Owner of Franklin dog toy company, Mumbies, turns manufacturing mistake into donation worth $25,000

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By James Groh

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    FRANKLIN (WTMJ) — For one dog in Milwaukee, life is pretty good. Mumble is the face and namesake for a dog treat and chew toy company.

“He constantly gets a royalty as far as treats go off the shelf. Like he’s got his own stick pile over there,” Bradley Will, his owner said.

Mumbies is a dog chew toy and treat company based in Franklin. It was started by Bradley Will in August 2023. They make all-natural dog chews and treats. Ten percent of proceeds go to local rescues and shelters.

“These rescues and shelters are severely under-resourced, and I know a little can go a long way,” Will said.

Will started the company after looking for alternative toys for his dog. Mumble could chew through just about anything. That’s when Will experimented with a type of wood called coffee wood. Mumble loved it. That’s how Mumbies was born. All of the toys are made with upcycled coffee wood. For the dog that can bite through anything, this is for them. And customers love it.

“And we just crossed about a million dollars in sales in about 28 months, which has been a huge blessing,” Will said.

Ultimately, Will wants to financially support shelters and rescues through product sales. That money helps house pets and prevents dogs from being euthanized due to overcrowding. The mission and the product resonate with his customers. Business has been steady, and orders keep coming in. But then a shipment arrived that wasn’t exactly what Will was hoping for.

“So we had a big order we had placed, one of our biggest orders,” Will said. “You know, chews were compromised. The quality was compromised.”

The toys had cracks. Some were big, and others were small. Regardless, the chews were still safe and usable, but not appropriate to sell.

“If we were going to sell this at retail value, it would probably be a little over $25,000, maybe a little bit more. I don’t like saying that. It’s a lot for a small business.”

So Bradley did the next best thing. He’s donating all the boxes full of defective toys. On Saturday, Will is hosting a private giveaway at his Franklin warehouse. He invited about 50 rescues, shelters, and similar organization to come by and pick up a box full of items. For places like Roxz’s Resource in Milwaukee, these donations are invaluable.

“If we don’t get donations from the community, this is gone. We can’t help the pet families in the community that desperately, I mean desperately, need this right now,” Vicky Van Lare, the founder of Roxz’s said.

The non-profit gives away free pet food and toys to thousands of people each year.

“We go through it so fast,” she said.

This unexpected donation will help keep Roxz’s mission alive.

While the donations are primarily for non-profits, some items will be available for the public at the grooming salon, Pet Love. To learn more and get in contact with Mumbies email bradley@mumbies.com

It’s kind of a when life gives you lemons moment. Not ideal, but they’re able to make a difference for dozens of organizations.

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.

Newly released 911 call leads to discovery of missing 11-year-old in Florida

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Hayley Crombleholme

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    FLAGLER COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office released the 911 call on Tuesday that helped lead deputies to a missing 11-year-old boy.

Investigators say Darnell Hairston held the boy for three days, hog-tied him with an extension cord and tortured him. The Sheriff’s Office says this all may have started over comments the boy made about a sexual assault allegedly involving Hairston.

This traffic stop of Hairston, a registered sex offender who deputies allege had a 15-year-old and a missing 11-year-old in his truck, ended with Hairston facing charges, as well as the 15-year-old, who’s accused of taking off in the truck, ramming a cruiser, and crashing.

These arrests might not have happened, and that missing child might not have been found if it weren’t for this 911 call.

The caller tells the operator, “Yes, Ma’am, there’s a child pedophile with two kids in his truck. One’s a runaway,”

“Where are you at, sir?” The operator asks,

“He’s coming down US-1, his name’s Darnell…”

The caller, who knew Hairston and knew he was a registered sex offender, just happened to see him on the road. He dialed 911 after spotting him with what looked like two underage boys in the car.

“How do you know this person?” The operator asked.

“Um, he’s our neighborhood child pedophile, and there’s two missing kids that’s runaway from out there, and he’s got two teenage boys in the back of his truck,” the caller said.

The caller followed the truck down US-1.

“You don’t have to continue following,” the operator told him. But he continued to follow, saying he wouldn’t stop till he saw law enforcement stop Hairston.

FCSO, along with many other local agencies, advises against confronting suspects, as it can put you in danger while gathering information. This included following suspect vehicles.

Deputies ultimately found the truck and, after a bit of a struggle, had Hairston in handcuffs.

As of Tuesday night, Hairston was still being held at the Flagler County Jail.

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.

Woman escapes alleged assault by jumping from Howell apartment window

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Randy Wimbley

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    HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) — A woman jumped from an apartment window to escape an alleged assault in Howell Thursday morning, leaving her 2-year-old son behind with a man she claimed was armed and had assaulted her.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. at the Pine Hills Apartments on Holly Hills Drive near Isbell Street, prompting a massive police response that included evacuating an entire apartment building.

Neighbor Dave Fordyce called 911 on the woman’s behalf after witnessing her escape.

“Come to find out she was claiming that she was raped and the guy had a gun, her two-year-old son was trapped inside the apartment,” Fordyce said.

Cell phone video captured the shirtless, barefoot woman screaming after she reportedly jumped from the apartment window to flee her attacker.

Livingston County Sheriff deputies and Howell police officers swarmed the building as neighbors watched the dramatic scene unfold.

“There was like nine cops outside holding guns and shields, and there was a truck over there and two cars over here,” one neighbor said.

“They evacuated the building, from what I was told, then they had drones flying through the building looking for him, and also they had a sniper, maybe on this roof, to make sure if he came out-they had all kinds of long guns out,” LJ Jackson said.

First responders detected a strong odor of gas from the building, prompting the fire department to shut off the gas supply as a precaution during the evacuation.

Police successfully rescued the 2-year-old boy through an open window of the apartment unit. However, when officers obtained a search warrant and entered the apartment, they found it vacant.

“Come to find out, evidently, the gentleman that allegedly did all this stuff left before the police got here, so he’s still out running around,” Fordyce said.

The Howell Police Department said there is no threat to the public at this time, but the investigation remains ongoing. Due to the active nature of the case, police are not releasing additional information.

The department thanked displaced residents and the property management team for their cooperation during the incident.

Multiple agencies assisted in the response, including the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office, Hamburg Township Department of Public Safety, Green Oak Township Police Department, Michigan State Police, LAWNET, Livingston County EMS, and the Howell Area Fire Department.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­WXYZ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Kansas City, Missouri, mayor requests investigation into city’s response to concerns before Northland homicide

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Alyssa Jackson

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    Kansas City (KSHB) — Jeffrey King, 42, is accused of murdering his neighbor, Chris Wells.

King made his first appearance at the Clay County Courthouse on Wednesday.

He has not yet retained an attorney. The court entered a not guilty plea.

KSHB 41 Kansas City Reporter Alyssa Jackson has been tracking down information for the in-depth team based on publicly documented concerns about the defendant.

Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas confirmed on Wednesday that he’s asking for an investigation.

“Our hearts break for the family and friends of Chris Wells. Serving both at the Board of Police Commissioners and City Hall, the Mayor has asked the City Manager and the Chief of Police to investigate how the concerns raised by Mr. Wells were routed, why issues went unresolved, and how we can ensure all receive the services they should expect from KCPD and the City.” Mayor Quinton Lucas KSHB 41 found 51 complaints reported to the city’s 311 department since 2023.

Neighbors say the defendant harassed people on the street for years in many different ways, prompting some of them to request no-contact orders from the court.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jackson saw the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department enter King’s home.

A neighbor shared that there have been requests made for the city to clean up the property, cluttered with furniture and items in the lawn and driveway.

Jackson made contact with the homeowners’ association.

Board members would not comment on the record due to the ongoing case.

The board has been working on making changes and addressing complaints against the defendant.

There are neighbors with differing opinions about whether the city, the police or both should have done more.

The victim tagged Lucas in a Facebook post last summer to express frustration with the defendant’s actions. Wells asked for the mayor to intervene.

Michael Galutti, who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years, shared that he believed police were working on the complaints, but it took too long.

KCPD declined to comment on any efforts made to address complaints prior to the shooting.

“I told the police we’re gonna look back and wish we had done something quickly. This is going to probably end in tragedy,” Galutti said.

KCMO’s 311 records are public record. Since the case is active, police reports involving the defendant are not public record.

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.

Hundreds gather in the Charlotte area to meet the monks ‘walking for peace’ across the country

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Serra Sowers and Cren Rosenbaum

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    CHARLOTTE (WXII) — A group of Buddhist monks “walking for peace” is in the Charlotte area today.

Thursday was the 82nd day of their 120-day peace walk from Texas to Washington, DC. They arrived in North Carolina on Wednesday.

Hundreds lined the monks’ path and greeted them as they stopped for lunch at the Sugar Creek Recreation Center.

Click the video player below to watch WXII12 News’ Serra Sowers coverage of the scene Thursday morning as onlookers prepared for the procession to pass.

Some carried flowers, hoping to pass them along to the monks. Others brought their dogs and cats for the monks to pet.

North Carolinians of all ages showed up to support the monks’ message of peace and unity, and to join them in prayer on the recreation center’s baseball field.

The Monks are now headed toward Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Thousands greeted them as they were escorted by local law enforcement through Charlotte’s North End. Aloka, the dog, even made a special appearance today, reuniting with the monks for the first time since his surgery.

Residents of the Piedmont Triad will soon be able to greet the monks as well. The group is projected to arrive in Greensboro early next week.

If you do visit the monks, here are a few things to keep in mind:

– You should walk behind, not in front of the group – Leave a clear path – Do not touch the monks – Hold your hands in prayer and bow – You can track their location on the interactive map here.

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.

Sacramento woman seeks community’s help after dog killed at Carmichael Park

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Andres Valle

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    CARMICHAEL, Calif. (KCRA) — A Sacramento woman is pleading for the community’s help to find the owners of a dog that attacked and killed her pet at Carmichael Park last Tuesday.

Marie Boys said her dog, Maggie, loved going to the park, but the tragic incident changed everything.

Boys was emotional when speaking to KCRA Thursday night, fighting tears as she recounted the attack.

“She was 13 years old. I had her for her whole life. She was my kid. She was the sweetest dog ever,” Boys said.

Boys described the attack, stating that a large black dog attacked them while she was walking Maggie on the morning of Jan. 6.

“I’m on the ground rolling in the mud, trying to get the dog off of her and screaming,” Boys said.

Despite her efforts, it was too late.

“I rushed her to the vet, to the emergency vet, and they told me that she wasn’t going to survive,” Boys said.

Now, more than a week later, Boys is focused on finding the owners of the dog that attacked Maggie.

“Like cowards. They ran,” she said. “I really need the community’s help to find these individuals. I can’t do it alone. And Maggie deserved better. I just need everyone’s help finding them.”

Fellow dog owners have reacted to the news of the deadly attack.

“They need to turn themselves in and get it taken care of because if they killed my dog. There would be no end to the story. I’d hunt them until I found them. People need to be more responsible, I feel,” Lewis Fender said.

Boys has been leaving posters at the dog park entrance, warning others and pleading for the dog’s owners to come forward.

“Please bring your dog to the authorities. It is violent. It should not be on the streets. You obviously cannot control your animal,” she said.

The Carmichael Recreation and Park District is aware of the incident, and anyone with information is asked to call animal control at 311.

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.

4-year-old dies after being hit by vehicle in hospital parking lot in Albuquerque

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Vincent Rodriguez, Aliyah Chavez

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT) — Albuquerque police are investigating a fatal crash that happened at Presbyterian Hospital on Thursday morning.

According to Albuquerque police, the 4-year-old and her father were in a crosswalk in the parking lot of Presbyterian Hospital when the crash happened. Police previously stated the child was aged 5 before making the correction Thursday evening.

Police said a pickup truck pulling a trailer struck the child as she and her father were crossing the crosswalk.

Police also said the child was then taken to the hospital’s emergency room, but later died from her injuries. The father was not hurt in the crash.

A police spokesperson said there were no signs of impairment with the driver involved and no charges have been filed.

Police closed parts of the area as they investigated the scene.

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.

Teen arrested for deadly shooting of Alisal High School student

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Jacquelyn Quinones

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    SALINAS, Calif. (KSBW) — More than a month after 14-year-old Alisal High School student Ethan Emmanuel Rodriguez was shot and killed near the campus, police have arrested a 16-year-old student from the same school district.

The incident occurred on December 5, a Friday afternoon, near Camarillo and Moreno shortly after school let out. Salinas Union High School District staff confirmed that witnesses came forward to assist with the investigation.

“I think I want to express some gratitude to the community members, to the students, to the families that came forward to really identify some of the aspects that were needed in this investigation,” Superintendent for Salinas Union High School District, Zandra Galvan, said.

Salinas police stated that the investigation remains active, and they cannot release much information since the suspect is a juvenile.

“We’re working through the District Attorney’s Office and our investigation team to see if there is any other information, other suspects, or anything else because he is a juvenile as well, we’re not allowed to provide any other information, and the investigation is ongoing,” Salinas Police Chief Carlos Acosta said.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the incident was gang-related.

The district emphasized its strict safety measures, noting that while the incident did not occur on campus, it is reinforcing its commitment to student safety.

“We have a system that when people sign into our campuses, we’re making sure that you are properly identified and that you can be on our campuses within the area of students we also have security team members anywhere from 7 to 8 people that are designated as campus safety,” Galvan said.

Additionally, the district highlighted the use of high-speed cameras capturing footage during school hours and in surrounding areas to maintain safe facilities.

“We have high-speed cameras that are capturing footage during the school and around, so some of the footage is also directed to the streets and other areas that remain watched so that we can maintain safe facilities,” Galvan said.

The Salinas Union High School District has made counseling and support services available to anyone affected by the incident.

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.

Behind the scenes: How 850 truckloads of dirt transform Tulsa Expo into Chili Bowl paradise

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By CJ Maclin

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    TULSA, Okla. (KJRH) — Behind the roar of engines at the Chili Bowl Nationals is a quiet army of workers making the iconic racing event possible.

Truck drivers like Martin Edwards have been transforming the Tulsa Expo Center from an empty building into a dirt racing paradise for two decades. The massive undertaking requires hauling hundreds of truckloads of dirt in marathon shifts.

“We store the dirt about 2-3 miles down the road. So, it’s the same dirt every year. We have to add a few loads every so many years just from stuff we lose from getting stuff thrown off the racetrack and too much trash getting in it,” Edwards said. “They go off the racetrack and stuck on cars and in the pits and then gets picked up and who knows where it goes. So, we have to replenish every 5-10 years. We have to get find a few loads here and there.”

Edwards says most people don’t realize the scope of their work. His team installs every barricade, fence post and cable for the weeklong event.

This year they broke their own record by completing the setup in just over a week. About 750-850 truckloads of dirt takes an entire day to deliver to the arena alone. This year they used over 20 trucks to help with this effort.

We went behind the scenes of the Chili Bowl Nationals to see how all of their work transforms the venue into racing paradise.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­KJRH verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Postal worker robbed at gunpoint while delivering mail in Central Fresno, police say

CNN Newsource on January 16, 2026

By Brisa Colón

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    FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A frightening morning for a local mail carrier. In broad daylight, a thief is captured on video approaching a mailman in Central Fresno and robbing him at gunpoint.

The gunman then walked off and is still on the run. This all happened in a neighborhood off Hammond Avenue near Fruit Avenue.

It was 11 Thursday morning when a mailman was on his daily route in Central Fresno.

Doorbell video captured a man wearing all black appear from the sidewalk. A different view shows the man with a hand in his pocket- cross the grass to approach the mailman. That’s when police say he pulled out a gun and in a matter of seconds robbed the mail carrier.

But it was the moment right after, the mailman continued to deliver the mail to one more house as the robber walked off. The postman then approached a nearby car to ask for help.

“Give it up to the mailman, who actually finished delivering the mail right after it happened, and then finally it all kind of caught up to him once the guy was gone,” says Jephrey Neville, neighbor.

Police say the armed robber took off with the mailman’s phone, wallet, and keys, including keys to his mail van. The robber did not take his bag of mail.

The postman, thankfully, uninjured.

Authorities say the robber used what appeared to be a black handgun.

Police and federal law enforcement were on scene in minutes canvassing the area for a trace of the suspect who could now face federal charges.

“Shocked, I’m shocked why? He has no money,” says Dan Saunders, neighbor.

“He’s our favorite mailman, you know, I was telling the officer, mailman should only have to be worried about dogs and everything and not being robbed at gunpoint,” says Neville.

Neville was left heartbroken; he couldn’t believe this happened to his neighborhood mailman.

“I wanted to give him a hug. The first thing I went up, I shook his hand. I told him I was really sorry, it just shouldn’t happen to people like that,” says Neville.

At this point, the US Postal Service authorities are handling the investigation.

Action News has learned that there is a reward for anyone who has information leading to the suspect, that reward could be up to 150-thousand dollars.

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.