Month: June 2026

By Pepper Purpura

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — Every graduation gown tells a story.

For Marshalltown High School graduate Carter Nunn, his gown came with more than two decades of history already stitched into it.

The blue graduation gown Nunn wore Sunday has been passed from family to family since 2003. Over the years, it has been worn by seven Marshalltown graduates from three different families, all connected through the Marshalltown Community School District.

For many graduates, a cap and gown represent years of hard work, friendships and memories. For Nunn, it also represented a tradition larger than himself.

“I just can’t really put it into words,” Nunn said after the ceremony.

Nunn’s family is the third to receive the gown. Like the two families before them, the Nunns are an educator family with three sons.

“We’re the third family to have this gown, and it’s been passed down in Marshalltown amongst educator families that have three boys,” said Nunn’s mother, Mandi, who is an elementary teacher.

The tradition began with another Marshalltown teacher’s family in 2003. After all three of her sons graduated wearing the gown, it was passed to Amy Williams, a Marshalltown principal with three boys.

Williams’ sons wore the same gown when they graduated in 2016, 2021 and 2022.

“Once my three boys used that, I thought, ‘Wow, we’ve now had two families with three boys. Why don’t we keep that tradition going?'” Williams said.

After her youngest son graduated, Williams passed the gown to the Nunn family, where it sat waiting for four years until Carter’s graduation day arrived.

Along with the cap and gown came a box documenting its journey. Each graduate who wears it signs the box before passing it on to the next family.

After Sunday’s ceremony, Nunn added his name to the list.

“It’s cool to be a part of this tradition,” he said. “And I just can’t wait to hand it down to my brothers and then see who gets it next.”

The tradition is far from over.

Nunn is the oldest of three brothers, meaning the gown will be worn by at least two more times before it leaves the family’s hands.

“I hope that they see their brother as a role model,” Mandi Nunn said. “Seeing him in it and being able to wear that and feel that nostalgia, that they’re wearing something that these seven men, as well as other Bobcats, wore, is pretty cool.”

As graduates crossed the stage Sunday, the blue gown blended in with hundreds of others.

But for the families who have shared it for more than 20 years, it’s become much more than a graduation costume. It’s a piece of Marshalltown history.

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 Kelby Wingert

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    MUSCATINE, Iowa (KCCI) — Seven people, including a suspected gunman, are dead following a series of shootings Monday that authorities say stemmed from a domestic dispute involving members of the same family.

The Muscatine Police Department said officers were dispatched at approximately 12:12 p.m. Monday to a report of a shooting at a residence in the 200 block of Park Avenue.

When officers and emergency responders arrived at the scene, they found four people inside the home suffering from gunshot wounds. All four victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators quickly identified the suspected shooter as Ryan Willis McFarland, 52, of Muscatine. Police said McFarland had left the residence before officers arrived.

Authorities located McFarland on the Riverfront Trail near the pedestrian bridge. He was suffering from what investigators described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers and emergency medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, but McFarland was pronounced dead at the scene.

As the investigation unfolded, police developed information suggesting additional victims could be involved.

Officers subsequently discovered an adult male dead from an apparent gunshot wound inside a residence at 1509 Mill St. Investigators later responded to a business at 808 Grandview Ave., where they found another adult male who had also died from an apparent gunshot wound.

In total, seven people died in the shootings, including the suspect.

Police said preliminary findings indicate the shootings were the result of a domestic dispute. Investigators believe all of the victims were family members of McFarland.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims pending notification of family members.

The Muscatine Police Department is leading the investigation with assistance from the Muscatine Fire Department, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The investigation remains active as detectives continue processing the crime scenes and conducting interviews with witnesses.

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Lt. David O’Connor of the Muscatine Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit at 563-263-9922, extension 608. Anonymous tips will be accepted.

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 Andie Bernhardt

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — What started off as a day celebrating his 4-year-old son turned into a day full of grief for the whole family.

“Gigi killed my daddy,” said Pepe Sikisi-Belle Jr.’s son, Ja’aire.

Saturday was meant to be a day full of celebration for young Ja’aire’s fourth birthday, until gunshots went off in Center Street Park.

“He had to die on his son’s birthday,” said Marissa Bopilo, Pepe Sikisi-Belle’s mother. “That’s something that his son is always going to remember. My dad died on my birthday.”

Bopilo says an argument broke out at the party when a woman they once considered family pulled out a gun and shot Bopilo’s son twice.

“She told him, ‘I’m going to kill you,'” said Bopilo. “‘I’m going to kill you,’ and then she killed him.”

The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office says a 25-year-old woman with two firearms was arrested at the scene.

“Why would you bring two guns?” said Bopilo. “Not one, but two guns, to a kid’s party. If it is conflict, you could’ve just picked up your car and left. There was no threat.”

Now, Pepe’s loved ones are mourning the man who they say kept their family together and could always put a smile on their face.

“He was a good person,” said Damanique Mcadory, Pepe Sikisi-Belle’s family member. “He was a dad. He was a friend. He was family, and he just didn’t deserve this.”

His family says they won’t rest until there is justice.

“I want to see justice,” said Bopilo. “I don’t want to see her ever be free.”

CBS 58 is not naming the woman arrested in connection to this shooting at this time, because she hasn’t been formally charged.

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 Samson Tamijani

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    TULSA COUNTY, Oklahoma (KJRH) — The summertime grazing land Jennifer Hastings’ beloved 21-year-old Rainy and 9-year-old Hope usually reside in sits empty since May 20.

Hastings said someone took them during the overnight hours, with the land’s fence cut open next to the intersection of 57th and 105th West Avenue.

“I would give anything to have them back,” Hastings told 2 News Oklahoma.

Hastings, a nurse practitioner, has cherished being a horse owner for more than 17 years. She said surveillance cameras caught a couple unrecognized trucks with horse trailers in the days prior to their disappearance, but Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t been able to identify the vehicles.

“I mean, to a certain extent you feel violated,” she said.

Hastings also filed a case with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture’s investigative services unit, who she said found tire tracks that are being considered in the investigation.

Debi Metcalfe of the North Carolina-based NETPOSSE Stolen Horses International said Hastings did everything right since the theft, include reporting to her organization.

“She keeps trying to get (awareness of) the horses out there. When we put the horses in our system, I can’t tell you how many different groups on Facebook alone this has been shared to from our post,” Metcalfe told 2 News via Zoom.

Metcalfe started Stolen Horses International in the 1990s after she became a victim herself. The group now helps thousands of horse theft victims each year, including in Green Country.

“And a lot of horses look alike. We encourage people to put some type of physical brand on them,” Metcalfe added. “I prefer a freeze brand and a microchip because there is no perfect ID by itself.”

Hastings said she’s also canvassed horse auctions around central and eastern Oklahoma, but a friend contacted the 2 News Problem Solvers in hopes of reaching even more attention to bring the special needs mare, Rainy – and Hope, back home.

“I don’t care if we catch the person who did it. I’m not looking for punishment. I just want my horses back,” Hastings said. “So I’ll never give up hope, but it’s just – every day you feel a little more desperate.”

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 Brodie Myers

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    TULSA, Oklahoma (KJRH) — Gov. Stitt recently signed ‘Leo’s Law.’ It culminates a year-long effort by Jacob Towe.

“It’s just been a lot of work. We’ve been traveling really around the whole country, and Oklahoma, just going to meetings, meeting with lawmakers,” Towe said.

His dream became reality on May 29 when Gov. Stitt signed the legislation.

Towe said he feels, “relieved, because, with everything we’ve done, there’s always the next step. So there’s been a little bit of relief every time we’ve got something done, but there’s always something else to do.”

Those next steps are key. Towe said he’s not done yet.

“I’m just going to try to make sure that it’s implemented right. And that DHS is actually doing this. Just trying to figure out the best way we can do this, and just try to keep advocating to save lives, any way that I see fit,” Towe said, “Tell people that this is a drug that doesn’t discriminate. I miss my son a lot, every single day. I really hope this saves somebody else from this.”

The legislation is complicated, but put simply, it requires DHS to perform drug testing on parents suspected of drug use, before gaining custody of children. Towe said he lost his son, Leo, to a fentanyl poisoning when he was with his mother.

“I hope this saves kids lives, in Oklahoma. I really do believe that this will. So I hope that this just help saves lives in Oklahoma,” Towe said.

Towe offered advice for people seeking to implement laws for their own cause.

“Just to not give up if you believe that it’s something that important. To keep trying. And to keep knocking on doors,” Towe said, “To keep making phone calls. Keep making emails. And just to try to reach out to your legislators and try to establish good relationships with them.”

Leo’s Law becomes official Nov. 1.

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 Max Williams

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    NEBRASKA CITY, Nebraska (KMTV) — Paula Robbins says quilts tell a story. Each square is distinct, but sewn together, they make a whole.

In the fabric of Robbins’ story, though, is a major snag.

“My husband and I were involved in a terrible car wreck,” Robbins said.

The injury was devastating for Robbins and her family. She fell into a coma.

“If I am being kept alive on life support to just let me go,” Robbins said. She explained that she had prepared an advance directive with her wishes just in case something terrible should happen to her.

Robbins says she’s still here today because her family kept her alive long enough for her sister to visit from New York. Still in a coma, they connected through music at her bedside.

“The song that she was singing was the old Pete Seeger song ‘Goodnight Irene’ — she played acoustic guitar and we would just sing songs all the time,” Robbins said.

Robbins says she came back to consciousness in October of that year, but with no memories from a 6-week period and a long recovery ahead.

“I had to learn how to walk again, I had to learn how to write, I couldn’t sign my name,” Robbins said.

By spring, Robbins felt she had regained her skills.

“I felt like sewing,” Robbins said.

She picked up an old hobby just in time for the 150th birthday of Nebraska.

“All 93 counties are represented in the quilt,” Robbins said as she explained the intricacies of the large hanging quilt.

That Nebraska-inspired piece became the first major quilt she completed after the accident. It is now part of her exhibit at Kimbell Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City.

The display, called “TBI Recovery Quilts,” weaves together her work from before and after her traumatic brain injury. Though she still has hard days, a quilter’s patience keeps her pattern intact.

“Sometimes it just takes a little time to process things, just a little time,” Robbins said.

As her fingers glide across the fabric, her greatest works wrapped around her like a blanket, Robbins hopes to one day create a piece as good as her all-time favorite — a quilt made before her life was changed forever that won a blue ribbon at the state fair.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMTV’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.