Month: March 2026

By Baylee Martin

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    LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — Tania Turner, an eighth-grade language and literature teacher at Wheatland Middle School in Lancaster, used social media to raise funds for a canceled field trip to Hersheypark due to a $10 million budget deficit at the School District of Lancaster.

Turner said, “My whole goal is to make an impact in any way that I know how. Yes, English and reading and writing is so important, but also the experience of being a student is super important too.”

The news of the cancellation was a shock to Turner and her students.

“I just could not let it go,” Turner said.

Taking matters into their own hands

Determined to make the trip happen, Turner created a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $8,000.

“In two and a half days, we got the $8,000,” Turner said. “And right now we’re at over that $9,075, I think.”

Tania posted a TikTok on her page, which has over 11,000 followers. It gained attention and now has over 20,000 views.

Turner’s efforts were supported by her students, including Zoe Trottie, who helped spread the word through TikTok videos on an account she created dedicated to the fundraiser called eighthgradehershey.

“I thought it would be a good idea since we’re trying to raise enough money to go to Hersheypark if we made a video every day trying to advertise the GoFundMe,” Trottie said.

The videos received significant attention, with the first video garnering 15,900 views, the second 6,400 views, and the last update receiving 2,792 views.

Initiative turns emotional

Turner was moved by her students’ initiative.

“When one of my girls showed me the video, I cried because it was just really amazing to see them come together and work towards something that is totally achievable,” she said.

With the funds raised, the tickets are now bought, and the trip is set.

Trottie shared her excitement, saying, “My favorite ride is either the Fahrenheit or Candymonium.”

Despite her fear of heights, Turner is ready to join her students on the roller coasters.

“I’m a little scared of heights a little bit, but they say, Miss Turner, please, this is our last year. And then I’m like, OK, fine. And then I’m like, close to tears on the roller coasters,” she said.

Community impact

Turner emphasized the importance of community impact and the future of her students.

“We can do things that are positive for the community, and also that can make an impact on the kids because they’re our future,” she said.

Trottie added, “I learned that one person can make a big impact on everything.”

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 Steven Yablonski

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WFOR) — A Florida man has been arrested after police say he threatened a neighbor with a sword during a dispute on Wednesday evening.

Cape Coral police said they responded to the 1800 block of Everest Parkway regarding a disturbance involving a weapon just before 7 p.m.

The caller said that a man, who was later identified as 41-year-old Raul Elosegui Fernandez, threatened him with a sword before fleeing the scene in a white Chevrolet pickup truck.

During the investigation it was learned that a dispute between neighbors escalated when Fernandez grabbed a tan-handled sword with a roughly 3-foot metal blue blade from his truck, raised it above his shoulder, and approached the victim while making threatening statements, police said.

The victim then went back inside his home and called police.

Cape Coral police said that they eventually located Fernandez’s truck at his southwest 6th Place home, where the sword was seen inside.

The sword was taken as evidence, and Fernandez was arrested.

Police said he was charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

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 WXYZ staff

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    WOODHAVEN, Michigan (WXYZ) — An encounter between a judge and a woman appearing in court during a virtual hearing has gone viral on social media after the judge accused her of being untruthful about driving during the hearing.

During the hearing, Kim Carroll told Woodhaven 33rd District Court Judge Michael McNally that she was a passenger in the car when he noticed the vehicle was moving.

Carroll also told the judge she was out of town for an emergency.

“I’m going out of town for a family member, but I will have my driver pull over. Hang on one second. I’m sorry. I didn’t know that I wasn’t allowed to be in a car, but hang on one second,” she said.

Then, during an exchange about where she was sitting in the car, Judge McNally accused Carroll of lying to him. He then asked to see the driver, which Carroll did not do, saying she needed to ask permission.

The judge then questioned if she was on the driver’s side, saying, “Do you think I’m that stupid?”

McNally then re-entered the default judgment that the hearing was addressing.

When reached by 7 News Detroit for an interview about the hearing, Carroll declined and issued the following statement:

I want to be clear that I take responsibility for my mistake. Appearing on a Zoom court hearing while I was driving was poor judgment, and I regret that decision. I panicked in the moment and made the wrong call instead of pulling over or asking to reschedule. For that, I am truly sorry.

At the same time, I believe what has happened since then has gone far beyond addressing a mistake. A brief moment of poor judgment has turned into a viral spectacle that is affecting my reputation, my family, and my ability to move forward with my life.

I respect the court and the rule of law, but I also believe in fairness and proportionality. The question I’m left asking is whether this situation needed to become a public example at the expense of someone’s livelihood and dignity.

I am human. I made a mistake, I own that mistake, and I am willing to accept the consequences. But I hope people will also consider whether the response has been about accountability, or about turning a moment into something far bigger than it needed to be.

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 Abby Dodge

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — Security is being heightened around Bayfront Park as the Ultra Music Festival returns to downtown Miami this weekend, drawing thousands of visitors from around the globe.

City leaders and public safety officials met this week to prepare residents and attendees for the electronic music festival, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday. The event is expected to attract attendees from more than 100 countries, marking the peak of Miami Music Week.

“You cannot take Miami out of Ultra or Ultra out of Miami,” said Christine King, the city’s District 5 commissioner.

For weeks, crews have worked to set up fencing, staging, and other infrastructure inside the park. Public safety remains a top priority, with Miami police and fire rescue departments implementing enhanced security measures, including the use of drones this year to monitor traffic patterns.

Miami Police Department spokesman Manuel Morales stressed that the increased security will not affect resources elsewhere. “Ultra pays for the officers that are taking care of the event,” Morales said. “That does not touch or reduce the resources assigned to our other neighborhoods.”

The increased security presence follows the announcement last week by state officials that four people were arrested in connection with the overdose death of a Georgia woman who attended Ultra last year.

“It’s a tragic event, but it’s not something you usually see at this type of venue,” Morales said. “It could happen anywhere, at this event, another event, or a private residence.”

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office will also take the lead on combating human trafficking during the festival, operating a hotline for tips throughout the weekend.

Not all residents near Bayfront Park share the enthusiasm. Some have raised concerns over traffic congestion and noise levels associated with the event, complaints city officials acknowledge surface each year.

District 1 Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela, who also serves on the Bayfront Park Management Trust board, recently presented a proposed 20-year contract extension for Ultra to the city commission. He later tabled discussions to allow time to consider potential adjustments, including shortening the contract’s duration.

Still, Gabela said noise complaints are often part of life in the urban core. “This is part of the situation, right? You don’t move to downtown to have peace and quiet,” Gabela said. “If you wanted peace and quiet, you’d move to the Redland.”

Organizers are encouraging people traveling to downtown Miami this weekend to use public transportation, including the Metromover, or rely on rideshare services to ease congestion around the park.

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 Nicole Comstock

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    SAN GABRIEL VALLEY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Tiny eye-biting flies are swarming all over the San Gabriel Valley and pestering residents.

“The bugs! The bugs! They’re getting me,” Azusa resident Constance Yu said. “They’re like little demons but tiny.”

The black flies are so small that it’s hard to catch them on camera, but they have a big appetite for biting people’s eyes and necks.

“We get bit daily, all day, every day,” Azusa resident Vinita Khanna said.

The pests have been a nuisance in the foothills for years. However, the historic warm winter rainfall and the late-winter heatwave have caused the black fly population to explode this year.

“Our traps indicate that last year we had single digits around this time,” said Anais Medina Diaz, spokesperson for the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. “We’re seeing them in the hundreds.”

Medina Diaz added that the river levels are higher because warm weather has melted mountain snow, creating larger breeding grounds for the flies.

“Our district has been going out to the river and trying to locate these breeding sites, treating them weekly,” Medina Diaz said. “We began treatments well ahead of our usual season.”

They’re encouraging people who live in the San Gabriel Valley foothills to safeguard themselves from the painful bites by putting on repellent with DEET and covering up in loose, light clothing.

Families said they’ve developed allergic reactions after multiple bites.

“We have reactions, severe reactions,” Khanna said. “It’s been quite difficult, almost to the point of considering not living 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.