TODAY: Assist local families this holiday season by helping News Channel 3 and SunLine ‘Fill the Bus’

KESQ on November 18, 2025

KESQ News Team

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Help local families this holiday season – It all starts this Thursday with the News Channel 3 and SunLine Transit Agency “Fill the Bus” event.

We need your help to fill buses with non-perishable food items and hygiene products that will go to local families for the holidays.

You can drop off your donations at the Walmart on Monterey in Palm Desert, or at the Ralph’s at Smoke Tree Village in Palm Springs.

Join News Channel 3 and SunLine Transit this Thursday, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. – to help us Fill the Bus.

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Deputies capture escaped inmate after bike theft, pond chase

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Frances Lin

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    SUMTER COUNTY, Florida (WFTS) — According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), deputies from Sumter and Citrus counties worked together Sunday night to capture an escaped inmate who authorities said fled from a jail kitchen work detail, stole an e-bike and a vehicle, and tried to hide in a pond.

Deputies said Joseph Brown, 39, removed the top of his green and white striped inmate uniform about 50 yards east of the jail kitchens before escaping.

A search involving K-9 units, deputies, drones, and helicopters from both counties began quickly, with Brown later spotted on a doorbell camera taking a white e-bike from a home on North Jasper Street.

Deputies determined Brown also stole a vehicle and was in the area of County Road 675. He ran into a pond in an attempt to hide but was found and exited without problems.

Officials said new security measures are being implemented to prevent similar escapes in the future.

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U.S. Marshal announces results of Florida-based child rescue operation

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Kiley Vaughan

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — The United States Marshals Service (USMS) said it led a Florida-based youth recovery initiative resulting in the recovery or safe location of 122 missing or endangered children.

This joint multi-disciplinary task force operated for two weeks and located or recovered vulnerable children belonging to multiple Florida metropolitan areas.

The release said it recovered 57 youth individuals belonging to the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. USMS also said it recovered 14 belonging to the Orlando metropolitan area, 22 belonging to the Jacksonville metropolitan area and 29 belonging to the Fort Myers metropolitan area.

The U.S. Marshal held a press conference in Tampa on Nov. 17.

This initiative was called “Operation Home for the Holidays,” and the release the goal was to also provide services for those children found.

“What allows our Middle Florida-based child recovery initiatives to stand out is the emphasis placed on what happens after. We know these children will have needs once we find them. It only makes sense to build these operations alongside like-minded partners from across the child welfare space, ” said Bill Berger, United States Marshal – Middle District of Florida.

The operation’s partners located or recovered children across Florida and in nine other states, and the USMS said some of these kids disclosed experiences relating to various types of abuse and proximity to other criminal activity.

USMS said these allegations, in conjunction with information developed by the task force, led to six felony arrests. Several other criminal investigations are active following information found through the operation, and additional felony arrests are anticipated, per USMS.

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Shocking video shows black bear chasing boy into Family Dollar

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Shelley Bortz

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    Pennsylvania (KDKA) — An 11-year-old boy ran into a Pennsylvania Family Dollar with a black bear right behind him. The bear charged through the front doors, sending the boy and the cashier scrambling for cover. The moment the bear leapt over the front counter was caught on video.

“I was like, ‘I’m probably going to get eaten by a bear,'” Cole Frazee said.

Boy recounts outrunning bear

Frazee said he and his dad stopped to grab a few things at the Family Dollar in Markleysburg. Cole went outside to see what was taking his dad so long, and that’s when he saw it: a black bear looking right at him.

At first, Frazee thought it was going to turn around. Instead, it started chasing him.

“When it runs after me, I turn around, I run in the store, I’m screaming and stuff. The thing was like a foot and a half away from me,” Frazee said.

“I took a left and the bear went straight,” he said.

Frazee says his heart was pounding as he raced up and down the aisles trying to escape the bear. The only other person inside the store was the cashier, so he ran to her for help. She grabbed Frazee and they both jumped on top of the counter to get a better view. The moment the bear turned and walked toward the back, they saw their only chance.

“She grabbed her coat, the keys and the phone and we ran out of there. When we ran out of there, we all got in the car,” Frazee said.

Video captures bear on counter Seconds later, the bear returns to the front of the store, and that’s when the video captures it leaping over the counter where Frazee had just been. The bear stayed inside the store for about 10 minutes, wandering around before finally finding its way out. Meantime, outside, sitting in a locked car, Frazee says he finally felt safe.

“I was relieved,” he said. “It was definitely a crazy experience.”

It’s an experience he’ll share for years to come, and it started Monday at school. Frazee said when his friends found out what happened, they couldn’t believe it. He’ll be forever known as the boy who outran a bear.

“That’s like one in a million right there,” he said.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says bears are actively searching for food this time of year, and that leads to sometimes dangerous and unexpected encounters.

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Slap Me Some Skin

KRDO on November 18, 2025

Rob Namnoum

Top prep playoff performances for the week of November 14th.

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Woman gives birth in car minutes after hospital told her to leave, despite being in obvious pain, family says

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Asal Rezaei

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    Indiana (WBBM) — A mother says she gave birth to her baby in a car minutes after being turned away from a hospital over the weekend in Crown Point, Indiana. Video shows her being wheeled out by hospital staff, and she’s clearly in pain.

Mercedes Wells and her baby are now recovering at a different hospital in Munster.

The videos posted by her family online have quickly gone viral. The footage shows Wells being pushed down the hallway in a wheelchair at Franciscan Health Crown Point.

Her family said she was in active labor, but hospital staff told her that because she was only dilated three centimeters, she would have to come back later.

Wells’ sister-in-law, Cherice Joy Thomspon, said they were visiting family in Indiana, and the baby wasn’t due for another couple of weeks.

“I feel like my family’s rights have been violated,” she said.

Eight minutes after being discharged from Franciscan Health, Wells’ baby was born in the family’s car, according to Thompson.

“She said, ‘I’ve got to push.’ … He was driving with one hand, ripped her pants off with the other hand, and looked down, and he said he could see the baby’s head. And he was like, ‘Oh my God, here’s the baby’s head,'” Thompson said. “He grabbed a blanket, caught the baby, and then put the baby on my sister-in-law’s chest, Mercedes’ chest, and the umbilical, everything was still attached, and they kept on driving.”

The family said 911 dispatchers were on the phone with them at the time, and led them to Community Hospital in Munster, where they were welcomed with open arms. Thompson said they’re grateful for the staff at Community Hospital, where Wells and her baby were recovering on Monday.

“911 was able to call the hospital and give them notice that they were coming, and so there were 15 doctors and nurses outside waiting for them to arrive,” Thompson said.

She called her brother a hero.

“He was able to be calm and deliver his baby in that kind of pressure,” she said.

Thompson shared how Wells is feeling now.

“When I went to the hospital yesterday, when I opened up the door, Mercedes saw me, she just started crying, because she feels violated, she feels unheard. You know, she feels dismissed,” she said.

The family said they hope hospital staff who turned Wells away are held responsible.

Franciscan Health said they’ve opened an internal investigation into what happened.

Full statement from Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady “We are aware of the video and the concerns expressed on social media regarding the discharge of a pregnant patient from Franciscan Health Crown Point. We are grateful to learn from online and media reports that both mother and child are reportedly doing well.

“The video and the comments it has generated are deeply troubling, and we understand the concern this has raised. The video is just one part of the information we are reviewing as part of a thorough investigation into this alleged incident.

“While patient privacy laws make it difficult for us to comment more deeply, it is important to note that the videos and the narrative surrounding them do not accurately represent Franciscan Health Crown Point’s Catholic healthcare ministry’s values, which include respect for life, compassionate concern and Christian stewardship. Our goal is to make everyone who walks through our doors feel the love of Christ through our actions.

“The reality is disparities in healthcare outcomes exist and Franciscan Health Crown Point strives to be part of the solution, not the problem.

“We remain committed to meeting and exceeding all regulations and best practices for care, and we will take appropriate action based on the findings of our review.”

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Woman set on fire during fight on CTA train in Chicago’s Loop

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Jermont Terry, Darius Johnson, Elyssa Kaufman

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — An arson investigation is underway after a woman was set on fire while riding a CTA Blue Line in Chicago’s Loop on Monday night.

According to Chicago police, a 26-year-old woman got into an argument with a 45-year-old man while on a train at Clark and Lake streets around 9:25 p.m. Police said the fight escalated when the man poured a liquid on the woman and set her on fire.

Police said the woman got off the train and collapsed on the platform. A witness told CBS Chicago they saw the victim jump off the train and bystanders come to her aid.

She sustained severe burns and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

CBS Chicago has obtained video of the aftermath, which shows a woman with significant burns on her head.

No arrests have been made.

Chicago police arson detectives are investigating.

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Dry summer means smaller and fewer fish at the American Falls Reservoir

KIFI on November 18, 2025

Chris Nestman

With water levels dropping as low as 3% capacity, fishing conditions at the American Falls reservoir have dropped significantly this past year.

“The American Falls Reservoir was built for flood control and to serve irrigation needs,” said Patrick Kennedy, the regional fisheries manager at the Idaho Fish and Game. “Demand was high this year, and and so they they drew the reservoir down to meet that demand.”

When water levels drop that low, water temperatures tend to warm, oxygen levels deplete, and “Fish survival rates decrease,” said Kennedy.

When this happens fish tend to leave the region for survival. Some go upstream, but many go downstream where they run into a similar problem. Plus, once winter does hit, flows out of the American Falls reservoir are reduced to help slowly fill up the lake. That further decreases water quality for the fish that did make the trip downstream.

Fish and Game did pull off a major restocking this fall as the reservoir slowly fills up to combat this loss of fish.

“We have already stocked back 42,000 catchable sized trout. Those are 8 to 12 inches in size,” said Kennedy. “and we stocked 250,000 fingerlings; rainbow trout and fingerling sizes are 3 to 4 inches in size”

The restock is welcome, but it does mean that a reservoir known for some large “trophy catches” won’t have fish of that size for next year’s season. Something that’s a bummer for local anglers.

“Normally, with the habitat and water source and quality that they have, it tends to grow very large fish very rapidly,” said AJ an experienced fisherman with Fish Fly Food Jimmy’s in Idaho Falls.

AJ and his coworkers regularly help visiting anglers know where to go to find the best fishing. He says while the American Falls Reservoir recovers, there are other good spots for fishermen to go if they’re looking for that mountable “trophy catch.”

“I would say Chesterfield, Henry’s Lake, South Fork of the Snake River are good spots,” said AJ. “Kind of variable with species, but there are lots of trophies to be caught in waters nearby.”

Back at the American Falls Reservoir, Patrick Kennedy with the Idaho Fish and Game says the system will recover, and people will be catching large fish in the lake in no time.

“The dam was built for irrigation purposes and flood control. and and we made a fishery out of it by stocking fish years ago,” said Kennedy. “And we can do it again. It will recover.”

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Neighbors recall rushing to help family hurt in explosion, seeing children with burns

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Leticia Juarez

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    CHINO HILLS, California (KABC) — A home in Chino Hills was partially destroyed in an explosion on Sunday, which injured eight people and damaged two other homes.

Children were among the victims hurt in the blast. The Chino Valley Fire District confirmed the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

“I thought it was a third World War. I thought it was a missile,” said neighbor Larry Lubak.

It was no missile that struck the home on Sierra Vista Drive in Chino Hills Sunday afternoon.

According to a GoFundMe page set up for the Sotelo Family, they had arrived home when one of the children turned on a lamp, and the home exploded.

“My son and I were cooking, and all of the sudden, the house just shook, just really hard,” neighbor Monica Kelly said. “And I told my son, ‘That was an earthquake,’ and he said, ‘No, mom. Something exploded.'”

AIR7 captured images of the destruction and devastation that rocked the Los Serranos neighborhood around 3:45 p.m.

The explosion blew out windows and sent neighbors running outside, unprepared for what they saw next.

“The people next door were screaming. A girl was out in the middle of the street. One of the kids, one of the younger kids, his hair, I guess, got torched,” Larry said.

“The whole house was lying on the ground, you know, the whole front of it… gone,” Larry’s wife, Mary Ellen Luback, said.

“We got out, and I asked, ‘Do they need help?’ And then they said, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And I said, ‘Get them in the car. Get them in the car, and we’ll drive there. I will drive them to the hospital,'” Kelly said.

Kelly rushed four of the victims, including the children’s mother, to the hospital. Another four were taken by ambulance to a burn center, according to the GoFundMe page.

The family of eight suffered from first, second and third-degree burns.

On Monday afternoon, SoCal Gas was out assessing the damage and investigating the cause of the gas leak. Workers were seen jackhammering in the street.

Meanwhile, neighbors like the Lebaks, who live next door to the Sotelo Family, are praying for their recovery.

“They are wonderful people, wonderful little family, big family, and they are very kind to us,” Mary Ellen said.

According to the GoFundMe page, at least two of the children had to be intubated as they continue their treatment. Further details about the other victims’ conditions were not immediately available.

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Neighbors kayak in the streets as Long Beach is hit with street flooding

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Tim Pulliam

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    LONG BEACH, California (KABC) — Long Beach dealt with major street flooding on Saturday after a storm brought heavy rain through the area.

Many neighborhood streets looked like rivers, and some residents even got out on the water on kayaks.

Although the water had drained by Saturday night, many neighbors say they aren’t taking any chances with more rain in the forecast. Eyewitness News spotted many homes with sandbags outside.

Neighbors on Naples Lane in Long Beach sloshed through murky rainwater on Saturday.

Tim Morrisse captured video of flooded streets around his neighborhood. One shot shows his dog trying to wade through the water.

Forget the beach — families made the most of the weather event. The rainstorm transformed their neighborhood sidewalk and street into a shallow pool.

“The water just started coming up really fast,” Morrisse said.

Overnight, Long Beach was walloped by water. Neighbors took cover underneath hoodies and umbrellas.

By Saturday afternoon, Morrisse and his neighbors living near Naples Lane and Ravenna Drive were overwhelmed. He admits he was not completely prepared for the rain.

Video shows the water getting too close to residents’ garages.

“I put some sandbags around the house. It’s almost in the house. It’s a little scary,” Morrisse said.

Morrisse said this typically happens when there’s heavy rain and storm drains are clogged, and he believes this is one of the worst times he’s seen the flooding.

The Long Beach Public Works Department said there was a power outage that caused a couple of L.A. County-maintained pumps to go offline. Officials said work is being done to minimize the impact.

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