Man wins $1M jackpot after grandmother buys lottery ticket for 18th birthday

A man scratched off a $1 million winning lottery ticket for his 18th birthday. (California Lottery)

Sacramento, Calif.

A California man celebrated turning 18 while cashing in a million-dollar lottery ticket.

According to the California Lottery, Kaleb Heng won $1 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket that was given to him by his grandmother for his 18th birthday.

Lottery officials said the jackpot was hit from a $10 scratch-off ticket on The Perfect Gift game.

“I’m pretty stoked! I certainly wasn’t expecting it,” Heng said.

Heng’s grandmother bought the winning ticket from a market in the Turlock area and gave it to him while he was heading out on a fishing trip.

“My mom was driving me to go fishing, and on the way, I scratched it,” Heng said. “We had to pull over. It was a million dollars, and I didn’t even have an ID yet!”

Heng said they ended up turning the car around to get his identification and cash in the ticket.

The 18-year-old told lottery officials he plans to use the money for college and investments.

Deputy helps pull 8-foot gator from family pool

A deputy in Florida helped remove an 8-foot alligator from a resident's pool. (Brevard County Sheriff's Office, Florida)

Titusville, Fla.

Authorities say it’s never a dull day working in Florida.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said one of its deputies found that out firsthand this week.

On Tuesday, Deputy Robert Santiago was called to remove an 8-foot alligator from a family’s swimming pool.

Authorities said a homeowner found the gator trying out their neighbor’s pool that afternoon.

The sheriff’s office shared a photo of the deputy’s reaction while working the call along with a little humor.

Sheriff Wayne Ivey wrote, “I would love to know exactly what Deputy Santiago was thinking. I’m pretty sure it was ‘Oh, hell no. I didn’t sign up for this!’”

The gator was safely removed from the pool. The sheriff congratulated Santiago and a wildlife trapper, Scott Swartley, for their assistance.

Sheriff: Man arrested for starving dog chained to tree without food or water

Authorities in Texas say Cesar Dehoyos has been arrested on felony animal cruelty charges. (Bexar County Sheriff's Office)

Bexar County, Texas

A dog owner in Texas has been arrested after deputies say they found a starving dog chained to a tree outside his home.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar reports that deputies were called to a home over the weekend regarding a dog that was chained to a tree without any food or water.

Salazar said they found the dog tied to a tree with a heavy tow chain at the residence.

According to the sheriff, it appeared the dog’s owner, later identified as 36-year-old Cesar Dehoyos, was making a conservative effort to starve the animal.

“Heartbreaking. The dog appeared to just be skin and bones,” Salazar said. “It was pretty clear the dog wasn’t doing well and probably wouldn’t have survived much longer.”

Deputies were able to contact Dehoyos. Authorities said he was at Sea World with family when they were called to his property.

Salazar said the team located other dogs also at the home which were in better condition but one was tied to a large piece of metal on a short leash.

The sheriff said they considered this animal cruelty and removed all the animals from Dehoyos’ home.

The malnourished dog that prompted deputies to respond to the home was taken to an animal hospital for treatment. Salazar said he didn’t have any immediate update on its condition.

Dehoyos was arrested and is facing felony animal cruelty charges, authorities said.

‘We did it’: Longtime shelter dog, Sophie, finally finds forever home

A 7-year-old dog named Sophie has been adopted after spending nearly a year at an animal shelter. (Seminole County Animal Services)

Seminole County, Fla.

Animal services in Florida say one of their longtime furry residents has found a new home.

According to Seminole County Animal Services, a 7-year-old dog named Sophie was adopted this week after nearly hitting the one-year mark of being at the shelter.

The animal shelter made a push earlier in the week to find Sophie a forever home saying Saturday would mark her being with the team for one year.

Staff shared a video online showing a few of Sophie’s interactions while at the shelter. Workers called her a sweet, soulful girl who has simply been overlooked by visitors in favor of other younger dogs.

“She loves going for walks and is a volunteer favorite here at the shelter. Don’t leave her in her kennel begging for attention any longer,” the shelter team shared online.

On Friday, animal services thanked everyone for getting the word out regarding Sophie. According to the team, her new dad saw her on social media and made the adoption official.

“We did it. Best wishes to Sophie, and thanks for adopting,” the team shared.

Fishing guides reel in 63-pound invasive fish

A fishing guide service caught a 63-pound bighead carp in Oklahoma. (Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation)

Delaware County, Okla.

Officials in Oklahoma say fishing guides recently caught a large bighead carp in the Grand Lake area.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, biologists have asked skilled fishing guides for help in capturing invasive bighead carp out of the Grand Lake system.

On Wednesday, the department shared a photo of the High Water Guide Service team catching a 63-pound male bighead carp.

Officials said the bighead carp that are captured out of the lake system will be used for ongoing research regarding the population.

“They’ve gotten us a few now and we simply can’t appreciate it enough,” the department shared online.

Wildlife officials said that bighead carp is a direct competitor with other fishes in the lake system and could be devastating to the striped bass fishery and paddlefish recovery efforts.

Officials advised those who find a bighead carp in the Grand Lake system to not return it to the water but to report it to the Porter Office at 918-683-1031 or the Paddlefish Research Center at 918-542-9422.