Marijuana constitutional amendment on the ballot in Idaho’s upcoming election

KIFI on September 2, 2026

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho’s November vote on a proposed state constitutional amendment on marijuana was front and center Tuesday at a Greater Idaho Falls Chamber forum.

“This measure’s a landmark moment in Idaho’s history because it would recenter authority in the Legislature exclusively – authority to regulate marijuana and narcotics and psychoactive substances,” said Alturas Institute President David Adler. “It represents an effort to deprive Idaho voters of their right to bring a citizen initiative.”

But supporters argue the amendment is needed to protect Idahoans from addiction and health risks of marijuana.

“Mounting scientific evidence points to severe health risks, including addiction, violent psychosis, and developmental issues in children. Meanwhile, neighboring states that have embraced legalization are now struggling with rising crime, homelessness, and drug-related fatalities,” said the Idaho Senate Republicans Caucus in a statement. “Idaho, however, continues to stand firm against these influences.”

House Joint Resolution Four was passed by the Idaho Legislature in March 2025, placing the amendment on the ballot. It was supported by eastern Idaho legislators Reps. Kevin Andrus, Barbara Ehardt, Marco Erickson, Ben Fuhriman, Wendy Horman, Dustin Manwaring, Stephanie Mickelsen, Britt Raybould, Jon Weber, Joshua Wheeler and Senators Kevin Cook, Mark Harris, Dave Lent, Doug Ricks and Julie VanOrden. It was opposed by eastern Idaho legislator Sen. James Ruchti.

It would give the Idaho Legislature sole “power and authority to legalize the growing, producing, manufacturing, transporting, selling, delivering, dispensing, administering, prescribing, distributing, possessing, or using of marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances” in the state.

The November ballot states that “a YES vote would support this constitutional amendment to:

“provide that only the Idaho State Legislature shall have the authority to legalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances; and

“remove the ability for citizens to initiate state statutes that would legalize these substances.”

“A NO vote opposes this constitutional amendment, thereby retaining the ability for citizens to initiate state statutes that would legalize or decriminalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances.”

The amendment’s sponsor Senator C. Scott Grow, (R)-Eagle said the proposed amendment pushes back against the deep-pocketed marijuana industry and out-of-state money.

“The reason that people push [legalization] – the marijuana lobby, whomever – is because there’s money to be made, particularly when people become addicted,” Grow said in an interview with Local News 8. “They can make it look chic, make it look wonderful, say it solves all ills. But the end game is money to be made by people that are purveyors of drugs, including marijuana.”

Adler painted the issue in a completely different light.

“If in fact, the real motive behind this measure is to preempt medical marijuana, as well as recreational marijuana, then it has the very unfortunate result of tying the hands of the future – if in fact, scientists and medical researchers determine how valuable [a] medicine medical marijuana may be,” Adler said.

The two sides disagree on whether the power to regulate psychoactive substances, like marijuana, belongs to the Legislature or the people.

Reclaim Idaho Founder Luke Mayville said the amendment’s precedent could be used to restrict other ballot initiatives in the future.

“Most people believe that same basic argument that Teddy Roosevelt made back in 1912, that we need an initiative process to give the people a voice when their legislature is out of touch with them on a specific issue that the public is concerned about,” Mayville said.

Grow argued that the Legislature has a constitutional responsibility to regulate illicit substances in the state.

“Here’s what the [Idaho] Constitution says, Article III, Section 24 declares, ‘The first concern of all good government is the virtue and sobriety of the people and the purity of the home. The Legislature should further all wise and well-directed efforts for the promotion of temperance and morality.’ That’s what we’re doing.”

The amendment requires a simple majority to pass.

Voters will make the ultimate decision at the ballot box on November 3.

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Desert Hot Springs City Council approves police force expansion

KESQ on September 2, 2026

Jesus Reyes

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Desert Hot Springs is moving forward with a major expansion of its police force for the first time in roughly two decades.

On Tuesday, the city council unanimously approved a resolution to increase the Desert Hot Springs Police Department’s authorized staffing level from 33 sworn officers to 45 over the next five years.

The plan also creates a hiring trigger that would allow the department to add even more officers once that 45-officer benchmark is reached.

“Finally getting to a point where we can implement that and add the officers needed to make sure that not just our citizens are safe, but our police force is safe. You’ve got to have the force to be able to not be overworked. To be able to handle the calls for duty and to be able to serve the public in a customer service base,” said Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas.

The vote comes as city leaders continue investing in public safety infrastructure.

Last year, officials broke ground on a new police annex on Pearson Boulevard next to the existing station. The annex will provide new locker rooms, office space for detectives, and work areas for specialized police units, a project now nearing completion.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council said the staffing increase and new facilities will help meet the city’s growing public safety needs and improve services as the city continues to grow

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I-Team: Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills reflects on 49-year career as he prepares to retire

KESQ on September 2, 2026

Peter Daut

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – After nearly half a century in law enforcement, Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills is preparing to hang up his badge.

Mills will officially retire Saturday, bringing to a close a 49-year career in policing, including nearly five years leading the Palm Springs Police Department.

Check Out: Kyle Stjerne selected as next Palm Springs Police Chief

During his time as chief, Mills guided the department through several high-profile crises, pushed for changes within its culture, and became a familiar presence at community events across Palm Springs.

News Channel 3’s Peter Daut sat down with Mills for an in-depth conversation about his career, the challenges that defined his time in Palm Springs and why he believes now is the right time to step away.

One of the final projects Mills has watched take shape is the department’s new Real Time Intelligence Center, where law enforcement agencies from across the Coachella Valley can gather and analyze real-time information from drones, license plate readers, 911 calls and other sources.

For Mills, the center offers a glimpse of where policing is headed, even as his own career comes to an end.

“It just makes us so much more effective and safer,” Mills said while touring the center with Daut.

But Mills won’t be there to lead what comes next.

Asked whether he will miss Palm Springs, Mills didn’t hesitate.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “I’m going to miss the people here. I’m going to miss working in this community. I’m going to miss all the events that we go to. I’m going to miss the nightlife, the restaurants.”

Then he laughed.

“I’ll probably lose weight after I leave.”

‘It was just time’

Mills said his decision to retire wasn’t prompted by a single event. After nearly five decades in law enforcement, he simply felt the time had come — both for himself and for the department.

“After 49 years of policing, I figured that’s long enough,” Mills said. “But more importantly, legacy is about inspiring those to take the next step. And the people inside the department are ready to go.”

When Mills arrived in Palm Springs in 2021, he said he inherited a department with a culture that needed to change.

“One of the biggest complaints I heard was, ‘Your officers are doing nothing. They’ll come to our house, they won’t make contact with us, they’ll say there’s nothing we can do about that, they’re not taking reports,’” Mills recalled. “And I think it was true.”

Changing that culture became one of his central missions as chief.

Mills said those complaints eventually subsided, in large part because people within the department recognized that change was necessary.

“It’s been years since I’ve heard those complaints,” Mills said. “Mostly because people inside the organization agreed and said, ‘It’s time for us to change the culture of this organization.’”

“And now the mission continues,” he added. “I just won’t be here for it.”

Leading Palm Springs through moments of crisis

Mills’ tenure was also defined by moments that tested both the police department and the community it serves.

In May 2025, a bomb exploded outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, killing the suspected bomber, injuring others and shattering windows for blocks.

Mills said his role that day wasn’t simply to help lead the law enforcement response. He also believed he had a responsibility to reassure a shaken community.

“That was certainly a stressful day from the standpoint that you’re trying to make sure this community is protected, that we recover correctly,” Mills said. “People want hope.”

“If I can stand up and talk all day about what a terrible attack this was, that’s not what people want to hear,” he continued. “They want to know they’re going to be safe.”

Months earlier, the department faced a very different kind of crisis when a Palm Springs police officer lost control of his motorcycle during the city’s Festival of Lights Parade, crashing into the crowd and injuring spectators.

Mills acknowledged the incident damaged the department’s reputation.

“It was embarrassing,” he said. “That was something that could have been prevented, but we learned some lessons from that.”

Mills said the department’s response afterward was critical to rebuilding trust.

“Going to the community afterward and saying that we’re sorry, that that was a terrible event that could have been prevented, and that we’re going to move forward and make sure we’re doing a thorough and complete investigation and report back to the community — which we did — I think that made a huge difference,” he said.

Balancing technology and privacy

Public trust has also been at the center of debate surrounding Palm Springs’ use of Flock cameras, which capture vehicle and license plate information.

Mills is a strong supporter of the technology, but he said its use must come with strict safeguards.

“We’re not tracking people all over town,” Mills said. “We’re tracking a point in time at a location, and yes, vehicles go through that. And we only look at those vehicles when there’s a crime that takes place.”

For Mills, the larger question isn’t simply what the technology is capable of doing, but how the city can ensure it isn’t abused.

“The issue becomes, how do you govern it?” Mills said.

He said the city is moving toward establishing a community oversight board whose members would review how the technology is being used.

Mills also said he has been researching a potential law that would impose consequences on anyone who misuses the data, including members of law enforcement.

“I’m also in the process of doing research and asking council for a law that says if anybody misuses the data, misuses the cameras, including our own people, that they’re guilty of a misdemeanor,” he said.

Mills credits his wife with helping Palm Springs embrace him

For all the technology, policies and crises that defined Mills’ tenure, he believes something much simpler helped him connect with the Palm Springs community: his wife, Cathy.

Asked whether Cathy was his “secret sauce,” Mills laughed and agreed.

“I can’t count how many events we went to where I think I’m going to be the popular guy — I’ve got the uniform on — and they’re like, ‘Excuse me,’ and get to Cathy,” Mills said. “But I love that.”

Mills said he and Cathy developed a connection with Palm Springs that extended well beyond his position as police chief.

Asked why he believed the community embraced him so strongly, Mills again pointed to his wife.

“I’m not 100 percent sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion some of it’s Cathy,” he said.

Mills also believes residents came to recognize that the couple genuinely considered themselves part of the community.

“When they could see we were serious about protecting this community and being a part of this community, I think that really helped gel and codify the relationship,” he said.

‘When I’m done, I’m done’

Mills and his wife are now preparing to leave Palm Springs and move to Sacramento to be closer to his mother.

And once he hangs up the badge, Mills said he doesn’t intend to become a backseat police chief.

“I don’t want to be in a position where people come to me saying, ‘Do you know what the police department did? Do you know what the new chief did?’” Mills said. “I’m not going to second-guess. When I’m done, I’m done. I’m out of the mix.”

Asked whether that means he wants a clean break, Mills replied simply: “I want a clean break, so that’s why it seems right.”

But it won’t be a complete break from Palm Springs.

“Of course,” Mills said when asked whether he would return to visit. “We love this place. We love the people here, so there’ll be times we come back for special events or to see friends and family.”

As for the person who takes over the department, Mills has one overriding hope: that the work continues.

“Continue the mission and improve the mission,” Mills said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the people currently in place inside the organization not only take the mission that we already started, but make it better.”

Mills said he is confident in the department’s future and in whoever is selected to lead it.

“I’m very confident that whatever the city manager chooses to do with the next chief, that it will be spectacular,” Mills said. “And they will continue to support this community and love this community, and the community will love them right back.”

Daut pointed out that whoever succeeds Mills will have big shoes to fill.

Mills had one final correction.

“Size 12s,” he joked.

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2026 Prep Football Team Previews: Southwest Eagles

KYMA on September 2, 2026

Connor Emery

El Centro, Calif. (KYMA) – “The early bird gets the worm.” That is what the Southwest Eagles are living by as they continue to reshape their football program.

While most high schools kids are sleeping this early, the Eagles are beating the heat and their recent struggles.

Coach Bo Seibel continues to reshape the program and has higher expectations for his team this season.

“We want to win games. That’s not been a thing here for a little bit. But we saw it week one. One thing our team is always going to bring is we got heart. You know we’re not always going to be the biggest team we’re not going to be the strongest team, but I promise you’re going to have the most heart and can win a lot of games with heart and discipline,” Seibel said.

Southwest won their season opener for the first time since 2017 but that’s just the beginning says senior Adrian Jauregui.

“Everyone wants to win right so I feel like that’s what we want to do especially coming off that two and eight season we’re hungry for some wins. We’re trying to win the league this year so I feel like we could do this with the team we have we’re capable of doing that,” Jauregui said.

This is year two under coach Seibel, and he is bringing more discipline and energy to the squad.

“We got the guys rolling right after last season. So we started off the season weight training in November. In the beginning we had to fight some numbers after a couple weeks. We had up to about 50 guys in there so we’ve been training, we’ve been working since last November and then we’re a 365 year program,” Seibel said.

“So we give them a couple weeks off here and there but we went all the way through until spring ball and then spring ball to summer and then summer to here so the guys have been putting in work they’ve been showing up.”

Early morning practices can be good wake up calls for the players.

For senior wide receiver Leonardo Valenzuela, he’s making every moment count.

“It’s been going great. You know we’ve been practicing putting in a lot of work. For preparations, I’ve been taking every single rep and practice seriously and I focus on the little things,” Valenzuela said.

A new season can also bring lots of challenges. Jauregui says though coach Seibel is a lot more tough on the field, it has made him want to be a better person off the field. 

“It got a lot harder. He got more on us because he believes us, he loves us. That’s his way of showing love to push to our limits to become winners in not just a football game, but in life.”

Southwest starts the season 1-1 but they look ahead of their week three matchup against Central in the El Centro City Championship on Friday.

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ADP Jobs Data, Fed Beige Book, U.S.-Iran Tensions

CNN Newsource on September 2, 2026

By Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent

Click here for updates on this story

    Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: Wall Street opened September lower Tuesday as renewed U.S.-Iran fighting pushed oil prices higher and a global bond selloff lifted Treasury yields.

The Dow fell 0.8%, the S&P 500 declined 0.7% and the Nasdaq dropped 1.0%. U.S. forces carried out another round of strikes against Iranian targets Tuesday, while Iran responded with missile and drone attacks in the region.

U.S. crude jumped 5.2% to settle above $90 a barrel, while Brent rose 4.6%. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to about 4.79% as higher energy prices added to inflation and interest-rate concerns.

Job openings rose slightly to 7.27 million in July, while hiring fell to about 5.05 million. The ISM Manufacturing PMI eased to 54.6 from 55.6, while manufacturers continued to report rising costs for materials and supplies.

Today’s Focus: Labor-market data and the Fed’s Beige Book are on tap for Wednesday. ADP releases its August private-sector employment report at 8:15 a.m. ET. At 2 p.m., the Fed releases its Beige Book, giving a fresh look at prices, wages, hiring, consumer spending and economic activity across its 12 districts.

The Beige Book comes less than two weeks before the Fed’s Sept. 15-16 meeting and after Chair Kevin Warsh signaled that the central bank has more work to do if inflation does not show sufficient progress toward its 2% goal.

ON THE SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2026

-8:15 a.m. ET – August ADP private-sector employment report

-2 p.m. ET – Federal Reserve Beige Book

-Earnings – Broadcom, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Snowflake

-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. ET – Weekly jobless claims, revised Q2 productivity and unit labor costs

-Thursday, 10 a.m. ET – August ISM Services PMI

-Thursday earnings – Ciena, Lululemon and DocuSign

-Friday, 8:30 a.m. ET – August employment report

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.

Exclusive LA28 Olympic roadway network coming to Southern California

CNN Newsource on September 2, 2026

By Laurie Perez

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KCAL, KCBS) — The California Department of Transportation is crafting a permit-only network of freeway lanes and streets for athletes, coaches and officials during the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

While Caltrans is still ironing out the details, the “Games Route Network” will allow official LA28 vehicles to use freeway carpool lanes and some local streets exclusively.

“That was part of the bid package,” said Juan Matute, a researcher for UCLA Transportation. “In order to get the Olympic Games, Los Angeles and other cities have to offer an exclusive network.”

The network will consist of 369 miles of roadways, 236 on freeways and 134 on local streets, all of which lead from the Olympic Village to the competition sites scattered around LA County, according to a map published by the Southern California Association of Governments.

It includes major roads including Sunset Boulevard near UCLA, where the Olympic athletes will be staying for multiple weeks during the games. MoveLA community advocate Eli Lipman said the network would help create consistency for athletes on a strict Olympic schedule.

“If they’re late, or if they’re not getting the nutrients that they need to perform at the highest level, that’s the difference between winning gold and maybe not even qualifying,” he said.

Experts said the permit-only roadways are meant to keep Olympic traffic away from regular cars and could work, especially if most fans take Metro buses and shuttles, which will also get their own dedicated lanes.

“Having a network that kind of operates like the Games Route Network is going to be, I think, the antidote for the gridlock,” Matute said.

Blue “LA28” labels on freeway and street signs will designate the permit-only lanes and exits to Olympic venues. Experts are hopeful that the plan may not be needed at all after seeing a dip in traffic during the 2026 World Cup.

“The transit worked. Everything worked,” said Joshua Schank, a transportation expert with InfraStrategies. “I think that gave a boost to the idea that maybe transit could play a bigger role in the future of Los Angeles.”

Drivers without a permit caught in the exclusive lanes could face fines of nearly $300.

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Woman involved in Denver hit-and-run incident believes driver who struck her vehicle was Barry Morphew

CNN Newsource on September 2, 2026

By Tori Mason

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    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — A woman involved in a hit-and-run incident in Denver last week believes the driver who struck her vehicle was Barry Morphew, the Colorado man currently charged with murdering his wife Suzanne Morphew.

Denver police have not confirmed the identity of the driver but a source close to the Morphew family who reviewed the Denver video told CBS Colorado he is certain the man depicted is Barry Morphew. Also, video of the encounter reviewed by CBS Colorado contains another potential connection to Morphew — an Indiana license plate that also appears in court records from his murder case.

Video shows driver leaving the area after refusing to provide ID The incident happened on Aug. 26 around 7:30 p.m. near East 8th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.

Christina, the woman whose car was struck, said she and a friend were sitting in her vehicle outside CVS when she noticed a black Ford pickup closely following another vehicle and repeatedly honking. CBS Colorado is not including her last name in this report for safety reasons.

She pulled out her phone to record what was happening.

That’s when she said the pickup backed into her car.

Her video shows her repeatedly asking the driver for identification and insurance information. She said he refused to provide either.

“He didn’t tell me his name, didn’t give any insurance at all,” she said. “He was just trying to give me $300 cash.”

In the video, she can be heard telling the driver she does not feel comfortable accepting money and again asking for his insurance information. When she asks whether he has insurance, the man responds, “No, I don’t.”

The video also shows the man attempting to buff scratches from Christina’s vehicle while she continues trying to obtain his information.

“He ran away once we told him we were calling the cops,” she said.

Video shows the pickup quickly leaving the area and driving over a curb as it departs.

Christina remained at the scene and filed a police report when officers arrived.

Denver police told CBS Colorado Tuesday that the department could not confirm any suspect information.

Driver said she didn’t recognize the man during the encounter Christina said she did not recognize the man during the encounter. That changed the following day.

“I sent the video to my mom the next day, we were on the phone, and she recognized him immediately,” she said.

Her mother believed the man resembled Barry Morphew. Christina said she then searched for information about Morphew and looked at his publicly available booking photo.

“I almost, I almost passed out because that’s literally him,” Christina said.

Pickup displayed same license plate found in court records CBS Colorado found another potential connection while reviewing the video.

The black Ford pickup involved in the Denver incident displays Indiana license plate F397FR.

That exact plate number appears in court records in Morphew’s pending murder case.

In a prosecution filing opposing a request to reduce Morphew’s bond, prosecutors said investigators used license plate reader technology and determined Morphew had traveled in two different vehicles using Indiana plate F397FR between 2023 and 2025. Prosecutors said the vehicles traveled through several states.

CBS Colorado also reviewed surveillance video collected during the investigation into Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance that shows Barry Morphew exiting a dark-colored pickup similar in appearance to the truck seen in Christina’s video.

Murder suspect has restrictions on his movement Morphew is currently charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Suzanne, who disappeared in Chaffee County in 2020 and whose remains were found more than three years later. He has pleaded not guilty.

Morphew is currently free on a $3 million bond with restrictions on his movement.

According to his bond conditions, Morphew is GPS monitored and cannot leave his home except for a medical emergency, doctor’s appointment, legal matter or work. He surrendered his passport and is prohibited from leaving Colorado. His bond conditions also state he may drive only vehicles registered in his name.

The bond document warns that if Morphew fails to comply with his conditions, the court can revoke his release, increase his bail or modify his bond conditions.

CBS Colorado sent Morphew’s attorney an image from Christina’s video and requested comment and confirmation of whether the man depicted is his client. The attorney responded that he was working to obtain more information.

CBS Colorado also contacted the district attorney’s office prosecuting Morphew’s murder case. The office had not responded as of Tuesday evening.

“He hit two cars and drove off” Christina said learning who she believes she encountered made her more fearful, but she said she was concerned about the driver’s behavior before she had ever heard Morphew’s name.

During the incident, Christina said she was frightened by what she described as the driver’s aggressive behavior toward the other driver and his refusal to provide information after hitting her vehicle.

“Before I even knew who he was, I was like, I just want this man off the road because he is obviously very aggressive and cannot contain his anger,” Christina said. “He hit two cars and drove off.”

Denver police said their investigation remains ongoing.

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.

50-year-old man rescued after trench collapse in Oxford Township

CNN Newsource on September 2, 2026

By DeJanay Booth-Singleton

Click here for updates on this story

    OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WWJ) — A 50-year-old worker was rescued nearly five hours after a trench collapse on Tuesday in Oxford Township.

Fire Chief Matt Majestic said that at about 3:45 p.m., first responders were called to the Brabb-Dewey subdivision, where a new sewer system was being installed. Majestic says the worker from the Swartz Creek area was walking alongside a trench when it “gave way,” causing him to fall in.

Majestic says the man fell next to a trench box, which he believes likely saved his life. The worker was trapped from the waist down, but was still able to communicate with authorities, Majestic said.

“He was in pretty good spirits, all things considered,” Majestic said of the worker during the rescue. “Upon my arrival, I was the safety officer and was on the east side of the trench with him and maintaining verbal contact with him, talking to him the whole time, and he was doing really well.”

“He could tell he was in a standing position. He could tell that he could move his toes inside his boots and everything was feeling good,” Majestic added.

Majestic says crews were able to get the man out of the trench at about 8:05 p.m. He says the man, who insisted on climbing up the ladder from the trench, was being airlifted to a hospital for evaluation.

No other injuries were reported, according to authorities.

“Our biggest concern is that because he was in soil for so long from the waist down, that we have concern of compression,” Majestic said.

Majestic says they initiated the Oakland County tech rescue team, resulting in a mutual-aid response from surrounding agencies. He says they installed panels around the man to prevent further soil from falling in and used a vactor truck to collect the soil.

Majestic says they reported the incident to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“Luckily, he’s out and alive,” he said.

Majestic says this is the third trench collapse in Oakland County in recent months.

On June 30, a 35-year-old Ira Township man was among the workers installing field tile for a septic system on Barber Road. The sheriff’s office says that when the man entered the trench, it collapsed, burying him in the soil. Twenty-four hours later, a 25-year-old Clarkston man became trapped after a trench collapsed at a subdivision that was under construction in Orion Township.

Both men were expected to survive.

During that time, another trench collapse occurred in Livingston County, where a 23-year-old man died from his injuries.

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Minnesota shipping company worker’s quick thinking saves woman from $30K scam

CNN Newsource on September 2, 2026

By Web Staff

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    NORTHFIELD, Minnesota (WCCO) — A shipping company employee’s gut instinct saved a Minnesota woman from being scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars.

A woman tried mailing a package through Graphic Mailbox in Northfield last week when a staff member noticed something strange.

“She did seem kind of frantic, like, almost immediately,” Alice Castro, an employee at Graphic Mailbox, said. “She had very specific answers to every question that I asked her, almost as if she had been rehearsing it a little bit.”

The woman was also willing to pay $500 for an overnight shipment to Texas. She claimed her box was filled with cookbooks.

After Castro’s manager and the police got involved, they discovered the box was actually filled with $30,000 in cash. The woman was sending that money to strangers.

“They told her her accounts were hacked or something,” Terri Sim, manager at Graphic Mailbox, said. “She said, ‘You know I’ve never fallen for this type of thing before, but this time, I don’t know what it was; they were very convincing.’ I walked around the counter and gave her a hug and said, ‘It’s all going to be OK.'”

Since the package never went anywhere, the woman got all of her money back, including the $500 shipping fee.

Police say being asked to withdraw or ship large amounts of cash is one of the red flags they want people to watch out for; others include being asked for payment via gift cards and being told not to tell anyone about the payment. Police say you should talk to someone you trust before sending any money.

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.

Minnesota teen honored after helping stop alleged Pennsylvania school shooting plot

CNN Newsource on September 2, 2026

By Jason Rantala

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    DILWORTH, Minnesota (WCCO) — A Minnesota teenager is being recognized for helping stop an alleged school shooting plot in Pennsylvania.

“The first thing she says to me is that she wants to shoot up her school, and I’m like, ‘What?'” said Isabel Mansfield.

That’s the shocking message Isabel Mansfield received on the online messaging platform Discord over the spring. The Dilworth, Minnesota, teen took a screenshot.

That’s when Isabel’s dad, Preston Mansfield, alerted authorities more than 1,100 miles away in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania. Isabel Mansfield had gathered critical details, in particular, the high school being targeted.

“When Isabel first initially told me, it was, ‘OK, sure,'” Preston Mansfield said. “And then it got a little bit more serious.”

Police in Pennsylvania executed a search warrant at the home of a 15-year-old girl, finding concerning items and gear, including a replica handgun. Authorities believe the Pennsylvania teen intended to carry out her plan at her school, allegedly looking to recruit others to help her.

“She had indicated that she wanted to shoot up our school Columbine style,” said Colleen Naylor, a Rostraver Township police officer and school resource officer. “She had mental health issues, so I’m not sure what she was planning on doing with that, but we take that threat very seriously.”

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension held a special salute for Isabel and Preston Mansfield.

“I’m beyond proud,” Preston Mansfield said. “I couldn’t be any more of a prouder father than I am right now.”

“Even if it could be a joke, take it seriously,” Isabel Mansfield said. “Because even if it is a joke, you report it and they’ll be able to tell if it’s a joke.”

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.