As disgraced Olympic doctor Larry Nassar headed to a Michigan courtroom again Wednesday to face another sentence for molesting gymnasts, gold-medalist Simone Biles appeared on the “Today” show and said she’s “very happy” that her abuser will remain behind bars for the rest of his life. Biles is one of more than 250 people, including Olympians Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Jordan Wieber, who have accused Nassar of sexual assault. After the ex-doctor got up to 175 years for the crimes, Biles called the judge who sentenced him her “hero.” “She gave it to him straight,” Biles said of Judge Rosemarie Aquilina. “And [she] didn’t let him get any power over any of the girls.”
A man was injured during a fire at a church Monday evening in Hammond, Indiana, officials said.
Calumet Avenue was shut down at Michigan Street about 6 p.m. near Bethel Congregational Church of God. The church’s façade was reduced to crumbling bricks that fell onto a nearby parked car and officials say the roof collapsed entirely.
Fire officials say they're still trying to determine the cause of an explosion that preceded the fire, but say nothing looks suspicious.
Witnesses say there was a loud boom followed by flames.
"I was a block-and-a-half away and felt the house violently shaking," said witness Steven Wiles.
Police say a deacon at the church suffered some burns but is lucky to be alive.
"There was a gentleman that had entered [the church] two minutes before the explosion," Hammond Fire Chief Jeff Smith told NBC 5. "He smelled gas, the next thing he heard was a pop and a boom and it blew him back—rolled down the stairs."
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Smith said he believes there could have been more injuries had the fire occurred during a prayer service that was scheduled later in the evening.
"It would have been a disaster," he said. "There are a lot of people who came here for food—people who really need it.”