County files suit over ‘forever chemical’ contamination at its regional airport

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Kristen Shill

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    EAU CLAIRE COUNTY, Wisconsin (WQOW) — Eau Claire County has filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen chemical manufacturers over contamination at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport.

The county filed the complaint June 12 in Chippewa County Circuit Court, naming 3M Company, DuPont, Chemours and several other companies as defendants.

According to the official court document, the lawsuit seeks to recover damages for contamination caused by toxic chemicals known as PFAS.

The complaint states the airport property and associated infrastructure are contaminated with PFAS chemicals. PFAS refers to man-made compounds that are toxic, persistent in the environment, do not biodegrade and move readily through soil and groundwater, according to the document.

Two PFAS compounds — perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid — have been discovered on the county’s property, the lawsuit states. PFAS were used to make consumer and industrial products including a type of firefighting foam used at airports, military bases, petroleum refineries and fire training centers.

The complaint alleges defendants designed, manufactured, formulated, marketed, distributed and sold PFAS and fluorosurfactant products including aqueous film-forming foam from the 1960s through today. AFFF is a firefighting agent used to control and extinguish Class B fuel fires.

“Defendants designed, manufactured, marketed, distributed, and/or sold Fluorosurfactant Products with the knowledge that these toxic compounds would be released into the environment during use, handling, storage, and disposal as directed and intended by the Defendants,” the complaint states.

The lawsuit claims defendants’ fluorosurfactant products have been released, used, stored and disposed of at or near the county’s property, allowing PFOS, PFOA and their chemical precursors to enter the environment and migrate through soil, groundwater, surface water and stormwater. PFOS, PFOA and their chemical precursors have been detected in the soil and groundwater on the county’s property at substantial levels, according to the document.

The complaint alleges the county did not know of the ongoing contamination because defendants failed to disclose the toxic nature and harmful effects of these fluorosurfactant products or their wastes. The lawsuit states defendants had knowledge by the 1970s that PFOA and PFOS are toxic and migrate through the subsurface when sprayed in the open environment.

The lawsuit includes seven causes of action: strict liability for defective design, strict liability for failure to warn, public nuisance, private nuisance, trespass, negligence and violations of the Wisconsin Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act. The county seeks compensatory damages, consequential damages, punitive damages, costs and attorneys’ fees.

The county seeks to recover all past and future costs to investigate, remediate, remove, dispose of, treat and monitor the PFOS and PFOA contamination caused by the use, discharge and disposal of defendants’ fluorosurfactant products, as well as damages for diminution of property value.

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.

Indiana DNR: Canada geese are protected, but you have options

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Cody Melin

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    LAFAYETTE, Indiana (WLFI) — (WLFI) – Canada geese are out in large numbers this time of year, but the bird was once on the brink of extinction.

Jessica Merkling with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says the species made a strong comeback. “They found these remnant populations where they reintroduced them throughout the Midwest, so now we have Canada geese again, but they’re very, very successful breeders,” Merkling said.

Not everyone is a fan of the sometimes-sassy bird. “Due to a lot of landscape things that we, as people, do, they tend to accumulate where maybe we don’t always want them, and that can create some conflict,” she said.

Canada geese start looking for nesting sites in mid to late February and early March. “Canada geese like mown turf grass next to water. Turf grass is a good food, easy access to the water, and then clear line of sight, so that they know there’s no predators,” Merkling said.

If you want to avoid the geese, you’ll want to act around those months. “If you are looking to use something like fencing, put that fence in ahead of time. It doesn’t help with adult geese that can fly, but the goose parents are kind of smart. They know that they have to be able to walk their goslings to and from water,” she said.

You’ll want to make sure the fence is at least three feet tall, and gaps are three inches or less.

Mid-June to mid-July is peak timing for goslings to hatch.

Merkling says there are some things you need to keep in mind before you think about harming the geese or their eggs. “So, like all native migratory birds, Canada geese are both state and federally protected,” Merkling said. “So, protected doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t do anything to like alleviate any potential issues you may or may not be having. It just means that there’s a formal process, right?.”

One option for people is hunting season. Proper hunting permits would allow you a legal way to remove the birds.

There are also non-lethal options like nest and egg destruction permits. “The permitting team will review it, and if everything’s in order, they will then issue you the permit,” she said. “On that permit, it will tell you what you can and cannot do, how to report your numbers back, keeping track of those geese that have bands on their legs, those types of things.”

If your yard or neighborhood becomes a new home for Canada geese, Merkling says give the birds a little space while they raise their babies. “I kind of think of it this way, like I personally have kids, so if a random stranger came up to your kids and just started handling them, how would you possibly feel?” Merkling said.

Giving space is a good idea because those geese can get pretty defensive. “Canada geese have both the female and the male that will defend the nest, which makes it so, like, for a one nest, you have two adult geese that are pretty muscular that would defend their nest,” she said.

Merkling says while you might think it’s doing good, feeding them crosses a line. “For example, if you just stop putting out food one day, they could potentially get bolder and approaching people to ask for food again, which can lead to some things,” she said.

Merkling adds feeding waterfowl unhealthy foods also puts their health at risk, even causing their wings to deform. “You’re also artificially inflating the numbers in that area,” Merkling said. “So if there is a disease on the landscape or an illness on the landscape, that can more easily spread to more wildlife.”

Merkling says it’s best to give the birds space and enjoy them from afar.

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.

Teen nears completion of bike skills park as part of Eagle Scout project

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Crystal Flintrop

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    LA CRESCENT, Minnesota (WXOW) — What began as an idea during a mountain bike trip to northern Wisconsin is now becoming a reality for one La Crescent teenager.

Thomas “Tommy” Riffe is leading the effort to build a professionally designed mountain bike skills park on eight acres of school district property near the La Crescent-Hokah High School baseball field.

The project, which serves as his Eagle Scout project, has grown into a $366,500 community recreation space that is now more than 90% funded.

Riffe said the idea first came to him during a race trip with the La Crosse Area Mountain Bike Team in Cable, Wisconsin.

“I’m on the La Crosse Area Mountain Bike Team, and we had a race up in Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin, and they actually have a bike skills park, and that’s kind of where I got the love for the idea,” Riffe said. “We went to the local pizza place that night, and I looked at my mom and, I said, ‘This is what I want to do.'”

The planned bike skills park will feature multiple riding lines and trail loops designed for different ages and experience levels.

“A bike skills park is an area for kids to put their bikes into use for bike coordination, handling and skills in an easily repeatable environment,” Riffe said. “Bike skills parks are different from trails because they have features, and it’s where you more or less learn how to use your bike, and then trails are where you put those features and those skills to use.”

Riffe said one of his favorite aspects of the design is the variety it offers riders.

“My favorite part will probably be either the skill section or this one trail that goes all the way around,” Riffe said. “There’s so many different features on all these trails, and they’re so different in so many different capacities. So you can do as many things as you want to without it getting boring or too repeatable.”

The project is also helping Riffe work toward earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in the Scouting America program.

Eagle Scout projects are intended to demonstrate leadership, planning and service by requiring candidates to organize and lead a significant community project.

Riffe said the experience has challenged him to develop skills beyond mountain biking.

“This has taught me a lot not only about people but also about how things can be different from another,” Riffe said. “Grants are a lot different from going in front of a business and asking for their support. Just with the way that you talk and the way that you show your confidence, it’s a lot different from being behind the computer screen with grants.”

Over the last two years, the project has required Riffe to work with businesses, community organizations, volunteers and school officials while navigating fundraising and grant applications.

Those efforts have drawn support from groups including ORA Trails, which has assisted with grant applications, volunteer work and promotion of the project.

“Honestly, I think the biking community and ORA and a lot of the non-profits are amazed,” ORA Trails Admin Operations Director Kayla Ryan said. “You don’t hear of a 14-year-old, 15-year-old starting a $350,000 bike park. So it’s incredible.”

Ryan said the project will provide a space for riders of all experience levels while encouraging more people to spend time outdoors.

“It’s not intimidating. You can kind of go where you’re at and start where you’re at,” Ryan said. “I think the community absolutely needs those outdoor spaces to get people off screens, to just be involved in the community and be able to experience easy access to recreation.”

The project is now just thousands of dollars away from the finish line.

“With all of their help, in-kind and monetary, we’re 92% to goal, and that means we’re only $29,000 left out of a $366,500 project,” Riffe said. “So we are getting very close.”

Riffe said donations are still being accepted through his fiscal sponsor, the Lancer Booster Club, or through the project’s Zeffy donation page.

If fundraising and construction continue on schedule, he hopes to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the park by the end of June or sometime in mid-July.

For Riffe, the project represents an opportunity to create the same kind of experience that inspired him years ago while giving future riders a place to learn, explore and build confidence on two wheels.

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.

Indiana State Police officers rescue kitten stuck on I-94

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Vaughn Jacobson

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    Indiana (WISH) — Indiana State Police officers rescued a kitten stuck on Interstate 94 on Thursday.

In a Facebook post made by ISP, Sgt. Jamerson and Trp. Galvan-Jones found the kitten on the median of I-94 by Grant St. during rush hour. Police think that someone left the him there intentionally.

Police confirmed in the Facebook post that the kitten is safe and has found a new home.

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.

93-year-old veteran recounts tornado hitting his longtime Indiana home

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Alan Selph

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    GOSPORT, Indiana (WISH) — A 93-year-old Army veteran and his wife survived after a tornado with 130 mph winds destroyed their home Wednesday night in Gosport.

Don Cooter and his wife made it to the basement of their North Texas Road home in Owen County just before the storm hit. Cooter has lived in the house since 1957.

“We were just getting settled in the basement, and I found some chairs for us to sit on, and then it sounded like a train,” Cooter said.

Cooter served in the Army during the Korean War. He said Wednesday’s storm was more terrifying than what he experienced overseas.

“I just kept hearing boom, boom, boom, and then water started coming down,” he said.

‘Pieces scattered like memories’

The tornado tore the roof off the home and blew out windows, scattering glass across acres of land. The garage was completely destroyed. Cooter said his refrigerator ended up where the garage once stood.

Miraculously, all three bedrooms remained untouched. The bathroom and living room were completely destroyed.

‘I’m not sure what I’m going to do next’

Cooter said he found a Father’s Day card from his son still in good condition after the storm.

“My son just gave me this Father’s Day card yesterday, and it’s still here in good condition,” Cooter said. “I’ve been here my whole life, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do next.”

Cooter said he and his wife may rebuild on the property or move to Florida as recovery efforts continue in Gosport.

Severe weather Wednesday night damaged homes and businesses across parts of Indiana. Local emergency officials are assessing damage and coordinating cleanup.

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.

18-yr-old trapped in corn grinder, airlifted with life-threatening injuries

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Nina Sparano

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    SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, Wisconsin (WGBA) — An 18-year-old man suffered life-threatening injuries Thursday after becoming trapped in a corn grinder inside a silo at a Sheboygan County farm.

According to the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews were called to the W3000 block of Wilson-Lima Road in the Town of Lima around 1:25 p.m. after a 911 caller reported the teenager’s leg had become caught in the equipment.

When first responders arrived, they found the 18-year-old trapped inside a silo.

Rescue crews from multiple departments worked to free the teen before he was flown by Flight for Life-Theda Star to a Milwaukee-area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The sheriff’s office has not released additional information about the victim or how the incident happened.

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.

North Carolina woman celebrates 105th birthday with family, friends

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By WLOS News Staff

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    BLACK MOUNTAIN, North Carolina (WLOS) — A Black Mountain woman marked a major milestone birthday surrounded by loved ones on June 17, 2026.

Ruby Begley celebrated her 105th birthday with family and friends at Highland Farms Senior Living Community.

Begley moved to the Swannanoa Valley with her husband, Marcus, in 1945, and the family has remained a fixture in the community since then. Marcus Begley died in 1989 after 47 years of marriage.

Begley said her approach to life has helped carry her through more than a century.

“I just think that I have tried to live a good life and be kind to everybody. And I think I’ve done that. I have had a good life and I’m thankful for it,” Begley said.

Begley has four children, nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. One of her children is Ellen Gibson, a Carolina Kitchen home cook for News 13.

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.

California pastor helped launch safe parking sites at churches for homeless residents

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Sharon Chin

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    SAN FRANCISCO, California (KPIX) — Nearly 40 percent of Santa Clara County’s unhoused population, or almost 4,000 people, sleep in their vehicles.

A Peninsula pastor is one of the first in the Bay Area to help provide a safe place for them while they search for housing in expensive Silicon Valley.

Pastor Brian Leong recalls a life-changing moment at a ministers’ conference several years ago when the speaker challenged the audience.

“If your church burned down tomorrow, would anybody in the community care?” he said. “That was a devastating question for me, because I know the answer right away, which is, ‘No.'”

So, Leong approached the office of County Supervisor Joe Simitian about what local churches could do.

The response: How about opening church parking lots as safe spaces for people living in their vehicles?

Churches had already begun to do so in Santa Barbara.

Leong pitched the community service idea he received to a gathering of faith leaders.

“‘Do you think you guys would want to do that?’ All of them said, ‘Yes, let’s do it,'” he recalled.

So, Leong started Move Mountain View in 2018, starting with six parking spaces at two churches, including his own church, Lord’s Grace and St. Timothy’s Episcopal. Today, the city and county-funded nonprofit manages 140 spaces in nine lots in Mountain View and Palo Alto.

About half the spots are occupied by families like Andres’

“Pretty much amazing. Treated like a family,” he said.

Andres, father of a newborn, can safely park the RV that his family’s been living in since he and his wife both lost their jobs months ago.

“It’s healthy. It’s clean. It’s organized,” Andres said of the safe parking lot. “The way that we look at it, it’s like going camping with a good family, a huge family. So, yeah, it’s amazing. “

But it’s not permanent.

Leong says the nonprofit must enforce a recent county policy that says after 120 days, clients have to leave if they cannot show they’re actively seeking housing.

All clients do get a case worker to help connect them with resources.

And Operations Manager David Temple adds that guests find support, security, and stability.

“Babies have been born in this lot. We’ve even had a wedding on this lot,” said Temple.

Nonprofit partners provide donations of food, clothes and more.

The Palo Alto location on Geng Road, a former city-owned firehouse, offers the widest range of on-site resources: a laundry and showers, kitchen, food pantry, and even a children’s library.

In July, a few dozen more parking spaces will be added to the Shoreline Amphitheater parking lot, bringing the total to about 200 spaces the nonprofit manages.

To qualify as a guest in a safe lot, one must live, work or have children going to school in Mountain View or Palo Alto, or be a senior citizen with living with a disability. You must have a valid driver’s license and a registered vehicle.

Since Leong began Move Mountain View, more than 600 people have found housing.

“In order to do this work, you have a big heart. And you want to serve. And Pastor Leong, obviously as a pastor, he has a big heart,” said Temple.

A heart transformed through service.

“It’s just made me more compassionate and understanding of people we often don’t look at,” Leong said.

So, for starting Move Mountain View’s safe parking lots for people living in their vehicles, this week’s CBS News Bay Area ICON Award goes to Pastor Brian Leong.

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.

California police release video of officer shooting ax-wielding suspect

CNN on June 19, 2026


KOVR

By Brandon Downs

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    STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — The Stockton Police Department released video Thursday of an officer shooting a man wielding an ax in early May.

The shooting happened along Deep Cliff Way, off Houston Avenue, on May 4, around 7 a.m. Police said they responded to reports that a suspicious man was armed with an ax on Nevada Street, about a mile from where the shooting happened.

Police said the suspect, later identified as 25-year-old Moises Andrade, was trying to break down the door of a home but left the area.

Officers later contacted Andrade inside a garage along Deep Cliff Way. The video shows Andrade in the garage, unarmed, but he soon picked up an ax and closed the garage door.

He opened the garage door again and officers gave repeated commands to drop the ax, the video showed. Police said one officer grabbed his gun and another grabbed his taser.

This is when police said Andrade took a “pre-assaultive stance” and raised the ax. This is when an officer shot Andrade, who was later taken to a hospital where he died, police said.

The police department identified the officer involved as Gabriel Sixtos, who was hired in 2017 and assigned to the field operations division.

The department released the video on Facebook. Viewer discretion is advised.

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.

California police release video of officer shooting ax-wielding suspect

CNN Newsource on June 19, 2026

By Brandon Downs

Click here for updates on this story

    STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — The Stockton Police Department released video Thursday of an officer shooting a man wielding an ax in early May.

The shooting happened along Deep Cliff Way, off Houston Avenue, on May 4, around 7 a.m. Police said they responded to reports that a suspicious man was armed with an ax on Nevada Street, about a mile from where the shooting happened.

Police said the suspect, later identified as 25-year-old Moises Andrade, was trying to break down the door of a home but left the area.

Officers later contacted Andrade inside a garage along Deep Cliff Way. The video shows Andrade in the garage, unarmed, but he soon picked up an ax and closed the garage door.

He opened the garage door again and officers gave repeated commands to drop the ax, the video showed. Police said one officer grabbed his gun and another grabbed his taser.

This is when police said Andrade took a “pre-assaultive stance” and raised the ax. This is when an officer shot Andrade, who was later taken to a hospital where he died, police said.

The police department identified the officer involved as Gabriel Sixtos, who was hired in 2017 and assigned to the field operations division.

The department released the video on Facebook. Viewer discretion is advised.

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.