Month: September 2026

By Carmela Karcher

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    TUOLUMNE COUNTY, California (KOVR) — Tuolumne County residents are pushing county leaders to reopen a fire station that has been closed for nearly three months, arguing the service is essential for protecting a fire-prone community.

The debate resurfaced Tuesday as the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $356 million budget for the current fiscal year.

But a proposal to restore funding for Mono Vista Fire Station 56 failed for the third time, with three supervisors voting against it.

“They spoke, they pleaded, they demanded action, and yet their concerns were not heard,” one resident said during the meeting.

Residents call for Station 56 to reopen Station 56 was closed in July as the county grappled with the cost of maintaining five full-time fire engines.

The closure has remained a contentious issue among residents, some of whom say the station’s absence leaves the community more vulnerable during emergencies.

“I was really surprised with what happened with Station 56,” another resident said. “I was here at that meeting. I think everybody was a little shocked, and it’s still a topic of discussion about how that vote happened.”

Ryan Campbell, the District 2 supervisor whose district includes the station, has repeatedly opposed its closure. He said Tuesday that he believes the county has the money to restore the station’s funding.

“They sold the public on the idea that the county didn’t have enough money to operate all five fire engines,” Campbell said, referring to the supervisors who voted against restoring the station. “Now they are promoting this idea that we have a surplus of money. The point I’m trying to make is that if we have a surplus of money based on the closure of this fire station, we should put that money back where it belongs.”

Campbell was among the supervisors who voted against previous efforts to close the station and said he plans to continue working to restore its funding.

“I absolutely think that there are ways to continue funding five full-time fire engines in Tuolumne County,” Campbell said. “I don’t really think we have a choice because if we don’t have adequate fire protection, we could lose everything we have in this community.”

For this fire-prone community, this is a necessity, not a luxury.

“These are not optional services,” one resident shared. “These are investments in the safety and survival of our communities.”

In 2024, there was an effort to increase funding. This was a sales-tax ballot measure that would’ve generated additional revenue for fire and other services. It did not pass.

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 Nina Burns

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    STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — A months-long crackdown targeting alleged gang violence and drug activity in Stockton has resulted in 10 arrests and about 75 firearms being taken off the streets, officials announced on Wednesday.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Sparkplug, also comes as Stockton police investigate a number of violent crimes in the city. Police Chief Stanley McFadden said investigators believe there may be connections between the operation and some recent homicides, though those links remain under investigation.

“We do believe there are some connections based on the operation that was conducted,” McFadden said. “Again, it’s ongoing investigations, and we’ll have updates accordingly.”

10 arrested, 4 federally charged Operation Sparkplug involved local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and focused on members of the VMS criminal street gang, officials said.

Investigators accused those targeted in the operation of selling illegal firearms and drugs, as well as being involved in shootings and robberies.

“The criminal activity uncovered during this investigation was not isolated, nor was it random,” San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said. “It was pervasive. It was coordinated.”

Ten people have been arrested in connection with the operation, while four face federal gun trafficking charges.

U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said investigators determined the defendants “sold more than 37 firearms,” including machine gun conversion devices.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said about 75 firearms have been seized as part of the operation, including 15 taken off the streets Wednesday.

Operation launched after spike in violence McFadden said Stockton police launched Operation Sparkplug in response to a significant increase in violence during June.

During that month, the Stockton Police Department investigated seven homicides and eight nonfatal shootings, he said.

The operation has raised questions about whether the people arrested or the guns seized could be connected to other deadly violence in Stockton.

Despite the spike in violence during June, overall homicides in Stockton were down through August compared with the same period last year.

The city reported 20 homicides through August, compared with 26 during the same period in 2025.

Stockton mass shooting remains unsolved Authorities also said Operation Sparkplug is not currently connected to the Stockton mass shooting, which remains unsolved nearly 10 months later.

Freitas said investigators continue to work the case.

“Obviously, we would like to have this solved as quickly as possible, but we have to do our investigations professionally, and we have to do them diligently,” Freitas said.

Authorities have not released additional details about what specific homicides may be connected to Operation Sparkplug.

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 Ashley Sharp

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — A first-of-its-kind partnership in Sacramento is delivering more commercial truck drivers to California roadways at a time when there is a critical gap in the industry’s workforce statewide.

Emerge Career and the Sacramento Employment Training Agency (SETA) teamed up to help connect an often misunderstood and overlooked population of workers to help fill highly skilled trade positions: the formerly incarcerated.

“We believe in second chances. To provide them a livable wage so that they can provide for their families, so they can have a career pathway that’s successful and sustainable, that’s the work that we do,” said Anita Maldonado, executive director of SETA.

Earlier this year, the California DMV cancelled 13,000 commercial driver’s licenses of immigrant drivers who are non-citizens in the state under pressure from the Trump administration and the threat of lost federal funding. It followed multiple high-profile big rig crashes involving California immigrant drivers.

The new federal regulations could eventually mean more than 60,000 drivers lose their licenses in the coming years. That represents between five and ten percent of California’s commercial license holders.

Industry experts say fewer truck drivers on the road could mean consumers see higher shipping costs.

“There’s a huge, huge need for skilled trade workers across the country, with about 2.1 million job openings, to increase even by 2030. Yet there’s about half a million folks who are cycling out of the prison system every year and even more from our jails. So our vision was, how do we solve these two problems?” said Zo Orchingwa, co-founder and CEO of Emerge Career.

One of the careers Emerge is focused on getting ex-offenders connected to is truck driving, helping them navigate every step of the process both through their online, AI-driven proprietary platform and by connecting them to on-site job training.

“We’ve done hundreds of thousands of hours of hands-on work, the manual human work. That is what has allowed us to develop this proprietary technology and has allowed us to modernize this process,” said Doug Dahl, Emerge co-founder.

Dahl says that includes help with housing, food and initial needs as soon as they get out of prison.

“We are not just focused on up-skilling folks and placing them into these careers, but we’re also focused on getting them all of the support from all of the agencies that they might benefit from,” Dahl said.

Life coaches through their platform help guide the participant to landing a job.

“One thing we kept hearing about was poverty, lack of access to jobs, and that was really causing this vicious cycle to happen,” Orchingwa said.

A recent program graduate now looking for employment is David Martinez, 34, of Sacramento. After completing 160 hours of on-site training at Western Truck School in West Sacramento, he is the proud holder of a commercial driver’s license, something he calls his fresh start.

“When I was behind bars, it just opened my eyes up,” Martinez said.

Martinez says it was hanging around the wrong crowd for years that led him to a robbery charge and a five-year sentence.

“And then I found God in there. So after that I was like, OK, let me walk with God and let me just figure myself out until I get out,” Martinez said.

He has three children. His youngest daughter was born while he was incarcerated. He says hitting rock bottom is what it took for him to finally get back on track, and he is now more driven than ever to put his family and his faith first.

“We just sat down and prayed about it. We searched up what companies are working with felons and then Emerge popped up. So we just applied, and I’m here,” Martinez said. “It’s just like a weight getting off your shoulder.”

Western Truck School is California’s longest-established truck driver training school, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“We estimate about 40,000 to 45,000 that we’ve trained in those 50 years,” vice president Sean Nord said.

Nord says people like Martinez are worth investing in. It’s why they partnered with SETA and Emerge to help train those getting out of prison and back into the workforce.

“It just gives people an opportunity that may not otherwise have that. Plus the industry needs lots of drivers,” Nord said. “There’s always been a need for entry-level drivers. We’re trying to fulfill that need for the industry as we focus on a safe, knowledgeable driver out on the road.”

Martinez said that while the training is hard, anyone can do it.

“We’ve created at least $50 million of new wealth for low-income families, and we know we can get that number in the hundreds of millions. But the key data points for us that we are super proud of is we have a 95% graduation rate. So practically anyone who is committed and enrolls in the program, we will get you to the finish line,” Orchingwa said.

Emerge serves about 700 people a year through this program and says it also has a 91% job placement rate.

When it comes to recidivism, they say it has been massively successful.

“The program to date, we haven’t had a single re-arrest,” Orchingwa said.

Compare that to California at large, where, on average, CDCR says about 40% of people released from prison will reoffend.

Emerge and SETA both say they are proving that reducing recidivism starts with removing these hurdles to finding a job when re-entering society.

“Our job is to bring opportunities to the people that have the highest barriers,” Maldonado said.

SETA has helped the formerly incarcerated re-enter the workforce for decades, but this year they entered into a new three-year contract with Emerge to help drive success for this population in the Sacramento region.

“We are letting employers know and educating them that just because they have a blemish on their record doesn’t mean that they’re not hard workers, that they can’t learn a new skill. All they need is a chance,” Maldonado said.

SETA secured the state funding through a Board of State and Community Corrections grant, so the training is completely free for those participating in Emerge’s program.

“We only charge the government if the person graduates and if they get a job, adding that extra layer of safety to make sure the government dollars are being used most effectively,” Orchingwa said.

Through SETA’s 13 job centers across Sacramento County, they serve about 32,000 people every year. They say 91% of them have significant barriers to employment and will get connected to a job making, on average, $75,000 a year.

The average annual salary for a truck driver in California ranges from about $55,000 to $87,000. Owner-operators can make upwards of $120,000 per year on average.

“We do change people’s lives every day. We’ve done that for years. You can sense that gratitude in that opportunity,” said William Walker, SETA’s longtime workforce development manager.

From corrections to correcting their path, it is a partnership helping the formerly incarcerated forge forward: both on the road and in life.

Visit the websites of Emerge Career and SETA for more information on getting connected to local employment.

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 Tim Fang

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    SAN FRANCISCO, California (KPIX) — An aide for a San Francisco Bay Area lawmaker was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being held in Nevada, according to her office.

Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) confirmed Tuesday that Ho Yin Mo was detained on Sept. 17 and remains in custody. Stefani said Ho Yin serves in her office as a field representative.

In a statement on her social media, Stefani called for Mo’s release and said he has helped constitutents access affordable health care coverage, child care, and food support.

“Ho Yin is a selfless public servant and a valued, legal employee of the California State Legislature serving our San Francisco and Bay Area communities,” the lawmaker said. “When Ho Yin and I meet our Chinese-American constituents, he brings a unique sense of belonging to so many who watched him as a TV reporter.”

Mo, who is from Hong Kong, had previously anchored Chinese-language newscasts at KTSF.

“Our whole community eagerly awaits Ho Yin’s return to his home and his job where he is loved and adored,” Stefani added.

According to Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS, agents took Mo into custody at Harry Reid International Airport and he was taken to the detention facility in Pahrump, about 60 miles west of Las Vegas.

An ICE spokesperson told the station that he had entered the country legally through Los Angeles International Airport in 2020.

“All illegal aliens receive due process through immigration proceedings. To be clear: a pending application or work authorization does NOT confer legal status in the United States,” the agency told KLAS.

In a statement to CBS News Bay Area, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said that Mo “overstayed his welcome” by failing to depart by May 15, 2020.

The spokesperson also discussed the administration’s effort to increase immigration enforcement at airports.

“DHS reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country. Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this. This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport,” the spokesperson said.

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 Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Lawrence Tanter, the longtime public address announcer known as the “Voice of the Lakers,” has died at the age of 76.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter,” the Los Angeles Lakers wrote in a social media post. “For 43 years, LT’s voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family.”

Tanter retired as the team’s PA announcer in June after 43 seasons. The Chicago native stayed with the franchise as a special advisor for game presentation.

“Lawrence Tanter has been an integral part of the Lakers gameday experience for more than four decades, setting the tone for countless memorable moments with his professionalism, energy and signature booming voice,” Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss said after his retirement.

Tanter moved to Los Angeles and began announcing for the Lakers in 1982, as future Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, James Worthy, coach Pat Riley and others dominated the decade during the “Showtime” era. The up-tempo, run-and-gun offense made the team Hollywood stars, helped furnish The Forum with five championship banners and pushed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the top of the all-time scoring list.

“Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience,” Buss said in June. “I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise.”

He continued announcing for the Lakers when the “Showtime” era ended in the 1990s, following the team into its new home at the Staples Center. There, the championship runs continued, with Tanter in a front-row seat to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s march to three consecutive titles from 2000-2002.

Before ending his career, Tanter witnessed another Laker capture the all-time scoring record as James eclipsed Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,287 points. When James became the first player to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason in 2025, Tanter delivered the apt words: “Ladies and gentlemen, we all have just witnessed history.”

“Lawrence Tanter, forever in our hearts as a member of the Lakers family,” the team wrote.

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 Nicole Comstock

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    SHERMAN OAKS, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Covered in leaves, stuck inside a dumpster and high out of his mind — that’s how a group of Sherman Oaks neighbors described a burglary suspect they helped catch Tuesday night.

“Instantly, I thought of like Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street when he popped out with all the leaves,” neighbor Charan Andreas said. “He was in another world down there.”

Sean Bambic said he first spotted the guy breaking into cars before he jumped into the dumpster.

“He tried to get out for a second and then fell back in,” Bambic said. “Eventually, came back out and ran down the street up to the neighbor’s house and started banging on their door.”

Bambic and Andreas followed the man, trying to stop him from breaking into other people’s homes. They said he tried to get into several apartments before stumbling upon an older lady’s unit.

“Pounded on an older lady’s door,” Andreas said. “She opened it and he pushed his way into the apartment.”

The victim’s daughter told CBS LA that the suspect locked the door behind him and started breaking things. Her mom was able to get out and hide in a neighbor’s place while Andreas and another neighbor caught up with him in the garage.

“We were like, ‘Yo, the police are coming, stay still.’ And then he started coming at us, so then I pepper-sprayed him,” he said. “We ended up grabbing him and holding him on the ground until police came.”

The victim’s daughter said the Los Angeles Police Department arrived to the scene in about seven minutes.

Video from the arrest shows officers asking the suspect what he took. He responded with “cocaine.”

The Good Samaritans said they tried to give the guy the benefit of the doubt but had to step in.

“Once somebody starts interacting with other people and puts someone else in danger,” Bambic said.

“It could have been really bad,” Andreas said.

The victim’s daughter said they found a brick in her mother’s apartment. She believes the suspect may have been hiding it when he barged through the door.

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 Lesley Marin

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    RACNHO CUCAMONGA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Months after a 13-year-old Rancho Cucamonga girl was left paralyzed from an injury sustained during a dance class, she’s defying the odds and walking again.

Morgan Lopez was born to dance, but in May she suffered a severe injury during a dance class. She says that she was doing a headstand, which caused neck pain that quickly escalated into a hospital trip.

“I got a call that she stopped breathing and coded,” said Morgan’s mother, Jamie. “It was shocking, because honestly I had no idea that it was this bad.”

Doctors said that Morgan suffered a spinal stroke, a rare injury that left her on a ventilator and paralyzed from the neck down.

“I was really upset that I couldn’t do easy things that people just do without thinking,” Morgan said.

After weeks in the hospital, her parents became determined to get their once active daughter moving again.

“To be told that she may never even move again was, I can’t even put into words the heartache,” Jamie Lopez said.

They enrolled her in intensive pediatric rehabilitation at Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Loma Linda, and after three hours of rehab a day, doctors began to notice small improvements.

“She was barely starting to use her hand, and that was my first inkling that maybe there is some sort of recovery for her,” said Dr. Anh Vu Le, a pediatrician at the rehab center.

A few weeks later, Morgan asked doctors if she could try walking, and that’s when she took her first steps since May.

“I was so happy, ” Morgan said.

“It gives you hope, because all you want for your child is to have the life of a kid,” Jamie Lopez said.

Now, with Morgan back home and using a wheelchair to get around, she’s keeping busy with LEGO sets and squishies, which she can squeeze on her own. She says she’s determined to return to the stage next.

“I want to get back to dancing and just want to be able to do what I used to be able to do,” Morgan said.

Her dance team, which visited her every week she was in the hospital, plans to have her on stage for their upcoming performance in January. Next month, Morgan’s father is set to participate in the Long Beach Marathon, during which he will push her wheelchair.

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 Dillon Thomas

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    FORT COLLINS, Colorado (KCNC) — A Northern Colorado church building that has served as a gathering place and resource for homeless people in Fort Collins is expected to be demolished and replaced after the Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship sold the property for $1.3 million.

In December, methamphetamine contamination was found in the building, according to church pastor Steve Ramer.

Ramer and his congregation have long called the building home. Located about a block from Fort Collins’ popular Old Town shopping district, the church became known for opening its doors to people experiencing homelessness.

The congregation offered the building as a place to find shelter, eat and shower.

“We take the teachings of Jesus to be very serious and to be followed, and so Jesus is pretty clear that we are to take care of and serve the poorest and the most oppressed in our society, and here in Fort Collins, that certainly is the homeless community,” said Steve Ramer, pastor of Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship.

Ramer said the church’s efforts have also drawn scrutiny over the years.

“We’ve, over the last 10 to 15 years, have faced a lot of pushback. Not only from the housed neighbors in this neighborhood, but from the city,” Ramer said.

Ramer said the congregation could not afford to clean up the meth contamination, leading the church to sell the property.

“It’s been an incredibly painful experience for us as a congregation,” Ramer said.

Ramer said he does not know what will ultimately be built on the property, but pointed to million-dollar condominiums that have gone up on two corners of the intersection shared by the church. He expects something similar could eventually be built where the church now stands. The new owners have surrounded the existing structure with security fencing.

The prospect of losing the building has been difficult for the congregation.

“It was a place of miracle and wonder, and we are so, so heartbroken to lose that resource and to lose it in the middle of Fort Collins, where the need is so great. Let me make this clear: (homeless visitors) were members of our church family,” Ramer said.

The Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship is still meeting in other temporary locations while members search for a permanent home.

Once the congregation finds a permanent location, Ramer said it plans to continue its outreach to people experiencing homelessness.

Ramer also said he will never ask someone visiting his church to take a drug test and will never turn someone away because of the way they smell.

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 DeJanay Booth-Singleton

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    FLINT, Michigan (WWJ) — A woman who authorities say gave deputies her twin sister’s name during a traffic stop in Flint has been convicted after a one-day trial.

According to the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office, 41-year-old Seneca Capri-Lachay Barnes was found guilty of resisting and obstructing police and operating with an unregistered vehicle; however, she was found not guilty of resisting and obstructing a second deputy. Barnes will be sentenced on Oct. 30.

Prosecutors say she faces up to three years in prison as a second-offense habitual offender with prior convictions including assault, identity theft and bank fraud.

Prosecutors say that on Aug. 15, 2025, police conducted a traffic stop near Hemphill Road near Fenton Road due to a fake license plate. A deputy testified in court that after stopping Barnes, she refused to give her driver’s license and refused to get out of the vehicle. The deputy attempted to open the driver’s side door, but Barnes slammed it closed, according to prosecutors.

She was then arrested with the help of a second deputy.

Prosecutors say Barnes represented herself in court and testified that her twin sister was the driver.

“A traffic stop is not a negotiation. When a deputy asks for your license and lawfully asks you to step out of the car, the law requires you to comply,” said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. “What began as a traffic stop over a license plate ended in a felony conviction for this defendant and it never had to get to this point.”

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.