‘Making movie magic’: Louisville earns national recognition as top city for filmmakers

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Joyce Ogirri

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    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WLKY) — Louisville is getting national recognition as a place to shine on the big screen.

For the first time, MovieMaker Magazine has named Louisville one of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, ranking the city 16 out of 25 nationwide.

The list highlights cities offering strong tax incentives, diverse filming locations, a growing crew base, and an overall high quality of life.

“I just want to see us keep working and keep building this. It’s been so nice to watch it come from nothing,” said Andrea Ahl, hairstylist on “Dead Man’s Wire.”

Film professionals say the ranking reflects years of steady, intentional growth.

“We have the majority of our crew and vendors, along with diverse locations, all within 30 to 60 miles of downtown,” said Soozie Eastman, president, Louisville Film Office.

The recognition comes as Kentucky’s film industry continues to expand. Since 2022, hundreds of film and television projects have been approved for tax incentives, bringing millions of dollars in investment to the commonwealth.

One of the most recent productions helping boost Louisville’s profile is “Dead Man’s Wire,” which was released in theaters on Jan. 16.

“It was special, watching the actors every day, seeing the sets, and how hair, makeup, and costumes transformed each character into the 1970s,” said Laura Moser, assistant production coordinator, “Dead Man’s Wire.”

For many filmmakers, Louisville has become more than just a filming location; it’s a place they’ve grown to love.

“I fell in love with the people. I fell in love with the location with Louisville as a city,” said Veronica Radaelli, producer, “Dead Man’s Wire.”

Industry leaders say the national recognition is also helping develop the next generation of film professionals right here at home.

“It came to me. People are realizing you can stay home, be with your family, and still make movie magic,” said John Travisano, set designer, “Dead Man’s Wire.”

Others say being able to work locally makes all the difference.

“It’s nice to go to work and sleep in your own bed instead of having to move away. It’s nice to stay in your hometown and do what you love,” said Trevor Thompson, makeup artist, “Dead Man’s Wire.”

The momentum isn’t slowing down. The deal for “Dead Man’s Wire” was first made at the Sundance Film Festival two years ago.

This year, the president of the Louisville Film Office, Soozie Eastman, is back at Sundance, networking with producers and filmmakers to bring even more productions to Louisville.

As filmmakers across the country take notice, industry leaders say Louisville’s future in film looks brighter than ever.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Family and friends of school bus victims speak on bill to increase bus safety

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Jackie Mundry

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    AUGUSTA, Maine (WMTW) — The families of two Maine boys killed by school buses were in Augusta on Thursday for a public hearing on bus safety legislation.

“I’d hate to see anyone else go through this,” Shane Callahan, the dad of 12-year-old Brayden Callahan, said.

Brayden died after being hit by a school bus in Rockland.

“He was really smart, he loved his Legos, and I’m definitely gonna miss him,” Callahan said.

This bill is gaining bipartisan support in the Transportation Committee. It would increase technology on school buses and mandate that a control arm be installed on every school bus in Maine and deployed at bus stops.

“That stop sign you see, come out that arm come out, to let traffic know that the bus is stopping. The bumper arm goes down as well, and it forces the child to walk, much more in front of the bus so that the bus driver can clearly see that child,” Rep. Valli Geiger, the bill’s sponsor, said.

Family and friends of 5-year-old Simon Gonzalez, who was killed by a bus in Standish, have been advocating for these changes since that day.

“These are Maine’s children,” Jennifer Foster said. “Moving forward, we can’t bring back Simon, we can’t bring back Brayden, but moving forward, with technology in 2026, we need to get these buses up to date.”

This bill isn’t the only push to keep Maine kids safer on buses. Gov. Janet Mills announced a proposal of $4.3 million in her supplemental budget to make school buses safer. Her proposal includes funding the same cross-arm that is in Geiger’s bill, as well as anti-pinch door sensors.

Mills also signed an executive order to establish a commission to review school bus safety issues.

“Just to know that she is looking out for the children of the state makes me feel better about the state,” Callahan said.

During the committee hearing, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle expressed their support for the bill.

Next, it will go to a work session before going to both chambers of the legislature.

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Greenville man sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for robbing same bank twice

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Marissa Barrett

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    MANCHESTER, N.H. (WMUR) — A Greenville man was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for robbing the same bank twice in 11 years.

Prosecutors said 55-year-old Eric Lord was arrested last year after taking more than $8,000 from a TD Bank in New Ipswich.

Officials said he spent some of the stolen money on drugs and lodging.

At the time, Lord was on federal supervised release for a 2014 robbery at the same bank, when he stole $4,000.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in both robberies, Lord passed a note to the bank teller threatening them with a gun.

Authorities said his probation officer helped police identify him.

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Man in Florida set to be executed for 1991 murder of Fort Pierce police officer

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Malcolm Shields, Caleb Califano

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    RAIFORD, Fla. (WPBF) — More than 30 years after the murder of a Fort Pierce Police Department officer, a man is set to be executed.

On Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for Billy Leon Kearse. Kearse, 53, was found guilty of shooting and killing Fort Pierce police Officer Danny Parrish during a traffic stop on Jan. 18, 1991.

Kearse’s execution is scheduled for March 3 at 6 p.m.

“With Gov. DeSantis’ courageous act, it is hoped that the Parrish family can finally find peace and repose,” Thomas Bakkedahl, the state attorney for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, said in a statement to WPBF 25 News Thursday evening.

The 19th Judicial Circuit includes Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River counties.

“It’s bittersweet because I’m not an evil person. I don’t wish harm or death on anybody and to think that somebody is going to lose their life is not what I want, but at the same token, it gives me that closure of the final step that I’ve been fighting for, for years,” Mirtha Busbin, the widow of Officer Parrish, told WPBF 25 News on Thursday night.

According to court documents, during the traffic stop, Kearse was ordered out of his vehicle by Officer Parrish and attempted to handcuff Kearse after Kearse did not produce a driver’s license.

Kearse was traveling the wrong way on a one-way street.

A scuffle occurred and Kearse grabbed Officer Parrish’s firearm and shot Parrish 13 times, including four bullets in Parrish’s bulletproof vest.

Officer Parrish was taken to a hospital, where he died from the injuries sustained.

A taxi driver, who was in the area and heard the shots, saw Kearse’s vehicle drive away.

The taxi driver called for assistance on Officer Parrish’s radio.

Kearse was convicted on Oct. 22, 1991, of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm and was sentenced to death on March 24, 1997.

Busbin, who works for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office as a Victim Assistance, was informed of the governor’s signing on Thursday.

“I got the call this afternoon from the Attorney General’s Office and, you know, I, automatically, normal reaction, start crying. I couldn’t believe it,” Busbin said.

Working with the State Attorney’s Office and writing a number of letters to DeSantis, Busbin hoped DeSantis would sign the death warrant before the end of his final term.

On Thursday evening, she finally got that confirmation.

“I submitted everything, and I hadn’t heard back,” Busbin said. “And then when she called me this afternoon and told me, yeah, I was totally in shock. I was just like, ‘oh my gosh, it’s an answered prayer.'”

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‘Totally illegal’ attorney says he plans to sue Marion County Sheriff’s Office

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Hayley Crombleholme

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    MARION COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) — Two members of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office are accused of detaining one of their own and violating his rights against warrantless searches and seizures.

“Illegal arrest, illegal detention, illegal search, illegal everything. Literally the whole case is totally illegal,” Attorney Anthony Sabatini said of an incident involving his client, Jeremiah Ricketts, a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

According to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Ricketts’ wife is also a Marion County deputy, and in December 2025, she requested law enforcement retrieve her patrol car and equipment she left inside of it from their home in Grand Island because of their “current domestic situation.”

The report says she told deputies the items that should have been inside included a rifle, a pistol, a duty belt, and more.

According to administrative review documents from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lt. Benjamen Adams and Sgt. Jeffrey Boyles picked up the patrol car, but didn’t find the equipment inside.

The review documents say they went back to the home and confronted Ricketts, who the arrest reports claim was “currently on suspension”. But disciplinary documents for Ricketts shared by the Sheriff’s Office only seem to show an eight-hour suspension from 2024.

“You can use that keypad, go get the gear, show us where it is. We are collecting the gear,” one of the members of the sheriff’s office can be heard saying in body camera video of the encounter.

The exchange goes on, and Ricketts is told he’s being detained.

“You have authority to detain in Lake County?” Ricketts asks.

“Yes, I do,” a member of the sheriff’s office said.

Ricketts was ultimately put in handcuffs.

Though it’s redacted from the body camera video released by the sheriff’s office, administrative review documents said Ricketts handcuffs were removed and he, Boyles and Adams went into the home, but didn’t find the equipment and says after Adams “becomes accusatory” and asks what he did with the equipment, Ricketts asked them to leave his house saying he does not consent to any of this.

From there, it says Ricketts was handcuffed again, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was called out. Their arrest report says ultimately some of the missing items were found inside the home, and that Ricketts was being charged with armed burglary, grand theft of police equipment, and grand theft of a firearm.

Sabatini represented Ricketts in that case, which ultimately wouldn’t go forward. The State Attorney’s Office filed an announcement of no information on the grounds that the evidence was legally insufficient to prove guilt.

“I was thrown out because it was a completely illegal behavior by the police,” Sabatini said.

In an interview with Boyles included in the administrative review documents, Boyles said he believed the Florida statute related to “Fresh Pursuit” gave them the authority to detain Ricketts, as did Adams in his own interview.

Adams also said he believed that he did not coerce Ricketts.

Documents from the sheriff’s office say Boyles and Adams were found to violate warrantless searches and seizures, dereliction of duty, and use of discretion by supervisors.

Documents shared by the sheriff’s office say Adams was demoted to sergeant and suspended for 30 days. Boyles was demoted to corporal and suspended for 20 days. The sheriff’s office said they have appealed those findings.

WESH 2 asked Sabatini about his client’s current status with the department. He said he is on administrative leave. The Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed Ricketts current status with the department.

Sabatini said he plans to file a civil lawsuit against the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

“Unlawful detention, unlawful arrest, the were no jurisdiction. There was no basis for what they did; they violated his rights to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures, they came into his house illegally, so there was a lot going on there was a lot of different constitutional violations in this case,” Sabatini said.

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Cold-stunned sea turtles rescued in Florida’s Panhandle

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Alexandra Igoe

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    GULF COUNTY, Fla. (WBBH) — Sea turtles in St. Joseph Bay were rescued by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute after becoming cold-stunned due to dropping water temperatures below 50°F.

Members of the Sea Turtle Stranding Team from the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute responded to the call to rescue the cold-stunned sea turtles.

The turtles were removed from the water and taken in to be evaluated and warmed.

If you see injured, distressed or dead sea turtles, report it.

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Friday flurries & warming trend into the weekend

KIFI on January 30, 2026

Danielle Mullenix

We jump into the weekend with warm conditions, low clouds, and light snow showers through portions of Saturday. On Friday morning, patchy dense fog and ice are likely, with a low in the lower 20s. High pressure will bring in above-average temperatures, with cloud coverage riding in from the Northwest Pacific.

For Friday afternoon, our forecast remains mostly cloudy and a low risk of snow. Most of the snow flurries and showers will be east of the Snake River Plain. Temperatures will peak in the upper 30’s for the Snake River Plain, with a light north wind. Moisture from the high-pressure system moving inland toward us will mainly be in the form of cloud coverage, thus increasing the likelihood of a flurry mix for the weekend. Lightly scattered snow could develop later into Friday afternoon and spread across the Western Wyoming border.

Will see temperatures continue to climb into above-average numbers throughout the weekend. High pressure will dominate the forecast moving into the first week of February. A weak shortwave will arrive on Monday, bringing a dip into cooler temperatures and a slight chance of snow flurries in mountainous areas at the start of the week.

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‘He is the reason’: Veteran credits service dog for saving his life

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Jennifer Franciotti

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    SEVERNA PARK, Md. (WBAL) — A U.S. Army veteran is crediting America’s VetDogs with saving his life after losing all hope while dealing with the aftermath of injuries — including loss of mobility, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

With his soulful eyes and gentle spirit, Mark Patton is the first to tell you that his dog, Shayne, is the reason why he is still alive.

“He is the reason,” Patton told WBAL-TV 11 News. “I am not sure I would have been around for Christmas this year without Shayne, and that’s scary to think of. But it really is that powerful.”

Patton suffered multiple serious injuries while serving for more than 20 years, mostly overseas in countries like Iraq and Kuwait.

“Multiple traumatic brain injuries, (even) one where I was in a coma,” Patton said. “We were in a vehicle rollover in a Humvee, and my right leg got pinned down. This is not my original nose.”

After medical retirement two years ago, Patton lost his ability to walk.

“I had lost so much of my independence. It was really hard,” Patton told WBAL-TV 11 News. “I had lost hope. I had no reason to live.”

After almost a year on a waitlist, Patton was matched with Shayne in October at the America’s VetDogs facility in New York.

“It felt like a reunion even though I had never met him,” Patton told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Shayne provides mobility and support for PTSD to Patton.

“My wife and kids, I would wake up crying and screaming and wake them up. And now, he wakes me up and it’s just a relief,” Patton told WBAL-TV 11 News. “The first time he did (the) REST command, where he comes and he does pressure therapy, it regulated my breathing right away. I have this door, the heaviest commercial-grade door. I can give him a command, and he can open doors for me.”

America’s VetDogs provides veterans, active-duty service members and first responders who have disabilities with a fully trained service dog, like Shayne, for free. It costs the nonprofit organization more than $50,000 to breed or raise and train just one dog.

“They are the reason that I’m here, and it’s a gift that keeps on giving,” Patton told WBAL-TV 11 News.

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Explosion reported at metal fabricating plant in Washington County

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Mike Clark

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    SMITH TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WTAE) — Four people were taken to the hospital after a reported explosion at a metal fabricating plant Thursday night, Washington County emergency dispatchers said.

A hazardous materials team was called to the Langeloth Metallurgical Company facility on Langeloth Road in Smith Township.

“Apparently, they were transferring some kind of chemical from a tanker to a stationary tank, and something went wrong and something exploded,” Smith Township Fire Chief Brandon Kriznik said.

The incident was reported at about 6:15 p.m.

Washington County officials issued a shelter-in-place notice for the Langeloth neighborhood because of concerns about a potential release of hydrogen peroxide into the air. That notice has since been lifted.

“Everything’s good. There was nothing released that can harm anybody, and everybody can rest tonight knowing that everything’s good here,” Kriznik said.

Washington County Emergency Management has notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which emergency management officials said is standard procedure in a chemical incident.

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Kiah Duggins: Remembering a bright, beautiful woman who lived a lifetime in just 30 years

CNN Newsource on January 30, 2026

By Deb Farris

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    WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — Kiah Duggins was just 30 years-old when she died in the crash of Flight 5342. At such a young age, she was already so accomplished. Setting goals for herself as young as 10 years-old. Her mom describes her daughter as inquisitive and compassionate, standing up for the underdog all throughout her life.

“My faith in God. That is what got me through,” said her mom, Gwen Duggins. “I’m so grateful that I got to birth such an amazing human like Kiah and that’s what really gets me through.”

Gwen Duggins relies on her faith. In a year filled with grief. As she remembers her firstborn, Kiah. A daughter who lived a lifetime of adventure in her short 30 years.

“She was my child, but she was a remarkable human being and an incredible role model for young women to pursue your dreams and to never limit yourself in what you can do,” said Gwen. “And I think that’s a story every young woman needs to hear.”

Curious, smart and caring. Kiah started young. In first grade, she came home with her first idea.

“When she was young, she came home from school one day and was like, ‘Mom, I want to write a petition,’” said Gwen. “She was in first grade, and I was like, ‘a petition for what?’ And she’s like, ‘Well, you know, I’ve just noticed that the letter c is really not needed in the alphabet. It just copies k and s, and so we really could have a 25-letter alphabet.’”

By age 10, she had already set goals.

“She came to my husband and I and opened a notebook, ‘Mom and Dad, here are my five and 10-year goals,’ and she was 10 years-old,” said Gwen.

Kiah achieved things in her life that most could only dream of. An accomplished ballet dancer. She graduated from East High School’s International Baccalaureate Program, at the top of her class, Summa Cum Laude from Wichita State with several degrees.

“I think in college is where she found her voice in advocating for others, and decided that in order to change the system, you have to know the system from the inside out,” said Gwen. “And so she decided to become an attorney for that very reason.”

One of the highlights of her life was interning with her idol, former First Lady Michelle Obama, in the White House for five months, helping with the ‘Let Girls Learn Initiative’.

Then shortly after college, Kiah became a Fulbright Scholar, moving 8,000 miles from home to a tiny town in Taiwan where she taught English to elementary students for a year.

“It was very hard for me having her 8,000 miles away,” said Gwen. “But she insisted, and she loved it, and I got to take my first international trip because we went to visit her when she lived in Taiwan, and she says it was the best experience of her entire life.”

Kiah then turned to law school, graduating from Harvard.

“Kiah had very lofty goals, and one of the reasons she wanted to go to Harvard is she felt like, as a woman of color, people don’t really listen to you,” she said. “ And she said, ‘Mom, maybe if I have Harvard behind my name, it’ll give me a little bit of clout, and maybe people will listen.’”

In January of 2025, doctors diagnosed Gwen with breast cancer for the second time. Kiah insisted on coming home from D.C., where she was a civil rights attorney, for her mom’s surgery.

“A friend of ours knew that Kiah had come home for my surgery, and she was watching CNN, and she saw the news of the crash,” said Gwen. “So she called my husband and asked if Kiah was still in Wichita. And we were like, ‘No, she left a couple of hours ago. And so once we knew the flight number, we knew that Kiah was on that flight.”

And that was it. The beautiful, brilliant and bright light of her daughter was gone. Along with 66 other lives on flight 5342 and the army helicopter it collided with.

“So I, you know, wailed and cried and then at about 4:00 that morning, I had intense chest pain and called my surgeon,” said Gwen. “I ended up having to go back into the hospital to remove hematomas and blood clots that had formed from me grieving.”

Kiah’s body would be one of the last recovered. More waiting, more anguish. Now, the Duggins try to move on without her.

“I love talking about her and who she was, because I believe that it’s important for young people to understand that even somebody from Wichita, Kansas who went to Wichita Public Schools can really make an impact on the world,” said Gwen. “And that’s the thing that we have seen the most since she passed. Her impact and her reach was incredible and far more incredible than we even knew.”

While in college, Kiah started her dream of starting a nonprofit for underrepresented girls, a college readiness program she named The Princess Project.

“She named it that because, when she was young, someone told her that princesses were not brown, and so she understood that with her gifts and the privilege that she had been given, that she could be that metaphorical princess for a lot of girls and help them to see that they could reach their goals and their full potential,” said Gwen.

Since her death, her family has renamed it Kiah’s Princess Project. They hope to start working with girls starting in the fall. One more way Kiah’s legacy will live on.

“What makes me really sad is the world lost some amazing humans,” said Gwen. “And you know, the world doesn’t get to experience their light and their gift and their genius, and that’s really hard. You know, as I read about other families, I wept, amazing human beings on that flight with my daughter. So it’s not even just losing my daughter, but the collective loss is incredible.”

After Kiah’s death, Barack and Michelle Obama sent a letter to Kiah’s parents sharing their grief and what an incredible person she was.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.