Category: CNN Regional

By Lauren Pozen, Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A Los Angeles County woman and her pet cat are recovering after they were both bitten by the same rattlesnake on back-to-back days last week.

The first instance happened Wednesday, when the woman was picking up cat toys in the backyard of her Palmdale home. She was bitten on her index finger and rushed to a nearby hospital by one of her neighbors.

“She couldn’t feel her legs anymore. Her entire face felt numb, she was having a hard time swallowing and her throat was kind of, like, starting to close up,” said the woman’s sister, Souny, who said she immediately received anti-venom upon arrival.

While she was receiving follow-up care at the hospital, Souny says her sister’s pet cat named Magic was then bitten the next day. Again, a dose of anti-venom was immediately administered after Magic was taken to the vet.

Doctors say that time is critical when it comes to rattlesnake bites.

“The bite happens, the venom gets released, and their jaw opens back up, and they go back out,” said Dr. Ali Jamehdor with St. Mary’s Medical Center. “We always urge people that when there is a bite in the field, to get to an emergency department very rapidly and quickly, and not just wait for things to happen. Because once they start happening, things happen very quickly.”

As the duo continues to recover, Cary Quashen was called to handle the situation at their home.

“I drove over there, but it wasn’t where they thought it was,” Quashen, the owner of The Snake School in Santa Clarita, said. “About an hour and a half later, I found it.”

He says that the incident is a good reminder to be alert, especially with such sweltering temperatures lingering over Southern California. He advised people to keep an eye on pets and children while outside, especially when around brush and shaded areas where the snakes could be hiding.

“If you see a snake, don’t panic. Just back away and you’ll be fine,” Quashen 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 Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Ten people were hospitalized after a rollover crash in Whittier on Sunday night, according to Los Angeles County firefighters.

It happened at around 9:10 p.m. near the intersection of Telegraph Road and Biella Way, where LACoFD officials said crews were dispatched for a two-car collision that left one of the vehicles on its side near a building in the area. The second vehicle had overturned onto its roof in the middle of the street.

Upon arrival, crews found 10 people who needed medical attention, all of whom were taken to nearby hospitals in varying condition. As of 11 p.m., LA County crews said that three of the victims were in critical condition, four had minor injuries and three others suffered unknown injuries.

Firefighters said that the intersection was closed for nearly an hour as authorities investigated the cause of the crash and the debris was removed from the road.

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 Logan Smith

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Wildlife managers and volunteers will be closing more than 14 miles of stream and tributaries in Rocky Mountain National Park on Monday to start a weeklong operation meant to clear new habitat for Colorado’s state fish.

All areas and trails in the project zone — between the Colorado River Trail and the summits of the Never Summer Range — will be closed until Aug. 30. The Colorado River Trail is included in that closure.

It is the second phase of the Poudre Headwaters Project.

The goal is to remove brook trout from the Grand Ditch and its tributaries, both upstream and downstream. Aquatic biologists will apply a piscicide, or an organic poison, to the waters to kill the brook trout. Called rotenone, the poison is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for this purpose and is commonly used by state and federal land management agencies, according to RMNP’s press release. The substance degrades naturally over time.

Brook trout typically compete with greenback cutthroat trout, and even prey on the younger greenbacks.

At one point, greenback cutthroats were thought to be extinct. But a handful were discovered in natural habitat at the same time Colorado Parks and Wildlife was raising what it thought were the last remnants of the breed in hatcheries.

The species has been recovering in both settings and is now ready to take on more waterways.

Greenback cutthroat trout is still categorized by federal officials as a threatened species.

According to RMNP, fish stocking in the area began in 1886 to create recreational fishing opportunities. Most of these fish were nonnative trout species which were stocked into historically fishless waters. In 1968, fish stocking ceased inside RMNP. The Poudre Headwaters Project is working to restore greenback cutthroat trout to its native waterways in the Cache la Poudre watershed.

The first phase of the project was carried out a year ago. That operation was very successful, RMNP spokesperson Kyle Patterson told CBS Colorado, but research shows a small number of brook trout still remain.

“These projects can take at least two treatment cycles,” Patterson stated.

The project will be led by biologists with the U.S. Forest Service, personnel from CPW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This project is supported by Trout Unlimited and Rocky Mountain Conservancy.

The following trails will remain open during the project: East Inlet Trail, North Inlet/Tonohutu Trail, Green Mountain Trail, Coyote Valley Trail, Onahu Trail, and Timber Lake Trail. The Holzwarth Historic Site and Harbison Meadows Picnic Area will also remain open.

Fishing access will remain open in all areas along the Colorado River located south of the Colorado River Trailhead.

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 Nicholas Lentz

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    LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — A bat found in Livingston County, Michigan, has tested positive for rabies, the local health department said on Thursday.

Officials said the finding marks the first rabies case in an animal reported in the county this year. They have yet to disclose where in the region the bat was located.

Rabies is a deadly virus that spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals, according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s usually transmitted through a bite from a bat, coyote, fox, raccoon or skunk.

Livingston County health officials say bat bites can be very small and people may be exposed to rabies even if they don’t see a bite or scratch.

According to health officials, exposure to rabies can also happen when a person touches a bat’s saliva or brain tissue or wakes up with one in their bedroom. Children, people with developmental disabilities and intoxicated individuals may also be considered exposed if they are in a room with a bat.

Anyone in Livingston County who believes they’ve been exposed is asked to capture the bat, report the exposure by filling out a form on the health department’s website and call department staff at 517‑552‑6882 for testing guidance and next steps.

Health officials say people can prevent rabies by keeping bats out of homes, vaccinating their pets and washing bites or scratches with soap and water before seeking medical help.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the state is home to nine species of bats.

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By Frankie McLister

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    ALEXANDRIA, Minnesota (WCCO) — Could you have a life-saving kidney? A Minnesota woman says she needs one.

“The journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster,” said Laura Bachmeier.

Last winter, Bachmeier was told she had end-stage renal disease and that her kidneys are operating at less than 10%.

“A good way to explain it is I just had no energy whatsoever,” she told WCCO.

The 34-year-old grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota, and works in the agriculture supply chain field. Bachmeier says the diagnosis hit another wound.

“I’ve had diabetes for over 30 years, but this adds a whole other layer to it,” she said.

Six months later, Bachmeier is on a lifesaving list for a perfect organ and says she’s waiting on a perfect organ match.

“I’m on dialysis seven days a week, every night,” she said.

Bachmeier needs a match with Type O blood and a matching tissue type. She’s also looking for a pancreas that would cure her diabetes.

“Sometimes if my blood sugar is low, is it because of my diabetes or is it [because] I’m not feeling good because of my dialysis?” Bachmeier said.

She says she could get a call any time of the day or night saying there’s a match. When she gets that call, she’ll need to drive from Alexandria, Minnesota, to her doctors in the Twin Cities within hours.

When WCCO told her, “You seem very optimistic,” she responded by saying, “I’m very optimistic.”

She added that there were times she didn’t feel that way.

“Being a burden on the family, things like that, or, ‘Do we have to accommodate Laura differently than we did before?'” Bachmeier said.

Donate Life says 13 people die daily waiting for a transplant. A journey changing her life perspective.

“I’m hopeful,” said Bachmeier.

You can register to be a living donor on M Health Fairview’s website. The program allows you to specify Laura’s name.

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 S.E. Jenkins

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    DALLAS, Texas (KTVT) — A cat has been resuscitated, and a firefighter was injured after a Dallas house fire Sunday evening, officials said.

Dallas Fire-Rescue units were called to the house in the 6900 block of Echo Bluff Dr. just before 6:30 p.m.

When they arrived, firefighters saw heavy fire conditions in the back of the one-story home. They launched an offensive attack, DFR said, but the fire spread to a neighboring home, and a second alarm was called.

A cat from inside the original home was resuscitated by DFR personnel and one firefighter was taken to the hospital after a non-life-threatening injury while working to extinguish the fire, DFR said. None of those who lived in the homes were injured.

DFR said the fire was under control around 7:15 p.m.; however, they continued working to make sure all hot spots were out.

The original house sustained severe damage, DFR said, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

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 Neal Riley

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Federal agents boarded two cruise ships in Boston and arrested 11 foreign workers who are suspected of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material, immigration authorities say.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it conducted “Operation Tidal Wave” between Aug. 14 and 16. Border Patrol agents and investigators from the Department of Homeland Security boarded the cruise ships Volendam, which is operated by Holland America Line, and Norwegian Breakaway.

Nine of those arrested are from the Philippines, one is from Indonesia, and the other is from Nicaragua.

“Following a comprehensive search of the subjects’ living quarters and electronic devices, and consultation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, all 11 individuals were processed for removal under Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for crimes involving moral turpitude,” CBP said in a statement. “The individuals were processed with the assistance of the shipping agent and are scheduled to depart the United States.”

Previous “Operation Tidal Wave” actions in San Diego and Puerto Rico earlier this year resulted in the arrest of 41 crew members from nine ships, the agency said.

“Protecting children from exploitation is among our highest priorities, and this operation demonstrates the critical role CBP officers play in identifying and stopping individuals who pose a threat to public safety,” said Julio Caravia, the agency’s acting director of field operations in Boston.

Both cruise lines involved in the Boston arrests said they are cooperating with law enforcement. Holland America said it “immediately terminated the individuals involved.”

“These allegations are deeply disturbing, and we have zero tolerance for criminal behavior,” a Holland America spokesperson said.

“We are aware of the situation and take this matter very seriously,” a Norwegian spokesperson said. “The safety, security, and well-being of our guests are of paramount importance, and we remain committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment across our fleet.”

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 Neal Riley

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians have voted to authorize their first-ever strike as the decision to remove longtime music director Andris Nelsons continues to cause controversy.

The Boston Musicians Association said the decision to authorize a strike was unanimous. Their contract was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson for BSO said the sides have agreed to a 48-hour extension of their current labor agreement, meaning it is now valid through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.

“In spite of the turmoil of the last six months caused by BSO leadership’s decision to terminate the Orchestra’s music director, they have failed to agree to a collective bargaining agreement that would begin to restore the trust that they have destroyed and offer a fair contract to the musicians who are the heart and soul of the BSO,” the association said in a statement.

The association said management has not yet agreed to a proposal to bring in a professional mediator.

BSO music director Andris Nelsons The orchestra announced in March that Nelsons is being forced out next summer after 13 seasons. CEO Chad Smith said the board decided not to renew the Grammy winner’s contract because they “were not aligned on future vision.”

Nelsons responded that it was “not the decision I anticipated or wanted.” The Boston Globe reported that orchestra members have been wearing red flowers at Tanglewood this summer in support of Nelsons.

Nelsons made his first appearance for the orchestra in 2011, replacing previous music director James Levine.

Boston Symphony Orchestra responds A BSO source familiar with the negotiations said the vote is a standard and not unexpected step as the contract deadline approaches. A strike has not yet gone into effect.

“We respect the musicians’ right to take this step as part of the negotiating process. Our focus remains on the negotiations and the ongoing constructive conversations,” Smith said in a statement. “We are committed to reaching an agreement with competitive pay and benefits that enhances collaboration with the Players.”

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.