Tag: US News

Man arrested in Yellowstone National Park, body found in car

Authorities have launched an investigation after a woman’s body was found inside a vehicle in Yellowstone National Park.

Authorities have launched an investigation after a body was found inside a vehicle in Yellowstone National Park.

The park explained that rangers on Saturday discovered a vehicle that had crashed into a snowbank, and a male standing outside. A deceased female was found inside the vehicle.

“The male was detained and subsequently arrested for drug possession and other traffic-related charges,” the park stated in a news release. “Investigators are determining what led to the female’s death and attempting to complete next-of-kin notifications.”

The vehicle was discovered on Craig Pass south of Old Faithful. Additional information was not disclosed.

The investigation involves the National Park Service, FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Teton County Coroner’s Office.

–Image courtesy of Yellowstone National Park

Oklahoma angler lands enormous carp for state’s first record

An Oklahoma angler is the state’s first record holder for bighead carp after landing a 118-pound, 3-ounce carp recently at Grand Lake.

An Oklahoma angler is the state’s first record holder for bighead carp after landing a 118-pound, 3-ounce carp recently at Grand Lake.

Bryan Baker of Spoonbill Wreckers, a paddlefish guide service, is credited with the capture and removal of a bighead carp that was nearly 30 pounds heavier than the world record, set in Tennessee in 2005.

Baker’s carp was snagged instead of baited so it won’t qualify for an IGFA record. (Snagging is the most effective way to hook paddlefish.)

But his catch sets the bar extremely high as a new state record.

Oklahoma added bighead carp, an invasive species, for record consideration to encourage their capture and removal.

In announcing Baker’s record catch, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation explained via Facebook:

“Bighead carp consume large quantities of zooplankton, aquatic insect larvae and adults. Because of their feeding habits, bighead carp are a direct competitor with our native species like paddlefish, and bigmouth buffalo; as well as all larval and juvenile fishes and native mussels.”

The ODWC added: “If you catch this invasive species DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE WATER. Please report any caught bighead carp to our Porter Office at 918-683-1031 or 918-200-4815.”

Denali National Park employee dies in avalanche while skiing

Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve on Wednesday confirmed that one of its employees was killed by an avalanche last Thursday while skiing inside the park.

Alaska’s Denali National Park has confirmed that one of its employees was killed by an avalanche last Thursday while skiing inside the park.

Eric Walter, a senior dispatcher, was backcountry skiing near Mile 10 on the Park Road when he triggered the avalanche that claimed his life.

A park news release states that a witness reported seeing a lone skier trigger an avalanche on an unnamed slope in the area.

A rescue team was dispatched and a ranger with a spotting scope saw two skis – one vertical and the other flat – and an orange bag in the avalanche debris field.

“Upon reaching the scene it was determined that the skier had died,” the park explained. “The skier was later identified to be Eric.”

The park elaborated Wednesday via Facebook:

“Eric was a skilled outdoorsman and a beloved member of the Denali family and our hearts are broken.

“Because Eric was a senior dispatcher with the Alaska Region Communications Center, where he provided radio-based safety and support services for park employees across the state, his warm and comforting voice was known to many hundreds of NPS employees who never met him in person.”

A memorial service is planned for today (May 11) at 5 p.m. at the Denali Sled Dog Kennels. The accompanying image shows Eric with his adopted sled dog, Fin.

Bison ‘red dogs’ join stampede on shaky Yellowstone bridge

A Yellowstone National Park visitor on Sunday captured an extraordinary scene involving dozens of bison that charged down a mountain and onto a bridge.

A Yellowstone National Park visitor on Sunday captured an extraordinary scene involving dozens of bison that stampeded down a mountain and onto a bridge.

Vanessa Lynn-Byerly stated on Facebook that the bison “literally shook the bridge” as she tried to hold her camera still in the car. (View the video below.)

She told FTW Outdoors:

“The car shook when they first came onto the bridge and I asked my husband if there was something happening with the car and he said, no, that’s the hooves shaking our car!”

The stampede, which included bison calves, or red dogs, occurred on a bridge that leads to Lamar Valley.

Viewers first see the massive animals charging down the steep hill to access the bridge. On the bridge, hooves pound the pavement as calves try to keep pace.

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It was not clear what placed the iconic animals in such a hurry to cross the bridge, but it was an awesome display of power and grace.

Lynn-Byerly told her parents, jokingly, that the “sights and sounds” as the bison charged down the hill “reminded me of those old westerns they watch.”

Bison, which can weigh 2,000 pounds, are the largest land animals in North America. They can be viewed anywhere in the park, but sightings are common in Lamar and Hayden valleys.

Despite their size, bison can attain speeds of 30 mph.

Calves, affectionately referred to as red dogs, are typically born in April or May.

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Reward offered after video shows boater speeding over sea lions

A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered in the hope of identifying and prosecuting a boater who was caught on video speeding over sea lions earlier this month in the Columbia River.

A $20,000 reward is being offered as federal authorities seek to identify and prosecute a boater who was caught on video speeding over sea lions earlier this month in the Columbia River.

NOAA launched an investigation after the footage, captured April 3 by a Portland resident, began to circulate via social media. (The footage is posted below.)

It shows the boater plowing over groups of sea lions, in apparent violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as the animals rested on the surface near Hayden Island.

Oregon Live reported Friday that NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is offering the reward for information that leads to a “civic penalty or criminal conviction.”

The Marine Mammal Protection Act, passed in 1972, prohibits the hunting or harassment of marine mammals. Harassment is any act that significantly alters the mammals’ behavior.

The number of California sea lions – the same animals that inhabit the Columbia River – has increased steadily since the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Recent estimates place the West Coast population at about 280,000.

Fishermen often express frustration regarding sea lions, which possess a seemingly insatiable appetite for salmon and other fishes. But blatant acts of aggression toward sea lions rarely occur in open public settings.

According to Oregon Live, the vessel in question is an aluminum Hewescraft Pro-V Sea Runner with a dark blue stripe, measuring perhaps 20 feet.

Authorities are asking anyone who might recognize the boat or be able to identify the boater reach out to NOAA at 360-310-0259, or via its hotline at 800-853-1964.

Big 12 schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2022-23

Where do Big 12 schools rank academically in US News report?

The Big 12 has had its fair share of athletic success in a number of sports. Its member schools also have strong academic reputations.

According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges rankings, four of the expanded Big 12’s universities rank within the top 100 in the US News report. The Oklahoma Sooners were just outside the top five in the conference.

U.S. News takes into account faculty resources, graduation rates and student outcomes to come to its rankings.

In the new-look Big 12, enrollment ranges from TCU, just over 10,000, to UCF, just over 60,000 students.

Using U.S. News’ rankings as a guide, here’s how the Big 12 schools in the new-look Big 12 stack up academically, according to U.S. News in the current calendar year.

Black bear breaks into nature center, kills beloved deer

A nature center in Asheville, N.C., has announced the passing of two beloved white-tailed deer after a wild black bear broke into their enclosure.

A nature center in Asheville, N.C., has announced the passing of two beloved white-tailed deer after a wild black bear broke into their enclosure.

“With heavy hearts, the WNC Nature Center is sad to report the loss of Becca and Curly, our two white-tailed deer, last week,” the facility stated on Facebook. “They were found in the early morning, and though there are still some unanswered questions, it would appear that a wild black bear entered their exhibit and either directly or indirectly caused their passing.”

Becca, who was brought to the facility as a fawn in 2013, was featured in the Oscar-winning movie, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”

Curly was born in 2012 and kept illegally as a pet before joining Becca at the center in 2020.

Chris Gentile, director of the WNC Nature Center, stated in a news release:

“This was an unfortunate accident that has never before occurred within our animal collection. While it’s a rare occurrence for something like this to happen, our Animal Care and Maintenance Teams have taken additional measures to dissuade and deter wild animals from entering our animal exhibits.”

Gentile told News 13 that the facility has since bolstered perimeter and exhibit fencing, and completed other improvements designed to prevent future intrusions by bears from the surrounding wilderness.

Gentile added: “Obviously we’re talking about two animals that have been with us for a while. I think the best thing to say right now is, our team is healing from this. It’s a very sad day for us.”

For her part in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Becca was trained to stand in front of a bluescreen for footage edited into a touching scene with co-star Frances McDormand as Mildred Hayes. (The scene is posted above.)

Can you spot the rattlesnake ‘on patrol’ in unlikely spot?

A rattlesnake expert in Arizona on Sunday shared an image showing a large western diamondback rattlesnake stretched out in a tree. Can you spot the reptile?

A rattlesnake expert in Arizona on Sunday shared an image showing a large western diamondback rattlesnake stretched out in a tree.

It might require some adjustment, but viewers should be able to easily spot the reptile among the branches.

Perhaps a better question, which Rattlesnake Solutions owner Bryan D. Hughes addressed in his tweet, is what inspired the rattlesnake to climb a tree?

Hughes explained: “In this area, multiple males come in to challenge for the prime location at the den. This big one is on patrol, searching for these rivals and making sure everyone is where they should be.”

To be sure, the vast majority of rattlesnake sightings occur on the ground, where the reptiles blend into their surroundings while resting or waiting to ambush prey.

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But rattlesnakes occasionally climb trees.

Last year, a hunter in Georgia was horrified to discover a timber rattlesnake tucked into the seat of his deer stand, 20 feet up a tree.

Jason Clark, of Southeastern Reptile Rescue told Georgia Outdoor News that the snake was likely on the scent of a squirrel or other prey.

In 2020, a New Mexico resident shared video showing a nearly 6-foot rattlesnake near the top of a mesquite tree. (Watch video below.)

“The snake was up high, soaking up the early morning sun, but his rattler was going at high speed,” Jerome Perez told McClatchy News. A small sparrow was flapping frantically in front of the snake, trying to keep it from a nest likely hidden in the tree.”

In August 2020, the Bureau of Land Management – Arizona shared an image of a diamondback rattlesnake “basking” on a branch in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.

The agency wrote: “Did you know? Rattlesnakes are rarely observed in trees, except when basking, hunting prey such as birds and rodents, or to escape from extreme heat or a high water level.”

The image shared Sunday by Hughes was captured last year in Yavapai County, Arizona.

Search continues for Hawaii angler pulled overboard by ‘huge fish’

Authorities are searching for a man who appears to have been pulled overboard by a large tuna while fishing Sunday off South Kona, Hawaii.

Authorities are searching for a man who appears to have been pulled overboard by a large tuna while fishing Sunday off South Kona, Hawaii.

Mark Knittle, 63, was fishing with a friend about four miles beyond the Honaunau Boat Ramp when the pre-dawn incident occurred, according to Hawaii News Now.

Knittle, from the community of Captain Cook, had just hooked the tuna and told his friend, “The fish is huge,” moments before going over the rail.

Mark Knittle image courtesy of Hawaii Fire Department

It was not clear whether Knittle was harnessed to his rod and reel and fishing with a super-tight drag, which could explain how he could be pulled overboard.

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The friend tried to grab the line and also jumped overboard to try to reach Knittle before he vanished underwater.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that Hawaii Island police have opened a missing person case involving Knittle, who is 5 feet 10, weighs 185 pounds, and has curly brown hair and a white mustache and beard.

The search, involving the U.S. Coast Guard and Hawaii Fire Department, was scheduled to continue Tuesday.

–Yellowfin tuna image is generic

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Watch: Surfers attempt to push struggling whale back to sea

A young sperm whale that stranded Tuesday morning on New York’s Rockaway Peninsula has died after a valiant attempt by surfers to save the mammal.

A young sperm whale that stranded Tuesday morning on New York’s Rockaway Peninsula has died after a valiant attempt by surfers to save the mammal.

The accompanying footage, captured by Timothy Moriarty, shows several surfers attempting to shove the 35-foot whale into deeper water against the tidal surge.

According to the Rockaway Times, the whale was spotted trapped on a jetty by Army Corps contractors from Michels at 7:30 a.m.

The contractors, who were on an unrelated job, helped surfers free the whale from the jetty. But the mammal did not swim off and later died.

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Contractors used heavy equipment to haul the whale ashore as biologists reportedly were en route to perform a necropsy that could determine the cause of death.

The Rockaway Times uploaded several images of the incident to Facebook.

The stranding occurred in the Queens neighborhood of Arverne.