1. Fishermen plead not guilty to cheating allegations 

A pair of competitive fishermen reeled in by suspicious tournament officials after allegedly putting lead weights and fish fillets in their catch pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. https://t.co/mIeTqg43H4

— ABC News (@ABC) October 27, 2022

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, two fishermen pleaded not guilty to multiple charges accusing them of stuffing fish with weights and fish fillets while competing in the lucrative Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament.  

Jacob Runyan, 42, and Chase Cominsky, 35, caught five walleye that were significantly heavier than the average walleye. Because of the drastic difference, the director of the event grew suspicious of the fishermen and cut the walleye open, discovering weights and fish fillets inside. 

The fish were confiscated as evidence, and Runyan and Cominsky were disqualified from the tournament and later charged with attempted grand theft, cheating, possessing criminal tools and unlawfully owning wild animals.  

For more information, click here. 

2. California carbon Emissions dropped 9% in 2020 

California’s planet-warming emissions dropped by nearly 9% in 2020 compared to the year before. The reductions came as pandemic restrictions kept people at home. https://t.co/pShY4tzv9L

— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) October 26, 2022

Carbon emissions in California fell almost 9% during the first year of the pandemic, as COVID restrictions compelled residents to stay at home. 

The drop marks California’s largest reduction of the planet-warming emissions in a single year, however, according to experts, the data cannot be used for future trends, since the pandemic’s restrictions caused unprecedented economic adjustments. 

Much of the data, released by the Global Carbon Project, can be attributed to the absence of drivers during the first few months of the pandemic. According to the data, the state of California made up about 6% of total U.S. carbon emissions in 2020, some of the lowest per capita emissions among states in America. 

For more information, click here. 

3. Florida man captures 28 pythons 

A 19-year-old South Florida man captured 28 Burmese pythons during a 10-day competition that was created to increase awareness about the threats the invasive snakes pose to the state's ecology. https://t.co/FQxJx4klEi

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 26, 2022

Matthew Concepcion, a 19-year-old Florida resident, won the top prize in a 10-day competition to capture invasive snakes by securing 28 Burmese pythons. The annual event was created to  increase public awareness of the dangers invasive snakes have on Florida’s ecology.  

The Bergeron Everglades Foundation, a nonprofit focused on the restoration of the Florida Everglades, awarded Concepcion $10,000 for his efforts. The entire challenge rid Florida of 231 pythons, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“Our python hunters are passionate about what they do and care very much about Florida’s precious environment. We are removing record numbers of pythons and we’re going to keep at it,” said “Alligator Ron” Bergeron, Governing Board Member of the South Florida Water Management District, in a news release. 

For more information, click here.