‘One-of-a-kind’: Safari park welcomes rare baby albino alligator

Wild Florida, a wildlife and safari park, announced the hatching of a rare albino alligator. (Wild Florida)

Kenansville, Fla.

A wildlife and safari park in Florida announced the hatching of a rare albino alligator.

Representatives with Wild Florida said their Croc Squad team kept the albino eggs in an incubator and a climate-controlled room under careful watch.

“With the hard work and dedication of our Croc Squad, we worked together to produce one perfect healthy albino alligator hatchling this season,” Andrew Ayala on the Croc Squad said.

According to the animal team, it’s almost impossible to have albino gators reach maturity in the wild and they are dedicated to providing the best environment possible for the animal to thrive.

The albino gator hatchling is expected to make its debut at Wild Florida’s Gator Park after a month of maturity.

For now, guests can see the parents, Snowflake and Blizzard, in their exhibit or the Albino Gator encounter.

“We are most proud of the parents who continue to beat the odds and be a one-of-a-kind experience for guests,” Ayala said.

According to Wild Florida, it is proud to be the only attraction in the world with a successful albino alligator breeding program.

Skydiving instructor dies after hitting dust devil during jump with student, family says

Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, died in a skydiving accident in California after encountering a dust devil. (GoFundMe)

A skydiving instructor in California has reportedly died after a tandem skydiving accident.

According to multiple reports, Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, was on a routine jump with a student last Friday when they ran into a pair of dust devils after deploying their parachute.

“She missed the first one, and when she maneuvered around it, she hit the second one,” her husband, Freddy Chase, told KTLA. “She was about 25 to 30 feet in the air … it sent her canopy in a downward spiral.”

Devrey LaRiccia Chase and her student were left with no time to react and ended up slamming into the ground.

Both were rushed to an area hospital. The student reportedly suffered serious injuries while the 28-year-old instructor died.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the tragic passing of our beloved daughter and sister, Devrey LaRiccia,” family members shared through a GoFundMe.

Freddy Chase, also an experienced skydiver, told KTLA that his wife was passionate about skydiving and helped him film videos of his jumps for social media.

Devrey LaRiccia Chase’s family said she moved to California a few years ago and they are now raising money to bring her body back home to Maine.

Babies R Us is reopening in these 200 Kohl’s locations

FILE — Kohl’s is getting ready to welcome Babies R Us at 200 stores that will open later this year. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Kohl’s is opening Babies R Us shops in its existing stores.

The retailer said it plans to open 200 mini-shops nationwide in the fall.

Babies R Us closed its brick-and-mortar locations in 2018 after Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy.

The new shops are expected to carry a variety of baby merchandise including furniture, accessories, strollers, baby gear and more.

Kohl’s will continue to sell baby clothing and said its Babies R Us mini-shops will not take away from its current offerings but create a comprehensive baby shopping experience.

Babies R Us products will also be available online.

The new Babies R Us locations can be found here.

Simone Biles earns her 7th gold medal by winning women’s vault final at Paris Olympics

Simone Biles, of the United States, is congratulated during the women's artistic gymnastics individual vault finals at the 2024 Summer Olympics. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Paris

Simone Biles earned her 10th career Olympic medal on Saturday by taking the women’s vault final for a second time.

Biles has already become the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympics.

She added her seventh gold medal thanks to her performance in the vault final and boosted her medal count at major international competitions to 40, the most by any gymnast.

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade pushed Biles in Saturday’s final but it wasn’t enough.

Andrade ended up taking silver in the competition and American gymnast Jade Carey earned bronze.

Biles, along with her teammates, also took home the gold medal in the women’s gymnastics team final earlier in the week.

U.S. Marine, 26, killed in training exercise

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Jerry Betzold, 26, died on Sunday from injuries he suffered when a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle rolled over. (Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center)

Twentynine Palms, Calif.

A Marine died last weekend in California after a vehicle rolled over during a military training exercise.

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Jerry Betzold, 26, died on Sunday from injuries he suffered when a Humvee rolled over.

According to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Betzold was severely injured in the rollover that involved a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle.

He was transported to a hospital in Palm Springs, but he did not survive.

“Staff Sergeant Jerry Betzold represents all that is good and pure in our nation and Corps,” Col. David Hart shared. “He tragically lost his life while working to ensure our combat formations remain ready when the nation needs them.”

Military officials said Betzold joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2016 and was promoted to staff sergeant in March.

His decorations included earning the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a National Defense Service Medal.

“His loss is deeply felt across our Marine Corps family. Our hearts and full support will remain with his family and friends as we all navigate this extremely difficult time,” Hart said.