Site of nation's deadliest hotel fire set to reopen

Atlanta, April 18, 2006 - The Winecoff Hotel, the site of the nation's deadliest hotel fire, is being renovated and will reopen as a boutique hotel. The groundbreaking for the renovation in downtown Atlanta is scheduled for 10:00am Friday. The Winecoff, located at 176 Peachtree Street, is being redeveloped by Kelco/FB Winecoff LLC. Plans call for the hotel to have 127 rooms when it reopens next year. Fire swept through the building on December 7th, 1946. A total of 119 guests perished, some of them leaping to their deaths. The dead included the developer, WF Winecoff, and his wife. Among the victims were high school students visiting Atlanta to participate in the Youth Assembly, a mock legislature. A picture of one woman's fall was photographed by a passer-by who won a Pulitzer Prize for the image.

RESCUE EARNS FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL COMMENDATION

20 April 2006
A DONCASTER area firefighter is set to receive a special commendation for his brave actions which helped him save the life of a woman and her pet dog.

Ian McGrevy, 43, who is based at Mexborough fire station, is to receive the Chief Fire Officer's Commendation for his actions during a hotel fire in which he also came to the rescue of his watch manager.
Firefighter McGrevy was filling in on a night duty at Rotherham station when his crew were called to the scene of a serious fire at the County Borough Hotel in Rotherham.
Rotherham watch manager Robert Leeson initially went up a ladder to rescue the hotel's landlady and her pet dog when he fell off the ladder in the icy conditions.
Using directions from the injured watch manager, firefighter McGrevy managed to rescue the woman, her pet dog and finally watch manager Leeson and get them all to safety.
Both firefighter McGrevy and watch manager Leeson are to receive the commendation in recognition of their high level of dedication and professionalism during the rescue in February 2005.