Free Republic

One brother gets jail, the other probation The brothers who owned The Station nightclub, where a fast- moving fire on Feb. 20, 2003, killed 100 people, have agreed to plead no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges, effectively ending the criminal prosecution against them. In exchange for their pleas, Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. has agreed to a sentence that calls for no jail time for one of the brothers, Jeffrey A. Derderian. Michael A. Derderian, 45, is to serve four years in prison followed by three years of probation. He also will have an 11-year suspended sentence, which...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - A fire swept through a crowded Buenos Aires nightclub during a rock concert, killing at least 174 people and injuring more than 410 as young concert-goers scrambled for the exits, officials said Friday. The blaze broke out late Thursday and the building in the Argentine capital quickly filled with smoke, setting off a stampede for the emergency exits, witnesses said. Television images showed the bodies of youngsters curled up on the sidewalk as bystanders and shirtless teenagers carried people out of the smoldering building. "People were pushing and jumping over each other trying to get...

Great White Return to StageBand's first show since fire to benefit late guitarist's child Ty Longley Two months after a fire at their Rhode Island show claimed nearly 100 lives, Great White will regroup to play a benefit for the unborn child of late member Ty Longley. The thirty-one-year-old guitarist was killed in February 20th fire, which was caused by stage pyrotechnics. The benefit, one of several worldwide, will take place April 29th at the Key Club in West Hollywood, California. The members of Great White -- Jack Russell, Mark Kendall, Eric Powers and Dave Filice -- will perform...

Band Attorney Says Singer Wants Immunity Lawyer Says Singer Wants Immunity; R.I. Club Owner Bought Flammable Packing Foam, Dealer Says PROVIDENCE, R.I. Feb. 28 — The singer for a band whose pyrotechnics display set off last week's disastrous nightclub fire will ask for immunity from prosecution before testifying to a grand jury, his attorney said Friday. And an insulation dealer said club owners bought flammable packing foam, not soundproofing foam, to use in the club. "We'll be there (Friday)," attorney Neil Philbin, who represents Great White lead singer Jack Russell, told The Associated Press. "What happens next remains to be...

Tragedy and Abject Horror in Rhode Island People trapped at the front door of The Station as the fire approaches ... and then The Station fully engulfed Here is a first hand account that was apparently posted on www.metal-sludge.com by an eye-witness to the senseless and horrific events at The Station Night Club in Rhode Island on February 20, 2003 where 100 or more people died. From metal-sludge: This email was just sent into us by Sludgeaholic George D. It's a chilling account of what he experienced at the Great White show last night. My name is George D. I...