Next on Fox 21 news at nine, a city trying to recover from terrorist attacks gets hit
with another blow.
A plane carrying 260 people breaks apart and crashes in Queens.
I hear the plane coming very low, low.
I say, Oh God, I hear the noise.
I say, Oh my God.
I close the window, I hear this blow right away. I walk outside, I see a whole smoke.
I'm in panic.
I witnessed accounts from those who saw the crash as it happened and local reaction from
the travel industry.
Plus, we've heard about the Taliban in Afghanistan tonight.
Our special assignment, a look inside the country and the people from the eyes of a
local charity worker.
And are you hooked on Ali?
We'll have a preview of some of the faces and performances you may see later this season.
Fox 21 news at nine is next.
Southern Colorado, your ride at home with Fox 21 and the region's first and only prime
time newscast one hour earlier.
This is Fox 21 news at nine.
Thanks for watching Fox 21 news at nine.
I'm Joe Cole and I'm Stephanie Pilinski.
Just more than two months after the September 11th attacks, another tragedy in New York
City, an American Airlines jetliner crashed into a residential neighborhood in Queens,
New York with 260 people on board.
225 bodies have been found and so far the evidence points towards a mechanical failure.
Molly Falconer has the details in tonight's top story.
Home video demonstrates the magnitude of the disaster.
I see at the top of the roof and I see the plane.
The engine fall down and the plane fall, the piece fell left side and make it slide all
the way down and I see, I see the people 100 percent in.
The cause of the crash of American flight 587 is under investigation.
One of the things that we are very committed to doing is to have a full investigation from
a system standpoint, mechanical standpoint, looking at the history of this flight, the
crew, the human factors that may have been involved.
The plane was an Airbus A300 and was headed for Santo Domingo shortly after 9 a.m. Monday
morning.
At this time we have absolutely no indication of what caused the accident.
The flight data recorder has been recovered and I believe is in the possession of the
NTSB and I'm sure they'll be trying to get the information from that as quickly as possible.
The FAA is calling the crash a domestic disaster.
Flames and smoke have overwhelmed the neighborhood at the center of the crash site.
New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani rushed to the scene of yet another disaster, a community
that is already coping with the loss of so many people at the World Trade Center.
One observer says they saw an engine come off and the plane hit the ground.
The engine hit one place, the plane hit another.
They've hit a number of homes in Rockaway.
As you can see the fire and the flames are tremendous.
On land police and firefighters are putting out flames and blocking down whole blocks
of the area.
On water the Coast Guard divers are searching for survivors and evidence.
Rescue crews have been flooding this tiny residential neighborhood.
The NTSB, the FBI and NYPD on scene helicopters crisscrossing the skies overhead.
12 homes were on fire.
Those flames are doused but the neighborhood and city is in shock.
In Queens, New York, Molly Falconer, Fox News.
Fighter jets escorted a United Airlines plane to Denver International Airport this morning.
United officials say the airline put out a call to all of its flights after the American
Airlines crash in Queens.
Fighter jets were dispatched when the crew of flight 1145 on its way to Denver from Minneapolis
didn't immediately respond.
Communications apparently failed and the plane landed without incident.
After September 11th the airline industry experienced a sharp decline as air travelers
shied away from flying.
The travel and tourism industry suffered as travel agents all over the country canceled
bookings.
Even though the FBI says it doesn't look like today's plane crash in Queens was terrorist
related, some people are still on edge.
Debra Jesmer is live at the Springs Airport with a reaction from people who were flying
today as well as those who work in the travel industry.
Debra?
Well people who were flying today were understandably unnerved as they heard of the news of the
crash and even though some of the travel agents we spoke with said they haven't been affected
yet they said it'll be interesting to see what will happen now that we're on the verge
of the busiest traveling of the year.
As the news about the crash of American flight 587 spread through the Springs Airport many
travelers questioned their safety.
I didn't see the exact thing what happened on the flight but it does bother you a little
bit.
So far agents at Travel Bugs say there have been no cancellations and bookings are actually
up.
Christmas bookings are just this morning have been very heavy.
Morning break bookings are heavy.
Bookings for January, a few for Thanksgiving but no we haven't seen a decrease whatsoever.
But since September 11th the airline industry has taken their fair share of punches.
Boeing today announced that they did not see a recovery until three and a half years from
now.
Now only time will tell if and how much today's crash will impact air travel and tourism.
No longer does the airline industry talk about the next few months it's quickly become the
next few years.
If you are planning to travel soon there are some good deals out there as the travel industry
tries to recover.
Reporting live from the Springs Airport, Debra Jesmer, Fox 21 News.
Two post offices in Fort Collins have been reopened.
The state health department says no signs of anthrax were found at the two locations.
They were closed last week because of concerns about the illness.
One worker was hospitalized with anthrax-like symptoms but he was later diagnosed with pneumonia.
Samples taken from the post offices came back negative for anthrax.
Here's more on the anthrax investigation from around the country.
In Washington D.C. the heart building offices of 11 senators have now been found to have
anthrax contamination and a poster facility near Trenton, New Jersey is expected to reopen
tomorrow after being cleaned for anthrax.
Here's the latest in the war on terrorism.
Witnesses say Taliban military forces have deserted the Afghanistan capital of Kabul
after a series of military victories by opposition forces.
The U.S. and seven other nations agreed to speed efforts to form a new government in
Afghanistan and the Pentagon will place military aircraft in the former Soviet Republican of
Tajikistan to keep pressure on the Taliban.
Two French journalists have been killed in an ambush in northeastern Afghanistan.
A third journalist is missing and presumed dead and another photojournalist says he was
shot in the leg by Taliban troops.
Afghanistan's anti-Taliban northern alliance has been massing its forces at the front line
preparing for a possible push towards Kabul.
Since September 11th we've heard many stories about Afghanistan, the country, the people,
the Taliban.
But it's hard to imagine this place that most of us have never been.
That's why we talked with a Springs man who with his organization the Mobility Project
has traveled to Afghanistan.
He shares his experiences with us tonight in this special report.
But they gave me permission to take photos of the people in the chairs.
Steve Oliver is the president of the Mobility Project, an organization that provides wheelchairs,
walkers, and crutches to the disabled poor around the world.
Last November the group went to Afghanistan.
No matter how much you're prepared for it, how many stories you've heard about it, you
just can't believe that it could be that oppressive there and especially for the women.
Walking the streets of the capital Kabul, Oliver saw first-hand women forced to cover
themselves from head to foot who are forbidden by the Taliban to work or be educated.
He also met many shopkeepers, men who were amazed to see Americans in the city.
They would invite Oliver and his group into their shops.
They were very interested in why he was there.
Once you got off of the street, they were very talkative and many of them spoke English
and you could have some great conversations, had tea or chai with them.
Was really neat.
These friendly Afghans were terribly afraid of the Taliban and its vice and virtue squads.
The squads patrol the city in trucks and enforce the moral laws.
They make sure that women are not exposing their faces and men close their shops to go
to their call to prayer.
Oliver met with the Taliban twice to get permission to work in Afghanistan.
He says they treated him well and were interested in what his group did.
They really cared that we wanted to distribute wheelchairs, but they really wanted us to
focus on the men.
He expected to hear that, but didn't want to just help wounded Taliban soldiers.
Afghanistan has the second largest concentration of land mines in the world and they've made
thousands of Afghans disabled.
We told them the only way we would come is if we chose the recipients and it included
women, children and men and that had to be our decision.
It took a while, but they agreed.
Oliver says he wasn't afraid to meet the Taliban or to travel in Afghanistan.
He was just careful in deciding where he and his team went.
They stayed close to Kabul, a city that was destroyed long before recent US attacks.
Probably two-thirds of Kabul was leveled and the remaining third that was still standing
had bullet holes and mortar shell marks in it.
So you could tell it was a city that was definitely suffering.
A year later, the city and the people are still suffering and Oliver believes the average
Afghan would do anything, even give their life, to get rid of the Taliban.
Steve Oliver's organization, The Mobility Project, is based in Colorado Springs, but
its teams travel all over the world to distribute wheelchairs.
If you have any wheelchairs, walkers, canes or crutches and would like to donate them,
you can call 574-5297 or go to www.mobilityproject.org for more information.
The group will refurbish anything you give and make it good as new for the disabled poor.
Forty-five reservists called to active duty last week will begin reporting this week to
Peterson Air Force Base.
Reservists say the reservists are mostly security forces attached to the 302nd Airlift Wing.
The 302nd consists of 1,300 reservists and 200 full-time personnel assigned to 16 C-130
cargo planes.
None of those planes have been activated so far.
Construction crews are getting rid of part of the Nevada Avenue Bridge.
CDOT is reconstructing the bridge.
Today they demolished the eastern side as part of the I-25, South Nevada and Tejon Avenue
Safety Improvement Project.
All traffic will be shifted to southbound lanes while the eastern half of the bridge
is reconstructed.
Riding in Belfast takes the life of a teen and a huge airline merger makes news in Japan.
Those are just some of the stories making headlines around the world.
Despite talks of peace in Northern Ireland, more violence has erupted.
Pre-nude clashes between Protestant and Roman Catholic gangs in a flashpoint area have led
to the death of a 16-year-old.
The boy was attempting to throw a man-made bomb when it went off in his hand and died
of massive head injuries.
Japan's national air carrier is desperately trying not to follow in the footsteps of some
of its own competitors.
The airline has announced it will merge with the nation's third largest airline, Japan
Air System or JAS.
The move is an attempt to cope with a rapid downturn in demand after September's terrorist
attacks.
And finally, a Japanese giant panda left for a rather special mission in Mexico today.
Ling Ling will be meeting up with three female pandas at Mexico City Zoo.
Officials are hoping Ling Ling will be able to mate with the three pandas.
That's something he failed to do earlier this year on a similar trip.
That trip lasted three months.
Just go around, Ling Ling, well he gets five months.
Mother Nature chose to shake things up a little bit in the northwest this weekend.
Coming up on Fox 21 News at 9, a couple of earthquakes jolt the state of Washington.
And what can we expect from our weather?
Mike has our complete forecast next.
We're living in a high-tech world and Bircham's office products will lead you into the digital
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For 30 years, the glassblowers of Manitou have created unique crystal cake tops for
your special wedding day.
Crystal keepsakes created in the old world tradition of quality, craftsmanship and excellence.
The glassblowers of Manitou invite you to come in and select your crystal cake top and
receive a free rose at the time of purchase as our wedding gift to you.
Located across from the town clock in historic Manitou Springs, the glassblowers have that
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A lifetime keepsake.
Saturn is working to keep our economy strong in jobs, in commerce and in spirit.
As part of that effort, we're providing interest-free financing on every new coupe, sedan and wagon
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Come visit your Saturn retailer and keep America rolling.
Fox 21 News at 9.
With Joe Cole, Stephanie Pitlinski, meteorologist Mike Madsen and Eric Denner with sports.
This is Fox 21 News at 9.
Residents of Spokane, Washington got a little jolt this weekend.
Yesterday morning, the area was rocked by a 4.0 earthquake.
Forecasysmologists say the quake was centered just 1.2 miles north of the city.
The quake was followed by a 3.1 tremor.
No major damage or injuries were reported.
Sunshine today, some high clouds this evening.
Are any changes in our future?
Let's check out our forecast.
And now, Fox 21 Precision Weather with meteorologist Mike Madsen.
There are some changes in the 57th of the springs.
Humidity 50 percent, southeasterly breezes at 8 miles per hour.
In Pueblo, it's 39, relative humidity up to 70 percent, and the wind is from the northwest
at 7 miles per hour.
Statewide temperatures, currently 32 in Aspen, 43 in Denver, 37 in Alamosa, and 48 in Grand
Junction.
Lyman is 35 and it's 40s across the lower Arkansas Valley.
Colorado satellite imagery continues to show those high clouds spreading in, some just
over the mountains.
There are plenty more where those came from and they will continue to filter the star
light tonight.
Now expanding our view to national radar, there was a little snow in the northeast earlier.
That's moved out, now just cool air remains with scattered storms over northeast Florida
and along the eastern Florida coast.
Back to the west, showers and thunderstorms moving across Minnesota and a line of showers
and thunderstorms from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.
The reason, there's a cold front on shore and it's moving in our direction.
And tomorrow night on Wednesday, it's going to bring some changes into the region.
Now it isn't going to happen very rapidly because it has to fight its way through a
ridge of high pressure.
And that ridge will still give us a mild day tomorrow.
But late tomorrow and Wednesday as that front starts to spiral in, then you're going to
see some changes.
In fact, by tomorrow evening, look for thunderstorms from the southwestern deserts into the southwestern
part of our state, snow over the San Juan and the Sangre de Cristos and by tomorrow night
the raindrops will become increasingly likely where you live.
The forecast looks like this.
Tonight, 34, the low for the springs, breezy with high clouds, 65 degrees tomorrow.
But from that point on, the changes will move in.
The cool air, the chance for showers and the breezy winds on Wednesday.
Low near freezing, high remaining in the 50s.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, variable clouds, a chance for a raindrop from time to time,
30s and mid-50s.
Now as far as Pueblo and vicinity are concerned, it'll be a little cooler tonight.
Low near 28.
But as the breezes blow, near 70 degrees tomorrow.
You can hear some thunder rumbling late tomorrow afternoon and by tomorrow night a chance for
showers.
Wednesday, the high near 58.
Then again, those variable clouds, lows in the 20s, highs in the 60s.
There is a chance of a raindrop or two from time to time.
So if it's just been too warm for you to feel like it's the season, the next couple of days
are exactly what you ordered.
Joe and Stephanie, back to you.
Thanks, Mike.
The X-Files is back with some new faces.
Next in the Fox light, we'll hear from one of the guest stars who holds some tantalizing
secrets about Scully's baby.
Plus the cast of Ally McBeal gives us some hints about what's happening this season.
Later in sports, Eddie Kinnison has second thoughts on his early retirement.
Eric Denner has that story in a few minutes.
This November, Woodley's Fine Furniture is celebrating our 22nd anniversary.
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Hurry, he's in the study.
Come on.
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Quest, why didn't we get it sooner?
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The Warrior Princess changes her role, but not her attitude, and the role of a hot-headed
coach in the Fox life tonight.
Well, if you're a big X-Files fan, then you probably caught last night's season premiere
here on Fox, the first Mulder free season.
But new characters have emerged, including Lucy Lawless of Xena Warrior Princess fame.
She plays Shannon McMahon, and even Lucy isn't sure whether her character is good or evil.
But there is one thing she's sure of.
In a fight, could you take Scully?
In a fight, could I take Scully?
Is she pregnant?
No, she's not pregnant.
Absolutely, I would think the character could.
Oh, that's what they say.
I know, that Jillian Anderson, though, she could put her boobs on me.
Shannon McMahon knows some secrets surrounding Scully's baby.
She's scheduled to appear in only two episodes so far.
Coach O'Brien Dennehy has taken the role of a famous hot-headed coach.
Dennehy will play former Indiana University coach Bobby Knight in an upcoming TV movie
based on a biography called On the Brink.
Knight has denounced the book.
He now coaches at Texas Tech.
And finally, punk rock fans will probably always remember Joey Ramone.
Now residents of New York's Lower East Side may soon get a constant reminder.
The community board is considering renaming the corner of East 2nd Street and Bowery after
Ramone.
And that location is near where the Ramones got their start.
Steph?
The cast of Ally McBeal is celebrating the filming of its 100th episode.
It's been interesting so far.
Ally has had love interests come in and out of her life since the beginning of the series.
Now add rock star Jon Bon Jovi to the list of possible loves.
He's coming soon.
Ally McBeal is also known for her late night jams so you can probably bet on a few lively
performances this season.
He was trying to sing a little something for me earlier and I just said no I don't go there.
They may do that in Jersey.
Not here.
He seems like a nice fella.
A good youngster and I hear he can sing.
So maybe they'll get him singing on the show.
I thought I had everybody licked because I could sing but then they bring this guy in
you know.
I'm nothing.
No.
They don't ask me to sing so it must not be mandatory.
It depends on who you are.
Bon Jovi will appear in at least nine episodes beginning in January.
Terrell Davis looked great yesterday but today not so good.
Next in fourth the Bronco star running back goes down to the nice again.
And a little later we'll show you where the gingerbread man would live if he won Powerball.
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Alright, what is wrong with you?
Oh I know this, I know this.
Oh!
For all the best in television entertainment, stay right at home with Box 21.
Another game, another surgery for Terrell Davis.
The Broncos all pro running back has torn cartilage in his knee.
He's been missing at least 10 days, which would mean he's out for the Washington and
Dallas games.
TD carried the ball 33 times yesterday, but has had a heck of a time staying healthy
the last three years.
Coach Mike Shanahan talked about Davis's condition this afternoon.
You know he's worked his rear end off to get where he's at.
I said hey whatever you've been doing, I said don't do that anymore, do something else
because you've got some bad luck.
Broncos wide receiver Eddie Kennison is having second thoughts about his retirement.
He told Coach Mike Shanahan he was done with football Saturday night, but today he says
he wants to be back on the team.
Shanahan says he'll talk with the team before he decides Eddie's fate.
Kennison better hope Brian Greasy doesn't have a vote.
You know I have my best wishes for him and I don't think that I could personally do something
to my team like that the night before a game, but you don't know all the circumstances.
Monday night football, a real snoozer.
Ravens and Titans tied at three late in the third quarter.
Most of the time when a guy bats 187 and retires we don't mention it unless it's the first
ballot hall of famer.
According to numerous reports, Mark McGuire is hanging it up after 15 years in the majors.
His retirement helps the St. Louis Cardinals because it frees up his $15 million salary
to sign other free agents.
The Air Force basketball team hasn't recently set the world on fire.
The men and women combined for a record of 11 and 46 last year, but a couple of young
coaches hope to change the Falcons fortunes after years of losing.
At the Air Force Academy there's a lot of talk about changes.
I think it's just a change of attitude.
How you perceive every practice every day, how they prepare for the games.
First year coach Artie McAnilly takes over a team that hasn't won more than a handful
of games since it became a Division I program five years ago.
We're going to surprise a lot of teams and it's going to be fun and exciting and it's
a good group of women to work with.
Returning players already see a difference.
It's a lot more positive, a lot more energetic style.
The same thing is being said about the men's program.
Joe Scott is now in his second year as head coach.
We still have the sort of problem of expecting to win, playing to win for 40 minutes.
The men's team went eight in 21 last year, but did have home wins over Utah, Colorado
State and New Mexico.
If we can turn Clunarina into the same type of venue as the other teams in our league,
well we're going to win a lot more games here.
The fans haven't come out partly because the Falcons haven't had a winning season in 23
years.
Everyone likes a winner so we just got to win games.
You got to win.
I mean if you want people to come watch you have to win.
And here's one of those things we like to debate about, sport or not a sport, arm wrestling.
Now this is from the National Arm Wrestling Championships.
Several matches featured New York firefighters and police officers.
Part of the proceeds went to the fallen heroes of the World Trade Center disaster.
I would try to arm wrestle you guys, but we don't have time.
I'm getting a wrap.
I mean you'd probably win.
Thanks sir.
We'll be right back.
Play your hardwood flooring in a weekend.
Yes I did.
McDonald's hardwoods is now open right here in Colorado Springs.
Stocked with only solid pre-finished hardwood flooring, McDonald's hardwoods will help you
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We take the hard out of hardwood flooring.
The new crop of vehicles from Dodge includes one really bad apple.
Dodge, coming soon to a racetrack near you.
We had a really great year this year and we want to say thanks to everybody.
We've surpassed our goal for this year.
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I know this, I know this.
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It looks like a place straight out of a fairytale.
But this ginger gigantic, excuse me, gingerbread house is the real thing and we're not talking
little gingerbread here.
It just may turn out to be the biggest in the world.
That's right.
Workers are building the house out of six tons of gingerbread and more than 1,000 chocolate
bars to complete the five and a half story abode.
When completed, the house will be used as Santa's holiday headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.
It's a good thing that's in Memphis, if that was like somewhere Phoenix, Arizona, it'd
melt and be gone.
That's true.
Good spot for it to make.
Thanks for watching Fox 21 News at 9.
We'll see you back here tomorrow night.
Bye.