Burmese pythons are expanding their territory north along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with sightings becoming more frequent in areas beyond the Everglades. Wade Gardener recently captured one of these invasive snakes near his home, marking another instance of their presence in the region.Snake trapper Seth explained the reasons behind this expansion, saying, “They’re either running out of food or looking for new food, or the population’s just growing so big that they just start spreading out.”Video above: Ball python caught on camera chilling on a pool deck The python captured was nearly 12 feet long, comparable to the length of a car. The largest Burmese python ever captured in Florida was a female measuring nearly 18 feet and weighing 215 pounds in 2022.Andrew Durso, a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, noted that Burmese pythons are beginning to slither or swim to new parts of the Gulf Coast.Video below: 5-foot python found in bathroom of apartment”I think we can expect to see pythons continuing to increase their range naturally, slowly,” Durso said.Trappers are receiving more calls about these snakes appearing in new residential areas, a development that does not surprise experts like Durso.”I also think we can expect to see more populations pop up in areas that have a lot of human traffic,” he said.As the invasive species seeks more food in new locations, Seth mentioned the possibility of their presence extending beyond Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties.”I’ll be more surprised if we start to see him in, like, Sarasota or Bradenton or Tampa area,” Seth said.Seth advised against engaging with these snakes if encountered, as improper handling can lead to serious injuries requiring hospital visits and stitches. Instead, he recommended calling experts to safely remove them from neighborhoods.
Burmese pythons are expanding their territory north along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with sightings becoming more frequent in areas beyond the Everglades. Wade Gardener recently captured one of these invasive snakes near his home, marking another instance of their presence in the region.
Snake trapper Seth explained the reasons behind this expansion, saying, “They’re either running out of food or looking for new food, or the population’s just growing so big that they just start spreading out.”
Video above: Ball python caught on camera chilling on a pool deck
The python captured was nearly 12 feet long, comparable to the length of a car.
The largest Burmese python ever captured in Florida was a female measuring nearly 18 feet and weighing 215 pounds in 2022.
Andrew Durso, a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, noted that Burmese pythons are beginning to slither or swim to new parts of the Gulf Coast.
Video below: 5-foot python found in bathroom of apartment
“I think we can expect to see pythons continuing to increase their range naturally, slowly,” Durso said.
Trappers are receiving more calls about these snakes appearing in new residential areas, a development that does not surprise experts like Durso.
“I also think we can expect to see more populations pop up in areas that have a lot of human traffic,” he said.
As the invasive species seeks more food in new locations, Seth mentioned the possibility of their presence extending beyond Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties.
“I’ll be more surprised if we start to see him in, like, Sarasota or Bradenton or Tampa area,” Seth said.
Seth advised against engaging with these snakes if encountered, as improper handling can lead to serious injuries requiring hospital visits and stitches. Instead, he recommended calling experts to safely remove them from neighborhoods.
Two West Virginia National Guard members who deployed to the nation’s capital were shot Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said they were hospitalized in critical condition.The rare shooting of National Guard members, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes as the presence of the troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.A suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.The suspect, who has been living in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The people could not discuss details of an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord Kristina Widman.Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the troops had died, but he later walked that statement back to say his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition.The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump asked him to send the troops.Nearly 2,200 troops are currently assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government’s latest update. Troops held down the shooterThe shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.”It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.”At this point we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a glass-covered sidewalk.Witnesses saw people fleeingStacy Walters said she was in a car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost instantly, law enforcement swarmed the area. “It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this? And we’re getting ready for the holidays?”Emma McDonald, who exited a metro station just after the shots were fired, said she and a friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told AP that minutes later, she saw first responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.Police tape cordoned off the scene, and fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were there, and National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.“I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vice President JD Vance said in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, scrapped plans to spend the holiday with troops at Guantanamo Bay in order to travel to D.C. and be with guard members there instead.Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on social media that he visited the wounded National Guard members in the hospital and that his “heart breaks for them.”Trump vows that shooter will payTrump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.Video below: President Donald Trump condemned Wednesday’s National Guard shooting as a “heinous assault”The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events.More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago.___Associated Press journalists Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.
Two West Virginia National Guard members who deployed to the nation’s capital were shot Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said they were hospitalized in critical condition.
The rare shooting of National Guard members, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes as the presence of the troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
A suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.
The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
The suspect, who has been living in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The people could not discuss details of an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord Kristina Widman.
Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.
“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”
Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.
“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the troops had died, but he later walked that statement back to say his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition.
The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump asked him to send the troops.
Nearly 2,200 troops are currently assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government’s latest update.
Troops held down the shooter
The shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.
“It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.
“At this point we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.
At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a glass-covered sidewalk.
Witnesses saw people fleeing
Stacy Walters said she was in a car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost instantly, law enforcement swarmed the area. “It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this? And we’re getting ready for the holidays?”
Emma McDonald, who exited a metro station just after the shots were fired, said she and a friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told AP that minutes later, she saw first responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.
Police tape cordoned off the scene, and fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were there, and National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
“I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vice President JD Vance said in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.
Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, scrapped plans to spend the holiday with troops at Guantanamo Bay in order to travel to D.C. and be with guard members there instead.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on social media that he visited the wounded National Guard members in the hospital and that his “heart breaks for them.”
Trump vows that shooter will pay
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.
Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.
Video below: President Donald Trump condemned Wednesday’s National Guard shooting as a “heinous assault”
The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago. ___
Associated Press journalists Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.
WEBSITE. BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. SPENCER. THANK YOU. IN LAKE COUNTY, PEOPLE IN PARTS OF TAVARES ARE HAVING TO MAKE SOME ALTERNATE PLANS FOR TOMORROW’S THANKSGIVING FEAST. HOMES ON MULTIPLE STREETS ARE UNDER A BOIL WATER NOTICE AFTER A WATER MAIN BREAK ON TUESDAY. WESH 2’S HAYLEY CROMBLEHOLME IS LIVE IN TAVARES TONIGHT. AND HAYLEY, YOU SPOKE WITH ONE RESIDENT WHO ACTUALLY CHANGED UP HIS DINNER PLANS BECAUSE OF ALL THIS. YEAH THAT’S RIGHT. HE’S MOSTLY BEEN RELYING ON BOTTLED WATER AND EATING OUT RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH THE HASSLE OF HAVING TO BOIL IT. HE HAD BEEN PLANNING ON MAKING A FEW THINGS AT HOME, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT GET THE RESULTS OF SOME OF THAT WATER TESTING ON THE HOLIDAY, HE STILL FELT LIKE HE NEEDED AN ALTERNATE PLANS. THE TIMING COULDN’T HAVE BEEN WORSE. DOUG EVANS SAID HE GOT THIS NOTICE ON HIS DOOR TUESDAY FROM THE CITY OF TAVARES, LETTING HIM KNOW THERE WAS A PRECAUTIONARY BOIL WATER NOTICE IN HIS AREA FOR ANY WATER USED FOR THINGS LIKE DRINKING, COOKING, WASHING DISHES AND MAKING ICE. THE SIMPLE STUFF WE STILL USE BOTTLED WATER. IT’S NOT THAT BAD, BUT DOING DISHES, LAUNDRY NOT HAPPENING. IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. IT’S JUST TOO MUCH OF A HASSLE. EVANS NOW HAS LARGE WATER BOTTLES PLACED THROUGHOUT THE HOME AND HAND SANITIZER SITTING NEXT TO THE SINK. THE CITY SAID THE ADVISORY CAME TUESDAY AFTER A BROKEN SIX-INCH MAIN LED TO A WATER SHUT OFF. NOW WATER SAMPLES HAVE TO BE TESTED BEFORE RESIDENTS ON PARTS OF WEST BURLEIGH BOULEVARD, NORTH AVE AND CLIFFORD STREET CAN BE GIVEN THE ALL CLEAR. ALL AS PEOPLE ARE PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING, WE HAVE OUR GRANDKIDS. WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THEM HERE AND DO A FEW THINGS, ENJOY US JUST HAVING THE HOLIDAYS AND HAVING THEM HERE FROM OUT OF STATE. BUT NOW NOT SO MUCH. EVANS SAID THEIR INITIAL THANKSGIVING PLANS HAVE HAD TO CHANGE. ABSOLUTELY NO COOKING? NO, NOT AT ALL. WE HAD PLANNED TO COOK A FEW THINGS, BUT NO, THAT’S THAT’S NO LONGER GOING TO HAPPEN. THE CITY SAID TYPICALLY, THE RESULTS OF WATER TESTING CAN BE BACK WITHIN 48 HOURS, WHICH WOULD BE THANKSGIVING DAY. BUT THEY CAN’T SAY IF THE RESULTS WILL BE BACK OR WHAT THOSE RESULTS WILL BE. BUT IF THE WATER GETS THE ALL CLEAR, THE CITY SAID STAFF WILL BE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND LEAVING NOTICES, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW. EVEN ON THE HOLIDAY. IT’S ALL GOOD. BUT IN CASE THE RESULTS DON’T GO THE WAY THEY’D LIKE, EVANS HOPES FOLKS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. I HOPE SO, I HOPE SO, BECAUSE IT’S NOT GUARANTEED. BUT AGAIN, THOSE RESULTS COULD COME BACK ON THANKSGIVING DAY. THE CITY WILL BE GETTING THE WORD OUT, AND YOU CAN USE THE WATER IN YOUR HOME IF YOU LIVE ON THOSE PARTS OF THOSE STREETS AFFECTED, YOU SHOULD JUST BOIL IT FIRST. COVERING LAKE COUNTY. LIVE I
Boil water notice issued for parts of Tavares ahead of Thanksgiving
The City of Tavares announced a boil water notice for parts of several streets Tuesday. The city said it came after a broken six-inch main led to a water shutoff. Now residents at 105 W. Burleigh Blvd. through 201 W. Burleigh Blvd., 802 N. Joanna Ave. through 1102 N. Joanna Ave., and 120 W. Clifford St. are being told to boil any water needed for things like drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and washing dishes. “The timing couldn’t have been worse,” said Doug Evans, who lives in one of the impacted areas. Evans said he got a notice on his door Tuesday from the city of Tavares, letting him know there was a precautionary boil water notice in his area. “The simple stuff, we still use bottled water, it’s not that bad, but doing dishes, laundry, not happening. It’s not gonna happen. It’s just too much of a hassle,” Evans said. The city said water samples have to be tested before residents can be given the all-clear. All as people are preparing for Thanksgiving. “We have our grandkids, and we were going to have them here, do a few things, enjoy just having the holidays and having them here from out of state. Now not so much,” Evans said. Their initial Thanksgiving plans have had to change. “Oh, absolutely no cooking. No. Not at all,” he said. “We had planned to cook a few things, but that’s no longer going to happen.”The city said typically the results of the water testing can be back within 48 hours, which would be Thanksgiving Day. But they can’t say if the results will be back, or what those results will be. But if the water gets the all clear, the city said staff will be knocking on doors and leaving notices letting people know, even on the holiday.
TAVARES, Fla. —
The City of Tavares announced a boil water notice for parts of several streets Tuesday.
The city said it came after a broken six-inch main led to a water shutoff. Now residents at 105 W. Burleigh Blvd. through 201 W. Burleigh Blvd., 802 N. Joanna Ave. through 1102 N. Joanna Ave., and 120 W. Clifford St. are being told to boil any water needed for things like drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and washing dishes.
“The timing couldn’t have been worse,” said Doug Evans, who lives in one of the impacted areas.
Evans said he got a notice on his door Tuesday from the city of Tavares, letting him know there was a precautionary boil water notice in his area.
“The simple stuff, we still use bottled water, it’s not that bad, but doing dishes, laundry, not happening. It’s not gonna happen. It’s just too much of a hassle,” Evans said.
The city said water samples have to be tested before residents can be given the all-clear. All as people are preparing for Thanksgiving.
“We have our grandkids, and we were going to have them here, do a few things, enjoy just having the holidays and having them here from out of state. Now not so much,” Evans said. Their initial Thanksgiving plans have had to change.
“Oh, absolutely no cooking. No. Not at all,” he said. “We had planned to cook a few things, but that’s no longer going to happen.”
The city said typically the results of the water testing can be back within 48 hours, which would be Thanksgiving Day. But they can’t say if the results will be back, or what those results will be.
But if the water gets the all clear, the city said staff will be knocking on doors and leaving notices letting people know, even on the holiday.
Two National Guard members were shot and killed Wednesday near the White House.They were members of the West Virginia National Guard. The state’s governor confirmed their deaths in a statement.”It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, DC have passed away from their injuries,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said. “These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country.”This is a breaking news story. AP’s earlier version is below.Two National Guard members were shot Wednesday near the White House and are in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.A suspect who was in custody also was shot and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, the source said. One National Guard member was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the incident who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.Emergency medical responders transported all three victims to a hospital, according to Vito Maggiolo, the public information officer for the DC Fire and Emergency Services. The Joint DC Task Force confirmed they responded to the incident after reports of the shooting. The Metropolitan Police Department also said they were on-scene.The shooting happened at the corner of 17th and H Streets in the northwest quadrant of the city. Police tape cordoned off the scene where emergency fire and police vehicles’ lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on scene, as National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.President Donald Trump, who is in Florida celebrating Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “will pay a very steep price.””God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”The presence of the National Guard in the nation’s capital has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling a court fight and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media that he was “closely monitoring” the shooting and that his “heart breaks for the victims of this horrific shooting.”A spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser said that local leaders were actively monitoring the situation. Bowser had spent the morning at a Thanksgiving event at the Convention Center and then held a press conference to explain why she was not seeking reelection.Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later but the troops remained.The soldiers have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and also have been assigned to trash pickup and to guard sports events.Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment but also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to either remove the troops or appeal the decision.___Associated Press reporters Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Jesse Bedayn contributed.
Two National Guard members were shot and killed Wednesday near the White House.
They were members of the West Virginia National Guard. The state’s governor confirmed their deaths in a statement.
“It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, DC have passed away from their injuries,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said. “These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country.”
This is a breaking news story. AP’s earlier version is below.
Two National Guard members were shot Wednesday near the White House and are in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
A suspect who was in custody also was shot and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, the source said. One National Guard member was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the incident who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Emergency medical responders transported all three victims to a hospital, according to Vito Maggiolo, the public information officer for the DC Fire and Emergency Services. The Joint DC Task Force confirmed they responded to the incident after reports of the shooting. The Metropolitan Police Department also said they were on-scene.
The shooting happened at the corner of 17th and H Streets in the northwest quadrant of the city. Police tape cordoned off the scene where emergency fire and police vehicles’ lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on scene, as National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
President Donald Trump, who is in Florida celebrating Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “will pay a very steep price.”
“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
The presence of the National Guard in the nation’s capital has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling a court fight and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media that he was “closely monitoring” the shooting and that his “heart breaks for the victims of this horrific shooting.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser said that local leaders were actively monitoring the situation. Bowser had spent the morning at a Thanksgiving event at the Convention Center and then held a press conference to explain why she was not seeking reelection.
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later but the troops remained.
The soldiers have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and also have been assigned to trash pickup and to guard sports events.
Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment but also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to either remove the troops or appeal the decision.
___
Associated Press reporters Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Jesse Bedayn contributed.
JENIN, West Bank — After 15 months in an Israeli jail, Mustafa Sheta drove home with his brothers to Jenin. A lot changed while he was in prison, they said.
The fighters that once had daily run-and-gun battles with Israeli soldiers? Gone. The bustling population of the refugee camp that gave Jenin its reputation as the martyrs’ capital? Gone. The theater Sheta ran in the camp, which he nurtured into an internationally known lodestar of Palestinian cultural resistance? Gone.
It appeared that Jenin, known as the city that never surrendered, had surrendered.
“I was shocked. The concept of resilience in Jenin, it’s really important to people. Where are the fighters, the Palestinian Authority, grassroots organization, the local leaders?” Sheta said.
“It felt like we lost the war, like we are losing this battle.”
A view in May of Palestinian houses destroyed by the Israeli army in Nour Shams, one of three refugee camps in the northern West Bank targeted by Israel’s military.
(Wahaj Bani Moufleh / AFP / Getty)
Jenin has become the quintessential model of how Israel — in a long-running campaign dubbed Operation Iron Wall — has largely subdued the northern West Bank.
Over more than 300 days, Israel has deployed soldiers, tanks, helicopter gunships and even airstrikes in Jenin and other cities, leaving a trail of destruction that has triggered what aid groups call the most severe bout of Palestinian displacement in the West Bank — more than 40,000 people initially, now down to about 32,000 — since Israel occupied the region in 1967. In a report released Nov. 20, Human Rights Watch alleged Israeli forces’ actions amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Coming under particular Israeli ire are the refugee camps in the area, set up as tent encampments for Palestinians displaced by Israel’s creation in 1948 but which hardened over the decades into slum neighborhoods Israel considers nodes of militancy.
Three of them — Jenin, Tulkarm and Nour Shams camps — have been depopulated and all but occupied by the Israeli military for roughly nine months, with soldiers systemically demolishing homes.
Of those, the Jenin camp, which holds legendary status among Palestinians for a 10-day battle between militants and Israeli forces in 2002, has fared the worst, incurring destruction many people here compare to Gaza.
For Palestinians who saw the camp and surrounding city of Jenin as a symbol for resistance against occupation, it has come to exemplify a sense of despair, and weariness with a fight that has never seemed so fruitless in bringing about a Palestinian state.
Sheta, the theater general manager, had staged works with political themes until he was detained — without charge, he says — from December 2023 to March this year. The Freedom Theater became famous staging adaptations of works such as George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani’s “Men in the Sun,” a tragic novel about three men fleeing refugee camps.
Though the theater has regrouped elsewhere, it’s not the same. “We consider the theater arrested by the Israel army, because we can’t be in the camp,” he said. “Our soul is there.”
Using satellite data from October, the United Nations estimates that more than half of the camp’s buildings — almost 700 structures — are destroyed or damaged, with entire residential blocks razed or blown up. Several streets have been ripped apart or blocked by the 29 berms erected by Israeli forces; many other streets were widened with bulldozers to create corridors aimed at facilitating future military operations.
A Palestinian woman walks past a wall pockmarked with bullet holes in the Jenin camp in February. The camp has been depopulated in the months since.
(John Wessels / AFP / Getty Images)
The Israeli military says its operation in the camps is meant to dismantle militant infrastructure, including explosives factories, weapons caches and tunnels. It also aims to root out groups such as the Jenin Battalion, a loose alliance of fighters from different factions, including Fatah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Jenin Battalion primarily fought Israeli forces but also clashed with the Palestinian Authority, which oversees the West Bank and collaborates with Israel on security matters; many Palestinians view the authority as corrupt and impotent.
But whatever resistance existed in the camp was crushed shortly after the operation launched in January, residents and Palestinian officials say, leaving Israel’s continued occupation a mystery for the roughly 14,000 people who were expelled and who have no idea when, or if, they’ll be permitted to return.
“There’s no Jenin Battalion anymore. Not a single one is alive. They picked them off one by one,” said Shadi Dabaya, 54, who was sitting among a group of men by the main entrance of the Jenin camp. They fell silent as an Israeli armored vehicle rumbled past, its antenna swinging above the berm blocking the street.
Israeli soldiers walk behind a tank in the Jenin camp for Palestinian refugees in February. In the months since, the Israeli military has cut off entry to the camp.
(John Wessels / AFP / Getty Images)
“We just hear them shooting all the time,” Dabaya said, nodding toward the Israelis. “They’ve turned the camp into a training ground.”
No residents have been allowed to visit, Dabaya added. In September, Israeli soldiers shot and killed two 14-year-old boys trying to enter the camp to retrieve some of their belongings. The Israeli military told the media that the boys had approached soldiers — “posed a threat to them” — and did not obey commands to stay away; it said the shooting was under review.
“With all the destruction, even if the Israelis withdrew from the camp tonight, we would need months to be able to live there — all the infrastructure is destroyed,” said Mohammed Al-Sabbagh, who heads the camp’s Popular Services Committee.
For now, he said, families are crowded into a block of 20 buildings with one-room student dormitories roughly six miles away from the camp. But months after they moved there, the Palestinian Authority — from which Israel has withheld tax revenue, along with taking other measures that strangled its finances — is unable to pay the $63,000 monthly rent.
“Those who accepted these awful conditions — crammed with their families in a tiny room meant for one student — even they will find themselves on the street,” Al-Sabbagh said.
The worst part, he added, was having no idea whether his home was still standing.
“If we knew what the Israelis are doing, we could at least figure out what to do ourselves.”
The operation in Jenin has spread its footprint well beyond the camp. Israeli soldiers who once traveled the surrounding city streets in armored vehicles for fear of attacks now conduct near-daily patrols unhindered, raiding shops and homes at will, residents charged.
Areas adjacent to the camp have been emptied, too. So far, said one Palestinian Authority official who refused to be named for safety reasons, 1,500 residents from those areas have been forced to leave.
“These people have nothing to do with the camp, but they’ve been forced out,” he said.
One of the affected neighborhoods is Jabriyat, a wealthy area overlooking the camp that has the feel of a ghost town, where villas bear the dusty patina of abandonment.
“All of us living around the camp are paying the price,” said Hiba Jarrar, one of the last remaining residents on her street in Jabriyat. From her balcony, she pointed to a building Israeli soldiers recently commandeered.
“There’s no resistance, zero. Not a single bullet is being fired by Palestinians. A soldier can raid any home on his own because he feels safe,” she said, adding that when she heard shooting in the past, she assumed Palestinians and Israelis were fighting; now she knows it comes from only the Israeli soldiers.
“You know what’s sad?” she said. “If anyone fought the Israelis now, people here would tell them to stop. They just want to live. They’re desperate.”
A Palestinian man carries a child down a road destroyed by Israeli forces during a large-scale military operation in east Jenin city, which lies near the Jenin refugee camp.
(John Wessels / AFP / Getty Images)
Palestinian officials say despite repeated requests, Israeli authorities have given no indication when they will leave the camp, and all attempts at facilitating visits there have been rejected.
“What’s happening in the camp is not a necessary security prerogative. There’s nothing requiring the Israelis to do what they’re doing,” said Palestinian Authority Security Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Anwar Rajab, adding that his forces could handle security and that Israel was undermining their authority with its actions.
Rajab echoed the thoughts of residents, analysts and aid workers who see in Israel’s assault a larger plan to recast the camps as ordinary city neighborhoods, not refugee havens. Such rebranding would essentially erase the notion of Palestinians as refugees.
“It’s targeting a community by changing the topography on the ground,” said Roland Friedrich, director of affairs in the West Bank for UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. He added that Israeli officials in local media have said that once Operation Iron Wall is complete, there will be “no more geographic expression of the refugee issue.”
Another measure in the same vein, according to a Palestinian Authority official who requested anonymity for safety reasons, is Israel’s refusal to allow UNRWA back in the camp.
Among those hoping to return someday is Sheta, who after his release from custody went to the berm at the camp’s entrance — the closest he could get to his theater, which was founded in 2006 by a former Palestinian fighter from Jenin named Zakaria Zubeidi, along with a leftist Israeli actor and a Swedish activist.
His imprisonment, he said, was a time of routine beatings and humiliations, with soldiers strip-searching detainees, recording them with their phones and mocking them. The Israelis viewed Palestinians as “not even human. Or animals. Less than nothing,” he said.
He has since “returned to use the same tools” he had used before his arrest to resist Israel’s occupation, but he acknowledged people in Jenin had changed. “Their priorities are different. Some have lost trust in the Palestinian cause,” he said.
Some in the community thought he was “crazy” for bothering with nonviolent methods. But “if you lose your cultural front, you lose your identity, your heritage, your roots with this land,” he said. Besides, he added with a tired smile, if his methods weren’t effective, why did the Israelis arrest him?
“That at least proves to me my work annoys them, no?”
Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow was killed, and two others were critically injured after a shooting broke out during an eviction notice on Friday, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect, Michael Halberstam, was being evicted from the home by his mother. Three deputies arrived at the home with a locksmith to remove him. However, once they arrived at the entry of the home, Halberstam began shooting toward the officials. “We’ve had seven calls to this residence all this month,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said. “Almost all of them from the mother calling about him and her decision to ultimately evict him.” Sweeting-Mashkow, a 47-year-old deputy, had dedicated 25 years of service before losing her life. Halberstam and the locksmith are currently in critical condition and undergoing surgery. Sheriff Flowers stated that this marks the second line-of-duty death within the sheriff’s office in its 100-year history. A procession for Sweeting-Mashkow is expected to be underway at 5 p.m. on Friday. About the suspect Sheriff Flowers said Halberstam has a 2006 narcotic charge and a 2015 misdemeanor assault charge out of Virginia. Halberstam was allegedly fired from his job at UPS and previously made negative comments about the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office on his Facebook page. >>Watch the full news conference below
Indian River County, FL, USA —
Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow was killed, and two others were critically injured after a shooting broke out during an eviction notice on Friday, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, Michael Halberstam, was being evicted from the home by his mother.
Three deputies arrived at the home with a locksmith to remove him.
However, once they arrived at the entry of the home, Halberstam began shooting toward the officials.
“We’ve had seven calls to this residence all this month,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said. “Almost all of them from the mother calling about him and her decision to ultimately evict him.”
Sweeting-Mashkow, a 47-year-old deputy, had dedicated 25 years of service before losing her life.
Halberstam and the locksmith are currently in critical condition and undergoing surgery.
Sheriff Flowers stated that this marks the second line-of-duty death within the sheriff’s office in its 100-year history.
A procession for Sweeting-Mashkow is expected to be underway at 5 p.m. on Friday.
About the suspect
Sheriff Flowers said Halberstam has a 2006 narcotic charge and a 2015 misdemeanor assault charge out of Virginia.
Halberstam was allegedly fired from his job at UPS and previously made negative comments about the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office on his Facebook page.
There is a small chance of scattered showers before conditions clear.
The cold front will have moved away from Los Angeles, but the cold core of the low-pressure system will still be around. “This will bring enough instability to the area for a slight chance of thunderstorm development,” the National Weather Service in Oxnard said.
Snow levels were at around 7,000 feet on Monday but were expected to drop to 5,000 feet by Tuesday. Officials issued a winter weather advisory for the eastern San Gabriel Mountains and the northern Ventura County mountains that is set to last through Tuesday night. About 2 to 5 inches of snow could fall in the mountains.
“As for the Grapevine area, there is a chance of a dusting of snow Tuesday morning as the snow levels lower,” the weather service said. The Grapevine is a key travel corridor on the 5 freeway that connects L.A. and Santa Clarita with the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.
The highest point of the Grapevine section is the Tejon Pass, which peaks in elevation at 4,144 feet above sea level. At that location, “some non-accumulating snow is possible,” the weather service said.
Temperatures have chilled with the latest storm. While the L.A. coast and San Gabriel Valley on Monday reached the mid-60s, due to late arriving rain, most of L.A. County’s coastal areas and valleys “struggled to get out of the 50s,” the weather service said.
Wednesday
Sunny skies but cool. Highs in the high 50s.
Thursday
Thursday’s storm is expected to drop from 0.25 to 0.75 inches of precipitation. That’s on top of the 0.74 inches of rain that fell on downtown L.A. in the 24-hour period that ended at 9 p.m. Monday. Before that, the weekend storm that began Friday brought 2.68 inches of rain to downtown.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office says a suspect is in custody following a shooting investigation in Port St. John on Sunday.BCSO said the incident appears to be isolated, but there is still a heavy law enforcement presence in the area of Curtis Boulevard and Carlowe Avenue in Port St. John. The sheriff’s office did not say whether anyone was injured in the incident. >> This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
PORT SAINT JOHN, Fla. —
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office says a suspect is in custody following a shooting investigation in Port St. John on Sunday.
BCSO said the incident appears to be isolated, but there is still a heavy law enforcement presence in the area of Curtis Boulevard and Carlowe Avenue in Port St. John.
The sheriff’s office did not say whether anyone was injured in the incident.
>> This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Southern California will be under a severe weather threat Saturday, with the most powerful wave of an incoming atmospheric river storm peaking over the weekend in Los Angeles County and bringing a risk of mudflows, debris flows and, possibly, a tornado.
If rain falls as forecast, this storm could result in downtown Los Angeles seeing its wettest November since 1985. Heavy rain brings the possibility of damaging flooding and landslides, with fire-scarred hillsides from the Eaton and Palisades fires at risk of fast-moving flows of mud and debris.
The severe weather threat is expected for much of Saturday, from midnight through 9 p.m. A flood watch will be in effect for a wide swath of Southern California from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Evacuation warnings are in effect through 11 a.m. Sunday in areas near recent burn scars due to the risk of mud and debris flows. The warnings encompass areas near the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Sunset and Hurst fires that burned in January.
But it remained unclear as of late Thursday which areas would be hit hardest by the storm. Peak rainfall rates Saturday of 0.75 to 1.25 inches per hour are expected along a relatively narrow band of land — about the width of a Southern California county. That’s enough rain to trigger a landslide, which can occur when rain falls at a rate of half an inch or more per hour.
Forecasters don’t yet know where that peak rain will be focused.
“The problem is, we just don’t know exactly which county” will be most affected, said Ryan Kittell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. “If you look at all of our projections, some of them favor L.A., some of them favor Ventura, some of them favor Santa Barbara County. And so at this point, unfortunately, for that Saturday time period, we just can’t tell with certainty which county is kind of in the bull’s-eye.”
If the band of most intense rain lines up over L.A. County, it can expect rainfall rates of about 1 inch per hour, Kittell said. If the band is concentrated elsewhere, L.A. could still see a rate of half an inch per hour, and landslides would still remain a possibility.
The area with the most severe weather could see spinning thunderstorms that could produce damaging wind or a tornado or two, Kittell said.
“While 99% of the area will not see such conditions, any portion of our area, especially in the coastal and valley areas, could see it,” Kittell said. “Consider changing any plans that you might have for Saturday. Stay home and indoors.”
In case of lightning, he noted that it’s best to stay inside and away from windows. Those who must go out should never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway.
There’s still a chance that Saturday’s storm could be less impressive than expected. It is being powered by a “cut-off low,” which is so notoriously difficult to forecast that it’s referred to as “weatherman’s woe.” Because the low-pressure system powering the storm is not pushed along by the jet stream, “it will just spin around like a top and go where it pleases — very difficult to predict,” Kittell said.
Still, Kittell said, most of the more than 100 different computer forecast projections suggest moderate to heavy rain. In the most likely scenario, downtown L.A. will receive 2.62 inches of rain between late Thursday and Sunday, which would cause flooding on roadways and minor, shallow debris flows.
(National Weather Service)
Getting that 2.62 inches of rain through the weekend would vault this month into the category of wettest November since 1985, Kittell said. Downtown L.A. would need to exceed 2.43 inches of rain in November to break that 40-year-old record.
There’s a 30% chance of a worst-case scenario where downtown L.A. receives 4.81 inches of rain, producing mudflows and debris flows. With debris flows, the fast-moving landslides pour down hillsides and pick up not just mud but other debris that can move cars and crash into homes with deadly force. A total of 4.81 inches of rain would be one-third of downtown’s annual rainfall.
Both mudflows and debris flows can be triggered with rain falling at a rate as low as half an inch per hour. But it depends on the burn scar, Kittell said. It would take rain falling at twice that rate — an inch per hour — to trigger flows in some burn scars, he said.
The National Weather Service office in Oxnard said that on Saturday there’s about a 70% chance that the Eaton and Palisades fire burn scars will see rain fall at a rate of 0.5 inches or more per hour. There’s a 38% chance of a rainfall rate of 1 inch or more per hour in those areas.
Rain is expected to start falling by Friday morning in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. Precipitation was forecast to begin Thursday in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
The heaviest rain for Southern California is expected late Friday into Saturday.
(National Weather Service)
Although tornadoes aren’t usually associated with California, they do happen. For the most part, “they’re weak, they’re brief, and usually don’t cause a whole lot of issues,” Kittell said. “But we do get quite a few of them.” Sometimes they form on land, or they begin as waterspouts — a tornado over the ocean — and move onto land.
“They are not like the kind that you typically hear about in the Midwest that last for 15, 30 minutes, or even an hour or two, and are a mile or two wide and cause destructive damage,” Kittell said. “We just don’t have the environment for that,” yet they still pose a threat.
A tornado lasting for five minutes touched down in Santa Cruz County last December, injuring three people, downing trees and power poles, stripping trees of branches, overturning vehicles and damaging street signs.
This weekend’s atmospheric-river-powered storm created a long band of rainfall that on Thursday was stretching across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco. It was set to move south and east as it headed to Southern California.
The storm downed trees in the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday and flooded low-lying streets. A tree split and fell in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood, crashing onto a vehicle, local news outlets reported. A tree also fell on a fence in Santa Rosa. Rising waters inundated a section of roadway just west of the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, firefighters said.
Solo vehicle crashes were reported on Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County, the California Highway Patrol said. A pickup truck overturned along Highway 152 between Watsonville and Gilroy, and all lanes of Highway 17 connecting Santa Cruz and San Jose were shut down for some time Thursday night following a crash involving a CHP cruiser; a CHP officer sustained minor injuries.
Rainfall totals were impressive for the region, with San Francisco seeing 1.28 inches — that’s more than half the average monthly rainfall for November for the city. Napa received 1.45 inches; San Francisco International Airport, 1.5; and San Rafael, 2.3 inches.
Through Sunday, Long Beach is expected to receive 2.38 inches of rain; Redondo Beach, 2.48; Oxnard, 2.49; Thousand Oaks, 2.63; Santa Clarita, 2.77; Covina, 2.89; and Santa Barbara, 4.21.
San Diego could get 2 to 2.5 inches of rain; Riverside, San Bernardino, Escondido, and San Clemente, 2.5 to 3 inches; and Anaheim and Irvine, 3 to 4 inches, according to the weather service.
Even the deserts could tally impressive rainfall. Palm Springs may get 1 to 1.5 inches of rain, and Joshua Tree National Park could receive 1.5 to 2 inches.
This storm will not be much of a snow maker for Southern California’s mountains. Snow levels are expected to remain at around 10,000 feet for most of the storm’s duration, said Dave Munyan, a forecaster with the National Weather Service’s San Diego office. By Sunday morning, snow levels will fall to about 7,000 to 7,500 feet, but by then, there won’t be much more moisture left in the storm. Big Bear is forecast to receive around an inch of snow, and Idyllwild is expected to remain snow-free, Munyan said.
“You’re going to get your accumulating snowfall — hefty accumulating snowfall — on the highest peaks of the mountains,” Munyan said.
Winds from the southeast and east are expected to trigger delays at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday and Saturday.
Looking to next week, a storm could return to Southern California on Monday and Tuesday, with another rolling in Thursday and Friday. Both storms are likely to have minor effects. But forecasters are closely watching the second of the two storms, which could develop into something more significant, Kittell said.
Northern California forecast: Wet and windy Thursday
Showers have arrived and will turn into moderate to heavy rain for your Thursday morning commute.
THE SOGGINESS OVER THE AREA. I ENCOUNTERED A LITTLE RAIN ON THE WAY IN, AND HERE’S METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG TO TIME IT ALL OUT FOR US. YEAH, THERE’S DEFINITELY SOME SHEEN ON SOME OF OUR LOCAL ROADWAYS OUT THERE. AND ALSO BRIAN, CHECK OUT THIS CAMERA. IT IS JUST ROCKING AROUND. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SUTTER BUTTE SKY CAMERA. A LOT OF CLOUDS ON OCCASION. THERE WE GO. THERE’S A RAINDROP THAT’S KIND OF GETTING DRAGGED ACROSS THE LENS THIS MORNING. BUT YEAH, THE BIG VISUAL THERE FOR THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY IS THAT BREEZE RIGHT NOW IN SACRAMENTO VALLEY. WE’RE IN THE LOWER 60S ALONG WITH THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THE FOOTHILLS. A LOT OF CLOUD COVER, OVERCAST SKIES, OCCASIONAL SHOWERS, SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS RIGHT NOW SUSTAINED AT 16 IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY, UP TO 14 IN THE FOOTHILLS. AND WINDS PUSHING SUSTAINED THERE OVER 20MPH IN THE SIERRA. WATCHING THE RAIN AGAIN WORK ITS WAY ACROSS THE VALLEY. WE’RE NOT EVEN INTO THE BEST OF IT JUST YET. RIGHT NOW, MOST OF THE ACTIVITY HAS BEEN WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS. I’VE ALSO BEEN TRACKING A COUPLE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE JOINING US IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY OR ON THE EASTERN HALF OF STANISLAUS COUNTY. MOST OF THE SCREEN HERE WE’RE SEEING, ESPECIALLY ALONG INTERSTATE 80 OR HIGHWAY 50, IT HAS ALL BEEN, AGAIN, VERY LIGHT, KIND OF MANAGEABLE RAIN TO DRIVE THROUGH. BUT OF COURSE, IT GENERATES A WET TRACK OUT THERE ON THE ROADS ALONG I-5 AND 99. YOU’VE ALSO BEEN SEEING SOME LIGHT RAIN. AND THEN HERE WE GET RIGHT INTO PARTS OF CALAVERAS AND TUOLUMNE COUNTIES. AND THIS IS WHERE THUNDERSTORM JUST MOVED THROUGH THE SONORA. SO IF YOU’RE A LIGHT SLEEPER, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE CLAPS OF THUNDER OR SEEN THE FLICKER OF LIGHTNING. ANGELS CAMP, MURPHY’S AND ARNOLD HERE ALONG HIGHWAY FOUR. ALSO HIGHWAY 108. YOU’VE BEEN GETTING A PRETTY GOOD SOAKING RAINFALL FROM THOSE STORMS FIRING UP THIS MORNING. THE BIG PICTURE VIEW. WE’VE GOT A FRONT THAT’S GOING TO DRAG THROUGH THE AREA AS IT DOES. SO I ANTICIPATE THAT THE HOURS OF 7 A.M., 8 A.M. AND 9 A.M., WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING SOME PRETTY GOOD RETURNS ON THE RAINFALL. AND OF COURSE, THAT COULD LEAD TO SOME ISSUES WITH THE MORNING COMMUTE IN THE VALLEY. TODAY, I EXPECT BETWEEN 1 TO 2IN OF RAINFALL THAT WILL HAVE A BIT OF A HEAVIER IMPACT. OUR HIGHER IMPACT, ESPECIALLY IN THE FOOTHILLS. WE’LL SEE TWO INCHES PLUS WINDS, A MODERATE IMPACT, 35 TO 40 MILE PER HOUR GUSTS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEY. SNOWFALL FOR TODAY IS PRIMARILY GOING TO STAY REALLY EVEN ABOVE 7000, CLOSER TO 8000FT AND FLOODING, IF WE GET ANY, WILL BE A MODERATE IMPACT. AND IT’S GOING TO BE HIGHLY LOCALIZED BY WAY OF STANDING WATER OR PONDING AND POOLING ON SOME OF THOSE ROADWAYS. THIS IS 7:00 ON FUTURECAST, AND HERE WE GET INTO SOME MORE MODERATE RAIN THERE FROM THE COAST AND THEN SWEEPING INTO THE VALLEY. AND LOOK AT THIS. EVEN BY LUNCHTIME IT’S STILL RAINING UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY AND WE’RE SEEING SOME HEAVIER RAINFALL, ESPECIALLY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON, THAT WE GO ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND RIGHT DOWN HERE DRAPED ALONG THE WEST SLOPE. AND THEN HERE COMES SOME SNOW IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO AMOUNT A WHOLE LOT. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY TRAVEL PLANS IN THE MOUNTAINS TODAY, IT’S JUST GOING TO BE WET AND WINDY WITH PERIODS OF GOOD, STEADY RAINFALL IN AREAS LIKE TRUCKEE AND TAHOE. BY 4:00 FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAY SEE A COUPLE OF SHOWERS, SWEEP IN AND SNEAK THROUGH THE AREA. I’M JUST NOT EXPECTING A LOT OF ACCUMULATION. AND THEN ONCE WE GET INTO SATURDAY MORNING, HERE WE GO WITH A COUPLE OF BANDS OF SHOWERS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE BAY. I THINK A LOT OF THE VALLEY IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF DRY TIME DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY, AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD TO SUNDAY, ANOTHER SHOT AT MORE SHOWERS AND WE COULD SEE PERIODS OF SHOWERS, BRIAN, EVEN EXTENDING INTO THE START OF THE NEXT WORKWEEK INTO MONDAY. OTHER TAKEAWAY BRIAN YESTERDAY’S HIGH WAS 69 DEGREES, SO WE GOT CLOSE TO 70. LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. WE’RE GOING TO JUST BE SEEING 60S FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. SO MAYBE A GOOD WEEKEND TO GET OUT THE WINTER WARDROBE. AND OF COURSE JUST MAKE SURE THINGS ARE OPERATIONAL, LIKE YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS. WE JUST REPLACED MY HUSBAND’S. THEY WERE IN BAD SHAPE, YOU KNOW, AND JUST GET READY FOR THE TRAVEL. ON THE WAY IN. SO WHEN THEY STUTTER LIK
Northern California forecast: Wet and windy Thursday
Showers have arrived and will turn into moderate to heavy rain for your Thursday morning commute.
Showers have arrived and will turn into moderate to heavy rain for your Thursday morning commute.Winds will pick up out of the southwest at 10 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph. A Wind Advisory is in effect for the valley until early afternoon, when winds are forecast to subside.The heaviest rain will move through this morning, with 1 to 2 inches expected. Showers will continue through the evening, and the foothills could total 2 to 3 inches by Friday morning. The Sierra will also see rain changing to slushy snow in the passes as snow levels drop to 7,000 feet by Friday morning.Highs in the valley will top out in the mid-60s, with foothill highs in the low 60s and Sierra highs in the mid-50s.Though Friday will be drier, unsettled weather lingers through the day and into the weekend as the system slowly moves east. Valley highs will remain in the low 60s through the weekend, with scattered showers possible. Another system arrives early next week, with more showers forecast for Monday.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Showers have arrived and will turn into moderate to heavy rain for your Thursday morning commute.
Winds will pick up out of the southwest at 10 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph. A Wind Advisory is in effect for the valley until early afternoon, when winds are forecast to subside.
The heaviest rain will move through this morning, with 1 to 2 inches expected. Showers will continue through the evening, and the foothills could total 2 to 3 inches by Friday morning. The Sierra will also see rain changing to slushy snow in the passes as snow levels drop to 7,000 feet by Friday morning.
Highs in the valley will top out in the mid-60s, with foothill highs in the low 60s and Sierra highs in the mid-50s.
Though Friday will be drier, unsettled weather lingers through the day and into the weekend as the system slowly moves east. Valley highs will remain in the low 60s through the weekend, with scattered showers possible. Another system arrives early next week, with more showers forecast for Monday.
Central Florida experienced some of the coldest air of the season so far, breaking records in several cities on Tuesday. This is the earliest we’ve experienced such a significant drop in temperatures since 1993. Highs on Tuesday are struggling to reach nearly 60 degrees. This weather is being described as Impact Weather due to the significant change in conditions.WednesdayCold weather and frost advisories are in place overnight into Wednesday for parts of the region. A light freeze is possible in Marion County.Looking aheadTemperatures are expected to slowly warm back to normal by the weekend.First Warning Weather Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.RadarSevere Weather AlertsDownload the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts. The First Warning Weather team includes First Warning Chief Meteorologist Tony Mainolfi, Eric Burris, Marquise Meda and Cam Tran.What is Impact Weather?Impact Weather suggests weather conditions could be disruptive or a nuisance for travel and day-to-day activities.What is a Severe Weather Warning Day?A Severe Weather Warning Day suggests weather conditions that could potentially harm life or property.
Central Florida experienced some of the coldest air of the season so far, breaking records in several cities on Tuesday.
This is the earliest we’ve experienced such a significant drop in temperatures since 1993.
Highs on Tuesday are struggling to reach nearly 60 degrees.
This weather is being described as Impact Weather due to the significant change in conditions.
Wednesday
Cold weather and frost advisories are in place overnight into Wednesday for parts of the region. A light freeze is possible in Marion County.
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Plenty of frost to go around Wednesday morning and even a light freeze is possible in Marion. Here’s a look at the latest frost advisories across Central #florida. This will likely be expanded later today across Sumter and Marion and Flagler counties. #weshwxpic.twitter.com/oesynEinJr
Temperatures are expected to slowly warm back to normal by the weekend.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
First Warning Weather
Stay with WESH 2 online and on-air for the most accurate Central Florida weather forecast.
Download the WESH 2 News app to get the most up-to-date weather alerts.
Some areas of patchy fog are present Saturday morning, but mainly sunny skies and above normal temperatures are expected for the afternoon. Afternoon highs in the Valley will range from the low to mid 70s while the Sierra see mid and upper 60s. Sunday will be pleasant as well with mainly sunny skies and warmer than normal temperatures. A few more clouds are expected Monday through Wednesday as Valley highs remain in the 70s, perfect for Veterans Day ceremonies on Tuesday. Rain chances return to the forecast Thursday and Friday along with cooler temperatures. Gusty winds are also expected, especially in the Sierra. Snow levels will start around 8,700′ on Thursday but fall to 6,800′ by Friday.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Some areas of patchy fog are present Saturday morning, but mainly sunny skies and above normal temperatures are expected for the afternoon. Afternoon highs in the Valley will range from the low to mid 70s while the Sierra see mid and upper 60s.
Sunday will be pleasant as well with mainly sunny skies and warmer than normal temperatures.
A few more clouds are expected Monday through Wednesday as Valley highs remain in the 70s, perfect for Veterans Day ceremonies on Tuesday.
Rain chances return to the forecast Thursday and Friday along with cooler temperatures. Gusty winds are also expected, especially in the Sierra. Snow levels will start around 8,700′ on Thursday but fall to 6,800′ by Friday.
A large wind turbine blade detached and fell into a cranberry bog in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Friday afternoon. Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley says they received a call from a concerned neighbor around 1:52 p.m. who noticed one of the three blades on the 300-foot-tall wind turbine was missing.Firefighters located the detached blade several hundred feet away from the base, resting in an open cranberry bog. Sister station WCVB’s Sky5 was over the scene of the broken blade, which is between 75 to 100 feet long. We did not see any additional detached blades in the area.There were no injuries, and there is no threat to the public.The maintenance company responsible for the wind turbine responded to the scene and said the turbine automatically entered a fail-safe mode, shutting down immediately after the blade detached.They’re still conducting inspections to determine the cause of the failure, according to fire officials.“We were fortunate that this turbine is located out in the middle of the cranberry bogs and not in a residential area,” said Chief Foley. “Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the turbine automatically shut itself down as designed. As we continue to investigate, MassDEP and Inspectional Services will now do their due diligence to ensure this incident is addressed appropriately and the impacted area is cleaned up safely.”The maintenance company has cordoned off the area and is arranging for contractors to clean up the scene.
PLYMOUTH, Mass. —
A large wind turbine blade detached and fell into a cranberry bog in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Friday afternoon.
Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley says they received a call from a concerned neighbor around 1:52 p.m. who noticed one of the three blades on the 300-foot-tall wind turbine was missing.
Firefighters located the detached blade several hundred feet away from the base, resting in an open cranberry bog.
Sister station WCVB’s Sky5 was over the scene of the broken blade, which is between 75 to 100 feet long. We did not see any additional detached blades in the area.
There were no injuries, and there is no threat to the public.
The maintenance company responsible for the wind turbine responded to the scene and said the turbine automatically entered a fail-safe mode, shutting down immediately after the blade detached.
They’re still conducting inspections to determine the cause of the failure, according to fire officials.
“We were fortunate that this turbine is located out in the middle of the cranberry bogs and not in a residential area,” said Chief Foley. “Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the turbine automatically shut itself down as designed. As we continue to investigate, MassDEP and Inspectional Services will now do their due diligence to ensure this incident is addressed appropriately and the impacted area is cleaned up safely.”
The maintenance company has cordoned off the area and is arranging for contractors to clean up the scene.
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 260 others, an Afghan health official said.According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter was located 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of Khulm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles). It struck at 12:59 a.m. Monday local time, the USGS said.Video above: Earthquake destroys villages in eastern AfghanistanSharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, said at least 10 people died and 260 were injured in the earthquake.Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s disaster management agency, said most of the injured suffered minor wounds and were discharged after receiving initial treatment.In Kabul, the Ministry of Defense announced that rescue and emergency aid teams have reached the areas affected by last night’s earthquake in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, which suffered the most damage, and have begun rescue operations, including transporting the injured and assisting affected families.According to the Afghan officials, the earthquake was also felt in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province.In Mazar-e-Sharif, footage on social media showed that the earthquake caused some damage to the historic Blue Mosque. Several bricks fell from the walls, but the mosque remained intact. The centuries-old site is one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious landmarks and a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals.The quake was felt in the capital, Kabul, and several other provinces in Afghanistan. The Defense Ministry, in a statement, said pieces of rock falling from the mountains briefly blocked a main highway linking Kabul to Mazar-e-Sharif, but the road was later reopened. It said some people who were injured and trapped along the highway were transported to the hospital.Afghanistan has been rattled by a series of earthquakes in recent years and the impoverished country often faces difficulty in responding to such natural disasters, especially in remote regions.Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are poorly built.A magnitude 6.0 earthquake on Aug. 31, 2025, in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan killed more than 2,200 people. On Oct. 7, 2023, a magnitude 6.3 quake followed by strong aftershocks left at least 4,000 people dead, according to the Taliban government.
KABUL, Kabul —
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 260 others, an Afghan health official said.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter was located 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of Khulm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles). It struck at 12:59 a.m. Monday local time, the USGS said.
Video above: Earthquake destroys villages in eastern Afghanistan
Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, said at least 10 people died and 260 were injured in the earthquake.
Yousaf Hammad, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s disaster management agency, said most of the injured suffered minor wounds and were discharged after receiving initial treatment.
In Kabul, the Ministry of Defense announced that rescue and emergency aid teams have reached the areas affected by last night’s earthquake in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, which suffered the most damage, and have begun rescue operations, including transporting the injured and assisting affected families.
According to the Afghan officials, the earthquake was also felt in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province.
In Mazar-e-Sharif, footage on social media showed that the earthquake caused some damage to the historic Blue Mosque. Several bricks fell from the walls, but the mosque remained intact. The centuries-old site is one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious landmarks and a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals.
The quake was felt in the capital, Kabul, and several other provinces in Afghanistan. The Defense Ministry, in a statement, said pieces of rock falling from the mountains briefly blocked a main highway linking Kabul to Mazar-e-Sharif, but the road was later reopened. It said some people who were injured and trapped along the highway were transported to the hospital.
Afghanistan has been rattled by a series of earthquakes in recent years and the impoverished country often faces difficulty in responding to such natural disasters, especially in remote regions.
Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are poorly built.
My first reaction, when I heard about the proposed $2.3-million fence around MacArthur Park, was skepticism.
Yeah, the park and the immediate neighborhood have long dealt with a nasty web of urban nightmares, including homelessness, crime and a rather astonishing open-air drug scene, all of which I spent a few months looking into not long ago.
But what would a fence accomplish?
Well, after looking into it, maybe it’s not the worst idea.
Skepticism, I should note, is generally a fallback position for me. It’s something of an occupational duty, and how can you not be cynical about promises and plans in Los Angeles, where each time you open the newspaper, you have to scratch your head?
I’m still having trouble understanding how county supervisors approved another $828 million in child sexual abuse payments, on top of an earlier settlement this year of $4 billion, even after Times reporter Rebecca Ellis found nine cases in which people said they were told to fabricate abuse allegations.
The same supes, while wrestling with a budget crisis, agreed to pay $2 million to appease the county’s chief executive officer because she felt wronged by a ballot measure proposing that the job be an elected rather than appointed post. Scratching your head doesn’t help in this case; you’re tempted instead to bang it into a wall.
Drone view of MacArthur Park looking toward downtown Los Angeles.
(Ted Soqui/For The Times)
Or maybe a $2.3-million fence.
The city of L.A. is primarily responsible for taking on the problems of MacArthur Park, although the county has a role too in the areas of housing, public health and addiction services. I made two visits to the area in the last week, and while there are signs of progress and slightly less of a sense of chaos — the children’s playground hit last year by an arsonist has been fully rebuilt — there’s a long way to go.
In a story about the fence by my colleague Nathan Solis, one service provider said it would further criminalize homelessness and another said the money “could be better used by funding … services to the people in the park, rather than just moving them out.”
The vast majority of people who spoke at the Oct. 16 meeting of the Recreation and Parks Commission, which voted unanimously to move forward with the fence, were adamantly opposed despite claims that enclosing the space would be a step toward upgrading and making the park more welcoming.
“Nothing is more unwelcoming than a fence around a public space,” one critic said.
“A fence can not solve homelessness,” another said.
The LAPD underwater dive unit investigates activity in MacArthur Park Lake.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Others argued that locking up the park, which is surrounded by a predominantly immigrant community, recalls the ridiculous stunt that played out in June, when President Trump’s uniformed posse showed up in armored vehicles and on horseback in what looked like an all-out invasion of Westlake.
But another speaker, Raul Claros — who is running against Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez in the 1st District — said he’d spoken to residents and merchants who support the fence, as long as it’s part of a greater effort to address the community’s needs.
Claros said he has three questions: “What’s the plan? What’s the timeline? Who’s in charge?”
Hernandez, by the way, is not opposed to the fence. A staffer told me there’s a fence around nearby Lafayette Park. Other fenced parks in Los Angeles include Robert Burns Park, adjacent to Hancock Park, and the L.A. State Historic Park on the edge of Chinatown, which is locked at sunset.
As for the long-range plan, the Hernandez staffer said the councilwoman has secured and is investing millions of dollars in what she calls a care-first approach that aims to address drug addiction and homelessness in and around the park.
Eduardo Aguirre, who lives a couple of blocks from the park and serves on the West Pico Neighborhood Council, told me he’s OK with the fence but worried about the possible consequences. If the people who use the park at night or sleep there are forced out, he said, where will they go?
“To the streets? To the alleys? You know what’s going to happen. It’s a game,” Aguirre said.
Last fall I walked with Aguirre and his wife as they led their daughter to her elementary school. They often have to step around homeless people and past areas where dealing and drug use, along with violence, are anything but infrequent.
Families and others should be able to feel safe in the park and the neighborhood, said Norm Langer, owner of the iconic Langer’s deli on the edge of the park.
A visitor takes in the view at MacArthur Park.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
“I completely understand why you’re skeptical,” Langer told me, but he said he’s seen improvements in the last year, particularly after fences were installed along Alvarado Street and vendors were shut down. Police say some of the vendors were involved in the drug trade and the resale of stolen merchandise.
“The point isn’t to limit access,” Langer said. “The fence is intended to improve safety and quality of life for the people who live, work, and spend time here. It gives park staff a fighting chance to maintain and restore the place, especially at night, when they can finally clean and repair without the constant chaos that made upkeep nearly impossible before.”
LAPD Capt. Ben Fernandes of the Rampart division told me police are “trying to make it not OK” to buy and use drugs along the Alvarado corridor. Drug users often gather in the northeast corner of the park, Fernandes said, and he thinks putting up a fence and keeping the park off limits at night will help “deflect” some of “the open-air usage.”
The park has a nice soccer field and a lovely bandstand, among other popular attractions, but many parents told me they’re reluctant to visit with their children because of safety concerns. If a fence helps bring back families, many of whom live in apartments and have no yards, that’s a good thing.
But as the city goes to work on design issues, questions about enforcement, opening and closing times and other details, it needs to keep in mind that all of that is the easy part.
It took an unforgivably long time for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other elected officials to acknowledge a social, economic and humanitarian crisis in a place that’s home to thousands of low-income working people.
At least 21 homes have been evacuated in a Lake County neighborhood after a bridge was ruled unsafe and partially collapsed. The evacuations occurred at the Spring Ridge Estates subdivision on Creek Run Lane in Eustis on Thursday night. The neighborhood is blocked off, and the closure is being monitored by law enforcement.Residents, however, are allowed to enter the neighborhood on foot, the city’s fire chief said in a news conference on Friday afternoon.Extensive rain Eustis saw more than 19 inches of rain on Sunday night, leading to extensive flooding and road washouts. Officials said because emergency responders cannot cross the bridge, and water has been turned off at the homes is why they were evacuated. Eustis officials explained that flash flooding caused the bridge to wash out. Most residents were prepared to leave quickly after seeing parts of the bridge start to fall off.The fire chief said the repair will not be a quick fix because several utilities are impacted underneath the bridge including sewer and water. More than 50 people and six dogs were part of the evacuation. Many were put up in hotels, officials said. >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.
EUSTIS, Fla. —
At least 21 homes have been evacuated in a Lake County neighborhood after a bridge was ruled unsafe and partially collapsed.
The evacuations occurred at the Spring Ridge Estates subdivision on Creek Run Lane in Eustis on Thursday night.
The neighborhood is blocked off, and the closure is being monitored by law enforcement.
Residents, however, are allowed to enter the neighborhood on foot, the city’s fire chief said in a news conference on Friday afternoon.
Extensive rain
Eustis saw more than 19 inches of rain on Sunday night, leading to extensive flooding and road washouts.
Officials said because emergency responders cannot cross the bridge, and water has been turned off at the homes is why they were evacuated.
Eustis officials explained that flash flooding caused the bridge to wash out. Most residents were prepared to leave quickly after seeing parts of the bridge start to fall off.
The fire chief said the repair will not be a quick fix because several utilities are impacted underneath the bridge including sewer and water.
More than 50 people and six dogs were part of the evacuation. Many were put up in hotels, officials said.
>> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.
IN THE COUNTRY. THERE’S A PRIEST THAT IS IN THE WOODS THERE IN THE TREES. THERE’S ALSO SOME MORE RECENT STORIES ABOUT SOME REAL TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS THAT WERE UP THERE THAT THE SPIRITS ARE HANGING. WOW. I DIDN’T KNOW THAT. AND YOU’RE NOT SCARING ME AT ALL. ISOLATED, DEEP IN SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST. A PLACE CALLED HOLY GHOST IS FILLED WITH STORIES PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATIONS, MAKING SOME PEOPLE UNEASY WHEN THEY ARRIVE. THERE’S TWO STORIES. ONE IS THAT HE HAD KILLED THE PUEBLO INDIANS, AND THE OTHER ONE IS THAT THEY KILLED HIM BECAUSE THEY WERE REBELLING AGAINST ANY COLONISTS THAT WERE COMING IN. ED AND SARAH SLATER FROM DUKE CITY PARANORMAL RESEARCH SOCIETY HAVE LOOKED INTO THE STORIES FOR SOME TIME. THE TALES DATE BACK TO THE 17TH CENTURY OF A CATHOLIC PRIEST WHO HAUNTS THESE CAMPGROUNDS TODAY. PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE FELT SOMETHING UNEXPLAINED. MY NEIGHBOR OVER HERE, SHE HAD A FRIEND THAT CAME, AND IN TWO DAYS SHE HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE SHE JUST COULDN’T STAND IT. SHE SAID. THERE WERE TOO MANY SPIRITS AROUND OR WHATEVER. THIS PLANET IS VERY, VERY OLD AND THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF FOOTPRINTS LEFT ON IT. AND IF YOU WANT TO BRAVE A NIGHT HERE, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO GO IN WITH AN OPEN MIND. AT HOLY GHOST CAMPGROUND, RON BURKE KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. RON. THANK YOU. THE HOLY COAST CAMPGROUND IS ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH OF PECOS. DUKE CITY PARANORMAL SAYS IF YOU PLAN TO GIVE GHOST HUNTING A SHOT. HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND P
Paranormal tales haunt Holy Ghost Campground in New Mexico
Isolated deep in the Santa Fe National Forest, the Holy Ghost Campground is known for its unsettling tales passed down through generations, making some visitors uneasy upon arrival.Ed and Sara Slather from the Duke City Paranormal Research Society have investigated the stories surrounding the campground, which date back to the 17th century. The tales include a Catholic priest who is said to haunt the area.”There’s a priest. That is in the woods there in the trees,” one person said.Another added, “There’s also some more recent stories about some real terrible accidents that were up there that the spirits are hanging.”The stories include two versions: one where the priest killed Pueblos, and another where the Pueblos killed him in rebellion against colonists. Residents in the area have reported feeling something unexplainable.”My neighbor over here told me. She had a friend stay that came, and within two days, she had to leave because she couldn’t stand it. She said there was too many spirits around or whatever,” one local said.The campground, located outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and about 15 miles north of the village of Pecos, is known for its mysterious atmosphere.”This planet is very, very old, and there’s been a lot of footprints left on it,” one person noted. For those daring enough to spend a night at Holy Ghost, it’s advised to approach with an open mind.”You kind of have to go in with an open mind,” one visitor said.Duke City Paranormal suggests that those interested in ghost hunting at the campground should prepare themselves, as they might not always see something.
TERERRO, N.M. —
Isolated deep in the Santa Fe National Forest, the Holy Ghost Campground is known for its unsettling tales passed down through generations, making some visitors uneasy upon arrival.
Ed and Sara Slather from the Duke City Paranormal Research Society have investigated the stories surrounding the campground, which date back to the 17th century. The tales include a Catholic priest who is said to haunt the area.
“There’s a priest. That is in the woods there in the trees,” one person said.
Another added, “There’s also some more recent stories about some real terrible accidents that were up there that the spirits are hanging.”
The stories include two versions: one where the priest killed Pueblos, and another where the Pueblos killed him in rebellion against colonists. Residents in the area have reported feeling something unexplainable.
“My neighbor over here told me. She had a friend stay that came, and within two days, she had to leave because she couldn’t stand it. She said there was too many spirits around or whatever,” one local said.
The campground, located outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and about 15 miles north of the village of Pecos, is known for its mysterious atmosphere.
“This planet is very, very old, and there’s been a lot of footprints left on it,” one person noted. For those daring enough to spend a night at Holy Ghost, it’s advised to approach with an open mind.
“You kind of have to go in with an open mind,” one visitor said.
Duke City Paranormal suggests that those interested in ghost hunting at the campground should prepare themselves, as they might not always see something.
SIGNIFICANT FLOODING EVENT BACK TO YOU. THE MAYOR OF TITUSVILLE HAS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER WIDESPREAD FLOODING. HE SAYS FIRST RESPONDERS GOT MORE THAN 450 CALLS AS NEARLY 15IN OF RAIN FELL OVERNIGHT. WESH TWO JUSTIN SCHECKER JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM SINGLETON AVENUE IN TITUSVILLE. JUSTIN, YOU’RE OUTSIDE AN ANIMAL HOSPITAL THAT IS CLOSED TODAY. THAT’S RIGHT. THE SINGLETON AVENUE ANIMAL HOSPITAL WAS CLOSED TODAY BECAUSE THE PARKING LOT PARKING LOT WILL TAKE A LOOK. IT LOOKS AND FEELS MORE LIKE A POND. IT’S ABOUT ANKLE DEEP RIGHT NOW, THE WATER. BUT EARLIER IT WAS SO BAD THAT THE PET OWNERS AND HOSPITAL STAFF COULD NOT ACCESS THIS BUILDING. IF WE PAN OVER TO MY RIGHT HERE ON THE ROADWAY, THERE’S STILL SOME STANDING WATER. AT THIS HOUR. WE SEE A NUMBER OF TOW TRUCKS OUT AND ABOUT. MOVING VEHICLES BECAME ABANDONED OVERNIGHT AND IN THE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS. THE CLEANUP IS JUST BEGINNING. I HAD BINS WITH CHRISTMAS STUFF HERE THAT WE RUSHED INSIDE BECAUSE THEY’RE LIKE 30 YEAR OLD ORNAMENTS. I DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE THEM. CHELSEA BAILEY SAYS SHE MANAGED TO DRIVE HOME IN HER JEEP SUNDAY EVENING AS THE WATER FROM THE INTENSE RAINFALL STARTED TO RISE IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT WHEN IT GOT SO BAD, NOBODY COULD MAKE IT THROUGH. THERE WAS NOBODY THAT COULD HAVE COME TO THE RESCUE. THERE WAS A SHELTER IN PLACE AND A DO NOT DRIVE. THIS TITUSVILLE HOMEOWNER TELLS US SHE JUST HAD HER POOL CLEANED A FEW DAYS AGO. NOW IT IS FILLED WITH RAINWATER, DIRT AND DEBRIS. MY POOL OVERFLOWED DRAMATICALLY AND SO LIKE WE HAD IT COMING IN FROM THE FRONT AND THE BACK. AND SO THE FLOORS WERE LITERALLY LIKE LIFTED AND LIKE THERE’S STILL WATER SEEPING UP, EVEN THOUGH I’VE SQUEEGEED 18 TIMES AS SHE TRIES TO DRY OUT THE FLOODED FLOORS INSIDE HER HOME, RICHARD ZYDOWICZ ARRIVED AROUND NOON TO FIX HER GARAGE DOOR. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM PEOPLE HAVE OUT HERE IS THE WAKE OF THE WATER OF PEOPLE DRIVING THROUGH. A LOT OF THESE DOORS GOT PUSHED IN BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST DROVE THROUGH HERE AS FAST AS THEY CAN, AND THEY THEY’RE RUINING PEOPLE’S HOUSES, HE SAYS. THE FLOODING THAT OVERWHELMED NEIGHBORHOODS AND CAUSED CARS TO BE ABANDONED ON ROADS OVERNIGHT IS UNLIKE ANYTHING HE’S SEEN. THIS AREA OF BREVARD COUNTY IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR THE REST OF THE DAY? THE REST OF THE DAY, JUST GO AROUND, GET PEOPLE’S DOORS OPENING AND BACK BACK ONLINE. WHILE SHE KNOWS THE CLEANUP WILL TAKE SOME TIME, BAILEY SAYS SHE’S NOT SURE IF HER HOUSE IS PROTECTED BY FLOOD INSURANCE. AND I’M HOPING THAT ONCE EVERYTHING’S DRIED AND THE POWER IS BACK ON AND WE CAN SEE HOW BAD IT IS THAT IT’S NOT THE WORST. AND BACK OUT HERE, LIVE AS LONG AS THEY CAN SAFELY GET INTO THE BUILDING. THE SINGLETON AVENUE ANIMAL HOSPITAL IS HOPING TO REOPEN TOMORROW. MEANWHILE, THE TITUSVILLE MAYOR SAYS THEY’RE MOBILIZING ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO BEGIN THE RECOVERY PROCESS. AND THEY’RE ALSO REACHING OUT TO LEADERS IN TALLAHASSEE TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. COVERING BREVARD COUNTY. LIVE IN TITUSVILLE.
Titusville residents speak out after neighborhoods flood from heavy downpours
Residents in Titusville are still dealing with impacts after nearly 15 inches of rain fell in 18 hours, causing road closures and damage.
People living in Titusville are dealing with widespread flooding after nearly 15 inches of rain fell overnight, according to the mayor of Titusville.The heavy rainfall has left many roads underwater, with some areas experiencing severe damage, such as a portion of Parrish Road crumbling due to water erosion between Titusville and Mims. Residents are expressing their concerns about the storm’s impact. Sean Evans, who lives near Harrison Street, said, “The flooding was just really, really crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that ever.”Many roads remained impassable on Monday. Some drivers attempted to navigate through the flooded streets, creating wakes, while others were unable to proceed. The Sherwood neighborhood in Titusville resembled a river after a nearby pond overflowed.Tom Holley, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades, said he has never seen it get this bad. “I had 4 inches in my garage, which it’s never gotten in, in my garage before,” Holley said.Residents are concerned about the possibility of more rain exacerbating the flooding. Lindsey Lengefeld, who also lives in Sherwood, said, “I would hate for more rain to bring the waters of higher. I know a lot of the neighbors — they had water come all the way up to the door.”The mayor of Titusville reported receiving more than 450 calls for service Sunday night, all of which were addressed. Efforts to manage the flooding and assess the damage are ongoing, with the county also working in some areas.
TITUSVILLE, Fla. —
People living in Titusville are dealing with widespread flooding after nearly 15 inches of rain fell overnight, according to the mayor of Titusville.
The heavy rainfall has left many roads underwater, with some areas experiencing severe damage, such as a portion of Parrish Road crumbling due to water erosion between Titusville and Mims.
Residents are expressing their concerns about the storm’s impact. Sean Evans, who lives near Harrison Street, said, “The flooding was just really, really crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that ever.”
Many roads remained impassable on Monday. Some drivers attempted to navigate through the flooded streets, creating wakes, while others were unable to proceed.
The Sherwood neighborhood in Titusville resembled a river after a nearby pond overflowed.
Tom Holley, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades, said he has never seen it get this bad.
“I had 4 inches [of water] in my garage, which it’s never gotten in, in my garage before,” Holley said.
Residents are concerned about the possibility of more rain exacerbating the flooding.
Lindsey Lengefeld, who also lives in Sherwood, said, “I would hate for more rain to bring the waters of higher. I know a lot of the neighbors — they had water come all the way up to the door.”
The mayor of Titusville reported receiving more than 450 calls for service Sunday night, all of which were addressed. Efforts to manage the flooding and assess the damage are ongoing, with the county also working in some areas.
A hiker clambers across a scorched landscape of ash, his footsteps crunching on charred earth as he peers over a ridge at a burn scar pocked with blackened stumps. Below are thickets of green chaparral and densely packed homes.
Suddenly, he stops. He zooms the camera in to wisps of white smoke rising from the dirt.
“It’s still smoldering,” he whispers — apparently to himself. No firefighters or state park rangers are visible.
The video of smoke on a hillside above Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades was shot by a local resident above Skull Rock Trailhead at 11:30 a.m on Jan. 2 — nearly 36 hours after the Lachman fire ignited and long after the Los Angeles Fire Department deemed the fire “fully contained.”
The footage is one piece of a puzzle that has been the subject of so much anger, attention and investigation since the January firestorms: What happened between the time L.A. firefighters declared the Lachman fire out and when it rekindled into a catastrophic firestorm that burned huge swaths of Pacific Palisades?
The video could also be key evidence for attorneys working on behalf of thousands who lost their homes against a player that has so far not received much attention.
Ever since federal officials arrested Jonathan Rinderknecht Oct. 8 on suspicion of igniting the Lachman fire — and revealed that embers from that blaze rekindled into the Jan. 7 Palisades fire — LAFD has faced the brunt of criticism for failing to fully extinguish the New Year’s Day fire.
But lawyers representing thousands of Palisades fire victims are also focusing on another target.
They argue the state, which owns Topanga State Park, where the Palisades fire began, did not do enough to monitor the small Jan 1. Lachman brush fire and stop it reigniting six days later into the devastating Palisades fire that killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures. Plaintiff attorneys are not alleging the state should have suppressed the fire; instead, they say it failed to make sure the area was secure.
The video, plaintiff attorneys say, corroborates the case they make in a master complaint filed earlier this month: that the state allowed a “dangerous fire condition” to exist on the Lachman burn scar. They allege the state allowed “embers from the Lachman Fire to smolder, rekindle and then re-ignite in dry brush” as the National Weather Service warned of dangerous Santa Ana winds.
California State Parks did not respond to questions on what actions it took to monitor the Lachman burn scar on Topanga State Park in the run-up to the dangerous wind event, or what role it typically plays in monitoring land after fires. It also did not respond to any of the allegations in legal filings or the hiker’s video showing smoke rising.
“California State Parks does not comment on pending litigation,” said a spokesperson for the agency.
Andrew Grinsfelder, 18, waters down the roof of his mother’s home, hoping to prevent the Palisades fire from destroying their house, on Jan. 8.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Government officials typically have limited liability in fires. The legal doctrine of qualified immunity shields public servants from civil litigation, unless their actions violate “clearly established” law, so they can make judgments without constant legal threats and public funds are protected.
California government code specifically prevents public entities and employees from being held “liable for any injury resulting from the failure to provide or maintain sufficient personnel, equipment or other fire protection facilities.”
However, David Levine, a professor of law at UC San Francisco, said allowing a “dangerous condition” on your property offers lawyers a possible path around immunity.
“It’s going to depend on the facts,” Levine said.
It is unclear whether the smoldering depicted in the hiker’s video was on state land. Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the Lachman fire ignited on a 160-acre sliver of land owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority before spreading to Topanga State Park. The video appears to have been shot near the border of the two properties.
Whether or not the smoke in the video was on the state portion of the burn scar, the plaintiff attorneys claim it was clear the Lachman fire was not fully extinguished.
“The rekindle happened on the State Park land and that’s what matters to our case,” said Alexander “Trey” Robertson, an attorney who represents 3,300 Palisades residents and is co-leading litigation on behalf of all victims in the Palisades fire.
Plaintiff attorneys claim California State Parks did not sufficiently monitor the smoldering earth — even as NWS warned repeatedly in the days before Jan. 7 of “critical fire conditions” and a “life-threatening, dangerous” windstorm across parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Protocol outlined in the state’s Department of Parks and Recreation Operations Manual indicates that staff should monitor burn scars: “Areas of a park unit which have burned will remain closed,” it states, “until appropriate Department staff have inspected the area and rectified any public safety, property or resource protection issues.”
Plaintiff attorneys argue that didn’t happen.
“The State failed to inspect and maintain its property and failed to provide proper fire protection on its property to allow embers from the Lachman Fire on its property,” the complaint states, “particularly in the presence of overgrown and poorly maintained dry chaparral, as well as knowledge of extreme fire weather conditions and predicted Red Flag Warning wind events.”
If a park ranger had inspected the Lachman burn scar and seen the smoke coming out of the ground, Robertson said, they could have urged LAFD to come back out and properly extinguish that fire.
It’s important to note the state has released few details about park rangers’ actions between the Lachman fire and the Palisades fire. It is possible state employees did monitor the burn scar and did not see smoke. California State Parks declined to provide details about ranger movements in the critical days between the two fires.
The area where the Lachman fire burned was not in a remote area, Robertson noted. It is just a couple minutes from a trailhead parking lot in an area popular with hikers.
“A park ranger could have very easily parked his or her truck, and walked a few-minute hike to top of the trail and just done a visual inspection,” Robertson said.
Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star who lost his home in the Palisades fire and has since become an advocate for accountability, said park managers have a duty to keep the public safe.
“It’s so obvious that they left it all smoldering — to the point where multiple hikers have videos of it still smoldering,” Pratt said. “We pay our taxes for it to be maintained. It’s in their policy manuals. It’s the law; it’s their government code: that it can’t create a danger to our town, our houses.”
What happened after the Lachman fire?
When flames lit up the hillside near Skull Rock on the Temescal Ridge Trail shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, firefighters moved quickly to suppress the blaze.
Within minutes of getting the first 911 call, fire engines rushed to the nearest trailhead and LAFD firefighters hiked to Skull Rock on foot. County firefighters dug a handline to block the spread of the fire with the assistance of LAFD hose lines.
By 4:46 a.m., LAFD announced that firefighters had “completed the hose line around the perimeter of the fire” and it was “fully contained.” “Some resources will be released as the mop up operation continues,” it added, “to ensure no flare ups.”
The next day, when firefighters returned to collect fire hoses, “it appeared to them that the fire was fully extinguished,” according to an affidavit by a special agent with the ATF.
According to the ATF special agent, a firebrand became lodged within dense chaparral and then smoldered and burned within the roots of the vegetation. The underground burning, he stated, was not visible to firefighters or members of the public who visited the burn scar after the Lachman fire.
But that appears to be contradicted by the video taken Jan 2. A local resident shot footage showing smoke and no firefighters on site.
Five days later, the Palisades fire ignited in Topanga State Park about 20 feet south of the perimeter of the Lachman fire.
The legal case
Los Angeles firefighters have been widely criticized for their lack of preparation before the Palisades fire.
After the ATF announced this month that the Palisades fire was a holdover fire ignited by embers of the Lachman fire, Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva told The Times that LAFD did not use thermal imaging technology to confirm the Lachman fire was out.
But attorneys face steep odds bringing legal claims against LAFD because California governmentcode gives public officials broad immunity against claims of negligent firefighting.
The case against the state, however, is different. Attorneys representing fire victims argue government immunity does not apply to the state’s failure to inspect its land in the days between the Lachman and Palisades fires to ensure that no smoldering embers remained that could reignite as meteorologists warned of dangerous Santa Ana winds.
The complaint cites a 1974 legal decision involving a fire at an airport owned and operated by the city and county of Imperial. The court found governmental immunity should not be used “to allow a public entity to escape responsibility from its failure to provide fire protection on property which it owns and manages itself, particularly where it has permitted a dangerous fire condition to exist on that property.”
After LAFD announced it had extinguished the Lachman fire, the complaint alleges, the state had a “non-delegable duty to inspect its property for dangerous condition given that embers in the root structure are a well-known phenomenon after such a fire, that there was heavy fuel in the form of dry overgrown, chaparral, and a serious known coming wind condition.”
It will be up to courts to determine whether state officials were actually neglectful.
Levine, the law professor not affiliated with the case, said the lawyers who filed the master complaint— a 198-page document that also targets L.A. Department of Water and Power and dozens of public and private entities — had put together an impressively detailed case. But the state could also offer counter evidence and experts might offer different opinions about how often the state would be expected to check the burn scar.
“I think what the plaintiffs are doing is saying, ‘We have a lot of ammunition here,’ and it’s kind of an invitation to consider settling,” Levine said. “It’s a high hurdle, but not an impossible hurdle, and they may have enough evidence to get over that hurdle.”
Even if they prevail, property owners might not actually get that much of a payout, Levine said, because so many of the homes that burned were insured.
“If a fire policy paid out a million dollars, say, on a house up there in Palisades, the insurance company is going to say, ‘We get our money back,’” Levine said. “So how much money would actually end up in the hands of fire victims, I think, would be somewhat open to question.”
The master complaint does not hold the MRCA liable for allowing a dangerous condition on the Lachman burn scar. But even if MRCA isn’t legally liable because the Palisades fire origin point was not on its land, the public agency dedicated to acquiring and preserving open space and parkland also faces questions about its protocol for monitoring burn scars.
The agency has its own fire crew, with 30 full-time, on-call and volunteer wildland firefighters. Its website says it deploys its fire crew on red flag days to prevent and assist in suppressing any fires and coordinates with local fire departments, which are better equipped for larger fire responses.
In a statement to The Times, MRCA said its fire crew “did not play a suppression or monitoring role in the Lachman Fire” and that LAFD “was the lead responding agency and managing authority for the Lachman Fire, working in coordination with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.”
The firestorms that broke out in January ravaged two distinctly different stretches of Los Angeles County: one with grand views of the Pacific Ocean, the other nestled against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
But so far, a push from congressional Republicans to investigate the Jan. 7 firestorm and response has been focused almost exclusively on the Palisades fire, which broke out in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades and went on to burn parts of Malibu and surrounding areas.
In a letter to City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, two U.S. senators this week intensified that investigation, saying they want an enormous trove of documents on Los Angeles Fire Department staffing, wildfire preparations, the city’s water supply and many other topics surrounding the devastating blaze.
U.S. Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) asked for records related to several issues raised during and after the Palisades fire, including an empty reservoir and the failure to fully extinguish a previous fire that was later identified as the cause.
In contrast, the letter only briefly mentions the Eaton fire, which broke out in the unincorporated community of Altadena and spread to parts of Pasadena. That emergency was plagued by delayed evacuation alerts, deployment issues and allegations that electrical equipment operated by Southern California Edison sparked the blaze.
Both fires incinerated thousands of homes. Twelve people died in the Palisades fire. In the Eaton fire, all but one of the 19 who died were found in west Altadena, where evacuation alerts came hours after flames and smoke were threatening the area.
Scott and Johnson gave Harris-Dawson a deadline of Nov. 3 to produce records on several topics specific to the city of L.A.: “diversity, equity and inclusion” hiring policies at the city’s Fire Department; the Department of Water and Power’s oversight of its reservoirs; and the removal of Fire Chief Kristin Crowley by Mayor Karen Bass earlier this year.
Officials in Los Angeles County said they have not received such a letter dealing with either the Palisades fire or the Eaton fire.
A spokesperson for Johnson referred questions about the letter to Scott’s office. An aide to Scott told The Times this week that the investigation remains focused on the Palisades fire but could still expand. Some Eaton fire records were requested, the spokesperson said, because “they’re often inextricable in public reports.”
The senators — who both sit on the Senate’s Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs — opened the probe after meeting with reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who lost a home in the Palisades fire and quickly became an outspoken critic of the city’s response to the fire and subsequent rebuilding efforts. At the time, the senators called the Palisades fire “an unacceptable failure of government to protect the lives and property of its citizens.”
The investigation was initially billed as a look at the city’s emergency preparations, including the lack of water in a nearby reservoir and in neighborhood fire hydrants the night of the fire. The Times first reported that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, located in Pacific Palisades, had been closed for repairs for nearly a year.
The letter to Harris-Dawson seeks records relating to the reservoir as well as those dealing with “wildfire preparation, suppression, and response … including but not limited to the response to the Palisades and Lachman fires.”
Officials have said the Lachman fire, intentionally set Jan. 1, reignited six days later to become the Palisades fire. A suspect was recently arrested on suspicion of arson in the Lachman fire. Now, the senators are raising concerns about why that fire wasn’t properly contained.
The sweeping records request also seeks communications sent to and from each of the 15 council members and or their staff that mention the Palisades and Eaton fires. At this point, it’s unclear whether the city would have a substantial number of documents on the Eaton fire, given its location outside city limits.
Harris-Dawson did not provide comment. But Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who serves on the council’s public safety committee, made clear that he thinks the senators are confused by Southern California’s geography — and the distinctions between city and county jurisdictions.
“MAGA Republicans couldn’t even look at a map before launching into this ridiculous investigation,” he said. “DEI did not cause the fires, and these senators should take their witch hunts elsewhere,” he said in a statement.
Officials in L.A. County, who have confronted their own hard questions about botched evacuation alerts and poor resource deployment during the Eaton fire, said they had not received any letters from the senators about either fire.
Neither Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger — who currently serves as board chair — nor Supervisor Lindsey Horvath had received such a document request, according to their aides. Barger represents Altadena, while Horvath’s district includes Pacific Palisades, Malibu and unincorporated communities affected by the Palisades fire.
Monday’s letter also seeks records “referring or relating to any reports or investigations of arson, burglary, theft, or looting” in fire-affected areas, as well as the arrest of Jonathan Rinderknecht, the Palisades fire arson suspect. It also seeks documents on the council’s efforts to “dismantle systemic racism” — and whether such efforts affected the DWP or the Fire Department.
Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, a nonprofit group based in Harris-Dawson’s district, said he too views the inquiry from the two senators as a witch hunt — one that’s targeting L.A. city elected officials while ignoring Southern California Edison.
“There’s been reports that Edison was responsible for the Eaton fire, but there’s [nothing] that shows any concern about that,” he said.
Residents in Altadena have previously voiced concerns about what they viewed as disparities in the Trump administration’s response to the two fires. The Palisades fire tore through the mostly wealthy neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu — home to celebrities who have since kept the recovery in the spotlight. Meanwhile, many of Altadena’s Black and working-class residents say their communities have been left behind.
In both areas, however, there has been growing concern that now-barren lots will be swiftly purchased by wealthy outside investors, including those who are based outside of the United States.
Scott, in a news release issued this week, said the congressional investigation will also examine whether Chinese companies are “taking advantage” of the fire recovery. The Times has not been able to independently verify such claims.
