Tag: Washington

Washington man accused of shooting, killing bald eagle facing federal charges

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Federal criminal charges have been filed against a Washington state man whom authorities allege fatally shot a bald eagle in the head on his rural property, authorities said. Benjamin G. Allen of Brush Prairie in Clark County, Washington, was charged Tuesday with violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and unlawfully killing a migratory bird, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.

If convicted of the misdemeanor charges, Allen could face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, the statement said. ABC News could not reach Allen for comment on Wednesday. It was unclear if Allen has hired an attorney. The 66-year-old Allen “is accused of shooting and killing the bird with a shotgun,” according to the statement. The incident occurred on Feb. 5, 2026, when a witness reported hearing a gunshot coming from Allen’s property, the statement said. “According to records in the case, special agents from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife were called to the property in Brush Prairie regarding a dead eagle with blood around its head,” according to the statement, which further said that agents interviewed Allen about the deceased eagle and “his actions that day.”

The statement did not disclose what Allen may have told the agents. “Allen kept chickens not far from where the dead eagle was discovered,” the statement noted, adding that an exam by a veterinarian concluded the eagle died from two shotgun pellets found in its brain. Allen has been summoned to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, on Sept. 8. While bald eagles are the national symbol of the United States, they are no longer considered endangered. The birds, however, are still protected under the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibits individuals from killing them.

The charges against Allen come after a 42-year-old Texas man, Santos Guerrero, pleaded guilty in May to federal charges that he fatally shot a bald eagle on his property near Houston in 2024. Guerrero faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine when sentenced, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. In another case in Washington state, 49-year-old Travis John Branson of Cusick was sentenced to nearly four years in prison and fined $777,250 after he pleaded guilty in 2024 to charges stemming from the killing of numerous eagles and hawks on Washington’s Flathead Indian Reservation, according to federal prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Branson admitted to a self-described “killing spree” of thousands of eagles and hawks between 2009 and 2021, butchering the birds and selling their parts, including eagle feathers, on the black market. Prosecutors said investigators traced the deaths of 118 eagles and 107 hawks directly to Branson.

Source: Washington man accused of shooting, killing bald eagle facing federal charges – ABC7 Chicago

We love him, because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19

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Drone meets bobcat: Police find novel use for UAV after wild animal breaks into Seattle-area home

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Bobcat in house at top of stairs

Most high-tech police drones are deployed for high-speed chases or search and rescue missions, but officers in Kirkland, Wash., recently launched one indoors for a wilder reason: tracking a live bobcat sitting at the top of a resident’s staircase. According to a Kirkland Police Department Facebook post, the incident unfolded in the Moss Bay neighborhood last week after a resident heard loud banging inside their home and called 911 to report a break-in.

Responding officers expecting a human burglar were surprised to find the intruder was a bobcat. In order to maintain a safe distance and manage the response, officers deployed an unmanned aircraft to monitor the cat’s movements inside the home. The bobcat was corralled into an isolated room until the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived, according to the Facebook post. The bobcat was sedated and later released near Forbes Creek, close to the natural habitat where it was found.

The bobcat is believed to have climbed a tree and jumped through an open window to gain entry possibly drawn inside by the resident’s cat, which was later found unharmed. The indoor operation highlights how Kirkland has expanded its use of aerial technology since launching a public safety drone program in 2022. Managed centrally across the city’s Police, Fire, and Public Works departments, the program maintains five aircraft and 17 FAA-licensed pilots specifically trained for tactical searches, search-and-rescue missions, and scene documentation. Police recommend that if a bobcat enters your home, move people and pets away from the area and call 911.

Source: Drone meets bobcat: Police find novel use for UAV after wild animal breaks into Seattle-area home – GeekWire

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Galatians 6:1

A study of the Mesha Stele

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Old Trails Fire continues burning in northwest Spokane as thousands remain evacuated from their homes

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grass fire at night

The Old Trails Fire that sparked near Old Trails Road and W Euclid Road has burned 3,621 acres as of Monday, according to an incident PIO. It is one of three major wildfires in northwest Spokane County, called the Spokane Area Fires.  Level 3 (Go Now!) Evacuations are in place for the following areas

  • Rutter on the North
  • Strong on the South
  • Spokane River on the West
  • Division on the East
  • Five Mile to the North
  • Strong to the South
  • Five Mile to the West
  • Waikiki on the East
  • Cedar on the West
  • Francis on the North
  • Wellesley on the South
  • Strong on the North
  • Five Mile on the West
  • Cedar on the East
  • Spokane River on the West
  • Trails on the South
  • Nine Mile/Assembly on the East
  • Marchand Road on the North
  • Lyons on the West
  • Newkirk Drive on the North
  • North Hayford Road on the West
  • East Euclid Road on the East
  • Dowdy on the East
  • Westwood on the West

Level 2 (Get Set) Evacuations are in place for the following areas: Between Price on the north, Francis on the south, and Country Homes on the west and Division on the east; between Francis on the north, Wellesley on the south and Ash on the west and Division on the east; between Woodside on the north and Francis on the south, and Assembly on the west and Five Mile on the east; between Marchand Road on the North, Trails and Newkirk on the South, Lyons on the West and North Old Trails on the East; between Newkirk Road on the North and Trails on the South, North Hayford on the West and Old Trails/Westwood on the East; between Newkirk/Euclid on the North and Trails on the South, Westwood on the West and Dowdy/Old Trails on the East; between Euclid/Indian Bluff on the North and Trails on the South, Dowdy on the West and West Euclid Road/Trails on the East; between 4000 N. Indian Bluff Road on the north to West Trails Road on the South, Euclid/Trails on the West and Government Way/Equestrian on the East..

The following areas have been downgraded to Level 1 (Be Ready) Evacuations: Magnesium on the North, Francis on the South, Division on the East and Nevada on the West.  The Old Trails Fire sparked around noon on Saturday and is 0% contained.  An incident PIO says the fire, along with the Fairview Fire near Mead, significantly subdued in activity Sunday, allowing firefighters to focus on structure protection and improving a fire line.  The main evacuation shelter for the Spokane Area Fires is at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W Spokane Falls Blvd. A shelter at Spokane Falls Community College is closed as of Saturday, according to the Red Cross.   Riverside State Park and Dwight Merkel Sports Complex were also evacuated. The Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center confirmed to KREM 2 that staff evacuated patients and staff members. The VA said 27 patients are currently under the care of staff at area shelters and the hospital has been fully evacuated. 

Red Cross asks people hoping to donate or those who need help to call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) as it will be manned overnight.  The Barking Lot is accepting pets if you are trying to evacuate the area. The address is 15825 E Trent Ave, Spokane Valley WA 99216. To check their availability, call (509) 564-6066. State fire assistance has been mobilized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan in support of local firefighters working to contain the Old Trails Fire in Spokane County, near Airway Heights. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs.

Source: Old Trails Fire continues burning in northwest Spokane as thousands remain evacuated from their homes | krem.com

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24

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Arson arrest in one of the Spokane area wildfires that have left some residents with nothing – CBS News

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A 37-year-old man was arrested Monday for allegedly starting the largest of the three devastating Spokane, Washington-area wildfires that are leaving some residents with nothing. Aaron Farinacci, a Spokane resident who has a prior manslaughter conviction, was booked on suspicion of first degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire and was being held on $1 million bond, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said. Authorities began investigating Farinacci after a witness saw him kneeling near grass where the fire began, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels told a press conference late Monday.

“We believe it was matches or a lighter. When he was detained … he was found to be in possession of some waterproof matches and a butane lighter,” the sheriff said, adding that Farinacci was only arrested in connection with the Old Trails Fire. With some 67,000 people under evacuation orders amid the three blazes, hundreds could be coming home to total losses. “All of our memories are gone,” said Anna Andreachi, a Spokane resident whose home was lost in the blaze. “My dad just died, and all of his stuff was still in there, too.”  More than 700 buildings in the Spokane area have been destroyed, and another 400 have yet to be assessed, officials said Monday.  “It’s a nightmare situation,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said. “This is likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane history.”

A partially melted street sign sits in front of a burned out residential home in the Balboa neighborhood of Spokane, Washington, on August 2, 2026. Erick Doxey / AFP via Getty Images Joe Cvancara and his family managed to save their home by digging a fire line. But his neighbor’s home and at least eight others in the area were destroyed.  Cvancara said he’s grateful but that it feels like “almost survivor’s guilt, in a way. Like, wow. So we’re going to open our home to our neighbors. I know it’s going to take a long time to rebuild.” The fires began Saturday, when extreme drought, bone-dry brush, high heat and wicked winds combined to create a dangerous environment for fires to spread quickly. Firefighters went door to door trying to save as many homes as they could, but were soon overwhelmed.    As of Monday, no deaths had been reported. Spokane County Sheriff John Knowles told reporters on Monday there were 14 people authorities were trying to get in touch with, but stressed that he didn’t want to qualify them as missing.

“These are people who may have called for help or for help evacuating, and many of them likely did get evacuated,” he said. “You know, with poor cell phone coverage, people’s cell phone batteries die or they get to some place where they do find shelter and we haven’t been able to reach them by phone. So, that’s the task … for those 14 people that we haven’t been able to talk to.” The Old Trails Fire and the Fairview Fire are both still burning, but the main focus for firefighters on Sunday and Monday was the Autumn Lane Fire. The heat and wind that initially fueled the fires had died down by the beginning of the week, but the dangerous conditions are expected to return by Wednesday. Daniel Ramey, a spokesperson for the California Interagency Incident Management Team 7, which is taking part in the firefighting efforts, told CBS News that the next few days could be critical for firefighting efforts. “It looks like Wednesday into Friday we’re going to be seeing a heat trend up to the 90s, so it’s really time for us to put in the work … on this fire up north and continue the efforts with getting the communities back into their homes as soon as possible below us,” he said.

Three members of the Spokane Fire Department sit on a curb in front of burned down homes in the Balboa neighborhood of Spokane, Washington, on August 2, 2026.  Erick Doxey / AFP via Getty Images Ramey said that while the three fires aren’t particularly big compared to other notable wildfires, the issue is that they have occurred in what’s known as the wildland-urban interface — areas where human structures sit on the edge or within the wilderness. “There’s always a chance when you live next to trees and grass and the beautiful nature that you’re going to have a potential for fire like we saw,” he said. “We didn’t have rain for the whole month of July in this area, so everything was extremely dry. Everything was susceptible to those new starts, like we saw.”

For the Pacific Northwest, this has been one of the worst fire seasons in three decades. At least 16 major fires are burning in Washington state. In Utah, a fire has burned nearly 70,000 acres after doubling in size Monday. The Big Rock Fire in southeastern Idaho has burned more than 2,500 acres and forced evacuations. Ramey warns things could get worse, with California still relatively quiet so far but firefighting resources already stretched thin.

Source: Arson arrest in one of the Spokane area wildfires that have left some residents with nothing – CBS News

Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:17-18

Hope in the dark

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Fires near Spokane have burned 600 structures and forced 60,000 evacuations

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close up of burning flames

The fires in and around Spokane, Washington state’s second largest city, burned about 8.2 square miles over the weekend.

Source: (3) Fires near Spokane have burned 600 structures and forced 60,000 evacuations – YouTube

Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Jeremiah 32:17

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At least one dead, 9 workers missing after deadly chemical tank implosion at Washington state paper mill

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fire truck on the road

At least one person was killed and nine workers were unaccounted for following the implosion of a chemical tank at a pulp and paper mill in southern Washington state on Tuesday, local authorities said.  The tank’s rupture at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility in Longview, a city located along the southern Washington border with Oregon, injured eight employees and one firefighter, the Longview Fire Department said. The department didn’t say whether the person who was killed was a worker. Officials said the families of all nine employees who remain unaccounted for have been notified. A spokesperson for PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview confirmed to CBS News that the hospital received nine patients from the incident, one of whom was deceased.

Four others have been transferred to the Legacy Oregon Burn Center in Portland, Oregon, PeaceHealth said. Legacy Health confirmed to CBS News in a statement it was treating patients from the incident, but it was not clear if there were any others beyond the four who had been transferred from the PeaceHealth facility. Authorities said some victims had suffered burns or inhalation injuries, and that the severity of the injuries ranged from minor to critical. Authorities said there was no immediate threat to the public, but the tank’s unstable condition is “creating hazardous conditions for emergency personnel.”

Source: At least one dead, 9 workers missing after deadly chemical tank implosion at Washington state paper mill – CBS News

It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows.
Proverbs 20:25

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U.S. Park Police officer ambushed, shot by 2 men in Washington, officials say

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News Room

A U.S. Park Police officer was seriously wounded in an ambush shooting in Washington, law enforcement officials said. The officer was targeted, they said.

Source: U.S. Park Police officer ambushed, shot by 2 men in Washington, officials say – CBS News

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:15-16