Ghost town for sale; child's wheelchair stolen; atomic cleanup
- Updated
Odd and interesting news from around the West.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
COMPTON, Calif. — Investigators say they're trying to figure out how a 9-year-old girl got the fireworks that exploded and led to the loss of her right hand.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday that many children were playing in the city park in Compton and many were seen fleeing after the explosion on Saturday that also left the girl with blast injuries to her face.
The department said it's seeking information from the public on how the accident happened.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon man who was arrested after authorities found a machine gun in his trailer is seeking to be released while he awaits trial on federal weapons charges.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Michael Emry's attorney filed a motion Friday in federal court in Eugene seeking his release.
The FBI took him into custody in May in John Day, Oregon. FBI and ATF agents searched Emry's trailer, which was serving as his home, and found the weapon.
The FBI says Emry admitted he took the gun from a shop where he works in Boise, Idaho. Emry says the owner of the shop didn't know that he had taken the weapon.
Emry faces charges of illegally possessing a machine gun not registered to him and illegally having a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
He has a hearing July 11 in federal court in Eugene.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com
- Updated
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Low water levels on Utah Lake have changed the way state officials patrol the waters and make it difficult to rescue stranded boats.
The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/29ck1fr ) drought has left the lake at its lowest level since 2004, with water at the marina at 3 feet or less. It usually is 8 to 9 feet deep.
Utah Lake State Park manager Jason Allen says park officials now use a flat-bottom duck hunting boat for shallow water that cannot pull in stranded boats or cross rough water.
Allen says in a recent storm, law enforcement rescued a group of boaters but their stalled watercraft had to remain on the water because it couldn't be twoed in.
Allen says the parks division is bringing in a bigger river boat up from Green River to help but the watercraft won't be there until mid-July.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
- Updated
OGDEN, Utah (AP) — Firefighters say smoldering fireworks in a trash can started a Syracuse house fire that that displaced a family.
Syracuse Fire Chief Eric Froerer says a Boy Scout troop spotted flames at the house Monday morning and alerted the family, who safely left the home.
Froerer says the family had a party Sunday night and tossed used firework cartridges in a trash can next to their home.
He says the cartridges were still hot and smoldering and caught fire overnight. The flames spread to one side of the house.
The Standard-Examiner of Ogden reports (http://bit.ly/29ckCxH ) the fire did about $100,000 in damage to the family's house and also melted some siding on a neighboring home.
The family of four will be out of their home for about two months while repairs are made.
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Information from: Standard-Examiner, http://www.standard.net
- The Associated Press
- Updated
KALISPELL, Mont. — Authorities are investigating after someone broke into the Smith Valley fire hall and set fire to a rescue truck that caused extensive damage, and officials are worried it could slow response to emergency calls in the busy area.
The truck was a total loss and a nearby engine had serious damage. Six sets of firefighting gear for fighting building and wildland fires, along with Jaws of Life equipment to pry victims from wrecked cars, water rescue equipment, a defibrillator and other important emergency equipment also were destroyed.
Fire Chief D.C. Haas of the Smith Valley Fire Department said a door was kicked in and someone set the fire. The fire was discovered Sunday morning when firefighters responded to the hall for a call about an accident.
"Everything is destroyed inside," Haas said.
The fire department still has its main station at another location, but the loss of gear will impact the entire department. The fire hall is also used to help back up Kalispell and other fire agencies for major emergencies, the Daily Inter Lake reported (http://tinyurl.com/hv6j4v7 ).
"I need the people, but I have no means of clothing them or giving them the tools for being successful," Haas said.
The Flathead County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
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Information from: Daily Inter Lake, http://www.dailyinterlake.com
- By ALEXA LOUGEE East Oregonian
- Updated
PENDLETON, Ore. — When Pendleton resident Sebrina Wegner gave birth to her seventh and last child in October 2008, she was afraid to even breathe near the tiny infant.
Baby Elliot was born at just 24 weeks and weighed just 1 pound 13 ounces. He was the size of an ear of corn.
In order to stay alive, he was on a ventilator and a feeding tube.
Sebrina had been flown to Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland shortly before he was born. She stayed at the Ronald McDonald House while Elliot was kept in the neonatal intensive care unit.
"I can't count the number of times he quit breathing while at the hospital," Wegner recalls. A couple of weeks after Elliot's birth, while trying to get some rest at the Ronald McDonald House, Wegner received a call from the doctors to come back to the hospital. They showed her an X-ray of Elliot's lungs, which revealed problems. The doctors told Wegner the outcome didn't look good and asked her to consider taking Elliot off life support.
After speaking with the doctors, Elliot's mom went to the hospital chapel and prayed.
All of Sebrina's children had been born premature; her first two children were born at 21 weeks and lived less than an hour. Elliot's three surviving older siblings had all been born before 37 weeks. A third child, Craig, died at 4 1/2 months of SIDS. Removing Elliot from life support was out of the question for Sebrina and her husband Brett.
Elliot was in the hospital for four months. The family spent Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in Portland. When Sebrina and Brett finally brought their baby boy home, he was on oxygen and a heart monitor.
Almost eight years later, Elliot has come a long way. Now longer the size of an ear of corn, he'll be entering second grade at Sunset Elementary in Pendleton and has a support team in place to help him succeed.
His mom describes him as energetic, happy and lovable.
"He's all boy. He likes dirt, frogs and mud."
He loves Legos, dirt bikes, forklifts — practically anything on wheels — and his family. He's especially fond of his grandma, Shirley Sagrero of Pendleton, whom he likes to call "Grandpa" just to tease her.
Elliot does have a speech delay, which is not uncommon in babies born so early, according to the U.S. Health and Medicine Division. He still has fluid on his brain, which doctors have told his parents can affect his balance. But his brother, Brett Jr., said Elliot is strong and has an "iron grip."
The family looks back on Elliot's first months of life with an appreciation for the support they received from family, friends, the hospital staff and the people at Ronald McDonald House. The family is still friends with some of the people they met at their home away from home.
"They were like a second family to us," recalls Brett Jr., who was a teenager at the time.
The Wegners consider Elliot's life a miracle and are hopeful for his future
"He's strong," Sebrina said. "So I can see good things for him."
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Information from: East Oregonian, http://www.eastoregonian.com
- Updated
BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — An Adams County fisherman is safe after he reeled in a pipe bomb on Sunday and it was quickly disabled by a bomb squad.
The sheriff's office says the bomb was found at Barr Lake State Park northeast of Denver. Investigators say the unidentified fisherman was near a boat ramp when reeled it in and turned it over to park rangers.
The Adams County Bomb Squad determined it could be a dangerous explosive device and disabled it. Pieces of the bomb have been collected as evidence.
Authorities are still trying to determine who left the bomb in the lake.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SALT LAKE CITY — Tooele residents are helping out the family of a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy after their car and the boy's customized wheelchair were stolen.
The family of Keaton Johnson discovered Saturday morning that their car was stolen. The boy's wheelchair, which was in the car, was found outside their apartment complex with the seat and back missing.
The boy's mother Rosy Mintz says it costs $5,000 to replace the chair but the family doesn't have extra cash after recently moving.
Mintz says the wheelchair was the biggest loss because it will be difficult to find one that meets her son's needs.
The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/29lurwZ ) that since the theft, community members have donated a $100 gift card and a car seat. A local car dealership donated a replacement car.
Police in Tooele say they're investing the theft.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
- Updated
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Astronauts and three fifth-grade girls are teaming up to grow soybeans in space.
Astronauts traveling to the International Space Station in 2017 are planning to grow the soybeans in small tubes and send the results to the young scientists in Henderson, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported (http://bit.ly/29oOjQ4).
A national competition chose almost a dozen student projects for testing.
John C. Vanderburg Elementary School students Shani Abeyakoon, Kendall Allgower and Avery Sanford want to know whether protein-rich soybeans can grow in space to feed astronauts and, perhaps, future residents of Mars.
"There's a very strong possibility people will be living on Mars," Avery said.
The fifth-graders wrote their proposal with the help of teacher William Gilluly.
"This is the most exciting thing I've ever done. . It's extraordinary," he said. "Scientists in the future can take their data and continue it."
Clark County School District coordinator Cheryl Wagner said scientists, educators, businesses and nonprofits helped about 300 students compete from the Las Vegas area.
Wagner helped raise $23,500 for the experiment's launch.
The three fifth-graders plan to pursue their research in middle school.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Veterans and active duty military have letters of gratitude from young students that were delivered by Pony Express.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports 13 riders carried the 272 letters on horseback for the Saturday delivery at Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Third through fifth graders wrote the letters thanking the recipients.
Most of the riders were from the Southeast Wyoming Pony Express Association.
Many participated in the National Pony Express Association's re-ride that ended in June.
The re-riders attempt to travel the same old routes over 10 days.
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Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle, http://www.wyomingnews.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — A growing number of tourists from China are stopping at Idaho Falls on their way to visit Yellowstone National Park, and local hospitality businesses are trying to adapt to their needs.
The Post-Register says several local hotels offer Wi-Fi instructions in Mandarin. One hotel recently hired a Mandarin-speaking receptionist, while another serves a popular Chinese rice porridge.
Last year at Yellowstone, an estimated 500,000 of the 4 million visitors were Chinese. Experts say the trend is fueled by looser visa rules, rising middle class salaries in China, and a growing desire among the younger generation to explore the world.
Tourism officials in Idaho Falls say they've noticed more Chinese tour groups visiting the area since 2014.
Hotel managers say anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of their rooms have been filled by Chinese tour groups every night this season.
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Information from: Post Register, http://www.postregister.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
BERKELEY, Calif. — The University of California, Berkeley, is planning a vigil for a student who was among the 20 hostages killed by militants in an attack on a restaurant in Bangladesh.
The university has said that sophomore Tarishi Jain was in the capital of Dhaka for a summer internship that began last month. The economics major, an Indian national, was working at a bank as part of a program arranged by UC Berkeley's Center for Bangladesh Studies.
KRON-TV reports that the vigil will be held at noon Tuesday in Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus.
The 19-year-old graduated from the American International School in Dhaka and transferred to Berkeley in 2015.
The school said Jain's father, Sanjeev Jain, is a textile merchant based in Dhaka.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
WILSON, Wyo. — A truckload of potatoes is up for grabs after a truck tipped over on a Wyoming highway.
Shacorey Carter was not seriously injured Saturday night when the truck rolled on its side after his brakes failed while coming down a mountain.
The Jackson Hole News and Guide reports 50-pound sacks of potatoes were being given away at the Big Bear Towing shop and there were plenty of potatoes left over.
Kirby Orme, of Big Bear Towing, says the potatoes will be given away until they start to sour, and then they will go to the dump.
The truckload of potatoes was headed to Buffalo, New York, where Carter lives.
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Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
LAS VEGAS — Astronauts and three fifth-grade girls are teaming up to grow soybeans in space.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports astronauts traveling to the International Space Station in 2017 are planning to grow the soybeans in small tubes and send the results to the young scientists.
A national competition chose almost a dozen student projects for testing.
John C. Vanderburg Elementary School students Shani Abeyakoon, Kendall Allgower and Avery Sanford want to know whether protein-rich soybeans can grow in space to feed astronauts and future residents of Mars.
Clark County School District coordinator Cheryl Wagner said scientists, educators, businesses and nonprofits helped about 300 students compete from the Las Vegas area.
Wagner helped raise $23,500 for the experiment's launch.
The three fifth-graders plan to pursue their research in middle school.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anaheim police say a suspect was hospitalized in critical condition after suffering a medical problem when officers used a stun gun on him during an arrest.
Sgt. Daron Wyatt says officers responded late Saturday to a call about a suspicious man who was following a woman in a residential area.
Wyatt says when officers approached Fermin Vincent Valenzuela, the 32-year-old "used physical force to push" them. That's when officers deployed the stun gun.
Wyatt says Valenzuela suffered some kind of medical problem while being taken into custody.
His family's attorney, James Segall-Gutierrez, told the Orange County Register on Sunday that Valenzuela suffered cardiac arrest and was in a medically induced coma.
Wyatt said he didn't know if Valenzuela was armed.
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Information from: The Orange County Register, http://www.ocregister.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
CABIN CREEK, Colo. — A Colorado property is listed on Craigslist as a ghost town priced at $350,000.
KGMH-TV reports the advertisement for Cabin Creek says the nearly 5-acre property is about 45 minutes from Denver. It comes with a gas station, motel, roadside restaurant, RV park, two houses and a private shooting range.
The ad says improvements have been made, but that more work is needed at the RV park, cafe and other areas of the property.
The author of the ad wrote that the Cabin Creek sellers want to travel once the property is in new hands.
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Information from: KMGH-TV, http://www.thedenverchannel.com
- By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press
- Updated
BOISE, Idaho — Water managers have started releasing more cold water from a reservoir in northern Idaho for endangered Snake River sockeye salmon following a year where 99 percent of the run died due to lethally hot water.
The decision late last week to bump up the amount of 43-degree water released from Dworshak Reservoir on the North Fork Clearwater River should keep water temperature at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River under 68 degrees through the summer, fisheries managers say.
The increase to about 10,000 cubic feet per second is slightly earlier than average as fisheries managers and reservoir operators seek to avoid a repeat of last year. An estimated 4,000 Snake River sockeye had entered the Columbia River in what managers expected would be one of the best-ever returns to high mountain lakes in central Idaho. But only about 1 percent survived the 900-mile journey.
"Last year wasn't any fun, and we don't want to do that again if we can avoid it," said Ritchie Graves of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Overall, about 90 percent of the 510,000 sockeye salmon that entered the Columbia River last year died when an unusual combination of low water and an extended heat wave pushed water temperatures past 70 degrees. Those conditions had not occurred in the basin since at least the 1950s and are lethal for cold-water sockeye.
Water managers say they have little ability to influence water temperature in the Columbia River but that Dworshak can supply enough water to make a difference in the Snake River.
Also, the Columbia Basin is cooler this year and much more hospitable for salmon and steelhead, Graves said. About 285,000 sockeye have entered the Columbia River so far, 40,000 more than the 10-year average. The run is now looking like it will be about three times larger than the pre-season estimate of 100,000, Graves said.
The pre-season estimate for Snake River sockeye was about 1,000, but it appears now significantly more fish will return. A handful of those sockeye — specially marked so their progress can be tracked through the system — have already arrived at Lower Granite Dam and did so in about 10 days after entering the Columbia. That's about half the time it took the few fish that survived that far last year.
Despite the good outlook, officials appear ready to respond quickly after last year's massive die-off. Afterward, a report concluded that Northwest fisheries managers needed to recognize warm-water events sooner and respond faster.
The report also noted faulty temperature readings last year caused managers to reduce cold-water releases from Dworshak Dam just when Snake River sockeye needed it most, a miscue that managers are seeking to avoid this year.
"With such hot weather forecasted to continue, water temperature at Lower Granite could soon exceed 68 degrees if not regulated, creating conditions in the reservoir system that are unhealthy for ESA-listed fish," Steve Hall of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement. It announced the increased flows and referred to salmon and steelhead protected under the Endangered Species Act.
In addition, the Columbia River Technical Management Team recommended last week releasing colder water from deeper in Lower Granite Dam to help keep the Snake River cooler. The Army Corps of Engineers, which controls releases at the dam, quickly approved.
"This one was discussed for weeks and weeks last year," Graves said. "This year everybody decided to give it a try."
- The Associated Press
- Updated
FLORENCE — A program that allows Arizona prison inmates to help tame wild horses is also helping to tame recidivism rates.
The Arizona Republic reports that the Wild Horse Inmate Program at a state prison in Florence is being credited with bringing about positive changes in participating inmates.
According to program officials, about 50 inmates who have completed the program have been released since 2012. Their recidivism rate is zero.
Randy Helm, who teaches the inmates, says they learn the joy of accomplishing a project to its end.
The program is a partnership between the state Department of Corrections and the Bureau of Land Management.
The federal agency corrals wild horses and takes some to the prison facility.
The program averages getting about 150 horses from the program adopted every year.
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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — U.S. Department of Energy contractors are scheduled to start removing toxic contaminated soil in northern New Mexico leftover the Manhattan Project and early atomic Cold War research.
The Los Alamos Monitor reports work is expected to begin this week on the south-facing slopes of Los Alamos Canyon.
Officials say the contaminated soils eventually will be shipped to a permanent area once tested.
The Los Alamos Canyon cleanup is one of many included in a 2016 consent order signed in last month between the New Mexico Environment Department and the U.S. Department of Energy.
During the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos scientists worked to develop the atomic bomb later dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The program also involved facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Hanford, Washington.
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Information from: Los Alamos Monitor, http://www.lamonitor.com
- The Associated Press
COMPTON, Calif. — Investigators say they're trying to figure out how a 9-year-old girl got the fireworks that exploded and led to the loss of her right hand.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday that many children were playing in the city park in Compton and many were seen fleeing after the explosion on Saturday that also left the girl with blast injuries to her face.
The department said it's seeking information from the public on how the accident happened.
- The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon man who was arrested after authorities found a machine gun in his trailer is seeking to be released while he awaits trial on federal weapons charges.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Michael Emry's attorney filed a motion Friday in federal court in Eugene seeking his release.
The FBI took him into custody in May in John Day, Oregon. FBI and ATF agents searched Emry's trailer, which was serving as his home, and found the weapon.
The FBI says Emry admitted he took the gun from a shop where he works in Boise, Idaho. Emry says the owner of the shop didn't know that he had taken the weapon.
Emry faces charges of illegally possessing a machine gun not registered to him and illegally having a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
He has a hearing July 11 in federal court in Eugene.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Low water levels on Utah Lake have changed the way state officials patrol the waters and make it difficult to rescue stranded boats.
The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/29ck1fr ) drought has left the lake at its lowest level since 2004, with water at the marina at 3 feet or less. It usually is 8 to 9 feet deep.
Utah Lake State Park manager Jason Allen says park officials now use a flat-bottom duck hunting boat for shallow water that cannot pull in stranded boats or cross rough water.
Allen says in a recent storm, law enforcement rescued a group of boaters but their stalled watercraft had to remain on the water because it couldn't be twoed in.
Allen says the parks division is bringing in a bigger river boat up from Green River to help but the watercraft won't be there until mid-July.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
OGDEN, Utah (AP) — Firefighters say smoldering fireworks in a trash can started a Syracuse house fire that that displaced a family.
Syracuse Fire Chief Eric Froerer says a Boy Scout troop spotted flames at the house Monday morning and alerted the family, who safely left the home.
Froerer says the family had a party Sunday night and tossed used firework cartridges in a trash can next to their home.
He says the cartridges were still hot and smoldering and caught fire overnight. The flames spread to one side of the house.
The Standard-Examiner of Ogden reports (http://bit.ly/29ckCxH ) the fire did about $100,000 in damage to the family's house and also melted some siding on a neighboring home.
The family of four will be out of their home for about two months while repairs are made.
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Information from: Standard-Examiner, http://www.standard.net
- The Associated Press
KALISPELL, Mont. — Authorities are investigating after someone broke into the Smith Valley fire hall and set fire to a rescue truck that caused extensive damage, and officials are worried it could slow response to emergency calls in the busy area.
The truck was a total loss and a nearby engine had serious damage. Six sets of firefighting gear for fighting building and wildland fires, along with Jaws of Life equipment to pry victims from wrecked cars, water rescue equipment, a defibrillator and other important emergency equipment also were destroyed.
Fire Chief D.C. Haas of the Smith Valley Fire Department said a door was kicked in and someone set the fire. The fire was discovered Sunday morning when firefighters responded to the hall for a call about an accident.
"Everything is destroyed inside," Haas said.
The fire department still has its main station at another location, but the loss of gear will impact the entire department. The fire hall is also used to help back up Kalispell and other fire agencies for major emergencies, the Daily Inter Lake reported (http://tinyurl.com/hv6j4v7 ).
"I need the people, but I have no means of clothing them or giving them the tools for being successful," Haas said.
The Flathead County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
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Information from: Daily Inter Lake, http://www.dailyinterlake.com
- By ALEXA LOUGEE East Oregonian
PENDLETON, Ore. — When Pendleton resident Sebrina Wegner gave birth to her seventh and last child in October 2008, she was afraid to even breathe near the tiny infant.
Baby Elliot was born at just 24 weeks and weighed just 1 pound 13 ounces. He was the size of an ear of corn.
In order to stay alive, he was on a ventilator and a feeding tube.
Sebrina had been flown to Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland shortly before he was born. She stayed at the Ronald McDonald House while Elliot was kept in the neonatal intensive care unit.
"I can't count the number of times he quit breathing while at the hospital," Wegner recalls. A couple of weeks after Elliot's birth, while trying to get some rest at the Ronald McDonald House, Wegner received a call from the doctors to come back to the hospital. They showed her an X-ray of Elliot's lungs, which revealed problems. The doctors told Wegner the outcome didn't look good and asked her to consider taking Elliot off life support.
After speaking with the doctors, Elliot's mom went to the hospital chapel and prayed.
All of Sebrina's children had been born premature; her first two children were born at 21 weeks and lived less than an hour. Elliot's three surviving older siblings had all been born before 37 weeks. A third child, Craig, died at 4 1/2 months of SIDS. Removing Elliot from life support was out of the question for Sebrina and her husband Brett.
Elliot was in the hospital for four months. The family spent Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in Portland. When Sebrina and Brett finally brought their baby boy home, he was on oxygen and a heart monitor.
Almost eight years later, Elliot has come a long way. Now longer the size of an ear of corn, he'll be entering second grade at Sunset Elementary in Pendleton and has a support team in place to help him succeed.
His mom describes him as energetic, happy and lovable.
"He's all boy. He likes dirt, frogs and mud."
He loves Legos, dirt bikes, forklifts — practically anything on wheels — and his family. He's especially fond of his grandma, Shirley Sagrero of Pendleton, whom he likes to call "Grandpa" just to tease her.
Elliot does have a speech delay, which is not uncommon in babies born so early, according to the U.S. Health and Medicine Division. He still has fluid on his brain, which doctors have told his parents can affect his balance. But his brother, Brett Jr., said Elliot is strong and has an "iron grip."
The family looks back on Elliot's first months of life with an appreciation for the support they received from family, friends, the hospital staff and the people at Ronald McDonald House. The family is still friends with some of the people they met at their home away from home.
"They were like a second family to us," recalls Brett Jr., who was a teenager at the time.
The Wegners consider Elliot's life a miracle and are hopeful for his future
"He's strong," Sebrina said. "So I can see good things for him."
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Information from: East Oregonian, http://www.eastoregonian.com
BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — An Adams County fisherman is safe after he reeled in a pipe bomb on Sunday and it was quickly disabled by a bomb squad.
The sheriff's office says the bomb was found at Barr Lake State Park northeast of Denver. Investigators say the unidentified fisherman was near a boat ramp when reeled it in and turned it over to park rangers.
The Adams County Bomb Squad determined it could be a dangerous explosive device and disabled it. Pieces of the bomb have been collected as evidence.
Authorities are still trying to determine who left the bomb in the lake.
- The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Tooele residents are helping out the family of a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy after their car and the boy's customized wheelchair were stolen.
The family of Keaton Johnson discovered Saturday morning that their car was stolen. The boy's wheelchair, which was in the car, was found outside their apartment complex with the seat and back missing.
The boy's mother Rosy Mintz says it costs $5,000 to replace the chair but the family doesn't have extra cash after recently moving.
Mintz says the wheelchair was the biggest loss because it will be difficult to find one that meets her son's needs.
The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/29lurwZ ) that since the theft, community members have donated a $100 gift card and a car seat. A local car dealership donated a replacement car.
Police in Tooele say they're investing the theft.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Astronauts and three fifth-grade girls are teaming up to grow soybeans in space.
Astronauts traveling to the International Space Station in 2017 are planning to grow the soybeans in small tubes and send the results to the young scientists in Henderson, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported (http://bit.ly/29oOjQ4).
A national competition chose almost a dozen student projects for testing.
John C. Vanderburg Elementary School students Shani Abeyakoon, Kendall Allgower and Avery Sanford want to know whether protein-rich soybeans can grow in space to feed astronauts and, perhaps, future residents of Mars.
"There's a very strong possibility people will be living on Mars," Avery said.
The fifth-graders wrote their proposal with the help of teacher William Gilluly.
"This is the most exciting thing I've ever done. . It's extraordinary," he said. "Scientists in the future can take their data and continue it."
Clark County School District coordinator Cheryl Wagner said scientists, educators, businesses and nonprofits helped about 300 students compete from the Las Vegas area.
Wagner helped raise $23,500 for the experiment's launch.
The three fifth-graders plan to pursue their research in middle school.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
- The Associated Press
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Veterans and active duty military have letters of gratitude from young students that were delivered by Pony Express.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports 13 riders carried the 272 letters on horseback for the Saturday delivery at Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Third through fifth graders wrote the letters thanking the recipients.
Most of the riders were from the Southeast Wyoming Pony Express Association.
Many participated in the National Pony Express Association's re-ride that ended in June.
The re-riders attempt to travel the same old routes over 10 days.
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Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle, http://www.wyomingnews.com
- The Associated Press
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — A growing number of tourists from China are stopping at Idaho Falls on their way to visit Yellowstone National Park, and local hospitality businesses are trying to adapt to their needs.
The Post-Register says several local hotels offer Wi-Fi instructions in Mandarin. One hotel recently hired a Mandarin-speaking receptionist, while another serves a popular Chinese rice porridge.
Last year at Yellowstone, an estimated 500,000 of the 4 million visitors were Chinese. Experts say the trend is fueled by looser visa rules, rising middle class salaries in China, and a growing desire among the younger generation to explore the world.
Tourism officials in Idaho Falls say they've noticed more Chinese tour groups visiting the area since 2014.
Hotel managers say anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of their rooms have been filled by Chinese tour groups every night this season.
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Information from: Post Register, http://www.postregister.com
- The Associated Press
BERKELEY, Calif. — The University of California, Berkeley, is planning a vigil for a student who was among the 20 hostages killed by militants in an attack on a restaurant in Bangladesh.
The university has said that sophomore Tarishi Jain was in the capital of Dhaka for a summer internship that began last month. The economics major, an Indian national, was working at a bank as part of a program arranged by UC Berkeley's Center for Bangladesh Studies.
KRON-TV reports that the vigil will be held at noon Tuesday in Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus.
The 19-year-old graduated from the American International School in Dhaka and transferred to Berkeley in 2015.
The school said Jain's father, Sanjeev Jain, is a textile merchant based in Dhaka.
- The Associated Press
WILSON, Wyo. — A truckload of potatoes is up for grabs after a truck tipped over on a Wyoming highway.
Shacorey Carter was not seriously injured Saturday night when the truck rolled on its side after his brakes failed while coming down a mountain.
The Jackson Hole News and Guide reports 50-pound sacks of potatoes were being given away at the Big Bear Towing shop and there were plenty of potatoes left over.
Kirby Orme, of Big Bear Towing, says the potatoes will be given away until they start to sour, and then they will go to the dump.
The truckload of potatoes was headed to Buffalo, New York, where Carter lives.
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Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com
- The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — Astronauts and three fifth-grade girls are teaming up to grow soybeans in space.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports astronauts traveling to the International Space Station in 2017 are planning to grow the soybeans in small tubes and send the results to the young scientists.
A national competition chose almost a dozen student projects for testing.
John C. Vanderburg Elementary School students Shani Abeyakoon, Kendall Allgower and Avery Sanford want to know whether protein-rich soybeans can grow in space to feed astronauts and future residents of Mars.
Clark County School District coordinator Cheryl Wagner said scientists, educators, businesses and nonprofits helped about 300 students compete from the Las Vegas area.
Wagner helped raise $23,500 for the experiment's launch.
The three fifth-graders plan to pursue their research in middle school.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
- The Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anaheim police say a suspect was hospitalized in critical condition after suffering a medical problem when officers used a stun gun on him during an arrest.
Sgt. Daron Wyatt says officers responded late Saturday to a call about a suspicious man who was following a woman in a residential area.
Wyatt says when officers approached Fermin Vincent Valenzuela, the 32-year-old "used physical force to push" them. That's when officers deployed the stun gun.
Wyatt says Valenzuela suffered some kind of medical problem while being taken into custody.
His family's attorney, James Segall-Gutierrez, told the Orange County Register on Sunday that Valenzuela suffered cardiac arrest and was in a medically induced coma.
Wyatt said he didn't know if Valenzuela was armed.
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Information from: The Orange County Register, http://www.ocregister.com
- The Associated Press
CABIN CREEK, Colo. — A Colorado property is listed on Craigslist as a ghost town priced at $350,000.
KGMH-TV reports the advertisement for Cabin Creek says the nearly 5-acre property is about 45 minutes from Denver. It comes with a gas station, motel, roadside restaurant, RV park, two houses and a private shooting range.
The ad says improvements have been made, but that more work is needed at the RV park, cafe and other areas of the property.
The author of the ad wrote that the Cabin Creek sellers want to travel once the property is in new hands.
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Information from: KMGH-TV, http://www.thedenverchannel.com
- By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — Water managers have started releasing more cold water from a reservoir in northern Idaho for endangered Snake River sockeye salmon following a year where 99 percent of the run died due to lethally hot water.
The decision late last week to bump up the amount of 43-degree water released from Dworshak Reservoir on the North Fork Clearwater River should keep water temperature at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River under 68 degrees through the summer, fisheries managers say.
The increase to about 10,000 cubic feet per second is slightly earlier than average as fisheries managers and reservoir operators seek to avoid a repeat of last year. An estimated 4,000 Snake River sockeye had entered the Columbia River in what managers expected would be one of the best-ever returns to high mountain lakes in central Idaho. But only about 1 percent survived the 900-mile journey.
"Last year wasn't any fun, and we don't want to do that again if we can avoid it," said Ritchie Graves of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Overall, about 90 percent of the 510,000 sockeye salmon that entered the Columbia River last year died when an unusual combination of low water and an extended heat wave pushed water temperatures past 70 degrees. Those conditions had not occurred in the basin since at least the 1950s and are lethal for cold-water sockeye.
Water managers say they have little ability to influence water temperature in the Columbia River but that Dworshak can supply enough water to make a difference in the Snake River.
Also, the Columbia Basin is cooler this year and much more hospitable for salmon and steelhead, Graves said. About 285,000 sockeye have entered the Columbia River so far, 40,000 more than the 10-year average. The run is now looking like it will be about three times larger than the pre-season estimate of 100,000, Graves said.
The pre-season estimate for Snake River sockeye was about 1,000, but it appears now significantly more fish will return. A handful of those sockeye — specially marked so their progress can be tracked through the system — have already arrived at Lower Granite Dam and did so in about 10 days after entering the Columbia. That's about half the time it took the few fish that survived that far last year.
Despite the good outlook, officials appear ready to respond quickly after last year's massive die-off. Afterward, a report concluded that Northwest fisheries managers needed to recognize warm-water events sooner and respond faster.
The report also noted faulty temperature readings last year caused managers to reduce cold-water releases from Dworshak Dam just when Snake River sockeye needed it most, a miscue that managers are seeking to avoid this year.
"With such hot weather forecasted to continue, water temperature at Lower Granite could soon exceed 68 degrees if not regulated, creating conditions in the reservoir system that are unhealthy for ESA-listed fish," Steve Hall of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement. It announced the increased flows and referred to salmon and steelhead protected under the Endangered Species Act.
In addition, the Columbia River Technical Management Team recommended last week releasing colder water from deeper in Lower Granite Dam to help keep the Snake River cooler. The Army Corps of Engineers, which controls releases at the dam, quickly approved.
"This one was discussed for weeks and weeks last year," Graves said. "This year everybody decided to give it a try."
- The Associated Press
FLORENCE — A program that allows Arizona prison inmates to help tame wild horses is also helping to tame recidivism rates.
The Arizona Republic reports that the Wild Horse Inmate Program at a state prison in Florence is being credited with bringing about positive changes in participating inmates.
According to program officials, about 50 inmates who have completed the program have been released since 2012. Their recidivism rate is zero.
Randy Helm, who teaches the inmates, says they learn the joy of accomplishing a project to its end.
The program is a partnership between the state Department of Corrections and the Bureau of Land Management.
The federal agency corrals wild horses and takes some to the prison facility.
The program averages getting about 150 horses from the program adopted every year.
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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com
- The Associated Press
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — U.S. Department of Energy contractors are scheduled to start removing toxic contaminated soil in northern New Mexico leftover the Manhattan Project and early atomic Cold War research.
The Los Alamos Monitor reports work is expected to begin this week on the south-facing slopes of Los Alamos Canyon.
Officials say the contaminated soils eventually will be shipped to a permanent area once tested.
The Los Alamos Canyon cleanup is one of many included in a 2016 consent order signed in last month between the New Mexico Environment Department and the U.S. Department of Energy.
During the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos scientists worked to develop the atomic bomb later dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The program also involved facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Hanford, Washington.
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Information from: Los Alamos Monitor, http://www.lamonitor.com
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