Latest news with #Kluge
Time Out
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Take a look: SA's Cape Floral Kingdom wins Chelsea Gold
There are flower shows, and then there's the RHS Chelsea Flower Show - the crown jewel of British horticultural society, complete with all the bells, whistles and fascinators to make it blooming brilliant. It's such a spectacle, with the show previously ranking as one of the world's top travel experiences - and it makes South Africa's top RHS honours this year all the more meaningful as it puts one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet firmly in the global spotlight. To date, South Africa has won a total of 39 gold medals at this long-standing event. Acclaimed horticulturist Leon Kluge, whose design also won gold last year, states this year's winning display was the biggest yet, 'with up to 25,000 stems of fynbos cut flowers'. RHS President Keith Weed CBE presented Kluge and his team the Lawrence Medal, awarded to the best floral exhibit over all the RHS shows throughout the calendar year - and the first time South Africa has received this award. 'Inspired by South Africa's two mighty oceans, the Indian and Atlantic, which have given rise to a multitude of habitats from the fynbos of the Cape to the more subtropical lushness of KZN,' adds Kluge. Kluge also praised the 'generous support' of the display's sponsors, including the farmers and farmworkers who helped bring it to life and the Grootbos Foundation, Hazendal Wine Estate, and Southern Sun. 'We celebrate this Gold together, and may it encourage us to protect and conserve our beautiful natural heritage!' The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is on until Sunday, 24 May. Needless to say, you'll find a swathe of more amazing garden designs and gorgeous floral displays. See all the 2025 winners here. Guests can also indulge in exclusive shopping at the event, which includes a piece of the Karoo inspired by the Cape Winelands' very own Babylonstoren, which is exhibiting at the event for the first time.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman, accused of deadly stabbing in Monona County, submits plea
MONONA COUNTY, Iowa (KCAU) — A Monona County woman accused of first-degree murder claims she is not guilty. Veronica Kluge, of Whiting, made the plea on Monday during an arraignment hearing. She also waived her right to a speedy trial. Story continues below Top Story: Iowa lawmakers issue statements marking end of 2025 legislative session Lights & Sirens: Woman, accused of deadly stabbing in Monona County, submits plea Sports: Northwestern softball eliminated from NAIA Tournament with 10-2 loss to Marian Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here A date for Kluge's trial has not yet been set. Kluge is free on a $150,000 cash or surety bond awaiting trial. Last month, the judge reduced the bond from $2 million to $150,000. Kluge is accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend, 50-year-old Justin Luth, on March 16 at a home in rural Monona County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aerial support
Apr. 21—SOAP LAKE — After four days, two veterinary clinics and one tire blowout, a bald eagle has been rescued and receiving care from the Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Pullman. On April 13, Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry President Shawna Kluge said she received a call from a concerned Soap Lake citizen regarding an eagle on the ground in a field near Carlton, in Okanogan County. "He had called me at noon and wanted to know if I knew anything about eagle rescues," Kluge said. "Well, I happened to miss that call, so I called him back at three, and he said, 'Hey, you do eagle rescues?' and I said, 'That's kind of a touchy subject.' I have been involved in wildlife rescues, but there's pretty strict protocol, depending on what the wildlife is." The man explained to Kluge that he had placed what he had assumed was a golden eagle into a carrier because it was flightless, had an obvious wing injury and was making its way towards the highway. Kluge said she then put in the work to contact PAWS Wildlife Center; a wildlife rehabilitation center located in Snohomish. PAWS contacted the citizen and let Kluge know that the citizen said they would bring the Eagle to Snohomish on Monday morning. "On Monday morning, I called PAWS to get an update, and they said that they had not received the eagle," Kluge said. "I called the person back and asked them, 'hey, what's going on with the eagle?' And she explained that they did not have a way to get the eagle to PAWS, because PAWS is in Snohomish." Kluge said she began to feel a little frustrated because she had told the citizen she could coordinate transport. "The clock was ticking, because it had already been 24 hours since this eagle had been contained," Kluge said. "I was concerned for that, so I had called PAWS back to say, 'hey, look, I'm going to coordinate transport.'" Kluge said she knew Pioneer Vet Clinic is certified to deal with wildlife. She began to make arrangements to pick up the eagle and bring it to the vet clinic. Kluge said when she arrived to pick up the bird, there were complications between her and the citizen. "She was concerned," Kluge said. "She said, 'I need to call (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife). I need to do this,' which I understand, but (WDFW) had already told her they couldn't transport all the way. I just said, 'Look, I know that you care. I know that this is hard, I said, but I know what I'm doing. Let me just get the bird where it needs to go.' I got the bird (but) because of the difficulty in the exchange, I did not make it to Pioneer by 6 p.m. when they closed on Monday." Kluge called the clinic prior to closing and told them she would not be able to make it Monday night. Kluge said Dr. Dick Maier, owner of Pioneer Veterinary Clinic recommended she keep the bird in a quiet, enclosed area and offer it food and water. Kluge said she then went to the store and bought a $45 filet of salmon to feed the eagle. "We got to the rescue at about 6:45 p.m.; I defrosted the salmon. Never took the bird out of the carrier, never handled him, got him into our rescue building, cubed up the salmon," Kluge said. "Obviously, I have gloves on and tongs. I was able to safely feed the bird the salmon. He was very appreciative." Tuesday morning, Kluge drove from Soap Lake to Moses Lake to bring the bird into Pioneer Veterinary Clinic. The clinic did X-rays which showed no fractures of any bones. Kluge said she left the eagle at the clinic and went back to the Pet Pantry to take care of her other animals. In the afternoon, she called Pioneer back to get an update on the bird. She said the plan had been to deliver the bird to the Pullman WSU vet teaching hospital. "Dr. Maier said that Pullman would absolutely take the bird. The issue there was transport," Kluge said. "I asked him 'I started this rescue. Would you guys be OK with me finishing this rescue? I am willing to do the transport.' So, he said 'that was totally fine. So, I made arrangements to pick him up Wednesday morning." Kluge arrived at Pioneer Veterinary Clinic early Wednesday morning to pick up the eagle. But the tire on her car blew out not even 10 miles outside of Moses Lake, she said. Kluge called Les Schwab, and the estimated time to fix her flat tire was about two hours. However, Kluge explained the eagle rescue story and Les Schwab came out with a new tire, expediting the process to get her back on the road quicker. She said it cost her around $290 for roadside assistance. "I am very thankful, in a day and age where most people think that everyone wants to milk it for dollars," she said. "I explained to them what was going on, and they made sure to get me on the road quickly. I also had the State Patrol and Sheriff (deputies) stop and make sure I was OK. It was crazy and miraculous how it all worked out." Kluge then made her way to the WSU campus and successfully delivered the eagle to the animal hospital. The veterinarians told Kluge it was a 2-year-old bald eagle. "They are hoping to be able to get X-rays and accurate blood work Thursday afternoon, but there is significant injury to the wing," Kluge said. "We know there are no fractures based on Pioneer's X-rays. Pullman is still going to do their own X-rays, as well as blood work. As far as how docile the bird was, she thinks that is evidence of lead toxicity. I guess lead poisoning can make them more docile. Knowing about the lead poisoning, there's good hope that he could be rehabilitated, even if he could not be released. He could be a teaching ambassador." Kluge said she will continue calling over to Pullman for updates on the bird. She said the rescue was a once-in-a-lifetime experience; however, in total it cost her around $500. The expenses come from the tire blow-out and gas to travel from Soap Lake to Carlton, Moses Lake and Pullman. In total Kluge drove around 600 miles for the eagle rescue. She said she worked around 16-hour days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to ensure the bird was cared for along with all of the other pets at the rescue. "The money used to save the bird was supposed to be for moving my cat buildings to the new rescue, but when faced with an animal, especially one as majestic as an eagle that is in danger, I am going to prioritize that," Kluge said. She said she is hoping the community can help her replenish the funds spent to rescue the bird. Kluge said people can also donate funds to the shelter's PayPal at The Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry, CashApp at $therockbottomrocker or Venmo at therockbottomrocker. Donations can be made out by check directly to the pantry at P.O. Box 1285, Soap Lake, WA 98851. "The rescue of this bird cost me money I didn't have, but I don't regret it," Kluge said. "I hope that bird recovers, and I am eternally grateful that I was part of the process of his recovery. I just hope he is OK." To help the Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry replenish funds from eagle rescue: PayPal The Rock Bottom Rocker Pet Pantry CashApp $therockbottomrocker Venmo at therockbottomrocker Check to P.O. Box 1285, Soap Lake, WA 98851.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Get it off!' Owners desperately try to stop fatal dog attack in Santa Monica
A Santa Monica couple is pleading for help after their 4-pound toy poodle was killed in a violent dog attack on Friday. The owners said they were taking their 11-year-old poodle, Dublin, on a routine walk at around 5:30 p.m. when a larger dog, which was on a leash, lunged after him. Although you do not see the attack, video footage captured bystanders jumping into action and the owners' horrified screams as they desperately tried to pry the large dog off of Dublin on Strand Street, in between Main and 2nd Streets. 'He wouldn't let go and it got pretty bad,' said one witness. 'It was just so violent.' The couple, Alyssa Kluge and Christopher Dietrick, said that the other dog's owner was standing on the sidewalk, leaning against a white car, when his dog mauled Dublin. 'What's even more terrifying is that I can see it replaying over and over and over in my head,' said Kluge. She and Dietrick rushed Dublin to a pet hospital, but he didn't make it. Shortly after the attack, the other owner was caught on surveillance tape fleeing the scene with his dog. Dublin's owners are now asking community members to help identify the man. 'This man is a coward who fled. Not only killed my baby, but fled,' Kluge told KTLA's Jennifer McGraw. 'We're looking for any information. We need to find this guy.' Witnesses said that the man ran up to 4th Street and into an apartment building in Ocean Park and was overheard saying in an English accent, 'They're going to kill my dog.' Since the April 11 attack, the couple posted flyers around the neighborhood and are looking for more videos in hopes of finding the owner. 'I think right now we just want to know who this guy is,' said Dietrick. 'I know it's not going to bring back our little guy, but any little sense of justice is something that we're looking for right now.' They said the man needs to be held accountable, and they want to make sure that no other family has to go through a tragedy like this. 'I love animals, and I am an animal lover, and part of the responsibility of owning an animal is to take care of it and to make sure it doesn't hurt others, and this man failed,' said Kluge. 'He should pay for this.' Anyone with information who would like to help out can contact the couple by calling 317-966-5130. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Whiting murder suspect says she was assaulted; Officials say story doesn't add up
WHITING, Iowa (KCAU) — The story police were given by a woman accused of murder in Whiting doesn't match up with their initial investigation, court documents state. According to court documents, officials were called to a home on the 16000 block of K42 at around 11:55 a.m. Saturday after a woman called for an ambulance stating, 'I killed my boyfriend.' Court documents continue on to state that when the Monona County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene, they discovered the body of Justin Luth, 50, with a fatal stab wound. Before her arrest, Veronica Kluge, 46, allegedly told one of the deputies at the scene, 'I'm a murderer now.' The court documents also state that in a Post Miranda interview, Veronica told officials that she had been attacked by Luth. She was able to escape from being strangled, but he came after her in their kitchen where she then stabbed him. 3 dead in Lawton Iowa house fire The documents state that evidence obtained at the scene does not match Kluge's story and her lack of injuries or markings on her body also casts doubt on her story. Kluge was arrested on Saturday and charged with first-degree murder and is being held on a $2 million bond. She is expected to make her initial court appearance on March 25 at 9:30 a.m. Luth's death is still under investigation and the Momono County Sheriff's Office is receiving aid from the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
