2-year-old dies after father leaves toddler in vehicle for hours, police say

James Fidele, 37, has been arrested following his child's death after being left in a vehicle. (St. Lucie Sheriff's Office)

Port. St. Lucie, Fla.

Authorities in Florida say a father has been arrested after leaving his child in a vehicle for hours which led to the toddler’s death.

According to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, officers were called to a neighborhood Monday afternoon regarding a 2-year-old that had been left in a vehicle for several hours.

Authorities said the child’s father, later identified as 37-year-old James Fidele, called 911 after discovering he forgot to take his child out of the vehicle when he arrived home earlier that morning.

The department said first responders arrived at the home and began life-saving measures before transferring the child to the hospital.

However, the 2-year-old was later pronounced deceased.

Detectives arrested Fidele and charged him with leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle and causing great bodily harm.

The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified of the situation to provide support and resources to the family.

“This is a very unfortunate and tragic incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family during this difficult time,” Sergeant John Dellacroce said.

Reports: ‘Rachael Ray’ show ending after 17 seasons

Rachael Ray says she is ending her daytime talk show after 17 seasons.

The celebrity chef’s syndicated show will be ending this spring, according to multiple reports.

Ray, 54, shared with People that her passions have evolved, and will be focusing on a new production company.

“I have had 17 wonderful seasons working in daytime television. However, I’ve made the decision that it’s time for me to move on to the next exciting chapter in my broadcast career,” Ray released in a reported statement.

Ray’s talk show debuted in 2006 and featured cooking demonstrations along with celebrity interviews around the set’s kitchen setting.

According to Variety, Ray was one of several TV personalities to get their start in TV after regular appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

Ray won the Daytime Emmy award for best talk show in 2008, 2009 and 2019.

On Friday, the 54-year-old shared her next move on social media regarding plans to launch the Free Food Studios Production Company.

“I am looking forward to putting all my energies into my recently announced production arm, Free Food Studios,” Ray released in a reported statement.

Production on “The Rachael Ray Show” is reportedly expected to end by early May with episodes continuing to air through the end of the summer.

“Thank you to all of our Rachael daytime show partners, crew and affiliates, and the wonderful years we all worked together,” Ray released in a reported statement.

National Park Service says ‘never push a slower friend down’ when escaping a bear

The National Park Service is sharing a few tips for staying safe around bears. (Jake Bortscheller via National Park Service)

Officials with the National Park Service are using a little humor while sharing a few bear safety tips.

The National Park Service shared on its social media this week that “If you come across a bear, never push a slower friend down… even if you feel the friendship has run its course.”

Officials said when spring arrives, officially on March 20, and snow begins to melt at parks around the country, many bears are expected to become more active.

According to the park service, seeing a bear in the wild is a special treat for any visitor and while it is an exciting moment, it is important to remember that bears in national parks are wild and can be dangerous.

Officials said bears’ behavior can be unpredictable sometimes, and although rare, attacks on humans have occurred.

“Following some basic guidelines may help to lessen the threat of danger,” the park service shared. “Your safety can depend on your ability to calm the bear.”

Keeping your distance and not surprising bears are some of the most important things park visitors can do, officials said. And most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming.

The park service advises visitors to pay attention to their surroundings and to make a special effort to be noticed if they are in an area with known bear activity or a good food source, such as berry bushes.

‘It finally happened’: Shelter dog gets forever home after no inquiries for months

A shelter dog named Sky has been adopted by a family after not receiving any interest for months. (Stafford County Animal Shelter)

Stafford, Va.

A shelter dog has finally found her forever home after not receiving any inquiries for months.

According to the Stafford County Animal Shelter, a 3-year-old lab-pit mix named Sky was surrendered in November 2022 because she was not getting along with other dogs at a home.

The team said Sky passed their behavioral test with flying colors, but no one called or emailed them about her for months.

However, that changed in late February after the shelter made a community call to help find a forever home for the 3-year-old pup.

“It’s official, we’re desperate,” the shelter team shared on social media. “Sky hasn’t received one inquiry since arriving last year or any visits, but there has to be someone out there. She is a wonderful companion.”

The social media post went viral and after more than 68,000 shares and 5,000 comments, Sky was officially adopted.

The animal shelter thanked everyone for helping get the word out on Sky as her overall behavior was declining after being kenneled for so long.

And thanks to the community’s response, they ended up getting more inquiries than they could respond to.

“It happened! It finally happened! Sky was adopted!” the shelter shared in an update. “Thank you so much.”

The shelter team said those interested can check online to view all of their current animals awaiting adoption.

Cat, missing for 2 years, found nearly 1,600 miles away, police say

A Miami cat, missing for 2 years, was found in Kansas, according to police. (Prairie Village Police Department)

Prairie Village, Kan.

Authorities say a missing cat from Florida was recently found in Kansas.

The Prairie Village Police Department reports that an orange tabby cat was discovered by a resident last month.

The department shared a photo of the feline. Officers said the animal apparently traveled nearly 1,600 miles from the Miami area and was missing for two years.

According to police, it wasn’t immediately clear how the cat made its way from Florida, but one of their animal control officers contacted the cat’s owner after a microchip matched.

Prairie Village police said it’s working on getting the cat reunited with its owner while “figuring out she got here.”