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California nudist community 'on edge' after 'nightmare' double murder; next-door neighbor arrested

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California nudist community 'on edge' after 'nightmare' double murder; next-door neighbor arrested

Members of a nudist resort outside of Los Angeles said their once idyllic community has dissolved into a “nightmare” after the neighbor of a California couple was charged in their murder.

“It’s a nightmare,” Tony Wiley, 69, told People. “You hear stuff like this on the news, but you never imagine in a lifetime that it would be one of your friends, and in such a bizarre way.”

Laurie Riffel, 69, told the outlet residents feel “on guard” following the double murder.

“There’s a dark cloud over us,” she said. “There’s just a feeling of being on guard all the time, an apprehension of not being safe here.”

CALIFORNIA NUDIST RESORT NEIGHBOR CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER COUPLE DISAPPEARS

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The feeling of uneasiness came after the Redlands Police Department announced the arrest of 62-year-old Michael Sparks Aug. 30 in the death of Stephanie and Daniel Menard at the Olive Dell Ranch in Colton. He was later charged with two counts of murder.

The Menards were last seen Aug. 24, police say.  (Redlands Police Department)

In a press conference following the discovery of the Menards’ remains, City of Redlands spokesperson Carl Baker said Sparks was found hiding underneath his home Thursday night after not responding to police for several hours.

He had been hiding inside a 5-foot deep concrete space under the home, which forced officers to remove the front wall of the house, police said.

Baker said the suspect attempted to commit suicide when police first discovered him hiding.

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“He did have a rifle, and he did attempt to kill himself when police discovered him, but the rifle misfired,” Baker said. 

The next morning, a cadaver dog was used to search for the couple’s bodies at Sparks’ home. Baker said “the dog did alert, indicating the presence of a body somewhere underneath the house.”

Michael Royce Sparks, 62, was charged with two counts of murder. (Redlands Police Department)

Members of the clothing-optional community told People tensions between the Menards and Sparks reached a breaking point over the pruning of a tree that shaded their properties.

“I’ve talked to them, and I know they had an issue about a tree getting cut because of branches going over to the Menards’ place,” Tony Garrett, 63, told People. “But I can’t say that’s all of it. I can’t say it’s just one thing.”

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“When I first got here, he was telling me which neighbors he liked, which neighbors he could do without, and then he pointed in their direction. He goes, ‘And I hate those f—ers,’” Tammie Wilkerson, 61, told People. 

“I’m like, ‘Dang, Sparky, that’s a little rough.’ And that’s when he told me the tree thing. I was thinking it’s a lot to hate somebody. There may be other reasons. I don’t know. Only he knows.

“I don’t know if that’s what caused this or if he just snapped one day. I really don’t know.”

The Redlands Police Department says the Menards’ dog, Cuddles, has not been found. (Redlands Police Department)

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Residents remembered the couple for their warm personalities. 

“They had a great little home for the two of them and their dog,” the couple’s friend, Michelle Ann Archambault Reese, told People. “They had a beautiful outside patio area to kick back at. They were just somebody you wanted a hug from. They were just wonderful people.”

Neighbors said Sparks appeared to be more of a loner.

 

“You’d see him once in a while, but mostly he liked his hot tub,” said Garrett. “He wasn’t a bad guy. He was no different than the other residents. Just a little more quiet, a little more reserved.”

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“He said he hated the ‘textile world’ and that he had always been a nudist from as long as he could remember,” Wilkerson told the outlet.



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Wyoming

Sage-grouse local working groups swiftly disbanded by Game and Fish

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Sage-grouse local working groups  swiftly disbanded by Game and Fish


WYOMING — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has announced that it is retiring the Sage-Grouse Local Working Groups (LWG) as of Jan. 31, just one month after the Trump administration released a Greater Sage-grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment for Wyoming. “The LWGs were a direct response to the 2003 Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan,” the […]



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Former Trail Blazers center Chris Dudley makes second run for governor of Oregon

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Former Trail Blazers center Chris Dudley makes second run for governor of Oregon

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A former Portland Trail Blazers player is taking his best shot at being the next governor of Oregon.

Chris Dudley, a Republican and 16-year NBA veteran, announced his candidacy for the role in a video posted online.

“I love Oregon, and even though we have some serious problems, there are solutions and I believe our best days are ahead of us,” he said in the video.

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Chris Dudley, Republican candidate for governor of Oregon, speaks during a town hall meeting at Portland Bolt & Manufacturing Co. in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010. (Tom Hauck/Bloomberg)

“However, in order to solve these challenges, the empty promises, the name calling, finger pointing and fear mongering that has solved nothing must stop. You deserve better.”

Dudley spent six of his 16 NBA seasons in Portland as the team’s center.

Dudley, who was born in Connecticut and went to high school in San Diego, California, played in Portland from 1993-97 before returning for the 2001-02 season. He played his final two seasons with the Trail Blazers before retirement.

Dudley came within less than two percentage points of becoming Oregon’s governor in 2010, falling to then-incumbent Democrat John Kitzhaber, 49.3% to 47.8%.

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Chris Dudley, Republican candidate for governor of Oregon, speaks during a town hall meeting at Portland Bolt & Manufacturing Co. in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010. (Tom Hauck/Bloomberg)

He joins a field now of 14 Republicans who have all announced they will be running to defeat current Gov. Tina Kotek. Kotek and five other Democrats also announced they are running.

The Oregon primary election is set for May 19.

Dudley began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 1987 NBA Draft. He played parts of three seasons there before a trade to the New Jersey Nets.

Chris Dudley, Republican candidate for governor of Oregon, stands for a photo following a town hall meeting at Portland Bolt & Manufacturing Co. in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010. (Tom Hauck/Bloomberg)

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Dudley spent four seasons with the Nets before joining the Trail Blazers. After his original four-season stint, he landed with the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns before his return to Portland.

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San Francisco, CA

Animal control locates mountain lion in San Francisco

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Animal control locates mountain lion in San Francisco


A young mountain lion that was spotted Monday night in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood has been located, city officials said.

Around 6:20 a.m. Tuesday, city officials said San Francisco Animal Care and Control found the mountain lion and that they are working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to manage the situation. No injuries were reported.

A biologist is on their way to the scene, with the plan to tranquilize the animal and move it to a suitable location, officials said.

The mountain lion was first reported Monday night after being seen near Octavia Street and Pacific Avenue, according to an alert from the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

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Animal Care and Control officials said experts believe the animal is about a year old. It had also been seen earlier Monday morning near Lafayette Park, just a few blocks from the later sighting.

City officials said the mountain lion was likely lost and may have been trying to move south out of the city.



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