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4 Found Dead in Snowbound Houses in Southern California

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4 Found Dead in Snowbound Houses in Southern California


As mountain communities in Southern California progressively emerge from piles of snow, not less than 4 folks have been discovered useless of their properties, spurring considerations that the demise toll will climb greater amongst those that have been trapped for 2 weeks.

The 4 people had been found within the Huge Bear space of San Bernardino County, the primary one on March 2, stated Shannon Dicus, the county sheriff and coroner, on Wednesday. A 39-year-old girl was additionally killed in a hit-and-run site visitors collision on Feb. 26, Mr. Dicus stated. Hers was the one demise that his workplace had formally attributed to a record-breaking blizzard that left scores of residents homebound behind partitions of snow as tall as 10 ft and rationing meals.

Residents and native leaders have stated that they had been unprepared for the highly effective storms that first arrived on Feb. 21. Many started operating low on meals, gasoline and drugs. Some endured energy outages, whereas a handful of fires are believed to have been sparked by damaged fuel traces.

County officers have urged stranded residents to name 911 if they’re in severe hazard and must be rescued instantly, however not all of these in dire want could also be conscious. Sheriff Dicus emphasised that emergency communication programs had been functioning and crews had been responding to requires assist. He stated there was a chance that extra folks could possibly be discovered.

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“I’m frightened concerning the individuals who we don’t know need assistance,” he stated.

Sheriff Dicus’s workplace to date has not attributed to the storm the deaths of the 4 individuals who had been discovered of their properties.

Mr. Dicus stated that whereas the causes of demise for the 4 folks had been nonetheless being decided, there was no proof of foul play; in three of the deaths, there was a historical past of great medical considerations.

California remains to be digging out from a very heavy bout of snow in current weeks, together with in decrease elevation areas that not often see eye-level embankments. Unusually chilly situations allowed for snow to fall in additional areas, making a winter wonderland in some components and wreaking havoc in others.

That’s predicted to alter on Thursday when the chilly entrance departs and a heat atmospheric river from the tropics is anticipated to reach. Hotter temperatures could assist soften the snow drifts however may additionally pressure roofs with further weight if the snow absorbs water.

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In San Bernardino County, the current run of blizzards has slammed the mountain cities which might be common trip locations for Southern Californians and hubs for retirees. Mr. Dicus stated the truth that a big share of properties are unoccupied for a lot of the time has made it additional difficult for emergency employees to find out whether or not there is likely to be somebody who wants assist inside.

“We will’t knock on the door after which kick down the door if no person solutions,” he stated.

Nonetheless, Mr. Dicus stated that 700 firefighters, 60 legislation enforcement officers, search-and-rescue groups and volunteers had been going door to door attempting to make contact with as lots of the space’s roughly 40,000 residents as attainable. He stated that there have been 90 items of heavy tools serving to to clear snow. Over the previous week, he stated county roads had been plowed, permitting residents to journey to the area’s solely open grocery retailer and different companies, and crews had been working to open up personal entry roads and driveways.

“Now we have loads of boots on the bottom,” he stated. “I do imagine we have now a very good deal with on the state of affairs as we converse.”

Nonetheless, native officers have stated that the storms overwhelmed them and that they discovered too late how heavy the snow could be. Dan Munsey, the fireplace chief of San Bernardino County, stated final week that “the climate got here in a lot worse than has ever been anticipated in Southern California.”

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Chief Munsey stated that the county didn’t have the form of specialised tools that was essential to maintain the roads clear, and that it was utilizing shovels and development tractors to complement the snowplows it had.

Many residents have expressed frustration with what they are saying has been a disorganized and sluggish authorities response ever since. And whereas neighbors and volunteers have supplied to assist clear driveways or ship meals, they frightened that some older residents had been unable to hunt assist.

“The group and neighbors have been in a position to assist a few of these elders,” stated Daphne Salas. “A few of them don’t have that, they usually’ve been left all by themselves.”

Ms. Salas, 50, is an in-home caregiver who lives in Lake Arrowhead, one of many trip hamlets tucked alongside the slim roads snaking into the mountains. She stated she took it upon herself to examine on her older purchasers, a lot of whom she stated had been veterans who didn’t have family members residing shut by.

One among her purchasers on hospice care died, she stated, and his physique wasn’t moved for 4 days.

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Below clear skies on Wednesday, some residents had been attempting to renew the rhythms of regular life, earlier than any extra rain or snow arrived.

Philip Simmons, 70, stated he and his spouse had lived on the western facet of Lake Arrowhead for about seven years. They, like different full-time residents, watched as snow piled up exterior their home windows, awed by a wall of white that reached virtually to their roof.

“It felt like we had been residing in an igloo,” he stated.

Mr. Simmons stated that the roads had been clear sufficient now that he and his spouse had been planning to make a grocery run on Thursday morning.

“We personally are usually not annoyed,” he stated. “It will be good if we had sufficient cash to organize adequately for the whole lot on a regular basis, however we don’t.”

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California

What California city has the best weather for you? Take our quiz

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What California city has the best weather for you? Take our quiz


California has plenty of options when it comes to finding a place with your preferred weather. If you like cool weather, some cities spend nearly the entire year below 70 degrees. If you hate the rain, there are locations that average just a few inches per year.

The Chronicle gathered data about temperature, precipitation, air quality and extreme weather for 61 places across California, including the 20 most populous cities with data available. In total, 53 of the state’s 58 counties are represented in the analysis.

While there may not be a perfect match with everything you’re looking for, this quiz will help pinpoint a place that gets close.



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California woman dies from Fresno County's first human case of rabies in more than 30 years

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California woman dies from Fresno County's first human case of rabies in more than 30 years


A California woman died of rabies after allegedly being bitten by a bat in her classroom, according to Fresno County health officials.

The woman, later identified as Leah Seneng, 60, marks the first human case of rabies in Fresno County since 1992.

“In general, rabies is a disease that affects the brain, and it is very rare. But when it develops, it can cause very serious consequences,” said Dr. Trnidad Solis, Fresno County Health Department’s deputy health officer. “It’s transmitted through saliva; it is not airborne.”

RABIES PATIENT BECOMES FIRST FATAL CASE IN US AFTER POST-EXPOSURE TREATMENT, REPORT SAYS

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Leah Seneng, 60, was the first human case of rabies in Fresno County since 1992, according to county health officials. (GoFundMe)

Seneng, who was an art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, was bitten by the bat when she was attempting to rescue it in her classroom, local outlet ABC30 reported.

She first came into contact with the bat in October, but did not display symptoms until approximately a month later, according to Fresno County health officials.  She was admitted to the hospital and died four days later.

Bryant Middle School

Leah Seneng was an art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, California. (Map Quest)

PEANUT THE SQUIRREL EARMARKED FOR EUTHANASIA BEFORE BEING CONFISCATED AND WAS RABIES-FREE: REPORT

“The most frequent route of transmission is through the bite of an animal that has rabies. With rabies, unfortunately, there is no cure. So, when symptoms develop, there is no treatment, and often when it develops, it is often fatal. So we want the public to know that prevention is key to preventing rabies infection,” Solis said.

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Fresno County officials do not believe there is a threat to public health at this time, but are working with the Merced County Health Department to identify any other possible exposures and administer vaccines.

Rabies vaccination syringe held in gloved hand.

Health experts recommend people and pets get vaccinated for rabies. (iStock)

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Seneng’s coworkers have set up a GoFundMe account to assist her family during this time.



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Another batch of raw milk from a trendy California brand just tested positive for bird flu

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Another batch of raw milk from a trendy California brand just tested positive for bird flu


  • Two batches of raw milk from a trendy California brand have tested positive for bird flu this week.
  • Bird flu has been spreading rapidly among cattle in the US.
  • Experts say drinking raw milk is dangerous, and can cause food poisoning.

Another batch of raw milk just tested positive for bird flu in California.

Last Sunday, Fresno-based Raw Farm voluntarily recalled a first batch of cream top whole raw milk with a “best by” date of November 27. By Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that a second batch of Raw Farm cream top, with a “best by” date of December 7 had also tested positive for bird flu, based on retail sampling.

“We’re not making a big deal about it, because it’s not a big deal,” Kaleigh Stanziani, Raw Farm’s vice president of marketing, said in a short video posted on YouTube after the farm’s first voluntary recall was announced earlier this week.

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She said there had only been an indication that there might be a “trace element of something possible,” emphasizing that there had been no reported illnesses of Raw Farms cows or positive tests from the cattle.

Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee later told the LA Times that the California Department of Food and Agriculture had requested that his company “hold delivery of further products” until Friday, after conducting thorough testing of two Raw Farms and one creamery on Wednesday. (McAfee could not immediately be reached for comment by Business Insider during the Thanksgiving holiday.)

Raw milk may be helping bird flu spread — but not in the way you might think


raw milk

Containers of Raw Farm raw milk on a shelf at Berkeley Bowl on November 25, 2024 in Berkeley, California.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Scientists suspect that cross-contamination of raw milk between animals may be one reason the H5N1 virus is spreading rapidly among cows in the US — and could even contribute to the human spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions that dairy workers might be able to contract bird flu by infected raw milk splashed into their eyes.

There is no definitive evidence yet that humans can get bird flu from drinking contaminated raw milk. Instead, health authorities generally recommend avoiding raw milk because of other serious health risks, including food poisoning with bacteria like Salmonella, E.coli, or Listeria.

There are no known health benefits of drinking raw milk. Instead, all evidence suggests that pasteurized milk is just as nutritious, and is safer to consume.

Still, raw milk has become a trendy product among some influencers. Gwenyth Paltrow says she has it in her coffee in the morning.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, says he wants the US Food and Drug Administration to stop its “war” against raw milk.

Over the summer, “Carnivore MD” Paul Saladino released a raw milk smoothie in partnership with the elite Los Angeles health foods store Erewhon featuring unpasteurized (raw) kefir from Raw Farms, and powdered beef organs.

California has some of the loosest rules around raw milk in the country; it’s generally fine for California retailers like health foods stores and grocers to sell it, raw milk products just can’t be transported across state lines, per FDA rules.


raw milk smoothie

Dr. Paul’s Raw Animal-Based Smoothie includes Raw Farm kefir milk, beef organ powder, as well as blueberries, honey, bananas and other ingredients. It’s $19.

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Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images



Michael Payne, a researcher at the Western Institute of Food Safety and Security, told The Guardian that people consuming Dr. Paul’s $19 smoothie were “playing Russian roulette with their health,” and ignoring pasteurization, “the single most important food safety firewall in history.”

California dairy farms have been seeing an uptick in bird flu cases since August. The state has reported 29 confirmed human cases of bird flu, and all but one of those was sourced back to cows.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first confirmed case of bird flu in a California child from Alameda County. The child had no known contact with infected farm animals, but may have been exposed to wild birds, the California health department said in a statement.

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The child had mild symptoms and is recovering well after receiving antiviral drugs.





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