Month: May 2026

By Zach Boetto

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    RIVERSIDE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A Riverside County beekeeper says that last week’s Verona Fire, which broke out near Hemet and burned hundreds of acres, caused him to lose 80 hives and millions of bees.

Brandon Teller, of BeeDoctor Bee Removal, says the loss could have a critical impact on the region’s farmers and shoppers.

“As the beekeeper, that’s devastating to me,” Teller said. He said that the small number of remaining bees at the apiary

Teller usually goes across Southern California, rescuing unwanted European honeybees, which he would then bring back to his property for care. Once healthy enough to return to work, he’d then rent them out to alfalfa and almond farmers to pollinate their crops.

“We say, ‘Hey, we’ve got plenty of hives right here. They’re ready to go, they’ve got fresh queens and they’re hungry,'” Teller said. “Farmers love it.”

He says that by losing three to four million bees, the impact will be felt across Southern California.

“Keeping bees and maintaining bees at this scale is what allows the farmer to produce food at a lower cost,” Teller said.

While he knows there’s a lot of work ahead, he says the main message taken away from the loss is fire prevention and conservation of California’s natural landscape.

“The saying goes: This land is my land, this land is your land. It’s all of our land and we have to conserve it, we have to preserve it, we have to maintain it, and we have to do it responsibly,” Teller 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 Carmela Karcher

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    SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, California (KOVR) — An invasive bug species has made its way to Northern California wine regions. If spread, it could damage and kill acres of grapevines.

Now, the San Joaquin County Agriculture Commissioner’s Office is putting out a warning. The Costco in Lodi is one of the four store locations in the county that recently recieved and distributed grape plants that could contain the invasive species.

The county agricultural commissioner is now trying to find where these plants went and stop the spread.

“If we have something coming in that can wipe out our industry, we better get on it,” said Peltier Winery owner Rodney Schatz.

The bug is a glassy-winged sharpshooter, a bacteria-carrying insect that can kill grapevines and damage other crops.

“You get this bacteria that, eventually, it slowly kills your vines over time,” Schatz said. “It can devastate your field in a very short period of time, and you really won’t know it till you start seeing it six or eight months later, or next year when spring comes out, you start to see the problem, and then you have a bigger problem.”

Schatz said he remembers when this invasive species destroyed countless vineyards in Temecula back in the 1990s.

Now, it was discovered on grape plants sold at Costco stores in California’s Central Valley, stemming from a wholesale nursery in Fresno County.

Because of the risk it poses, the ag commissioner is asking anyone who has purchased grape vines from Costco on or after April 21 to contact them.

But Schatz isn’t too worried.

“Maybe there’s a few of them on a few plants, but because this has happened, the county is on it. They’re going to go isolate the problem as quick as they can,” he said. “That doesn’t mean that one or two aren’t going to get loose, but I don’t think you’re looking at an epidemic.”

According to the county commissioner, they already rejected shipments coming into the county and placed traps at all area Costco stores. They say 617 grape plants have already been sold and so far, 50 of those have been destroyed.

“The industry is doing what they’re supposed to do,” Schatz said. “They found a problem, attacked it, and it looks like it’s probably going to get contained. So whatever procedures are in place to do this have worked.”

The food supply chain has not been impacted by this invasive bug.

If you have purchased the grape plants, Costco is offering full refunds.

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 Conor Wight

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    ANOKA, Minnesota (WCCO) — Buried within the National Archives is an unexplained sighting from right here in Minnesota.

It happened just after 1:17 a.m. on a cold day in February 2025. A small group of Anoka police officers was conducting an “after-action briefing” in a Domino’s Pizza parking lot just up the road from the police station.

That’s when one of the officers spotted it: a multi-colored object with flashing lights “hovering” in the sky. Federal investigators have classified it as an unidentified anomalous phenomenon, or UAP.

Documents detailing the event were declassified and released in 2025 by the National Archives and Records Administration. Three Anoka police officers witnessed the object in the sky, with at least one of them reporting what they saw to Americans for Safe Aerospace (ASA), a nonprofit that evaluates UAP sightings. The ASA then forwarded its interview to the FBI.

The unnamed officer said that he and his colleagues spotted the object rapidly changing and flashing various colors on the horizon from their position in Anoka. He shot a video with his iPhone through a pair of binoculars, estimating that the object, which looked like a sphere, was about 50 miles away. He said that it descended and ascended rapidly. He said that one of his fellow officers traveled in the object’s direction, arriving in Elk River, only to find that it was still too far to the west.

In all, the officer said that they observed the object for about 90 minutes with clear visibility.

Ryan Graves, the founder of ASA, said that he and his team found the report credible. The former military pilot said that he started the nonprofit to raise awareness about UAPs and advocate for improving safety protocols both at the federal and state levels when it comes to flying objects of unknown origin that defy known “state of the art” flight paths.

“We don’t take a position that these are therefore aliens or something else,” Graves said.

He said it was notable that police officers were the chief witnesses in this case. He said more often, reports are coming from both commercial and military pilots.

According to the interview with ASA, the officer involved said that he had witnessed a similar object about a month prior during the day.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon began releasing more files related to UFOs and UAPs at the direction of President Trump.

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 Duxter

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    ZIMMERMAN, Minnesota (WCCO) — School was not in session over the holiday weekend, but a four-legged friend still managed to pay a visit to a Zimmerman, Minnesota, Montessori school.

The entire incident lasted less than 10 minutes, but left Prairie Hill Montessori with a shattered door and quite the story to tell.

“We got a call, we were up at our cabin… I was more concerned about the deer, which is just the way I am,” said Katherine Curtis, the school’s owner and instructor.

Curtis says the entire moment was caught on CCTV. It shows the deer break through a tempered glass door before tearing through the building, knocking items off shelves and attempting to exit through another door.

Eventually, a local sheriff’s deputy responded and was able to shoo the deer out the door.

“We were all like amazed at how fast it all happened. Actually, how fast the sheriff was able to get here,” Curtis said.

On Tuesday, Curtis was using the incident as a teaching moment. The school had painted a life-size deer on the boarded-up door, and students were coloring deer photos.

“All of the children came in this morning and reported to me what happened,” she said. “It’s unique. It’s something we can remember for years and we’ll have the video. The kids can remember it as something unique and special that happened to us at Prairie Hill.”

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 Frank Sulkowski

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    BULLOCH COUNTY, Georgia (WJCL) — In Bulloch County, kindness sometimes arrives on a yellow school bus.

For the past 11 years, Edward Rich has safely transported students for Brooklet Elementary School, Southeast Bulloch Middle School, and Southeast Bulloch High School. But for the children who ride with him, Mr. Rich is known for more than getting them to and from school. He is also known for a tradition that reflects his generous heart.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Rich. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to do this, but these are memories I can take with me the rest of my life.”

Each year, Rich rewards students for good behavior on the bus with a pizza dinner, paid for entirely out of his own pocket. He also makes sure to get permission from parents before taking students out. It is a simple gesture, but one that leaves a lasting impression.

“You don’t find very many people that are willing to do extra stuff for their students,” said Jennifer Douberly.

“He goes above and beyond,” said Allen Martin, Director of Transportation for Bulloch County Schools. “That’s what we look for when hiring our drivers.”

What makes the tradition even more meaningful is that Rich does it quietly. He does not seek praise or attention. Instead, he chooses to recognize students in a personal, thoughtful way—showing them that respect, kindness, and good choices matter.

“I wanted to do something for the kids that behave well and this seemed like a fun thing for them to do,” said Rich. “I like seeing them have a good time.”

During the final week of school, Rich continued that tradition by taking two groups of students to Nonna Picci in Statesboro for dinner.

In a world where big headlines often overshadow small acts of goodness, Edward Rich reminds us that everyday heroes are all around us. Sometimes they are behind the wheel, opening the bus door with a smile, and teaching children lessons that go far beyond the ride home.

“This was on my bucket list,” said Rich. “Driving a school bus is something I wanted to do for a long time. I used to have my own business and this allowed me to drive before I went to work and drive in the middle of the day. After dropping off the last student, I would go finish my day off at my office.”

Bulloch County Schools always looking for experienced and motivated bus drivers. For more information visit Jobs in Transportation.

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By Christian Petersen

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    WELCOME, North Carolina (WXII) — Five days have passed since the death of Kyle Busch, and NASCAR fans are still grieving.

The Richard Childress Racing Museum is closed, but the memorial in front of the museum continues to grow as NASCAR fans try to process the loss of one of the best drivers in the sport’s history.

Fans from as far away as Colorado are making their way to Welcome. The sidewalk in front of the Richard Childress Racing Museum is lined with flowers, cards and M&M’s in a tribute to Busch. There is even a banner hanging from Northwest Elementary School, which is just a few miles away.

One card with a hand drawing of a No. 8 car reads, “Number 8 on the track, number 1 in my heart.”

Besides leaving gifts, fans will stand and reflect on memories of Busch both on and off the track. Some will share stories of the famous driver. They say it helps with the healing process. Busch was one of the more polarizing figures in the sport, but whether you loved him or hated him, everyone I spoke with says they respected his grit, determination and desire to win.

NASCAR fan Sean Hunter said, “It was unreal. He was like Kobe Bryant to NASCAR. You know how big Michael Jackson’s death was, so sudden. We’ve just got to cherish each other, that’s all, because anything could happen at any moment.”

Will Parker added, “I was not a Kyle Busch fan. I was a Jeff Gordon fan, but I always respected Kyle for his tenacity, his hard work, his dedication to the sport, and it’s still kind of surreal that he’s gone.”

The folks at Richard Childress Racing say fans are welcome to come by and leave gifts or simply pay their respects.

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 Omose Ighodaro

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    RICHLAND, Mississippi (WAPT) — Seniors in Richland spent the day walking toward better health. The Richland Senior Center hosted its annual Walk for Wellness event in recognition of National Senior Health and Fitness Day.

Mary Hydrick, a 101-year-old participant, shared her thoughts on staying healthy.

“I like to get out with people,” Hydrick said. “Stay active. Do like I do. I play cards, I walk, and I get involved in everything that I can.”

Richland Mayor Clay Burns also participated in the event and emphasized the importance of exercise.

“At my age, I walk. And everyone needs to walk,” Burns said. “It’s an easy thing for us to do to keep our health up.”

Organizers said the event was designed to encourage healthy habits and to help seniors stay active and engaged in the community.

“It’s a good thing that we do for the seniors in the community so they can come together and just have a creative outlet and fun times together,” said Shea Thames, Richland Senior Services director.

The goal for participants was to walk one mile, which was 15 laps around the indoor track. The event featured 26 vendors who offered health resources and blood pressure checks. Attendees also enjoyed lunch, prizes, and medals.

Hydrick shared another detail about her active lifestyle.

“Oh, I still drive,” Hydrick said with a smile. “I drive at night and I get going to where I want to go.”

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 Melanie Wingo

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    ROSEVILLE, California (KCRA) — The halls of Oakmont High are just days away from seeing-off two seniors, bound for an Ivy League institution. Both students are headed from Roseville, California, to New York’s Cornell University.

Twins Devin and Brody Chambers aren’t just celebrating high school graduation this week. They’re also looking ahead to having each other when they enter the next phase along their educational paths.

“Having that piece of home that is just a call away is, I think, going to make it a whole lot easier,” Devin Chambers said.

Brody Chambers echoed his twin sister’s sentiment, saying, “We’ve been really close for all of my life.”

Devin was the first to be accepted by the school back in March. A long jump and triple jump star, she’s going to Cornell on a track and field scholarship. But she appreciates what’s in store for her in terms of the coursework she’ll experience.

“When I went to the school, I absolutely fell in love with it,” Devin said. “I fell in love with the people, the environment, just that academic rigor as well of, obviously, an Ivy League.”

A few weeks later, the Chambers family learned Cornell accepted Brody, too.

“When I got into Cornell I was really excited. I really like their low student-to-faculty ratio,” Brody said. “I feel like I can get a good relationship with my professors and there’s overall a really tight-knit community.”

A math and computer science whiz, Brody is ready to jump into the academic intensity offered at Cornell with both feet. He thinks his future plans will include putting his mathematics skills to the test.

“Something in the sports analytics field… something like the quantitative finance field,” he said. “All those kinds of ‘mathy’ things where you get to analyze something and make decisions based on math and models and stuff is something I really want to do.”

Devin says she plans to major in psychology and has aspirations of possibly going on to medical school to become a psychiatrist.

“I’ve always been interested in how the brain works and why people do what they do,” explained Devin. “I’ve always also been interested in a little bit of the med side.”

The school community the twins will leave behind is proud to call them their own. Oakmont High School’s principal says Devin and Brody are respected students among their peers and staff.

“They’re leaders with all the students around here. The students look up to them, because they make the right choices. They’re nice to teachers. They’re nice to other kids. Other students,” explained Oakmont High School Principal Marc Buljan. “They’re out there in the community doing things also. And so they’re just the all-around students that you want to have here and that we have at Oakmont High School.”

Brother and sister – now on to the next chapter.

“The fact that I get to go to college with my sister is really just something that’s incredible,” Brody said. “I’m really lucky to have that.”

Both are grateful they’ll figure out what’s next — together.

“We’ve grown up together. We’ve gone through highs and lows together. We’ve gone through basically everything together,” Devin said. “Having that with me in this next big journey is going to be incredible.”

The Chambers twins will graduate from Oakmont High School on Friday.

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 Felix Cortez

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    WATSONVILLE, California (KSBW) — A Watsonville man has been arrested, accused of making an online post threatening violence at next week’s graduation ceremonies.

“The post mentioned something along the lines that a mass shooting was going to happen during the school graduations,” said Erika Vasquez, spokeswoman for Watsonville police, which investigated the online threat.

Arrested was Moises Resendiz, 21, who allegedly directed the threat at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, which is set to hold more than 30 promotions and graduations beginning next week. No specific ceremony was mentioned in the alleged threat, which was posted on the district’s website on May 9.

“We worked with our team within the school district to make certain that we were looking at all security measures at all our events, not just our graduations and our promotions. Taking a threat seriously is something that’s really important and something that we need to do as a school district,” said Alejandro Chavez, spokesman for Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

An alert resident saw the threatening post and immediately notified Watsonville police, who then obtained a search warrant for the Instagram post and Resendiz’s home on the 700 block of Rodriguez Street.

Police said Resendiz admitted posting the social media threat to provoke outrage in the community.

Investigators said no guns were found during the search and no firearms are registered to Resendiz.

“We just want to reassure our community that there is no active threat, and the safety of the students is always our number one priority,” Vasquez said.

“I think it’s going to be a beautiful time. I think the weather’s going to cooperate, and we’re going to have some great graduations and great promotions this upcoming week,” Chavez added.

Resendiz was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of making criminal threats.

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.