Author: CNN Newsource

By Nick Sloan

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    SENECA, Kan. (KMBC) — The criminal case against the man accused of fatally shooting a Catholic priest in Kansas is set to take another step forward.

A Nemaha County judge has scheduled a competency hearing for Sept. 3 at the Nemaha County Courthouse in Seneca to determine whether Gary Lee Hermesch is competent to stand trial.

The court first ordered Hermesch to undergo a competency evaluation through Kanza Mental Health and Guidance Center on Nov. 7, 2025.

After reviewing that evaluation, the court ordered Hermesch transferred to Larned State Security Hospital on Dec. 4, 2025, for additional evaluation and assistance with his defense.

Hermesch is charged in the April 3, 2025, fatal shooting of Father Arul Carasala outside the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory in Seneca.

Hermesch, according to an affidavit released in the case, drove to the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office shortly after the shooting and told an undersheriff he had just shot Carasala and needed to be arrested.

Carasala was found bleeding outside the rectory and later died at a hospital.

Court documents said the suspected murder weapon was recovered from Hermesch’s vehicle.

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By Fletcher Keel

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    BROWN COUNTY, Ohio (WLWT) — A Brown County heart doctor accused of sexually assaulting patients is no longer listed as an inmate at the county jail.

In court Wednesday, a judge set bond for Dr. Ali Ghasemzadeh at $700,000.

He faces six sex-crime charges after two patients accused him of assaulting them during medical appointments: One in June 2025 and the other on July 14.

Prosecutors argued Ghasemzadeh poses a risk to public safety and said more potential victims have come forward since the case became public this week.

They say additional charges could be filed.

The judge ordered Ghasemzadeh to have no contact with the two victims named in the complaint. He is also barred from leaving the state and must surrender his passports.

His next court appearance is scheduled for next Thursday.

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By Todd Magel

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    POLK CITY, Iowa (KCCI) — Swimming is not recommended at 13 Iowa state beaches due to high levels of E. coli, with Big Creek Beach north of Polk City facing contamination warnings all month.

Big Creek Lake, located just north of Saylorville Lake, features the largest beach in Iowa’s state park system but has been a frequent site for contamination warnings. Signs at the beach alert visitors that the water near the shore exceeds state standards for E. coli bacteria.

“It’s very disappointing. And what goes through my mind is, you know, you can’t bring the kids up to play in the water, what you’d really want to do on a day like today,” said Lisa Nobiling of Polk City, who enjoys bringing her grandchildren to Big Creek Lake but has avoided swimming this summer.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has been testing for water contamination at Big Creek Lake and other state beaches for more than 25 years. E. coli bacteria, which live in the intestines of humans and animals like geese, have caused Big Creek to exceed safe standards for nine weeks in 2022, five weeks in 2024, one week last year, and four weeks so far this year.

“Swimming in natural waters involves risks,” said Adam Schnieders, DNR water quality resource coordinator.

Schnieders explained that the warm sand near the beach provides an ideal environment for E. coli bacteria, but water farther from the shore shows significantly lower contamination levels. “As that water moves further away offshore, towards the edge of the swimming ropes and into the middle of the lake, E. coli gets less and less and less,” he said.

The contamination warnings have also affected local businesses, including Big Creek Marina. “We’ve definitely seen it slow down, in the park and business-wise, because obviously there’s the beach advisory,” said Ryan Morrison, manager of Big Creek Marina.

Morrison emphasized that boating, fishing, and other water activities remain safe despite the advisories. “If you want to still come outside, enjoy the weather, you know, some sunshine, you can come out and get a pontoon, a fishing boat, kayak. Yeah, we have all sorts of stuff,” he said.

The DNR is completing a three-year study on contamination risk assessments at Big Creek and other state beaches, aiming to reduce risks and improve safety for visitors.

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By Jeremiah Martinez, Andres Valle

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    RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. (KCRA) — A woman is dead and a 5-year-old child was taken to the hospital after a gas exposure at a Rancho Cordova apartment, according to Sacramento Metro Fire.

Crews responded to an apartment complex at the 10460 block of El Mercado Drive on Wednesday for a welfare check requested by an apartment manager.

“The statement from the property manager was that the individual’s vehicle had been parked in the same spot for the last two days, and that didn’t seem to be normal,” said Captain Mark Nunez of Sac Metro Fire. “There were numerous attempts to call the individual inside the apartment. No response. That’s when he called 911 to ask for a welfare check,” he added.

When crews arrived, they found a woman unconscious and unresponsive inside the apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sac Metro Fire said there was an accidental exposure to gas that was left on from a stovetop.

“We know that the gas stove was on because our crews turned it off, but we don’t know exactly how long that was on,” said Nuñez.

A 5-year-old child was also found inside and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The relationship between the woman and the child is not known, officials said.

Sac Metro Fire said the child is doing fine.

The incident is under investigation by the Rancho Cordova Police Department.

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By Peyton Spellacy

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT) — Federal agents uncovered half a pound of cocaine, three guns, $22,000 in cash and 60 snakes during a raid at a South Valley home. The raid was part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged distribution of cocaine.

Many of the snakes found inside the home are venomous.

“There are a lot of kids here. And one of those goes out and they’re gone, I just stay away from snakes. I’m really upset,” said one resident who lived nearby.

According to the seizure inventory, the collection included cobras, mambas, pit vipers and pythons. Some of the snakes were named, including pythons “Sunset” and “William,” and cobras “Blizzard” and “Pablo Escobar.” The inventory also listed an inland taipan.

New Mexico Game and Fish says most of the snakes seized are venomous, and a bite from many of them would require immediate medical attention. Among the reptiles recovered was an inland taipan, considered one of the world’s most venomous snakes. Officials say the snakes appear to be in good condition after undergoing professional examinations. They are now being housed at a permitted facility while the agency works to find permanent placements. Because each species has unique care and safety requirements, the snakes will only be transferred to facilities with trained staff equipped to properly handle and care for venomous reptiles.

Connor Sharp, who captures and relocates snakes for a living, said the inland taipan stood out.

“Somebody having drop for drop the most venomous snake on the planet in captivity just outside of Albuquerque was pretty surprising to me, honestly,” Sharp said.

Sharp noted the danger of the inland taipan goes beyond its venom, as securing the proper treatment is difficult.

“Probably no medical facilities in the state of New Mexico are going to have antivenom that would be used to treat a bite from an inland taipan,” Sharp said.

Treatment for snake bites is also expensive.

“Even for a normal rattlesnake bite in the US, it’s going to cost you about $100,000 with insurance, depending on how severe the bite was,” Sharp said.

Despite the fear associated with snakes, Sharp said they do not want to waste their venom on humans because humans are not a food source.

“If you’re out hiking or in your yard and a snake is around and rattles and alerts you to his presence, if you stop and stay on your ground like you should do, first and foremost, 99% of the time, they are going to move the other direction and try to get away from you,” Sharp said.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is working to provide photos of the seized reptiles.

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By Jazmon DeJarnette

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    CALIFORNIA (KSBW) — The California condor population on the Central Coast has dropped from 114 birds last year to 106, with conservationists citing lead poisoning as a persistent threat to the species’ recovery.

Many visitors travel to Pinnacles National Park hoping to see the iconic birds in the wild.

“We came all the way out here to, like, see animals like them and it’d be kind of sad if we didn’t,” one visitor said.

Conservationists say the decline is due to failed nests and adult deaths, with several condors dying this year from lead poisoning or complications during treatment.

Others remain missing or are still under investigation.

“We need better availability of lead-free ammunition across the state of California. The state of California requires the use of lead-free ammunition, but the market doesn’t support it,” said Kelly Sorenson, executive director of Ventana Wildlife Society.

The losses have also impacted the next generation of condors.

Pinnacles National Park monitored two nesting trios this year, but neither produced a chick.

“What we see, unfortunately, is a pair will be in the process of nesting, and one of them or both will get poisoned by lead poisoning partway through the nesting season. And when that happens, it can be devastating to the effort that these birds are trying to make in reproducing and carrying on their species,” Sorenson said.

Visitors expressed concern for the species’ future.

“In this day and age, we shouldn’t be at this point. Like we need to protect our species, and we have the intelligence as a country to be able to protect them and help preserve them,” one visitor said.

Another visitor added, “If there’s any way that people could help them, if that would be possible, that’d be great. But I just hope they keep fighting.”

Ventana Wildlife Society also highlighted the threat of avian influenza, or bird flu, which has severely impacted condors in Arizona.

“Thankfully, we haven’t had that kind of an impact here in California, and we were able to vaccinate almost 90% of the flock. So we’re hopeful that we won’t experience a big problem with avian influenza, but that’s always a possibility,” Sorenson said.

Despite this year’s setbacks, conservationists remain hopeful.

“We’ve got to improve the access to lead-free ammunition for all calibers for all hunters and ranchers. And then we’ll start to see California condors really taking off,” Sorenson said.

While the Central Coast flock has declined, decades of recovery efforts have brought the global California condor population to nearly 600 birds.

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By Esteban Reynoso

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    ROCKLIN, Calif. (KCRA) — A Rocklin-based company has been selected by a NASA contractor to develop critical components for a lunar rover that will be used in Artemis missions.

Cameron Spangler, a Northern California native, founded Innova Product Development nearly two decades ago, initially focusing on components for medical equipment and aviation. Now, his company is subcontracting for NASA’s Artemis program.

“Definitely not for doing stuff for going back to the moon,” Spangler said when asked if he ever imagined working for NASA. “We’ve always had big ideas and big stuff going on, but getting to work on things that impact people in a positive way has always been a part of our DNA.”

Spangler explained that the opportunity came after years of collaboration with the NASA contractor.

“Then it was a process that took several years actually. We did some projects for this same company, and then two years later they get the bid from NASA, and we’re ready to go on the rover,” he said.

Three companies are working to build lunar rovers, which are expected to be sent to the moon by 2028. Innova is contributing two subsystems for the rover, including a communication hub that ensures all parts of the rover can interact seamlessly.

“We’re doing two subsystems for the rover. One of the systems is a communication hub, so it makes sure all the little parts of the rover can talk to each other and they can do that,” Spangler said.

The second subsystem is a vital controller that monitors the rover’s systems and ensures redundancy in case of a failure.

“If one of the systems goes down, then it’s monitoring those systems and it makes sure to bring up the redundance so everything can continue working,” Spangler said.

While Spangler never imagined working for NASA, he is now focused on expanding his team in Rocklin to tackle the high-profile project.

“It absolutely is necessary. We have a lot of work to get done, and this is the highest profile one, and we need to make sure we do it right,” he said.

The lunar rovers are part of NASA’s broader mission to establish a permanent base on the moon.

“I mean this is the first time humankind will try to make a permanent location on another rock out there. The history of it, the weight of it, does not go over my head,” Spangler said.

Innova is currently looking to hire three more engineers to support the project.

Spangler said he plans to be there when the rovers are launched toward the moon.

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