Giraffe dies in New York zoo after fracturing neck on gate

A beloved giraffe died in an upstate zoo over the weekend when he fractured his neck after it got stuck in a support structure for his enclosure’s gate.

The 6-year-old Masai giraffe named Parker was found unresponsive Sunday morning inside the Animals of the Savanna Building at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.

Veterinary personnel responded immediately but were unable to save the majestic animal.

“The possibility of this kind of event happening was unforeseen and unprecedented,” zoo Superintendent Steve Lacy said in a statement.

“The gate structure, installed in 2018, is a standard giraffe enclosure feature and is used in a number of accredited zoos around the country,” he added.

Parker fractured his neck when he tried to free himself, officials said.

The Seneca Park Zoo said the gate’s manufacturer has been notified, adding that there have been no reports of similar incidents with the structures at other zoos.


Parker had a male baby with Iggy, another zoo giraffe, in April.
Seneca Park Zoo

The US Department of Agriculture and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums also have been notified of the tragedy.

The zoo added that it would modify the gate to prevent this from happening again.

Parker, who arrived in Rochester from the Santa Barbara Zoo in 2018, was paired with female Masai giraffes Kipenzi and Iggy, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.

He and Iggy were parents to Olmsted, or Olmy, who was born April 29.

Parker’s other offspring, a male born to Kipenzi on July 12, was euthanized soon after birth after multiple interventions failed to correct a congenital abnormality of his left front fetlock joint.

Zoo veterinarian Chris McKinney said the facility’s three surviving giraffes are being monitored closely because “any major event can certainly affect them.”

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said: “This is a tragedy for the Seneca Park Zoo community.

“From the staff who cared for and loved Parker, to the Zoo guests and members who had their visits brightened by Parker’s presence, we are all grieving this tremendous loss,” he added.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Woman pronounced dead discovered breathing in Long Island funeral home

A woman seemingly rose from the dead on Long Island over the weekend.

The bizarre case unfolded when the 82-year-old woman was pronounced dead at 11:15 a.m. Saturday at the Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Center in Port Jefferson.

But after being transported to the O.B. Davis Funeral Home in Miller Place, the woman was found to be breathing shortly after 2 p.m., police said.

Funeral home staffers made the shocking discovery and the octogenarian was then brought to an area hospital, Suffolk County police said. Her current condition is unknown.

It’s unclear if the woman was declared dead in error or if she experienced a medical episode that could have contributed to her apparent resurrection.

The case has been referred to the New York State Attorney’s Office.

The Long Island funeral home didn’t immediately return a message.

Last week, an Iowa nursing home was fined $10,000 for similarly pronouncing a hospice patient dead and shipping her to a nursing home when she was actually alive.

A funeral home worker unzipped the body bag the 66-year-old woman was inside and found her “gasping for air.”

The staffer called 911 and the woman was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was confirmed to be breathing, but unresponsive.

The woman was returned to hospice and died two days later surrounded by family members.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

My mom is using my daughter’s death for social media clout

DEAR ABBY: My daughter passed away nine years ago. She was almost 13. My mother never bothered to have a relationship with her when she was alive. But now, on every birthday and anniversary of her passing, Mom posts on Facebook how much she misses her and how “close” they were. Her friends all send messages of love addressed to Mom, with no mention of my husband and me. It hurts and upsets us, but I don’t know how — or if — I should talk with her about it. Any words of advice? — GRIEVING MOM IN CALIFORNIA 

DEAR GRIEVING MOM: Please accept my deepest sympathy for the loss of your daughter. It is possible now that she is gone, your mother realizes how many opportunities she missed to have a close relationship with her grandchild, and she posts those messages out of guilt. She may also do it for attention, which is sad. You can’t stop her from posting what she wants on her page, but you can spare yourself the upset you experience when you see it if you stay away from Facebook on these occasions.

DEAR ABBY: I am a closeted lesbian in my teens and really scared about coming out. I recently moved to an area of the country that is full of racists, sexists and homophobes. Most of my friends are really religious. One of them has said bad things about gay people and what she would like to do to them. I’m scared to come out to them. 

I have only come out to a few people, but I know my family will accept me no matter what. I would really like to feel comfortable around my friends as my true self, but I’m not sure how I can do that. — YEARNING TO BE ME IN THE SOUTH

DEAR YEARNING: Because you are sure your parents will be supportive and accepting, come out to them. However, unless you consider coming out in your community to be safe, you shouldn’t do it. You can find friends on the internet. Social media can provide friendships until you are old enough to leave the area you now live in. This is what many young LGBTQ people do. You have a wonderful life ahead of you, and you should come out when you feel the time is right.

DEAR ABBY: How does one handle visiting a patient who is in the hospital for tests or a procedure when they have an attention-seeking person sitting with them the entire time? The patient is up for visitors and able to communicate, but this extra person — who is not who you have gone to see — monopolizes the entire visit. I offered to give the person a break so I could actually visit the patient, but the hint was ignored. Any suggestions? — DREADING VISITATION IN OHIO

DEAR DREADING: I do have one. Before you visit, call the patient and ask if a visit is welcome and if there is a time when you can be alone. If the answer is no, wait until the patient is out of the hospital to have that visit. Between you and me, when someone is in the hospital, that person should rest rather than “entertain” anyone, with the exception of closest family members.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

I want to divorce my husband but he has cancer

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for nine years. While we were dating, he was kind, considerate and loving. After we married, he turned into a chronic complainer, something he later confessed he had been hiding while we dated.

He talks to me like I’m trash and then gets nice when he wants something. He complains about my grown children, my best friend and even if I leave for work a couple of minutes early. He is a miserable person. I cannot do anything to make him happy. I can’t take this anymore. 

He has taken the things away from me that I love — flowers, gardening, pets, books, friends, etc. I’m ready to leave, but he has cancer and I’d feel guilty. He is clear right now, but it will come back. 

I don’t want to stay. Life is too short to live this way. He has a great support system with his family. They would take care of him. My health has been affected by him and his terrible attitude. What do I do? — WORN-OUT WIFE

DEAR WIFE: What you do now is consult a lawyer, pack your bags and leave before he worsens. Do not expect your husband to be grateful for any of the efforts you have made on his behalf during the course of your marriage. During the time you were dating, he hid from you the fact that he was a verbal abuser. Now you know he was a fraud. Don’t feel guilty for protecting yourself and reclaiming your life.

DEAR ABBY: My brother passed away. He and my sister-in-law had a good marriage. A month after his funeral, my sister-in-law gave her kids their father’s clothes, instructed them to go through them, keep what they wanted or sell or donate the rest. It has been barely a year. Now she’s redecorating their house — painting, taking down pictures and buying new furniture. 

This bothers me greatly. I’m so hurt that everything is being changed. It’s like she’s trying to erase him — all within one year! Should I ask her why everything is being changed and disposed of so soon? And should I feel so hurt about this? — UNSURE HOW TO FEEL

DEAR UNSURE: Your former sister-in-law appears to be more pragmatic than sentimental, and there is nothing wrong with that. She knew her late husband could no longer use his wardrobe, and saw no reason to keep the items hanging in the closet. That she offered his clothes to her children was appropriate. That she is now making changes to the house is not unusual. People are cautioned not to make “important decisions” for about a year after a spouse passes, and your former SIL has wisely refrained. 

If you want to ask her why she’s changing things, do so in a non-accusatory way that won’t offend her. I suspect that you are feeling hurt because you are still not ready to accept that your brother is gone forever. You might find it helpful to talk about it with someone with expertise in the grieving process.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

The woman I like is perfect, but her children have a serious problem

DEAR ABBY: I am friendly with a woman who is wonderful and caring. She calls to ask how I’m doing, drops off coffee to say hi, etc. She has a great heart and soul. Our boys are close in age. That’s the problem — I do not like her children

Her kids are difficult and they run roughshod over her. She knows discipline is a problem, but she’s at a loss. My children don’t enjoy playing with them, either. Her kids are careless and don’t listen to authority. I want to continue our friendship, but I like her better without the children in tow. Should I speak up or fade away? — CONDITIONAL FRIEND

DEAR FRIEND: Your friend’s children can’t be blamed for things they were never taught. Tell your friend that when her kids visit your home, you will be establishing some “house rules.” If you do, you may be doing that entire family a favor. If her kids cannot comply, inform her that your children no longer want to play with hers and why. She needs that information before her kids become social outcasts. If your friendship with her fades after that, and I sincerely hope it won’t, then que sera, sera.

DEAR ABBY: I have no family and few friends — nobody close. My live-in girlfriend of two years and I argue constantly. We no longer share a bedroom, and I feel more like a roommate. I honestly feel I’m being used for money. Her 24-year-old son died from an overdose two months ago, so I can’t help but feel sorry for her. She isn’t working, and I don’t know when she can return. 

I don’t have the money to move. I wish I did. I’m miserable, she’s miserable and I feel stuck. I’m 46; she’s 44. I pay rent and 50% of the utilities, which is fine. But how can I ever get out? Moving isn’t cheap anymore. 

I’m desperate for hope that I’m not stuck here forever. I’m afraid if I move — even if I live in a tent for now — she will give up on everything. She has two grown kids, but she was closest to the one who passed. I feel guilty for wanting and needing to leave. At the same time, I’m miserable. She’s in therapy and on medicine. Please advise. — WITHOUT HOPE IN NORTH CAROLINA

DEAR WITHOUT HOPE: Start saving whatever money you can and explore options for other living arrangements, including renting a single room. Staying where you are under these circumstances will make you sick if you don’t take control of your life. Your former girlfriend is under the care of a doctor. You are NOT her lifeline. She will survive. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY ASIAN READERS WHO CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR: The Year of the Rabbit begins today. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest of all 12 animals in the zodiac. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are calm and peaceful. They avoid fighting and arguing, are artistic and have good taste. However, they may be insecure and sensitive and dislike criticism, which causes them to be averse to change. I wish a happy, healthy new year to all who are celebrating this holiday. — LOVE, ABBY

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Video shows lawyer Elliot Blair dancing shortly before death

Elliot Blair was happily dancing the night away hours before he was mysteriously found face-down dead at a Mexican resort.

A video obtained by The Post shows Blair and his wife, Kimberley Williams, having fun and dancing to a live band at Splash Baja restaurant and bar in Rosarito Beach at about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 13

They were celebrating their first wedding anniversary before the trip took an ugly turn.

Case Barnett, who represents Blair’s family, told The Post the couple had only been at Rosarito three days and were frequent visitors to the hotel and nearby bars and restaurants. 

The couple, who both worked at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, made sure to get their favorite room at Las Rocas Resort and Spa — Room 308 — which was on the second floor of the posh hotel.

After enjoying dinner, dancing and karaoke that Friday, the couple went back to the room at about 11:45 p.m. Williams went straight to bed while Blair took a quick shower, according to the family.

Elliot Blair was happily dancing hours before he was mysteriously found face-down dead at a Mexican resort.
Provided by the Blair Family

About two hours later, Williams was awakened by the sound of frantic hotel employees directing her to her husband’s lifeless body, which had somehow ended up on the ground floor near an open walkway.

“When she gets down to the body, he’s facedown on the ground,” Barnett said. “She screams, ‘Call the cops! Call an ambulance! He needs an ambulance!’ The employees say they were already there, but left because he was already dead.”

The family said Mexican police who responded to the scene after 1:45 a.m. initially told Williams her husband had injuries to his head but later added they also found a bullet hole.

Blair and his wife, Kim Williams, were celebrating their first wedding anniversary before the trip took an ugly turn.
Provided by the Blair Family

Barnett said a liaison with the coroner’s office contacted the family on Jan. 16 and told them the cause of death was a “trauma to the head” but nothing about a bullet hole. The family has yet to see the coroner’s report or even see Blair’s body, which remains at a mortuary in Rosarito. 

The attorney general of Baja California’s version of events is that Blair fell to his death when he went outside to shoo away pigeons outside his hotel room. Officials said Williams told investigators Blair was annoyed by noisy birds, a claim the family has refuted.

Barnett said Williams told the cops birds would roost near their room and Elliot would jokingly coo at the birds, but it was lost in translation.

“I don’t know if the Mexican cops misinterpreted what Kim said or if they extrapolated it,” Barnett said. “There is just confusion everywhere. She 100% unequivocally did not say he was shooing those birds. It just does not make any sense.”

A man who met the couple at Splash Baja told The Post he struck up a conversation with Blair after he ordered an Old Fashioned cocktail at the bar.

“He started telling me how he makes the Old Fashioned and that’s how the conversation started,” said the restaurant patron, who wanted to remain anonymous. “Elliot said that was his favorite drink. And then I started telling him how I made my drink. The bartender then asked Elliot if he wanted one also, but he said, ‘No, I’m already drinking beer and had a shot of Tequila earlier. I don’t want to mix it.’ That was very good of him. He wasn’t there just to drink.”

Baja California police claim that Blair hit his head fatally trying to shoo away pigeons.
Provided by the Blair Family

Blair’s family have insisted neither he nor his wife were drunk that night, and are not big drinkers. The man said he saw the couple each had a beer and did not appear intoxicated.

Blair’s mother, Stella, had hoped to take possession of her son’s body so an independent toxicology test could be completed, but she was told Wednesday the body had already been embalmed. Authorities reportedly told the family the body had to be embalmed before it is allowed back across the border.

Williams has been left reeling as more questions continue to surface in connection to her husbands death, Barnett told The Post.

Blair and Williams were having fun and dancing to a live band at Splash Baja restaurant and bar in Rosarito Beach.
Provided by the Blair Family

The video of Blair and Williams laughing and dancing to the band performing Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove” at the Splash bar serves as a painful and bitter-sweet reminder of the couple’s anniversary celebration.

“They let out a primal scream when Elliot’s mom told them his body was already embalmed,” Barnett said. “It was awful and was nothing like I’ve heard before. There has been so much confusion and all they wanted was to get their own toxicology. I’ve never heard so much pain and screaming. It’s as if Elliot was dead again.

“They specifically were hoping they could clear it and know that he was not drunk. He was not that type of person. And not having a way to know now to clear his name is just devastating.”

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Cousin of BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors dies after being tased

A cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors died after being tased repeatedly by officers he was trying to flee, intense bodycam footage shows.

The incident happened on the afternoon of Jan. 3 in Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood, according to police officials who released a 19 minute video about the encounter Wednesday.

Witnesses initially told officials that a man — later identified as Keenan Anderson, 31 — had caused a traffic collision at a busy intersection and was “running in the middle of the street and exhibiting erratic behavior,” according to LAPD Captain Kelly Muñiz.

Anderson, 31, was initially cooperative with police, but had expressed concerns that he would be framed or “killed.”

After responding officers arrived, Anderson obeys orders and sits on the sidewalk while being questioned, the footage shows.

The young black man then expresses concern that other cops will try to plant evidence in the BMW he was driving and left down the street.

“They’re trying to put stuff in my car,” Anderson says in the footage.

“Who’s trying to put stuff in your car?,” the unidentified officer responds.

“They gonna try to,” he replies.

Anderson is then seen becoming increasingly agitated — ignoring orders to stay seated and pacing back and forth.

Suddenly, he bolts into the traffic after proclaiming the situation was “making me hot,” according to the bodycam footage of four officers released by the department.

Officers quickly catch up with the fleeing suspect but he refuses multiple requests to lie down on his stomach on the road, the clip shows.

Anderson is then shown pleading with bystanders for help as multiple cops restrain him on the asphalt.

“Please sir, please don’t do this sir. Please! help me please!,” he cries, while accusing the police of being “actors” and “trying to kill” him.

“They’re trying to George Floyd me… They’re trying to George Floyd me!,” he frantically utters, referencing the 2020 police murder of a Minneapolis man that sparked nationwide police brutality protests.

Keenan Anderson was warned he would be tased if he did not obey their instructions.
Los Angeles Police Department
Witnesses initially told officials that a man — later identified as Anderson — had caused a traffic collision at a busy intersection.
Los Angeles Police Department

After more than a half dozen warnings that officers would deploy a Taser if he didn’t stop resisting, an officer deploys the stun gun multiple times on the suspect.

“Help! They think I killed C-Lo, they think I killed C-Lo, Help me please! They’re trying to sedate me, I know too much!,” Anderson screams as cops handcuff him and and strap his legs together.

In addition to the bodycam footage, police released cellphone footage from a witness who was filming the troubling encounter from across the street.

“That guy right there he caused that accident,” a man is heard saying in the phone video.

Anderson was tased multiple times by cops after he wouldn’t stop resisting and struggling.
Los Angeles Police Department

“He was trying to steal my car. Yeah the police are doing the right, uh job right now. Don’t think that the police are abusing him. He was trying to, uh, go away,” the witness continues.

“I think that guy’s in a very paranoid state,” another man is heard saying.

Anderson died of undisclosed “medical emergency” four hours after the incident, police said.
Los Angeles Police Department

About five minutes after paramedics arrived to render aid to Anderson, he was taken to a Los Angeles hospital, according to Muñiz.

“While at the hospital and after approximately four and a half hours following the use of force, Anderson experienced a medical emergency, did not responded to life saving efforts by medical staff and was pronounced deceased,” the captain confirmed.

Muñiz did not elaborate on the circumstances of the “emergency” or his cause of death.

Police said an autopsy conducted by the department found Anderson had traces of cocaine and cannabis in his system.

The results of a county medical examiner autopsy had not yet been released.

Cullors — who co-founded the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation but stepped down after The Post revealed she went on a multi-million dollar real estate buying spree — said her cousin was “killed” by police.

“LAPD has killed three people this year. One of them is my family member,” the self-described Marxist wrote on Instagram Monday, adding that Anderson was a father and a high school English teacher.

“Keenan deserves to be alive right now, his child deserves to be raised by his father. Keenan we will fight for you and for all of our loved ones impacted by state violence,” she continued.

“I love you,” she concluded, using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

The fatal incident was under investigation by the LAPD Force Investigation Division, according to police.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Russia claims deadly attack, but Kyiv denies anyone killed

The Russian military claimed Sunday to have carried out deadly missile strikes on barracks used by Ukrainian troops in retaliation for the deaths of dozens of Russian soldiers in a rocket attack a week ago. Ukrainian officials denied there were any casualties.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its missiles hit two temporary bases housing 1,300 Ukrainian troops in Kramatorsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, killing 600 of them. Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the strikes were retaliation for Ukraine’s attack in Makiivka, in which at least 89 Russian soldiers died.

Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces in the east, told The Associated Press that Russian strikes on Kramatorsk damaged only civilian infrastructure, adding: “The armed forces of Ukraine weren’t affected.”

The Donetsk regional administration said seven Russian missiles hit Kramatorsk and two more hit Kostyantynivka, without causing any casualties. It said an educational institution, an industrial facility and garages were damaged in Kramatorsk, and an industrial zone was hit in Kostyantynivka.

Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko said two school buildings and eight apartment houses were hit overnight. Photos he posted showed no indication that it had been an attack on the scale claimed by the Russians or that anyone had been in the buildings when they were struck.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its missiles hit two temporary bases housing 1,300 Ukrainian troops in Kramatorsk.
Reuters

“The world saw again these days that Russia lies even when it draws attention to the situation at the front with its own statements,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

“Russian shelling of Kherson with incendiary ammunition right after Christmas. The strikes on Kramatorsk and other cities of the Donbas — aimed right at civilian sites and right when Moscow was reporting the supposed ‘silence’ of its army.”

Russia had declared a 36-hour cease-fire timed to coincide with Orthodox Christmas celebrations on Saturday. Ukraine denounced the pause as a ploy.

Ukraine’s attack in Makiivka was one of the deadliest attacks on the Russian forces since the war began.
AP

Russia said the attack on Kramatorsk was in retaliation for the Ukrainian rockets that destroyed a facility in Makiivka, also in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian soldiers were gathered in the early hours of Jan. 1. It was one of the deadliest attacks on the Kremlin’s forces since the war began more than 10 months ago.

Also on Sunday, the Ukrainian military claimed to have hit a residential hall of a medical university in Rubizhne, a town in the Russian-occupied eastern Luhansk region, killing 14 Russian soldiers housed there. The number of wounded was unknown, it said.

Elsewhere in the east, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said one person was killed in strikes on Bakhmut, and eight others were wounded. The battles for Bakhmut and the nearby town of Soledar remained among the bloodiest on the front, Zelensky said.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, the town of Merefa was hit during the night, killing one person, and two other settlements in the region were shelled, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners Sunday, swapping 50 on each side, according to Konashenkov, the spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, and Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Three stabbings in NYC kill one, injure two as 2023 begins: NYPD

Three overnight stabbings in the Bronx and Manhattan left one person dead and a man and woman injured, cops said.

A 63-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the chest and a 38-year-old woman was stabbed in the torso in front of 1335 College Avenue in the Bronx at around 4 a.m., cops said.

Both took private transportation to Bronx Lebanon Hospital where the man was pronounced dead, cops said. The woman was in stable condition.

The “victims were involved in a dispute with an unknown individual who stabbed them,” a police spokeswoman said. There was no known motive, she said.

Meanwhile, a man was stabbed in the stomach at East 21st Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan’s Flatiron District at around 2:30 a.m., police said.

A 38-year-old woman was stabbed in the torso in front of 1335 College Avenue in the Bronx at around 4 a.m., according to police.

A 63-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the chest early in the morning in the Bronx.


Advertisement

A man was rushed to a hospital after being stabbed in the stomach in Manhattan’s Flatiron District at around 2:30 a.m., police said.


Advertisement

He was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. The suspect, who was wearing a yellow jacket and gray jeans, fled on 21st Street on foot, cops said. There was no known motive.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Marine Christian Mark McGill charged in baby’s death

A Jacksonville, NC, Marine has been charged in the death of his four-month-old baby, according to police.

Officers arrested Christian Mark McGill after responding to a call for someone who had trouble breathing, local news outlet WITN reported.

First responders tried to revive the unconscious infant, who paramedics declared dead at the scene.

McGill, an active duty Marine, was arrested Dec.22 and is being held at Onslow County Jail without bond. The baby’s death is being investigated by the Jacksonville Police Department and District Attorney’s Office, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Services.

The Jacksonville Police Department did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment. The Onslow County Jail and district attorney also did not respond to messages.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version