Category: CNN Regional

By Julie Sharp, Michele Gile, Zach Boetto, Mika Edwards

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    NEWPORT BEACH, Caliornia (KCAL, KCBS) — The city of Newport Beach declared a local emergency after ocean water surged onto streets and properties in the Balboa Peninsula community Friday.

The National Weather Service issued a coastal flooding advisory that remains in place through Tuesday. A coastal flood warning expires at 3 p.m. Sunday.

City officials said during an evening news conference that crews will work through the night and into the weekend to rebuild sand berms as the threat of flooding continues.

“Our goal is to reinforce as many vulnerable locations as possible before the next high tide,” said Newport Beach City Manager Seimone Jurjis.

Friday evening, residents near the water in Newport Beach took precautions.

“We are just going to fortify the entry to our home and then the back entry,” said Josh Pham.

“It was honestly life threatening,” Gary Winthrop said about the coastal flooding. “We were pretty scared it was going to come into the house. But thankfully we got sandbags pretty quick, all the neighbors were super supportive.”

“We have some sandbags that we got from the city from the fire station,” said April Witting. “A friend got extra; we are going to borrow some from him and fill it with sand.”

Officials said the emergency response would continue through the weekend, with crews monitoring ocean conditions and deploying additional resources as needed. Temporary street closures and parking restrictions may be implemented if conditions worsen, according to the city.

“These Kelvin waves are real,” Newport Beach City Councilmember Erik Weigand said. “It’s not a wave like you would see with swell, but it’s a tidal push, and we’re projecting those to be 20 inches greater than what high tides projected.”

Every high tide is expected to be higher than normal, especially at the south-facing beaches, like parts of Newport, Long Beach, Dana Point, and Laguna Beach.

Flooding risks are highest on Sunday, with tides likely 1 to 1 ½ feet above astronomical tide charts, according to NWS.

Aerial footage over the Balboa Peninsula showed people wading barefoot on sidewalks and streets, some knee-deep in rain boots and vehicles nearly half-submerged.

“Do not drive through flooded streets. Use alternate routes, exercise caution, and follow directions from public safety personnel,” the city of Newport Beach wrote in a statement.

Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Jeff Boyles advised the community not to drive, walk, or bike through the water, as some places along Balboa Boulevard are submerged in nearly 2 feet of water.

“We’re prepared, and we already know that Sunday morning will likely be a little bit worse with the higher tide and larger swell expected,” Boyles said. “We’re experiencing some unprecedented flooding …”

By the afternoon, the water had receded, leaving businesses to clean up. Gus Orozco of Balboa Fun Tours was busy cleaning saltwater off beach cruisers.

“All the water started rising little by little,” he said. “By 10 o’clock the water was like a lake. The street was flooded, flooded like a lake.”

It wasn’t just business owners cleaning up; homeowners were, too. Musician Jennifer Trevour waded through chest-high water in her garage on West Balboa Boulevard to save her keyboard.

“All the stuff in the garage is holding me in, and I’m just like praying like I can get through it, and I push through,” Trevour said. “I got the keyboard out, but nothing else.”

The city is providing free sandbags at its Corporation Yard at 592 Superior Ave. This location will remain open overnight. Newport Beach police say Peninsula residents can also pick up sandbags at Marina Park. Lifeguards on the Balboa Peninsula also have sandbags available in their vehicles.

Orange County launched a website today that provides residents with emergency information and resources related to El Niño. The website, ocgov.com/el-nino, serves as a central source for updates on the county’s response to storm-related issues.

The site also includes links to local government resources and information about preparing for dangerous weather.

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 Jasmine Viel

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    LONG BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Powerful waves continued to slam the already-damaged Alamitos Peninsula Friday night as Tropical Storm Rachel caused more erosion, rip currents, and damaging surf, leaving 8 homes red-tagged.

The city says officials are assessing further damage as residents are taking matters into their own hands to shore up their homes. They are bracing for more impact tonight and into the weekend.

For many residents, this is the worst they’ve ever seen, and they feel helpless.

“A lot of people are retired down here like us. They’ve worked their whole life, this is their whole world, and you can’t do anything,” said James Mitzner. “You sit back and watch. It’s like a train wreck. There’s nothing you can do.”

Strong waves began Wednesday night and continued into Friday morning, slamming into Long Beach’s Alamito Peninsula.

One of Mike Peters’ neighbors’ homes is now red-tagged and on the verge of collapse. Powerful surf is washing away the sand their foundations sit on.

“You can see the boardwalk is completely destroyed,” he said. “I guess this piece of stucco fell off the house.”

The relentless surf from Tropical Storm Rachel is also battering the already broken boardwalk and threatening more homes left vulnerable by last month’s Hurricane Marie.

After Marie’s damage, homeowners like Gabrielle Holt got to work with neighbors, fighting back with sandbags and reinforcements like private contractors and engineers.

“We put sandbags along the bulkhead,” Holt said. “We put in over 500 sandbags. They told us what to do and it’s sand, sand, sand, sand, sand and bolt, bolt, bolt, bolt, bolt.”

City crews continue building a sand berm and repairing a 30-foot section of damaged seawall. But some say the city is playing catch-up.

The city says it has a seven-point plan to better protect the peninsula, including emergency repairs, replenishing the beach with more sand and long-term coastal protection.

Starting Saturday, crews are expected to begin moving up to 100,000 cubic yards of sand back onto the beach ahead of a larger dredging project scheduled to begin the week of October 19.

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 Kayla Moeller

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    CALIFORNIA (KOVR) — Fake spider webs may be a popular Halloween decoration, but wildlife experts are warning that the stretchy material can trap and kill bats, birds and other animals.

Corky Quirk, a bat expert with NorCal Bats, said the organization has already received two calls this year about bats becoming tangled in artificial spider web decorations. One bat died, while another is being rehabilitated before it can be released.

“She had the spider webbing in her mouth, wrapped around her wings. It was a mess,” Quirk said, describing one of the incidents.

Quirk recently visited the CBS News Sacramento newsroom with bats to help explain the risks the decorations pose during Halloween season.

She said artificial webbing can be difficult for wildlife to avoid, even for bats, which use echolocation to navigate and locate prey.

“You might think, ‘It’s a bat, it can echolocate,’ but bats don’t always use echolocation. Sometimes they’re just going from point A to point B,” Quirk said. “Because they’re looking for a grasshopper on the ground so these guys will get caught.”

The calls into NorCal Bats involving trapped bats came from Camino and Roseville, according to Quirk.

Bats play an important role in the ecosystem by eating insects, including mosquitoes and agricultural pests. Quirk said protecting bats also helps reduce reliance on pesticides.

“We’re a huge agricultural area. Pesticides are used in our state but we don’t want increases. We need the bats to control the insects and keep us healthy, but don’t touch them,” she said.

The warning comes less than two weeks after a child came into contact with a rabid bat in Sutter County.

Health officials caution that people should never handle bats with their bare hands, whether the animal is caught in a Halloween decoration or found elsewhere.

If you find a bat tangled in artificial webbing, contact a local wildlife rescue organization for guidance rather than attempting to handle it yourself.

The California Department of Public Health also noted an increase in rabies cases this year. Officials say the risk to the general public remains low, but avoiding direct contact with bats is important.

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 John Lauritsen

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    ANOKA, Minnesota (WCCO) — Anoka, Minnesota, is known as the Halloween capital, but it’s also known for an odd, century-old structure near downtown.

“We are the Halloween Capital of the world for the last 106 years now,” said Brandon Altenweg, owner of Amore Antiques.

Halloween may be one night for many of us, but in Anoka, it’s a month-long celebration.

“It’s kind of a big deal around here,” said Altenweg.

His store is evidence of that. Amore Antiques has some of the town’s oldest Halloween treasures on display.

“It’s just a lot of fun,” said Altenweg. “It’s very nostalgic to walk through the store.”

It’s also nostalgic to walk from his antiques to the Rum River nearby, where you’ll find a stone house that was built around the same time Anoka became the ghost and goblin capital.

“It’s become a rite of passage for people to explore the river and have it in the background of their lives,” said Sara Given, with the Anoka County Historical Society.

Given knows all about the man behind the stone: Thaddeus Philander Giddings. The structure was built on Giddings’ property near his house. He added a garden and intended it to be a little oasis for family and friends. Simply put, it was a place to party.

“There was a fireplace. There was a little stage. In one of the old photos, you can see a water wheel. They had even a little piano. Thaddeus was very into music,” said Given.

Giddings was the music superintendent for Minneapolis schools, so a piano could be heard here, and along other parts of the river.

It’s actually the last stone house standing. At one point, Giddings had built three of them in the area. He called them igloos. Others called them castles.

Weather and water took out the other two, but this one remains, even though a river runs through it from time to time.

“He has the ideas but brings them to fruition, and they stick around,” said Given.

“When I was a kid and the river was low, you could definitely get out there,” said Altenweg.

He remembers jumping on cement blocks across the Rum River to get to the house to play.

“It is kind of a downtown Anoka historical landmark,” said Altenweg.

“Very much a way to gather, relax, and have nature be part of your day. Part of your family,” said Given. “It’s very much part of our history that it’s still holding on.”

Over the years, the city has made efforts to save and maintain the structure.

Giddings’ stone house can be found near Ferry Street in downtown Anoka.

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 Keenan Mills

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    LEWISTON, Maine (WMTW) — The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Bookmobile takes trips across the country, opening its doors to those in the community to explore the released Epstein Files while also relaying the history between Epstein and President Trump.

In the traveling van are over 400 volumes of files at around 800 pages each, totaling 2,500 pounds of paper.

Dani Bensky, who was abused by Epstein, travels with the van, sharing her story.

“I keep saying that it feels kind of strange to take this around the country and just basically campaign for basic human decency, because it’s never been political for us,” said Bensky. “So I hope people walk away with the sense of humanity at the end of it all.”

Bensky said she hopes the magnitude of the number of documents inside of the bookmobile for onlookers to see is what sticks out.

“We used to really live in isolation and think that we were buried in our own shame and really be locked into our own stories,” answered Bensky. “But once we found each other and we started talking about how many of us there were, we’re talking about numbers of over 1000. We think the number is closer to 1400 at this point, of survivors and victims just within the Epstein and Maxwell case. So, just remembering how big this is. And it’s oddly validating to see this much paperwork.”

Joining Bensky on Saturday was Matt Dunlap, Democratic candidate for Congressional District 2, who said, if elected, he would make further investigation, removing the statute of limitations and accountability a priority.

“It’s just an extraordinary story of how simple authority that we derive from the electorate as public officials can be abused and to power over people, change their lives, traumatize them and keep them anonymous, keep them quiet,” stated Dunlap. “And it shouldn’t be quiet.”

The bookmobile will be back in Lewiston on Sunday before leaving the state, continuing its journey across the nation.

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 Camden Morris

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — Severe storms in Alabama have caused widespread power outages, leaving thousands of residents without electricity as crews work tirelessly to restore service.

As of 3 p.m. Saturday, 275,000 Alabama Power customers had experienced outages due to the storm. Crews have been working into the night, reducing the number of affected customers to 46,000, but there is no exact timeline for when power will be fully restored.

Across central Alabama, downed trees, debris and power lines have been reported, and residents have shared their experiences of being without electricity since the storms hit. Alabama Power crews are being assisted by thousands of workers from 25 states to address the outages.

“We had 275,000 people out of power, but we’ve restored 60% of them now, and we’ve had over 6,000 resources from 25 different states come and help us. So it’s been a lot of help out here today,” said Jackson McMillan, an Alabama Power lineman.

David Gettinger, a Mountain Brook resident who lost power Friday, said he was fortunate to have installed a generator about 10 years ago.

“It’s a great investment. And not only that, but it relieves anxiety every time you have a storm like this,” Gettinger said. “Either get a generator or move in next door to someone who has a generator, because then you can help them with plugging into your system or putting perishables in your freezer.”

For those still without power, the main concern remains when electricity will return.

“We don’t really have an exact date or time, but we’re just working around the clock to restore it and doing our best and fastest work we can do to get everybody’s power back on,” McMillan said.

With downed power lines reported across central Alabama, crews are urging residents to stay away from hazards and report them immediately.

“Just stay away from it and call it in, and we’ll be up there as soon as we can to assess the situation,” McMillan 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 Patrick Damp

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    ERIE, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Nine people, including two children, are reported dead after a mass shooting and an hours-long standoff in Erie.

According to CBS affiliate Erie News Now, police were called to Perry Street around 5 p.m. on Friday after witnesses reported seeing a man firing a gun before he entered a home.

Two women were found dead in the street, and more victims were found dead inside the home.

Police said that the suspect was also found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

While it remains unclear if the suspect is among those reported in the total number of deaths, police have said there is no longer a threat to public safety.

Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said that a tragedy of this magnitude is difficult to put into words.

“There are no words that can adequately express the magnitude of the loss of life here,” he said. “Out of respect for the victims and their loved ones, I will not discuss the specific details of what our officers encountered today. Our investigators are working diligently as we speak to establish the full circumstances of what occurred. We will not speculate about a motive or any information that could compromise this investigation.”

The City of Erie government and Erie Mayor Daria Devlin released a joint statement on social media reiterating that there is no longer a threat to the public.

“Tonight, a terrible tragedy occurred near 7th and Perry Streets in Erie, resulting in multiple deaths,” the statement read. “We understand that this news brings deep shock and sorrow to our residents, and we want to assure the public that the situation has been contained. The shooter is deceased, and there is no ongoing threat or danger to the public at this time. Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by tonight’s tragedy.”

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 Frankie McLister

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A man alleged to be a serial peeping tom in Minneapolis was arrested again earlier this week.

Police say John Searle is connected to several cases near the University of Minnesota in the Dinkytown, Como and Marcy-Holmes neighborhoods.

“I think it’s really disgusting,” said Winter Manisto, a Minneapolis resident.

“We heard from our neighbors a few units down that there was somebody going to homes with an iPad looking through windows,” said Noah Smetmaka, a Minneapolis resident.

Searle is facing multiple charges for interfering with privacy. Court documents say he was caught looking into women’s windows near the university in July.

Searle was caught doing it again this past Monday, which is when he was arrested. A Minneapolis resident said it was their neighbor’s security camera that caught him in the act.

Searle’s criminal record includes 10 previous convictions for stalking or interfering with privacy dating back to 1995.

“I’m glad that they caught him,” said Smetanka. “Definitely makes this neighborhood feel a little bit safer.”

“You can’t help but wonder if you’re safe in your house anymore,” said Manisto.

Investigators say Searle was caught with video recordings in some of his previous cases. He was taken into custody but was released Thursday night.

Prosecutors say that Searle is an “extreme risk to public safety.” Investigators say more charges are likely to come.

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.