West
German tourists deface Joshua Tree National Park in paintball and slingshot shooting rampage
Three tourists from Germany have been cited after going on a paintball shooting rampage that defaced road signs, bathrooms and dumpsters throughout Joshua Tree National Park in California, park officials said.
According to a press release from the National Park Services (NPS), on Sunday, a park ranger who was patrolling the Jumbo Rocks Campground at Joshua Tree National Park noticed “fresh yellow paintball splatter on structures and signs.”
Upon further investigation into the paintball splatters, the ranger spotted a slingshot in plain view inside a vehicle.
WOMAN’S BODY RECOVERED FROM GRAND CANYON FOR THIRD DEATH AT NATIONAL PARK IN A WEEK
Three tourists from Germany used paintball guns and slingshots to vandalize signs at Joshua Tree National Park. (National Park Services)
Law enforcement rangers were called to the scene and they began questioning the visitors, who were tourists from Germany, who admitted to firing paintballs with a compressed paintball gun and slingshots the night before.
Inside their vehicle, rangers recovered three slingshots, a paintball marker, paintballs, and other related equipment as evidence.
Rangers also learned that at least 11 roadway signs along Park Boulevard from Jumbo Rocks campground to the Maze Loop Trailhead, two miles from the west entrance of the park, had been shot with yellow paintballs.
On Aug. 4, a park ranger patrolling the Jumbo Rocks Campground saw “fresh yellow paintball splatter” on structures and signs, park officials said. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The three individuals were charged with a federal violation notice for vandalizing, defacing, or destroying property.
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The violation incurs a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and/or not more than six months in prison, the NPS said.
PALMS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 28: Joshua Tree National Park on January 28, 2021 in Palms, California. (Josh Brasted/Getty Images)
Joshua Tree National Park Acting Chief Ranger Jeff Filosa condemned the vandalism, calling it a waste of time for staff members who could be prioritizing other tasks rather than cleaning up vandalism.
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“Defacing or altering the NPS landscape, no matter how small, is against the law,” Filosa said. “It diminishes the natural environment that millions of people travel the world to enjoy. The park is regularly tasked with removing graffiti of all types, using time and resources that could be better dedicated to other priorities.”
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Spring in Montana has a way of keeping people on their toes. One day feels like summer is finally here, and the next morning you’re scraping frost off the windshield before work.
And honestly, that’s pretty normal around here.
A Transition Month: May in Montana
In many parts of Montana, May is still very much a transition month. Higher elevation communities like Butte can still see freezing temperatures late into the season, and in some years the final frost does not arrive until June. That lingering winter chill is just part of life in the Treasure State.
Daylight Gains: Embracing Longer Evenings
At the same time, May also brings some of the biggest daylight gains of the entire year. As Montana races toward the summer solstice, we add roughly 70 more minutes of daylight throughout the month, depending on location, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Longer evenings, greener landscapes, and warmer afternoons start showing up, even if the mornings can still feel like winter.
READ MORE: Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Later Frost Dates for Parts of Montana
That’s what makes Montana weather so unique this time of year. You might start the day with a jacket and a windshield scraper, then end the afternoon in shorts and a T-shirt.
While we recently looked back at some of the warmest Mays Montana has experienced, the colder years can be just as memorable. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tracked Montana temperatures dating back to 1895, giving us a fascinating look at just how cold May can still get across the state.
READ MORE: These Are the Warmest Mays Ever Recorded in Montana
Some of those chilly Mays brought persistent snow, freezing mornings, and temperatures far below average well into spring.
Now it’s time to look back at the 10 coldest May temperatures Montana has experienced since record-keeping began in 1895. Keep scrolling for more.
Top 10 Coldest Mays in Montana According to NOAA
Top 10 Coldest Mays in Montana According to NOAA
Gallery Credit: Chris Wolfe
Montana’s Top 10 Warmest Mays on Record
According to NOAA, these are the top 10 warmest, on average, months of May in Montana
Gallery Credit: Chris Wolfe
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another platform is coming under fire by the State of Nevada over alleged unsafe conditions for children.
On Wednesday, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford filed a lawsuit against Discord, which is a communication platform that facilitates instant, text, and chat messaging as well as voice and video calls. Users are also able to share media, including photos and videos.
“Discord’s popularity with minors also makes it popular with a much more dangerous cohort: child predators, who seek to groom and exploit minor users,” the 100-page complaint reads in part. “Discord knows that the children on its platform are at risk, and further knows that children and their parents and guardians are afraid of malicious actors on the platform. Yet Discord has done very little to protect these children, and has refused to implement safety features that it knows would greatly ameliorate the risk.”
The complaint lists several cases as alleged proof that the platform is dangerous:
- In 2023, a Las Vegas man was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a minor and producing child pornography of his victim, whom he groomed on Discord.
- In 2024, a Reno man was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime supervised release for grooming a minor on Discord.
- In 2025, a sting captured eight individuals who had used Discord — among other communications platforms — to solicit sex from law enforcement agents posing as children.
According to the complaint, a group called 764, which was located on a Discord server that contained violent videos and “how-to” guides on sexually exploiting and extorting minors online, “has acknowledged a presence in Nevada”. The FBI’s Las Vegas field office is part of one or more of the agency’s 250 investigations into the organization.
Ford’s team also alleges that Discord has several flaws in its design, which is putting children at risk. For example, insufficient barriers for strangers contacting children, misleading and/or ineffective filters, parental control issues, and an “absence of age or identity verification in the account creation process.”
In February 2026, Discord tried to implement a requirement where users had to authenticate their age “with a face scan or by uploading a form of ID if they want to access adult content.” However, the complaint states that after user backlash to that announcement, “Discord immediately went into damage control mode and walked backed its commitment.”
According to the complaint, Ford’s team is seeking civil penalties of up to $15,000 per violation of the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act and up to $25,000 for each violation directed at a minor.
Discord has denied the claims made in the complaint and sent Channel 13 the following statement:
“The lawsuit’s characterization of Discord does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety. Discord is a communications platform built to connect people around playing games. Users join Discord communities intentionally, based on their interests, and unlike social media, the platform has no algorithmic feed, infinite scroll, or public “likes” pushing content to mass audiences.
Our safety systems combine advanced technology and human-led investigations, alongside user reports to help identify accounts or spaces engaged in harmful activity, including exploitative and child sexual abuse materials. We require all users to be at least 13 to use Discord and also provide teen users and their parents and guardians with important privacy and safety tools, including Teen Safety Assist and our Family Center. We look forward to collaborating with policymakers in working toward a safer online experience for all users on Discord and across the internet.”
Discord Spokesperson
This is not the only platform that is facing lawsuits in Nevada.
Last month, Ford announced the State of Nevada had reached a settlement with the online gaming platform Roblox.
In addition to abuse concerns, 13 Investigates partnered with ABC News Investigates to tell you how teenagers were being recruited on Roblox to become hackers.
WATCH: 2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
As part of that settlement, Roblox officials agreed to several changes to make the platform safer, including age verification, content control, enhanced parental controls, and agreements to spend $2.5 million for online safety awareness campaigns as well as workshops and training for law enforcement.
APRIL 2026: Nevada reaches settlement with gaming platform Roblox
FULL PRESSER: State of Nevada reaches settlement with online gaming platform Roblox
Ford’s office has filed similar consumer protection lawsuits against TikTok, Snap, Meta, YouTube, and Kik, all alleging harmful design features and a lack of common-sense online safety measures for children.
According to Ford’s office, they’re set to go to trial against TikTok and Snap next year.
LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – A 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck in southern Colorado near the New Mexico border Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with shocks felt as far as Pueblo.
According to the USGS, around 10:45 a.m., an earthquake struck near Weston at a depth of 8.7 km.
USGS said weak shaking could be felt as far as southern Pueblo and Monte Vista, with the shaking measured at an intensity level 3.
USGS said it estimates a 28% chance that an aftershock greater than 3.0 can be felt again within the next week.
Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.
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‘Egregiously unsafe’: Nevada attorney general sues Discord