A 24-year-old snowboarder has died after becoming trapped in an avalanche in a steep Utah backcountry area that the public was warned to avoid after potent snowstorms.

The death marks the ninth avalanche fatality in the West this season, and experts say the risk of additional slides could remain high all winter.

NBC affiliate KSL TV reported that Alecsander Barton was with two other men when the avalanche occurred Saturday morning in the Wasatch Range's Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City. 

The other two — a snowboarder and skier — watched as Barton descended Kessler Peak and triggered an avalanche that carried him an estimated 2,400 feet, or half a mile, down the mountain. They found his body under three feet of snow about an hour later using avalanche beacons. 

STORY: Avalanche danger across West is high

Experts say a weak base layer of snow, packed with large grains of ice, is plaguing parts of Utah, Colorado, Montana and California. They say these conditions could keep avalanche risks high for the rest of the season.

So far, four people have died in avalanches in Colorado, three on the Wyoming-Montana border and two in Utah.

Last season saw 25 avalanche deaths, and the one before saw 36.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ESTACADA, Ore. -- The body of a 6-year-old girl swept into the Clackamas River last week was recovered Saturday, deputies said.

Vinesa Snegur, of Portland, fell into the river about 30 miles east of Estacada on Sunday, Jan. 22. A volunteer located her body Saturday afternoon about four miles downstream, on the rocks of a shallow island.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and recovered her remains soon afterward.

"It is believed Vinesa’s body had been previously trapped underwater, further upstream, and was recently dislodged by the high water levels," said Sgt. James Rhodes of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

See video, read the original story at KGW.com

"She had been playing in the snow with her family when she fell into the frigid water and was swept downstream," Rhodes said last Sunday.

Crews searched for her from that night until the effort was suspended Tuesday. Water conditions had become too dangerous to send searchers into the river, Rhodes said.

Clackamas County Search and Rescue teams had planned to resume the search Sunday morning.

More: Father of girl who fell in river asks for prayers Reporter Katherine Cook of NBC station KGW contributed to this report.

Beck Diefenbach / AP

Occupy Oakland protestors burn an American flag found inside Oakland City Hall on Saturday.

Story updated 12:30 p.m. ET:

Oakland officials on Sunday were inspecting damage inside City Hall that was caused by about 50 Occupy protesters who broke in and smashed glass display cases, spray-painted graffiti, and burned the U.S. and California flags.

The break-in on Saturday was the culmination of a day of clashes between protesters and police. At least 300 people were arrested on charges ranging from vandalism and failure to disperse.

At least three officers and one protester were injured.

Mayor Jean Quan said Occupy protesters have caused an estimated $2 million in damages from vandalism since October. She said the cost to the city related to the Occupy Oakland protests is pegged at about $5 million.

The scene around City Hall was mostly quiet Sunday morning. It was unclear whether protesters would mount another large-scale demonstration later in the day.

Story updated 6:00 a.m. ET:

A U.S. flag was burned by a group of protestors inside City Hall, according to City Council President Larry Reid. City officials also said three police officers and one protester were injured during Saturday's events.

Story updated 3:15 a.m. ET:

Sgt. Christopher Bolton of the Oakland Police Department told msnbc.com that the number arrested was likely between 200 and 300. "We are still processing the arrests," he said. He was speaking after the release of a statement on the Oakland City website that put the number of arrests at 200. "That figure is probably on the low side and we don't have a confirmed total yet," said. Sgt Bolton. In the statement, released in a PDF file format, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said: "Once again, a violent splinter group of the Occupy Movement is engaging in violent actions against Oakland. The Bay Area Occupy Movement has got to stop using Oakland as their playground." The statement also said there were reports of damage to exhibits inside City Hall during the protest.

Story published 1:30 a.m.:

Police arrested about 300 people Saturday as Occupy Oakland protesters were thwarted trying to take over a vacant convention center and enter a YMCA. Protesters later broke into City Hall, where they burned a flag taken from inside.

Police used tear gas and "flash" grenades in the afternoon against 2,000 protesters who tried to tear down fences around the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center, where they hoped to establish a new camp. Police said some demonstrators started throwing objects at officers. There were at least 19 arrests in the afternoon.

After 6 p.m. (9 p.m. ET), police in riot gear declared a group of protesters gathered near the YMCA under mass arrest for failing to disperse, according to local media reports and livestreams. Police said about 100 demonstrators were arrested at the YMCA.

Several protesters at  the YMCA appeared to be put hard to the ground as police moved in and at least one protester had blood on his face.

Protesters chanted, "Let us disperse," but instead were taken one by one for police processing.

Some protesters claimed they were trying to flee police by running through the YMCA rather than take over the building.

Later in the evening, about 100 police officers surrounded City Hall while others swept the inside of the building.

Police arrived after protesters had broken into City Hall, stole an American flag from the council chamber and set it ablaze, the Oakland Tribune reported. Officers stomped out the fire.

Earlier, protesters met at Frank Ogawa Plaza around noon and marched toward the convention center in hopes of making it their new meeting place and social center, NBCBayArea.com reported.

Read NBCBayArea.com coverage of the protest

Oakland officials said about 250 people were in the group when the protest started but the crowd grew to about 2,000.

Earlier during the rally one of the organizers, Shake Anderson, said, "We are here to protect each other and to be civil disobedient. ... We're doing it to change the world, not just today but every day."

Stephen Lam / Reuters

Police officers arrest an Occupy Oakland demonstrator during a clash Saturday in Oakland, Calif., where officers fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters who tried to take over a shuttered convention center.

The protesters were walking through Laney College around 2:30 p.m. Some people were wearing bandanas over their mouths and others were holding signs saying, "We are the 99%." A marching band dressed in pink and black tutus and neon pick tights also was in the crowd.

Officer Jeff Thomason said police started making arrests when some in the crowd started throwing objects at them during the afternoon rally. Three officers were injured, police said, but did not elaborate.

@OaklandPoliceCA tweeted around 3 p.m., "Area of Oakland Museum and Kaiser Center severely impacted. Persons cutting and tearing fences for entry. Bottles and objects thrown at OPD."

Once they reached the center, organizers planned to kick off a two-day "Oakland Rise-up Festival" to celebrate the establishment of the movement's new space.

Occupy Oakland spokesman Leo Ritz-Bar said the action would signal "a new direction for the Occupy movement: putting vacant buildings at the service of the community."

Stephen Lam / Reuters

Occupy Oakland demonstrators shield themselves from an explosion Saturday during a confrontation with the police near the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, Calif.

He also warned that protesters could retaliate against any repressive police action by blocking the Oakland International Airport, occupying City Hall or shutting down the Port of Oakland.

City officials said that while they are "committed to facilitating peaceful forms of expression and free speech, police would be prepared to arrest those who break the law.

"The city of Oakland will not be bullied by threats of violence or illegal activity," city administrator Deanna Santana said in a statement issued Friday.

This article includes reporting from NBCBayArea.com, The Associated Press and msnbc.com's Miranda Leitsinger and Alastair Jamieson.

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AP file

Police in Maine are appealing to the public for help in locating Ayla Reynolds.

WATERVILLE, Maine -- Investigators say they've found blood inside the Maine home where a toddler was reported missing six  weeks ago.

State police spokesman Steve McCausland confirmed Saturday that blood was found in the basement early in the investigation into Ayla Reynolds' disappearance from her father's home in Waterville.

Her father, Justin DiPietro, says Ayla was not in her bed when he checked on her the morning of Dec. 17.

McCausland called the discovery of the blood "troubling."

"We have questioned the three adults that were there in the home that night," McCausland told The Associated Press. "We believe they have not given us the full story."

The blood is being analyzed to determine whose it is. McCausland said he didn't know when the results would be available.

Ayla was 20 months old when she disappeared. A vigil for her was being held Saturday in downtown Waterville.

WCVB-TV in Boston first reported the discovery of the blood.

Ayla was staying with her father at the time she was reported missing. Her mother, Trista Reynolds, lives in Portland.

McCausland declined to discuss how much blood was found in the basement or how old it might have been.

WCVB said DiPietro did not return several phone calls for comment.

DePietro has previously said publicly that he would never do anything to hurt his child. He has also said he took and passed a lie detector test -- an assertion Maine State Police would not confirm nor deny.

When asked Saturday if the family members were suspects in Ayla's disappearance, McCausland said, "No one has been ruled in, and no one has been ruled out," according to WCSH-TV.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

CHICAGO – Outraged pastors and community activists on Friday descended upon the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and called for an independent investigation after reports that bodies have been piling up for weeks.

At least one activist openly called for the facility's director, Dr. Nancy L. Jones to step down.

"Somebody needs to be held accountable for what happened," said Dawn Valenti, who works to help families find missing loved ones.

Read original story at NBCChicago.com

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle a day earlier said Jones will remain -- for now -- but called for a top-to-bottom review of the facility.

"This is a reminder of how my ancestors -- how the remains of our ancestors were treated like garbage," Peggy Hudgens said through tears at the building at 2121 W. Harrison St.

Hudgens claimed to have been trying to resolve her brother's death and burial since October.

The issue has been simmering for months, if not years. As many as 363 bodies were reportedly once collected in a cooler designed to hold just 300. Ministers gathered Friday to pray for the deceased and to call for justice.

Anti-violence community activist Andrew Holmes was among the protesters and wondered aloud about the accountability of missing persons at the morgue.

"We want those deceased finger-printed and identified. We still have a lot of missing, unclaimed and missing people that have not been found," he said.

Holmes focused specifically on Carmelita Johnson, a woman who'd gone missing and was ultimately found in the facility. Her family said they tried to find her for more than a year. Johnson has since been buried.

The Illinois Department of Labor said it's also opened an investigation into "worker safety issues."

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A 4-year-old boy brought nine bags of pot to his elementary school and pulled them out during snack time, police said.

A teacher at Hanover Elementary School in Meriden, Conn., alerted officials to the drug early Tuesday afternoon, according to a report in the Record-Journal.  Detective Lt. Mark Walerysiak, a police spokesman, told the newspaper that the child turned over the bags to his teacher.

Walerysiak could not be reached for comment by msnbc.com on Friday.

"The case remains under investigation," Walerysiak told the Record-Journal. The Department of Children and Families "was called in to also conduct an investigation."

School Superintendent Mark D. Benigni called the event “isolated incident,” the newspaper said.

“Our concern is for the 4-year-old student who had no knowledge of what he was bringing to school," Benigni said. "The student is safe and we will continue to ensure a safe learning environment to all of our students."

He said the teacher was close to the child when he pulled the bags out of his coat pocket. No other student was involved, the Record-Journal reported.

Benigni told the newspaper that the child was not at fault. "This is clearly an adult issue," he said.

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