Month: September 2026

By Darius Johnson, Sabrina Franza, Elyssa Kaufman

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    FRANKFORT, Illinois (WBBM) — Police in Frankfort, Illinois, have launched a homicide investigation after a 2-year-old child died and their mother was hospitalized after trying to self-harm.

Frankfort police said officers were called to a home in the 22700 block of Brook Stone Court around 4 p.m. Tuesday after a 17-year-old girl called 911 for help.

When they arrived, officers found a 2-year-old being given CPR by the teenager. The toddler was taken to a local hospital where they were later pronounced dead.

As officers searched the home, police said they found the child’s mother attempting to harm herself. She was also taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Neighbors were deeply shaken as police surrounded the home in crime scene tape and began an investigation that lasted nearly a full 24 hours.

“It’s very quiet in Frankfort,” said neighbor Melvin Woods, Jr. “I mean, you rarely hear about anything of this sort, so it’s a bit much.”

The relationship between the teen who found the toddler unresponsive and the family is not immediately clear; neighbors said four young children lived in the home. “This is just absolutely heartbreaking to understand,” said neighbor Carolyn Pappas. “What happened a couple blocks away, and that it’s impacting our community.”

The exact circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death were not immediately known. The Will County Coroner’s Office said they performed an autopsy Wednesday and the child’s death was the result of an apparent homicide, though final manner and cause of death are pending autopsy, toxicology and police reports. Frankfort police said they believe it was a domestic-related homicide and they are investigating it as such.

The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services told CBS News Chicago they have not had prior contact with the family until Tuesday. The agency said they are now involved in the investigation.

No one has yet been charged with a crime. The identity of the child and the mother have not yet been released. “It’s gut-wrenching. To understand that a little 2-year-old could be the victim of such a horrific event just makes us very sad,” Pappas said. “It just makes us very sad and devastated for the family, and devastated for those children.”

The homicide investigation by Frankfort Police is ongoing with assistance from the Will Grundy Major Crimes task force.

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 Steven Yablonski

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    MONROE COUNTY, Florida (WFOR) — A Florida man is facing charges after deputies say he was found naked in a private swimming pool in the Florida Keys on Tuesday and then bit one of them after he was taken to a local hospital, authorities say.

Rochan Rock Jean, 24, of Tavernier, faces charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and criminal mischief, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they were called to a neighborhood on 52nd Street in Marathon around 12:45 p.m. regarding a naked man walking around in public, and they were able to eventually find Jean trespassing naked in a swimming pool on private property.

Jean was combative during the encounter and deputies said they used a Taser to take him into custody. He was transported to Fishermen’s Hospital, where he bit a deputy on the arm.

That deputy, who wasn’t identified, required medical attention at the hospital.

This incident was the second time deputies dealt with Jean that day.

Earlier Tuesday, the sheriff’s office was called to a Marathon business after Jean, who was clothed at the time, was reported acting strangely. The business asked that he be trespassed from the property.

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 Dan Raby

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Four more law enforcement officers across Georgia have been arrested in connection with the misuse of their agencies’ Flock license plate readers, authorities say.

The arrests span across the central and northern part of the state and involve three deputies and a Georgia Department of Corrections special agent in charge.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 40-year-old Clayton County Deputy Errol Farrell Jr. and 45-year-old GDC Special Agent in Charge Robert “Bobby” Michael Keim are both charged with misuse of a license plate reader system.

Investigators say both men are accused of using their agencies’ camera systems for non-law enforcement purposes and were arrested on Tuesday. Farrell was booked into the Clayton County Jail. Keim was booked into the Putnam County Jail.

Richmond County deputies accused of Flock misuse The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday that it arrested Inv. Sean Morrow and Deputy Jose Ferrer after an investigation into the alleged misuse of its systems. Both Morrow and Ferrer are accused of using the system for personal reasons.

Morrow and Ferrer were charged with misuse of license plate readers and violation of their oath of office and were booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

“The investigation further determined that both deputies’ actions violated multiple Richmond County Sheriff’s Office policies, including the unauthorized access and misuse of law enforcement databases and information systems, conduct unbecoming a member of the Sheriff’s Office, and the ethical obligations associated with the Oath of Office,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Sheriff Eugene Brantley remains committed to ensuring the integrity and accountability of every member of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. Allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated, and employees found to have violated the law or agency policy will be held accountable.”

Both deputies have since been fired from the agency.

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 Burt Levine

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    September 2, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON, TEXAS — In a democracy, Election Day should be less obstacle course and more open door. Yet in fast-growing Tarrant County, Texas, voters are heading toward one of the most consequential midterm elections in years with 92 fewer Election Day polling locations than they had in 2022.

First reported by Cecilia Lenzen of the Fort Worth Report and published by The Texas Tribune, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 on September 1 to approve 224 Election Day vote centers and 47 early-voting locations. In 2022, the county operated 316 Election Day sites and 50 early-voting locations.

The vote split along party lines. Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare and Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez supported the plan, while Democratic Commissioners Alisa Simmons and Roderick Miles Jr. opposed it.

Republicans and county election officials argue the consolidation is about efficiency, staffing, accessibility requirements and eliminating locations historically used by relatively few voters. Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig said he is confident the plan gives voters sufficient opportunity to cast ballots. The revised proposal is also significantly larger than an earlier plan containing only 176 Election Day locations and 42 early-voting sites.

That deserves acknowledgment.

But improvement over a more restrictive proposal does not automatically answer the bigger question: Why should a growing county offer substantially fewer places to vote than it did four years ago?

Tarrant County has more than 1.3 million registered voters and has evolved from a dependable Republican stronghold into one of Texas’ most closely watched political battlegrounds. In that environment, decisions affecting ballot access deserve extraordinary transparency — regardless of which party controls the courthouse.

More than 100 residents addressed commissioners before Tuesday’s vote, with most opposing the reductions, while representatives from roughly 30 civic organizations rallied outside.

Some concerns are especially difficult to dismiss.

Critics pointed to the elimination of the Maverick Activity Center at the University of Texas at Arlington, arguing that removing a campus voting location makes participation harder for students. Residents also raised concerns about communities such as ZIP code 76104, where the approved configuration leaves no polling site.

Commissioner Simmons called the decision political. Commissioner Miles went further, displaying a framed poll-tax receipt belonging to his wife’s great-grandmother and arguing that additional travel, transportation and time burdens can function like modern barriers to voting.

O’Hare rejects that interpretation, calling the revised arrangement a “sensible plan” designed to provide voters adequate opportunity while allowing election administrators to deploy resources more efficiently.

And there is one important safeguard: Tarrant County operates countywide Vote Centers, meaning registered voters can cast an Election Day ballot at any county Vote Center rather than being restricted to one neighborhood precinct.

Still, democracy should aspire to something greater than technically sufficient access.

The goal should be maximum reasonable participation.

Fort Worth’s City Council unanimously urged county officials in August to reconsider polling-place reductions and ensure locations were distributed fairly throughout the county. That was not radical politics. It was common-sense democracy.

Now the responsibility shifts to voters.

Texas’ voter-registration deadline is October 5. Early voting runs October 19-30, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Texas Secretary of State confirms those dates and provides registration status, polling-place and voter-information tools through VoteTexas.gov.

Fewer polling locations should never mean fewer voices.

Tarrant County voters now have an opportunity to demonstrate something politicians of every party should remember: democracy works best when citizens refuse to surrender their seat at the table — or their place in the voting line.

Original reporting: Read The Texas Tribune/Fort Worth Report Official voter information: VoteTexas.gov

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733

By Francis Page Jr.

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    September 2, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON, Texas — Houston is preparing to welcome a new diplomatic voice just in time for one of the Jewish calendar’s most meaningful seasons.

Consul General Adi Farjon Israel, the newly appointed Consul General of Israel to the Southwest United States, will make one of her first major public-facing appearances in Houston at a private Rosh Hashanah reception bringing together civic, cultural, community and business leaders.

For a city where international relationships are woven into everything from energy and medicine to technology, education and culture, the gathering promises to be more than a holiday welcome. It is also an introduction to the diplomat who will help shape Israel’s relationships throughout a strategically important five-state region.

Farjon Israel arrived in Houston in August 2026 to lead the Houston-based diplomatic mission responsible for Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico. The Consulate General promotes diplomatic relations, provides consular services and engages communities throughout the Southwest.

And Houston is getting a diplomat with a passport full of experience.

Before coming to Texas, Farjon Israel served as Director of the Central Europe Department within Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2020 through 2024, she served in Geneva as Israel’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations. Her career has also included responsibility for Israel-Canada relations, diplomatic service in the Dominican Republic and four years as spokesperson for Israel’s embassy in Berlin.

That résumé suggests her Houston chapter will center on something this city understands particularly well: relationships.

In an August message introducing herself to the region, Farjon Israel described diplomacy as a bridge where communities, cultures and ideas can meet, while emphasizing meaningful dialogue, innovation and deeper community engagement throughout the Southwest.

Those priorities should find plenty of runway in Greater Houston.

The upcoming reception also carries special symbolism. Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown Friday, September 11, 2026, and concludes at nightfall Sunday, September 13. The Jewish New Year traditionally emphasizes reflection, renewal and hope for a sweet year ahead — making it an especially fitting backdrop for the beginning of Farjon Israel’s Houston tenure.

Think of it as Houston hospitality with apples, honey and a little international statecraft.

The invitation-only gathering will provide Farjon Israel an opportunity to meet leaders representing Houston’s remarkably diverse civic landscape while opening conversations about longstanding friendships and future cooperation.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, the occasion also highlights one of Houston’s greatest strengths: our ability to bring the world into the same room.

Diplomacy at its best is not merely government speaking to government. It is people talking with people — sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, but continuing the conversation.

As Consul General Adi Farjon Israel begins this new chapter, Houston has another opportunity to demonstrate precisely that spirit.

Welcome to Houston, Consul General Farjon Israel — and Shanah Tovah. Event Details: Private Rosh Hashanah Reception Welcoming Consul General Adi Farjon Israel Location: Disclosed upon confirmed RSVP • Attendance: Invitation only Media Access: Advance RSVP and confirmation required; walk-up media will not be accommodated Consulate Press Office: press@houston.mfa.gov.il • Social Media: @IsraelInHouston Official Consul General Profile: Consul General Adi Farjon Israel — Official Biography Consulate Website: Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
3465287733