Latest news with #DustinValencia
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Body of missing father of five found in Georgia lake after kayaking trip
The body of a father of five who vanished last week while kayaking on a Georgia lake has been discovered underwater, police said. Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he did not show up to pick up his children from school, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said. A search ensued and authorities tracked his last location to Lake Lanier in Georgia, where they found Valencia's car parked nearby, along with his flip-flops and the bag used to store his inflatable kayak. On Friday, the department announced that game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, using sonar equipment, located a body in the lake. Divers from the Forsyth County Fire Department recovered the remains from about 51 feet of water near the center of a cove. Navy Vet Dad Found Dead Near Resort While At Popular Vacation Destination With Family On Monday, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office confirmed the body was that of Valencia. Read On The Fox News App In the days following his disappearance, Valencia's kayak and paddle were found floating near the outer edge of the cove. Friends say he was training for a triathlon and had likely gone kayaking for exercise. Authorities said the 43-year-old kayaker was not wearing a life vest at the time of his drowning. "My understanding is that he was not wearing a life vest," an official said, according to Fox News affiliate Waga-tv. "Even strong swimmers can have a medical emergency or cramp. If that happens, and you're not wearing a life jacket, you're at serious risk." Wisconsin Kayaker Accused Of Faking His Own Death, Fleeing Country Charged With Obstruction An official cause of death has not been released. The case remains under investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit. The sheriff's office referred Fox News Digital to the department's press release. "Please continue to share [and] pray," a GoFundMe for the family said. "The Valencia family feels your love and strength, and they are deeply grateful for the community that surrounds them." Lake Lanier, where Valencia disappeared, is home to a popular local legend. The ghost story of the Lady of the Lake involves a woman in a blue dress who is said to haunt the lake after dying in a car accident there in the 1950s. The man-made lake has a maximum depth of about 160 feet and was created in the 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of article source: Body of missing father of five found in Georgia lake after kayaking trip
Fox News
20-05-2025
- Fox News
Body of missing father of five found in Georgia lake after kayaking trip
The body of a father of five who vanished last week while kayaking on a Georgia lake has been discovered underwater, police said. Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he did not show up to pick up his children from school, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said. A search ensued and authorities tracked his last location to Lake Lanier in Georgia, where they found Valencia's car parked nearby, along with his flip-flops and the bag used to store his inflatable kayak. On Friday, the department announced that game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, using sonar equipment, located a body in the lake. Divers from the Forsyth County Fire Department recovered the remains from about 51 feet of water near the center of a cove. On Monday, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office confirmed the body was that of Valencia. In the days following his disappearance, Valencia's kayak and paddle were found floating near the outer edge of the cove. Friends say he was training for a triathlon and had likely gone kayaking for exercise. Authorities said the 43-year-old kayaker was not wearing a life vest at the time of his drowning. "My understanding is that he was not wearing a life vest," an official said, according to Fox News affiliate WAGA-TV. "Even strong swimmers can have a medical emergency or cramp. If that happens, and you're not wearing a life jacket, you're at serious risk." An official cause of death has not been released. The case remains under investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit. The sheriff's office referred Fox News Digital to the department's press release. "Please continue to share [and] pray," a GoFundMe for the family said. "The Valencia family feels your love and strength, and they are deeply grateful for the community that surrounds them." Lake Lanier, where Valencia disappeared, is home to a popular local legend. The ghost story of the Lady of the Lake involves a woman in a blue dress who is said to haunt the lake after dying in a car accident there in the 1950s. The man-made lake has a maximum depth of about 160 feet and was created in the 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
New York Post
19-05-2025
- New York Post
Body found in ‘haunted' Georgia waters made famous by ‘Lady of the Lake' confirmed as missing dad of five
The body of a father of five who vanished last week while kayaking on a Georgia lake — long rumored to be haunted — has been discovered underwater, according to reports and authorities. Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he didn't show up to pick up his children from school — with cops then finding his car parked at Little Ridge Park on Lake Lanier, 11 Alive reported. 3 Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he didn't show up to pick up his children from school. Forsyth County Sheriff's Office After an extensive search, a body, later determined to be Valencia, was found in a cove 51 feet below the surface of the lake on Friday, cops said. Evidence suggested that the devoted father of five and a triathlete had gone kayaking on the lake, but his inflatable raft was nowhere to be seen, according to authorities. A huge search was launched Thursday on land and water, with multiple units using drones and specialist marine search equipment. 3 The body was found in a cove 51 feet below the surface of the lake on Friday, cops said. 11 Alive Friends and family also joined the search to find Valencia. Lake Lanier, where Valencia disappeared, was built in the 1950s over submerged towns, forests and cemeteries — and has been a location for eerie scenes in the Netflix drama 'Ozark,' CNN reported. Since 1994, over 200 people have died in the lake's waters — with locals long suggesting the lake is haunted. 3 Evidence suggested that Valencia had gone kayaking on the lake, but his inflatable raft was nowhere to be seen, authorities say. 11 Alive One of the most-repeated legends is the 'Lady of the Lake,' supposedly the ghost of a woman whose car crashed into the lake who has since been spotted restlessly wandering at night in a blue dress. The nature of Valencia's death remains under investigation, the Forsyth County Sheriff's office told the outlet.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia Power agrees to freeze base rates through 2028
The Georgia Public Service Commission and Georgia Power reached a tentative agreement Monday to keep rates frozen for the next three years. The commission has to vote on it to finalize the agreement. If it passes, the base level of your power bills will not go up until 2028. In a statement shared with Channel 2 Action News, a Georgia Power spokesman said the company remained committed to giving their customers clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'We are well-positioned to balance mutual benefits that are available as a result of the extraordinary economic growth taking place in our state,' John Kraft, at Georgia Power, said in part. 'This stipulated agreement helps balance the affordability needs of our customers while ensuring Georgia Power remains equipped to continue its support of our state's incredible growth – which is good for all of our stakeholders.' Similarly, the Georgia Public Service Commission said that while the rate case in question was supposed to include the potential recovery of costs for damage from Hurricane Helene, that portion of the process has been delayed until 2026. TRENDING STORIES: Cubs orphaned after someone kills mother bear in north GA mountains Body recovered at Lake Lanier confirmed as missing kayaker Dustin Valencia GA leaders send support, prayers to former Pres. Joe Biden after his cancer diagnosis The PSC is currently auditing Georgia Power's storm damage expenses ahead of that stage of negotiations. 'This is a very big deal,' PSC Chairman Jason Shaw said in a statement. 'Energy customers have seen unprecedented inflation in the energy sector across the U.S. My fellow Commissioners and I urged staff and Georgia Power to come to some agreement where base rates would not increase. This is nothing but good news for Georgia Power ratepayers. I look forward to delving into the details of this agreement as we conduct our public hearings.' While Georgia Power and the PSC commentary was positive about the new agreement regarding a power rate freeze for the next three years, the Southern Environmental Law Center took issue with the agreement being reached behind closed doors and shutting out residents, business owners and other advocates from the public process. 'In the agreement, Georgia Power claimed 'rates' will not 'be adjusted,' and yet rising fossil fuel costs (passed through directly to billpayers) and recovery costs from Hurricane Helene, guarantee residential and small business customers' bills will climb as early as May of next year,' SELC said. Additionally, the nonprofit said the 'behind closed doors' agreement was not open and transparent as Georgia Power had previously promised, regarding Hurricane Helene costs and data center allocations. 'Commission staff has given away our hard-fought bill relief from data centers. Make no mistake: Bills for residential and small business customers will rise under this agreement,' Jennifer Whitfield, a senior attorney in SELC's Georgia office said in a statement. The agreement also touches on a growing source of large-load customers, data centers. It includes provisions to make sure they cover their costs and protect other customers from these costs. A rule developed earlier this year makes data centers pay a different rate from other customers. Any customers using more than 100 megawatts of energy can be billed beyond the standards of other customers in a bid to 'address risks associated with these large-load users.' Responding to the claims of a lack of transparency, Kraft said Georgia Power continued to work on keeping their energy products reliable and affordable for their customers. 'This stipulated agreement means no base rate increases for three years – that's great news for every customer,' Kraft told Channel 2 Action News. 'Reaching this agreement is just the start of an open and transparent process, leading up to a vote by the Georgia PSC, which will include opportunities for comment and input from intervenors and the public.' A schedule for public hearings on the agreement, which are required to be held before a vote by the five members of the PSC, will be discussed at Tuesdays commission meeting. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cubs orphaned after someone kills mother bear in north GA mountains
A Pickens County community is concerned about the safety of several bear cubs after their mother was shot and killed. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources confirmed that its law enforcement division is investigating the mother bear's death. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Neighbors in the Bent Tree community shared videos of the cubs climbing the trees. Their mother was killed sometime last week. Since then, neighbors have been trying to find the cubs. They were last spotted sometime Sunday. 'We are actively attempting to get a current location on the cubs to coordinate with DNR,' Bent Tree neighborhood safety director Michael Koorey told Channel 2 Action News on Monday. The Georgia DNR said if wildfire officers are able to capture the cubs, it will look into taking them to an approved facility for rehabilitation. Officials have not said what led to the mother bear's death. TRENDING STORIES: Body recovered at Lake Lanier confirmed as missing kayaker Dustin Valencia GA leaders send support, prayers to former Pres. Joe Biden after his cancer diagnosis Construction on new South Terminal parking deck to add to delays at Atlanta's airport [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
