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California-based Bolthouse Farms has issued a recall for 5,600 cases of 16-ounce Carrot Chips due to food poisoning concerns. According to a news report in Examiner.com, salmonella was detected in the products during routine testing by a health official.

So far, Bolthouse Farms, whose headquarters is based in Santa Monica, has not received any reports of illnesses or hospitalizations as a result of these potentially contaminated products.

The carrot chips were shipped to retailers in United States and Canada. Consumers who purchased the Bolthouse Farms Carrot Chips are urged not to eat them and return the product to the store where they purchased it for a full refund. For more information, please contact Bolthouse Farms at 1-866-535-3774.

Statistics and Symptoms Relating to Salmonella Poisoning

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there are about 1.4 million cases of salmonella food poisoning nationwide each year. However, only 40,000 of those cases are annually reported. CDC reports also show that of all the types of food poisoning, salmonella poisoning leads to the highest rate of hospitalizations. Read the rest »

Sean “Diddy” Combs was injured in a Los Angeles car accident after the vehicle in which he was a passenger T-boned a sedan in Beverly Hills on October 24, 2012. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, Combs was in a black Escalade SUV that struck a Lexus sedan, which made a left turn in front of the SUV. The accident occurred on Sunset Boulevard in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Photos taken after the accident showed Combs shaken up and lying on the ground, the Times report said. Everyone involved in the accident complained of pain, but no one was transported to the hospital. Combs reportedly said that he would get his own medical attention. His representative later told the Associated Press that Combs had hurt his neck, ribs and collarbone.

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Alfonso Cerda Sr., 45, was killed in an Inglewood car accident after a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s squad car hit and killed him as he rode his bike. According to an ABC news article, the fatal accident occurred on October 8, 2012 in the 3500 block of West 107th Street. Officials say Cerda was on his bike during the early morning hours when two deputies in a patrol car tried to contact him believing that he was carrying a gun. A short pursuit ended with the squad car and the bicyclist slamming into an iron fence. Cerda’s injuries proved fatal.

Cerda’s family is questioning the details of this bicycle accident. The sheriff’s department issued a statement that Cerda brandished a gun at the deputies. But the family says he did not even own a weapon, but carried a flashlight when he rode his bike. His son, Alfonso Cerda Jr. tells ABC News that his family is trying to make sense out of this tragedy. “How do you hit someone with a 5,000-pound vehicle? How does that happen?” he asks. They also say it was common for Cerda to be out at night picking up clothes and other items from trash cans, which he would later sell. The investigation is ongoing. Read the rest »

Jose Malena, 65, suffered fatal injuries on the job after he was trapped in a cooking device at the Bumble Bee Foods plant in Santa Fe Springs. According to a KTLA news report, the incident occurred the morning of October 11, 2012 at the factory located in the 13100 block of Arctic Circle. Malena was discovered inside a device called the steamer machine and pronounced dead at the scene. Cal-OSHA officials are still trying to determine how Malena ended up inside the equipment. Investigators are also looking into whether there were any health or safety violations at the site.

OSHA officials stated that the investigation, which will include visits to the tuna canning plant, interviews and review of the company’s safety documentation, could be completed within six-months. If it is determined after the investigation that there were safety violations, the company could face civil penalties. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office will also determine if criminal charges are warranted. Read the rest »

Blair Marcus Proulx, 51, was killed in a Santa Clarita motorcycle accident the evening of October 5, 2012, and his family members are still searching for answers as to how or why this tragedy occurred. According to a news report in The Signal, the fatal motorcycle crash happened in a residential neighborhood on Alta Knoll Drive near Elder Creek Drive. Officials are looking into everything from whether Proulx suffered a medical condition, to whether he may have hit something on the side of the street. Officials say he was not going fast at the time of the crash. So far, investigators do not believe that any other vehicles were involved. The investigation is still ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Blair Marcus Proulx, who apparently died less than a week before his 52nd birthday. Please keep his grieving family members in your thoughts and prayers.

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Robert Kotob, 70, of San Gabriel remains in critical condition after a car accident near Jefferson Middle School. According to a report in The Pasadena Star-News, the major injury collision occurred at the intersection of East Las Tunas Drive and Burton Avenue, the morning of September 18, 2012. Officials are still looking for witnesses who may have seen exactly how this collision occurred. The driver was a San Gabriel resident and a parent who was about to drop off her child at school. Kotob had recently been hired as a crossing guard. He suffered traumatic injuries and broken bones. Police do not expect charges to be filed against the driver unless the victim dies from his injuries. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 626-308-2859.

My heart goes out to Robert Kotob, who has suffered severe, life-threatening injuries in this accident. I wish him the very best for a complete recovery. He will be in my thoughts and prayers.

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