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Thousands of tarantulas expected to appear in these five states during mating season
Thousands of tarantulas expected to appear in these five states during mating season

NBC News

time30-07-2025

  • Health
  • NBC News

Thousands of tarantulas expected to appear in these five states during mating season

Male tarantulas are gearing up to look for a mate, leading to a surge of spider sightings in the Southwestern U.S. over the next few months. Across states like California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas, tens of thousands of tarantulas are on the hunt for their perfect match, and some people are seeing the eight-legged critters in droves. During an interview on TODAY that aired July 30, Ron Magill, communications director of Zoo Miami, explained why people in those states are set to see more tarantulas. 'At this time of year, when it's time to look for the females, they risk their lives,' Magill said. 'They leave their burrows. They go out searching until they can find those females.' Male tarantulas can travel as many as 20 miles in their pursuit of a romantic rendezvous — which often ends in the ultimate sacrifice, experts said. 'More often than not, after breeding with a female, the male dies and the female eats it,' Magill said. 'This is really giving it all up for love,' he added. There are more than 1,000 species of tarantulas, some of which can reach the size of a dinner plate, with dozens of species found in the U.S. While the size of the creatures can cause fear in some people, tarantulas are gentle, and their venom, while potent, is usually not dangerous in humans. However, some people can get skin irritation from picking up the spiders due to little hairs found on their bodies. Some people can also be allergic and wind up in the hospital. Experts said the best bet is to leave the arachnids alone if a person happens to come across one. Aside from looking for love, they also have an important job to do this summer. 'Spiders play such a huge role in keeping ecological balance,' Magill said. The rise in tarantula sightings is in line with other surges in bugs across the U.S. There has been a 20% to 30% increase in tick-related emergency room visits in the Northeastern U.S. compared to last year, NBC Connecticut reported, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'Some years are hot tick years and some aren't. Now, this happens to be a hot tick year,' Thomas Daniels of the Fordham University Louis Calder Center, who manages Fordham University's Tick Index, told NBC Connecticut. The 2025 cicada bloom also brought billions of cicadas rising out of the ground in the South, Midwest and Northeast this summer, affecting 12 states from Georgia to Massachusetts.

Man convicted in 1999 killing of 8-year-old boy and mother in Connecticut released under Biden-clemency order
Man convicted in 1999 killing of 8-year-old boy and mother in Connecticut released under Biden-clemency order

New York Post

time17-07-2025

  • Politics
  • New York Post

Man convicted in 1999 killing of 8-year-old boy and mother in Connecticut released under Biden-clemency order

A man convicted in connection with the heartless murder of an 8-year-old boy and his mother in Bridgeport, Conn., has been released from prison after being granted clemency by former President Joe Biden. Adrian Peeler, 49, conspired with his brother Russell Peeler Jr. to shoot and kill 8-year-old Leroy 'B.J.' Brown and his mother Karen Clarke in 1999 and was sentenced to a combined 60 years in state and federal prison. 4 Adrian Peeler, now 49, was convicted for his role in the killing of 8-year-old Leroy 'BJ' Brown and his mother Karen Clarke in their Bridgeport apartment building to prevent them from testifying against his drug-dealing brother. Advertisement After completing his state sentence in January 2022, Peeler was granted clemency by the outgoing Biden administration for his 35-year federal sentence on separate drug charges, which would have had him wearing prison stripes until at least 2033, NBC Connecticut reported. The release has shocked state lawmakers, including liberal Democrat and Biden supporter Senator Richard Blumenthal, who was Connecticut's attorney general at the time of the ghastly crime. 'It seems to me that someone dropped the ball here to let this person get released,' Blumenthal said in a statement, the CT Post reported. Advertisement 'This was a really vicious murder that changed our laws. It also highlights how we need to take a look at the pardon system to see how it can be improved,' the senator added. 4 Even political allies have called out former President Biden's pardon of Peeler as a miscarriage of justice. AP Little BJ and Clarke, his mother, were slated to testify against Peeler's drug-dealing brother, who was on trial for killing Clarke's boyfriend Rudolf Snead, a fellow drug dealer, according to the Hartford Courant. BJ was prepared to testify that he was in the car when Russell Peeler Jr. shot Snead in a drive-by shooting in 1997. Advertisement But before that could happen, the Peeler brothers ambushed the mother and son at their Bridgeport apartment – shooting the boy to death at the top of the stairs and leaving his mother in a pool of blood in the bedroom where she attempted to call for help. 4 Leroy 'BJ' Brown was in the car when Russell Peeler Jr. shot his mother's boyfriend in a 1997 drive-by shooting. WFSB Both Peelers were charged by the state with capital felony and murder. Despite Adrian Peeler being the alleged shooter, a jury convicted him only of murder conspiracy, NBC Connecticut reported. Advertisement The horrific slayings inspired the Nutmeg State to create its own witness protection program. 4 Karen Clarke was gunned down in her bedroom as she attempted to call for help for her dying son. WFSB The family of Clarke and BJ was apoplectic when Peelers' release was announced. 'We've been blindsided. Where is the justice for my family?' Oswald Clarke, Karen's brother, told the CT Examiner. 'It's like we are hearing of BJ and Karen's deaths all over again — but this time their killer is going free.' Peeler previously sought to have his sentence reduced under 2018's First Step Act, but was excoriated by a judge in 2021 for lacking remorse. 'I take full responsibility for all my actions that led me to be here today,' Peeler told Judge Janet Bond Arterton during a 2021 hearing. 'I sold drugs to the community… It is something I think of every day,' he said. Advertisement Judge Arterton called the convicted conspirator out for failing to address the killings. 'Shockingly missing was an expression of remorse or apology to the families of Miss Clarke and B.J.,' the judge said. 'He didn't turn around to face them and simply say, 'I'm sorry.''

Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured, with shooter on the run: Police
Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured, with shooter on the run: Police

Yahoo

time28-05-2025

  • General
  • Yahoo

Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured, with shooter on the run: Police

Police in Waterbury, Connecticut, say a shooting at a mall on Tuesday afternoon has injured multiple people. According to a Facebook post from the Waterbury Police Department, a shooting reported at the Brass Mill Center left multiple people injured. 'Multiple victims have been reported, and law enforcement is actively on scene,' police said. 'We urge the public to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to respond effectively and ensure everyone's safety.' According to reporting from local news station NBC Connecticut, five people were transported to area hospitals with gunshot wounds, but police would not tell the station the severity of their wounds. Multiple media outlets reported that the shooter was still on the loose. The Waterbury Police Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Tuesday. Witness Javon Turner told CBS News that he heard the gunshots. "A girl got shot. She was losing a lot of blood," he said. "It was crazy, and I tell everybody, 'Get out of here, let's go.' I tried to get everybody out of here in safety." Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured: Police

Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured, with shooter on the run: Police
Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured, with shooter on the run: Police

USA Today

time28-05-2025

  • USA Today

Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured, with shooter on the run: Police

Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves multiple injured, with shooter on the run: Police Police in Waterbury, Connecticut, say a shooting at a mall on Tuesday afternoon has injured multiple people. According to a Facebook post from the Waterbury Police Department, a shooting reported at the Brass Mill Center left multiple people injured. 'Multiple victims have been reported, and law enforcement is actively on scene,' police said. 'We urge the public to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to respond effectively and ensure everyone's safety.' According to reporting from local news station NBC Connecticut, five people were transported to area hospitals with gunshot wounds, but police would not tell the station the severity of their wounds. Multiple media outlets reported that the shooter was still on the loose. The Waterbury Police Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Tuesday. Witness Javon Turner told CBS News that he heard the gunshots. "A girl got shot. She was losing a lot of blood," he said. "It was crazy, and I tell everybody, 'Get out of here, let's go.' I tried to get everybody out of here in safety." Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

One person hospitalized after Connecticut home explosion
One person hospitalized after Connecticut home explosion

Yahoo

time26-05-2025

  • Yahoo

One person hospitalized after Connecticut home explosion

SUFFIELD, Conn. (WWLP) – In Suffield, one person is recovering after a fire at a home on Second Street. Springfield man wanted in Connecticut arrested at Hampshire Mall NBC Connecticut states that crews were sent to a home on Second Street around 3:00 p.m. for a report of a propane explosion. Fire officials state there was also a fire at the back of the home that was put out. The home appears to be undergoing renovations or a remodel, and it is unknown at this time if the explosion was connected to that. One person was taken to the hospital, and their condition is unknown at this time. The fire is currently under investigation. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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