Tag: Sacramento

Woman attacked by otter while swimming in Lake Tahoe, receives nearly 40 stitches

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playful river otter on log indoors

An open-water swimmer says a routine morning swim in Lake Tahoe turned into a frightening encounter when an otter attacked her underwater. Lynnette Bellin said she was swimming near Hidden Beach in Incline Village when something suddenly grabbed her leg and pulled her underwater. “Something grabbed my leg and pulled me under,” Bellin said. “And it was so powerful I thought it was a human.”

The attack happened around 8 a.m. as Bellin was swimming in an area she regularly visits. “I turned around and I saw this otter, and it immediately started lunging at me and biting and scratching,” Bellin said. Bellin fought back with her hands and feet while trying to reach a nearby set of rocks. “It was very painful,” she said. “Yeah, it was just ruthless. It just kept coming after me.” The first rocks Bellin reached were too slippery for her to climb onto. She yelled for help but said no one responded. She eventually made it to another set of rocks and was able to pull herself out of the water.

But the otter remained nearby. “Once I got out and he stopped pursuing me, he kept circling the area,” Bellin said. “I could hear his heavy breathing. It was very menacing.” Bellin eventually made her way back to the beach, where first responders treated her before she was taken to the hospital. She received nearly 40 stitches and began a series of rabies vaccinations. Experts say otter attacks are extremely rare Megan Isadore, executive director of the River Otter Ecology Project, said encounters between people and river otters rarely become violent. “We don’t always expect an attack when it happens,” Isadore said. She said one possible explanation is that Bellin may have unknowingly gotten too close to a mother otter and her young.

“They don’t know what we’re doing. They don’t know why we’re there,” Isadore said. “They can be frightened of us. They’re usually not after us.” Bellin said she doesn’t blame the otter for what happened, but the experience has made her reconsider where she swims. “It’s very disconcerting, but also I love Tahoe too much,” she said. There’s also an unusual connection between Bellin and the animal that attacked her. She’s an infant swim instructor and often uses a small otter toy while teaching children. After the attack, she said she may be ready to retire the toy from her classes.

Source: Woman attacked by otter while swimming in Lake Tahoe, receives nearly 40 stitches – CBS Sacramento

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
Matthew 7:24

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Roseville bear sighting reported a day after Rocklin alert

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A bear was spotted in Roseville on Wednesday morning, one day after police in neighboring Rocklin issued an alert about a similar sighting. Roseville Fire said the bear was seen near Foothills Boulevard between Blue Oaks Boulevard and Pleasant Grove Boulevard. Roseville police said they received three reports of a bear sighting, all between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. It remains unclear whether the animal is the same bear reported Tuesday near homes in Rocklin’s Skyline area. Rocklin police notified the California Department of Fish and Wildlife about that sighting. Residents are being urged to keep their distance and call authorities if the bear behaves aggressively or poses an immediate threat.

Roseville police noted that no road closures are in effect at this time. Officials say that this is the time of year when mother bears push out their cubs to be on their own, and that sometimes leads them into unusual places, which can be more of a danger to them instead of the public. “When they spend time in these urban areas, there’s a potential to get hit by cars, the potential to get into an unnatural food source,” said Peter Tira, with Fish and Wildlife. Fish and Wildlife told CBS News Sacramento that there’s no current effort to find and capture the bear, noting that it will likely make its way out of town on its own.  Bear sightings are uncommon in Roseville but not unheard of. In 2013, a young black bear was spotted in several east Roseville yards, including outside a home on Spring Valley Drive. Last fall, a family of three bears was also captured on video near Rocklin as the animals followed the Dry Creek watershed through parts of Placer and Sacramento counties.

Source: Roseville bear sighting reported a day after Rocklin alert – CBS Sacramento

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
1 Peter 1:18-19

Hope in the dark

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Stockton church hosts fundraiser to reopen local school

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People at tables with baked goods and charity auction in church hall

The City of Stockton has been working to revitalize Main Street. To help, a local church hosted a bazaar to raise funds that go directly into the community. “It’s a small community, but a really hardworking one,” Saint Gertrude Summer Festival organizer Monica Mercado said. This all happened Sunday in the courtyard of Saint Gertrude’s Catholic Church. Vendors and organizers had one goal in mind: raise enough money to do their part in revitalizing Main Street on the east side of the city. “I know a building that looks really nice for the community will always bring the community back,” Mercado continued.

“We’re just trying to throw a rock in there to try to say we could save our church and bring it back to how it used to be.” But that’s not all they’re doing. The weekend-long event was meant to build community, repair the church, and reopen a much-needed school. “They want to get the school going again,” Vendor Jose Lara explained. “We got to get the kitchen back up to be able to bring in the children and help them learn.” The school has been closed for more than two decades. With few options locally on the east side of town, they say the repairs are essential to this community and the next generation. “It’s very important because there’s not a lot to do around here and it’s good to have a place where they can come and they feel safe,” Lara shared. On top of raising money for a good cause, the church says it’s an event to bring the community back together. “We use it a lot and we want to keep up,” Vendor Rafael Murillo explained.

“This is a way of also being able to manage and acquire, not only that but just to give to the community so they can come and enjoy it too.” “When you’re doing something from the heart, you can’t mess up. You really can’t,” Mercado continued. Event organizers say they’ll need to raise nearly $200,000 to make the necessary repairs to their building and reopen the school.

Source: Stockton church hosts fundraiser to reopen local school – CBS Sacramento

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8

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Sacramento offers free e-bike and scooter safety classes as ridership grows

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yellow cargo e bike parked outside french supermarket

The City of Sacramento is putting on an urban biking and scooting workshop in the Valley Hi neighborhood. It comes as e-bikes are growing in popularity, but many people still aren’t following the rules. The series of free community classes aims to teach people how to safely ride bikes and scooters. It’s also an effort to reduce the risk of injury when riding on Sacramento streets. Ted Florez is taking the class after being hit by a car while riding his bike last fall on Folsom Boulevard. He spent days in the hospital with a broken arm and other serious internal injuries. “A kid made a left turn, didn’t see me in the bike lane in the middle of the intersection when we collided,” Florez said.

Last month, a 9-year-old Sacramento girl was killed in a hit-and-run crash while riding on the back of a motorized minibike. The city has been offering these safety classes online and is now taking them on the road in a series of summer neighborhood workshops. The 1-hour class helps answer some of the most common misconceptions. “There are laws around where you can ride and different ages and whether or not you need to wear a helmet,” said Nicole Zhi Ling Porter, the city’s senior transportation planner. Participants ride off with a better understanding of what’s required to safely get around town on two wheels. “That way they can roll, scoot, skate away confidently,” Porter said. The next free workshop will be on August 18 at the Colonial Heights Library on Stockton Boulevard.

Source: Sacramento offers free e-bike and scooter safety classes as ridership grows – CBS Sacramento

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26

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Love Lodi nonprofit gives away 2,000 backpacks to students in need

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Community school supply event with volunteers distributing backpacks and supplies in gymnasium

Starting school just got a bit more stylish. “It’s so helpful not only just to have a backpack, but it feels so nice to have a new backpack,” Lodi Parent Corrie Ordway said. “It makes it like a fresh start to the new school year.” With school in session at Lodi Unified School District beginning at the end of this week, supplies are needed. The most essential one is a backpack. “One in four kids go to school without the school supplies or the backpack that they need,” Love Lodi Co-Chair Timothy Stewart explained. “I have a large family. A lot of these families have multiple kids, and so it adds up. Our goal is to get quality backpacks so that they can be proud to go into school.”

Love Lodi, a local nonprofit, has hosted a backpack giveaway for three years. Monday’s event at Hutchins Square was their biggest turnout to date. “The first year we gave out 1,300 backpacks. Then it was 1,800, and by the end of tonight, we’re looking for probably close to 2,000 with our deliveries,” Stewart shared. It’s 2,000 backpacks given to 2,000 students in need. This has brought much-needed relief for parents across the city and beyond. “It’s definitely huge to get the backpacks covered because that’s a huge thing that we go through, I feel like every year, if not making it through the whole year,” Parent Danielle Marsh said.  This event wouldn’t have been possible without the entire community coming together. Lodi Chamber of Commerce raised nearly $23,000 for the event, while 30 other partners and organizations throughout the city had collection bins for locals to donate backpacks. With inflation and high costs at every turn, this means much more than getting new swag for school.

“I have one girl and four boys,” Ordway explained. “The backpacks were outrageously expensive. [My daughter] is like, ‘I think I’m okay, mom.’ I’m like, ‘Well, if we need it, maybe we’ll buy it. It’s really helpful.” A day that showed neighbors helping neighbors for the next generation. “They’re going to feel really great and hopefully they have a great school year,” Stewart continued. “That’s really kind of the heart behind it. We just want to be a blessing and see what we can do.” “Feeling like that sense of ownership over the thing, you can express yourself and feel confidence; it’s really wonderful,” Ordway shared.

Source: Love Lodi nonprofit gives away 2,000 backpacks to students in need – CBS Sacramento

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.
John 6:27

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Sacramento County to release more than 2 million mosquitoes in Rosemont to fight invasive species

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Large swarm of flying insects above suburban houses at sunset

Data shows Sacramento County’s Rosemont neighborhood has become a breeding hotspot for a species of mosquito that can carry dangerous diseases. On Tuesday, the skies over the community will be filled with a swarm of more than 140,000 mosquitoes that are being set free. The Sacramento Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District says it will then be intentionally releasing two million more mosquitoes in the neighborhood over the next 16 weeks. “These mosquitoes are actually a public health threat,” said Luz Maria Robles, with the Sacramento Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District.

“They have the capability of transmitting debilitating diseases such as Zika, dengue, or chikungunya.”   The insects are all sterile males, which don’t bite people, and when they breed with wild female mosquitoes, the eggs won’t hatch. “We need to have at least 10 sterile male mosquitoes per one wild male to outcompete them,” Maria Robles said. Last year, the district tried this technique in the South Natomas neighborhood for the first time and they say it was successful. “We were able to reduce mosquitoes by about 40%,” Maria Robles said. The district says it has been going door to door in the Rosemont neighborhood with flyers notifying people about the mosquito release. Sue Weaver says she supports the eradication effort. “There’s probably 10 million mosquitoes here, so that will be great,” Weaver said. “That will make a difference.”

The total cost is $136,000 to purchase the mosquitoes from a vendor in Kentucky. But the district is also looking at building its own breeding lab here in Sacramento that could one day produce up to a million sterile mosquitoes a week. “That would significantly reduce the cost,” Maria Robles said. “Right now, that’s something that we’re considering.” Google may also soon be helping to fight the bite. The high-tech company has filed an application with federal regulators asking for permission to release up to 16 million sterile male mosquitoes a year in California.

Source: Sacramento County to release more than 2 million mosquitoes in Rosemont to fight invasive species – CBS Sacramento

Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Colossians 3:13

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Roseville Fire plans major drone expansion to speed emergency response

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advanced agricultural drone spraying crops

What once required firefighters on the ground can now be done from the sky, and Roseville Fire says it’s only the beginning. While drones have been part of the department’s toolbox since 2020, fire leaders are now looking to expand the program with a long-term vision of placing a drone at every fire station in the city. The goal is to launch drones to emergencies within moments, giving firefighters and police real-time aerial intelligence before crews arrive on scene. Within about a minute of a request, firefighters can already have a drone airborne, streaming live video back to incident commanders.

“We can see if we’re starting to get thermal runaway, an incident that might be too dangerous to put people in,” said Roseville Fire Captain Jonathan Davidson. “We can start getting video and transmitting it down to people on the ground who need that intel.” Davidson became the department’s first licensed drone pilot when Roseville Fire launched its drone program in 2020. Now, city leaders are looking at the next evolution of the technology. “They want to put a drone on every single fire station in town,” Davidson said. “That drone can launch from the fire station, and there would be a person in the control center able to fly that drone and provide the aerial reconnaissance.” The expanded system would allow drones to respond automatically to vehicle crashes, fires and other emergencies while being operated remotely from a centralized control center.

Fire officials say the added aerial perspective can help incident commanders make faster, safer decisions before firefighters enter potentially dangerous situations. As the program grows, so will the need for trained drone operators. Roseville Fire Battalion Chief Thanh Pham believes military veterans are especially well-suited for the role because of their experience making critical decisions with limited information. “We’re pretty much problem solvers,” Pham said. “A lot of times in an emergency, we’re given about 60 to 70 percent of the facts and you have to take action. I think that’s a skill set a lot of veterans have that can translate to civilian life or the fire service.” That’s where the Veterans Workforce Alliance hopes to help, connecting former service members with departments building drone programs. “When an organization needs drones and drone operators, the military has them,” said Veterans Workforce Alliance board member Nathan Champion.

“About 200,000 military personnel transition out of the military every year, so that’s a perfect source for organizations that have that need.” For Davidson, the expanding drone program reflects how much the fire service has evolved over the past 25 years. “There’s so many different things that we do in this profession that are outside of just taking a hose into a burning building and putting water on the fire,” he said. From boots on the ground to eyes in the sky, Roseville firefighters say drones are becoming an increasingly important tool, helping crews gather critical information faster, improve firefighter safety and shape the future of emergency response.

Source: Roseville Fire plans major drone expansion to speed emergency response – CBS Sacramento

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

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Multiple people shot at Howe Community Park in Sacramento County

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empty urban playground in early springtime

Deputies are investigating after multiple people were shot at a park in the Arden-Arcade area on Saturday evening, officials said. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said it received reports around 6:30 p.m. of individuals at Howe Community Park possibly carrying concealed weapons, followed by another call about a potential fight and people running from the area. Authorities said several hundred people had gathered at the park for what was described as an unauthorized event. Deputies were asked to clear the area and spent about 15 minutes making announcements over loudspeakers for people to leave.

That’s when deputies reported hearing between 20 and 25 gunshots, sending people running from the park. The sheriff’s office said first responders took four people to the hospital: a 24-year-old male, a 25-year-old male, a 21-year-old male, and a 23-year-old female. The sheriff’s office said three of them were shot, and one of them had a laceration from being grazed by a bullet.  They were all in stable condition, and none of them had injuries that were life-threatening, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators have not announced any arrests as of Sunday, but said the Solano County Sheriff’s Office did find a vehicle of interest in Fairfield. There were three occupants in the vehicle, a male and two females, who were detained and interviewed. The sheriff’s office said a gun was found in the vehicle, but they do not yet know if the three people were involved in the shooting or if they were and to what extent.

Source: Multiple people shot at Howe Community Park in Sacramento County – CBS Sacramento

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
1 John 4:12