Latest news with #KimberlyGraham
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Animal lover nursed orphaned baby deer back to health...then Louisiana wildlife officials turned up and EUTHANIZED it
A Louisiana woman lovingly nursed a baby deer back to health before state officials removed the animal from her property and 'cruelly' euthanized it. Kimberly Graham, 63, of Greenburg, near Baton Rouge, rescued an injured fawn her granddaughter named BabyBelle after receiving an urgent call on July 27, she revealed in a Facebook post. She gave the small white-tailed animal fluids and bottle-fed it after it had been wandering around injured for two days. Four days into her caring for the fawn, the Louisiana Department Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) showed up after receiving a tip from someone who reportedly spotted the deer wearing a 'hunter's orange collar' around its neck. They stated that Graham was running an illegal deer rehabilitation center at her home, according to the report, which was viewed by WBRZ. After packing the baby deer up in a cat carrier, officials allegedly euthanized BabyBelle just 20 minutes later. 'He just outright said: "The deer was euthanized 20 minutes after leaving your house,"' she told the outlet. 'They allowed me to glove my hands, feed her a bottle and potty her before putting her in a cat kennel to take her off.' Graham had been hopeful the fawn would survive and be released back into the wild, as BabyBelle had made significant strides in just the four days in her care. 'In a moment of crisis, I did what I was trained to do and save a helpless, tiny life. I fought hard for her, administering drugs I use on my horses. My fight wasn't enough and she was destroyed by gunfire,' she claimed on Facebook. She called the incident 'incredibly cruel.' LDWF denied shooting the animal, but did not publicly release its method of euthanasia for BabyBelle. The LDWF report did say the animal was euthanized because she had spent too much time in captivity away from her mother and would be unable to survive on her own. State Representative Lauren Ventrella, who is also an attorney, is now representing Graham and they are hoping to reach an amicable resolution. They are calling for an oversight hearing to help change the process at a legislative level. 'You have to look at the humanity of the situation of what is right and what is just,' Ventrella said. 'We know what the law says, but we have to utilize some common sense and what is best for the people.' LDWF, however, said: 'Spotted fawns are especially vulnerable, so they are afforded heightened protection from private possession under the law. 'When we find illegally possessed captive wildlife, we make every effort to return them safely and humanely to their natural habitat. 'As part of that mission, LDWF enforces laws set by the legislature to keep wildlife wild and protected in its native habitat.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kimberly Graham says she'll run again as Polk County attorney in 2026
Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham intends to run for another term as the county's chief prosecutor in 2026. Graham was elected in 2022 after the retirement of longtime Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, and came with a background in juvenile justice and defense work. She defeated several other Democrats in the 2022 primary election, then beat Republican Allan Richards by nearly 14 points in the general campaign. She also previously ran for U.S. Senate in 2020. Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham In her May 4 campaign announcement, Graham touted a number of accomplishments from the first two years and five months of her tenure, including revamping her office's drivers license reinstatement program, conducting more than 1,000 "restorative dialogue" sessions with offenders, and that "we have appropriately held people accountable when they've harmed others in our community." She also acknowledges other goals from her 2022 campaign that remain unmet, including creating a dedicated social worker position in her office, for which she is seeking additional funding from the county. "We continue to follow the evidence and data, doing what works to be smart on crime," she said. In addition to overseeing criminal prosecutions, Graham also serves as chief legal officer for the county, and her office has been drawn into a bitter thicket of litigation and investigations between senior county officials. In total, her office includes 128 employees, including more than 50 attorneys. No other candidates to date have announced plans to run against Graham in 2026. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@ or 715-573-8166. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham announces 2026 reelection campaign
