this? We’ve been looking through the photos and it’s just an emotional rollercoaster to look at. We hope for Burton’s sake, along with his family, that they find him alive. Hold out hope.
Scenes from Joplin, and fears of further storms: The death toll in Joplin continued to grimly creep upwards today, with 117 now confirmed dead, and relief and rescue services still faced with such a job that you should probably brace for that number to change again. To make matters worse, the NOAA has issued warnings of severe storms the next few days across a broad swath of the American heartland, with Joplin lying in the highest risk zone. Please do everything possible to stay safe, everybody. source
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