California
A cat went missing in Wyoming. 2 months later, he was found in his home state, California.
Cat floats on lake with no fear of water
A cat owner put their cat, Fitz, in a floating cooler and towed him around Lake Ontario as they kayaked.
The love between a pet and its owner knows no bounds nor state lines.
After going missing in Yellowstone National Park, a two-year-old cat traveled more than 800 miles toward its California home.
Siamese cat Rayne Beau, pronounced “rainbow,” ran off into the trees during a trip to the Wyoming park in June, according his owners Benny and Susanne Anguiano. The couple, based out of Salinas in Monterey County, thought they had seen the last of their beloved pet.
However, two months later, they received a voicemail from an animal shelter in Roseville, about a 30 minutes northeast of Sacramento, informing them that Rayne Beau was ready for pick up.
The pair’s five day trip at Yellowstone took a downturn after several days spent scouring the park, with Benny roaming the forest wearing bear repellant. Their relentless search ended June 8 when their park reservation ended, and the couple returned home devastated. Benny told Susanne they could not stay at the park forever, and park rangers said they would inform them if Rayne Beau was spotted.
“I understood that, but I just made him stay until the very last minute, that’s for sure. And even as we were driving out, I had my window down. I’m still calling him and we’re still scanning the road. It was pretty traumatic,” Susanne told USA TODAY Thursday.
Rayne Beau’s twin cat, Starr Jasmine, called out for her brother from a carrier. Susanne said she knew her twin was gone. The ride home was sorrowful for her as the cat grappled with being apart from her twin for the first time ever.
Couple initially skeptical of shelter’s phone call
The Anguianos held onto hope despite mounting despair. Park officials said some pets are found months later, Benny said. As they crossed the state line into Idaho, the couple saw a double rainbow, assuring Susanne that Rayne Beau “is being taken care of.”
Yet, the pair found themselves in complete disbelief when a voicemail Aug. 3 from the Placer SPCA shelter in Roseville said that their cat had been found. Skeptical of a potential scam, Susanne said it wasn’t until her husband and daughter were also contacted that they began taking the message seriously.
“I said, ‘take a picture. I want to make sure I don’t drive three-and-a-half hours and it’s not my cat,’” Benny said. “So they did. About 20 minutes later, they sent a picture and yep, it was him.”
The two reserved their emotions until they could see the cat, afraid of false hope. But the moment they laid eyes on Rayne Beau, they knew they had been reunited.
“When we for sure knew, we were in tears. We were all hugging and crying,” Susanne said.
Rayne Beau and Starr Jasmine are back to sleeping, playing and jumping together after a brutal period apart. The couple now has three cats, including new addition Maxx, who they adopted as a companion for Starr while she was alone.
Cat lost nearly half his bodyweight while missing
While it’s unclear how Rayne Beau made his way from Wyoming to California, his appearance shows the journey did not come without struggles. Susanne said his paws were calloused, dry and cracked.
Rayne Beau weighed between 7 and 8 pounds, down from his initial 13 pound weight, according to Susanne. Veterinarians said bloodwork showed low protein levels from inadequate nutrition, leading the family to believe no one cared for him during those 60 days.
“Poor thing looked like he was six months old, nine months old. He was really little, all skin and bones. He had lost half his body weight,” Benny said. “He was in starvation mode. So now he’s worked himself out of that.”
Susanne said both Rayne Beau and Starr were microchipped as required by the local rescue shelter from where they had adopted the cats. However, she said she was grateful Starr wasn’t the one who ran off, as her microchip had shortly fallen out when she was spayed as a kitten, according to a local shelter that performed procedure.
She urges all dog and cat owners to not only microchip their pets, but register their owners name and contact information because life can be unpredictable.
“If you love your pet you will,” Susanne said. “You will do that if you ever want to see them again, because anything can happen. As careful as you can be, animals are animals and something can happen like with us, and they get away.”
California
CAL FIRE company officer training reaches record 2025 total in California
Record year for CAL FIRE training
The office of Governor Gavin Newsom said CAL FIRE has trained more than 650 Company Officers in 2025, marking a record year for leadership development across California.
According to the governor’s office, four Company Officer academies have operated at full capacity during 2025.
The newest site, the Atwater Training Center in Merced County, opened in July 2025 to meet rising training demand.
Existing facilities in Ione, Redding and Riverside have supported the expanded training programme.
The office said this training year reflects a sustained focus on developing professional leaders for CAL FIRE operations across the state.
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, said: “Rapidly expanding our world-class firefighting force is just one piece of California’s unprecedented investment in fire protection and readiness.
“From new training facilities to the Southern California Emergency Operations Center, we’re building the infrastructure and workforce our communities need to face the climate challenges ahead.
“While Donald Trump undercuts federal readiness for mega-fires that threaten communities across the west, California continues to dominate with key investments in fire readiness and response.”
Company Officer Academy Class 25-14 graduation
The office confirmed that 38 CAL FIRE Company Officers have graduated from Company Officer Academy Class 25-14 at the Ione Training Center.
This cohort is described as the final class in the 2025 training cycle.
The graduates have completed an intensive syllabus and will move into leadership roles across the department.
CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler administered the oath to the new Company Officers.
Tyler’s keynote address highlighted the workload involved in delivering this year’s instruction.
CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said: “This milestone year of training represents our commitment to the future of CAL FIRE and the safety of California.
“We recognize the achievement of these 38 students, as well as the dedication of our training staff who maintained exceptionally high standards while sustaining this record-setting pace.”
State investment in wildfire readiness and prevention
The governor’s office linked the graduation to wider state investment in wildfire response and prevention capabilities.
According to the office, California has doubled its spending on wildfire prevention and resilience efforts since 2020.
State figures report more than $2.5 billion allocated to wildfire resilience programmes.
An additional $1.5 billion is due to come from the 2024 Climate Bond.
California has also invested $173 million in community-based wildfire projects aimed at helping local areas protect themselves from wildfires.
The office described the firefighters graduating at the new training facility as an example of this funding in practice.
The governor’s office added that California has joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact.
This agreement expands mutual aid partnerships for major wildfire incidents to additional agencies across the US and Canada.
How expanded CAL FIRE capacity relates to sector priorities
The expansion of CAL FIRE Company Officer training and the opening of the Atwater Training Center in Merced County provide practical information for fire and rescue chiefs and senior officers tracking workforce development in US wildland agencies.
A record total of more than 650 Company Officers trained in 2025 indicates the scale of leadership capacity being built within CAL FIRE.
Training officers and instructors may note that four academies operated at full capacity, with a new site added to handle increased demand.
Emergency and disaster response managers can draw on the detailed figures on state investment, including more than $2.5 billion for wildfire resilience, $1.5 billion from the 2024 Climate Bond and $173 million for community-based projects.
Government departments and mutual aid coordinators will be directly affected by California’s decision to join the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact, which broadens access to partner resources during major wildfire incidents.
California
All lanes reopen on 5 Freeway in Oceanside after officer-involved shooting forces closure
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KABC) — Hours after an officer-involved shooting prompted the full closure of the 5 Freeway in Oceanside, all lanes were reopened Saturday afternoon as the investigation continues.
“The 5 is closed in both directions between Oceanside and the Orange County border while police investigate a shooting,” Caltrans said in a social media post at 9:39 a.m., adding that drivers should use the 15 Freeway as an alternative route.
The Buena Park Police Department said its officers attempted to pull over a car for vehicle code violations just before 1 p.m. in the area of La Palma Avenue and San Marino Drive, but the car failed to stop and a pursuit ensued.
“At 1:05 a.m. we asked CHP to take over the pursuit. They did but requested our K-9 unit stay in the pursuit,” Buena Park police said in a statement.
Police said that at 2:10 a.m., the suspect vehicle was brought to a stop and then an officer-involved shooting occurred. It was not immediately known what led to the shooting.
A SigAlert was issued shortly after 2:30 a.m. between Harbor Drive in Oceanside and Christianitos Road in San Clemente, according to the California Highway Patrol.
As several lanes were reopened hours later, the Highway Patrol urged motorists to continue to use caution and watch for personnel in the area.
The investigation is ongoing.
Copyright © 2025 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
California
Chris Bell scores 21, sparks California to 91-67 victory over Sacramento State
BERKELEY, Calif. — – Chris Bell scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half and California cruised to a 91-67 victory over Sacramento State on Friday night in a campus game of the Empire Classic.
Bell and Justin Pippen combined for 29 points to help California take a 47-33 lead into the break. Bell sank 6 of 8 shots with three 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
John Camden’s 3-pointer capped an 11-2 run to begin the second half and the Golden Bears (5-1) were never threatened. Cal took its biggest lead at 81-47 on a 3-pointer by Camden with nine minutes left to play.
Pippen finished with 16 points and five assists. Dai Dai Ames also scored 16 and Camden totaled 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Brandon Gardner hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range and scored 19 to lead the Hornets (3-4). Mark Lavrenov had 14 points and Prophet Johnson notched his fifth double-double of the young season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Golden Bears shot 50.8% overall and made 15 of 38 from beyond the arc (39.5%).
Sac State made only 18 of 67 shots (26.9%) overall, including 7 of 24 from distance. The Hornets made 24 of 30 free throws, while Cal sank 10 of 19.
—— Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballbr/]
Copyright © 2025 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.
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