All articles tagged with #douglas county
Douglas County reports 71 confirmed Cyclospora cases, linked to the same national outbreak tied to contaminated iceberg lettuce; two Michigan deaths are among the first known fatalities in the multi-state outbreak, while the CDC cites over 18,000 domestic cases this season with thousands more under investigation.
A bat found in Douglas County tested positive for rabies, the county’s first confirmed case of 2026. Health officials urge residents to avoid contact with wildlife, ensure pets are vaccinated, and seek medical care if bitten; the case adds to Oregon’s total of four positive rabies cases for the year.
A Douglas County adult died from hantavirus; state health officials say the case is not connected to the MV Hondius cruise-ship outbreak. The local case involves the Sin Nombre strain, a rodent-borne hantavirus, while the cruise-ship outbreak involves Andes virus, which can spread between people. Preliminary evidence points to local rodent exposure and the risk to the public remains low; dashboards from state and federal health agencies track hantavirus cases.
A Sunday-wide power outage hit the Denver area, leaving more than 180,000 customers without power across Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Adams counties; Core Electric Cooperative and Xcel Energy reported large outages and crews were working to determine the cause, with restoration times not yet known. A separate outage at Denver International Airport disrupted trains as crews restore service.
Over 5,600 customers in Douglas County, Nebraska, are without power following wind gusts of 50-55 mph, with the cause of the outage currently unknown.
A Castle Rock school bus driver, Irving Johnson, is under scrutiny after allegedly leaving 40 students at a busy intersection, though he claims the students exited voluntarily. Johnson, a relief driver unfamiliar with the route, faced challenges with unruly students and a malfunctioning navigation tablet. The Douglas County School District has since terminated his employment, and an investigation by the Castle Rock Police Department is ongoing, with video footage currently unavailable.
Douglas County deputies arrested a 45-year-old substitute teacher, Erin Ward, for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old student. The incident occurred in a parked car, and both individuals were later found and taken to the hospital for minor injuries. Ward faces one count of felony sexual abuse by a school employee, and Omaha Public Schools emphasized the safety and well-being of their students, offering support for those affected and urging anyone with concerns to contact the appropriate authorities.
One person was arrested after Douglas County deputies responded to a report of shots fired in Highlands Ranch, leading them to discover a body. The incident, possibly related to a family disturbance, is under investigation, and the cause and manner of death have not been released. The identity of the deceased and the person in custody have not been disclosed at this time, with charges pending.
The Douglas County Health Department in Nebraska has declared a public health emergency after more than 550 people were potentially exposed to tuberculosis (TB) at a YMCA child care service between May and October. One case of TB has been confirmed, and officials are working to determine if there are additional cases. Children are at high risk of negative outcomes related to TB, and the health department is conducting clinics for testing and providing protective antibiotics to eligible children. TB is treatable, and symptoms include a persistent cough, chest pain, weight loss, and fever.
Over 500 children and staff members at a drop-in child care center in the Omaha area may have been exposed to tuberculosis after a case of active tuberculosis was confirmed. The Douglas County Health Department is conducting a complex multi-agency response to prevent additional cases and quickly identify and treat those affected. Young children are at increased risk of severe disease, so preventive treatment with antibiotics will be provided to children aged 4 and younger who were exposed between August 21 and October 30. The investigation is being called the largest tuberculosis investigation in the Midwest.
The Douglas County Health Department in Nebraska is preparing to declare a health emergency after confirming a case of tuberculosis (TB) linked to a YMCA daycare. Officials are investigating potential exposures and notifying parents of children who may have had close contact with the patient. Testing clinics will be offered for children aged 4 and younger who may have been exposed, and the health department will hold clinics for children who may have been exposed between late May and August. TB is treatable, and cases are relatively rare, but symptoms include a persistent cough, chest pain, weight loss, and fever.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be distributing 18,000 oral raccoon rabies vaccines in a 62-square-mile area in Omaha, Nebraska, to prevent the spread of a variant of rabies that hasn't been found in the area before. The vaccines, about the size of a ketchup packet and covered with fish meal, will be placed in yards and are safe for pets. Moving the packets is discouraged, and if done, gloves or a barrier should be used. The liquid vaccine has caused rashes in a few cases. Officials have already vaccinated nearly 600 animals and all tested negative for rabies.
Multiple people, including a sheriff's deputy, were shot in Douglas County during a domestic incident. A woman inside the house was shot, a man was killed, and the suspected shooter and deputy were taken to the hospital. The deputy is expected to survive, while the condition of the suspect is unknown.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin trapping, testing, and vaccinating wildlife in a targeted area in Douglas County, Nebraska, after a stray kitten was found with a raccoon-based rabies strain not native to the area. Ten people who had contact with the cat are undergoing treatment. The health department is urging residents to report any stray or unusual wildlife behavior and to vaccinate their pets. The target area may expand if more cases are discovered.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Duluth, the near North Shore, and Douglas County until 7 p.m. Sunday due to up to four inches of rain causing flooding in some areas. Additional rainfall is expected on Sunday and Monday. The city of Duluth has reported sanitary sewer overflows, flooding near Krenzen Auto and Target, and high water levels in Chester Creek. Motorists are advised to avoid flooded areas and stay away from dislodged manhole covers. September has seen over 7 inches of rain in Duluth, significantly above normal levels.