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“Hissing” alligator that charged Georgia deputy spotted on drone video
A Georgia deputy was charged at by a large hissing alligator — and authorities later spotted the reptile via drone.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputy was with the office’s K-9 teams, conducting a training exercise on Tuesday, when the encounter occurred, police said on social media. The training exercise was being conducted near a pond, the sheriff’s office said.
The deputy “heard a hissing sound,” police said, and when he looked up, he saw the alligator with its mouth open.
The gator then charged the deputy, who avoided it by running up an embankment. Police said he was able to “evade the animal” and was not injured in the incident, which was reported to the state’s Department of Natural Resources. The deputy estimated that the alligator was between seven and nine feet long.
Drone photo and video shows the alligator submerged in muddy water, unmoving. The images were captured by a lieutenant with the sheriff’s office on Wednesday, police said.
Alligators are not naturally found in north Georgia, with the state’s Wildlife Resources Division noting that ones in the area “have probably been relocated there by humans.” It’s not clear how this alligator entered the area. The sheriff’s office said that it is encouraging citizens to take precautions around the area where the alligator was seen, including the pond and a nearby stream. Warning signs will also be installed in the area, police said.
Alligator attacks on humans in Georgia are rare, with only nine such reported incidents from 1980 to July 2023, according to the Wildlife Resources Division. Just one of those attacks was fatal. Six incidents occured when a human stepped on or made contact with a submerged alligator. The remaining three attacks were “a result of the alligator possibly mistaking the human for prey,” the agency said.
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Popular gluten free tortilla strips recalled over possible contamination with wheat
A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
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