West
Teen brothers missing after weekend duck-hunting excursion goes horribly wrong
Two teenage brothers have been missing for over a week in Northern California after they went duck hunting in stormy weather on Dec. 14.
Wesley Cornett, 17, and Andruw Cornett, 19, went hunting at the Thermalito Afterbay, a large body of water in Butte County with 17 miles of shoreline and 4,300 surface acres of water.
“Approximately 250 people from 21 different organizations have been searching for Wesley and Andruw Cornett since last Saturday, the day the two brothers went missing while duck hunting at the Thermalito Afterbay,” the Butte County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post earlier this week, along with a video detailing high-tech efforts to find the two missing teenagers in weed-covered water.
Search efforts began the same day the teenagers went missing, with SCSO deputies, detectives, the BCSO Aviation and Marine Unit, and BCSO Search and Rescue responding to “reports that one of two duck hunters had overturned on a kayak, and the other one swam into the water to try and help.”
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Wesley Cornett, 17, and Andruw Cornett, 19, went hunting at the Thermalito Afterbay, a large body of water in Butte County with 17 miles of shoreline and 4,300 surface acres of water. (Facebook)
“Thousands of acres have been searched by boat, by ground and by raft,” Trevor Skaggs with BCSO Search and Rescue said in a video posted to the sheriff’s office Facebook page.
Jeff Eggleson of Big Valley Divers said “the most difficult thing” rescuers have to do is “get through the weeds” at the base of Thermalito Afterbay.
BCSO officials began searching for the two teenagers on Dec. 14, the same day they disappeared from a dunk-hunting trip. (Facebook)
Heavy rain and winds swept across Butte County on Saturday, leading about 5,000 people without power, according to local news outlet Action News Now.
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Officials responded to “reports that one of two duck hunters had overturned on a kayak, and the other one swam into the water to try and help” on Dec. 14. (Facebook)
The boys’ mother, April Clark, created a GoFundMe called “Help April Clark Find and Honor Her Sons,” hoping to raise money for search efforts and eventually for their funerals.
“My two handsome sons went hunting Saturday Dec 14th 2024. Wesley, 17, went out on the kayak and over turned and his brother Andruw, 19, seen him in distress called 911 and stated there was no time to wait he was going in to save his brother [sic],” Clark wrote in the GoFundMe page description. “Neither one of my boys have been seen since Saturday. Andruw is a hero in my eyes.”
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Jeff Eggleson of Big Valley Divers said “the most difficult thing” rescuers have to do is “get through the weeds” at the base of Thermalito Afterbay. (BCSO/ Facebook)
Clark added that the sheriff is now calling the search for her sons a “recovery” mission.
“This is a freak accident that my family and I are trying to wrap our heads around and we also have 4 girls at home who we still need to care for,” Clark wrote. “This is hard for me to write as im beyond broken into so many pieces if you can please find it in your heart to donate and help our family find and lay my handsome two young boys to rest any amount of support will forever be blessed for our family.”
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SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.
He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.
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In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.
“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.
A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.
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A registered sex offender convicted in a child sex abuse material case is seeking elected office in California — launching a campaign for Fresno City Council amid fierce backlash and renewed questions about whether someone with his record should hold public office.
Rene Campos, a Fresno native required to register as a sex offender, has announced plans to run for the District 7 seat on the Fresno City Council.
Campos was charged in 2018 with possession of child sex abuse material, according to court records. He has said he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge and is now a registered sex offender.
His opponent, Nav Gurm, says the campaign has transformed what should be a local race focused on infrastructure and public safety into a national controversy.
Rene Campos in a 2018 booking photo related to a child sex abuse material possession case. Campos, now a registered sex offender, has launched a campaign for Fresno City Council. (State of California Department of Justice)
“His candidacy is a slap in the face to families and children in Fresno,” Gurm told Fox News Digital. “They deserve a councilmember who can show up at their schools and in their neighborhoods without restriction.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Campos defended his candidacy, arguing he has met all legal requirements.
“I satisfied every legal obligation imposed under the laws this state enacted for accountability and rehabilitation,” Campos said.
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The entrance to Fresno City Hall in Fresno, California. The District 7 City Council seat is up for election amid controversy surrounding a registered sex offender candidate. (James Ward, Visalia Times-Delta via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
“If those same laws can be set aside when politically inconvenient, then we are not debating one candidacy — we are testing whether the rule of law is stable or selective. Democracy depends on consistent standards. When eligibility shifts under pressure, public confidence weakens. Voters decide elections — not political preference.”
Under California law, registered sex offenders are not automatically barred from seeking or holding local office as long as they meet voter registration and residency requirements.
But Gurm argues that legality does not equate to fitness for office.
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“While it may not be a legal disqualification, it’s a disqualification in practice,” he said. “If you can’t fully participate in school events, youth gatherings and community activities, you can’t fully do the job.”
Gurm is urging state lawmakers to amend eligibility standards.
“I urge the Fresno City Council and the California State Legislature to push forward legislation making lifetime sex offender registration an explicit disqualification for holding public office,” he said.
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Nav Gurm, a candidate for Fresno City Council District 7, has called on his opponent to withdraw from the race amid controversy. (Nav Gurm for Fresno City Council Campaign Team)
The backlash has extended beyond campaign opponents.
Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi said he believes voters will reject Campos and suggested he would oppose him taking office if elected.
“When it comes to the safety and welfare of our children, your past matters,” Karbassi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “So long as I am Council President, I will not permit him to be seated on the Fresno City Council.”
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It remains unclear what legal authority, if any, the council president would have to prevent an elected candidate from assuming office.
Outgoing Councilman Nelson Esparza, who currently represents District 7 and is termed out, also criticized the campaign.
“Regardless of any rehabilitation, he needs to find a different line of work,” Esparza told Fox News Digital. “So much of what I do in this district is for and with respect to our children and youth. I don’t see any reasonable way someone with registered sex offender status could effectively do this job.”
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Esparza noted that councilmembers regularly participate in school initiatives and that children frequently visit City Hall for tours and meetings. He said councilmembers are examining possible municipal policy changes and urging legislative action at the state level.
The District 7 seat will open when Esparza’s term expires. Candidates face a filing deadline in early March, and the primary election is scheduled for June.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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