Month: July 2026

By Karina Vargas

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    SUNSET CLIFFS, California (KGTV) — San Diego lifeguards are issuing new warnings after a second fall at Sunset Cliffs in a matter of days, as crowds continue to gather at the popular spot despite the dangers.

A 17-year-old was seriously hurt over the weekend, and another man had to be rescued after falling onto the rocks Tuesday night. Video posted online shows the man climbing along the cliffs before suddenly losing his grip and falling onto the rocks below. Lifeguards rushed into the water to rescue him.

Throughout the day, crowds have been seen coming to the cliffs and jumping off, which is exactly what fire and rescue officials say concerns them. The location has become a popular spot for social media videos, but it has also become the scene of multiple dangerous rescues.

Kyle, a cliff jumper who said he was visiting San Diego on a road trip, said he was aware of the recent incidents before he jumped.

“Me and my friends are on a road trip, and my friend said, oh, there’s good cliff jumping in San Diego. So we came, and we saw the video of the kid breaking his legs, so we were like, oh. It was fun though,” Kyle said.

Candace Hadley, public information officer for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, warned that the risks are serious even for those who believe they are being careful.

“You may think this is fine too, but if you hit a rock or something underneath just in the wrong way, you can get knocked unconscious, and that puts you at risk for drowning,” Hadley said.

Officials say the cliffs themselves are unstable, and conditions are made more dangerous by high surf and strong currents. Despite warnings from police, lifeguards, and several posted signs reminding people that cliff jumping is illegal, many are still doing it.

Evan Munster, another cliff jumper at the scene, said the activity feels routine to him.

“Sometimes, I think about the depth, or whatever, but no, I’ve been doing it for a while, so it’s like it’s pretty natural to me,” Munster said.

Hadley said the consequences can be severe and permanent.

“The reality is that it’s not only illegal, but it’s incredibly dangerous, and you can have a life-changing injury here or worse,” Hadley said.

Lifeguards are urging anyone who visits Sunset Cliffs to keep their distance from the edge and not jump. Police and lifeguards say they are actively monitoring the area and will continue issuing warnings and citations. Officials say these incidents are preventable.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KGTV 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.

By Romelo Styles

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    NORFOLK, Virginia (WTKR) — A Little Free Library created to honor a 12-year-old boy killed in 2017 will be rebuilt and unveiled in Norfolk this weekend after the original memorial was destroyed by vandals earlier this year.

Deshawn Parker created the Little Free Library in memory of his son, Israel Parker, who was struck and killed by a driver in Suffolk in 2017. The memorial was intended to encourage literacy while keeping Israel’s legacy alive in the community.

When the library was vandalized and destroyed several months ago, Parker described the loss as another heartbreaking setback.

“It’s been stressful because we have been trying to get the community engaged, trying to get somebody to repair it, see if we can get an artist to paint it,” Parker said.

But Parker said the community’s response after the vandalism reminded him that his son’s memory continues to resonate with others.

“The community, they have really came through and let me know that Israel is not forgotten. We got your back,” he said.

Parker said community support made it possible to rebuild the memorial. On Saturday, Aug. 1, organizers will unveil the new Little Free Library along with two additional Little Free Libraries. Families attending the event will also receive free books and other giveaways for children as part of the effort to continue promoting literacy in Israel’s name.

Parker has not yet seen the rebuilt library and plans to wait until the public unveiling.

“It’ll be the first day that I’m going to see it,” Parker said. “I want to be surprised like everyone else.”

He hopes the project continues to grow beyond Norfolk, with plans to bring additional Little Free Libraries to other Hampton Roads communities.

“We’re revealing all three of them. Hopefully we can get another pop-up library in the City of Virginia Beach, maybe by Mount Trashmore, or the City of Suffolk where he passed away,” Parker said.

For Parker, each new library represents another opportunity to ensure his son’s story continues inspiring children for years to come.

“WTKR News 3 is keeping my son’s name alive. You are keeping his legacy alive,” Parker said.

The unveiling will take place Saturday at 9 a.m. at the corner of Virginia Beach Boulevard and Park Avenue in Norfolk. Organizers say the event is open to the public.

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 Jay Greene

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    NORFOLK, Virginia (WTKR) — More than a year after the murder of Petty Officer Third Class Angelina Resendiz, the U.S. Navy has revised its policy for transferring sailors under investigation — a change the Navy says followed internal reviews after her death.

For Esmeralda Castle, Resendiz’s mother, the policy is an important step toward preventing similar tragedies.

“This is a positive step. This is requiring the commands to include more people, and and that that that means accountability, right? That means the transparency. That means you know, it’s not all on the commands to keep their unit and and their service members safe. Now this responsibility is going to be shared,” Castle told News 3.

The revised policy requires sailors under investigation for alleged sexual assault or stalking to be transferred only to shore commands unless operational needs prevent it. It also requires commanders to coordinate with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and the receiving command to help protect alleged victims while preserving investigations. The policy also states temporary transfers cannot be used as punishment.

Castle said the changes address one of the biggest concerns her family had after her daughter’s death.

“Like why did they transfer this person, right? Why didn’t they protect the service members? Why didn’t anybody know who he was? Why he was there? You know, more could have been done, and so this policy kind of addresses those things. Like more people will know, the right people will know, and communication is supposed to continue. And those things are, you know, meant to protect everyone,” she said.

The Navy confirmed to News 3 that the policy revision came after reviews conducted following Resendiz’s murder.

Last month, fellow sailor Jermiah Copeland pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder in Resendiz’s death. During his court-martial, Copeland admitted to strangling Resendiz aboard Naval Station Norfolk before moving her body to a wooded area. He was sentenced to more than 40 years in prison, received a dishonorable discharge and was reduced in rank.

While Castle welcomed the policy change, she said she believes accountability must extend beyond adopting new rules.

“What is going to you know hold these your individual commanders accountable for implementing the new policy, and not you know picking and choosing what what they’ll implement or what they’ll follow.”

Castle said she hopes her daughter’s death will continue to drive meaningful reforms throughout the military.

“I mean, it’s sad, right? But but is is good, right? The opportunity for good. These are the opportunities for good that that that we’re looking for, right?… we’re we’re we’re we’re we’re transforming it into something lasting, right? That’s going to, you know. Protect service members for for a very long time. This is just a step, right? It’s a small step. There’s still more work, right?”

Asked what she thinks Angelina’s legacy has become, Castle said she believes her daughter is still making a difference.

“Yeah, yeah, absolutely… she’s the guardian… warrior, right, protecting her service members, her brothers and sisters in service… Angie is a part of the reason why they they are choosing, right? To to change and and to make things better.”

Castle said actions, not words, are what matter most.

“The Navy isn’t a person, right? It’s a machine. The military is a machine, and you don’t forgive machines; you fix them, and that’s what we’re doing… when I see a policy, right, that’s an action to me… it doesn’t matter what they say, it’s what they do.”

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 Taylor Locke

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    CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — Chesterfield County has launched the first drone-as-a-first-responder program in Central Virginia, stationing three drones that can deploy before first responders even arrive on scene.

The program is the result of a partnership with Skydio. Drone docks are located on the rooftops of Meadowbrook High School, A.M. Davis Elementary School, and Manchester Middle School — all in areas with high volumes of calls for service.

Carpenter said traditional response times are limited by road conditions and traffic.

“We are tied to restraints of roadways, traffic conditions, stop lights, etc. These units are able to get on scene in a matter of seconds, you know, to the tune of maybe 120 to 90 seconds to be able to then provide intelligence to responding units on the ground. So this is a game changer,” Carpenter said.

Whether it’s a shooting, structure fire, missing person, or crash, the drones help determine what resources are needed so responders can be better prepared before they arrive.

The drones fly at about 45 miles per hour and use thermal cameras that point forward until they reach the vicinity of a scene.

Carpenter said the technology is meant to support — not replace — first responders.

“Let me be clear: launching drone as a first responder program is not a replacement to public safety personnel. Public safety personnel have and will always be our primary point of contact when serving our community,” Carpenter said.

Since the program launched, the drones have assisted in seven calls for service as of Tuesday morning.

The program carries a $900,000 price tag over five years. Carpenter said the investment is worth it.

“When you start thinking about it from this perspective, it’s really about saving lives, right? And how much do you put on a life? And I think if we can save one life, it’s worth $900,000 in five years,” Carpenter said.

The county has also launched a public website where residents can see when each drone was deployed, what type of call triggered the launch, and video recorded during the flight.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR 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.

By Brendan King

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    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — For 13-year-old Gavin Yonce, baseball is more than a game.

“I love being active and being with friends, and baseball is just my favorite thing to do when I’m active,” Gavin said.

Three years ago, his family was facing a diagnosis that would change all of their lives.

“Gavin started having leg pain when he was 10. Doctors thought it was just growing pains,” his mother, Jenny Yonce, said.

Doctors at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU diagnosed Gavin with Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer in his right leg.

The Mechanicsville boy’s family says he had only about a 10% chance of survival without chemotherapy and life-altering surgery.

“It’s really scary to watch your son and know that he’s going to have to deal with so much,” Jenny said. “And at the time, we didn’t know he was going to have his leg amputated.”

Gavin underwent a total of 14 rounds of chemo over the course of 9 months while spending two to five nights in and out of the hospital, followed by a rotationplasty procedure, a limb-sparing surgery that allowed him to remain active after treatment. As he recovered, he learned life with limb loss would require more than determination.

“I learned that there’s different names for cancers and that you need different prosthetics for different activities,” Gavin said.

Despite the challenges, he stayed focused on getting back to the things he loved.

“I just kept trying to keep going,” he said.

But after treatment ended, the Yonce family discovered another obstacle.

Insurance covered an everyday prosthetic designed for walking, but not the specialized prosthetic Gavin needed to run, swim and play baseball.

“He’s an athlete by heart and by nature, born athlete,” Jenny said. “He needed something that could get him moving a little bit more. So that’s when we realized, when we looked into it more, that insurance wasn’t going to cover that.”

Instead of accepting that reality, the Yonce family turned their experience into advocacy.

They joined So Every BODY Can Move (SEBCM), a national campaign working to expand insurance coverage for activity-specific prosthetic and orthotic devices.

The mission is personal for the organization’s national campaign lead, Nicole Ver Kuilen, who also lost a leg to bone cancer as a child.

“My journey starts back when I was 10 years old, and I lost my leg to osteosarcoma, bone cancer,” Ver Kuilen said. “Growing up, I did not have access to what I needed to be physically active.”

The organization is supporting legislation across the country, including Virginia’s House Bill 216, sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax). The proposal would require certain health insurance plans to cover activity prosthetics and orthotics for people with limb loss or mobility impairments.

“What this legislation is doing is putting into law that our community deserves access and can access more than one device for those essential daily movements, for exercise, for physical activity, and for just basic hygiene,” Ver Kuilen said.

Earlier this year, Gavin traveled to the Virginia General Assembly to share his story with lawmakers.

“I talked about how I need running prosthetics to get around, and that insurance doesn’t cover that right now. So we need to get that,” he said.

So far, 15 states have passed similar legislation. Supporters hope Virginia will be among the next as part of the campaign’s goal of passing laws in 28 states before the 2028 Paralympic Games.

For Jenny, who now serves as SEBCM Virginia’s co-state lead, the effort is ensuring that every child has the opportunity to move.

“Movement is a right, and we feel like he has that right to move and to be active and live an active lifestyle,” she said. “So Every BODY Can Move is all about expanding health insurance to have insurance companies cover prosthetics — activity prosthetics specifically.”

As for Gavin, his message to other children facing obstacles is simple:

“Just keep going. Never give up on what you love.”

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.