Month: July 2026

By Katrina Markel

Click here for updates on this story

    COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — FFA and 4-H members at WestFair gave youth with special needs the opportunity to meet and care for fair animals through a program called Bacon Buddies.

Traci Black and her son, Taylor, started Bacon Buddies after seeing the program at the Iowa State Fair.

“And he says, ‘Mom, we have to do this,'” Traci Black said.

Taylor was one of several teens mentoring young people with disabilities during the Bacon Buddies event on Sunday.

“I think it’s really good because they’re getting to learn something new they’ve never done before,” Taylor Black said.

Participants received tips on feeding, grooming and handling the animals from their mentors.

Caitlin Greiner: “Some tips I give them is how to feed them, how much they eat a day.”

Taylor Black: “They do bark like dogs when they’re cranky.”

Lilley Casson: “Making sure they stay clean and have a clean area to lay down in.”

Taylor Jensen: “They will bite. Don’t put your fingers and stuff by their mouth.”

After bathing, grooming and practice walking the hogs, participants took a turn in the show ring. Gavin Smith was excited about earning a purple ribbon.

“My pig’s name was Pineapple. It’s a lot to ask but all I gotta say is he did great,” Smith said.

His mentors — Addie and Axel — said Gavin showed talent for working with hogs.

“He just has a natural way with them and really likes them,” Addie said.

For the mentors, the experience was just as meaningful.

Taylor Jensen: “It feels like, very rewarding.”

Caitlin Greiner: “I’m glad I get the opportunity to teach someone who to do it because they normally don’t get these opportunities.”

Traci Black: “I think it’s therapeutic for both the Buddy and the Mentor.”

Smith enjoyed the attention from the audience.

“Fans come out here to support us all. It gives us great confidence,” he said.

Bacon Buddies will be at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 15 and will return to Westfair next year.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMTV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

By Hery Acosta

Click here for updates on this story

    POSTVILLE, Iowa (KWWL) — A large fire damaged the AgriStar Meat & Poultry plant in Postville early this morning, prompting a response from fire crews across the region.

The flames broke out around 4 a.m. 16 crews from Northeast Iowa spent nearly 13 hours trying to extinguish the blaze.

According to the Postville mayor, Agri-Star is the largest employer in the community. The plant appeared to be closed, and KWWL was asked to leave the property. People in Postville are being asked to conserve water after the amount it took to put out the flames.

The mayor is hoping to see people come together to help with recovery efforts. “We’re gonna start to see some helping hands, you know, as far as, there’s lots of organizations,” the mayor said.

A smoke advisory was issued in Fayette County. A warning of possible visibility and air quality issues in the Clermont area was reported, and the smoke continued southwest throughout the day.

Officials say no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Agri-Star’s corporate office has not yet responded to requests for comment or information about how long the plant might be closed.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

By Erik Waxler

Click here for updates on this story

    NEW PORT RICHEY, Florida (WFTS) — While most teenagers are just getting comfortable behind the wheel of a car, 17-year-old Jake Giber is building flight hours in the cockpit of his own airplane.

The New Port Richey teenager recently flew solo in his Piper Cherokee 140 to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the world’s largest aviation gathering, achieving a dream he’s had since he was a young child.

“My first flight was two or three, and I cried,” Jake said.

His love of aviation started early, thanks in large part to his grandfather, Herb Giber.

“He was a mechanic and a pilot, so either we were building stuff or flying,” Jake said.

Jake’s mother remembers just how quickly he developed a passion for flying.

“Before he was four, he could land the airplane,” Kelly said.

That passion never faded. Jake earned his private pilot’s license before getting his driver’s license and purchased his first airplane before buying his first car.

“This is the Cherokee 140. I nicknamed it the Dragon,” he said.

One of his proudest achievements came on his 17th birthday.

“Probably one of my biggest accomplishments is getting my private pilot’s license on my 17th birthday,” Jake said. “I like to think I was the youngest pilot in America for a little bit there.”

Since then, he’s continued building experience, flying throughout the Southeast.

“I’ve flown to Miami, Alabama, now to Wisconsin, Tennessee, Georgia. All over the Southeast. It’s wonderful,” he said.

Jake hopes to one day become a commercial airline pilot.

His mother is already looking forward to that day.

“I am just waiting for the day to board the plane and be able to say that’s my son,” Kelly said.

Jake’s family lives in Hidden Lake Airport, a residential aviation community in New Port Richey where homes have direct access to the runway. He says growing up surrounded by experienced pilots has given him not only easy access to flying, but also mentors who continue to encourage him.

“People push me to do better. Be all I can,” Jake said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

By Victoria Rodriguez

Click here for updates on this story

    OWYHEE COUNTY, Idaho (KIVI) — The Big Grass Fire continues to burn across Owyhee County, leaving behind destroyed homes, dead livestock, and thousands of scorched acres as local leaders work to bring in additional resources.

The fire, which started near the Idaho-Oregon border, has grown into one of the largest wildfires in the region, threatening ranches and communities southwest of Silver City.

Idaho News 6 traveled into the burn area with Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick and Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, where blackened hillsides, active flames and dead livestock illustrated the devastation left behind.

Sheriff Kendrick said more than 100 cattle have been killed, multiple homes have been destroyed, and ranchers continue working around the clock to protect what remains.

“It’s our lives. There’s no other way to put it,” said local rancher Dave Smith.

Smith has lived in the area for 45 years and, like many ranchers, has spent the past several days fighting the fire himself to protect his home, livestock and neighboring ranches.

He said local ranchers are doing everything they can, but they cannot continue battling the fire alone.

“Someone needs to get some stuff in the air and get in front of this,” Smith said, calling for additional aerial firefighting resources.

While traveling through the burn area, Idaho News 6 witnessed just how quickly conditions can change. Thick smoke and intense heat surrounded crews as Smith jumped into action to contain a hotspot before it could spread.

As the fire continued growing, Kendrick said he began calling neighboring agencies and state leaders, warning the situation had become critical.

“But above anything else, we don’t want the loss of life. If we don’t get help… people were going to die,” Kendrick said.

One of those calls went to Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue.

Donahue said he contacted the Governor’s Office, federal officials and the Bureau of Land Management, urging them to send additional firefighting resources to Owyhee County.

“They’re trying to bring firefighters in from Australia, from New Zealand. They’re mobilizing military who have been trained in fire suppression. They’re working with the state of Idaho. So I’m promised that help is on the way. But as we all know, time is of the essence,” Donahue said.

Chris Johnstone, another longtime rancher who has been helping fight the fire, said the blaze spread rapidly after crossing the river from Oregon into Idaho.

“We’ve been fighting it. It’s hard to fight because you can’t really get in front of it most days — wind, timber and terrain,” Johnstone said.

He said volunteer firefighters and local ranchers have been stretched to their limits.

“When we need help, it’s nice to get it, but we haven’t had it here yet,” Johnstone said.

During an emergency meeting Monday morning, the Owyhee County Board of Commissioners approved $30,000 for firefighting efforts and said it is seeking additional assistance from the State of Idaho to help protect Silver City and other threatened communities.

Both sheriffs say conversations with state and federal officials are beginning to bring additional resources into the area, but they stress that conditions remain dangerous and that every hour matters as crews work to protect lives, homes and ranches.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

By Leo Stallworth

Click here for updates on this story

    WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) — A pack of coyotes has taken up residence in a stalled construction project in West Hollywood, prompting concern from some neighbors over nightly howling and barking.

Residents nicknamed the vacant residential construction project at Romaine Street and North Spaulding Avenue — which they say has been abandoned for three years — the “coyote condo” after the animals moved into the property.

The city of West Hollywood says the construction of a new 22-unit condominium building was halted in 2024. The construction permits previously issued by the city have since expired.

Records list the property owner as Clement Tung.

The city says it has been in contact with Tung’s representative, requiring him to hire a wildlife control operator to assess the site and humanely remove the coyotes.

There’s no word on what will be done about the building itself. Eyewitness News has also reached out to Tung. We’re still waiting to hear back.

Eyewitness News spoke to a wildlife expert about what that removal may look like.

“All the time they’re howling and hooting,” West Hollywood resident Ryan Liske said.

Videos shared by residents show coyotes lounging on balconies and strolling around the abandoned construction site. Liske said he hears the animals loudly howling regularly.

Liske said he came face-to-face with one of the animals.

“And I survived,” Liske said. “I looked the coyote dead in his face, and he looked right back at me, and I thought, ‘You know what, I’m going to just go that way.'”

He said he later saw multiple coyotes nearby.

“I was just walking down to my house over here down the street. I swear I saw like three coyotes trying to circle me over here. I was a little frightened, I can’t lie. And I started booking it, I’m like, ‘I got to go home. I can’t be attacked by some coyotes.’ You know what I’m saying?” Liske said.

Most residents who spoke about the issue said they were more concerned about the nightly howling than being attacked.

“Coyotes are skittish,” resident Beth said.

Mary Cummins with Animal Advocates said coyotes generally do not pose a threat to people.

“No, coyotes don’t attack humans. Their main prey is small animals. It’s generally California ground squirrels, gophers, chipmunks and bunnies,” Cummins said.

Cummins said there are safe ways to encourage the animals to leave the area.

“The best way to get them to move out of this area is to exclude and deter. By exclude, I mean we make it so they can’t go under, over, or through the fencing. And to deter is, after we’ve excluded them from the fencing, we go inside, and we deter them by basically hazing and scaring them out. We leave one exit for them, and we herd them all in that direction, and we get them all out of the building. And then we secure that one last gate,” she said.

Wildlife experts said the coyotes are not a danger to humans, but residents are encouraged to keep small pets inside.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.

By Maricela De La Cruz

Click here for updates on this story

    SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KCRA) — South Lake Tahoe, a favorite destination for millions of vacationers, is grappling with scams involving fake vacation rental listings.

Ryan Lundquist, a visitor to the area, described his experience after renting a property through Airbnb.

“I was just surprised to see a placard on the back of the house that said ‘if you rented on Craigslist, you’ve been scammed.’ And so that’s the gist of it,” he said.

The warning highlights a fraud scheme in the area involving fake vacation rental listings, particularly on Craigslist.

“Most of the scams come off of Craigslist. Someone takes our photos and our description and posts it online onto Craigslist,” said Michelle Benedict of Pinnacle Lake Tahoe Getaways.

Benedict shared how these scams have financially impacted travelers.

“I have property back here about a block behind the office. A neighbor called one day and there was a young girl sitting in the driveway in tears,” she said. “She had gotten a work visa from South Africa and she paid someone $10,000 for the summer to rent a cabin that was a vacation rental. We ended up calling the police and they came and helped her find other accommodations.”

Benedict also pointed out that one of the biggest red flags is being asked to pay through cash apps like Venmo or other methods that offer little to no buyer protection. She recommended verifying the legitimacy of a rental before making any payments.

“The city of South Lake Tahoe maintains a database. You can search to see is it actually a real vacation rental,” Benedict said.

Experts added that unusually low prices are another major warning sign. “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” they said.

They also advised that whether in the city or county, travelers should look for signs outside the property with information such as a permit number and contact details for code enforcement or to file a complaint.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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.