Month: April 2026

By Chloe McCoy

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    PICKENS, South Carolina (WYFF) — The Pickens Police Department responded to an usual call Thursday morning in Pickens, South Carolina.

Officers responded to Pumpkintown Highway in regard to reports of run away goats near The Market at the Mill.

According to reports, officers engaged in several brief foot pursuits, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to capture the goats.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control eventually arrived on scene with the proper equipment and were able to safely return the goats to their owners.

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 Ricky Podgorski

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    MANCHESTER, N.H. (WMUR) — The New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate announced on Thursday it is increasing its oversight of the Sununu Youth Services Center following its investigation into recent “illegal practices” and reports of “abuse and neglect” at the Manchester facility.

OCA officials said they are now spending time weekly at the center, which was previously known as the Youth Development Center. The facility is home to “detained and committed” children aged 13-17.

The OCA first received a call from a child who lives at the facility on March 9, and since then, they have investigated the complaints, which included a lengthy lockdown at the facility that restricted the children’s movements and no outdoor time.

Officials said they received an additional complaint about an alleged improper use of a physical restraint, which led to the injury of a child last month. The OCA’s report said the child was held down in an “illegal prone position” for more than three minutes, and documentation shows a delay in medical care for the child, who suffered a broken bone.

OCA officials said they will continue to meet with leaders with the Division of Children, Youth and Families and SYSC director Joshua Nye to address the OCA’s concerns and how the facility will be run moving forward.

“We want to make sure that we really take the time to be very thorough, review footage, you know conduct interviews, go back and meet with children and staff again,” State Child Advocate Cassandra Sanchez said.

Jake Leon, a spokesman for the state Department of Health and Human Services, released a statement about the OCA’s report:

“We take seriously our responsibility to provide for the health and safety of the youths at SYSC and examine all allegations of abuse or neglect. We are thoroughly reviewing the allegations raised by the OCA to identify next steps. Once the review is complete, we will provide a response to the OCA that addresses her concerns.”

Along with at least once a week visits to the facility, the OCA is frequently meeting with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to ensure child safety.

“We are really very heavily focused on this issue and ensuring that the facility returns to a state where the children are receiving the dignified care they should be,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez adding that she’s grateful the situation is being addressed in a swift manner.

“It’s essential to recognize that in the process and attend to the issues very quickly because traumatizing children who have already been traumatized then can result in bad outcomes,” Sanchez said. “One of the things that I worried about seeing where things were is that are we then going to see more aggression and more problems in this program before things settle down?”

The Attorney General’s Office released a statement about the report:

“The New Hampshire Department of Justice takes the concerns raised by the Child Advocate very seriously. The safety and well-being of children in state custody is of paramount importance. The Department of Justice has been working with the Child Advocate, the DHHS, and members of the Oversight Commission to ensure that all parties involved cooperate in an effort to thoroughly review these concerns and address any violations of law or applicable policies.”

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 Adam Bartow

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    WESTFIELD, Maine (WMTW) — A man is dead after a fire at a home in Westfield.

The Maine Fire Marshal’s Office says the Mars Hill Fire Department was called to 1197 Houlton Road at about 3:38 p.m. on Thursday. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire conditions.

Family members at the scene told firefighters that someone was likely trapped inside the home.

Firefighters and investigators from the Fire Marshal’s Office were on scene into the evening, looking for the victim and ultimately found the man dead inside.

The body was taken to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, where an autopsy will be conducted to determine positive identification and cause and manner of death.

An excavator was brought in to help tear down what was left of the home and to help move debris from the fire.

Investigators were expected to be on scene again Friday to investigate. The Fire Marshal’s Office said preliminary information from witnesses suggests the fire may have started in the barn area, but the official cause was still under investigation Friday morning.

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 Kyle Burger

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — Beata Jubilee, a 10-year-old from Odessa, is now the top-ranked youth-10 women’s épée fencer in the country after winning gold at the North American Cup in Cleveland.

Jubilee secured the victory by defeating the nation’s previous top fencer in her division. The win also marked a major rating upgrade to a D-26.

“It felt like a big accomplishment because I’ve never won a big tournament before. I was really happy and excited,” Jubilee told Tampa Bay 28 sports anchor Kyle Burger.

Jubilee has been fencing for three years, learning from her coaches at the Tampa Fencing Academy. She credits her success on the strip to patience and focus.

“The biggest strategy is to remember to go slowly. You don’t want to rush and run at your opponent. You strategically take your points,” Jubilee said.

Even when facing the toughest competition, Jubilee relies on a calm demeanor to overcome challenges.

“If you are very concentrated and if you have a good mindset, and you always have to have a good mindset, if you don’t you’re not going to do good. You have to stay active. Those are the traits needed to do fencing,” Jubilee said.

Her coach, Coach Claro, praised her mental toughness and ability to stay composed during high-pressure competitions.

“The (quality) Beata has, and I’m surprised at such a young age, is that she is very mature in her mind.” Claro said. “She recovers very well from failures. If something goes wrong in a competition, she will shake it off, breathe, regain her composure, and get the job done. That’s the most amazing talent she has.”

With a national gold medal now under her belt, Jubilee is already looking ahead to her future in the sport.

“My goal is if I do good, I want to improve and add on. I always want to improve,” Jubilee 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 DeAndria Turner

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — A Louisville software engineer, who spent months searching for his missing father, has created an artificial intelligence-powered platform to help other families organize searches and receive tips in real time.

Jyrone Parker built the platform after his father, Jyronna “JD” Parker of Lexington, went missing in October and was later found dead along the Ohio River in Clarksville, Indiana, in March.

Parker named the platform Project Aziz in honor of his father. The tool allows users to upload photos, videos and other information about a missing person, organize search parties, map search efforts, and send tips to both families and local law enforcement.

“The real-time communication is the biggest part,” Parker said.

Parker said he initially began building technology to help find his father, including AI cameras and microphones trained on his father’s image and voice.

“The first thing I did was I got these ESP 30 twos that came with these AI cameras and microphones, and I trained some models based on pictures and audio of my dad,” Parker said. “And so I was placing these around Lexington and, with the hopes of, you know, if it catches him, then it would send me notifications.”

The technology did not bring his father home, but Parker said it helped him channel his grief into something meaningful.

“It hurts like hell still,” Parker said. “But having something like this to work through with, through my grief, definitely makes it easier, to me, gives it a sense of purpose.”

He said one of the hardest parts of the search was the lack of communication.

“That was my biggest gripe with the lack of communication,” Parker said.

Now, Parker is making the platform available for free in hopes it can help others.

“If one of your loved ones, if you went, missing, they can go on, make an account, and put all the details. Last seen photos, videos, etc.,” Parker said. “You can also organize search parties. So anytime a tip comes in, it’s going to go to the family. And it’s also going to go to local law enforcement.”

Parker said he is now working with community members and law enforcement to expand the project, hoping no family has to search alone again.

“Even though that the software that, you know, didn’t work for in my case when we were trying to find my father, I wanted to give it out in case it can help anybody else,” Parker 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 Lisa Crane

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    PICKENS COUNTY, Alabama (WVTM) — Alabama state law requires every county have animal control to keep roaming or aggressive dogs off the streets. But at least one county doesn’t seem to be following that law.

According to the Aliceville police chief, Pickens County has no animal control and no contract to provide those services.

The situation is coming to light after someone shot two dogs there this week. one was killed, the other injured and there was no agency tasked to deal with the problem of roaming dogs. The dog that survived is having a leg amputated now. A Carrollton woman has stepped in to help and is single handedly trying to handle animal control for all of Pickens County. She’s doing that from her home. She’s set up some makeshift kennels and is trying to keep stray animals and residents safe.

Kari Rodgers was shocked when she moved to Pickens County from Minnesota five years ago and saw stray dogs everywhere. She said, “They do have a lot stricter laws up there when it comes to animals.”

A few months ago, she started an animal rescue, Pickens Paws and Purrs, to try and help some of the strays roaming the county. It’s at her home, she has space for about 12 dogs and she filled the kennels quickly. She was devastated when someone told her two strays had been shot in Aliceville. Rodgers said, “She found Hank Jr, is what the locals call him, he was injured with the gunshot wounds to his legs. She was told by another coworker that police were there talking to one of their coworkers, and shortly after they left is when gunshots happened.”

Some believe it was a police officer who shot the dogs. The Aliceville police chief said he’s looking into it. Chief Tonnie Jones said, “I’m investigating that as well, to see exactly what happened, even if it were an officer that did the incident, so it is under investigation.”

Chief Jones told us he often gets calls about stray dogs, but with no animal control in the county, there’s not much he can do about it. Rodgers said she gets those calls daily. As an animal advocate, she’s heartbroken she can’t rescue them all. Rodgers added, “It’s a serious problem here in town that we need to address. So just getting the humane solutions for the county would be a big help.”

Rodgers is willing to work with the county to officially become the facility that impounds stray animals. We reached out to county leaders about the state mandate to provide animal control and impound services. No one returned our calls.

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 Hannah Hilyard

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Witnesses describe chaos inside the Milwaukee Intermodal Station Thursday morning as police said a security guard fired a single shot to stop a sexual assault.

Craig Coleman, a witness, said, “I ducked down!”

The incident unfolded around 6 a.m. inside the train and bus station near North 5th Street and St. Paul Avenue. Witnesses estimate 40 or so passengers were waiting in line for the early train to Chicago when they started to hear shouting and gunfire, which caused panic in the station.

“I was waiting in line for about five minutes or so when I could hear yelling, like a woman screaming,” commuter Meshach Padilla said.

Padilla told WISN 12 News he noticed a commotion near the restroom area, with security guards coming and going, and passengers growing anxious.

“I walk closer, and then that’s when I actually see a woman who leaves the restroom, like holding her back, in pain. And at this point, the screaming stopped,” Padilla said. “I see another one of the regular passengers trying to help her to get up, and that’s when I hear the gunshot. It was a loud pop, almost like a firework … We were just running.”

The sound of the gunshot sent passengers scrambling to safety.

“Everyone kind of started charging through the doors to where we would normally load onto the train,” said Nicholas Cordonnier, another commuter.

“I thought it was a mass shooting. I thought that there was a gunman loose in the intermodal station,” Padilla added.

Milwaukee police said security guards had discovered a man sexually assaulting a 33-year-old. Investigators said the attacker became combative a security guard fired one shot in an attempt to stop. No one was hit.

Padilla praised the security guards for their actions.

“Just a big shoutout to the Intermodal security guards. I mean, they really put their lives on the line for the passengers and for the people that were potentially being assaulted,” he said.

Police confirmed that the attacker, a 31-year-old man, was arrested and is in custody.

A security guard not involved in the incident told 12 News that guards at the station are not armed and that the guard who intervened used his own personal weapon. The private security firm has not responded to inquiries about the matter, and Milwaukee police declined to answer specific questions.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation owns the building. In a statement, the department said:

“WisDOT is aware of a security incident that occurred this morning at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station (MIS). The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating. As it’s an ongoing investigation, details of the incident will have to be released by the investigating agency.

“The MIS is owned by the state but it is operated and maintained by third-party contractors, including the facility’s security services. WisDOT does not play a role in the daily operation or maintenance of the facility.

“WisDOT is working to learn more about the incident. Our department has the utmost concern and care for the security and safety of any person using a public transportation facility. As we learn more about the incident, we will work with our contracting partners to take any necessary actions to maintain safe operation of the facility.”

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 Monica Casey

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    North Carolina (WRAL) — Siembra NC said two Durham Public School students and their parents were deported earlier this week.

The group said that family had been in the U.S. since 2022, seeking asylum from Honduras.

Siembra NC said that family was attending a regularly scheduled asylum administrative appointment when they were detained, and then deported.

However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement refutes that claim, telling WRAL the family failed to show up for their immigration hearing.

“They received full due process and had no pending asylum claims or immigration applications,” the agency said in a statement. ICE said the family illegally entered the U.S. in 2021 and were released into the U.S. under the Biden administration.

Durham Public Schools provided a statement about the incident:

“We are aware of reports involving a DPS family and federal law enforcement during spring break in Charlotte. We will continue to provide the essential support services our Burton Elementary students, families, and staff need during this unsettling time. We are certainly troubled by this event and will continue to keep the family in our thoughts. There is nothing more we can provide at this time.”

-Durham Public Schools spokesperson

Eleven-year-old Genesis and 6-year-old Denis are students at Burton Magnet Elementary School. They lived in the U.S. for the past four years.

“Denis and Genesis’ family was doing exactly what the system asks of them,” said Andreina Malki with Siembra NC. “They were showing up and fulfilling their legal obligations as they seek refuge. What are you supposed to do if you’re a six year-old who has been here for four years, and you know no other school and no other community, and your family is doing everything the quote unquote right way, and this can still happen?”

Siembra NC leaders said they are taking action in light of this recent incident.

“Siembra NC is building out a network of community volunteers who can accompany individuals and families to their check-ins, to witness, to document, and stand with them,” Malki said.

During Thursday’s press conference, State Senator Sophia Chitlik argued sending people away who are seeking asylum is dangerous.

She and others said this family’s due process was violated.

“They have specific protections for their individual status, and people who come here seeking asylum have a legitimate claim on harm in their home countries,” Chitlik said.

WRAL reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to verify Siembra NC’s claims.

We asked if they could confirm the existence of an asylum case for the family, and if so, why they were deported. We also asked if anyone in the family had a criminal record jeopardizing that case.

ICE has not yet responded to our questions.

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 Paige Reynolds

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    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A Colorado Springs skilled nursing facility is facing questions after state records show a nurse worked there without a valid Colorado or multistate license.

According to a cease-and-desist order issued by the Colorado State Board of Nursing, Johana Vasquez worked multiple shifts at The Center at Cordera between December 31, 2025, and February 2, 2026 – despite never being licensed to practice nursing in Colorado.

State findings show Vasquez held a license in Texas, but did not have a valid Colorado license or a multistate license, which is required to practice legally in the state.

The order required Vasquez to immediately stop practicing nursing in Colorado.

On a phone call with KRDO13 Investigates, Vasquez said she was unaware she needed a Colorado or multistate license until the facility asked her for one.

She said she reported herself to the state after the facility asked about her license status, roughly a month after her first shift.

Vasquez described the situation as a mistake and said she’s now in the process of applying for a valid multistate license. She also confirmed she no longer works at the facility.

The findings raise questions about how an unlicensed individual was able to work in a skilled nursing setting, even temporarily.

The Center at Cordera, located on the east side of Colorado Springs, markets itself online as a “best-in-class” skilled nursing facility.

KRDO13 Investigates made multiple attempts to contact the facility for comment, including phone calls and submitting questions through its website.

Twice, we left voicemail messages for management, but received no response. Attempts to submit questions through the facility’s website resulted in repeated errors, as did our attempt to email them.

KRDO13 Investigates asked the facility whether it was aware that Vasquez only held a Texas license, what verification processes are in place for licensing, and whether any patients were impacted.

As of publication, the facility has not responded.

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.