Destruction In Billings

City and county officials in Billings, Mont., are discussing how to handle last night’s destruction of the Rimrock Auto Arena after a tornado tore the roof off of the structure leaving the venue exposed to the heavy rains that accompanied the twister.

But first someone has to enter the building. According to the Billings Gazette, the sports arena is “too dangerous to enter” and was “moving and shifting all night.”

Although several media reports are describing the building as “totaled,” an inspection must first take place before officials can decide whether to raze the structure or repair it.

Click here for the Billings Gazette article.

Silverdome Mishap

A concert by India film composer A.R. Rahman at Michigan’s Pontiac Silverdome was canceled Saturday after a partial stage collapse during setup resulted in several people being taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

Emergency responders from the Pontiac Fire Department were called to the Silverdome about 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, after a “structural complication” resulted in some of the stage rigging falling down, venue spokesman Tom Constand said, according to The Oakland Press.

“Because of the safety issue with regards to the rigging being down, it can’t be put up in time for the show tonight,” Constand said Saturday. “Unfortunately, that means the show tonight has to be canceled.

The canceled concert is part of the nationwide Jai Ho tour featuring Rahman, composer of the music for the film “Slumdog Millionaire.” Constand described the production as having “an extensive set, an extensive stage with lots of rigging.”

The stage collapse also forced the tour to postpone its Toronto engagement scheduled for June 20.

Local promoter Chris Kelly said he’s already in talks about rescheduling the concert.

For more information, click here for The Oakland Press article.