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A search is ongoing for a retired Air Force major general who disappeared in New Mexico nearly two weeks ago, local law enforcement officials said Thursday.

A silver alert was issued last week for Maj. Gen. Neil McCasland, who was last seen at his Albuquerque home at 11 a.m. Feb. 27, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office. McCasland's wife left their home just after 11 a.m. for a medical appointment, and McCasland was gone by the time she returned about an hour later.

"His phone, prescription glasses, and wearable devices were located at the residence," the sheriff's office said Thursday. His hiking boots and wallet and a .38 caliber revolver with a leather holster were missing from the home.

Susan McCasland Wilkerson began contacting family members and friends in an attempt to find her husband but eventually reported him missing by 3:07 p.m. that afternoon, the sheriff's office said.

McCasland was described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall with white hair and blue eyes. He may have been wearing a light green long-sleeve, button-up shirt.

Authorities are looking for McCasland using search-and-rescue teams, dogs, drones and helicopters, the sheriff's office said. The FBI confirmed it was assisting in the investigation.

"To date, BCSO has not received any confirmed sighting or confirmed video showing Mr. McCasland leaving the area or indicating a direction of travel," the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office urged the public to come forward with any possible information about McCasland's whereabouts.

Officials said last week that there was no evidence of foul play but that it is unlike McCasland to be out of contact from his family for so long. McCasland has medical issues, which the sheriff's office did not disclose, that added cause for concern.

The sheriff's office believes he left his home on foot.

"He is an avid outdoorsman and is known to often hike, run, and cycle in the Northeast Heights and the Sandia foothills," it said.

The office urged anyone with video taken Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 in the Sandia mountains or in McCasland's neighborhood to review it and submit anything that might be helpful.

The sheriff's office said information other than what it has issued is "not verified or confirmed."

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"There are people who attempt to develop their own theories based on the limited information available to the public and this makes finding Neil harder," it said.

Wilkerson, McCasland's wife, tried to correct some misinformation that had been circulating. She wrote on Facebook last Friday that though her husband does have medical issues, it is not related to dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

She then dissuaded those who might believe McCasland was taken because he had some kind of classified information.

"He retired from the [Air Force] almost 13 years ago and has had only very commonly held clearances since," she wrote. "It seems quite unlikely that he was taken to extract very dated secrets from him."

McCasland graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering. He also has a doctorate in the subject from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,according to the Air Force.

He held many roles with the Air Force, including commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

He was also responsible for $2.2 billion in funds for the Air Force's science and technology program and another $2.2 billion in research and development, according to the Air Force.

Wilkerson addressed McCasland's connection "with the UFO community." McCasland once volunteered to work with Tom DeLonge, lead singer and guitarist for Blink-182. DeLonge's organization, "To The Stars," has published fiction books, music and a docuseries related to aliens and unidentified flying objects.

McCasland had "less contact" with DeLonge and the UFO community after political strategist John Podesta's emails were publicly posted on WikiLeaks, Wilkerson said. Podesta, who worked in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, hadshared emails with DeLonge about his interest in UFOs.

Some of the emails included exchanges about a documentary that Podesta took part in, andat least one email mentioned McCasland.

Wilkerson said McCasland has no special knowledge of any terrestrial bodies or any UFO crash debris stored by the government.

"This connection is not a reason for someone to abduct Neil," she wrote.

Wilkerson did not respond to a voicemail Thursday asking to speak about her husband's disappearance.

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Trade ‌Representative's office said late ‌on Thursday it had ​initiated Section 301 unfair trade practices probes of 60 economies in ‌relation to ⁠what it called failures to take ⁠action on forced labor.

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"These investigations will ​determine whether ​foreign ​governments have taken ‌sufficient steps to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor and how ‌the failure to ​eradicate these ​abhorrent ​practices impacts U.S. ‌workers and businesses," ​U.S. ​Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a ​statement.

(Reporting ‌by Kanishka Singh in ​Washington; Editing by ​Ismail Shakil)

A suspect is dead after a shooting and vehicle ramming attack at a Detroit-area synagogue, according to the FBI, which said it is investigating the incident as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.

The suspect, who is believed to have had a rifle, died after a shootout with security at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, according to a senior federal law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

Nobody inside the synagogue was hurt, and the synagogue noted that all 140 students as well as staff, teachers and "heroic security personnel" were accounted for, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

"The security staff did an amazing job, an amazing job," Bouchard said at a press briefing Thursday evening. "They stopped the threat."

The sheriff said one synagogue security guard was hit by the suspect's truck and was "knocked unconscious" but was expected to be OK.

The building became engulfed in fire during the attack, and 30 law enforcement officers were transported to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, according to Bouchard. The source of the ignition remains under investigation, he said.

The suspect has not yet been publicly identified.

The truck used in the attack is registered to a naturalized US citizen from Lebanon who posted on social media that his relatives were killed in the ongoing Israeli strikes, multiple law enforcement officials told ABC News.

Authorities were still working to determine whether the person found dead inside the vehicle was the same person in whose name the car was registered.

Investigators searched a Michigan home associated with the suspect, the sources said.

A motive for the attack remains under investigation, according to Bouchard and Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

There is only one suspect in the incident, according to Runyan.

"I also know you have a lot of questions. A lot of those questions can't be answered at this point because it's super preliminary in the investigation," Bouchard said.

"Obviously, it's a hateful, terrible thing, right? But what drove this person into action -- that has to be determined by the investigation," he added.

Temple Israel in a statement said the security personnel who confronted the suspect are "heroes" and the "teachers followed their training and kept the children safe and calm."

The driver was armed with a rifle, and the truck contained fireworks and an unidentified chemical agent that ignited soon after the crash, the law enforcement sources said.

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The truck swerved around bollards, crashed through Temple Israel's front doors and drove down the hall before security personnel opened fire.

Rabbi Jennifer Kaluzny told ABC News Live that she was heading to Temple Israel when a staff member texted her saying they were hiding from gunshots under a desk.

Kaluzny said she drove directly to the synagogue and tried to go in the building but was not allowed inside, so she then drove to a reunification site where panicked parents were waiting for their children.

She said of the security guard who was hit by the truck, "This is someone who is not Jewish who is absolutely celebrating his relationship with the Jewish community, and we have embraced him and he has embraced us."

"We are forever grateful to all of them and everyone who showed up to help us get through this," she said of the synagogue security guards and the police responders.

Officials with the FBI Detroit field office held an active shooter prevention and preparedness training for the staff and clergy at Temple Israel in January, according to a social media post from the FBI.

"All of the training that we do is, sadly, necessary, but we saw today ... that it paid off," Kaluzny said.

"Everyone knew what to do ... the teachers are absolutely heroes," she added.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement, "This is heartbreaking. Michigan's Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace."

President Donald Trump said he's been "fully briefed" on the incident.

"I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in Detroit, Detroit area, following the attack on the Jewish synagogue," Trump said during a women's history month event at the White House.

"It's a terrible thing," he said.

2 injured, gunman dead in shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, school says

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that he spoke with local Jewish leaders in Michigan "to receive an update on the situation and to express our solidarity."

"I am relieved to hear that there were no casualties," he said. "This is a grave and serious incident that follows a series of attacks on Jewish institutions around the world. Tonight, we send a message of strength and support from Israel to the Jewish community in Michigan."

ABC News' Luke Barr, Alexander Mallin and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.

While accepting an award at the Hope Rising Benefit in NYC on March 12, Emma Heming Willis announced the launch of the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund

NEED TO KNOW

• The first grant will support the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), a leader in research, education and family support for those affected by FTD

• Willis was diagnosed with the heartbreaking disease in late 2022 at age 67

Emma Heming Willis iscontinuing to advocate for dementia patientsand families navigating neurodegenerative disease.

While accepting the Susan Newhouse & Si Newhouse Award of Hope atThe Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's Hope Rising Benefit in New York on Thursday, March 12, the author, 47, announced the launch of theEmma & Bruce Willis Fundfor Dementia Research and Caregiver Support.

The philanthropic fund — which is housed at theEntertainment Industry Foundation— is "dedicated to advancing understanding of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) by raising awareness, supporting promising scientific research and strengthening support for caregivers," according to a press release.

At the event, Heming Willis accepted the award on behalf of both herself and her husband, who was diagnosed with the heartbreaking disease in late 2022 at age 67.

"This journey has opened my eyes to the realities so many families face when a loved one is living with frontotemporal dementia," says Heming Willis. "I believe deeply in the importance of supporting research while also showing up for the caregivers who carry so much every day.

"Through this fund, my hope is to help deepen understanding of FTD and ensure families facing it feel seen, supported, and less alone. Bruce has always led with generosity and heart, and I know he would be proud to see this effort helping families facing this disease."

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TheDie Hardstar's family— including Emma, daughters Mabel and Evelyn, along with theactor's ex-wife Demi Mooreand daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah — first sharedhis aphasia diagnosisin March 2022. Then in February 2023, Heming Willis confirmed he had received a morespecific diagnosis of FTD.

Frontotemporal dementia is an all-encompassing term for a group of brain disorders that threatens thefrontal and temporal lobes of the brain, causing speech issues, changes in personality and loss of motor skills.

In aPEOPLE cover story last fall, Heming Willis — who channeled her own experience and extensive guidance from experts into a new book,The Unexpected Journey, to provide a roadmap for other families facing similar diagnoses — opened up about finding purpose while navigating her new normal as a caregiver.

"Early on, I was very isolated, and it felt like what was happening was only happening to us. Over time, I realized it would be beneficial to talk about it and raise awareness so people get to the doctor sooner, can be diagnosed sooner, get into clinical trials," she said.

"I wrote the book that I wish someone had handed me on the day we received the diagnosis. Caregiving is hard, and there are many people doing it with little to no support," Heming Willis added. "The only way I can get through this is to help someone else feel less alone."

Read the original article onPeople

A Kentucky mother and daughter rejected multimillion-dollar offers for their farmland from unidentified developers

NEED TO KNOW

• The proposed data center project could bring 400 full-time jobs and over 1,500 construction jobs to Mason County

• Both women cited concerns about transparency and the impact on their community as reasons for refusing the offers

A mother and daughter have together rejected over $26 million for their farms in Kentucky.

Ida Huddleston has turned down multiple offers from a tech giant, consisting of $60,000 per acre for her 71-acre property, according toLEX 18.

The proposed buyers? Developers for a large data center project that have not publicly been identified.

But Huddleston, who, according to theDaily Mail, is 82 years old, isn't budging, calling the offers "mind harassment," per LEX 18.

Following suit is her daughter, Delsia Bare, who has turned down a $48,000-an-acre offer for her 463-acre property, the local news outlet reported.

"When they will not reveal who they are, that's a major player in what you're going to do with the rest of your life if you are stuck here or even if you are leaving here," said Bare. She is 54, per theDaily Mail.

In a similar fashion, Huddleston has one message for the Fortune 100 company: "I don't want your money, I don't need your money."

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She is concerned, though, about those who live around her as she says, "They're gonna be affected by it."

The data center would be located at Big Pond Pike in Mason County and would create 400 full-time positions, along with more than 1,500 construction jobs, according to LEX 18.

Mason County Fiscal Court is still reviewing the project, per the outlet.

Tyler McHugh, economic development director for the Maysville-Mason County Industrial Development Authority, however, told LEX 18 that "As far as jobs would go, they would become if not our largest employer, definitely top three."

Bare guesses there won't be "over 50 and they won't even be here at this building when it's said and done."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

But regardless of what happens, Huddleston told LEX 18 one thing is clear: "I'm staying put."

Read the original article onPeople