Category: CNN Regional

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.

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 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.

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 Maddie White

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — After they said a CBS News Bay Area story helped reconnect them, Stefanie Gollmer thanked the two charter fishermen who rescued her from the deadly Volare sinking, calling the emotional reunion a step toward healing after losing her mother.

Stefanie Gollmer had only one name she could remember: Jeff.

Two weeks after surviving the boating disaster near Alcatraz, Gollmer returned to the Marina to thank the two fishermen who pulled her from the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay — a reunion made possible after an earlier interview with her prompted the rescuers’ boss to reach out.

“You must be Jeff,” Gollmer said as she embraced Jeff Dejung.

“I am Jeff,” he replied before introducing her to his colleague, Aaron Anfinson.

The emotional reunion marked the first time the three had seen each other since the July 14 boating tragedy that claimed multiple lives, including those of Gollmer’s mother, uncle, and aunt.

Gollmer was among 20 people aboard the Volare during a memorial service when the vessel capsized and sank.

Authorities confirmed Monday that a body recovered near the Golden Gate Bridge over the weekend was Gollmer’s 74-year-old mother, Carol Boisa. Gollmer’s aunt, Jackie Boisa, remains missing.

“I can’t thank you guys enough,” Gollmer told the fishermen. “I’m trying to stay focused on the positive. And you guys are a part of it, and I really appreciate it.”

The last time they met, the circumstances were far different.

Anfinson and Dejung were leading a group of about 30 people on a fishing charter aboard their Bass-Tub fishing vessel when they spotted the emergency unfolding. They rushed toward the capsized boat, where survivors struggled in the cold water among floating debris.

“Rugs, couch cushions, trying to drive around stuff and trying to see what’s a person and what’s not,” Anfinson recalled.

Gollmer had hit her head on the sinking vessel and was desperately searching for her mother.

“The whole time I was in the water I just knew my mom didn’t make it out because I watched everybody come out one by one and I just knew,” she said. “I was just wailing for my mom.”

Dejung pulled Gollmer aboard and immediately began treating her for possible hypothermia.

He said it’s part of training he received; training that includes “[getting] their wet clothes off… [getting] them blankets… [getting] them with the heater,” he said, describing the rescue procedures he relied on.

Gollmer recalled asking for a hug from another boat passenger, and them providing. She said that was the first moment she felt any sense of calmness during the situation.

“That was the moment I felt like, okay, it’s going to be okay,” said Gollmer.

Dejung praised Gollmer’s resilience.

“You’re strong, incredibly strong. If I were in your shoes, I don’t think I’d be out here right now,” he told her.

Gollmer said the reunion represents an important step in her healing.

“This is a healing moment, and I don’t want to sit in the trauma,” she said.

She also said she still struggles to understand why she survived when her mother did not.

“I have some sort of guardian angel over me. I really do believe I was just lifted out of there,” she said. “I dove through that window and into the water and everybody else was trapped in that cabin, I really cannot understand. There’s entities amongst us.”

As a thank you, Gollmer insisted on buying the two men lunch. The meal, she said, is only a small gesture.

Dejung and Anfinson, who operate Bass-Tub Fishing and offer sport fishing trips, San Francisco Bay cruises and private charters, said they simply did what anyone would hope a fellow boater would do.

For Gollmer, their actions became a lifeline on the worst day of her life — and a lasting reminder of the compassion that can come from complete strangers.

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 Kelly Werthmann

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — Nearly 75 years after the Korean War began, the stories of the people who fought it are becoming harder to find.

Some survive in photographs. Others live on in family memories. And some were shared Monday by the veterans themselves as Aurora officially dedicated the new Korean War Memorial at General’s Park.

Among them was 96-year-old Jong Yeol Park, who attended the ceremony to honor the service members from around the world who helped defend his homeland.

“During the war, a lot of countries helped us and also a lot of soldiers helped us, and I am here for them,” Park said through an interpreter. “I am grateful for them.”

That gratitude is woven throughout the memorial, which honors the men and women who served in the Korean War and the 22 nations that answered South Korea’s call for help after the war began in 1950.

For Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, whose father served in Korea, the memorial is about more than remembering the past.

“Today, we dedicate more than a memorial,” Coffman said during Monday’s ceremony. “We dedicate a place of remembrance, gratitude and reflection. A lasting tribute to those who answered the call of duty, defending freedom, and forged enduring bonds among nations.”

The memorial is the result of an 11-year effort led by the Aurora Korean War Veterans organization, U.N. Heritage for the Korean War, community supporters, as well as the City of Aurora and Adams County.

Peter Seung Woo Lee, board chair of U.N. Heritage for the Korean War, said the project was built on a simple idea: ensuring future generations understand the sacrifices that helped shape modern South Korea.

“The very reason South Korea is where it is today is because the Korean War veterans from 22 nations came to a small country in the Far East and saved us,” Lee said. “We are forever grateful, and we want to make sure that gratitude continues for future generations.”

Visitors entering the memorial are greeted by monuments representing the participating nations. Inside, educational storyboards share the history of the war alongside personal accounts from veterans and families.

The goal is not only remembrance, but understanding.

For Becky Hogan, one of the leaders behind the project, that mission is deeply personal.

“This is a full circle moment for me,” Hogan said. “I was an adopted Korean, and my husband was Mayor Stephen Hogan, and he and city council chose this site for the memorial.”

Throughout the dedication ceremony, veterans reflected not only on their own experiences, but on the people they served beside.

Korean War veteran Abraham Villarreal remembered allied troops who fought alongside American forces.

“I don’t want to forget the Turks,” Villarreal said. “The Turks know how to hand-to-hand fight. They didn’t leave a man behind. That’s courage.”

For families, the memorial offers another connection to loved ones whose service helped shape their lives.

Mike Ackman’s father, a lifelong Aurora resident, left high school at 17 years old to join the Marine Corps and serve on the front lines in Korea. A plaque at the memorial now honors his service.

“The Korean community has done us a real honor as a family to pay homage to my father here with a plaque that denotes his service and his love for the Korean people,” Ackman said.

Ackman said his father never liked hearing the war described as a conflict.

“My father always felt slighted by the fact that all the Korean War vets, because they termed it a Korean conflict,” Ackman said. “And he said the only people who called it a conflict were the ones not fighting or dying over there.”

As the number of surviving Korean War veterans continues to decline, that sense of urgency was evident throughout the ceremony.

For Lee, the veterans have become something like family.

“It’s really personal for me,” he said, holding back tears. “My father passed away 12 years ago. Those are my father figures.”

And for Park, attending the dedication was a way to represent those who never made it home.

“I was lucky to survive,” he said through an interpreter. “I lost a lot of my colleagues in the battle, so I am here to represent those people.”

Hogan hopes the memorial will help ensure those stories endure long after today’s veterans are gone.

“They deserve to see this memorial to them, and we build it for our future,” she said through tears, “so that our children and our grandchildren will remember long after us.”

The memorial is now open to the public at General’s Park, where organizers hope visitors will leave not only with a better understanding of the Korean War, but of the people whose lives were forever changed by it.

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 Hunter Sowards

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A struggling Boyle Heights restaurant, which lost most of its customers after the Lineage cold storage facility fire in June, received a helping hand from the employees of a nearby hospital.

Two weeks ago, CBS LA visited the family-run La Palapa Sinaloense Fish Tacos on E. Olympic Boulevard to listen to their story after the fire. In the weeks since, they’ve been unable to maintain business due to the horrific stench from the rotting food inside the warehouse.

“Really hard. Really hard, because we need to pay the bills,” said Jovana Garcia at the time.

A Los Angeles Community Hospital administrator heard their story and decided that they had an opportunity to help.

“I said to my wife, ‘This needs to be a fundraiser,'” said Keith Levy, the man behind the plan. He purchased 80 meals for his staff, who work right across the street from the restaurant, and donated $300 to Garcia’s restaurant.

Since then, Garcia says the orders have poured in.

“I say, ‘Thank you, God,’ cause they helped a lot. Of course, they make me emotional,” Garcia said. “I am very happy.”

Her son, Emilio, doubled down on the thanks.

“Thank you for supporting my mom,” he said.

Levy says that helping comes naturally to people in their line of work.

“The hospital is there for them; the hospital is here for the community,” Levy said. “We will do whatever we can for them.”

He hopes their pay it forward act will inspire the next person to do something even better for someone in need.

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 Tom Wait

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — On the heels of a successful FIFA World Cup and with the 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon, the head of the Los Angeles FBI field office says a big concern heading into the games is weaponized drones.

Agents are preparing to deal with the potential threat as the agency shares how they used their own drones to track down illegal drone operators during World Cup events in LA.

“Of the 700 drones seized across the United States 59 were seized here in Los Angeles,” – Patrick Grandy, FBI Assistant Director in Charge, LA, said.

New FBI video shows agents tracking down people illegally flying drones during the World Cup games and events, confiscating them and citing the operators.

These suspected illegal drone operators were flying them near Sofi Stadium and the fan zone at the Coliseum, violating a temporarily ban.

The head of the FBI’s LA field office says none of the drones they seized were weaponized.

“Obviously, on one extreme is that drones that carries a payload and is weaponized. That is obviously something you’re seeing quite frequently overseas and something that we’re concerned about here in the United States,” Grandy said.

Emphasizing that any drone can be a threat in a restricted area, the FBI referred to an incident last year during the LA fires when a man flew his drone into a Super Scooper water dropping airship, grounding it for five days. The operator was fined $65,000.

“Careless and clueless operation of a drone can impede helicopter operations. We’ve had several LAPD helicopters that have been struck by drones,” Grandy said.

The FBI says Temporary Flight Restrictions will always be enforced and penalties for flying a drone, even if it’s just by accident, could range from a $100 fine to $100,000 and prison time.

Drone security is just one aspect of the FBI’s preparation for the upcoming Super Bowl and Olympic Games. Many of the details of their planning are being kept under wraps, but officials say much is happening behind the scenes.

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.