Body of mother of 4 who's been missing for nearly 6 months discovered in wooded area

Emily Strite was last seen wearing jeans and a dark blue hoodie on April 12.

ByJon Haworth
October 3, 2024, 2:20 PM

A mother of four who has been missing for nearly six months has been found dead in a wooded area in Missouri, authorities confirmed.

Sheriff Dave Marshak of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office announced that the body of 33-year-old Emily Strite, who was first reported missing on April 20, was discovered in a wooded area approximately 45 miles southwest of St. Louis, Missouri, according to a statement from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released on Tuesday.

“On September 28th, deputies responded to a wooded area near the 4100 block of Frissell Road in De Soto for a report of human skeletal remains found by the property owner,” authorities said. “Through comparison to medical and dental records, investigators with the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined the remains are those of Emily Strite. She was reported missing in the De Soto area in April of this year.”

Detectives said in April that Strite was last seen on foot wearing jeans and a dark blue hoodie on the morning of April 12 in the De Soto area and “is believed to have been leaving the area of her own free will,” police said.

A mother of four who has been missing for nearly six months has been found dead in a wooded area in Missouri, authorities confirmed. Facebook / Justice for Emily Strite

“At this time, Strite’s cause of death is undetermined, and investigators are working to learn how her body ended up where it was found,” Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said.

The investigation into her disappearance and death remains ongoing and there are no reported suspects or persons of interest in the case.

“[Due] to the ongoing investigation, we “Emily’s Family” are asking that nobody visits/disturbs the area mentioned of where Emily was recovered,” Strite’s mother posted on social media after authorities confirmed her body had been found. “Please respect our wishes and stay away from the area. We will share details when they are available.”

Source: ABC News

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Newsom signs California bill extending alcohol sales in one place only

By FOX 11 Digital Team | Published September 30, 2024 2:37PM PDT | FOX 11

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed a bill into law extending the sale of alcohol - but only in one place in the entire state of California. 

Assembly Bill 3206 allows alcohol to be sold until 4 a.m. to VIP suiteholders at the private club in the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the future arena of the Los Angeles Clippers. The club is expected to accommodate around100 people, while the arena can seat 18,000.

Right now state law prohibits alcohol sales between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., but this new bill makes the private club the one and only exception due to one key detail - it is the only fully-enclosed arena in the state.

Newsom said he will direct the California Highway Patrol to work alongside local law enforcement agencies to enforce the law, as he acknowledged the safety risks of extending last call. 

"I am directing the California Highway Patrol to work in partnership with local law enforcement agencies to track DUI incidents in the surrounding communities, and to prepare a report on the impacts of extended alcohol service hours that can inform the Legislature’s evaluation of any further proposals to extend alcohol service hours," Newsom wrote.

Newsom said he expects the CHP and local law enforcement to provide him with a report on the impact of the bill, which will help state leaders evaluate it when it expires in 2030.

The Clippers are owned by Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft and the sixth-richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg.

This isn't the only bill that Newsom approved over the weekend. The governor gave the green light for several others including expanded tenant protections and the creation of entertainment zones. You can see a full list of bills approved and vetoed by tapping or clicking here.

Source: FOX 11 Los Angeles

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More than 100 dead in devastation and flooding after Hurricane Helene

 

More than 100 people are reported dead in a number of states after Hurricane Helene swept through the Southeast, causing widespread damage and devastating flooding. Officials say thousands of people have still not been in touch with their loved ones. NBC News George Solis from hard-hit Asheville, N.C.

Desperate family members were waiting for word on more than 150 people still missing after flooding hit Tennessee. Some of missing were in a plastics factory that was flooded. Officials said the operation has shifted to a recovery effort. NBC News' Priscilla Thompson reports.

Former President Donald Trump visited Georgia and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for not visiting the storm zone. Harris cut short a West Coast campaign visit to return to Washington to meet with FEMA officials. NBC News' Garrett Haake reports.

Source: NBC News

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"Most anticipated" comet of 2024 returns this weekend after 80,000 years

 

ByEric Ralls
Earth.com staff writer

Something absolutely fascinating is headed our way. For the first time in 80,000 years, the comet C/2023 A3 — also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS — is making its grand return to our skies.

The last individuals to witness this celestial spectacle were our ancestors who first ventured out of Africa.

Return of comet C/2023 A3

The comet, appearing as a faint, star-like smudge trailed by a hazy tail, should be visible just before dawn on four consecutive mornings – from Friday to Monday.

It’s important to note that comet C/2023 A3 was only discovered last year, yet scientists have determined that it visited our planet around 80,000 years ago. This estimate is based on its elliptical trajectory.

Bend in the comet’s tail

Matthew Dominick, a NASA astronaut currently aboard the International Space Station, shared a captivating video of the comet, giving us a unique perspective.

“The comet tail is noticeably longer each day. Pause the video at about 15 seconds…you can see the tail of the comet looks like it is bending,” noted Dominick.

“The atmosphere is more dense the closer you get to Earth. Changes in the density of the atmosphere change the refractive index and thus make the comet tail appear bent.”

“I was in my crew quarters reviewing the imagery when I first saw the bend in the comet’s tail. I did not see it real time when taking the images.”

Closest approach to the sun

Comet C/2023 A3 will make it closest approach to the sun on September 27. The comet will then spin around the sun and head back toward Earth.

“If this comet survives its passage by the sun, and if the amount of gas and dust it gives off does not decrease significantly, this might be one of the best comets in a long time,” said NASA’s Gordon Johnston.

“If it strongly scatters sunlight towards the Earth it might even be visible in the glow of dusk just after its closest approach to Earth on October 12.”

Spectacular sight in the skies

When the comet swings by the sun on September 27, it is expected to light up spectacularly. The comet’s diameter can stretch up to 25 miles.

Tsuchinshan will be faintly visible with a telescope in the pre-dawn hours through October 4th across most of the United States.

According to Johnston, the comet will be hidden through October 11, but will reappear in the evening sky just as it makes its closest pass to Earth on October 12.

Where to look for comet C/2023 A3

Look out for the moon in its waning crescent phase and you’ll have a guide to catch the comet. Do keep in mind, the position of the comet can change in relation to the moon, depending on the date.

Comet C/2023 A3 is approximately 157.1 million miles away from Earth and is moving closer at about 70km per second (150,000 miles per hour).

Unpredictable comet C/2023 A3

Minjae Kim, a space expert at the University of Warwick‘s astronomy department, elaborated on the comet’s behavior.

“C/2023 A3 has an orbital period of approximately 80,000 years, classifying it as a long-period comet. This means its behavior and appearance can be unpredictable, with potential changes in brightness and tail development as it approaches the sun,” Kim said.

“If predictions hold, it could be visible to the naked eye, appearing as a fuzzy star with a tail stretching across the sky. Otherwise, binoculars or a small telescope may reveal more detail in the comet’s structure and tail.” 

Dusty snowballs in space

Comets are essentially balls of ice, dust, and rocks from the ring of icy material known as the Oort cloud that skirts our solar system’s outer edge.

They bring along small remnants from the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago, effectively making them ancient storytellers of space.

One of the most enchanting aspects of comets like C/2023 A3 is the artwork they create in the skies.

As comets approach the sun, they begin to heat up, releasing gas and dust that form a glowing coma and a tail that streams away from the sun.

This luminous dance is a result of solar wind and radiation pressure affecting the released particles, creating two distinct tails – one of ionized particles and another comprised of dust.

Observing these tails can offer a deeper understanding of a comet’s composition and the solar forces at play – a true spectacle for both scientists and stargazers alike.

Most anticipated comet of the year

In the words of Starwalk, an astronomical app for stargazers, comet C/2023 A3 is the “most anticipated comet of the year.” And sure enough, it’s creating quite a buzz in the astronomical community.

The best viewing opportunities are expected between October 12 and October 20. During this time, Comet C/2023 A3 will climb higher in the sky each night and will slowly fade in visibility as it continues its journey out of the solar system.

Johnston noted that the best time to catch a glimpse of Tsuchinshan should be the evenings on and shortly after October 12 with the comet above the western horizon after sunset.

Image Credit: NASA/ Brian Valente/ Greg Stein

Video Credit: NASA’s Johnson Space Center/M. Dominick

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California schools must restrict student cell phone use on campus under law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom

 

By Dean Fioresi
Updated on: September 23, 2024 / 9:31 PM PDT / KCAL News

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed legislation that directs school districts across California to draft and implement policies that will limit students' use of cell phones during the school day.

Assembly Bill 3216, dubbed the Phone-Free School Act, requires every school district, charter school and county office of education to form their own set of guidelines by July 1, 2026. The bill was co-authored by Assembly member Josh Hoover of Folsom, who introduced the bill alongside Democratic Assembly members David Alvarez of Chula Vista, Josh Lowenthal of Long Beach and Al Muratsuchi of Torrance.

In August, Newsom previously voiced his opinion on the use of smartphones in schools and the potentially negative mental impact that they have on students.

"We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression and other mental health issues — but we have the power to intervene," Newsom said. "This new law will help students focus on academics, social development and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they're in school."

The language of the bipartisan bill, which was passed by legislators in late August, notes the legislation was drafted to address the "growing evidence that unrestricted use of smartphones by pupils at elementary and secondary schools during the schoolday interferes with the educational mission of the schools, lowers pupil performance, particularly among low-achieving pupils, promotes cyberbullying, and contributes to an increase in teenage anxiety, depression, and suicide."

Source: CBS News

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NASA astronaut back home after stay on the International Space Station

NASA veteran Tracy Dyson logged 184 days in orbit since launch last March 23.

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6-Year-Old Boy Abducted from California Park Found Living as a Grandfather on East Coast 70 Years Later

Luis Armando Albino was reunited with his family after a decades-long search in June
By Escher Walcott Published on September 23, 2024 05:03PM EDT

A stock image of a police siren. Photo: Jaromir Chalabala / EyeEm / Getty Images

A California man has been reunited with his family more than seven decades after he was abducted as a child. 

Luis Armando Albino was just 6 years old when he was lured away by a woman while playing at a park with his big brother Roger in West Oakland on Feb. 21, 1951. 

According to CBS News, a search conducted by his niece Alida Alequin in Oakland using an online ancestry test and old photos and newspaper articles led to him being found living on the East Coast.

Her efforts "played an integral role in finding her uncle," shared the Oakland police, who helped search for Albino alongside the FBI and Justice Department, as reported by Mercury News. "The outcome of this story is what we strive for."

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After Albino disappeared local authorities launched a major search operation in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and soldiers from a local army base, according to Oakland Tribune articles from the time, reported The Guardian.

This involved a search of San Francisco Bay and other California waterways, while his brother Roger Albino, was repeatedly questioned by detectives about his story of how his sibling had been taken from the park by a woman wearing a bandana.

The first sign Albino may have been alive came after Alequin’ took an online DNA test “for fun” in 2020 and it showed a 22% match for a man as her uncle, reported KTUV. In February, she searched again and cross-referenced this with some Oakland Tribune articles about Albino — including a photograph — that she found at the library. She then contacted the police and a missing persons case was opened. 

"The resemblance was so strong; how much he looked like my other uncles," Alequin told KUTV. "Then another picture where he looked so much like my grandmother, that one gave me chills, and I said ‘there’s something here.' "

On June 20, Alequin was told by police that Albino, who is now a grandfather and a retired firefighter and Marine Corps veteran, had been located on the East Coast. 

"In my heart I knew it was him, and when I got the confirmation, I let out a big 'YES!'" she said, per the Mercury News.

"We didn't start crying until after the investigators left," Alequin added. "I grabbed my mom's hands and said, 'We found him.' I was ecstatic."

Source: People.com

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