Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke and the Merced County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, found a herd of about 30 cattle that had been stranded on an island surrounded by the Merced River, safe while preparing to deliver hay to the animals in Merced County, Calif., on Thursday, May 18, 2017. According to Sheriff Warnke, about six to eight cows were wading through the water and there were no cows on the island as the aviation unit flew over the island Thursday morning. The cows had been stranded on the island since January when the Merced River level rose. … Click to Continue »