Month: April 2026

By Sahana Patel

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    WEST BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — A Southwest Boise mother who serves as the primary caregiver for her two adult sons with disabilities is asking for help after surviving three strokes in a matter of days.

Mandy MacNeil has battled Fabry disease for most of her life. The rare genetic disease prevents the body from breaking down certain fats, causing them to build up and damage organs over time.

Last Friday, after finishing her shift as a certified nursing assistant, MacNeil felt something was wrong and drove herself to the hospital.

“And I was like, I almost hit your building. Take my keys. Please help me,” MacNeil said.

MacNeil suffered a stroke that day and has had two more since. She is currently in a Boise rehabilitation facility focused on recovery, but her inability to work has drastically changed her family’s financial situation.

“I’m the one that does everything. I usually pay all the bills, buy all the groceries. I can’t do that right now,” MacNeil said.

Family members are stepping in to help, including Jasmine Wilson, her son’s fiancé, who organized a GoFundMe campaign.

“I just couldn’t sit back and watch Mandy struggle with that alone, so I decided that we were going to try to help her in any way we could,” Wilson said.

MacNeil was not diagnosed with Fabry disease until 2003. Because she was not tested early, she said treatment came too late, leading to strokes and heart problems since she was 19.

“Like say, back in 1980, if we would have known, we could have got tested, and we could have got medicine,” MacNeil said. “Even with the medicine, it still causes destruction and all that, but that’s cause there’s not enough research.”

April is Fabry Awareness Month, and MacNeil hopes more research and awareness will help others avoid what she has experienced.

“People are getting a little bit more aware of it, and they are doing newborn screening now,” MacNeil said. “I’ve seen kids as young as five get treatment, and they start right away. And that makes them live a lot longer, and they don’t have many problems.”

After spending 35 years helping others as a certified nursing assistant and med tech, MacNeil said she is grateful not to be facing this alone.

“I try to help everybody. And take care of everybody else. So the fact that somebody else is gonna help me and take care of me feels very blessed,” MacNeil said.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI 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 Concetta Callahan

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    TUCSON, Arizona (KGUN) — A local pilot with a can-do attitude is proving that anything can be done with hard work and determination despite having a disability. Now, she’s being recognized with the highest honor in our state by being inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame. KGUN9’s Concetta Callahan got a chance to talk to the first licensed armless airplane pilot. Concetta asked Jessica Cox, “Do you know of anyone else who has flown planes with their feet before?”

Jessica replied, “I don’t believe there is anyone who has flown an airplane with their feet.”

Making Jessica the first person to do just that.

She is proving that the sky is the limit for her.

Being inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor for her and a historic aviation achievement. Her very proud husband, Patrick Chamberlain, supports her in her love for flying.

Together, the couple started the Rightfooted Foundation International to empower those without arms. “Helping parents teach their kids that they are capable,” she explained. “Jessica has always worked with kids without arms. Since the day I met her, she was already networking with parents and meeting kids all across the country,” said Patrick. Jessica has a sweet photo with a 6-year-old in the co-pilot seat.

The child was born just like her, without arms. “It’s a wonderful organization that really inspires and brings out that message that disability does not mean inability,” Jessica said. Showing others born just like her that you really can do anything you set your mind to. “Just to be able to get in the plane, land a plane at an airport, climb out of that airplane and say, ‘hey, if I can fly with my feet then who is to say what people with disabilities can or cannot do’?” Jessica will be honored at the Pima Air and Space Museum during a special ceremony on Friday, May 15th.

Be sure to check out the Hall of Fame wall on your next visit.

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 Dani Miskell

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    CORONADO, California (KGTV) — Bill Martin, a 98-year-old veteran who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, is traveling to Washington, D.C., this weekend as part of an Honor Flight.

Martin is one of nearly 100 veterans taking part in the trip to visit the war memorials which honors their service. Martin will also be joined by his three daughters.

Martin served in the Navy for 36 years, eventually becoming a captain. His service began in 1945 when he was 17 years old, and the United States was at war with Japan.

“My dad took me down to the federal building in Detroit and had me sworn into the Navy, so I wouldn’t get drafted. There was a lot of fighting going on over in Okinawa,” Martin said.

Five years after WWII, Martin served in the Korean War, working in communications.

“I was working in the code room, sending and receiving coded messages,” Martin said. “We had aviators on board and attacked the North Koreans from Incheon, behind enemy lines.”

As Martin sifted through his memories from more than 70 years ago, he remembered one thing clearly.

“I was never in any danger in the Navy,” Martin said.

Then five years later, the Vietnam War started. During the Vietnam War, Martin recalled one experience leaving Saigon on an airplane and being given a warning.

“They said put your suitcases under you. They sometimes shoot at these planes from the rice fields with their rifles,” Martin said.

Martin said he patrolled the coast and intercepted ships during the Vietnam War. He remembers the pilots who never made it home and carries regret about the conflict.

“That was a nasty war. I’m sorry we even got involved in it,” Martin said. “I don’t know what we accomplished getting involved in that war.”

Now, 81 years after his service began, Martin will have the opportunity to visit the memorials for all three wars he served in in Washington D.C. this weekend, as part of Honor Flight San Diego’s program.

At 98 years young, Martin’s story isn’t finished.

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 Erin Lowrey, Aubry Killion

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    BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (WDSU) — A newly released report by the State of Louisiana Child Ombudsman outlines significant concerns with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

The report, which was conducted through the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office, reviewed complaints made by families and evaluated services provided by the agency.

According to the report, the problems outlined describe systemic issues within DCFS.

Those issues included communication failures, placement barriers, noncompliance with policies, and children being held in psychiatric hospitals.

According to the report, there were 230 reports of unreturned calls, inadequate information, or misinformation in 2025 within DCFS.

There were also reports of multiple cases that showed delays in home studies, failures in family notification, and problems with placement requirements.

According to the report, children often remained separated from relatives for months or years.

The report also claims that DCFS failed to follow required investigative procedures. DCFS is also accused of having breaches of confidentiality, improper denial of recording rights, untimely forensic interviews, and lengthy delays in case determinations.

A concerning allegation outlined in the report claims that DCFS placed children, primarily in the foster care system, in psychiatric hospitals for extended periods of time due to a lack of safe placements.

According to the report, there were 24 complaints of children being held in a psychiatric hospital despite being cleared for discharge.

The report said:

“These children no longer meet medical necessity criteria for inpatient care, yet remain hospitalized due to the absence of safe, appropriate discharge options, resulting in unnecessary institutionalization. This practice is costly, exposes children to potential harm from prolonged hospital stays, and restricts access to inpatient beds for other youth in acute psychiatric crisis. Moreover, it undermines federal and state legal principles favoring care in the least restrictive, most family-like setting.”

According to the report, of the 24 complaints received in 2025, there were 16 foster children placed in a psychiatric hospital, and at discharge, DCFS did not place the child in either a home setting or a “step down” facility in a timely manner.

The length of time these foster children remained in the hospital after discharge was months in some cases, according to the report.

The other 8 complaints regarding children left in the hospital were children originally hospitalized by parents or guardians and then abandoned.

When DCFS was notified that the child had been abandoned, it sometimes took months for the Department to seek a custody order to place the child in an appropriate placement, according to the report.

The report said it is critical that DCFS addresses this issue to ensure appropriate care for children.

The report also provided data on child fatalities for 2025. This was information WDSU requested from DCFS in November 2025, but did not fully receive.

According to the report, there were 25 fatalities reported in 2025. Of those, 20 were the result of abuse and neglect.

The fatalities happened across 16 different parishes statewide.

Of those 16 deaths, eight were from Southeast Louisiana parishes, including Orleans, St. Tammany, Jefferson, Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Washington.

The report provided goals that the Child Ombudman’s Division plans to provide to DCFS for the 2026 calendar year.

Those goals included ensuring the office had enough resources to provide a timely response to cases, expand public awareness on child welfare issues, improve conditions for the confinement of children in state detention facilities, and expand the Child Ombudsman’s capacity to review child placement facilities.

The Child Ombudman’s Division also plans on evaluating the effectiveness of the family notification requirements for children entering foster care and will systemically review child fatalities reported to DCFS in an effort to identify patterns and trends for public awareness campaigns.

Rebecca Harris, the DCFS Secretary, and other lawmakers spoke on the report and issues within DCFS in a legislative hearing on Monday.

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 Jason Marks

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    GRIZZLY FLATS, California (KCRA) — The daily drive through Grizzly Flats is no longer the quiet, scenic commute it once was.

“We are always looking up as we are driving,” said resident Mark Almer.

That’s because many in the small El Dorado County community are worried about what could come crashing down from above: towering, fire-damaged trees.

“You look right there—they’re right next to the road, 150-foot trees,” added resident David Robinson. “Big enough to squish me like a pancake.”

For those who live here, the danger is no joke.

Nearly five years after the Caldor Fire tore through Grizzly Flats, the scars remain. The wildfire destroyed homes and left behind hundreds of dead and unstable trees.

“You can see all the dead trees over there,” Almer added. “At some point they’re going to come down. It’s just a matter of time.”

That time, neighbors fear, could come without warning.

Almer and Robinson have documented the issue for months, capturing images of fallen trees blocking roadways.

“They just disintegrate when they fall,” Robinson said. “It just starts crumbling.”

There are hundreds of trees in the area considered hazardous—at risk of falling onto homes, roads, or power lines.

“Just standing here, I’m a little nervous,” Robinson added. “I’ve seen them fall without any wind or anything.”

Cleanup efforts, however, have been slow.

“Cleanup has been complicated,” said Mark Egbert with the El Dorado Resource Conservation District (RCD). “The entire footprint of Caldor has trees that are falling down every day.”

A major obstacle comes down to one issue—private property. Crews cannot remove dangerous trees without permission from landowners, even if those trees threaten public roads or infrastructure.

“We cannot get on this property yet,” Egbert explained. “These are tall enough—if they come over, they’re coming into the roadway and power lines.”

The RCD currently has more than $1 million in grant funding to remove hazardous trees at no cost to property owners, but participation rates remain low.

“Out of 891 parcels in the community center, we’ve had about 22% of landowners sign up,” Egbert said.

Even after years of outreach through mail and public meetings, many property owners have not responded.

“We’ve been trying for more than three years to get people enrolled,” he said. “We just have not gotten the response that we were hoping for.”

The funding is set to expire in September.

Last year, El Dorado County said it could take action against unresponsive property owners by declaring hazardous properties a public nuisance. So far, that hasn’t happened, but officials now say enforcement may be coming.

“We feel like we’ve exhausted all other options and are ready to try something different and use code enforcement,” said Karen Garner, director of planning and building for El Dorado County.

Residents say the lack of action is frustrating.

“It just perplexes me why they aren’t taking any action,” Robinson said. “It’s been five years since the fire—they’re holding all the cards.”

With help from residents, KCRA 3 contacted several property owners with hazardous trees—many of whom live out of the area. Some said they were unaware of the extent of the damage or the cleanup program.“

“We heard there was a fire up there, but we didn’t know the extent,” said one Bay Area property owner.

When told the cleanup program is free, he responded: “Oh, nice—I haven’t heard that word ‘free’ in a long time.”

Another owner said he hadn’t visited his property much since the fire, but would take action if there was a risk.

“If there’s any danger of them falling on the road, it would be my liability—I’d like to take care of it,” he said.

While the fire moved through Grizzly Flats in just hours, recovery has taken years—and many residents feel left behind.

“We feel ignored,” Almer said. “They just kind of forgot about us.”

Some fear it may take another tragedy to spark action.

“Somebody is going to have to die for the county to say, ‘Oh, we need to do something,’” Robinson added.

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 Peyton Headlee

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    AUBURN, California (KCRA) — Three license plate reader cameras were stolen near Highway 49 and Nevada Street in Auburn, prompting an investigation by local authorities.

Two of the cameras belonged to the Auburn Police Department, while the third was owned by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. The cameras, known as Flock cameras, are used to read license plates, identify stolen vehicles, and assist with criminal investigations.

“They’re very obvious. We’re not trying to hide them. They’re just there in order to help with our investigative leads,” said Sgt. Joe Almeida of the Auburn Police Department. “We partner with Flock in order for these devices to track offenders, look for wanted subjects, missing persons, things like that. The database is confidential. We only share it with California law enforcement agencies for intel.”

Auburn police typically have 12 cameras in the city, but they are now down two.

Almeida said the theft occurred in the early morning hours of April 26, with their cameras stolen from Nevada Street and Marguerite Mine Road near Highway 49. Officers found the poles where the cameras had been mounted empty, with the cords cut.

Both cameras were later discovered in a nearby canal.

“They’re completely destroyed. They were completely submerged in the water. So we’re unable to recover those cameras. But we’re partnering with Flock to get them replaced,” Almeida said.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office reported that one of its cameras was also stolen the same morning in the same area. That camera has not been recovered.

When asked why someone might steal the cameras, Almeida said, “Based on what we’ve seen, if you pay attention nationwide, there’s a big uproar in regard to cameras, government overwatch. So when you look at it from that standpoint, they’re thinking Big Brother is paying attention on them 24/7, seven days a week. But in theory, what we’re looking for is intel gathering for wanted subjects, missing persons, things like that. We’re not out there looking for anybody every single day.”

Authorities have footage of the suspect but are still working to identify them.

Auburn police said the cameras cost about $800 each and are working with Flock to replace them.

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 Ricardo Tovar

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    SALINAS, California (KSBW) — Salinas police have arrested two teens in connection with a homicide near a laundromat in East Salinas that occurred Monday morning.

Salinas Police Chief Carlos Acosta says a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old male were arrested as the alleged gunmen in the crime. The pair was arrested Monday afternoon, just hours after the shooting.

KSBW 8 was at the scene Monday morning and confirmed police are investigating a shooting that occurred near 912 North Sanborn at around 6:50 a.m., according to police.

Police added that they responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the area and received multiple calls about a shooting victim in the same location.

Police say a man in his late 30s was shot and killed, though further details remain unclear. He was found with multiple gunshot wounds. He had not been identified as of Tuesday.

The motive for the shooting remains unknown, and police are not ruling out any possibility.

Police could be seen Monday morning conducting their investigation near a blue truck in the parking lot. There were several evidence markers on the ground, police tape surrounding the area, and a body lying nearby outside the truck.

Police added that the victim was not inside the truck when he was shot and killed.

Police said multiple rounds were fired, and multiple shell casings were found.

Police say at this time it is unknown whether the suspects and the victim knew each other, or whether the case is gang-related.

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 Olivia Hickey

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    ENID, Oklahoma (KOCO) — An Oklahoma family is holding on to a miracle after their dog survived almost two days in the rubble caused by an EF-4 tornado that leveled dozens of homes in Enid.

Late Thursday, a large tornado ripped through a neighborhood just south of Vance Air Force Base. Daybreak on Friday morning gave the first images of a decimated neighborhood and debris thrown throughout the area.

Forty homes in Enid were damaged, including dozens that were leveled, and at least 10 people were injured. Authorities also said no deaths were reported.

In the middle of the chaos was a miracle for a family whose home was destroyed and faces the rebuilding process. Their dog, Pup, was found alive after 44 hours in the rubble.

“She spent 44 hours in the mudroom, in the rubble, and she is alive,” Kay Dragoun said.

KOCO 5 walked through the damage with the Dragoun family, and Pup was right there by their side.

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.