Author: CNN Newsource

By Abigail Kurten

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Polk County Board Chair Matt McCoy says accurate water quality data isn’t just important; it’s essential.

That’s why Polk County pledged to allocate $200,000 to Iowa’s Water Quality Information System (IWQIS) Tuesday morning.

“To interrupt that data would be detrimental to the center for the research and for the science,” McCoy said.

IWQIS lost a large amount of funding in 2023 when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law diverting $500,000 from the system. Since then, it’s survived on grassroots funding that’s set to expire next year. Polk County’s contribution isn’t coming from the county’s general fund, however.

$90,000 is coming from leftover funding from the Central Iowa Source Water Resource Assessment from earlier this year. The other $110,000 comes from leftover American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding. While this covers a significant portion of the $500,000 it takes to keep all 80 water monitors running, it’s not a permanent solution.

“Next year, it’ll be harder to maintain,” McCoy said. “But at least we know that it’s a budget item now.”

McCoy went on to say he hopes other large counties, like Linn and Johnson County, will help keep the system running with their own contributions. He also hopes to work with lawmakers to restore the diverted funding.

“Hopefully, in the effort to balance the state budget and work with our partners, they’ll see the value in this and work together,” he said.

In an email to KCCI, Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green told KCCI that IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering, the organization behind the water quality monitor, will present to the board next month. Though due to a “difficult budget situation,” it’s unclear whether Johnson County will be able to contribute a significant amount of funding.

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By Amari Saxton

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    VADO, N.M. (KOAT) — A 15-year-old student at Gadsden High School was one of two victims in a fatal car crash that occurred in Vado, New Mexico on Sunday. A third victim is receiving treatment at a local hospital.

A spokesperson for Gadsden Independent School District confirmed to KOAT that a ninth-grade student was involved in the fatal crash. A 12-year-old child was also killed in the crash.

According to a spokesperson with New Mexico State Police said officers responded to a serious vehicle crash near 8100 NM-478 Sunday around 6:50 pm. Police state that a vehicle struck a light pole and came to rest in the front yard of a residence.

An investigation by state police found a seat belt only appeared to be used properly by the one surviving passenger. Court records state an open 40-ounce bottle of beer was found inside the vehicle at the scene of the crash.

Christina Escobedo Arriaga was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of intentional abuse of a child resulting in death. Court documents show those charges have since been dismissed as of Friday, Oct. 17.

Arriaga is being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. She was released on her own recognizance in court on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Third Judicial District District Attorney Fernando Macias issued a statement after the release of Arriaga. Macias said a motion for detention was not filed.

“Under the New Mexico Constitution, pretrial release is the normal standard. Detention is permitted only in limited circumstances – specifically when the state can prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that no combination of release conditions can reasonably ensure public safety or the defendant’s appearance in court.

“In this case, because the defendant has no prior criminal history and the legal standard for pretrial detention could not be met at this time, a motion for detention was not filed.

“Our office will continue to move forward with prosecution as rapidly as the law allows. Our deepest condolences go out to all those affected by this tragic incident. The loss of two young lives is heartbreaking, and we remain committed to pursuing justice to the fullest extent of the law.”

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By Zoe Hunt

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    SALINAS, Calif. (KSBW) — A woman in Salinas has been caught on camera twice vandalizing Halloween witch decorations on a home’s front lawn by punching them, with incidents occurring on October 11 and again this morning.

Ring camera footage from Tuesday morning shows a woman lightly jogging past the house’s front yard before turning back, rolling up her sleeves, and jogging up the lawn to strike one of the witch decorations with an open fist. After running off, she returns to use her elbows to hit the remaining two witches.

The homeowner, Tonyia Sampognaro, said, “I have never seen her before,” and added, “I’ve checked with several of my neighbors, and none of them recognize her either.”

This isn’t the first time the vandalism has occurred. Video from the evening of October 11 shows a woman, who appears to be the same person, jogging past the house, stopping to stare at the decorations, and then returning to punch all three witches down.

“I just wanted to stop, really, you know, that’s it. Because the kids really do enjoy it,” Sampognaro said.

In response, she has increased her security measures, stating, “I have my security cameras up today. I activated the voice.”

Despite other houses on the street having Halloween decorations, this particular home seems to be the only one targeted.

A neighbor, Christy Neligh, said, “I am surprised that this lady is having a problem with the neighbor’s house. I’m concerned about my house as well.”

The decorations are homemade, crafted annually by the homeowner, who cherishes them. She has filed a police report and remains puzzled about the woman’s motives.

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By Lindsay Weber, Sean Cunningham

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    SACRAMENTO (KCRA) — Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis is known for dominating the basketball court, but he’s now taking on a new venture with his wife, Shashana Sabonis.

The couple announced the launch of their own premium wine brand, Ones by Sabonis. It’s harvested and produced in their community, one of the world’s most famous wine regions, the Napa Valley.

Since being traded to the Kings, the family began setting down roots and is now seeing the fruits of their labor of love.

“Being able to pick the grapes, doing the smashing, our experience with the harvest this past summer was really cool,” Domantas said. “You see the hard work, you see how much goes into wine.”

The couple said the trade to Sacramento helped fuel their love of the craft and their love of California’s wine region.

“The second that we heard, ‘You’re a king,’ I said, ‘Okay, and we’re moving to Napa,'” Shashana recalled. “We absolutely love it here. We got super involved with the community.”

The pair began a deep education on winemaking and farming. Sacramento’s farm-to-fork culture resonated with them.

“And this has been a project that we get to do together and grow together. And we both have like equal input. And it’s such a creative outlet for us,” Shashana said. “It’s also a great way to decompress from the stress of a basketball game, and you can put your mind somewhere else. Sometimes, some guys like to play video games and we like to discuss our wine.”

While it’s been a passion project, it hasn’t been a smooth journey.

“It’s a lot of hard work and it’s a lot of luck,” Domantas said. One of the biggest hurdles is the weather—including a fire that sparked in the region this past summer.

The couple acknowledges that planting roots in an NBA career can be difficult. But to that end, Domantas praised Shashana for helping him keep the balance.

“She’s always pushing me on and off the court to do more and really enjoying things,” he said.

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By Gino Recchia

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    GREEN LAKE, Wis. (WISN) — A harmful algae bloom stretched across nearly the entire surface of Green Lake last month, the first time such an event has been confirmed on Wisconsin’s deepest inland lake.

The bloom appeared during a late-September stretch of warm weather with little wind, creating stagnant conditions that allowed algae to spread.

“The conditions were perfect. We had a really warm stretch of temperatures in late September, very low wind conditions. And so it kind of creates a stagnant condition where all of those little guys can kind of grow,” said Taylor Haag Strauser, assistant director of the Green Lake Association.

At 236 feet deep, Green Lake is the state’s deepest inland lake, but even its size and depth couldn’t prevent the outbreak.

Blue-green algae can produce toxins that are dangerous to people and pets, making swimming, boating and other recreation unsafe.

More than 2.2 million people visit the lake each year, and Strauser said seeing it change was difficult.

“At 236 feet deep, you would think this could never happen to Green Lake. When you’re out there and you see it with your own eyes, it’s heartbreaking,” Strauser said.

Strauser added that the bloom isn’t just an isolated incident, but a warning about declining water quality statewide.

“This is indicative of a much larger issue. And it’s the face of declining water quality. One in five lakes in Wisconsin, which has over 15,000 lakes, are already listed as impaired. So, you know, the nutrients are here. And the action needs to follow,” Strauser said.

Officials recommend simple steps that can help, including not raking leaves into streams or the lake, and planting native vegetation along shorelines to reduce runoff.

Green Lake is connected to a watershed that flows into Green Bay and eventually the Great Lakes, meaning the impacts of inland lake health can ripple far beyond one community.

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By Jake Anderson

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — Passenger video shared with KETV shows how flight attendants responded after a failure disrupted communications on a flight from Omaha.

The American Airlines flight made an emergency landing at Eppley Airfield on Monday night. CNN reported the interphone system on the plane operated by Sky-West Airlines failed.

The failure disrupted communications with flight attendants.

The pilot also heard knocking on the cockpit door, which turned out to be the flight crew.

After the flight landed, attendants explained the situation to passengers and said the plane returned to Eppley as a “precautionary measure.”

ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, who lives in Omaha, was on the flight and spoke with KETV about the experience.

“This was an unusual situation because there was no announcements whatsoever. And I honestly think that the people who were the most nervous were the flight attendants and the pilots, because they were the ones that knew something was wrong. And the passengers, unless they were paying very close attention, did not,” Windhorst said.

In a statement sent to KETV, a spokesman said there was no security-related incident. Airport police did board the plane after the landing, according to passengers.

“I think the stress for the passengers was having the plane pull off with no communication and having police officers surround and police officers board,” Windhorst said.

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