Less than two weeks after a huge fire in Moss Landing at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants, scientists affiliated with San Jose State University have discovered unusually high levels of toxic metals in soils at Elkhorn Slough,

Two Pensacolians went out Thursday to shoot photos of an eerie, empty Escambia Bay Bridge. They got something equally strange instead. Border Patrol agents were reportedly shot at by suspected cartel gunmen attempting to transport illegal migrants across the US-Mexican border.

"These are very disturbing numbers," said County of Monterey Supervisor Glenn Church. "... We're in uncharted territory."

One of the world’s biggest battery plants is located in a tiny harbor town perched halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey. A fire ignited January 16 inside the Moss Landing Power Plant where thousands of lithium batteries store power from renewable energy.

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals have been detected at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve by scientists from San Jose State University.