Author: CNN Newsource

By Kimber Collins

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A Kauai family is facing an unthinkable road to recovery after a single-vehicle crash left a five-year-old boy with serious injuries just days before Christmas.

Police said the crash happened on Tuesday, Dec. 23, around 5 p.m. on Kuhio Highway near the Wailua Golf Course. According to investigators, a 2025 Toyota SUV traveling northbound sideswiped a guardrail, struck a utility pole and spun. During the crash, a child was ejected from the vehicle.

The child, identified by family as Mateo, was initially taken to Wilcox Medical Center before being life-flighted to Kapiolani Medical Center for further treatment.

Police said a 35-year-old woman from Wailua may have been driving the vehicle. Two other passengers were not injured. No other vehicles were involved. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and toxicology results are pending. Kuhio Highway was closed for approximately two hours while Kauai Police conducted an on-scene investigation.

Mateo’s uncle, Chase LaMadrid-Engel, said the past few days have been filled with uncertainty, but also hope.

“He’s doing a lot better than the past few days,” LaMadrid-Engel said. “The doctors told us this morning he’s looking good, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”

Family members said Mateo has already undergone multiple surgeries to address injuries to his internal organs, which his uncle says were damaged during the crash. Doctors are also continuing to monitor injuries to his arm and shoulder.

“They’re working on helping his arm recover the best they can,” LaMadrid-Engel said.

While police reports indicate the child was ejected from the vehicle, the family said they are still searching for answers.

“It was a freak accident,” LaMadrid-Engel said. “We don’t really know what happened.”

Family said Mateo was in the vehicle with his parents, his mother, Leeanna and his father, along with his three-month-old baby sister, Aliana. Everyone else in the vehicle was unharmed.

“They’re hanging in there,” LaMadrid-Engel said of Mateo’s parents. “They’re being strong for him. We’re all trying to be strong.”

Doctors said Mateo has shown encouraging signs, including responding to family members and nodding to acknowledge them. His uncle said scans show no traumatic brain injury, and medical staff are working to slowly wean him off a ventilator.

“We’ll take any good news we can,” he said.

Family members describe Mateo as an active, stubborn and determined five-year-old who loves being outside.

“He loves soccer. He loves riding his bike,” his uncle said. “He’s on his third bike already. He’s a little hard-headed, and I think that trait is going to help him get through this.”

One of LaMadrid-Engel’s last memories with Mateo came just the night before the crash.

“He was trying to help cut my hair in the garage,” he said. “We kept telling him no, but he kept trying anyway. That’s just who he is.”

As medical bills continue to grow, the family has launched a GoFundMe that has already raised more than $21,000. LaMadrid-Engel said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

“Thank you so much for your support, all the texts, all the messages,” he said. “We may not be responding to everyone, but we see it. We feel it. We love Kauai.”

He said family and friends, including relatives on the mainland, have stepped in to help with lodging and expenses while Mateo remains hospitalized on Oahu.

“This isn’t where we wanted to spend Christmas,” LaMadrid-Engel said. “But we’re thankful for the love we’re surrounded by.”

Police ask anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact Officer Henshaw at 808-241-1616. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers Kauai at 808-246-8300, online at crimestopperskauai.org or through the P3 Tips mobile app.

As for Mateo, his family said the journey ahead is still uncertain, but they’re holding onto faith, strength and the support of the Kauai community.

“We’re going to fight through this together,” his uncle said. “There’s no other option.”

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 Matt Schooley

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Massachusetts State Police arrested a Worcester resident after troopers say they were driving the wrong way on Interstate 95 and several communities on Christmas Day while under the influence of drugs.

Paulius Balciunas, 36, was arraigned in Newburyport District Court Friday on charges of operating under the influence of drugs, negligent operation, failure to stop for police, resisting arrest, and speeding.

It happened Thursday when Balciunas was allegedly driving south on I-95 North in Newbury.

Witnesses said the wrong-way driver used Exit 83 to get onto Scotland Road in a black Subaru Legacy. Balciunas was allegedly driving erratically, switching lanes, and driving in the breakdown lane on the wrong side of the road.

Troopers followed the Subaru on local roads. Officers from Newburyport, West Newbury and Groveland attempted to stop Balciunas, who police say refused to pull over.

The Worcester resident eventually passed the Newburyport rotary on Route 1, then stopped on High Street.

State police said Balciunas sat in the driver’s seat and waved an unknown item. He allegedly ignored police commands to get out of the car, show his hands and turn off the car.

Several minutes later, troopers approached the Subaru and pulled Balciunas from the car.

Balciunas asked for medical attention. The driver was taken to an area hospital by ambulance and treated before being brought to police barracks for booking.

Massachusetts State Police said they later determined Balciunas was allegedly under the influence of drugs.

No injuries were reported during the police chase.

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 Austen Erblat

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A recent thaw-freeze cycle, coupled with the high chance of a snowstorm, is making the avalanche danger jump from a level 1 to a level 3 this weekend, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

CAIC says avalanche danger has been low for much of the month.

Officials say that’s unusual and largely due to warm weather and a lack of snow.

They anticipate the danger level will rise from Level 1, where it is now, to Level 3 by Sunday.

“Most of the avalanches are going to be breaking on the old snow surface,” CAIC director Ethan Greene said. “So not huge avalanches, but big enough to injure or kill you. If you’re headed into the mountains, you should check the avalanche forecast. Make sure you know what the danger is, where you’re going, and if you’re going into avalanche terrain, make sure you carry rescue equipment.”

That equipment should include a transceiver, probe pole, and shovel.

As of Saturday morning, CAIC’s avalanche forecast showed “considerable” avalanche danger north of Steamboat Springs, moderate danger throughout the high country, as far west as Grand Mesa and as far south as the area just north and east of Pagosa Springs.

The rest of the state showed low or no danger, but the weather was set to change later in the weekend, highlighting the importance of checking that forecast.

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 Joe Ruch

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A tale of two forecasts is shaping up across Colorado this weekend.

The next system approaches with an atmospheric river currently impacting California, sending some leftover moisture into Colorado. Accumulating snow begins across the high country early Saturday morning, with impacts increasing by Saturday evening along the I-70 corridor and during peak ski traffic.

Confidence is high in the mountains. Most locations in the high country should see 4 to 8 inches, with 6 to 12 inches common at higher elevations. Snow totals closer to 12 inches are likely near Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel, while the far northern mountains, including Rabbit Ears Pass, could see up to 18 inches by Sunday morning.

Travel impacts are expected to be significant late Saturday night into early Sunday. Delays are likely, and overnight closures on Interstate 70 cannot be ruled out. If possible, delaying mountain travel until later Sunday morning is advised. Given how warm conditions have been recently, roads should improve relatively quickly once snowfall tapers off.

Forecast confidence decreases for the Front Range, including downtown Denver. The realistic range remains anywhere from a trace to 5 inches, but confidence is higher that snowfall will land somewhere in the middle of that range. Current projections call for 1 to 3 inches along the I-25 corridor, with up to 5 inches possible in the foothills.

The biggest challenge will be temperatures. Highs reach 59 degrees on Saturday, with snow arriving roughly 12 hours later. Much of the initial snowfall will be lost to melting, especially on roadways. While snow may fall for several hours overnight, one to two inches could melt on contact.

Expect a messy, slushy accumulation. Most roads should remain wet to slushy, with localized slick spots, especially on bridges, overpasses, and untreated surfaces.

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 Alan Gionet

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A new report compiled by the University of Colorado’s Colorado River Research Group warns that threats to the river’s water supply are now so severe that they pose a significant risk to the water supply in seven Western states and tribal areas, potentially impacting the economy and governance.

The report is titled “Colorado River Insights 2025: Dancing with Deadpool.” It is a compilation of reports by a variety of experts looking at different aspects of high demand and supply shortages that have led to low water levels in places like Lake Powell and Lake Mead. These issues threaten both power generation and supply.

“What’s missing is urgency. The window for decisive, collaborative action is closing fast,” said Douglas Kenney, director of the Western Water Policy Program of the Getches-Wilkinson Center at the University of Colorado Law School and chair of the Colorado River Research Group.

This warning comes after more than two years of re-negotiation of a 100-year-old water use pact that sets aside water for use by Western States, native tribes, and even Mexico, missed a November deadline for cutting a deal. That deadline is now pushed back to Feb. 14, 2026.

“The Colorado River Compact of 1922 has some language in it about how much water must move from the upper states to the lower states, and we’re getting very close to dropping below the threshold specified in that compact,” said Kenney.

At a conference in Las Vegas, Kenney said he was reading the room, and there were still vast divides.

The lengthy report has a series of conclusions that paint an ugly picture of the future. Reservoirs that formerly stored four years of river flows are currently more than two-thirds empty. The report indicates that a single dry year or two could jeopardize hydropower, water deliveries, and even physical conveyance downstream as Lake Powell and Lake Mead fall below critical thresholds.

“The problem is that there is more water that’s been promised to people than has ever existed, and that will ever exist. I mean, it’s just a simple case of everyone can’t have what they were promised, and so the solution to that is everyone needs to agree to take less than they were promised,” said Kenney.

But the political will to do so has been hard to generate. The Upper basin states – those that use less water than they add to the river system, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico- are loath to give up rights to claim water for use. Colorado maintains that it has never used all the water it was allowed to under the 1922 pact.

Lower basin states are primarily consumers of Colorado River water. They are Arizona, Nevada and California. California is a major consumer, and much of the water goes to agriculture, over 70%. California uses more than 50% of the power from the Hoover Dam on Lake Mead. There are half a million acres of high water-consuming alfalfa, as well as winter vegetables and other crops, in the state’s Imperial Valley. Farmers are faced with the potential of growing less thirsty crops, but say they should not be alone in cuts.

The original pact was negotiated at a time when the Colorado River had more water, and there was far less population in the Western States. Experts in the report note that climate change has been part of the cause of reductions in available water.

“In the last 25 years, the flows in this basin are down about 20% from what they were the previous century,” said Kenney. “And that correlates quite closely with the fact that this basin got a couple degrees hotter. You know, the whole world got hotter, but parts of this basin got even hotter than that.”

The report indicates that more heat means more rapid evaporation of snowpack, so even if the snowpack is the same, less gets into the basin. Growing seasons are longer, and the vegetation takes more moisture for growth, rather than re-supplying the basin.

Kenney says the Federal Bureau of Reclamation may need to play a bigger role.

“I’ve been writing about this since 1991. I mean, my God, that’s 35 years ago,” said Kenney.

“This is just like driving a car at two miles an hour toward a cliff in the distance, and now we’re right up against that cliff, and we still don’t have the good sense to put our foot on the brake. I mean, it’s just so frustrating, because we’ve had so much warning that this was coming.”

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 Ryan Yamamoto

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Almost every day, you will find amateur photographers Dan Sarka and David Young traversing the trails around Alameda Creek, looking to capture and document the return of Chinook salmon in the Niles Canyon area.

“I catch more fish with cameras than I do with a hook,” joked Young. “I used to liken it to a kid in a candy factory, but it’s better, it’s better.”

Sarka would agree, and will patiently spend two to three hours staring at the creek, hoping for any sign of salmon.

“We are looking for ripples in the water,” Sarka said. “And when you see it, it is total excitement to see those fish struggling to make it up into the watershed and beyond. It is a fabulous experience.”

Together, the pair have taken dozens of photos of salmon, including the most recent migration through the creek, which began this fall.

Young even recorded a video of a salmon leaping over a weir.

“I got the final leap,” said Young. “I have several leaps before that that weren’t successful, but the very last one, he leapt all the way across and made it by, you know, a good 2 to 3 feet.”

The return of Chinook salmon has been a historical and pivotal moment for the region after a community of environmentalists, scientists and researchers spent the past several decades trying to restore the area’s natural habitat.

In 2022, the Alameda County Water District completed a massive infrastructure project downstream that included a series of fish ladders to help with the migration of Pacific lamprey, endangered steelhead trout and, of course, salmon.

“They’ve been showing up in big numbers, and the unique thing about them is they are highly visible,” said ACWD water planning manager Thomas Niesar. “They’re just an enigmatic fish, and they are energizing for people.”

No one is more energized than Jeff Miller with the Alameda Creek Alliance, whose group has worked with other environmental organizations to clear dams along the creek, including the final unnatural fish barrier that was removed by CalTrout and PG&E this year, creating nearly 20 miles of potential spawning habitat.

“This is the biggest run of Chinook we’ve seen,” Miller said. “And this is the first time we know since the 1950s that showed Chinook salmon could swim on their own, all the way up as far as they’ve gotten to the Sunol Valley.”

The return of the salmon is already having an impact on the ecological health of the region.

“We have already seen a family of river otters move in, there is a local bald eagle pair that comes in and gets the salmon carcasses,” said Miller. “Turkey vultures, raccoons, and we may have bears here in the next couple decades in the Bay Area.”

It will only mean more natural wildlife for Sarka and Young to document, and whose work capturing the migrating salmon has been more than just a hobby, but also an invaluable piece of research for scientists.

“We actually refer to them as citizen scientists,” said Niesar. “Those early photographs that Dan captured were critical for biologists to determine when we would expect to see the fish. If we didn’t have that data, we would have been shooting in the dark.”

ACWD is encouraging other photographers to upload their photos and videos of wildlife to study and share with researchers.

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.