Railcar carrying toxic chemicals explodes, prompts evacuation west of North Platte

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - Emergency crews are on the scene of a railcar fire at Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte.

According to Union Pacific Railroad, around noon Thursday, an explosion occurred inside a container, resulting in several railcars catching on fire. UP said there was no derailment and the car had been stationary in the yard for a couple hours.

UP said a container that caught fire contained a hazardous chemical called perchloric acid.

EVACUATION ORDER

The North Platte Fire Department is evacuating people near the explosion due to toxic smoke. Anyone located between Front Road and Homestead Road, and from just north of the railroad tracks to 1 mile north of Highway 30 should evacuate. See map below.

Lincoln County Emergency Management wants people south of the evacuation zone to be ready to move if winds shift.

“Currently, the Nebraska Department of Roads is placing barricades at west A St/Lakeview Blvd as well as west Front St./Lakeview Blvd, North Platte Police said. “That area is not in the evacuation zone, but the purpose is to keep people from entering the evacuation zone.”

Highway 30 remains closed between Hershey and North Platte. I-80 is not affected.

Buffalo Bill State Historical Park and State Recreation Area in North Platte are closed until further notice due to the toxic smoke in the area.

No Union Pacific personnel were injured.

The cause is under investigation.

UP said perchloric acid is used for a number of things, including food, drug and biocidal products, as well as explosives.

https://www.knopnews2.com/2023/09/14/evacuation-ordered-near-bailey-yard-north-platte-due-toxic-smoke/

High society Byron Bay wedding celebrant charged with child grooming

A-lister Byron Bay wedding celebrant charged with child grooming

Adam Magnus officiated the nuptials of models and celebrities while his wife planned weddings for Hollywood stars including Margot Robbie – until his arrest this year.

Wedding celebrant Adam Magnus tied the knot for celebrities and models in Byron Bay’s hinterland while his wife became one of the most sought-after wedding planners in the country. But, police allege, away from the “rock star parties” Adam was secretly grooming a child.

Magnus, 62, was arrested earlier this year by child exploitation police investigators and charged with multiple offences at Ballina police station.

The charges include grooming an 11-year-old girl by exposing her to indecent material to “make it easier to procure the child for unlawful sexual activity”. Magnus was 61 at the time of the alleged offending.

The court file, obtained by this masthead, also alleges Magnus travelled, or met with, a child groomed for sexual activity and transmitted child abuse material in the weeks leading up to his arrest.

Magnus is currently facing 10 charges. Court records indicate some may be withdrawn.

The prominent wedding celebrant from Lennox Head, just outside Byron Bay, has been in custody, with bail refused, since his arrest in March. His family home was searched at the time of his arrest.

Magnus did not appear in Lismore Local Court when his matter was briefly mentioned this week.

The court heard draft documents were still being prepared in the case and it was adjourned until October.

Court files show Magnus did not apply for release on bail.

Magnus’ wife Jane runs Byron Luxury Weddings, which hosts lavish ceremonies outside the tourist mecca on the NSW Far North Coast.

Jane Magnus’ profile hit a high note when she hosted the wedding of film star Margot Robbie and producer Tom Ackerley at Coorabella estate in December 2016.

She described them as a “divine couple”. The Daily Mail, reporting on the wedding in 2018, said Jane works with wedding budgets that begin at $50,000. Magnus was not the celebrant at that wedding.

Jane Magnus is not accused of any wrongdoing, is facing no criminal charges and there is no suggestion she was aware of her husband’s alleged crimes.

Adam Magnus, in an online post, describes himself as “a real all rounder guy”, father of four adults and husband to Jane.

“You may know her, she’s a bit of a legend in the wedding industry and together I like to think we are a great team,” he said in 2020, posing in head-to-toe white linen with a glass of wine.

The pair worked together on the 2014 wedding of supermodel Stephanie “Bambi” Northwood-Blythe and designer Dan Single.

Jane Magnus planned the high-profile event while Adam Magnus was the celebrant, taking the couple through the vows in front of the celebrity-packed crowd.

When Single and Northwood-Blythe split it was the Magnuses who broke the news in the entertainment pages.

The wedding and events business has remained active since Magnus’ arrest, this week boasting on social media about throwing “rock star parties”. Adam Magnus’ own accounts have mostly been taken down.

Adam Magnus’ lawyer did not reply to requests for comment by this masthead.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/high-society-byron-bay-wedding-celebrant-charged-with-child-grooming-20230913-p5e489.html