Native seabird colony threatened by feral cats

CNN Newsource on September 26, 2025

By Angela Cifone

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    KAUAʻI, Hawai’i (KITV) — These beautiful birds are known as the wedge-tailed shearwater.

Andre Raine, the Science Director of Archipelago Research and Conservation, said, “These are Hawaiian birds, in some cases, architects of the islands.”

“They’ve been here longer than we have. They provide nutrients to our ocean, near shore environment that increases our coral reef growth,” said Afsheen Siddiqi, wildlife biologist with the Department of Land and National Resources

But these birds are in danger, facing threats from predators across Hawai’i.

“When humans came along, we’ve introduced a whole range of mammals, and a lot of these prey on our native seabirds,” said Raine.

That’s exactly what’s happening here.

More than 125 birds were found dead At Kauaʻi’s Ninini Point — the third mass kill in just two weeks.

Raine said, “Yeah, I mean mass slaughter. There’s still quite a few chicks there which are extremely vulnerable. We found cat feces with Shearwater feathers in them, so pretty clear what the culprit was.”

The culprit… feral cats.

Raine continued, “Kauai has a huge feral cat problem. It’s absolutely massive, So we have cats from the shoreline all the way up to our interior to our highest mountains, and there’s a lot of them”

Other predators like dogs, rats and pigs also threaten seabirds.

And because burrows are so close together, one predator can cause devastating damage quickly.

So, how do we stop this?

“And we have a lot of ability to help protect them. Everyone can have a role in that. I mean, just simply keeping your pets inside, that’s a huge benefit to to our native species,” Siddiqi said.

For the Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Hawaiʻi is their only home.

“If they disappear from here, they disappear from the planet. This is their place, and we have a kuleana to protect them,” said Raine.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

PS City Council votes unanimously to move forward with Flock Nova crime analysis software

KESQ on September 26, 2025

Cynthia White

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – After hearing of its safety advantages from Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills, The Palm Springs City Council voted unanimously in favor to purchase the new Flock Nova system on Thursday night.

Mills explained to the Council the Flock Nova is an operating system has been used successfully to identify suspects by combining data bases that the department would normally need to access separately in order to gather information on a suspect.

He added, “What would have taken us minimally hours, normally days, to accomplish, we’ll have at our fingertips and hopefully we can use that information to identify people within minutes. So this changes the ball game completely and allows us to identify people as rapidly as possible. So it gives us that opportunity to find that person, stop them and get them into custody.”

Mills also assured the Council that civil rights would be protected; there was no potential for abuse of the data, as it cannot be shared with the federal government. He said the only exception he would make would be in the event of a terrorist threat, giving the example of the terrorist bombing of the IVF clinic in May.

The Palm Springs Police Department says the system could be up and running in about 3 months.

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2 cows dead after crash where 2 tractor trailers ran into 2 EMS vehicles

CNN Newsource on September 26, 2025

By Dean Hensley

Click here for updates on this story

    POLK COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Two cows are dead following early-morning Sept. 25 accident where two tractor-trailers collided into two Polk County EMS vehicles that were working another accident on Interstate 26 East, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

“The cows had to be euthanized due to the severity of their injuries. Animal Services was on scene to do the euthanizations,” Trooper Brandon Bingle told News 13.

The accident shut down the interstate for several hours. Bingle said that Interstate 26 East was expected to be back open by 4 p.m.

Bingle said there were 34 cows on the tractor trailer, whose driver was from Indiana. He was transporting the cows to South Carolina, Bingle said. The driver was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

Bingle said the morning started with a crash that was called in at 7:45 a.m. at mile marker 66 on Interstate 26, and two Polk EMS units responded.

“At 8:05 a.m., two tractor trailers ended up colliding after one tried to reduce speed and move over due to the accident on the shoulder of the interstate,” Bingle said. “The other tractor trailer tried to reduce speed but wasn’t able to in time and collided with the other one.”

Polk County Government spokesperson Kellie Cannon was also on the scene and said two cattle transport trucks arrived later in the day to transfer the cattle. This kept I-26 East shut down., which backed up traffic for miles.

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Pay it Forward: Deschutes County Search & Rescue

KTVZ on September 26, 2025

Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– One of the best parts of life in Central Oregon is the great outdoors but when something goes wrong on an adventure, there’s one group our community can always count on: Deschutes County Search and Rescue.

Founded in 1916, the organization is made up of a mix of sheriff’s deputies, paid staff, and dedicated volunteers. Their work covers an incredible range from helping an elderly hiker experiencing a medical emergency, to rescuing climbers, aiding avalanche victims, or even saving injured horses.

“We have canines, we have a mountain rescue unit, we have an air ops unit, a tracking team,” explained Andrew Heide from Deschutes County Search and Rescue. “We do fire evacuations, we help if our community is being flooded. You know, it really runs the gamut of emergencies that we respond to.”

In recognition of their service, KTVZ News, Mid Oregon Credit Union, and Dutch Bros Coffee presented Deschutes County Search and Rescue with $500 through the Pay It Forward program. The group plans to use the gift to help replace safety gear.

For those inspired to get involved, Search and Rescue is holding a public information session on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at their offices. This is a rare chance to learn how to join the team—it only happens once every two years.

Do you know someone making a difference in Central Oregon? You can nominate them—or their organization—for the Pay It Forward program. Just visit the Community tab at ktvz.com.

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‘People still care’: Milwaukee company donates hot water heater to family in need after historic flooding

CNN Newsource on September 26, 2025

By Jenna Wells

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Jean and Frank Morales have spent 48 years caring for their northwest Milwaukee home.

August’s historic flood submerged the bottom floor; their once finished basement, now stripped to baseboards.

“The shower’s gone, the vanity’s gone. We have a toilet but no walls,” Jean Morales said. “It’s all gone.”

They lost everything from their pool table to boxes of family photos. While some items can’t be replaced, they are focused on what can.

After weeks of cleanup and cold showers, Jean got a call from Milestone Plumbing.

“They were going to donate five hot water heaters to people that were in need,” she said.

It was a way the owner, Jessie Cannizzaro, felt she could make a difference.

“You get out of things what you put into them,” Cannizzaro explained.

She sought help from the American Red Cross to find families in need, leading her to Jean and Frank Morales.

“I said, you know, maybe there’s another family out there that might need this more than we do,” Jean said on the phone, through tears.

That’s how Cannizzaro knew it was the right match.

“My reaction when our team let us know that was, ‘Jean is getting a heater,’ because that’s a good person,” she said.

The new water heater was installed within days, saving Jean and Frank $2,000 and lifting off a little weight.

When CBS 58’s Jenna Wells asked how it made them feel: “Heartwarming,” Jean said, “That people still care about other people.”

Cannizzaro is calling on other construction and plumping companies to do something similar.

“If every company does something, even if it’s small, it’s going to have a huge impact,” she said.

She hopes companies and contractors can use their connections for a united cause.

“It feels good to help others,” she explained. “We want other people to share in that, while also helping to rebuild the community.”

For those who need new appliances or repairs due to flood damage, Milwaukee’s Department of Neighborhood Services will waive permit fees through Dec. 31.

They will also reimburse any fees that were already paid before the waiver was approved.

The agency expects an estimated 2,200 applications for repair permits from homeowners.

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Kevin Harrington
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Local ballroom team to attend international ballroom awards ceremony in London

KIFI on September 26, 2025

Linda Larsen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Some very talented local performers are about to take off on the adventure of a lifetime. 

Twenty-four dancers from Extreme Ballroom in Idaho Falls have been invited to take the international stage at a very prestigious event in London called the Carl Alan Awards. 

The Carl Alan Awards is an awards event held annually in the United Kingdom, to honor people who have made a significant contribution to the dance industry.

Director for Extreme Ballroom, Staci Huston, said it is unusual for teams to go to this event, and considers the invitation a great honor.

“We were told that it’s the equivalent of the Oscars of dance,” Huston said. “So it’s really a prestigious event that we’re excited to be a part of. These kids have worked really, really hard, and they’re excellent dancers. They’re currently National Champions.”

Dancers from Extreme Ballroom will be performing alongside the top six ballroom and the top six latin couples in the world.

“Some of our biggest idols are these top professionals in the world that will be performing there as well, and we’ll be there,” said Macy, one of the ballroom dancers. “And so we’ll get to meet a lot of these really cool people that have inspired us and that are just amazing dancers. And so it’ll be really cool to be able to meet them.”

While the dancers are in London they will also be doing street performances and of course enjoying all the sights. They then travel to Paris, where they have performances scheduled as well. 

Staci Huston and the Extreme Ballroom team will be featured in an upcoming Community All Stars.

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Local high school and college results for Thursday, September 25

KEYT on September 26, 2025

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). –

High School Football: Pacifica 42, Hamilton 14

8-Man High School Football: Valley Christian Academy 67, San Luis Obispo Classical Academy 6

High School Flag Football: San Marcos 35, Buena 6

Dos Pueblos 44, Pacifica 0

Newbury Park 49, Oaks Christian 19

High School Girls Volleyball: San Marcos 3, Buena 0

Dos Pueblos 3, Pacifica 1

Ventura 3, Santa Barbara 2

Laguna Blanca 3, Providence 0

High School Girls Tennis: San Marcos 12, Santa Barbara 6

NCAA Women’s Soccer:

UCSB 1, UC Davis 1

Cal Poly 2, UC San Diego 0

Stanislaus State 2, Westmont 1

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Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office marks one year of deflection program with graduation ceremony

KTVZ on September 26, 2025

Triton Notary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)– The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Deflection Program, a community-based initiative that connects people struggling with addiction to treatment and support instead of jail.

A graduation ceremony recognizing nine program participants took place today at The Taylor Center in Bend.

The Deflection Program is voluntary and patient-centered, designed to break the cycle of addiction and reduce repeat involvement with the justice system. People don’t need to be in legal trouble to enroll, and in many cases, law enforcement can take individuals directly to treatment as an alternative to arrest.

Once enrolled, clients are paired with a Peer Navigator and connected to services such as housing assistance, job search support, health insurance sign-ups, detox and treatment programs, and transportation help. The program also works closely with courts, probation, the District Attorney’s Office, defense attorneys, and community partners to ensure quick access to recovery resources.

Over the past year, the Deflection Program has:

Helped 28 individuals graduate, covering 33 criminal cases

Supported 21 clients currently making progress in treatment

Expanded community partnerships and referral networks

Connected people to housing, jobs, and family reunification

Reduced repeat involvement in the justice system

The Sheriff’s Office partners with BestCare Treatment Services and Ideal Option to provide treatment and recovery support.

The goal, Sheriff’s officials say, is simple but powerful: stop the cycle of addiction, reduce crime, and give people a pathway to recovery.

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House Fire Erupts in Santa Maria’s Preisker Ranch Neighborhood

KEYT on September 26, 2025

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A house fire broke out around 8:30 p.m. Thursday in Santa Maria’s Preisker Ranch neighborhood.

Thick smoke poured from what appeared to be a garage at a home near Juleston Drive and Hidden Pines Road.

The flames drew a large crowd of onlookers as firefighters worked to gain control.

Authorities have not yet released details on possible injuries or the extent of the damage.

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Shaun Tomson among featured speakers at Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival

KEYT on September 26, 2025

Beth Farnsworth

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – One of the best ways to empower and strengthen a person’s mental health in order to better ride life’s big waves, is through surfing.  Just ask Shaun Tomson.

The 1977 World Champion Surfer and local resident joined your News Channel Thursday night for a special edition of Be Mindful.

Tomson has traveled the world, educating people about his creation of what he calls, “The Code” and how a simple list is changing lives.

“The Code was developed about 20 years ago,” said Tomson.

Turns out, an ongoing, multi-million dollar septic problem at Rincon was part of Tomson’s inspiration, along with a challenge posed by Glenn Hening, founder of the Surf Rider Foundation and, a group of volunteer kids Tomson had never met.

“Do something to inspire these young people coming down to the beach,” Hening said to Tomson.

So, Tomson compiled a list of 12 lessons that surfing had taught him about life.

“I will always paddle back out. I will never turn my back on the ocean. I’ll realize that all surfers are joined by one ocean, just the fundamental values.”

He quickly printed them up on cards, shared them with the kids and the movement grew. One of his favorites was written by a 13-year-old girl: “I will always be true to myself.” Tomson created a groundswell that is still spreading to this day as he travels internationally as an inspirational speaker.

“Now, hundreds of thousands of people around the world write their own codes, from the biggest corporations around the country to schools, universities.”

Tomson is among featured speakers at the 5th Annual Santa Barbara Surf Film Festival’s two day event which kicks off Friday, September 26 at the Lobero Theatre.

People interested in his new book, “The Surfer and the Sage” and, learning more about The Code can find information here.

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