Jaden DeJesus-Eves, a standout freshman Christian Brothers High School basketball player, dies

CNN Newsource on February 27, 2026

By Daniel Macht

Click here for updates on this story

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — The Christian Brothers High School community is mourning the loss of a student-athlete who died, KCRA 3 has learned.

Jaden DeJesus-Eves was a star player as a 6-foot-8-inch freshman on the Sacramento Catholic school’s varsity basketball team, according to athlete profiles.

“We learned yesterday that our beloved student, Jaden Eves, had passed away,” Christian Brothers spokesperson Kristen McCarthy said. “We are heartbroken as we hold Jaden and his family in prayer.”

Jaden’s mother described him as pure light and a very joyful kid.

“He was my one and only. Honestly, he was my world,” she said. “He gives me a hug in the middle of the games and people have given him a hard time about it. And he’s like, I’m still going to give my mom a hug.”

Jaden was known as a gentle giant and a force on the basketball court. She said basketball was his passion.

“He had big dreams, he had goals, and he knew what it was going to take to get there,” his mother said. “We raised him to have strong faith, true love of family and community, passion for basketball all day, every day. Basketball.”

His coach, Jermaine Brown, told KCRA 3 he’s the kind of kid who kept his teammates smiling.

“If you had a bad day, Jaden was coming in and walking in and just smiling and we just loved it so much,” Brown said. “He loved everybody.”

Jaden played his final basketball game on Tuesday night, but before he did, he led his team in prayer as he had done for the last five games.

“We went in the locker room all together and Jaden led us all in prayer. And he was ready for the moment,” his coach said.

When asked how they want people to remember Jaden, this is how his mother and coach responded.

“His love for the game, his love for his brothers and his love for his mom. That’s all he talked about. That was his world. Every day. He talked about it. The things he wanted to accomplish for his mom,” Brown said.

“Jaden was a light, I might be a little biased, but he just he had a good heart and it and it was visible,” his mother said.

She also described him as a “bright light, a true gentle giant. He was a wonderful young man and a beloved student, teammate, classmate, and friend.”

KCRA 3 spoke to a player on Thursday from Natomas High School who played both with and against Eves.

Marcus Harris described him as a friend and a rival.

“He was a great basketball player. You know he was very tall for his age, a 6’8″ freshman so it was very hard to guard him,” Harris said. “A very gentle, a very compassionate young man. You know, he’s a gentle giant. He just cared for everyone, very goofy guy.”

Details on his cause of death have not yet been confirmed.

A prayer service was held on Thursday morning at Christian Brothers.

The basketball team lost a playoff game on Tuesday night.

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.

Banana car spotted in Monterey County: Here’s why it’s here — and how to get a ride

CNN Newsource on February 27, 2026

By Ricardo Tovar

Click here for updates on this story

    SALINAS, Calif. (KSBW) — If you’ve been on social media in recent days, you’ve likely seen photos and videos of a banana car around Monterey County.

It has many wondering: Who is driving this potassium-powered pickup? Why is it here? What is it promoting? When did it arrive? And where will it pop up next?

KSBW 8 has answers.

The driver, Steve Braithwaite, 65, who lives on a farm in Michigan, said he’s in Monterey County because it gets cold this time of year back home — and his “Big Banana Car,” as he calls it, has no heater.

He makes a living — “not much of one,” he said — driving people in his fruit-themed vehicle. He said he makes enough money for gas and food, but relies on the kindness of strangers for places to stay as he pursues his dream of taking the banana car around the world.

Braithwaite said he received a couch-surfing offer in Salinas from someone who shares his love of hot rods. He said he traveled up Highway 1 through Big Sur to get to Salinas and has already spent time in Castroville and Cambria. He said he loves downtown Salinas because it feels like stepping back in time.

Braithwaite, originally from Oxford, England, immigrated to the United States 40 years ago. He said he got the idea to build the banana car after watching the British version of “Top Gear” and seeing vehicles such as the “fastest garden shed” and a couch car.

He said the final inspiration came after he left a gas station, saw a bowl of fruit and decided to model the car after the shape of that very banana.

Braithwaite said he started building the vehicle in 2008, finished it in 2011 and has been driving across the United States ever since. He said he has been to every state except Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. He has also traveled to parts of Mexico and to Toronto.

Braithwaite said he planned to take the car overseas, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans. He said he was unable to make money for two years and used his savings to get by. Now, he said, he hopes to take the banana car to other countries soon and is looking for someone who can record and edit video to document the trip online.

Braithwaite said the Big Banana Car will offer rides this weekend at The Power Plant Coffee 1 in Moss Landing.

Rides are scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, and Sunday, March 1, weather permitting.

Braithwaite said the rides help fund his travels and are pay-what-you-like. Riders must bring car seats if required by law, and the car can take up to three riders at a time.

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.

Exclusive: Woman run over at Point Lobos speaks after jury awards her nearly $19M

CNN Newsource on February 27, 2026

By Felix Cortez

Click here for updates on this story

    CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. (KSBW) — Helen Anthony, a Rhode Island woman, has been awarded nearly $19 million by a Monterey County jury for injuries she sustained when she was run over by a state parks volunteer at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in June 2023.

Anthony expressed gratitude to the jury, saying she was “appreciative of the jury who took a month of their time to hear all the evidence.”

She detailed her injuries, stating, “I have a traumatic brain injury. I had my jaw totally dislocated on both sides. My teeth were knocked out, my top teeth. I had a fracture underneath my left eye,” and added, “I was face down, not breathing on the side of the road.”

The driver was a state park volunteer who accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes.

Anthony filed a claim against the state parks, arguing that the 82-year-old park docent was not a state employee, thereby clearing the state of any liability.

Anthony said, “This was just unbelievable. Not only that, the state actually threatened us with a letter, threatened us by letter, saying that if we brought this frivolous suit against the state, they were going to sue us for costs. I mean, it’s just unbelievable.”

Anthony’s attorneys argued that the docent was the responsibility of the state, was driving a park’s vehicle, and was not properly trained.

Her attorney, Roger Dreyer, said, “No one was in charge. And if you don’t put anybody in charge, no one’s responsible. Guess what happens? Things like this tragedy. You got to have accountability. You got to have people assigned to do their job. And then you have to watch them to make sure they did it.”

After a month-long trial and a day and a half of deliberation, the civil jury sided with Anthony, awarding her nearly $19 million for pain, suffering, and loss of wages.

At the time of the accident, Anthony was a councilwoman and land use attorney in Providence, Rhode Island.

She said, “The deficits are such that I can’t do my law practice or be on city council, which is something that I’ve been passionate about.”

Dreyer emphasized the impact of the loss, stating, “This money, Ms. Anthony, would flush it down the toilet if she could go back to having her real life for her family and for herself. No amount of money compensates someone for the grievous nature of her loss.”

California State Parks issued a statement saying, “California State Parks respects the jury’s decision and expresses its sincere and deepest sympathy to Helen Anthony and her family for the injuries she suffered at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.”

The parks department is considering an appeal to the $18.9 million judgment, while Anthony and her attorneys hope the department will review its training and protocols for volunteers statewide.

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.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should Iran be able to keep a nuclear program for energy purposes?

KMIZ on February 27, 2026

Matthew Sanders

Indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program ended Thursday without a deal.

Iran has been firm that any deal must include its ability to keep a nuclear program for energy purposes. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has sent signals that he’s ready to go to war, with a large military buildup in the Middle East.

Do you think we should reach a deal with Iran and accept a nuclear energy program? Let us know by voting in the poll.

Click here to follow the original article.

Twin Falls immigrants and refugees share their stories at ‘Becoming Idaho’ event

CNN Newsource on February 27, 2026

By Lorien Nettleton

Click here for updates on this story

    TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KIVI) — Two Magic Valley residents — a refugee-turned-advocate and a child of immigrants — are sharing their personal stories as part of a community storytelling event called “Becoming Idaho.”

Chandra Upreti, director of the Twin Falls office of the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, is a refugee himself. He said his parents fled their home country of Bhutan when he was only 6 months old. After leaving Bhutan and before arriving in the United States, Upreti and his family lived in a refugee camp in Nepal for nearly 17 years.

“My parents fled when I was only six months old. I did not choose to become a refugee,” Upreti said. “Today I’m a very proud U.S. citizen, a parent, and also in a place where I’m able to help fellow refugees. It means a lot to me, and I’m looking forward to sharing my own personal story.”

Upreti is one of the guest speakers at the Feb 26 “Becoming Idaho” event, part of Idaho Solutions ‘The More You Know’ lecture series.

The event is an opportunity to highlight the diversity that has long defined Twin Falls.

“It’s really nice to see folks coming from different parts of the world,” added Upreti. “And live in a community that we all share.”

Twin Falls has welcomed refugees since the 1980s, resettling people from 47 countries over the past 46 years. Prior to the Trump administration’s restrictions on refugees, the office resettled about 200 individuals each year. Today, the center is on track to resettle fewer than half that number.

A pediatrician in Twin Falls and the child of immigrants from Honduras and Costa Rica, Dr. José Peña said he grew up in a bilingual household. He said those language skills allow him to connect with patients and community members who do not speak English.

“America has always been known as a land of opportunity, a land that’s welcoming to immigrants or to people that are from outside, and one of the ideals that I hope that a lot of people really cherish is that [we are] kind of a melting pot,” Peña said.

Peña said he hopes the event changes minds about immigration and diversity.

“I think it’s good to hear a different accent or hear someone speaking a different language,” Peña said. “My hope would be the people who can go to this experience and come away thinking ‘OK, this is actually a really good thing.'”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI 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.

North Carolina mom thanks firefighters for saving her and her family during fire: ‘They were my angels’

CNN Newsource on February 27, 2026

By Jon Dowding

Click here for updates on this story

    MORRISVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) — A Morrisville mother shares her experience being saved by firefighters during Monday night’s fire at the Camden Westwood Apartments.

A fire started on the balcony outside of a first-floor apartment on Monday, then quickly spread up the building. The flames moved through the attic, engulfing the entire top floor of the building.

Amanda Blanchard says she, her husband, and her 10-month-old daughter live in a third-floor apartment in the complex. They just moved there in November.

She says the evening started normally. Her husband came home from work, and she was heating a bottle for her daughter, when she smelled smoke.

I said, we’re trapped. Like, we’re trapped, – Amanda Blanchard

“When I went to the door to open it up, I was just met with a wall of smoke and fire,” she said.

ABC11 asked Blanchard whether her smoke detectors went off.

“No, I didn’t hear anything,” said Blanchard. “The only time I was aware of a fire was when I opened that door and saw fire.”

She shut their front door, went to their balcony, and was met by heavy black smoke.

“I said, we’re trapped. Like, we’re trapped,” she said. “I don’t know if anyone knows we’re here.”

Scared and not sure of a way out, she grabbed her phone.

“I called 911, and I said … I have a 10-month-old baby. We’re stuck. Help us,” said Blanchard.

Moments later, she heard a heavy knocking on her door from the firefighters who came there to rescue her and her family. She shared a tearful message for them as she shared her experience.

“They were my angels. My angels, for sure,” she said. “Thank you. Thank you for getting us out and not leaving us behind.”

Blanchard and her family are staying at a local hotel as they find a new place to call home.

Still, she is so thankful for the help from her neighbors and the Morrisville community.

“The amount of love I’m feeling from everyone around is incredible. For someone who’s not even grown up here. It’s amazing,” she said. “Check your fire alarms. Check that your documents are safe. Make a plan. Cherish your loved ones. That’s all I can say.”

ABC11 reached out to Camden about her claim that her smoke detectors did not go off during the fire. They have not returned our request for comment.

If you want to help affected residents like Blanchard, the property group shared details here about how you can help.

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.

Cars piled up in multiple-vehicle crash on Long Island Expressway in Long Island City; 4 people hurt

CNN Newsource on February 27, 2026

By Eyewitness News

Click here for updates on this story

    LONG ISLAND CITY, New York (WABC) — Nine cars crashed on the westbound Long Island Expressway in Queens, with some cars piled on top of others.

It happened Friday morning on the LIE at 25th Street in Long Island City.

Four people were hurt. One person was critically injured.

At least one victim could be seen being lifted on a backboard over the center median to a waiting ambulance on the other side.

The HOV lane remained open, but all others on the westbound side were closed as the vehicles were towed from the scene.

Traffic at 10 a.m. was backed up all the way to Elmhurst, Queens.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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.

Rori’s Rewards Library Lovers with a Free Scoop

KEYT on February 27, 2026

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – If you have a library card or a library book, for the month of February, Rori’s Creamery has a free scoop for you.

February is library month.

This promotion has also sent many people to their local libraries to get a library card, check out what is offered inside, and then enjoy the free treat.

In Santa Barbara alone the main library says 800 new cards were issued.

The deal is offered at all seven Rori’s locations.

Owner Rori Travoto said,  “even if just a handful of kids started reading because they got a free scoop to come into Rori’s with their new library card, it was so gratifying.  I’m so grateful that we had a good turnout and I hope we have a whole new generation of Rori readers!”

The message had been going out on social media, but now your Newschannel is giving you “the scoop.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Surging Cal Poly tops century mark against Long Beach State and books a spot into Big West Tournament

KEYT on February 27, 2026

Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – Hamad Mousa finished with a game high 29 points and Cayden Ward matched his career best with 28 Thursday evening as the Cal Poly men’s basketball program clinched a spot in the 2026 Big West Championship with a 102-92 victory against Long Beach State inside Mott Athletics Center.

Freshman Jess Esso Essis enjoyed a career high 15 points for Cal Poly (13-16, 9-8), which extended its winning streak to four straight after sinking 13 three-pointers, shooting 95.5 (21-for-22) percent from the free throw line and recording its highest regulation point total since a 102-89 victory at Hawai’i on Feb. 20, 2010.

Ward added a game high nine rebounds for Cal Poly, which matched a season low with just eight turnovers.

Cal Poly’s Thursday victory confirmed all eight Big West Championship programs – with three regular season matchups remaining. Long Beach State (8-21, 4-13) was eliminated from postseason contention with the loss.

Thursday’s matchup featured 10 lead changes during the opening 10-and-a-half minutes before a jumper from sophomore Guzman Vasilic handed Cal Poly a 29-27 edge. Cal Poly then produced a 15-7 run to go up by double digits with three minutes remaining in the half.

The Mustangs took a 48-40 lead into the break before a jumper and three-pointer from Long Beach State guard Shaquil Bender to open the second half cut Cal Poly’s advantage to three.

Cal Poly, however, scored on four of its next five possessions to reestablish a double-digit lead for the remainder of the night.

Notes:

Despite a four-game win streak, Cal Poly remained in eighth place in the Big West standings – but just three games behind co-leaders UC Irvine and Hawai’i.

Up Next: Cal Poly visits UC San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. The Tritons, sharing fifth place alongside Cal State Fullerton, reside just one game ahead of Cal Poly.

With 29 points Thursday, Hamad Mousa improved his season point total to 574 – the fourth highest single season total in program history.

Cal Poly’s nine Big West victories are the program’s highest total since finishing 12-6 to close the 2012-13 season.

Click here to follow the original article.

70-year-old man dies after pulled from waters at Waikiki beach

CNN Newsource on February 27, 2026

By Jeremiah Estrada

Click here for updates on this story

    WAIKIKI, Hawaii (KITV) — A 70-year-old man died several days after he was rescued from the ocean at Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki on Friday morning.

The Honolulu Ocean Safety Department responded to a water emergency in Waikiki involving a 70-year-old man at 10:36 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Bystanders pulled the unconscious swimmer from the waters of Kahanamoku Beach and performed CPR until first responders arrived.

Ocean Safety lifeguards continued life-saving measures on the man until Honolulu Emergency Medical Services took over to take him to an emergency room. He was taken from the beach by ambulance in critical condition.

The man’s condition worsened and he died in the hospital about a week after the ocean incident, according to police on Thursday morning, Feb. 26. The identity of the victim has not been released.

Police reported there were no obvious signs of foul play.

It was not reported whether the victim was a visitor or a resident. It was also not reported who he was with at the time of the incident or if he was with anyone at the beach.

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.