Month: August 2026

By T.J. Anthony

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    SNELLVILLE, Georgia (WUPA) — For some people, old clothes can hold powerful memories. A metro Atlanta quilt maker is turning those memories into something families can keep forever.

Remetta Wiggins, who lives in Snellville, found purpose in creating keepsakes families could hold.

“It just makes me feel good that I’ve been able to make somebody else feel good and to give them something that’s long-lasting and that they will have forever,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins has been stitching quilts for about 30 years. The first memory quilts she made were personal.

“The first one was of my mom. I made one for all my siblings out of all my mother’s clothes,” Wiggins said. “I ended up making one for my sister, my seven brothers and myself.”

She spends her days transforming clothing from other families into memory quilts, carefully preserving the details that make each one a keepsake.

“I try to keep as much of the article as I can so that you’ll know what it is,” Wiggins explained.

For Stephanie Evans, that attention to detail made one of her quilts especially meaningful.

“It was like love from heaven and love here on Earth,” Evans said.

Evans lost both of her parents in 2024, three weeks apart. Wiggins transformed their clothing, including dresses, pajamas and shirts, into a quilt Evans calls a gift.

Wiggins also makes quilts for athletes, college graduates, fraternities and sororities.

Her customers send clothing from across the country. Most find her through word of mouth.

“From the West Coast to the East Coast, to the North, to the South — I get boxes. I get baskets of clothes,” Wiggins said.

She said she has made about a dozen memory quilts and wants to make more.

“That’s where I want to get to — the thousands,” Wiggins said. “Yes, yes, I want to grow.”

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 Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Los Angeles police arrested an alleged robbery suspect following a pursuit and then a foot chase that ended inside a San Fernando Valley home on Friday morning.

Police haven’t yet said where the chase began, but said that they were in pursuit of a green Ford Mustang with a driver wanted for robbery. They followed the suspect along the 101 Freeway into Valley Glen, where the suspect parked the car and began to run.

Aerial footage showed the suspect running through several yards and into the backyards of some homes. Eventually, he ran into a house near the 12800 block of Welby Way in North Hollywood. SkyCal was overhead as a woman and dog ran from inside the house moments after the suspect entered.

LAPD officers quickly rushed to the front door with firearms drawn. They walked the suspect out of the house in handcuffs minutes later. Officers later identified him as Joshua Villareal.

Chloe Conwi, the woman seen running out of her home, said she found Villareal sitting in her shower. She said Villareal tried to calm her down and coax her to walk closer to him.

“I just started sprinting out, and I’m like yelling,” she said. “I’ve never yelled that loud and been that scared in my entire life.”

Brother Martin Conwi said he was walking out of his bedroom when he found Villarreal in his family’s hallway. He said he immediately took Villareal down to protect his family.

“I grabbed him by the collar, strike him on his neck and drag him down,” Martin Conwi said.

Martin Conwi said he dragged Villareal to the family’s living room, where his brother jumped in to help. They said the family’s pug Kumo also jumped on the suspect as the brothers held him down for police. The brothers said Villareal tried to convince them to let him go.

“He was like, ‘Save me. I’m trying to hide from the officers,” Martin Conwi recalled.

Chloe Conwi said her brothers’ actions did not surprise them.

“They’ve always been overprotective and stuff,” she said. “I’m scared for the guy, not even for my brothers.”

Martin Conwi said he learned the takedown technique when he was an explorer for the California Highway Patrol. The 20-year-old said he’s currently applying for the CHP.

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 Tony Aiello

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — An engagement ring was recovered from the Hudson River after slipping off a bride-to-be’s finger.

The ring slipped off Denise Rivera’s finger on the deck of Billy Joe’s Ribworks restaurant in Newburgh, New York, on Tuesday.

“It slipped off. And when it slipped off, onto the table, kept going, hit the floor and I just saw it go overboard,” Rivera said.

It plunged 12 feet down in the Hudson River.

“It was a horrific feeling. I don’t think anybody wants to experience that,” she said.

Her heart sank right along with that ring. But her horrible luck was about to take a happy turn. Students from the Hudson River Commercial Diver Training Center saw what happened, and heard her screaming “my ring, my ring.”

Wednesday, they spent more than two hours searching the river bottom by hand, feeling for the ring.

“The mud is about six inches deep. As soon as you hit bottom, it stirs it up. You can’t see your hand in front of your face,” said training center owner Christian Dougherty. “Every couple of minutes, she kept looking at me to see if we got it or not. Had to keep giving her the nod, ‘no, not yet, not yet.'”

They switched to a bucket to bring up big scoops of muck.

“I was swirling the sand around and there it was. I saw it. It was great,” Dougherty said.

“It just restores your faith in people. Actually good people out there. They had no other intention than finding that ring for me, making me happy. Someone they don’t even know, a stranger,” Rivera said.

Not all angels have wings. Some have wetsuits.

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 Jennifer Bisram

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — New York City’s Trinidad and Tobago Parade won’t be stepping off in Brooklyn this weekend.

Organizers had planned to hold the annual event Sunday, on the eve of Trinidad and Tobago’s 64th Independence Day, but they say their permit was denied a few days ago.

“I feel a little disappointed. A lot went in to prepare for this,” said Danville Williamson, cofounder of Trinidad and Tobago Day in New York. “A lot of money had been spent.”

In a statement, the NYPD said, “The parade was not cancelled. The organizers never had an approved permit for the event. They were given an opportunity to suggest an alternate date and route to obtain a permit but chose not to.”

Williamson disputes what the NYPD says. According to Williamson, back in May, he was told the parade was a go, just like the last two years when the parade was smaller.

He says in recent weeks, however, he was asked to move the date, which he says he did, shifting it from Aug. 23 to Aug. 30.

Then he says he was asked to change the route, which he says he agreed to. The new parade route would have been around Church and Flatbush avenues in Little Caribbean, ending at Prospect Park with a family picnic under the theme “Our Culture, Our People, Our Freedom.”

Earlier this week, Williamson says it was all shut down.

“The crowd would have been too much. That’s what they’re saying to me,” Williamson said. “The last word was it was too close to Labor Day, and they don’t have the manpower.”

Businesses in the area say it’s a loss financially and culturally.

“We feel like Trinis are being discriminated against. Everyone else gets their day,” said Eveylyn Charles, co-owner of Trini Breakfast Shed. “We would have gotten a lot more business.”

Joseph Baptise, with Radoes Steel Orchestra, says his group had been invited to play at the parade.

“It’s kinda disappointing,” he said.

Organizers are hoping to get approved for another date this year.

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 Naveen Dhaliwal

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    NEW JERSEY (WCBS) — New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a law Friday making cocktails to-go permanent.

The rule, which was put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic, was set to expire on Sept. 1.

The legislation allows restaurants, bars and certain other businesses to sell and deliver alcoholic beverages for consumption off-premises. The law says alcohol must be in original containers and mixed drinks must be in sealed containers.

“New Jersey’s small businesses shouldn’t have to navigate outdated rules just to serve their customers and grow,” Sherrill said in a statement. “Cocktails to-go worked, customers liked it, and small businesses told us it was another way to bring in revenue. Today, we’re making it permanent.”

At the Court Street Restaurant and Bar on Sixth Street in Hoboken, owner Kevin Cocca was elated to hear the news.

“It gives us another revenue stream to help with the inflation we are seeing right now,” he said. “The cost of everything, food is skyrocketing … so this is just another revenue stream that can hopefully prevent us from raising prices.”

Cocca says the new law will not only provide more foot traffic, it will make his establishment more competitive.

“It worked during COVID. People were not outside drinking on the street, which I think was the fear leading into it,” he said. “Industry-wide, alcohol sales are down a bit, they’re down like 20% or so, but I think this is going to help everybody.”

Customers say it’s a win-win.

“I’m horrible at making mixed drinks, so to be able to order it and be able to enjoy it at home is the greatest thing in the world,” Hoboken resident Rachel Avery said.

“In this town especially, Guinness is really a huge deal, and there are only certain places that you know that really pour a good Guinness well,” Hoboken resident Torrey Smith said.

Connecticut made to-go drinks permanent back in 2023. In New York, alcohol to-go is allowed through 2030.

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 (WCCO) — While our summer has been dry, many can’t say the same for their nose or eyes. Ragweed allergies are picking up steam.

“Ragweed is actually a very, very common weed that grows wild throughout the Midwest and Northeast,” said Dr. John Sweet, an allergist with Hennepin Healthcare.

Its leaves have a fern-like appearance with greenish-yellow flowers at the end of its branches. Sweet said just one single ragweed plant can generate a billion grains of pollen that can travel more than 100 miles.

“Even though you may not see ragweed in your yard, it’s in the air. So, there’s almost no avoiding it when you’re outside if you have an allergy,” he said.

Seasonal allergies impact about 20% to 40% of the general population, according to Sweet.

When ragweed pollen gets into an allergic person’s eyes, nose or throat, the body releases chemicals to fight it, creating the following symptoms:

Itchy, watery, red eyes Nasal congestion Runny nose Eczema/hives

“Other people can have sensitivity in their lungs where they start having asthma symptoms. They start having coughing, wheezing, chest tightness,” added Sweet.

The symptoms start appearing in August and peak in September because that’s when ragweed blooms and releases pollen.

Unfortunately, Minnesota’s drought conditions aren’t helping the situation. As grass burns and struggles to grow, weeds thrive along with their pollen.

“And if you combine that with some heavy winds, the pollen counts just will soar in those days,” Sweet said.

Rain would be helpful since it washes pollen away to prevent it from flying in the air. But it also helps ragweed grow, meaning it would release more pollen later in the season.

So how can you best battle ragweed allergies?

It’s starts with prevention. Sweet says you can use a steroid nasal spray and take an antihistamine pill daily, though you should do it before symptoms start.

“(Nasal spray and allergy pill) combined can be much more effective than taking either separately,” he said.

Ragweed pollen also sticks easily to hair and skin. Sweet recommends showering to remove it, especially before getting into bed.

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 Jason Rantala

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    BROOKLYN CENTER, Minnesota (WCCO) — Twin Cities high schoolers looked on Wednesday as an intense SWAT team situation unfolded before their eyes.

However, it’s all staged and part of the FBI’s teen academy in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

The FBI in the Twin Cities says they need to keep its numbers up to keep pace with new threats.

“My friends would ask me, ‘What do you mean you’re going to an FBI academy, like what did you do?'” said Mady Anderson, a Rogers High School 11th grader.

Anderson was one of about two dozen high schoolers who got accepted for the two-day program. Their goal Wednesday was to learn how to collect evidence through skills taught by real-life agents.

“It’s really fun. I think it’s really interesting,” said East Ridge 11th grader Peyton Gehbard. “I wish I could be on a real case, but I’m only 16.”

“One of the reasons is to show them what is real FBI, what do we really do. It’s different from the movies and they get to peek on that,” said Benni Jonsson, assistant special agent in charge for the FBI’s Minneapolis field office.

The purpose of the national program is to give teens a peek behind the curtain, and possibly inspire a future career.

“Maybe someone here today is the new FBI employee, maybe new lead in FBI or law enforcement,” said Johnsson.

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 Noel Brennan

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    ELMHURST, Illinois (WBBM) — While Chicago Bears fans are focused on the present and the future, a museum in Elmhurst is inviting fans to look at the past.

“Bear Down: Football in the Windy City” opens on Friday at the Elmhurst History Museum.

Sarah Cox is a history buff who bleeds navy and orange. As curator of exhibits at the Elmhurst History Museum, she’s been working for two years to tell this story – a story not only about the Bears, but other Chicagoland football teams.

“Like the Chicago Cardinals, the Rockets, the Hornets, even the team that was only around for a year, the Tigers,” she said. “The Elmhurst Travelers, they played here from 1927 all the way until 1968.”

Cox worked with the Bears, private collectors and the Pro Football Hall of Fame to pack the museum with Monsters of the Midway and even a “Galloping Ghost” – Hall of Fame halfback Red Grange, who played for the Bears for seven seasons in the 1920s and 1930s.

“Red Grange is often considered the first superstar,” Cox said. “I think his most famous was scoring four touchdowns in 12 minutes.”

The exhibit at the Elmhurst History Museum includes a pair of Grange’s shoes, one of his footballs, and even a Red Grange doll.

There are several vintage Bears jerseys and at least one mannequin in former Bears coach Mike Ditka’s iconic sweater, cap, sunglasses, and mustache, holding a mug of beer on a table with a miniature Bears helmet and a cheese grater.

“That was made extremely famous by the SNL skit ‘Super Fans,'” Cox said.

The museum is full of football history. Now, it’s up to the Bears to make some more.

The exhibit runs through Jan. 24. It’s free, but donations are welcomed.

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.