Latest news with #CassandraWilliams
ABC News
10-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Animals move into built-up areas as drought continues in South Australia
Native animals are migrating onto properties and into towns in search of food and water due to severe drought conditions in South Australia. The change in animal behaviour comes after areas in the state's south received record-low rainfall in the past 12 months. Northern and Yorke Landscape Board general manager Tony Fox said animals such as kangaroos moving onto properties had exacerbated the problems facing farmers. "We've got a really compounding problem here," Mr Fox said. "Not only are the kangaroos struggling now to find feed, but they're actually removing ground cover in many parts of the landscape. "We're now more prone to dust, erosion, and removal of topsoil. "It's a really difficult situation … for a farmer who's trying to manage his property sustainably and then having a lot of his hard work undone." Whyalla has seen an influx of emus and kangaroos. While the unusual sight can be interesting for people living in more built-up areas, experts have warned against feeding or leaving water out for animals. Cassandra Williams from Whyalla Wildlife Rescue said it was likely the visiting emus were young and had recently struck out on their own. "Essentially, they become used to being around humans, which then puts them at risk, which then causes more complications due to traffic, destroying private properties, and can be a hindrance with other animals." Ms Williams also warned that tap water was not suitable for wildlife. "Their bodies can't deal with the chemicals that are in our tap water," she said. "They can actually become ill." Ms Williams said in extreme cases, the animals had to be euthanased because they became too sick. Mr Fox said that while he could understand the sentiment of helping an animal in distress, intervening could have unintended consequences. "This is a natural sort of cycle that they're going through," he said. Mr Fox said farmers were not unsympathetic and would have seen these animals in distress. He said staff had increased reports of kangaroos being left "weak" and "struggling to move" due to malnutrition and dehydration. "Many farmers would be seeing the welfare issues coming through with these malnourished animals that haven't got access to good water," he said. "You quite often see them by the sides of the roads now because roads often have just the occasional bit of moisture that dribbles off that will create a bit of green. "That's the other reason we're seeing so many dead kangaroos being hit by cars on roadsides." National Parks and Wildlife Service district ranger Peter Wilkins said the department was aware of the increased reports of animals moving into townships. Both Ms Williams and Mr Wilkins said animals that migrated towards towns were not forcibly relocated if they were healthy. "Relocating them is not an advisable thing," Ms Williams said. "It causes a great deal of stress to the animal if we have to basically corner it to catch it and then remove it." Ms Williams said the animals would eventually move on if they were left alone.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘I'm not going down for this,' woman charged after overdose death in Altoona
BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A woman is facing drug delivery resulting in death charges after a man was found dead in Altoona. Cassandra Williams, 43, was charged after police were called to an apartment building on reports of an unresponsive man March 22. When officers arrived, they found the victim slouched over at the doorstep to one of the apartments. AMED reported that the victim was cold to the touch and had no pulse, according to the criminal complaint. Police found a hypodermic needle in the victim's hand along with an additional needle and an empty blue heroin wax packet next to him. Officers attempted to contact the residents of the apartment; however, they were unsuccessful. When the Deputy Coroner arrived on scene, it was discovered that the victim had recent injection sites near the inner portion of his elbows, according to the affidavit. It was noted in the complaint that the victim allegedly had three white heroin packets containing suspected heroin, an empty white heroin wax packet and two empty blue heroin wax packets in his possession. Police were able to contact the victim's ex-girlfriend, who said that the last message she had received from him was about how he was going to the store to find a friend he had been staying with. She also gave police a list of names of people who would be associated with her ex, who were involved in substance abuse. Officers obtained security camera footage from the owner of the building where the victim was found, which showed him standing outside the main door area around 5:00 p.m. Later in the evening, a 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage could be seen parking across from the building, with two people seen getting out and walking over to the building. Earlier in the footage, police also noted that the victim was exiting the front seat of the Mirage and walking toward the apartment building. Police were able to determine that the driver of the vehicle was Williams, according to the complaint. On April 15, Williams was in custody at the Altoona Police Station for a separate incident. Police were able to interview her during which she allegedly confirmed that she was with the victim on March 22 and that she had purchased three to four white heroin bags that night, according to the affidavit. She claimed that she had engaged in multiple drug exchanges with the victim as well, but denied selling to him March 22. Williams added that the victim may have taken the heroin packets from her purse without her noticing, which were blue wax packets, the same kind the officers reported finding on the victim. Police then asked Williams if she ever texted the victim to coordinate any drug transactions, to which she allegedly said, 'I don't know.' Police then interviewed one of the other people seen on the security footage with Williams. He allegedly told police that Williams was supposed to sell him drugs, but when she arrived, she was in a 'frenzy state of mind,' upset that the victim's phone wasn't taken after he was found dead. He claimed that Williams said, 'I'm not going down for this,' and that she was worried that if police found the text messages between her and the victim that she would be criminally charged for his death, according to the complaint. He continued to explain that he had met up with Williams to buy drugs, and when he arrived at the apartment building, the victim was sitting at the top of the steps, still alive. Later that evening, as he went to leave, he told officers that it was then he found the victim dead and he called 9-1-1. Officers were able to obtain a search warrant for Williams' phone, which showed multiple conversations in relation to drug trafficking, according to the complaint. Police found multiple communication threads discussing, organizing and conducting drug transactions across numerous dates, which involved heroin, methamphetamine, morphine, oxycontin and ecstasy. Police also found a deleted conversation allegedly between Williams and the victim from March 21, where the victim asked her if he could buy some drugs from her. On March 22, the victim messaged Williams again, with her replying and telling him to go to Sheetz. On April 30, police were provided the toxicology and autopsy report from the Blair County Coroner's Office for the victim, which showed he had fentanyl, amphetamine and methamphetamine in his system. His cause of death was ruled acute fentanyl toxicity, with the fentanyl levels noted to be toxic enough to cause cardiopulmonary arrest and death. Williams is now facing charges of drug delivery resulting in death, manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to deliver, recklessly endangering another person and other related charges. She is currently being held in the Blair County Prison after being unable to post her $250,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 21. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
