Category: CNN Regional

By Josh Haskell

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    LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Could copper theft slow Los Angeles’s move towards a zero-emissions future? Thieves are targeting electric vehicle charging stations for copper wire — cutting cords and even breaking into chargers using hacksaws. It’s a costly fix to repair the vandalized stations.

Now, there are new efforts underway to prevent copper wire theft.

“All our focus is, ‘How do we accelerate transportation electrification?’ More EVs, cars and trucks on the road, more charges in the ground by the time the world arrives for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. How do we show the world what we’re made of? We don’t want to show them a world where the Sixth Street Bridge and all the EV chargers are clipped with copper theft,” said Matt Petersen, the CEO of Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI).

Even Petersen’s non-profit in the Arts District has been hit multiple times. According to LACI, there are 60,630 public and workplace EV chargers in the greater Los Angeles region.

“There are more chargers that are now out in the open, so it becomes easily accessible to access those, and metal prices are increasing. Copper has increased over the years, so that’s also leading to more vandalism,” said Aric Ohana, of Ohana Mobility.AI.

“Cutting a connector doesn’t fall underneath warranty, and so when you start there, it can get quite expensive, specifically because it’s going to come out of the pocket of the person that deployed the charging station,” said Kameale Terry, the CEO of Charger Help. “For level two, slower chargers, you’re seeing anywhere between $650 to $700 for the connector plus the labor. But then, when you start talking about DC fast chargers, it can go all the way up to $1,500.”

Those in the EV community support AB 476, which Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed into law. It brings stricter penalties and enforcement to those paying for the stolen metal, something that’s not worth a lot of money.

EV charging companies are coming up with more innovative ways to prevent cables from being cut. That includes cables that can disconnect from the charger, wireless charging and more durable protection for cords, including one cable that sprays ink when it’s cut.

“As we see these problems, let’s quantify them. Let’s ensure that we’re thinking about how we solve them. But most importantly, let’s lean in and build better products where you can’t just simply cut the connector,” Terry said.

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By Lisa Lete

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    POCATELLO (eastidahonews.com) — Seventy goats are earning their keep in Pocatello this week as part of an innovative project using the grazing animals to control weeds and improve wildlife habitat — no chemicals required.

In a collaboration between Idaho Goat Grazers and the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust, the herd is spending two days at the Century Heights Preserve, munching down invasive species like cheatgrass that threaten native plant communities and increase wildfire risk.

The goats act as “real-life weed whackers,” consuming up the cheatgrass and up to 95% of its seeds — a task that mowing or spraying can’t accomplish as effectively, according to Zakary Copeland of Aberdeen, who owns Idaho Goat Grazers.

“This is a great alternative to mowing and using chemicals to get rid of weeds,” Copeland said. “The goats eat the grass and the seeds instead of spreading them, reducing the number of invasive species in the area.”

The pilot program was tested in the spring and proved so successful that the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust brought the goats back for a fall follow-up, with plans to make the project a regular, seasonal effort.

“Goat grazing has become a great tool for us,” said Carly Flandro, communications director for the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust. “It helps us reduce the use of chemicals while improving ecosystem health and fostering native plant growth.”

Flandro said the Century Heights Preserve is protected open space owned and managed by the Land Trust, providing vital habitat for mule deer, coyotes, rabbits, bats, songbirds, snakes, butterflies and bees.

“Sagebrush Steppe stewards the land according to best practices for wildlife and ecosystem health,” Flandro said. “These acts offset carbon and help purify our air and water. The benefits of this open space can’t be overemphasized.”

The goat-grazing project supports the Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust’s broader mission: to protect, connect and enhance wildlife habitat, working lands and community spaces in southeast Idaho — now and for future generations.

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By Daniel Macht, Michelle Bandur

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    STANISLAUS COUNTY, California (KCRA) — A 22-year-old Turlock man has taken legal action against the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, accusing deputies of unlawful detention and of using excessive force against him at the county fair over the summer.

Ronaldo Hernandez and his attorneys announced Wednesday the filing of a government claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, that stems from the incident on July 20.

In a press conference, attorney Neil Gehlawat said Hernandez was a recent graduate of California State University, Stanislaus with honors who had been attending the fair with his family.

He was socializing with them and friends after a concert when he “felt a jolt to his body.”

“And the next thing you know, he is being punched in the face and punched in the body and being thrown to the ground by Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies,” Gehlawat said.

Video footage released by the attorneys captured part of the interaction, which showed Hernandez being tackled and hit repeatedly as other deputies surrounded him to keep bystanders from intervening.

The video does not show what led up to the confrontation or how it concluded.

Hernandez was detained in jail overnight and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest “even though he was sober and does not drink,” according to his attorneys.

They said the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office rejected the case due to a lack of evidence on Aug. 27. KCRA 3 has reached out to the DA’s office for confirmation.

Gehlawat said Hernandez now has trouble lifting heavy objects which has led to him becoming unemployed. He also has trouble with short-term memory.

“That night changed my life forever,” Hernandez said in reading a statement. “Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. What happened to me was more than just excessive force. It was an assault on my dignity, my sense of safety, and my trust in the system that’s supposed to protect us.”

He added that he now fears law enforcement and has other “emotional scars.”

KCRA 3 reached out to the sheriff’s office for a response to the allegations. A sheriff’s spokesperson said the office was aware of the incident and claim, but does not comment on pending litigation or personnel matters.

“Ronaldo keeps asking us why this happened to him, and we have no answer,” Hernandez’s parents said in a press release. “ We are seeking justice not just for our son, but to ensure this never happens to another family.”

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By Kendall Keys

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Two United States Postal Service employees are accused of stealing hundreds of dollars in Menards rebates from the mail.

A federal grand jury indicted two postal employees this week, charging them with multiple counts of theft of mail matter by officer or employee.

Menards mails out its coveted rebates of 11% back on customers’ purchases in the form of in-store credit to their mailboxes.

“I buy at Menards almost like every day, and so I get these rebates a lot,” Goran Jovovic, shopping at Menards Wednesday, said. “That’s like you’re putting the cash in the mailbox, so a lot of people know about it. I mean, everybody knows about it, so they can easily steal it if they wanted to.”

The two USPS workers are accused of doing just that. Two federal indictments accuse Michael Bagley and Darius Holmes of stealing the rebate checks while on the job.

According to the separate indictments, the grand jury accuses Holmes of stealing 10 rebate checks, totaling $982.24. Bagley is accused of taking four rebates, totaling $331.78.

“I don’t think it’s right,” Jovovic said.

WISN 12 News tried to reach both of the accused postal workers. They did not answer their doors.

Holmes later called WISN 12 News and said he wasn’t aware of the federal indictment. He hung up when asked if he was still employed by USPS.

WISN 12 News tried to reach the investigating agency, the USPS Office of Inspector General, but the agency said that due to a lapse in federal funding, employees have been furloughed, so there wasn’t anyone to answer our questions. A request to USPS, inquiring whether the workers were still employed, also went unanswered.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Menards said in part, “We strongly feel that we and all of our fellow citizens should be able to put our trust in the good folks at the U.S. Postal Service. We are glad to hear they are getting their house in order.”

Holmes and Bagley are due in federal court next month for their arraignments.

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By Maddie Augustine

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — The Schopen family is hosting the Rylan J. Schopen Memorial Monster Bash this weekend to honor their daughter and raise funds for grief counseling services, marking ten years since her passing.

Rylan Schopen would have been 16 this year. Rylan has five siblings, but her family said she always found a way to make her presence known.

“She’s always in the center and she was always smiling, cheerful,” Cael Schopen, one of Rylan’s older brothers, said.

Rylan was born with special needs, and Gary Schopen, Rylan’s father, said she needed constant physical and medical support. The family said they ensured she was always involved and lived life to the fullest.

“We would go to the zoo, we’d go there quite often. And she loved, you know, so many animals,” Gary said. “She really grasped the aquarium. So we would sit in there and we would be in there for hours just watching the fish and everything.”

Turtles quickly became a favorite, Michelle Schopen, Rylan’s step-mother, said she even had a light-up one that displayed the stars and moon at night.

The family said she also loved to spend time with her siblings, even just lying on the couch with her brother Cael or her dad.

On the morning of Sept. 26, 2015, Rylan was rushed to the hospital. Doctors believe Rylan suffered a massive seizure and declared her brain dead three days later.

“That’s when Gary and her mother, Rachel, had to make the decision to, to, donate her organs,” Michelle said.

“October 1st is the last time when we got to see her before she went in the elevator doors or an elevator, and then they closed,” Gary said.

It was just two days before Rylan’s sixth birthday.

“My initial thought was, you know, get the kids into grief counseling. And because this is huge, I mean, there’s she was five. That’s so it’s unnatural for someone to die at such a young age,” Michelle said.

Michelle said she reached out to Collective for Hope – then called Teddy Bear Hollow – but she said the programming was booked out for months.

Now ten years later, knowing the need for grief counseling in the Omaha metro and wanting to honor their daughter, the family is hosting the Rylan J. Schopen Memorial Monster Bash.

The name is inspired by Gary’s nickname for his daughter.

“I always called her daddy’s little monster,” Gary Schopen said.

The theme of the event also represents Rylan’s love for Halloween and trick-or-treating.

“She would come home with this big, pillowcase full of candy and stuff, and I always got ‘told no, no, daddy not yours,'” Gary said.

Remembering how important grief counseling was for their family, Michelle said the event is an effort to raise funds for Collective for Hope. It’s an organization that provides free grief counseling for children and people as young as 3 years old. Now, Michelle said, this is a chance for other kids to help one another.

“It’s a way for them to have fun and give back to their community and give to not just the community as a whole, but specifically to other kids because the Collective for Hope has such a wide range of ages that they serve,” Michelle said.

It’s a service the organization said is constantly needed.

“Grief is a very universal but also a unique thing to everybody. And if there’s, you know, the collective for Hope, we specialize in creating that brave, safe space where you can come together in community,” Cliff McEvoy, executive director at Collective for Hope, said. “We are touching the lives of over 5000 members of our community on an annual basis. and that’s grown by about 2000, in the past two years.”

Gary said it’s humbling to know an effort done in his daughter’s name can help other children and carry on Rylan’s legacy.

“Never-ending hope that no matter life’s complications that you have, you can enjoy life and be love and show compassion,” Gary said.

The event is Saturday from 2-5 p.m. in Bellevue at 1406 Fort Crook Rd S.

The Monster Bash will have Live Music by Cover Me Badd, Face Painting, Balloon Animals, Trunk-or-Treating, and a Photo Booth to capture all the wonderful costumes, plus other activities and a grilled cheese food truck in Bellevue.

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