The source of a Salmonella outbreak that closed an Amarillo IHOP three times in three months has been identified. Officials say the hot water bath used to keep pitchers of syrup warm was contaminated with the Salmonella bacteria.

25 people were sickened when bacteria from the outside of the syrup containers was transferred. The IHOP on Western cannot reopen its door until all the bacteria has been eliminated and the restaurant has been sanitized.

Alabama officials are reporting that 7 people are dead after the van they were traveling in was involved in a crash with a tractor trailer. This comes on the heels of a Florida incident, where a tractor trailer loaded with sand, blew threw a stop sign, crashing into a van and killing its six occupants.

Scary stuff. Stay safe out there!

The government is urging consumers to thoroughly cook frozen chicken dinners after 32 people in 12 states were sickened with salmonella poisoning.

The health warning by the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited frozen dishes in which the chicken is raw, but breaded or pre-browned, giving the appearance of being cooked. They include “chicken cordon bleu,” “chicken Kiev,” or chicken breasts stuffed with cheese, vegetables or other items.

USDA said many of the people who became ill apparently did not follow the package’s cooking instructions and microwaved the chicken dishes even though the instructions did not provide for it. Microwaving didn’t heat the meals enough to kill the salmonella.

The department said consumers should cook chicken products to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued the warning Friday after Minnesota health officials found a link between the chicken dinners with salmonella illnesses reported in Minnesota and 11 other states. It did not name the states in its release, and did not immediately respond to a message left at its press office Saturday seeking that information.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72 hours. It can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems such as infants and the elderly.

UPDATE 12:00PM CST- Bus driver arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

8 are dead and 38 injured in a gruesome bus crash in Northern California. About 60 miles into the trip from Sacramento to the Colusa Casino Resort, the bus veered off the road, spun out and flipped over before coming to rest in a ditch. Officials at the scene reported several passengers were thrown from the vehicle, its roof was crushed and most of the windows were smashed out.

46 people were believed to be on the bus at the time of the one-vehicle crash. The cause of the wreck was not immediately known.