Month: May 2026

By Christa Swanson

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    DENVER (KCNC) — Denver County Court says about 200 people showed up at the city and county building on Friday because of a scam.

There have been issues before with scammers texting or calling people about fake fines, but this most recent one involves scammers texting a fake form to people across the country.

The form states that the recipient will be arrested if they do not pay a traffic ticket. It also includes a QR code that will send money to the scammers.

Public Information Officer Carolyn Tyler with Denver County Court says the scam targeted many Spanish-speaking people in the area. Many of them showed up at the Denver City and County Building on Friday morning to find out what was going on.

The court says it will never text people about unpaid fines and would never use a QR code to do so. They advised residents who receive a text like this not to respond to the scammers.

“If you receive a suspicious text from someone alleging you are in default of a traffic matter, please report the information to your local police department and notify the Colorado Attorney General’s Office by visiting the Stop Fraud Colorado website or by calling the Denver District Attorney’s Office Consumer Fraud Hotline at 720-913-9179,” said Tyler.

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 Rylee Curry

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — More than a week after a mass shooting in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood left eight children dead, families of the victims say they have yet to receive money raised on their behalf through online fundraisers and other donation efforts. Lashun Berry, a spokeswoman representing the affected families, said Wednesday that none of the funds collected through GoFundMe campaigns or bank accounts have been distributed to the victims. “I am speaking on behalf of all families — the Pugh, Elkins and Snow families,” Berry said. “No family has received any of the GoFundMe funds. We have no clue about the Regions Bank accounts. We don’t understand why money is being collected on their behalf but not given to them.” Authorities say the shooting occurred in the Cedar Grove neighborhood, where Shamar Elkins killed eight children — seven of his own and one nephew — in what officials have described as a domestic incident. Three mothers — Shanequia Elkins, Keosha Pugh and Christina Snow — survived the shooting, along with one juvenile. Berry said the women have since been displaced from their homes and are struggling to meet basic daily needs. “They’ve been moved out of those homes,” Berry said. “You want to take bra and panties from the house where your baby’s blood is splattered? And we got to wash this stuff? No we’re not doing that.” Multiple fundraising efforts have been launched in the days following the shooting, including a GoFundMe campaign that has raised nearly $20,000, a Regions Bank account under the name “The Pugh, Elkins and Snow Family,” and an April 19 survivors fund organized by the Community Foundation of Northwest Louisiana. All have stated that donations are intended to address immediate needs. However, Berry said none of those funds have reached the families as of Wednesday. Carla Collins, identified as the organizer of one GoFundMe campaign, said delays stem from early discrepancies among the families. In a statement, a GoFundMe representative said the company is working with the organizer to ensure funds are distributed safely. “We’re working directly with Ms. Collins to help ensure funds are safely delivered to the intended beneficiaries,” the statement said. “To help keep the platform safe, donations are processed by our payment partners, held, and then released only to the person named as the recipient.” Berry said the only direct financial assistance the families have received so far has come from only a few local community efforts. One business, The Smoking Oyster, raised about $1,200 through a fundraiser event, with proceeds given directly to a family representative. As funeral services approach on May 9, Berry said the mothers still lack essential items, including clothing and shoes. She added that donations dropped off at 2936 Greenwood Road will be distributed directly to the survivors.

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 Wakisha Bailey

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    CHESTER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — At West Chester University, these aren’t your typical senior projects.

Students are recreating history — literally — as the country prepares to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

Their exhibit, “Becoming America in West Chester,” opened to the public on Friday, May 1, showcasing months of research, design, and hands-on work.

From the moment visitors walk in, they’re transported to another era, when Pennsylvania was still a British colony fighting for its independence.

The exhibit features a recreation of the historic Turk’s Head Tavern — one of the earliest gathering places in what would become West Chester.

Students carefully curated every detail, working with artifacts that date back centuries.

Among the pieces on display:

A date stone from the 1700s to 1800s tied to the original tavern Authentic chairs more than 300 years old A pewter plate from 1760 A reproduction of an early Declaration of Independence publication A Civil War infantry drum used to tell the story of Charlie King, one of the war’s youngest casualties

Many of the items are so delicate that they must be handled with gloves.

The goal is to make history feel real and accessible.

Faculty say the project is a creative milestone students will carry into their careers.

And for the students, it’s a chance to share their passion for history with a new audience.

The exhibit opens May 1 at West Chester University’s Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology and will be on display for at least a year.

The students behind it graduate next week.

And from what we can see, they made the grade.

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 Larry Seward

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — Downtown Miami businesses along East Flagler Street are celebrating a significant turnaround, marking an end to five years of debilitating construction.

The Flagler District Business Improvement District (BID) is funding “Weekend on Flagler” events every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening, staging shows and entertainment to attract crowds back to the area.

“After five years of construction, it’s been great to see residents and visitors return to Flagler,” said Terrell Fritz, executive director of the Flagler District BID.

The weekend events are designed to showcase the street’s new makeover and draw customers back to businesses that were battered by years of construction, steering away clientele.

“People just have to know that we’re down here,” said Daniel Cohen, owner of Sneak Peek Luxury. Cohen’s shop is located on Southeast First Avenue, half a block south of Flagler Street, an intersection that remained closed until February.

The revitalization follows years of delays on a $30 million makeover of Miami’s oldest street, which city leaders approved more than five years ago. The work, originally expected to take months, lingered far longer, prompting several businesses and residents to leave the area. Earlier this year, city leaders ended a contract dispute with a contractor, allowing workers to finish and reopen several blocks of East Flagler Street.

The newly completed sections feature curbless blocks and roomy sidewalks with space for outdoor dining.

Business district leaders, eager to shed the area’s reputation as a “construction zone,” launched the weekend events in February, including live music, comedy, and fashion shows.

For some, the increase in visitors is already significant.

“It’s very noticeable,” said Rocio Cano, a master barber at Bespoke BarberPub, noting the higher number of walk-in guests and clients on weekends.

“It means a lot more revenue, obviously, for me,” Cano said. “Everybody that works here gets our name out there and we become more known and that’s obviously good for us and our business”.

However, Cohen, whose shop is just off the main drag, feels the benefits haven’t reached him yet.

“We haven’t had such a big impact from the entertainment part,” he said. Cohen wants organizers to expand the concept to help businesses further west. “I think they should show support and have us put up a booth at those events,” he said. “Showcase the stores that are still down here and have lived through all the craziness and are still kind of like the lifeblood of this area”.

The Flagler BID has funding secured to continue hosting weekend entertainment on the street through Memorial Day.

“Then, we have really cool plans during FIFA World Cup,” Fritz 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 Monique John

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    DUNWOODY, Georgia (WUPA) — Dunwoody High School was changed forever when a student died of a fentanyl overdose in 2024. That student was Mady Cohen’s classmate, and her death stirred something in Cohen.

“A lot of my friends and the whole community was grieving really hard because it was a tragedy that nobody expected. And I knew that I wanted to do something about it.” Cohen, now a senior, said.

That night, Cohen sprang into action. She educated herself about fentanyl and Narcan, a medication that can block and reverse the effects of some opioids.

She wrote a proposal for the school’s administration to place Narcan in every classroom and major common area on campus. Cohen raised over $12,000 to make it happen and rescued another student in the process.

“We had a second student that also was was overdosing, and we had Narcan,” Principal Tom Bass said. “Immediately, we got in there, and it was truly amazing that with two doses of Narcan, that student within minutes was up and was back … so Narcan and Maddy and her initiative truly did save a life here at Dunwoody High School.”

“That really kept me going,” Cohen said. She says the incident happened at a low point in her project, and that she was inspired to keep going. “I really needed something, and I think God really just showed me a sign that, you know, you did make an impact. Like you saved someone’s life.”

Cohen’s work resulted in 120 Narcan kits being placed all throughout Dunwoody High, regular training for teachers in how to spot overdoses and use Narcan, as well as the formation of a club for students, educating them about the subject.

“Mady really inspired us,” said Eleanor Remigailo, a parent at the school. “[T]he fact that our community came around her just made us know that we’ve got this great community that wants to help our families and help our school.”

Cohen’s impact motivated a Remigailo and several other parents to start Dunwoody Strong. The volunteer organization hosts programs guiding students to make better choices, while informing parents on modern issues affecting young people, like vaping, distracted driving, and preparing for college.

“There’s just so many different topics that I think people, parents, just don’t know how to approach those topics with their children,” said Dunwoody Strong parent Amy Halligan. “And sometimes we’re not even aware that that is becoming an epidemic, an issue. And so we want to bring those things to light.”

The group also raised money to put these storage boxes for students’ phones across campus. It’s a feature that teachers say is helping students perform better in class.

Cohen says the positive change she has put into her school has changed her for the better as well.

“I used to be, like, super awkward,” Cohen said. “I used to struggle a lot mentally, and it got me to open up.”

Cohen says she’s humbled to see her Narcan project have such a ripple effect in her community. She says she hopes the project expands to other high schools across the state and nationwide.

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 Aaron Parseghian

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    CHELMSFORD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Chelmsford, Massachusetts firefighter is learning to walk again after a devastating 40-foot fall but there’s a question about who’s covering his paid leave.

Nick Spinale, 28, was nearly killed in the incident on April 7 at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow. He was working as an instructor when, according to his family, he fell from the upper floor of a burn building during active training, landing on the concrete below. He suffered significant internal and external injuries.

“We assumed the worst, prayed for the best, and thanks to the care given to him, we couldn’t be more happy at where he is right now,” said his uncle, Joe Spinale, who’s also a firefighter. “He surprises us every day. He’s such a beast. He’s such a hard worker, and he wants it. He wants to get back.”

While Spinale focuses on his recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation in Charlestown, his family and colleagues are working to address a loophole they say could leave him without full support during that process.

“Full time firefighters, when you get hurt in the line of duty or performing your duties as a firefighter, you get called what’s 111F and you get your full pay and your time off,” explained Richard MacKinnon Jr, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts union.

However, because Spinale was working as a part-time instructor for the state that day and not on duty with the Chelmsford Fire Department at the time of the fall, the town is not placing him on injury leave.

Instead, he has been using accrued paid sick time, while fellow firefighters have coordinated shift swaps to help ensure he continues receiving an income and his job is there when and if he’s ready to go back to work.

“It’s a unique situation but feel very strongly that he should be covered in some way,” MacKinnon said. “And that’s what we’re doing now. We’re working with the town we’re working with the state on trying to take care of Nick right now and his immediate needs and keep his job available.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said, “This accident was a tragedy, and DFS is doing everything we can to support Nick Spinale and his family during this difficult time, in partnership with PFFM and Chelmsford FD.”

“The Town is certainly mindful that the incident at the MFA has resulted in Mr. Spinale not being able to work in Chelmsford and the Town sympathies with his situation. The Town, however, cannot designate his absence in Chelmsford as injured on duty as he was not performing work for Chelmsford as a Chelmsford Firefighter at the time he sustained his injuries,” Chelmsford Town Manager Paul Cohen said in a statement.

“Town Officials have been in continual communication with the State Fire Marshal, Secretary of Public Safety and Security, and State Legislature to have the State provide coverage for Firefighter Nicholas Spinale’s loss of earnings during his recovery.”

Spinale’s family wants a solution soon.

“We’re hopeful that the state will do the right thing and Chelmsford will do the right thing, because Nick wants to be a firefighter more than anything at the end of this,” his uncle said. “And his determination, I’m certain, I’m certain he will be.”

The Spinale family said they’re grateful for the overwhelming support from the community and Nick’s fellow firefighters in this difficult time.

“We haven’t had a chance to tell everyone, thank you. The support has been what’s driving him right now,” Joe 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 Paula Ebben

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Boston Globe reporter Emily Sweeney has become an online sensation and it’s not for anything she’s written or said. It’s because of how she said it, in her distinctive Boston accent.

Sweeney recently posted a social media video for the newspaper about a home invasion at a mansion in Beverly, Massachusetts. It began as a juicy crime story, but her accent and track suit blew up on social media. Sweeney’s done videos before. She’s been a veteran Globe reporter for 25 years. But this one hit differently.

“People ask, like, did I plan what I was wearing that day? I was like, ‘No that’s how I dress,’ you know what I mean? It was just another video, just another day,” she told WBZ-TV.

It wasn’t just another day for long. The video got 900,000 views overnight and it’s now closing in on six million.

“I don’t put on any airs, ya know what I mean? I’m just me,” Sweeney said.

That seems to be the point. Sweeney’s a local kid from Dorchester and a graduate of Boston Latin School and Northeastern. Her Boston credentials are impeccable.

“Boston has that kind of towny undercurrent that has never gone away and so ya know when I go out into neighborhoods and (I’m) interviewing people often, some of them, some people might not want to talk, will open up a little bit more to me because they hear and they know that I’m from the neighborhood,” Sweeney said.

“Emily is such a people-first journalist. I think that that’s so great,” said Sweeney’s social media producer, Maria Pemberton. “And the way that she’s so authentic it’s been super inspiring.”

Pemberton, a junior at Boston University, said Sweeney is the realest of the real and this viral video is the future for newsrooms.

“There’s definitely an interest there from veteran journalists and I’m happy that I’m able to kind of teach them what I know, because to me it just feels natural,” she said.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize all the work that goes into producing a very well-sourced, accurate story,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney is now hearing from people as far away as Australia. A media star has been born – after 25 years of hard work.

“Better late than never, ya know?” Sweeney 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 Megan De Mar

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — More than four months after a Chicago woman battling ALS was told she couldn’t get a disabled parking placard in front of her home, the sign is up and her life is about to change.

Armenia Rodriguez has been fighting for a disabled parking sign for months. ALS made her feel like a prisoner in her own home.

Now the street sign that was finally installed on her street is giving her newfound freedom.

“I may not have my legs to work for me anymore, but I’ll have a way to be out and about,” she said.

Rodriguez was diagnosed with progressive paralysis in 2024, and spent most of the past winter trapped inside, in part because every time she leaves, it requires about half an hour of switching wheelchairs and her husband, Sam Vera, installing a heavy ramp to the sidewalk.

It wasn’t worth the effort of leaving the house if her husband lost the coveted parking space right out in front.

“Only to doctor’s appointments, I didn’t really go anywhere,” Rodriguez said.

She reached out to CBS News Chicago in December. When she tried to apply for a disabled parking placard in front of her home in Bridgeport, she was originally told that, because a disabled parking permit zone already existed on that block, there wasn’t enough space that met installation requirements for her own spot.

“Why can’t my whatever days left, time left, however you want to phrase it, be easy?” she said.

Rodriguez had to get her alderman’s office to override the denial of the permit she sought, then the space had to be approved by the Chicago City Council.

After sifting through all that red tape, it was finally installed just in time for summer.

“She went though so much, and a lot of stuff that she didn’t know. We were just going by what people were telling us to do, and it shouldn’t be like that,” Vera said.

“It shouldn’t have to be that hard for anybody with a disability to maneuver, you know, especially somebody with ALS,” Rodriguez said.

When it comes to streamlining the process for others in the future, the city said they plan to make the paper application digital this year. It’s unclear when that will happen.

Meantime, May is ALS Awareness Month and Rodriguez will be celebrating by rolling in ALS United’s Walk ALS event.

Fittingly, she also just got another bit of good news. The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities approved her request for a home lift, and will pay for the whole thing. So she won’t need a big heavy metal ramp anymore to navigate the stairs to the sidewalk.

“I tell my husband, he tells me, ‘Babe, we did it,’ and I go ‘Yeah, we did,'” she said.

The Walk ALS event is taking place Saturday, May 30 at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. And it’s not too late to register if you’re interested.

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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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — The five autism service centers raided by federal law enforcement on Tuesday as part of an apparent series of fraud investigations all utilize money from the same state program that two other providers have already pleaded guilty to stealing from.

For at least one expert in the field, it’s a program that became unexpectedly popular to try to defraud. The Early Intensive Development and Behavioral Intervention program is designed to provide reimbursements to agencies that provide medical assistance to people with autism under the age of 21. On Tuesday, during the raids, state officials announced that the investigations at the autism service centers were directly related to EIDBI.

“This is an important action for families who rely on autism services and for Minnesota taxpayers fed up, as I am, with criminals taking advantage of the systems we have in place to deliver social services,” Department of Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi said, in part, in a statement.

EIDBI has been under a spotlight now for several years. According to the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, the number of provider agencies went from nearly 150 in 2020 to more than 500 in 2024. The total annual cost went from $38.1 million to $324.9 million in the same time period.

Dr. Eric Larsson, executive director of clinical services at the Lovaas Institute Midwest, said that he initially believed the program was effectively protected by the mountain of bureaucratic red tape required to get a child to qualify for the program. He began to see red flags, however, when he directed his team to start contacting providers in 2024 to help fill gaps after some agencies began to stop seeing new clients in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There were 200 that you just couldn’t call them, couldn’t email them, they didn’t have a website. How did they get on the DHS rolls?” Larsson said.

In recent months, in cases stemming from FBI raids in 2024, two people have pleaded guilty to stealing millions in taxpayer money linked to the EIDBI program.

“I was surprised even at that point that they were centers that do EIDBI because of, again, all these hoops you have to jump through,” Larsson said.

As of Friday, there have been no announced charges or arrests related to Tuesday’s raids. The sites in question, according to state officials, are Global Star Therapy LLC in Savage, Empower Skill Academy in Fridley, Aspen Associates LLC in Minneapolis and in Fridley and Mendota Autism in Mendota Heights. WCCO has made several attempts to contact owners and employees at the sites.

During Tuesday’s raids, the Empower Skill Academy was empty, but on Friday, there were several adults and children inside with multiple cars in the parking lot. No one answered at the door, but a man identifying himself as the owner called WCCO and stated that they are running a legitimate business. He declined to provide his name and said a lawyer would answer other questions.

DHS said its conducted 444 on-site visits of EIDBI service providers; it was those site visits that prompted DHS to designate the program as “high risk.”

A revalidation of EIDBI is underway with a deadline of May 31. All current EIDBI agencies must apply for provisional licenses by that same date, a new measure passed by the state legislature.

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 Jeff Wagner

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    MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) — Just days away from being deported, a glimmer of hope comes through for a Minnesota man in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.

At Chandee, known by family and friends as Ricky, had a hearing Friday before the state’s Clemency Review Commission. It’s the first step to potentially receive a pardon for a crime he committed over 30 years ago when he was 18.

The assault conviction is the reason ICE agents picked him up during Operation Metro Surge in January. At Chandee, a refugee from Laos, was sent to a detention facility in Texas. If his conviction is pardoned, family members hope it will lead to his release.

Dozens of family members, friends, and coworkers packed the hearing room to the point that more chairs were needed to accommodate everyone. Several testified before the commission about At Chandee’s character. That included coworkers from the City of Minneapolis where At Chandee has worked as an engineer technician for the past 27 years.

“It’s hard to believe that somebody like Ricky was taken away. He was such a contributor to work, and not just the work itself but just the atmosphere of work,” said Bob Ervin, the engineering manager at the city’s water treatment plant.

After serving his sentence and paying restitution, At Chandee has had zero run-ins with the law. Family members shared stories of how he grew into a loving father, volunteered and was dedicated to public service.

At Chandee’s son, Alex, testified via Zoom from an Air Force base where he’s currently serving.

“I would not be half the man I am today without my father,” he said.

Chandee’s wife, Tina Huynh-Chandee, fought through tears as she began to testify, ultimately leaning on At Chandee’s lifelong friend, Tim Blaylark, to finish reading her statement as the moment became overwhelming.

At Chandee himself was supposed to testify via Zoom, but he was transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana the night before the hearing. Blaylark read a statement At Chandee prepared.

“Over the years, I have worked hard to grow into a better person. I often remind myself and others to think before acting and not to make decisions based on emotion, lessons I wish I had understood at 18,” Blaylark read aloud.

The commission voted 6-0 in favor of recommending that the Minnesota Board of Pardons grant At Chandee a pardon. After the vote, Commissioner Zach Lindstrom thanked At Chandee’s supporters for sharing his story while denouncing the current presidential administration for locking him up.

“A man that’s now 52 years old has been ripped away from his family for absolutely no reason,” said Lindstrom. “My hope is that this can set him on the path back to getting his life back and getting reunited with you as soon as possible.”

The moment, however, is bittersweet. Huynh-Chandee said that upon being transferred to a new facility, her husband was given a deportation date of Tuesday. That’s weeks before the Board of Pardons has its next meeting in June, which is when At Chandee’s pardon could be made official. Huynh-Chandee isn’t giving up.

“I’m still hopeful that maybe we can hopefully stop the flight, for him to hopefully stay in the U.S., so we can continue to fight for him,” she said.

If the pardon is granted, a law expert told WCCO that the deportation order attached to the pardoned conviction could possibly be rescinded.

“The person [would then be] restored to the prior status that they had before the removal proceedings occurred, whether that’s going back to permanent resident status or maybe they were here as an asylee or refugee that never became a permanent resident,” said attorney Nico Ratkowski.

Ratkowski is not connected to At Chandee’s case, but he does have experience helping immigrants successfully seek pardons for convictions related to fraud.

“In those situations, the Board of Pardons has been a great help in terms of helping offset these really severe collateral consequences, especially for people who paid all of their restitution and have no criminal history since,” Ratkowski 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.