Month: April 2026

By Yasmine Julmisse

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    PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — When we think about distracted driving, cellphones, fiddling with the car system or even eating may come to mind.

But one South Florida doctor says the root causes of distraction are much more wide-ranging, including driving while consuming marijuana, which, of course, is also driving under the influence.

Driving while high: Researchers with the Colorado School of Public Health recently found that cannabis use was associated with changes in driving performance, like weaving and switching lanes. They also found that edible cannabis led to more noticeable impairment, including slower speeds.

“It’s a public health problem,” said Dr. Louis Velazquez, a psychiatrist on the Treasure Coast.

Velazquez says this is a problem across North America.

“One study published in 2023 in Ontario found that cannabis-involved traffic injury emergency department visits increased by 475% over 13 years,” he said. “You can call it feeling too mellow to pay attention to traffic conditions or the distractibility of being self-absorbed with your mellow.”

Driving with ADHD: Another potential cause of distracted driving is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, out of 15,000 adolescents, researchers found that the four-year crash rate for drivers with ADHD was 37% higher than that of those without it. Experts recommend taking prescribed medication before driving.

Ability to focus behind the wheel: Velazquez also said older Americans may experience an inability to focus behind the wheel at the onset of early dementia. He added that even younger drivers can struggle with distractions, such as loud children in the back seat.

“We’re driving along, and we hear car sounds, and we hear the radio. We hear people talking, and a competent driver has to be able to filter everything out and focus on the task at hand: just driving,” he said.

“If someone’s depressed or anxious, they’ll be distractible,” he added. “The message to our community is that you need to be responsible for yourself when you’re driving and acknowledge that not just your safety, but the safety of others matters.”

Velazquez said new screen technologies in cars have not helped and that sometimes, instead of drivers controlling their texting habits, the habit controls them.

“The phone makes a sound, and you respond,” he said. “The phone becomes your boss is in effect like Pavlov’s rats, who we’re conditioned to respond to a stimulus.”

Velazquez says even though we might be stimulated by our cellphones, text messages while behind the wheel can wait.

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 WDJT News Staff

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — A Milwaukee man found guilty of shooting and killing his 4-year-old son learned his sentence Thursday, April 23.

Thirty-five-year-old Ralph Taylor was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The shooting happened in July of last year. According to the criminal complaint, Taylor initially told investigators the child was shot through a window while Taylor was arguing with the boy’s mother.

“You may be the most monstrously evil human being who has ever sat in front of me,” Judge David Borowski said during sentencing. “You are evidence evil exists in the world. Your story on the stand was such a monstrous lie — that the magic bullet went up the third floor, turned again, and then went into your child’s mouth.”

Last month, a jury found Taylor guilty of first degree intentional homicide and possession of a firearm as a felon.

The child’s mother, Casandra Taylor, is charged with child neglect and straw purchasing a firearm.

Her plea hearing and sentencing is set for June 22.

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 Pamela Comme

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    DELTONA, Florida (WESH) — Newly recovered body camera footage shows the moment a Volusia County deputy was shot at, with investigators saying the video captures a suspect firing directly at the deputy’s chest before the camera went dark.

This all happened in March at a home off Candler Drive in Deltona, where Deputy Jose Rivera was shot while investigating an assault.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the footage clearly shows the suspect exiting the home and immediately opening fire.

“What you see clearly is the defendant coming out, pointing his arm and firing that first shot that disables the camera,” Chitwood said. “So the first shot hits the deputy in the chest.”

Investigators believe the bullet deflected off Rivera’s body camera, likely preventing a more serious or fatal injury.

Initial reports indicated Rivera had been shot twice, in the leg and shoulder, with the possibility that one round ricocheted off the camera. However, as Rivera continues to recover and undergo further medical evaluation, authorities now say he may have been struck three times.

“Now that he’s in physical therapy and they’re reexamining the wounds, they’re pretty confident that he was hit not twice, he was hit three times,” Chitwood said. “One into the body camera, one into the arm, and one into the thigh.”

Rivera is recovering at home.

Chitwood said investigators have obtained a confession in the case, but emphasized that the video alone strongly supports their conclusions about what happened.

“We know what happened,” he said. “And we’re pretty confident the facts are so strong here that we know where this is going. There is no doubt in my mind he had every intention when those deputies knocked on that door to kill them.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

The shooter, Luis Diaz Polanco, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of attempted murder.

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 Bethany Cates, JD Franklin III

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    North Carolina (WXII) — A woman is in custody after being accused of targeting members of the Jewish community, according to deputies with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Charlotte Field Office received information that Angelina Hicks, 18, could be targeting the Jewish community for a possible act of violence. An investigation immediately began.

Officials said they went to Hicks’ home, located on Linwood Southmont Road in Lexington. There, they found evidence that Hicks and co-conspirators were planning a mass-casualty event at a synagogue called Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, Texas.

On April 22, Hicks was arrested and charged with felony conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon to kill or commit serious injury and felony conspiracy to commit murder.

Officials said Hicks is in custody and her bond is set at $10 million. She is due in court on May 12.

Anyone with information about this investigation should contact Detective H. Hall at 336-242-2105.

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 Jarrett Harding

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WBBH) — An investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) found that dozens of sloths intended for “Sloth World Orlando,” which has yet to open, died after being kept in unsuitable conditions.

FWC reported that 21 sloths arrived in Florida from Guyana in December 2024, while 10 more came from Peru in February 2025. The animals were reportedly housed by “Sanctuary World Imports” in a warehouse that lacked water and electricity.

The licensee of the warehouse told investigators that the facility was not properly equipped to receive sloths but said it was “too late to cancel the shipment.”

FWC’s report stated that climate-controlling devices, including space heaters, air conditioning units, ceiling fans, and a large humidifier, have since been installed at the facility.

There is still no word on when “Sloth World Orlando” will open.

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 Tanner Kahler

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    IOWA COUNTY, Wisconsin (WISN) — Authorities in Iowa County, Wisconsin said they found a massive dead snake dumped along a county highway Thursday.

Pictures posted by the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office show the snake measuring several feet in length.

“This animal is not native to our area and was likely being kept in captivity,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “The manner in which it was left along a public roadway is concerning and has caused alarm among passing motorists.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office at 608-930-9500 (ext. 2).

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 JoBeth Davis

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — It’s the announcement Kansas Citians have been waiting for for years.

On Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals announced that, in partnership with Hallmark Cards, a new downtown Royals baseball stadium is coming to Kansas City, and not just to downtown Kansas City, but to an already iconic location.

Specifically, the team said the complex will be built on an 85-acre development surrounding a park-like central square with fountains.

A note from the team’s news release calls this the “Royals stadium at Crown Center.”

“Our founder Ewing Kauffman wanted the Royals to be Kansas City’s forever, and he wanted the team to benefit his hometown as much as possible,” Royals CEO and Chairman John Sherman said. “Joining Hallmark with this project achieves both and extends the Hall family’s critical legacy of helping Kansas City grow.”

Officials said the plan includes a world-class ballpark, surrounding mixed-use development, and “reimagined headquarters” for both the Royals and Hallmark at Crown Center.

“When the new Royals stadium opens at Crown Center, something proud will come full circle,” said Don Hall Jr., Hallmark Cards’ executive chairman of the board of directors.

“The iconic Royals crown that Hallmark created will return to the very neighborhood where it was conceived. Every time a fan walks through the stadium doors, they’ll be standing in a place shaped by Kansas City and Hallmark’s creative spirit.”

Sources tell KMBC 9 News that the deal has been in the works for months and came together last week.

The team said that Sherman and Hall have known each other and worked together for decades and that the trust and mutual respect shared between them were “critical in creating a possibility that nobody would have imagined even a year ago.”

The new stadium and complex will be built on what is currently the Hallmark corporate office headquarters.

That headquarters sits where Pershing Road meets Gillham Road at East 25th Street.

Hall said the new stadium will take advantage of the existing Crown Center infrastructure and will merge the city’s Washington Square Park into plans for the complex.

“…building onto the original vision for Crown Center,” Hall said during Wednesday’s news conference. “The ballpark will feel like part of the community.”

“We’re proud to bring our crown right back to the place it was created,” Sherman said of the partnership with Hallmark.

Royals, officials discuss stadium funding: In a news release Wednesday, the team said that the expected private investment of $2 billion or more would be the largest in Kansas City history.

The project is expected to be funded primarily by the Royals and other private investors and supplemented by funding from the city of Kansas City and Missouri’s Show-Me Sports Investment Act.

“Today’s announcement reinforces that the state of Missouri is not just where the Kansas City Royals play but where they belong,” said Gov. Mike Kehoe. “This decision by the Royals to invest in our state is more than just a commitment to Kansas City; it is a commitment to communities and fans across Missouri. I appreciate the partnership of the Royals organization, Hallmark, and state and local leaders in working together to make this project a reality.”

The project, the team said, would bring 20,000 jobs in the construction phase alone.

The release also says the development will enhance previous Kansas City investments, including the Streetcar, and optimize “ample parking” within a 10-minute walk.

“Royals baseball would push from the bottom into the top 10 in walkability among Major League Baseball teams, lowering the cost and growing the accessibility for Kansas Citians to enjoy and connect with their team,” the release states.

Earlier this month, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced a now-passed ordinance paving the way to fund the city portion of the project.

“For over 50 years, Crown Center and the Kansas City Royals have created memories that last a lifetime for the people of our region,” Lucas said. “The public-private partnership between Hallmark, the Royals, Kansas City and our state ensures we connect our neighborhoods, keeps our downtown vibrant and maintains big-league baseball in our city for generations to come. I look forward to decades of new, treasured experiences, thousands of jobs, vibrant small business growth and millions of visitors building the beating heart of our region — our downtown — while cheering on our Royals. Play ball!”

In a news conference Wednesday morning, John Sherman said to great applause, “The Kansas City Royals are staying in the state of Missouri.”

Sherman went on to thank local leaders, saying, “and the Kansas City Royals are staying in Kansas City, Missouri.”

Groundbreaking for the project is expected in 2027.

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.