City of El Centro names new Chief of Police

Karina Bazarte

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – The El Centro City Council has named Kelly Brown as the new Chief of Police during the council’s regular meeting Tuesday.

According to a press release, Brown served as Acting Chief since May of this year, and he brings more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement and leadership to the role.

“I am truly grateful for the trust the City Manager and our City Council has placed in me to lead such a dedicated team of professionals,” said Chief Brown. “I am honored to serve the City of El Centro in this new role and believe the heart of policing relies on partnerships with the community. My commitment is to provide the highest standard of police services through innovation, cooperation, and teamwork. Together, we will continue building a safer, stronger, and more connected community.”

Brown, according to the press release, began his career in law enforcement with Brawley Police Department back in 2002.

The press release says Brown also served as Interim Chief “before joining the Chula Vista Police Department in 2019, where he spent more than three years before accepting the Deputy Chief position with the City of El Centro in February 2023.”

“Chief Brown has demonstrated exceptional integrity, professionalism, and commitment to the residents of El Centro,” said City Manager Robert Sawyer. “His broad experience and deep understanding of community policing make him an excellent choice to lead our department moving forward.”

To learn more about this, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.

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BrownChiefofPDPRSpaDownload

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New Orleans film worker killed in tragic accident on set

By Erin Lowrey

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    WESTWEGO, La. (WDSU) — A New Orleans film worker died while working on a set in Westwego Monday.

According to the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office, James “Trapper” McEvoy was working on a set when he was electrocuted during an accident on set.

An autopsy is currently being conducted.

IATSE Local 478, a branch of the film union McEvoy was working for at the time of his death, issued the following statement regarding the accident:

IATSE Local 478 posted this to their social media:

“Today we grieve the loss of one of our fellow members who was killed in a tragic incident on a production filming in Louisiana.

“Our deepest condolences are with the family who lost a loved one, and the crew who lost a friend and colleague. All workers have a right to safety on the job.

“We have engaged the Entertainment Community Fund to provide counseling for crew members and are sending an IATSE representative to Louisiana to support the members and Local Unions on the ground there.”

Film Louisiana President Jason Waggenspack issued the following statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a crew member on the set of an independent film in Louisiana. Our hearts go out to the individual’s family, friends and colleagues, and we extend our sincerest condolences to everyone affected by this heartbreaking event. The Louisiana film community is built on collaboration, creativity and care for one another, and the safety and well-being of every person on set must always come first. This is a profound loss for our entire industry, and we stand with all those who are mourning today.”

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Boy to help 300 others through organ donation after Halloween tragedy

By KNXV staff

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — Dylan Skalina was celebrating Halloween like any other 12-year-old — trick-or-treating with friends and collecting candy. Hours later, the Arizona boy suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that would change everything.

Despite medical teams’ best efforts, Skalina’s family received the heartbreaking news that nothing more could be done. In an extraordinary act of love, they honored Dylan’s giving spirit by choosing organ donation.

Skalina would have turned 13 years old on Wednesday. Instead of cake and presents, the boy’s family and friends will be sharing memories and remembering a boy whose generosity will live on.

On Tuesday at 8 p.m., Phoenix Children’s hospital will hold an Honor Walk, recognizing the Skalina family’s decision to give life to others. Skalina’s organs and tissues will help more than 300 people.

As the Skalina family prepares for the child’s memorial service, they find comfort knowing his final act will create countless new beginnings for families in need.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help the Skalina family.

This year, more than 350 organ donors have helped save more than 900 lives.

According to the Donor Network of Arizona, data shows that the 6 – 10 age range is the least likely to become an organ donor—true for both Arizona and the country—though the wider pediatric age range (under 17) represent 5% of Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) donors since 2024 and 2% of candidates on the national organ waiting list.

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Habitat for Humanity funding home builds with gingerbread homes

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity (PPHFH) is raising money to build its seventh new veteran home through its annual gingerbread house decorating competition.

PPHFH sends participants a gingerbread kit with a pre-built house and all the decorations they need to make their house stand out. Each participant gets their own fundraising page that they can send out on all their social media platforms. People pay to vote for each house.

PPHFH said its goal is to raise $40,000 through this fundraiser. You can find more information on how you can get involved here.

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Bible missing for over 20 years reunited with owner after firefighter found it in coat pocket

By Madeline Bartos

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    OAKDALE, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A Bible that was lost more than 20 years ago after Hurricane Ivan battered western Pennsylvania will be reunited with its owner after it was found in the strangest of places.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Oakdale Hose Company said that a firefighter found something he didn’t recognize while going through his bunker gear to make sure everything he needed was in his pockets.

The firefighter found a small green change purse, which the chief opened up, hoping to find an ID or something inside to identify the owner. Instead, he found a small pocket Bible with an inscription and the date of May 12, 1997.

The chief and his wife did some internet sleuthing, leading them to former Oakdale resident Amanada Clotz. When the chief reached out to her, he said she was able to describe the Bible.

Clotz explained that her uncle, who was like a father figure to her, gave it to her when she needed it most. She said she lost the Bible in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan devastated the Pittsburgh area. But the Bible is undamaged, the inscription is in perfect condition, and there are no stains on the outside.

“We (Amanda included) are at a total loss on how this could happen,” the fire company wrote on Facebook. “How did it survive in great condition after Ivan and so many other natural disasters that Oakdale has seen in the last 21 years? How did it end up in our building that has been flooded so many times? And how in the hell did it end up in his coat pocket?”

The fire company said Clotz was very emotional. She offered to pay for shipping, but the chief is sending it to her for free.

“The only stipulation is that she has to pay it forward! Help someone out when they need it! This girl has an angel looking after her and we think he’s pretty cool!” the fire company said.

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Man accused of unlawful sexual conduct with teen he allegedly locked in closet

By Michael Martin

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    OGDEN, Utah (KSTU) — A 28-year-old Ogden man faces a charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a teenage girl, who police say he locked in a closet.

According to court documents, the victim’s friend contacted police on October 6 to say she had received a message from the 16-year-old victim that said “she was in danger and someone was trying to rape her or had raped her,” and shared an address where she was located.

When police responded to the home, two people answered the door and told officers that no one other than them were inside the house. Officers then went to the victim’s mother’s home to locate the teen.

After police left the mother’s house, they received a call from the mother saying her daughter had just messaged, claiming she was locked in a closet inside the house where officers had first responded. The teen texted that she had heard the officers at the door when they arrived, and told her mother to tell police to go upstairs if they came back.

When they returned to the first location, officers received permission to enter by Nelson Casarrubias, who showed them his room upstairs. When officers entered the room, they called out for the girl and found her in the closet.

Freed from the closet, the teen told police that Casarrubias was “trying to give her hard drugs.” She added that Casarrubias had kissed her and touched her on various parts of her body.

While speaking with police, Casarrubias admitted to touching the victim, though detectives report that his story changed several times during questioning.

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Deer free after having a bucket stuck on its head

By JT Moodee Lockman

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A deer in Baltimore County that had a pumpkin bucket stuck on its head is now free, according to wildlife activists.

Neighbors in the Carney-Parkville community first raised concerns about the deer’s survival last week, seeing it with a blue plastic bucket covering its mouth and nose.

Bob Swensen, a longtime volunteer with Lost Animal Resource Group and First Response Drone Pet Search & Rescue, became involved in the effort to help the deer. His group used a drone to help track and locate the animal.

Swensen and other volunteers planned to help corral the deer and remove the bucket. However, this week, he said the deer was seen without the bucket on its head. It’s unclear if the animal freed itself or got help from other wildlife workers.

According to Swensen, a volunteer saw the deer while using a drone. Two adult deer and another young one were also seen nearby.

The drone captured footage of the animal with marks where the bucket strap was stuck. The volunteers identified the deer by its nubby antlers and the color of its coat.

Volunteers also noticed that an adult deer was licking the nubby-antlered deer around his head and neck, something they said is unusual for a deer of an older age.

The volunteers have not found the bucket and said the deer did not have any markings indicating the wildlife experts were involved.

Swensen and his group became involved in the effort to help the deer about four days after neighbors first raised concerns. The group did research to find out where the deer were sleeping and eating. They put out food for the deer and worked to determine their patterns.

“This has been an amazing adventure to learn about and fall in love and help a wild deer,” Swensen said. “We have met so many wonderful people in our journey, and we are so thankful to know all of you. We appreciate the support because we couldn’t have done this without you.”

Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service was also involved in the rescue effort. Staff tried several times to locate and help the deer, saying it was highly mobile.

DNR urged residents to pick up and properly dispose of empty containers, as they can be attractive yet dangerous to wildlife.

Marylanders can report sick, injured or distressed wildlife to DNR by calling 410-260-8888.

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Oklahoma DEQ sues company over Grady County fires fueled by hand sanitizer

By Jason Burger

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    Oklahoma (KOCO) — The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is seeking over $270,000 in a lawsuit against Latitude Liquids LLC after fires fueled by hand sanitizer occurred between 2022 and 2024.

In 2022, KOCO 5 covered fires at facilities storing pallets of hand sanitizer, where flames burned for days and fire crews could only contain the blaze to prevent it from spreading.

According to a new lawsuit, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has filed this against the company that transported the hand sanitizer to Oklahoma because they still have not provided a plan for remediation and removal of the rest of the hazardous waste. That company is an Arkansas-based company that was registered in Wyoming.

According to court documents, there were seven different fires at three different facilities that destroyed the hand sanitizer, all of which were either in Chickasha or the Ninnekah areas.

Seven thousand pallets of off-spec, expired or discarded alcohol-based hand sanitizer were transported to the area.

The lawsuit says, “On July 18th, 2022, DEQ received a complaint alleging that truck loads of hand sanitizer had been dumped on the ground for disposal,” at a property on S. 4th Street in Chickasha.

It continues, “On or about July 21st, 2022, DEQ received a complaint alleging several loads of contaminated hand sanitizer were being dumped and buried on property,” at an address on West Quail Lane in Ninnekah.

The court documents also point out Latitude Liquids contracted with Bordwine Development to recycle the hand sanitizer.

Fast forward to July of this year, Bordwine Development pleaded guilty to federal charges of disposal of hazardous waste without a permit.

Attempts to contact Latitude Liquids for comment revealed that the company is no longer active as of March 2025, according to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website.

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‘We want accountability’: Nebraskan sues Roblox over child predator allegations

By Bill Schammert

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — A Nebraskan, named John Doe in a recently filed lawsuit, alleges the video game Roblox is a safe haven for adult sexual predators and pedophiles “who use the unreasonably dangerous and negligently designed app to gain access to and prey upon thousands of unsuspecting minors,” according to the lawsuit.

“I had no idea that there were certain features of Roblox that made it attractive to child predators,” said attorney Melinda Maxson, who represents John Doe.

According to the lawsuit, John Doe was 14 or 15 years old when he met a person on Roblox. That person initially told John Doe they were younger, but they were actually 35 to 40 years old.

The lawsuit alleges the perpetrator groomed John Doe, eventually proposing that the two meet up, and took John Doe to their house an hour away.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys said it was an act of manipulation.

“He was taken the perpetrator’s home and sexually abused, and has suffered horrific trauma ever since,” said attorney Martin Gould, who also represents John Doe.

A spokesperson for Roblox responded to the lawsuit and said, “We are deeply troubled by any incident that endangers our users. Roblox’s vision is to be the safest platform on the internet, which is why our policies are purposely stricter than those found on many other platforms.”

The lawsuit acknowledges that Roblox’s default settings do not allow for adults to directly message children under the age of 13, but states Roblox does not have settings to prevent children from creating fake accounts with birthdates that would make them older than 13 years old.

“Two primary claims fall into two categories — deceptive, misleading advertising and product design,” Gould said.

Roblox did not address the specific allegations covered in the lawsuit but said it limits chat for young users, doesn’t allow for the sharing of external images, and has filters designed to block the sharing of personal information.

“We believe Roblox is responsible for certainly many parents — myself included — thinking it was perfectly fine for their kids to play Roblox, and in reality, it was not safe,” Maxson said.

The Roblox spokesperson continued, “We are continually innovating and investing in safety. While no system is perfect, this year alone we have made over 100 safety enhancements to help protect our users and empower parents and caregivers with greater control and visibility.”

“We also understand that this is an industry-wide issue, and we are working to develop industry-wide standards and solutions focused on keeping children safe online. For instance, Roblox has taken an industry-leading stance on age-based communication and will require facial age estimation for all Roblox users who access our communications features by the end of this year and is a founding member of the Tech Coalition’s Lantern project and the Robust Open Online Safety Tools (ROOST). We partner with law enforcement and leading child safety and mental health organizations worldwide to combat the sexual exploitation of children.”

The lawsuit seeks damages to be decided at trial that “compensate John Doe for injuries sustained as a result of the use of Defendant’s product, including but not limited to physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and expenses for medical treatments.”

“We want accountability,” Gould said. “We want victims to be compensated. We want them to get some sort of closure.”

No hearing date has been set.

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13-year-old driving stolen car arrested by OSP, CPD as part of crime partnership

By Emily Sanderson

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A 13-year-old driving a stolen car was arrested as part of an operation between state and local law enforcement to crack down on violent crime.

According to a release from the Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, a 13-year-old boy was arrested after fleeing from a traffic stop in a stolen car.

It all happened around 7 p.m. when Cincinnati police officers tried to pull the car over for driving without headlights. The officers turned on their emergency lights but said the driver didn’t stop and fled the area.

That’s when the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Aviation Unit was called and started following the car.

Shortly after that, the car crashed into another vehicle and the driver continued to flee before stopping on Plum Street, right near City Hall.

Troopers and officers ordered the driver to get out of the car but said the driver ignored commands.

He was eventually taken into custody. He has only been identified as a 13-year-old boy.

OSHP later found out the car he was driving had been stolen shortly before out of Clifton.

The teen was taken to the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center and has been charged with failure to comply, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, and obstructing official business.

The teen’s arrest was one of a few from Monday night as part of the multi-agency operation.

Another person was arrested later that night during a traffic stop.

According to the release, an OSHP trooper and CPD officer conducted a traffic stop on the driver after observing multiple traffic violations. During the traffic stop, officials said the officer found probable cause to arrest the driver and search the vehicle. During the search, officers found a gun. The driver, identified as Torri Byrd, 41, was taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center.

He is facing charges of operating a vehicle while under the influence, carrying concealed weapons, and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.

A third person was arrested as part of the operation after drugs were discovered during a traffic stop. This incident happened shortly before 8 p.m. when an OSHP trooper pulled a driver over for driving with obscured lights.

During the traffic stop, OSHP said the suspect attempted to discard suspected crack cocaine and flee the scene on foot.

The suspect, identified as Anthony Horton Sr., 51, was taken to the Hamilton County Jail and charged with driving under suspension, obscured lights on a vehicle, possession of drugs, and obstructing official business.

Overall, OSHP said four felony arrests were made as part of the violent crime crackdown operation.

“These operations are part of a unified, statewide push by trained officers to take violent criminals and illegal firearms off our streets,” DeWine said. “Incidents like this clearly demonstrate the importance of our ongoing partnerships and our commitment to holding criminals accountable.”

“The safety of everyone driving on our roads and living in our neighborhoods remains our top priority,” Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said. “Through these initiatives, we are strategically working to make our city safer, ensuring those who choose to engage in illegal activity are held accountable.”

DeWine on Monday touted the state’s partnership with Cleveland, saying it’s been effective in reducing violent crime.

Cincinnati’s initiative is currently under scrutiny for its limited enforcement days.

Cincinnati entered into this agreement with the state two months ago, allowing for joint enforcement operations only twice a month.

Cleveland has been collaborating with the state for the past year and a half.

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