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Arson arrest: Mariposa man, 71, accused of starting last summer’s huge Oak Fire

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

A 71-year-old Mariposa man was arrested Friday on suspicion of starting last summer’s Oak Fire, which burned almost 200 buildings west of Yosemite.The felony charges include multiple arson counts, said the law enforcement division of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It did not say what led investigators to suspect the man.The fire was reported on the afternoon of July 22, 2022, near the store in the community of Midpines, along Highway 140.In the first day after its ignition, the fire exhibited extreme behavior,  spreading unusually quickly and producing a pyrocumulus cloud that could be seen as far away as Reno.It eventually burned 19,244 acres (30 square miles) and destroyed 127 homes and 66 outbuildings. Three firefighters were injured.At the time, it was the state’s biggest wildfire of the season. Large fires in the early fall bumped it to No. 5.CalFire was assisted in the investigation by agencies including the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Off...

Outpouring for two East Bay pilots who died in plane crash near Rio Vista airport ‘almost beyond words’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

CONCORD — Lizzy Fenner took note of the money already received on a fundraising page dedicated to helping her brother-in-law’s family in the wake of his death, and she was humbled.“Almost beyond words,” she said.It’s been more than a week since a small plane crash near the Rio Vista Municipal Airport killed 41-year-old Concord resident Benjamin Shreve and 33-year-old Martinez resident Jesse Buckner, two friends and, according to Fenner, two beloved and unforgettable people.Friends and pilots Jesse Buckner, left, and Benjamin Shreve bonded over their love of flying and their kind personalities, according to Shreve’s relative. The two died June 8 in a plane crash near Rio Visa Municipal Airport. Photo courtesy Lizzy FennerThe fundraiser for Shreve, created a week ago by Fenner, had generated about $68,000 by noon Friday. It seeks $100,000 to help support his two children, ages 7 and 2.A fundraiser for Buckner had raised about $57,135 of the $10...

346 people died from drug overdoses in San Francisco in 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Within the first five months of 2023, 346 people died in San Francisco from accidental drug overdoses, according to data recently released by the city's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The city's overdose crisis spiked last month with 74 deaths reported in May. Fentanyl -- a highly addictive, cheap, and deadly street drug -- is the primary culprit behind overdoses. Fentanyl was detected in 275 of the 346 victims. According to city data, 77 percent of the overdose victims were between ages 35-64 years old. Eighty-two percent were men, 41 percent were white, and 32 percent were Black. San Francisco recorded 725 overdose deaths in 2020, 638 in 2022, and 640 in 2021, data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shows. 2023's overdose numbers are tragically outpacing 2022 and 2021. 2023-SF-Overdose-ReportDownloadAccording to the Department of Public Health, fentanyl first became prevalent in local street drug supplies in 2018. The opioid spread through...

Opinion: Canada urgently needs a FEMA-like emergency management agency

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

By: Ali Asgary, York University, CanadaDisasters often bring politicians, policymakers, researchers and the public to the discussion table. Due to their catastrophic impacts, disasters and emergencies prompt a large array of stakeholders to focus intently on the issues at hand, providing windows of opportunity for change.This focus often exposes the operational, co-ordination and governance deficiencies and weaknesses of emergency management systems. Disasters like the ongoing wildfires in Canada raise questions about whether the current system and approaches are best suited to protect people, property and the environment from hazards — and can bring about change and investment in corrective measures.Many of the world’s leading emergency management governance approaches and national agencies have gone through extensive changes and enhancement following major disaster events, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States following hurricane Katrina in ...

Bear gets inside home and 'hangs out'

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Bears are smart animals. One in Steamboat Springs was clever enough to get itself inside a home but couldn't figure out how to get out. As you can see in the video sent by H. Hannah above, the bear is hanging out an upstairs window of a home it got into through a window downstairs. Luckily, the residents weren't home so neighbors called police, according to Steamboat Radio's Shannon Lukens. After the bear was in the home, it tried to get out of an upper-level window numerous times but wouldn’t make the jump, Lukens told FOX31. It eventually pulled itself back inside and made its way back downstairs. The bear went back to the original window that it broke into, and managed to get out and head back into the neighborhood. Video: Young bears try to get into Steamboat Springs home Local police alerted Colorado Parks and Wildlife about the incident. Bearproof your propertyCPW says to be loud and make loud noises to try and chase it away if you encounter a bear, but to ...

Denver violent crime still rising in first half of 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Denverites who think their city doesn't feel as safe as it once did - police data confirms your hunch. Several acts of violence marred the week when the Denver Nuggets won their first-ever NBA championship. During the downtown celebration of the Nuggets' victory on June 12, 10 people were shot in what police say was a drug deal gone wrong. The next day, a road rage incident resulted in a double homicide killing two brothers. Another double shooting happened near the Nuggets' championship parade on Thursday. 10 people shot in LoDo after Denver Nuggets win NBA Finals Cities typically see more violent crime in summer months, meaning the year will have to play out to make a fair comparison about 2023 violence. However, Denver Police Department data shows violent crime increasing in 2023 relative to the same months in previous years.Both the monthly number of violent crimes and the total number of violent crimes to date are rising in 2023. The graph above shows the mo...

Tamarac man gets 4 years, 9 months for attacking officer at US Capitol insurrection

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Tamarac man was sentenced Friday to four years and nine months in federal prison for storming the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and attacking a police officer.Mason Joel Courson, 27, of Tamarac, Florida, was sentenced in District of Columbia federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in November to assaulting, resisting or impeding a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon. The judge also ordered three years of supervised release and restitution of $2,000.Courson was arrested in South Florida in December 2021.According to court documents, Courson joined with others objecting to Democratic President Joe Biden’s election victory over former Republican President Donald Trump. A mob attacked the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying election results, authorities said. Five people died in the violence.According to an indictment, Courson participated in an assault of a Metropolitan Police Department office...

5-year-old boy injured in lawnmower accident in Wellesley

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

A 5-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital in a helicopter in Wellesley after being run over by a lawnmower Friday afternoon, fire officials said.Officials said the boy was seriously injured in a backyard on South River Road. First responders raced to the scene just after 2 p.m. and immediately applied a tourniquet to the child’s leg.He was ultimately airlifted to Boston Children’s Hospital.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Class action lawsuit filed after allegations of body parts stolen from Harvard Medical School morgue

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager as well as Harvard officials are now facing a class action lawsuit in connection with the alleged mishandling, theft and sale of donated human remains from the Harvard Medical School morgue. Keches Law Group filed the suit on Thursday, naming the president and fellows of Harvard College as defendants alongside former morgue manager Cedric Lodge. The suit, which is seeking monetary damages for its plaintiff John Bozek and “all others similarly situated,” follows days after federal authorities announced allegations that several people took part in the sale and transportation of stolen body parts from the Harvard Medical School morgue in a case spanning several states. The suit says families entrusted the deceased bodies of their family members into Harvard’s custody for medical research and academic study. The suit then alleges Harvard and Lodge breached duty of care and were negligent by failing to take responsible steps t...

Hampton Beach hosts 23rd annual sandcastle contest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:45:00 GMT

The 23rd annual Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic is underway in New Hampshire Thursday, featuring sand sculptures that can win thousands in prize money.SKY7 HD over the beach Friday morning showed builders taking to sand to show off their skills on the second day of the festival.You can join in on the voting Saturday and enjoy fireworks later in the evening. The sandcastles will be lit up through June 26.