Month: March 2026

By Danny Valle

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    LANSING, Mich (WSYM) — Alfonso Salas went through personal threats in his mission to dedicate a street in Old Town Lansing to his hero Cesar Chavez.

It’s a cause he fought for. A movement he nearly paid a personal price to defend.

Now it’s at the center of one of the most difficult conversations Lansing’s Latino community has ever had to have.

Alfonso Salas, owner of Atlantic Athletics, was a key figure in the movement to rename Grand River Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue in Lansing. Salas says he condemns the sexual abuse allegations against Chavez but urges the public to weigh his national legacy before deciding to rename the street. The City of Lansing will begin formal discussions on a possible renaming Thursday, March 26, at 4 p.m. on the 10th floor of City Hall.

Salas, who has operated Atlantic Athletics in Lansing for years, didn’t hesitate when asked about his reaction to the bombshell New York Times report detailing sexual abuse allegations against the iconic labor leader, including allegations involving women and children, and fellow United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta.

“We were saddened, just like thousands of people. [Chavez] was a person that we look up to, he was one of our mentors,” Salas said. “He should be judged on two levels, as an individual and also on the national level.”

On the individual level, Salas didn’t mince words.

“I believe that if he abused a woman and he did what they say he did, then he should be condemned” he said. “We all have daughters, we have sisters, relatives, and we don’t want our family members to go through that.”

City Council member Trini Lopez Pehlivanoglu announced that the Committee on City Operations will meet Thursday, March 26, at 4 p.m. for a discussion on a draft resolution to rename the avenue.

The meeting will be held on the 10th floor of City Hall in the city council conference room.

“Please note this is the first step in the process and there will be several additional opportunities for community conversations and public input,” Pehlivanoglu wrote on her city council Facebook page.

Changes to Chavez’s legacy have been debated nationwide since the NYT report surfaced.

Lansing has already canceled The Legacy for Cesar Chavez Dinner that was scheduled for March 25. Michigan State University changed a website once named after Chavez and Huerta to “Farmworker Appreciation and Commemorative Celebration.”

For Salas, the timing brings up an old wound.

Salas was one of the community leaders behind the push to rename Grand River Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue, facing fierce backlash at times.

Salas remembers buying a trailer as a gift for his daughter’s wedding when he received a threatening phone call.

“They said, ‘We know where you live, you trailer trash. Why don’t you put your street sign, Cesar Chavez, in front of your trailer?'” Salas recalled. “I had to go in and remove my daughter from the trailer because I thought they were going to go and bomb it or burn it.”

“I went through hell,” Salas said. “That’s how bad some of the things went.”

Years later Salas finds himself in the middle of the debate again this time from a different angle. He said abuse cannot be excused but asks people to slow down.

“I wish that people were, before they come to judgment, to conclusion, that they’ll think it over and do some research,” he said.

For Salas, the name on that street has never just been about one man.

“By taking the name out, I feel like we’re taking the name out not only of him, but the fight for the farm workers,” he said. “They’re the ones that put food on our tables. And we need to continue the cause.”

Salas’ connection to that cause is personal. After graduating, Salas joined a union shop at General Motors, a path he credits directly to Chavez’s labor advocacy, and eventually opened his own business.

“I am where I am because of him,” he said. “And this is just me. There are a lot of other people like me.”

If it were up to him, the name would stay, not to honor the man, but the movement.

Salas suggested if a change does happen that the street be named after someone who made a tangible difference in Lansing’s Latino community, like Tony Benavides, the city’s first Latino mayor.

But Salas is clear that the decision ultimately belongs to the people.

“It’s up to the community. It’s up to the people to decide what they’re going to do,” Salas said.

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

By Lauren Crawford

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    GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE, Texas (KTVT) — In one North Texas classroom, book reports sound a little different.

Instead of standing at the front of the room, students at Heritage Elementary in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD are stepping up to the microphone.

At just 7 and 8 years old, second-graders are the voices behind “Only Readers in the Building,” a student-led podcast where they review their favorite books, from action-packed adventures to laugh-out-loud stories.

Twice a week, students trade their desks for the mic, diving into plots, characters and the moments that made them laugh.

The idea came from their teacher, Christi Cooper, who wanted to reimagine the traditional book report.

“Every year I try to think of something exciting for my students to do,” Cooper said. “I wanted to do something beyond a traditional book report, something that incorporated technology and allowed us to share our ideas with other students, their families, and the broader school community.”

And that’s exactly what they’re doing.

QR codes posted around the campus allow students and teachers to listen to each episode any time, turning a simple classroom project into a schoolwide experience.

“It’s very cool, very fun, and you can show your parents!” student Ethan Hand said.

The podcast is about more than just books; Students are building confidence, practicing communication skills and learning how to bring their ideas to life.

“We are working on writing, speaking, following a script and producing something we can be proud of at the end,” Cooper said.

And with each episode, the second-graders are proving that storytelling doesn’t have an age limit, just a voice.

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 Charlie De Mar

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A food delivery robot in Chicago is going viral, but not for fast service, but for a crash landing.

The pint-sized courier smashed straight through the glass of a West Town CTA bus shelter. While it led to plenty of laughs, it also raised some serious questions about the future of the pilot program.

“I actually felt bad for the guy a little bit,” said Bayard Elfvin, CEO and founder of Centre Construction Group.

The video shows the small, wheeled robot designed to bring takeout to your door brought a mess instead.

“I mean, I never thought a little robot running into a bus stop would cause such a buzz,” Elfvin said.

The guilty driver, Nasir, smashed through the glass at the CTA bus shelter at Grand and Racine just outside of the Centre Construction Group. Elfvin said he was surprised how easily the glass at the shelter broke.

“I was surprised, the thing could hit it that hard, and it went right through it,” he said.

Serve Robotics said in a statement that while they figure out how this happened, they will cover the cost of the already-repaired glass, calling the crash landing extremely rare.

Our robot made impact with the glass. Our local team proceeded to clean up the area as soon as we learned about the incident and immediately started an investigation into how this happened. Incidents like this are extremely rare, with our robots completing hundreds of thousands of deliveries since 2025 without a single serious incident. We are in touch with the relevant parties and will cover the cost of the repair.

CBS News Chicago cameras caught a robot from a different company successfully navigating the same stretch of busy Grand Avenue.

Although nobody was injured at the bus stop, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) said that before making any determination on whether or not this pilot program moves forward, it will really depend on the safety of the robots.

“We are in contact with the company. We are stressing the importance of public safety and consistent monitoring of these robots to prevent harm to people, infrastructure, and property. We have been informed that the company is in talks with the bus shelter provider, and both parties will look to have it repaired as soon as possible. We are glad that no one was hurt. We will continue to listen to feedback from 27th Ward residents and local businesses as we monitor these robotic companies during this pilot period. We will consider their performance in complying with safety protocols before making a determination on their presence in the ward following the pilot,” Burnett said.

Meanwhile, there is a grassroots effort to put the brakes on these delivery robots. Josh Robertson started a petition to end robot deliveries.

“This pilot program has been more disruptive to everyday Chicagoans than a pilot should be,” he said.

The petition, according to Robertson, has over 3,700 signatures from people who see red flags in the pilot program that rolls on through May 2027.

“This incident created quite the spectacle, but it’s one more in a long line of hundreds of incidents that we’ve received through the petition,” he said. “The robots continue to cause safety and accessibility issues for Chicagoans.”

Burnett has not yet taken a position on the delivery robots. However, Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said the program will not be expanding after a survey showed most residents opposed 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 Tim Fang

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    SAN MATEO COUNTY, California (KPIX) — An unlicensed cosmetologist from Florida has been found guilty in a California court for providing an injection that killed a model who was known as a Kim Kardashian lookalike, prosecutors said.

According to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, 53-year-old Vivian Alexandra Gomez of Royal Palm Beach was convicted Monday in the 2023 death of Christina Gourkani. Following a 15-day trial and three hours of deliberations, jurors found Gomez guilty of felony involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license.

Prosecutors said Gourkani, a model who resembled the reality TV star and who had hundreds of thousands of social media followers, hired Gomez to perform an illegal gluteal silicon injection.

On April 19, 2023, Gomez flew to San Francisco International Airport and met Gourkani and her fiancée at the Burlingame Mariott hotel to perform the procedure. After receiving the injections, prosecutors said the victim quickly fell very ill and her fiancée called 911.

Gourkani was transported to Mills Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame, where she died of respiratory failure and a pulmonary embolism the following day.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, injectable silicon injections for body contouring have not been approved and can cause serious injuries, disfigurement and even death.

Gomez was arrested after she returned to Florida. She waived extradition and was brought back to San Mateo County to face charges.

Following Monday’s verdict, Gomez was remanded into custody and is being held without bail ahead of sentencing. She had previously been out of custody on $200,000 bond.

Gomez faces up to seven years in state prison, prosecutors said. Sentencing is scheduled for May 5.

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 Steve Large

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    SACREMENTO, California (KOVR) — Artwork depicting Cesar Chavez’s leadership in the farmworker movement is now being reconsidered in public and private places.

Chicano artist and muralist Carlos Lopez marched with Chavez as a child. He said he was shocked to hear the recent sexual assault allegations that have the late labor leader’s legacy under scrutiny.

Lopez, a member of the Chicano Royal Air Force collective, says any work showing Chavez’s face should be replaced, “and I painted Cesar Chavez’s face several times.”

“When I hear that Chavez had done these atrocities to these ladies, it was like a sucker gut punch,” Lopez said.

In Sacramento, the Crocker Art Museum’s current exhibit, “Rebels with La Causa,” features a showcase of Chicano Royal Air Force artwork, including a 1972 work by Jose Montoya depicting Chavez that has been removed.

“After discussion with the show’s curator and the artist’s family, we have removed the piece and replaced with another by the same artist,” Crocker Art Museum said in a statement.

Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) Union with Chavez, has accused him of raping her twice. A New York Times investigation also found he sexually assaulted girls while he was the president of the UFW.

“I would have never guessed this, you know?” Lopez said. “I would have never thought this would be part of his legacy.”

Lopez not only marched as a child in the Delano Grape Strike in 1970, but he also lived with Huerta’s daughter.

“One of her daughters lived at our place, our family home, when we were growing up for a while,” Lopez said.

Now this artist, who is devoted to depicting the Chicano struggle, says removing Chavez from artwork may be the only choice.

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 Lesley Marin

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    HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — After years of legal battles, dozens of Huntington Beach neighbors lost their backyards so sanitation crews could access an aging pipeline.

Roughly two years ago, the Orange County Sanitation District notified more than two dozen homeowners that they would need to access a massive, vital underground sewage pipe running through properties along Rhone Lane. To do so, the district would need to dig up residents’ backyards. Homeowners would also need to remove any structures and improvements, including pools and patios.

Over the last two years, some of the 29 homeowners, such as Ted Beresford, have agreed to the district’s terms.

“It’s been total, unmitigated chaos,” Beresford said when construction began in March 2026. “Unnecessary destruction. They’ve taken out the pool. They have destroyed the yard for no reason.

Beresford said that when he agreed to the terms allowing crews to access the sewer easement, which was built in the 1950s, he didn’t expect the district to take one-third of his backyard.

“I know there was an easement; however, an easement is not ownership,” Beresford said. “An easement is access. OC Sanitation interpreted this as an ownership.”

Other homeowners, such as Phillip Rizzo, did not agree to having their yards dug up and are now in legal limbo with the district.

“If there was an emergency, it likely wouldn’t impact 29 homes,” Rizzo said. “They are taking value out of 29 families and causing anxiety, unnecessarily.”

It will be up to a judge in May to determine if Rizzo will have to get rid of the above-ground pool he built to accommodate his disabled son, AJ.

“We knew the easement was there, but all the improvements we made, we made with the ability to remove off the easement if needed,” Rizzo said.

A district spokesperson said they had been in contact with homeowners on Rhone Lane for decades. They said they must take action now before the pipe is even more at risk.

Homeowners, including Beresford, whose yard has already been destroyed, questioned why nothing had been done over the last 65 years and why it needs to happen now.

“Make sure everybody understands the gravity of what’s back here, but what’s right is to leave it alone until there’s a problem,” Beresford 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.

By Gabriela Vidal

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — It was supposed to be the start of a long-awaited family cruise for Denver TSA employee 37-year-old Eduardo Morales and his wife, Mehgan. They had booked a five-day vacation in the Bahamas. Instead, the family is dealing with what they are calling the biggest tragedy they have ever experienced.

“We’d really been working hard to get to it and have our time off, have time together and have time with family. It was just supposed to be a really fun time,” said Mehgan.

She says Eddie was beloved by his colleagues and anyone who met him along the way.

“He was kind of the glue that held a lot of things together for a lot of people,” she said. “He was important to me. He held me together.”

Everything changed, however, when Mehgan and Eddie left for the airport in a rideshare car early Saturday morning.

“We took Illif to get up to the I-225 exit. I was uncomfortable with the driving,” said Mehgan, “but we got on to I-225 north and just within a minute or two, ‘Bam!’ we were hit.”

Aurora police say a Chevy Silverado truck was speeding and driving erratically when it rear-ended the rideshare car, a Toyota Corolla, causing the car to flip with Eddie, Meghan, and the rideshare driver inside. They were less than 18 miles from Denver International Airport.

“I woke up a couple of seconds later, and my husband was in my arms, and I asked him if he was okay, and he said ‘no,’ and then he was gone,” said Mehgan.

Eddie died at the scene of the crash, and Mehgan and the rideshare driver were taken to the hospital.

“I felt like I got pushed forward. I felt my face get hit. I closed my eyes, and I could just feel burning and pain on my face,” said Mehgan. “I have a neck injury and a hip injury, obviously some facial injuries, but it pales in comparison to what I feel inside.”

Instead of a holiday away with family, Mehgan and Eddie’s parents and sisters are now staying at a hotel directly across from the crash site, dealing with the shock.

“We’ve had so many people reach out to us telling us just how amazing he was and how funny he was and how sweet he was,” said Vanessa Morales, Eddie’s sister.

They’re now raising money to help support Mehgan through the loss. At the same time, they’re pleading for answers from police and the public.

“We just want to know who did it,” said Jessica Morales, Eddie’s sister, “for ruining so many lives.”

Aurora police say two people got out of the truck when the crash happened and ran away from the scene. Investigators said they’re working to find out why and are asking the public for help with any information about these individuals and what may have happened.

“To contact the police and give them a lead or something so we can follow up and give us a kind of closure,” said Roberto Morales, Eddie’s father.

Aurora police say part of the reconstruction of the incident will include “obtaining estimated speeds for both vehicles involved, as well as any other contributing factors.”

They say if they believe the rideshare car was involved in any misconduct, they could also be cited.

CBS Colorado reached out to Lyft about the incident, the rideshare company Mehgan and Eddie used to get to the airport, and is waiting for a response back.

“Just to find some answers is all we want right now… justice to be done for Eddie,” said Mirta Morales, Eddie’s mother.

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.