Month: March 2026

By Doug Williams

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A family is heartbroken after a high school football player was shot to death in Brooklyn.

Ka’mardre Coleman was killed Monday, less than a week before his 17th birthday.

A 16-year-old suspect was charged and arraigned in court Wednesday. Authorities said the two were football teammates at Sheepshead Bay High School.

Both sides of attorneys agree that the shooting was accidental in nature, the result of a group of four teenagers passing around a gun, unloading and loading it, for fun.

Prosecutors said the gun belonged to the suspect, who tried to save his friend but fled the scene when he couldn’t.

The suspect, who is not being named at this time due to his age, has been charged with manslaughter in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.

“He’s a kid who’s never been in trouble before, who’s gonna have to live with the fact that … one of his close friends and teammate is never coming back,” defense attorney Kenneth Montgomery said.

A small memorial now stands outside the home Coleman shared with his mother and his sister, Julani Bannister.

Bannister said her brother was her best friend.

“It was me and him. Now it’s me,” she said. “A lot of siblings don’t get that. A lot of older siblings don’t get their little siblings coming to them like, jeez, this happened, jeez, I just did this. I’m gonna miss that.”

She described her brother as a hard worker and great athlete who was doing everything right.

“He was excited to be 17. Excited to become this grown man. Excited. A y’all took that,” Bannister said. “Y’all took that, and I’m mad I wasn’t there. I’m mad. And I’m sorry, Ka’mardre. I’m sorry, Ka’mardre, because I know I vouched to protect you.”

“We want justice for Ka’mardre, alright? That’s all I’m asking for is justice for my nephew, OK? He did not deserve this,” said Nikia Hayden, the victim’s aunt.

The family is holding a vigil at 6 p.m. Friday at Sheepshead Bay High School.

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 Dave Carlin

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Rapper Megan Thee Stallion made her Broadway debut Tuesday night, adding some of her own big hits to “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”

Fans are calling it inspired casting and a triumph, and her joining the cast appears to be adding a boost to the box office.

She gave fans everything they could ask for playing Zidler, who, up until now, was always played by a man. She brought her signature energy and star power, and treats each audience to a rousing medley of three of her own hits during curtain call.

The 31-year-old hitmaker shared glimpses of what’s going on backstage on her social media.

“I’m so excited. I mean, once I heard she was going to be in ‘Moulin Rouge,’ I booked my ticket,” theater-goer Marcia Jones said.

“I’m definitely a fan of Megan Thee Stallion. In my heyday, I’d like to think I was a Megan Thee Stallion,” joked Patty Wilkerson.

“This one we’re definitely going to hit no matter what,” theater-goer Coreena Franklin said.

Megan Thee Stallion remains very busy, working on a new album during her run with the show.

She’ll appear in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” through May 17.

The show opened in 2019 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

The final performance for the show’s Broadway run is set for July 26.

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 Marcus McIntosh

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    ANKENY, Iowa (KCCI) — Parents and students are still processing the shock after Tuesday afternoon’s incident at an Ankeny school, which brought a heavy emergency response and left more than a dozen children injured.

A car jumped the curb in the pickup line at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish and School in Ankeny, sending 15 students to the hospital, including nine by ambulance.

Parent Charisse Gardiner said it was “pretty wild” to see so many emergency vehicles gathered in one place as families tried to understand what had happened.

Gardiner said her children — who are in first, third and fifth grades — were nearly home when the incident unfolded.

Once she learned her own children were safe, she said her relief was mixed with heartbreak for the injured students, many of whom are friends and classmates of her children.

“We’ve just been saying a lot of prayers for them, hoping that they recover quickly and that they’re not hurt too bad,” Gardiner said. “We’re just keeping them in our thoughts, really just praying for them.”

Her oldest son, Callin Gardiner, said students are already trying to support those who were hurt.

“Some people are making some cards for them,” he said. “And then everyone believes that they can get healthy fast.”

A child mental health counselor with Orchard Place said the emotional effects will likely extend beyond the students who were physically injured.

“Trauma, unfortunately, can have a lasting impact,” Allison Rawls said. “But a short-term trauma, like a one-off experience, there is a lot of hope for kids to be able to process and overcome it.”

She said parents should watch closely for changes in their children, especially among students who witnessed what happened or know those who were injured.

Children need to feel “safe and secure and supported,” she said, and parents should have honest conversations that validate their emotions, because frightening events can bring “really big feelings for small children to feel.”

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 Chelsea Jones

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A South Florida car business is feeling the direct impact of a growing global conflict after dozens of its vehicles were damaged in a missile strike in Dubai.

New images out of the region show destruction tied to escalating tensions involving Iran, and for one Miami Lakes-based company, the fallout is both immediate and costly.

Abe Chamoun, founder of CAS Auto, says 52 brand-new Nissan vehicles sitting on a lot in Dubai were damaged after a missile landed nearby.

“We happen to have inventory in Dubai. A missile landed nearby and damaged 52 brand new Nissans,” Chamoun said.

Those vehicles were ready to be sold but are now considered a total loss, with damages estimated at around $370,000. However, Chamoun says the strike is just one piece of a much larger problem.

His company operates globally, buying excess inventory from manufacturers and distributors and storing vehicles at ports around the world — including Panama, South Africa, Belgium, Dubai and the United States — before selling to car rental companies and fleet operators.

“We buy overstock from distributors and manufacturers globally and we keep it at different ports around the world… and then we trade it,” he explained.

Now, ongoing disruptions tied to the conflict are making that model increasingly difficult. Chamoun says shipping costs have surged, and insurance rates have skyrocketed.

“The cost of shipping is way up, the marine insurance has doubled, quadrupled. So, it does affect the final cost to our customers,” he said.

A major factor: the continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. The waterway, which typically handles about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply, has been largely closed for more than three weeks, leaving containers stranded and forcing companies to scramble.

For Chamoun, that means rerouting inventory and rethinking logistics in real time. “We have inventory now that we were planning to sell to South America, vehicles that were going to Dubai, now we have to route them to believe it or not, Sri Lanka,” he said.

With operations in Dubai currently on hold, Chamoun says flexibility is key. “I’ve been doing this for 42 years… it’s not going to stop us or slow us down,” he said.

President Donald Trump said peace talks with Tehran have been productive after warning of possible strikes if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. Iranian officials have denied active negotiations but say they are reviewing proposals from the United States.

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 Zachary Bynum

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — What started as a routine walk on Monday along one of Atlanta’s busiest trails quickly turned into something out of a movie.

Joseph Ragland says he and his friends were heading back from dinner near the Inman Park section of the Beltline when they noticed a crowd forming ahead.

“At first, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Ragland told CBS News Atlanta. “We had just seen a possum earlier, so I’m thinking—maybe it’s another animal.”

But this was different.

People in the crowd kept repeating one word: snake.

Then Ragland saw it.

“I see this snake tail… as big as my calf,” he said. “And I’m like—that’s not a regular snake. That’s not something native to here.”

Ragland pulled out his phone — instinctively.

“Cameraman never dies,” he joked.

What he captured next is now circulating across social media: a man stepping forward, pulling a massive snake from the bushes, and revealing what appeared to be a python stretching nearly 8 feet long across the Beltline.

“I couldn’t even see the head at first,” Ragland said. “And I’m not touching a snake if I can’t see its head.”

Then, suddenly — “Somebody’s uncle just comes out… and starts yanking the snake out of the bush,” he said.

Moments later, the snake was fully exposed.

“There’s 10 full feet of snake just laying there… and everybody’s freaking out,” Ragland said.

The Atlanta Beltline, especially near Krog Street Market, is typically packed with walkers, runners, families, and pets on warm spring days.

That day was no different.

“You could feel the energy rising,” Ragland said. “Everybody had their phones out. You just knew something was about to happen.”

And it did.

After pulling the snake out, the man reportedly walked off—leaving confusion in his wake.

Ragland says he later heard from someone still at the scene that the man appeared unusually comfortable around the animal.

“He was out there… hiding behind a bush, giggling,” Ragland said. “That’s one of the things that makes me think—it might have been his snake.”

Still, the exact origin of the python remains unclear.

As quickly as the moment escalated, Ragland and his friends decided it was time to go.

“My buddy said, ‘This is some Final Destination… let’s go,'” Ragland recalled.

They left before authorities—or anyone else—could confirm what happened next.

Despite the shock factor, Ragland says moments like this don’t feel entirely out of place in Atlanta.

“Atlanta is a city in the middle of a forest,” he said. “You never really know what you’re gonna see.”

Then he added, with a laugh:

“We got boas on the Beltline, lemurs on Edgewood, spaceships in Bankhead… I don’t think anything surprises me anymore.”

Ragland says the experience left him with one clear takeaway for anyone enjoying the Beltline:

“Watch out,” he said.

And more importantly:

“Don’t touch any animals that you don’t know.”

He even joked that one pandemic habit might still be useful:

“That six-foot distance? Might not be a bad idea.”

While it’s unclear whether the snake was an escaped pet or intentionally brought to the Beltline, the moment raises broader awareness about safety, exotic animals, and accountability in public spaces.

For now, though, the viral video stands as a reminder of just how unpredictable life in Atlanta can be.

“Out of everything I expected to see that day,” Rigland said, “an 8-foot python was definitely not one of them.”

CBS News Atlanta reached out to the Atlanta Beltline for comment.

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 Alexa Liacko

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    MARIETTA, Georgia (WUPA) — As Georgia faces a growing shortage of healthcare workers, one local teenager is already stepping in to help fill the gap — while bringing comfort to patients during some of their most difficult moments.

Inside the intensive care unit at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, the stakes are high and the environment can be overwhelming.

“It is a very stressful place,” said Aryan Agar, a student volunteer. “Every time I come here, there’s always some alarms going on in the background…there’s always patients who need something. Patients calling for help.”

Amid the constant beeping of monitors and the urgency of medical care, Agar noticed something beyond the clinical needs.

“I had come to realize that a lot of the patients here are lonely, and sometimes their morale is down,” he said.

Agar has spent more than 200 hours volunteering at the hospital through “Volunteens,” a student program designed to introduce young people to careers in healthcare. While volunteers often assist with tasks like answering phones and stocking supplies, Agar sought to make a more personal impact.

He founded a nonprofit organization called Critical Kindness, which provides care kits to ICU patients.

“Just something that can hopefully kind of make the day better for some of these patients who are in here in some of their most trying times,” Agar said.

Hospital staff say the effort goes a long way in improving patient experience.

“It makes a patient feel very safe. It makes them feel heard and listened to and really well cared for,” said Stephanie Hill, a nurse at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

Each care kit is simple but meaningful, aimed at offering comfort and a sense of connection in an otherwise isolating environment.

Aryan said the experience has also shaped him personally.

“Since I’ve been here, I definitely think that I’ve matured,” he said. “I’ve kind of come to face the issues that face our population today.”

Hospital leaders say programs like Volunteens are critical as the healthcare industry grapples with staffing shortages.

“What we want to do is have a pipeline for future employees,” said Amy Saye of Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. “We are in desperate need of nurses, radiology care professionals, medical assistants… there’s so many positions that we have need of.”

Agar hopes to one day become an oncologist and continue helping others.

“Saving lives has always been a big part of my dreams,” he said. “Hopefully I can inspire other people my age, or any age, to start something like this.”

His mother, Swati Gopalan, said his passion extends beyond the hospital walls.

“He wants to save lives in the medical environment and outside of it as well,” she said. “He’s a lifeguard and also a fire cadet in Cobb County, where he’s learning the same skills firefighters use to save lives. It means a lot that he’s trying to do so much for the community.”

Saye said Agar represents the promise of the next generation of healthcare workers.

“We are in good hands. We have so much to look forward to,” she said. “We can continue to invest in them, trust them, give them our time and our resources. And I promise you they are going to do great things.”

Wellstar officials say the Volunteens program has grown increasingly competitive, now receiving far more applications than it can accept — an encouraging sign that many young people are ready to answer the call to serve.

For Agar, that calling is already clear: making a difference, one patient at a time.

Applications for the program can be found on the Wellstar website.

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 Breana Pitts

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    NEEDHAM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — March is Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month, and for families navigating celiac disease, treatment does not come in the form of medication or a cure. Instead, it requires a lifelong commitment to a strict gluten-free diet.

At Boston Children’s Hospital’s Needham campus, that education is happening in an unexpected place – the kitchen.

What looks at first like a cooking class, is actually a doctor’s appointment designed to help children and families build real-life skills around food and health.

“It’s a billable service that were offering. It’s a nutrition education appointment, and we’re giving them the education as well as some practical skills,” explained culinary nutrition manager Nolan Reese.

Reese and dietitian Maria Cherry run the hospital’s newly opened teaching kitchen in Needham, a space where families can learn how to cook for a range of health needs, including celiac disease, epilepsy and diabetes.

“What I talk about in these classes is that when we’re looking at our food groups, the majority are naturally gluten-free. So if we focus on what we already have that is gluten-free, like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein, that’s going to help us create really great, healthy recipes instead of focusing so much on what we’re missing when we’re talking about a gluten-free diet,” Cherry said.

“If a kid is newly diagnosed and we tell them what they need to eat, it might go in one ear and out the other,” Reese said. “But we use this space to sort of practice those skills and help really solidify those recommendations.”

For kids with epilepsy, the kitchen can be a place to learn about the ketogenic diet and how to carefully measure ingredients. For children with diabetes, it can help teach carb counting and practical cooking skills that build confidence outside the hospital setting.

Cherry said the kitchen creates a more comfortable, collaborative environment for patients and families.

“We have more of a back and forth, and it’s more collaborative,” she said. “I think that really takes off the pressure.”

The pair also brings their recipes beyond the kitchen and onto YouTube, sharing dishes like black bean and sweet potato quesadillas and gluten-free chickpea cookie dough — meals designed to be inclusive for the whole family.

“Creating recipes that are easy for all friends and family to enjoy, and not feel like they’re missing out on anything, are really important,” Cherry said.

The teaching kitchen is also preparing to expand its reach, with plans to offer free community classes in the near future, giving more families access to hands-on nutrition education.

“We want kids to feel confident managing their conditions in the real world,” Reese said. “And this gives them a way to practice those skills and actually make it fun.”

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 Jacob Wycoff

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    WORCESTER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A simple frustration turned into something much bigger for 13-year-old Jason Chang, a seventh grader at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. Jason didn’t set out to solve a global energy problem. He just wanted to stop adjusting his family’s solar-powered Christmas decorations.

“My mom would always tell me to go outside and move the solar lights to face the sun… and I got kind of frustrated,” Jason said. “What if I could fix this problem?”

That moment, small, relatable, and a little annoying, sparked an idea that would eventually earn him national recognition.

Jason’s project is what he calls an “eco-efficient solar tracking system.” In simple terms, it’s a solar panel that follows the sun throughout the day.

Most solar panels are fixed in place, meaning they don’t always capture sunlight at the optimal angle. That can lead to a loss of potential energy, Jason says that number is up to 20%.

His solution? A system that moves with the sun, without using motors, sensors, or electricity.

Instead, it relies on gravity.

Using a series of water-filled containers, a seesaw-style design, and a carefully timed fluid control system, his device slowly shifts the weight of the panel throughout the day. As the sun moves, the panel tilts with it automatically.

“All you have to do is pull on the plug and the water starts flowing,” Jason explained. “Over time, it will add water slowly into the bucket, weighing the panel down gradually to follow the sun’s movement.”

The entire system is built using simple materials, many of them recycled. The cost is less than $25.

Jason didn’t just build the model, he tested it. In outdoor comparisons with a standard fixed solar panel, his design generated about 20% more voltage.

That kind of improvement could have real-world implications, especially in areas where every bit of energy matters.

“I hope my project can help people around the world to provide more electricity,” he said. “Since it’s very low cost… I believe that it can be made anywhere around the world.”

Because it doesn’t rely on external power or complex parts, the system could be especially useful in off-grid communities, developing regions, or even disaster zones where electricity is limited or unavailable.

Jason has been working on the project for over a year, refining the design and documenting each step along the way in a detailed notebook.

Like most inventions, it didn’t come together perfectly on the first try.

“The hardest part was the fluid control frame,” he said. “It has to be very precise… the measurements have to be exact for the panel to move correctly.”

He’s already thinking ahead, too.

One limitation of the current design is that water can freeze in colder temperatures. So, Jason is now working on a new version; one that can function year-round, even in winter conditions.

It’s a mindset that goes beyond just one project.

“I think most problems in life… instead of working hard, you should work smarter,” he said. “Think of ideas to overcome the problem.”

After walking through the design and its potential impact, WBZ-TV’s Jacob Wycoff showed Jason a surprise video message from Jenny Buccos, co-founder of the National STEM Festival.

“Congratulations on being named a National STEM Champion,” she said. “You are one of the 55 reasons to believe the future is in incredible hands.”

The room quickly filled with applause. Jason had been selected as one of the nation’s top young innovators and invited to Washington, D.C. to present his work.

“I feel great,” he said, smiling as his classmates cheered him on.

At just 13 years old, Jason is already thinking like an engineer and an entrepreneur.

“When I’m older, I want to be an entrepreneur… create products… and make everyone’s life easier,” he said.

It’s a big goal. But if this project is any indication, he’s well on his way.

What started as a simple frustration has turned into something with real potential as an idea that could help bring energy to places that need it most.

And now, it’s taking him to a national stage.

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.