Woman mouths ‘Help me’ during traffic stop, leads to arrest in deadly shooting

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Graham Cawthon

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    CONWAY, South Carolina (WJCL) — A South Carolina man has been sentenced to prison for a deadly shooting outside a bar.

Collins Xavier Manning Bates, 32, of Columbia, pleaded guilty Monday to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon. Bates was scheduled to go to trial in April.

Bates was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a May 2023 shooting in Myrtle Beach, Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson announced.

Authorities said Bates and a group of friends drove from Columbia to Myrtle Beach on May 28, 2023. About 5 a.m., an argument inside the vehicle led to the victim and his girlfriend being forced out of the car in the parking lot of The Waterway House Sports & Spirits.

As the victim got out, Bates opened his door and fired one shot, striking the victim in the abdomen, prosecutors said. Bates then told the driver to leave the scene.

About eight minutes later, North Myrtle Beach police stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation. While officers spoke with Bates at the passenger-side window, the female driver mouthed, “Help me,” prosecutors said.

Police removed Bates from the vehicle and detained him. Investigators later found a firearm under Bates’ seat, and testing by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division matched Bates’ DNA and a shell casing recovered at the shooting scene to the gun, prosecutors said.

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.

3-month-old boy suffers more than 30 fractures; father faces felony charges

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Kelly O’Brien

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    NASHUA, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A Nashua man is facing several felony charges after allegedly beating his 3-month-old son for months.

According to prosecutors, the case began when the infant’s grandmother brought him to Lakes Region General Hospital for cold symptoms. Doctors found more than 30 fractures and bruises on the baby’s body.

Police said the medical team alerted the New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families, which then notified Nashua police about the child’s injuries.

The infant’s father, 36-year-old Drew Babcock, was arrested Friday and faces eight counts of first-degree assault (domestic violence).

“He admitted that he did this because he lost control and would not stop crying,” said Prosecutor Melissa Farr.

Court documents state Babcock told investigators he would apply pressure to the baby’s back, ribs and stomach in an attempt to stop the crying, saying the infant was colicky. He also admitted to punching the child in the back and lying on him.

“He stated that he would use approximately 50% of his strength during this time. He admitted that he would conduct these maneuvers on JB about two to three times a week,” Farr said.

The baby remains hospitalized with serious injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. Doctors were also concerned about the child’s weight after he failed to gain any weight since his February appointment.

Authorities said the 3-month-old and his 4-year-old brother are now in the custody of their aunt.

Babcock’s family attended his arraignment Monday.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t see it,” Babcock’s sister said.

Court documents reveal Babcock and his wife were in the process of separating, and that she told investigators she was unaware of any abuse.

Babcock’s defense argued that the child bruises easily because he did not receive a vitamin shot.

“He’s presumed innocent, and I’m going to do everything I can to defend him. That’s all I have,” defense attorney Joseph Fricano said.

Court records show Babcock told his wife he did not realize the pressure he used was breaking the baby’s bones. Fricano said Babcock is remorseful.

A judge ordered Babcock to have no contact with the infant or his 4-year-old son.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 603-589-1665.

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Florida bill against marrying your first cousin fails

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Dave Elias

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal, a fact that surprises many residents and has sparked questions about why the practice remains permissible.

West Virginia, which is often joked about for cousin marriages, banned the practice in 1955, but Florida has yet to follow suit.

If Florida lawmakers had passed House Bill 733, cousin marriages would have been banned, but the bill did not pass. Doug Schmidt from Cape Coral commented, “It’s pretty unusual they would have that still in the state. It should have been banned many years ago.”

Historically, notable figures such as Albert Einstein and President Franklin Roosevelt married their cousins. Kim Schmidt from Punta Gorda humorously remarked, “Well, it makes for a nice small wedding party.”

The practice, though unusual, accounts for only about 250,000 marriages nationwide. One resident pointed out, “I mean, if you have the same grandpa, you don’t want Grandpa Joe to be on both sides of the aisle at your wedding.”

Cousin marriages are permitted in some countries, including those in the Middle East and North Africa. Margie Vanbentizen, a Polish native, stated, “No! Definitely not in Poland.”

Doug Schmidt from Cape Coral expressed confusion over the lack of legislative action, saying, “I can’t understand why you wouldn’t take action just to get it off the legislation.”

Several bills faced challenges, as the legislature experienced significant gridlock, failing to pass priorities, including a budget or decreases in property taxes.

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Free rides available for St. Patrick’s Day in some Missouri cities

KMIZ on March 17, 2026

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Breakthru Beverage Missouri and Jameson Irish Whiskey are partnering up this St. Patrick’s Day to make sure people find a safe way home.

Breakthru Beverage Missouri and Jameson Irish Whiskey will offer 500 free rides home in Columbia, Springfield, Kansas City, and St. Louis on Tuesday. The free Lyft rides, valued at up to $30, will be available starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Midnight Wednesday.

To get your free ride, use the code: BBGSTPAT26

Free rides will be available to claim starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media, warning that drinking and driving is not only illegal but also dangerous.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during 2023 St. Patrick’s Day:

Drunk male drivers were involved in fatal crashes at a higher rate (26%) compared to female drivers (25%).

Young drivers ages 21-34 accounted for the highest percentage (35%) of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes.

32% of drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. were drunk.

Almost half (41%) of drivers involved in fatal crashes between the hours of midnight and 2:59 a.m. were drunk.

The percentage of drunk passenger car drivers and motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes were 31% and 43%, respectively.

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Bobcat that attacked dogs is state’s 1st rabies case of 2026

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Hamilton Kahn

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    Sierra County NM (KOAT) — A bobcat that attacked several dogs and tested positive for rabies is the state’s first case of rabies this year, a New Mexico Department of Health news release said.

All the dogs that were attacked have received rabies vaccines and a booster, and will be monitored for rabies symptoms for 45 days. Two people who may have been exposed were given post-exposure rabies vaccines, the release said.

“Rabies is deadly but preventable,” said Dr. Erin Phipps, NMDOH’s public heealth veterinarian. “Unvaccinated pets exposed to rabies must be euthanized or strictly isolated for months to prevent human exposure.”

Bats are the animals most likely to have rabies in New Mexico, along with skunks and foxes. There were 13 confirmed cases in New Mexico of animals with rabies in 2025, including one bobcat, and 12 cases in 2024, including four bobcats, the release said.

Animals that appear sick or acting abnormally should be reported to a local animal control officer or the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

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‘Never alone’: Nonprofit to bury nearly 200 unclaimed cremated remains in Iowa

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Ben Kaplan

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Nearly 200 central Iowans whose cremated remains were left unclaimed after they died will soon be laid to rest.

The Final Salute, a nonprofit that works to identify and bury unclaimed veterans, is responsible for the upcoming sendoff.

“We don’t pick out the veterans and say, hey, we’re just going to honor them. We take everybody,” Final Salute founder Lanae Strovers told KCCI.

This isn’t the first time Final Salute has done this.

In 2019, they buried nearly 90 civilian adults. In 2024, there were dozens of unclaimed children who were laid to rest. These are all individuals Dennis Allen of the Final Salute says they worked to identify and learn as much as they could about their lives.

“If you look at a headstone, a lot of times you see a birth year and then a dash and then a death year. And so I always go back and think about the dash. That’s their life,” Allen said.

They’ve learned a lot.

“There are doctors and nurses and teachers and people that worked in construction, in the railroad, and farming,” Strovers said.

Some are even related.

“We have a father and son. We have a mother and daughter. We have siblings,” Strovers said.

Over the last several years, multiple central Iowa funeral homes and the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office have handed over their cremated remains.

And on April 25, they will be buried at Avon Cemetery together.

“They’ve been family together at Hamilton’s and Iles. They’ll be a family in there,” Allen said.

Never alone.

Never forgotten.

The burial will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 25. Strovers told KCCI that anyone who would like to be part of the procession beforehand should meet in the parking lot of the Southridge Mall at 9:15 a.m.

To find out more, visit the Final Salute on Facebook.

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Suspect in California teen’s 2019 disappearance rearrested, indicted in her killing

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Cecilio Padilla

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — Authorities have made an arrest in the cold case disappearance of California teenager Victoria Marquina.

Joshua Anthony Martinez was originally arrested in connection to the Amador County girl’s disappearance in October 2019 but was released from custody.

Now, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Monday that Martinez has been arrested again in connection to the case. According to the jail booking log, Martinez is facing charges of murder along with several alleged sex crimes with a minor.

Martinez was indicted in San Joaquin County court on Monday. He’s being held without bail.

“I met Victoria’s mom shortly after taking office and she told me her heartbreak and not knowing where her daughter was and not having the person that killed her being held accountable,” San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said outside the courthouse after the hearing. “And it’s weighed heavily on me and it’s one of the things that I’ve thought about almost every single day since taking office.”

Martinez, who was 21 at the time of Marquina’s disappearance, was in an unlawful dating relationship with the 16-year-old, said the Amador County District Attorney’s Office, which has jurisdiction in Sutter Creek and provided support in the investigation. Martinez previously admitted to authorities that he dropped her off in Sutter Creek.

Prosecutors noted that Martinez fled to Mexico shortly after Marquina vanished. He was extradited back to the U.S. prior to his initial arrest.

Marquina’s body has never been found, but her vehicle and her cellphone were located in San Joaquin County shortly after her disappearance.

“I think that by now she would be graduated, received, and would be a fulfilled woman,” Blance Valencia, Marquina’s mother, told CBS News Sacramento. “She had many dreams. Many dreams. Unfortunately, someone cut us off. But I still have faith, I still have hope that she will return home.”

The sheriff’s office said at the time of Martinez’s first arrest that it had circumstantial evidence that allegedly proved he killed her.

“If you know something, if you heard something, if you know where my daughter is, please communicate,” Valencia said.

In 2025, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office started a new cold case task force focusing on cases like Marquina’s.

The Amador County DA’s Office said that earlier this year, it authorized prosecutions in San Joaquin County under jurisdictional laws that allow cases spanning multiple counties to be tried there. The case was later presented to a criminal grand jury in Stockton, which returned a true bill of indictment.

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Sun dog phenomenon captivates Iowa residents after blizzard

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By KCCI staff

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    IOWA (KCCI) — People in Iowa woke up Monday morning to a stunning “sun dog” in the sky.

Many KCCI viewers sent in their photos of the phenomenon, which is caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

Sun dogs typically occur during cold, clear mornings or evenings when the sun is low on the horizon, commonly in winter or early spring.

The spectacle was visible all across the state, from Boone to Des Moines.

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Huntington Beach community hosts early graduation so father with Stage 4 cancer can see his daughter graduate

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Michele Gile, Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — After Bill Kerwin’s health saw a rapid decline while battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, 16 of his family’s closest friends came together to make sure that he could see his daughter graduate from Huntington Beach High School with an early ceremony.

After learning of the situation, members of the Orange County community, from family and friends to local leaders and school officials, came together to put the event together for Abbi Kerwin and her family.

“I have always dreamed of my dad giving me my diploma,” Abbi Kerwin said. “I’ve always told my friends and my family about how excited I am to move on from high school, but also just to receive my diploma from my dad.”

Their community was so determined to help Kerwin, who has given the United States and his community so much as a veteran, coach and employee at the Huntington Beach Union High School District. They said that celebrating Abbi was especially important, since they knew how badly she had always wanted her father there for the big day.

“We really got the news the last 72 hours that it’s not looking good, treatment has stopped,” said Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen. “Everybody come together from the city, from the school board, neighbors, friends and family.”

Organizers set up the private graduation event at Bolsa View Park in the Kerwin’s neighborhood, where a large banner stretched across the makeshift stage and dozens gathered on Monday night. Along with family and friends were the HBUHSD superintendent and board of education trustees, as well as Abbi’s high school principal, all gathered to see the special moment.

“This is not our traditional ceremony, but it is every bit as real, every bit as important, and in many ways, more meaningful,” said HBHS Principal Danny Morris, while speaking with the crowd.

Abbi held her father’s hand tightly throughout the ceremony, up until the moment Bill was finally able to hand her the high school diploma, fulfilling a dream that both he and his daughter had shared for years.

“You’re the best man I’ve ever met, and I’m so proud to receive my diploma from you,” Abbi Kerwin said, while addressing the crowd and her father.

“To know that she graduated, she achieved her goals, and I got to be there was overwhelmingly fulfilling,” Bill Kerwin said.

After the ceremony, Huntington Beach City Council members surprised the family with news that a bench would be dedicated at the same park, where Bill Kerwin’s wife, son and daughter could enjoy the memory.

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Denver Rescue Mission works to end homelessness in Northern Colorado with new Fort Collins facility

CNN Newsource on March 17, 2026

By Libby Smith

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — The Denver Rescue Mission is working toward a solution for homelessness in Northern Colorado. Construction on a new facility is underway at the intersection of Mason Street and Hibdon Court in Fort Collins.

“The foundation is being poured. Stairwells are going up and framing should be happening very soon,” said Seth Forwood, Denver Rescue Mission’s Vice President of Programs, Northern Colorado. “It’s not just a shelter. It is a Homeless Resolution Center that is aimed at keeping people safe overnight, but also pointing them in the direction of their long-term sustainability in a permanent home.”

Denver Rescue Mission is hoping this facility will make a real difference.

“We have the first kind of purpose-built day shelter that Fort Collins has ever seen,” said Forwood.

Not only will people be able to seek services during the day, the overnight guests can expect a high level of care.

“Instead of having large rooms that house as many people as we can, the shelter beds are broken up into neighborhoods that we can program according to the demographics and needs of the people that are coming into our doors,” Forwood said.

There will be spaces for veterans and overnight workers.

“And if a whole neighborhood is dedicated to that, we can really protect it so they can get some good sleep and actually show up to work as their best self,” he said.

Denver Rescue Mission is dedicated to breaking down the barriers and getting people in stable, permanent housing.

Denver Rescue Mission needs donations of warm weather gear: hats, gloves, coats, boots, socks and underwear. You can also make a cash donation through CBS Colorado’s Spread the Warmth campaign.

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