Month: February 2026

By Andres Valle

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    ELK GROVE, California (KCRA) — A family in Elk Grove was shocked to find an Amazon delivery tote under their car containing human fecal matter, which took the company days to remove from their neighborhood.

Mindy, who asked to keep her identity hidden for fear of retaliation, discovered the package on Jan. 5 when she left for work and noticed something under her car.

“It was disgusting,” Mindy said, recalling the discovery.

She mentioned that her daughter almost opened it, saying, “To find out what it was like, if she’d grabbed it, that would have been horrible.”

Mindy described the contents of the package.

“I grabbed it and saw what was inside,” she said. “Poop, human poop, and a shirt that they used to wipe it with.”

After seeing a similar story in Lincoln, Mindy felt compelled to share her experience.

“I ran inside and washed my hands a lot and started looking for phone numbers to call,” she said. “That night, I finally got a hold of somebody. She said they would send somebody out right away to get it. That was the fifth. On the sixth. It was still there all day.”

Mindy said a neighbor moved the bag near the stop sign, prompting her to call Amazon again.

“I made another phone call, got somebody else. He said there had been no notes made about it or anything, but that he would put them in,” Mindy said.

The bag was eventually removed on Jan. 7, but Mindy remains in disbelief.

“What are these drivers doing? Do they not have time to go to the bathroom in the proper place?” she asked.

KCRA asked Amazon about this.

Amazon responded to the inquiries by stating that drivers work for third-party delivery service partners, who build delivery routes allowing time for breaks, including two 15-minute rest breaks and a 30-minute meal break.

Drivers use an app showing where they can stop for food, gas, or restroom use.

Amazon said it is investigating the Elk Grove incident.

As of Monday night, Mindy said she is still waiting to hear from Amazon regarding 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.

By Aliyah Chavez

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    TUCUMCARI, New Mexico (KOAT) — Tucumcari, New Mexico, is preserving its rich history through vibrant murals that capture the essence of Route 66, with local artists leading the way. The town is not just a place to pass through; it’s a destination to stop and admire the murals that stretch across buildings, alleys, and storefronts, each telling a piece of the Mother Road’s story.

“Every time you blink, there’s another one going up somewhere,” said Kristine Olsen with the Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce.

She’s emphasizing the town’s commitment to public art.

The murals are a significant draw for tourists and locals alike, celebrating the town’s connection to Route 66.

“Having public art, having things like that that people can see and appreciate, I think, is definitely a draw for Tucumcari, and I think it’s a draw for us too because of the number of murals that we have,” Olsen said.

The latest mural underway honors the centennial, capturing the essence of Route 66 travel through Tucumcari. Franchesca Velasquez and Jazmine Jimenez, a mother-daughter duo from Tucumcari, have been painting murals for the last five years, and this is their 10th.

“We were blown away, we were just so excited,” said Velazquez, who wanted to bring that nighttime 70s Tucumcari downtown feel back to life on a back wall, emphasizing their desire to revive the town’s legacy on this famous stretch of road.

“Us bringing all of the paintings and stuff back is our way of lighting it back up, and hopefully, bit by bit, it will just keep on growing and glowing,” Jimenez said.

With this milestone year, the town expects to see more art like this, encouraging creativity and community involvement.

“Be creative and express their ideas and creativity and be part of our community,” Olsen said.

These murals remind travelers that sometimes the best stories aren’t found on the road, but on the walls beside it.

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.

By Brooke Kinebrew

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    CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, California (KSBW) — Seven volunteers in Carmel have launched Carmel Owls to address a growing rodent problem, with rats chewing through wires and HVAC systems in the area.

“Carmel has rats. Monterey Peninsula has a lot of rats because it’s a healthy forest,” Paul Falworth, a volunteer with Carmel Owls, said.

The volunteers are building nesting platforms made of redwood and cedar shingles for great horned owls.

These platforms are installed high up in tall, non-oak trees to attract these owls to nest and naturally reduce the growing rat population.

Falworth explained, “We said, hey, perhaps there’s a better way than paying, you know, 125 a week for exterminators.”

Falworth noted that great horned owls typically nest in February, so the timing is ideal; however, the owls might have checked out other nesting areas before this week, which could mean it may take a year for them to settle.

So far, six platforms have been installed in the Carmel-by-the-Sea area, with plans to build and install more across the peninsula.

Currently, about 20 to 25 homeowners are on a waiting list for the platforms, which are built to last at least 30 years and are provided at no cost by the volunteers.

“We are trying to keep the rats at bay, but also keep the animals safe,” said Nicole Parker, another volunteer with Carmel Owls. “The great horned owls prey on the rodents. We want to keep the rodents free of poisons and that type of thing, so that everybody can be healthy and we can have this natural cycle, resume 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.

By Ricardo Tovar

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    KING CITY, California (KSBW) — A King City kindergarten student got a surprise on Friday when his dad returned home after a seven-month deployment.

King City Arts and Magnet School said the student, Joey, was reunited with his father outside the school.

The video starts with Joey saying, “I see somebody.” An adult asks, “Who do you see?” and Joey replies, “My daddy!”

Joey then runs toward his father and yells, “Dad!” before hugging him. His father picks him up and says, “I missed you,” to which Joey responds, “I missed you too, Dad!”

His father asks, “Are you happy?” Joey replies, “Yeah, I ate pizza.”

Joey’s dad, a U.S. Marine, had just returned from deployment.

Joey’s grandmother, mother, and other members of the Camarena family were there to celebrate the reunion.

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.

By Graham Cawthon

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — Six suspects are behind bars facing dozens of charges stemming from a shootout inside a Savannah shopping mall.

The incident left three people with gunshot wounds and later led prosecutors to pursue murder and gang charges.

Here’s what we know about the shootout at Oglethorpe Mall.

Police said two adult men and a juvenile were shot inside Oglethorpe Mall in the late afternoon of July 2, 2025 and were taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

After the shots were reported, Savannah police evacuated the mall and the department’s SWAT team swept the building to ensure there was no ongoing threat, police said. Investigators initially asked the public for tips through CrimeStoppers and the Savannah Police Department’s mobile app.

Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones later said a mall patron, Olislene “Tina” Smith, suffered cardiac arrest while trying to flee after hearing gunfire. Smith was found unresponsive outside the mall and taken to the hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator, the district attorney said. Her family later chose to remove her from life support after brain activity did not resume, Cook Jones said.

In the immediate aftermath, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson urged caution about labeling the violence while the investigation was ongoing. In an email response to questions about claims the shooting involved rival gangs, Johnson said the city would not “deal with hearsay from anyone not directly involved in the investigation,” adding, “We will do the responsible thing and wait until the facts are known and call it what it is.”

After the grand jury indictments were announced months later, Johnson responded by emphasizing accountability. “Our citizens demand accountability. Mrs. Tina’s family deserves justice, and we will wait to see what the legal process yields,” he said in a statement. “But to those who choose to pull triggers in this community, you can expect a similar result for your dangerous actions.”

On Oct. 1, 2025, the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office announced that a grand jury indicted six suspects — Royce Haynes, Aujawan Hymon, Franklin James, Dahmil Johnson, Johnathan Elijah Jones and Theron Robbins — on felony charges stemming from the shooting.

In a statement, the district attorney’s office said the grand jury found probable cause to charge the defendants with offenses including felony murder, aggravated assault, unlawful gang activity and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Prosecutors said the indictment also includes multiple counts of unlawful criminal gang activity and alleges the crimes were committed in connection with a criminal street gang identified as the “1100.”

The district attorney’s office said several defendants were under 18 at the time of the offense but would be tried as adults.

A trial is expected in early 2026.

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.

By Brooklyn Joyner

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — A massive sinkhole near Corner Stone Baptist Church in Jackson has been causing disruptions for nearly four years, prompting local leaders and residents to call for urgent repairs.

Councilman Kenneth Stokes highlighted the dangers posed by the sinkhole, stating, “Someone trying to go to Lanier High School or trying to come to the church, they can end up hurt or dead and killed.”

The sinkhole, located in front of the Rev. PJ Walker Bridge on Doctor Martin Luther King Drive, has become a routine obstacle for drivers.

Pastor Mareck Walker of Cherry Grove Baptist Church has been urging city officials to address the issue.

“It’s not able to be used at all and we need it to be repaired today if it was possible,” Walker said.

The Rev. PJ Walker Bridge is not the only infrastructure in need of repair. Another bridge on Coleman Street has been blocked off for the past three months due to outdated materials, causing inconvenience for residents like Bobby Gross.

“We all use this to get from off Medgar Evers and get to sunset and all that, so without it being fixed, we have to do all that extra driving,” Gross said.

Councilman Stokes has been advocating for improvements in his ward and supports the 1 Percent Sales Tax Commission’s decision to allocate funds for repairing the Rev. PJ Walker Bridge.

“It’s more than just a bridge, it’s more than a sink hole, it’s going to be a bridge repair, plus you have to make sure that the water lines and all that are done,” Stokes said.

Stokes said they have no timeline for when the bridge repair project will begin, but he knows it will cost millions of dollars. He also mentioned that once the Rev. PJ Walker Bridge is repaired, focus will shift to the bridge on Coleman Street.

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.