Imperial County approves first cannabis lounge in Winterhaven

KYMA on October 1, 2025

Adrik Vargas

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – The Imperial County Board of Supervisors has approved a new cannabis dispensary and lounge in Winterhaven.

The project will move into the old Jimmy’s Market building on Railroad Avenue, with a retail area in front and a lounge in the back where customers can consume cannabis products.

The proposal was originally denied by the county’s planning commission, but San Diego-based WH Lounge LLC appealed, and supervisors gave the green-light in a four-to-one vote.

Board Chairman John Hawk was the lone vote against.

“I would be much more inclined to say, take your drug to your home where you’re not going to endanger the public…and do it in the privacy of your home,” Hawk said. “I don’t see the idea and the value of having a consumption lounge, which bothers me as a driver, as of a grandfather watching my kids, my grandkids or whatever, driving and knowing that they could, be impaired or hit by someone that’s intoxicated.”

An economic consultant estimates the project could bring in more than $24 million over the next 30 years.

Local cannabis business owner Angel Fernandez said it comes down to personal responsibility.

“Driving under impairment is definitely a concern. But I would associate the same concern that any business or any, municipality should have over having a bar,” Fernandez said. “In all its forms, cannabis business’ is contributing to the township of Winterhaven, it’s definitely providing jobs there for the small town.”

The new lounge is expected to create seven full-time jobs, though no groundbreaking date has been set.

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Councilman accused of using title for special treatment during son’s traffic stop

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Ashley Paul

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    HARFORD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — A Harford County councilman is being asked to resign after the police union accused him of using his title to seek special treatment during his stepson’s traffic stop in June.

The Harford County Fraternal Order of Police released body camera footage showing what was said.

In the video, you see Aberdeen City Councilman Tim Lindecamp introduce himself to officers.

“I’m city councilman Tim Lindecamp. We live two blocks away. He can’t drive the car two blocks?” Lindecamp said.

The June 26 incident is now calling into question whether Lindecamp behaved ethically when his son was pulled over due to a lapse in insurance.

Lindecamp said he does not plan to resign from the council and will go forward with the November election.

The Aberdeen Police chief tells WJZ in a statement, “Every allegation was thoroughly investigated by the Aberdeen Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division. The investigation determined that no policies were violated by any member of the department.”

Requests for comment from the MVA and the FOP also went unanswered.

Lindecamp told WJZ that there was never a lapse in his insurance, but a glitch with the MVA showed otherwise.

He said his son had proof of insurance, but the officer wouldn’t look at it.

“They didn’t want to hear that. I went down to help him,” Lindecamp said. “I did introduce myself as a councilman because it was 1:30 in the morning and I wanted them to know who I was.”

A letter sent Monday to Lindecamp from the Harford County Fraternal Order of Police accused Lindecamp of using his title to get his son out of trouble.

The letter reads in part, “The Executive Board became aware of the allegations involving your unethical, and possibly unlawful conduct, when you voluntarily inserted yourself and your authority as an Aberdeen City Councilman.”

It goes on to say, “Your actions are a blatant erosion of the public’s trust and have tarnished your standing as a public official.”

“I was surprised they want me to resign, but I wasn’t surprised they sent it to me because I’ve been battling with the chief so much. I knew there was going to be retaliation,” Lindecamp responded.

Lindecamp had been advocating for a larger patrol unit within the police department by lessening the number of command positions, which he said has caused a rift between him and the chief.

He says this situation was blown out of proportion now, three months later, to smear his campaign because he is up for reelection in November.

WJZ asked Lindecamp how he would respond to people who say he identified himself as a councilmember in hopes of receiving special treatment.

“Special treatment? I told them they could take the tags at any time.” Lindecamp said. “I was trying to get the car stopped from being impounded. That’s all I was trying to do.”

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Treasure Coast salvage crew recovers over $1 million in gold and silver coins from 1715 shipwreck

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Emma Romano

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    VERO BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — Over $1 million worth of silver and gold coins were recovered on the Treasure Coast by Queens Jewels, LLC, a historic shipwreck operation that owns the salvage rights to the remains of the 1715 Treasure Fleet Shipwreck.

During the 2025 summer salvage season, Capt. Levin Shavers and the crew of the M/V Just Right recovered over 1,000 silver coins, known as Reales. They also recovered five gold coins, called Escudos, as well as other rare gold artifacts.

The Treasure Fleet Shipwreck occurred on July 31, 1715, where an estimated $400 million worth of gold, silver and jewels were lost in the disaster. The fleet was transporting New World riches back to Spain at the time of the wreck. It has been marked as one of the greatest maritime tragedies of the Americas.

“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” said Sal Guttuso, Director of Operations.

“Each coin is a piece of history, a tangible link to the people who lived, worked, and sailed during the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire. Finding 1,000 of them in a single recovery is both rare and extraordinary,” Guttuso said.

Many of the coins, known as pieces of eight, still have visible dates and mint marks engraved on their surface. They were minted in the Spanish colonies of Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.

Experts say the condition of the coins suggests they were part of a single chest or shipment that spilled when a hurricane caused the ship to break apart.

Queens Jewels, LLC works under strict state oversight and archaeological guidelines to continue to uncover missing pieces from the wreck.

“Every find helps piece together the human story of the 1715 fleet,” Guttuso said.

“We are committed to preserving and studying these artifacts so future generations can appreciate their historical significance,” he said.

In a statement from the company, they confirm the recovered coins will undergo careful conservation before being displayed to the public. Plans are underway for select pieces to be exhibited at local museums, offering both Floridians and visitors a chance to witness firsthand the treasures of Florida’s maritime past.

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Local woman shares ‘terrifying’ breast cancer journey for awareness

KVIA on October 1, 2025

Nicole Ardila

Emily Ortega is a local nurse and mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer — now she wants others to know to never wait or hesitate.

“It’s terrifying, it’s terrifying to be going through that type of journey,” said Ortega.

She found a lump in her breast at 38 years old, and didn’t think it could be cancer at first.

“I didn’t believe it, I didn’t know,” said Ortega. “It’s just my mind, ‘Did I hit myself? Is this real?'”

Her diagnosis, Stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, is the most common breast cancer in women.

They also found it in her lymph nodes.

Ortega describes that moment with her doctor like an “atomic bomb going off.”

“You can feel it, it’s like this impending sense of doom that’s coming at you,” she said.

She had a double mastectomy done in July. 

“I’ve literally gone through the stages of grief,” she continued. “I just try and focus on the positive.”

This year she says was supposed to be a vacation for her and her kids, but instead, it turned into uncertainty.

“They missed out on good memories, good summer memories, and I have this obligation to make it up to them.”

But that’s not her only goal once she gets through this. As many bad days she has, she tries hard to remain positive.

She hopes to go into oncology as a nurse or research, become a advocate for those with cancer.

Her mother put on a car show to bring the community together to raise funds for her treatment.

It left Ortega shocked on how much strangers can care about each other.

“It was more of a sense of community and a sense of support that I felt,” she said. “And me going into my sessions this week, it it gives me a little bit of like, ‘okay, you got this, you got this.'”

She’s also BRCA 2 positive, which means she’s susceptible to ovarian and pancreatic cancer — something she says she will have to deal with eventually, but her priority is beating breast cancer.

If you’d also like to support Ortega, go to her GoFundMe page, here.

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Olde Towne Elkhorn thinking of preservation after National Register designation

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Jill Lamkins

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    ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — Olde Towne Elkhorn applies for Neighborhood Conservation Enhancement District status to protect historic buildings and character.

Earlier this year, Olde Towne Elkhorn was added to the National Register of Historic Places. For business owners on Main Street like Amy Anderson, it’s reassuring knowing these old buildings will be protected. The title gives special zoning rules that promote development while preserving the area’s character. BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Olde Towne Elkhorn is seeking additional protections from the city of Omaha to preserve and improve its unique character as downtown neighbors celebrate the area’s ongoing progress.

Earlier this year, Olde Towne Elkhorn, formally known as the Elkhorn Commercial Historic District, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Now, an application is being submitted to the city of Omaha to recognize it as a Neighborhood Conservation Enhancement District.

For business owners on Main Street like Amy Anderson, it’s reassuring knowing these old buildings will be protected.

“I know the building Little Scandinavia is in is from 1919 and so it was a bank originally and we have so many of the original parts of it are still there and that’s the case for many of the buildings down here and so we’re just excited to have another layer of, way to honor that and celebrate that and protect that,” Anderson said.

Right now there are eight other NCEs in Omaha including Millwork Commons and Dundee at 50th and Underwood.

The title gives special zoning rules that promote development while preserving the area’s character.

More projects are underway in the area.

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Wichita police arrest man accused of sexually assaulting a cat

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By KAKE Staff

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    WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — A 27-year-old man who was arrested in Wichita in late August is charged with allegedly sexually abusing a pet cat.

Sedgwick County jail records show Jacob Wilson was arrested on August 27 for cruelty to animals and sodomy with an animal. He was charged with those counts on September 2 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on October 21.

The Wichita Police Department said the cat involved in the incident received immediate medical care and was transferred to the Wichita Animal Action League for continued care and support.

“We can’t even imagine the terror and the agony she went through as she was forcibly assaulted and as she fought for her life,” WAAL said. “Her owner, who knew the perpetrator, took her beloved cat to a local veterinarian who then contacted law enforcement.”

WAAL said the cat, Willow, suffered “pretty horrific internal injuries.” She has “virtually recovered” and is ready for adoption.

“Willow is about four years old, is now spayed, and has the loudest purr you’ll ever hear. She can be a little shy at first with new people. She enjoys being around other cats, kids, and polite dogs. She has excellent litter box skills, loves her lap time, and enjoys sunbathing. She may need to be on an over-the-counter stool softener for life due to her internal injuries. Willow deserves a home who will treasure her.” -Wichita Animal Action League An additional 21 cats were found at the home. They were examined and showed no signs of abuse. Ford said the animals were also placed in the care of WAAL and are being placed into loving homes.

“We are grateful for the swift response of our animal welfare partners and remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all animals in our community,” a release from the Wichita Police Department said. “This is a deeply disturbing case, but we’re grateful the cat survived and is receiving expert care through our partners at the Wichita Animal Action League.”

Wilson remains jailed on $100,000 bond.

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Two arrested for allegedly beating homeless man on Kirkwood Avenue near IU

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Taj Simmons

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    BLOOMINGTON (WRTV) — A 60-year-old homeless man now has no front teeth after he was punched steps away from Indiana University’s Sample Gates over the weekend. The punch was caught on camera and shared on social media.

Bloomington Police say 60-year-old Bobby Ballard was beaten around 11:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street on Friday night. They say a person grabbed Ballard’s phone when he was sitting near People’s Park, and Ballard was hit when he went to confront them about the theft.

BPD arrested two suspects for the aggravated assault on Monday: 25-year-old Avery Williams and 21-year-old Khalil Morris. Indiana University tells WRTV neither man was enrolled at the school.

Another homeless man, 29-year-old Shawn Sullivan, was shot and killed at the intersection of Morton and Howe Streets the same night. Police are still searching for suspects in that case.

Ballard is part of a homeless community that regularly gathers in People’s Park. WRTV spoke with members of the community after police arrested the suspects, but only one person would talk on the record because they were afraid someone else would assault them.

“I’ve always been afraid of that. I always watch my back,” said the person, who wished to remain anonymous. “We don’t want to hurt anybody else, and we don’t want to get hurt ourselves.”

The person said he knew Ballard before the incident and has since talked with him after the assault.

“It hurt to see him with his teeth missing because he’s a good person, and he did not deserve that,” he said.

A fundraiser for Ballard’s dental care has raised more than $8,000 in the three days after the assault.

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MU Health Care to hold emergency medical trainings at Faurot Field

KMIZ on October 1, 2025

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Members of the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine will be going through simulated mass casualty training at Faurot Field Wednesday morning.

MU Health Care spokesperson Eric Maze told ABC 17 News that around 24 emergency medicine resident physicians will be engaging in six different scenarios such as cardiac arrest, a field stampede incident, player spinal injury, etc.

In Wednesday’s training, trainees will use several actors, mannequins and the Shelden Simulation Mobile Laboratory to help simulate medical incidents on the field.

According to MU Health Care, this training is to make sure physicians are prepared for multiple types of emergencies beyond the walls of the hospital, including at Mizzou football games.

Wednesday’s training will begin at 9 a.m. and continue through noon.

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Latvian man admits role in Kansas scheme to send U.S. aircraft technology to Russia

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Nick Sloan

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    OLATHE, Kan. (KMBC) — A Latvian man has admitted he worked with two Kansas businessmen to secretly funnel U.S. aircraft technology to Russia, even after the war in Ukraine brought tougher sanctions.

Oleg Chistyakov, also known as Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to conspiring to dodge U.S. export laws and filing false paperwork to disguise shipments of restricted avionics equipment.

Prosecutors said Chistyakov teamed up with Kansas residents Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 62, and Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, through their company, KanRus Trading Co.

Together, they bought U.S.-made avionics equipment and moved it overseas to customers in Russia, including the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB.

Court records show Chistyakov often worked from Latvia or through his company in the United Arab Emirates, RosAero FZC.

Prosecutors said the men used false invoices, routed shipments through countries like Laos and the UAE, and shifted money through accounts in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the UAE.

Buyanovsky and Robertson were arrested in Olathe, Kansas, in March 2023 and later pleaded guilty. Chistyakov was extradited from Latvia in August 2024.

As part of his plea deal, Chistyakov admitted he continued the illegal shipments even after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when the U.S. imposed additional sanctions.

He also agreed to give up assets tied to the scheme.

Chistyakov faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on March 10, 2026.

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Mom invents Bottimals, a solution for baby bottle refusal

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Nydia Han and Cheryl Mettendorf

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    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A Chester County mom has birthed a new business after having a hard time bottle-feeding one of her own babies, offering a cute solution to a serious problem many new moms face.

“When I had my son Blake, he was a breastfed baby and we had a really hard time with getting him to take a bottle,” said Julianne Gardner, owner of Bottimals.

The first time Blake refused breast milk in a bottle, Gardner was about to get her first post-partum haircut.

“Just trying to feel like myself again,” she said.

While she was in the salon chair, her husband called.

“My hair was soaking wet and he calls me. I can hear the baby screaming in the background and he said, ‘You have to come home. He won’t take the bottle,'” she recalled.

She soon realized bottle refusal was common, forcing some moms to even quit their jobs.

“That really creates a vicious cycle of stress for a family,” Gardner said.

So she started to search for a solution,

“I worked in research for 13 years. I have a degree in biology,” she said.

She said there’s research that shows the scent of mom elicits the sucking reflex in babies.

And that was the basis for Bottimals, a bottle combined with an animal lovie that has a heart-shaped pad.

“So mom wears it in her bra to actually absorb the scent of her mammary glands,” she said.

When another caregiver feeds the baby, a piece of mom is there.

“You put the pad with mom’s scent in the pocket of the levy, and then it just slides onto the bottle to keep mom’s scent close to the baby,” she explained.

Baby also has a cute stuffed animal for company.

“They can touch it, they can feel it. Babies love sensory objects,” Gardner said.

Gardner launched Bottimals this past June. She has a website and sells the product for $29.99 in 15+ stores.

She said as she was building her biz, she reached out to other baby product entrepreneurs on Linked In and Instagram.

“And I can’t tell you how many people I actually heard back from who were willing to talk to me for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, just to help me get to that next step,” she said.

She’s also grateful for strangers like Maddy Thomford, who tested the product after seeing Julianne’s post on Facebook.

Maddy tried it with her daughter Charlotte the first time she left her then six-month-old with a bottle and Grandma.

“The combination of having that scent, I think of me, and knowing like, okay, this is someone I’m comfortable with. She did great,” said Thomford.

Gardner runs the Bottimals business out of her house in Phoenixville, doing most of her work when her two young kids are sleeping.

“Really, any time that I can fit it into our schedules, so I can still be a mom at the same time,” Gardner added.

Gardner said Bottimals can also be great for any baby who gets distracted while drinking a bottle or just doesn’t seem to want to finish for some reason.

Right now, she has just the bunny Bottimal but said she plans to expand to other animals in the near future.

For more information, visit Bottimals.com.

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