Month: September 2026

By John Grinvalds

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    LINCOLN, Neb. (KETV) — The Nebraska Legislature’s Judiciary Committee examined the use of restraints on in-custody juveniles on Monday.

Lawmakers and experts questioned whether shackling should be used as a standard practice.

The committee held an interim study hearing on Legislative Resolution 403, introduced by state Sen. Victor Rountree of Bellevue. Rountree said the hearing was intended to continue a conversation started last session with a bill he championed to rein in the use of shackles.

During the past fiscal year, there were 6,351 transports involving youth on probation, according to information presented to the committee. The transports included trips ranging from dental appointments to transfers to new facilities.

Of those transports, 226 were classified as secure transports.

“Secure transport includes a youth being handcuffed or shackled,” said Kari Rumbaugh with the Nebraska Supreme Court Administration Office, who heads up the Juvenile Services Division. “The first point is juvenile intake, which occurs when law enforcement takes the youth into custody and requests a probation officer assess the youth for placement at detention.”

Shackling involves more than handcuffs placed behind the back: restraints are also placed around the ankles and waist. Rountree said he’s wary of the use of those restraints during initial transports of juveniles awaiting detention.

“My concern is impact on mental health,” Rountree said. “My concern is impact on kids being entered into the system shackled. They don’t have an opportunity to grow, don’t have an opportunity to mature.”

The committee also heard personal testimony from people who experienced shackling as juveniles.

Sarah Mitchell, who supports LR 403, described injuries she said she and other girls experienced while being restrained.

“All of us girls came in there with bruises and marks around our wrists and ankles because the shackles were put on too tightly. Sometimes those marks turned into scars,” Mitchell said.

Rountree and other experts acknowledged that there are circumstances, including flight risks and safety concerns, when restraints may be warranted. But they also said shackling can create significant challenges for young people in custody.

“Imagine being a young girl with your hands and feet shackled, trying to pull down your pants, use the bathroom and clean yourself while being transported by a male officer,” Mitchell said.

Rountree said he plans to introduce legislation addressing the use of restraints on juveniles during the next legislative session.

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 Andy Alcock

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    INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KMBC) — There’s an ongoing investigation into a fatal crash in Independence on Saturday night.

Pedestrians, including a pregnant woman and a small child, were hit by an unidentified woman driving a Jeep near the intersection of East Walnut and Dodgian streets.

The pregnant woman and her unborn child both died.

The small child suffered minor injuries.

“I heard a really, really loud, big boom. People screaming,” said Andrew Smith, who lives just west of the crash site.

Smith and his girlfriend Samantha Zachary were outside at about 8:40 Saturday night when they heard the crash.

Zachary called 911 and stopped traffic.

Smith ran to the scene.

He found a flipped-over Jeep catching fire and the pregnant woman trapped.

“About 15 people had to move the vehicle to get her from being not smashed underneath it,” Smith said.

He also found a woman in her 50s on the passenger side, he said, “bent like a pretzel with her legs over her head.”

Smith said after getting her out of the Jeep, she was able to walk away.

Investigators say she was the Jeep’s driver.

Smith said he saw officers give her a field sobriety test.

The crash happened as the Jeep’s driver was heading west on Walnut, where vision is blocked by a hill.

The posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour.

“I think people drive too fast a lot of times on this road. And bad things can happen,” Zachary said.

According to Independence Police, the Jeep’s driver also struck several parked vehicles.

Smith and Zachary said a driverless minivan rolled down the hill from the crash site and slammed into a pole right outside their home and about 20 feet from where Zachary was standing in the driveway.

Both the pregnant woman and the small child were taken to the hospital.

The woman and her unborn child were pronounced dead there.

“To hear that she passed away and her baby, that’s just awful,” Zachary said.

According to police, the driver is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.

The name of the deceased woman is not yet being released pending family notification.

So far, no charges have been filed against the driver, who police officers are also not identifying.

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 Grams

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minneapolis Public Schools parents are organizing an effort to delay district proposals that could close up to 16 schools.

District leaders presented three proposals to the school board last week as part of what they call a “transformation plan” that has been in the works for several years.

On Monday night, parents gathered outside Loring Elementary School on the city’s north side to make posters opposing the proposals.

“My daughter, she just doesn’t know where she’s going to go to school and that’s tough,” said Siri Lachmansingh, who has a first grader at Loring Elementary. “We can really trust that our kids are going to be safe here and that they are loved by their teachers and their classmates, and we don’t want to see it go.”

She’s just one of the parents in the area talking to neighbors and sharing information about the proposals on social media. A web page called “Save Loring” lays out concerns and prompts families to act by emailing board members and showing up to community meetings.

Minneapolis Public Schools have faced steep budget deficits and low enrollment. At last week’s meeting, Chair Collin Beachy asked if the proposals could help the district gain some financial stability.

Ty Thompson, deputy superintendent for the district, said school closures in other areas across the country haven’t created huge cost savings and that the intent of the plan is to “give families the experience they have asked us for”.

A district spokesperson confirmed the purpose of the plan is not to reduce expenses, but instead to concentrate resources and improve the student experience. As for the school buildings, if students are moved elsewhere, the district says they could be repurposed. In the meantime, the district would maintain the buildings, which the spokesperson said costs around $50,000 – $80,000 each year for an elementary school.

Lachmansingh worries the potential consolidation may drive families away, which would lower the funds available to the schools. She wants to see the board delay the plan.

“Closing the community schools that people love are going to make parents leave; it’s not going to get more parents to come to schools,” she said.

Kenny Elementary is also slated for closure. After the meeting last week, a group of parents from the school spoke against it. Now, there’s a website dedicated to their cause called “Keep Kenny.”

The district is asking for feedback from the community at the following meetings:

Camden High School, Sept. 30 Washburn High School, Oct. 1 Edison High School, Oct. 2 South High School, Oct. 6 North High School, Oct. 7 Southwest High School, Oct. 8 Roosevelt High School, Oct. 9

Each of the meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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 Tia Maggio

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    SAVANNAH, Ga. (WJCL) — A former Savannah police officer is fighting to get his job back after being fired over alleged misuse of the city’s Flock license plate reader system.

Matthew Rich appeared before the Savannah Civil Service Board Monday, arguing the department did not follow its own policies when it decided to fire him.

Rich spent more than a decade with the Savannah Police Department.

He was fired last month along with five other SPD employees following an investigation into alleged personal use of Flock cameras.

Rich accused of six Flock searches Rich is accused of making six Flock searches involving his wife and a man Rich says was sexually harassing her.

During Monday’s hearing, Rich’s attorney did not dispute that the searches occurred.

Instead, the defense questioned whether termination was an appropriate punishment — and whether the decision was made properly.

“Was it wrong to do? We’re not questioning that. What we’re questioning is, was this a politically driven determination,” attorney Don Montgomery said.

The city argued the issue went beyond a single search and pointed to what it described as repeated activity.

“I cannot stress that enough. We are not here because he just did this one time… This is repeated activity,” said Savannah assistant attorney Denise Cooper.

Defense questions SPD’s disciplinary process A major issue during the hearing was how SPD determined Rich’s punishment.

Rich’s attorney pointed to the Douglas factors, which are used when determining whether employee discipline is appropriate and whether the punishment fits the misconduct.

Those factors can include an employee’s work history, the seriousness of the misconduct, whether the employee knew the rules and whether similar cases received similar discipline.

The defense argued SPD did not properly follow that process.

It was also confirmed in the hearing that SPD does not have an official Flock misuse disciplinary chart, which leaves room for interpretation in Rich’s case.

The attorney also questioned why a major was involved in determining Rich’s discipline, arguing department policy called for the decision to go through a different level of command.

“There’s no answer as to why the department ignored its own policies and sent this to a major instead of the lieutenant or the captain,” Montgomery stated.

SPD leaders disagreed, arguing the investigation and disciplinary recommendation were properly documented.

“I will disagree. That’s what the letter of transmittal was for,” Michelle Halford, SPD Major of Police said.

First SPD firings over Flock misuse The hearing also brought up previous instances of Flock misuse within the Savannah Police Department.

The defense pointed out that, despite previous cases involving misuse, this is the first time SPD has fired employees specifically over Flock misuse. An internal investigator within the department confirmed previous cases were handled internally and did not involved the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The city argued each case must be evaluated individually and said the department has an obligation to address repeated misuse of its systems.

“We’ve got to ensure that we clean up our system,” Cooper said.

Rich’s attorney is asking the Civil Service Board to overturn his termination and allow him to return to the department.

The city is asking the board to uphold the firing.

The board did not issue a decision Monday. Savannah’s city manager will have the final say.

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 Greg Fox

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    ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) — Just four months after shuttering more than half a dozen schools, the Orange County School District is considering another round of closures.

That word came as the district told WESH 2 that 212 instructional positions were identified for reassignment based on enrollment and program needs. Of that, 98 remain unassigned and may lose their jobs in the coming weeks.

District staff are working directly with these employees and will provide them with available vacancy information and opportunities for reassignment where possible.

Eighth-largest school district The move points to the ongoing struggles the nation’s eighth-largest school district is having with declining enrollment.

Roughly a third of Orange County’s public elementary schools are not at high enough capacity to bring in the state dollars required to keep some of those schools open.

Empty playground Orlo Vista Elementary School used to be the pride of its neighborhood. But the gates are locked, and the playground that looks brand new is no longer used for recess. Orlo Vista was one of seven schools closed by Orange County last May in the face of declining enrollment.

Now, it appears that was just round one.

“I believe that we will have to start having conversations around additional school closures,” said Maria Vazquez, Orange County schools superintendent

She said the district will be launching a study, once the new chair is in place and new school board members are sworn in in November, to see which schools have enough students to receive the per-pupil spending ($9,400 annually) that covers salaries and expenses.

65% capacity Right now, there are 40 elementary schools below 65% capacity. That’s roughly 33% of all elementary schools. Two middle schools and three high schools are also below 65% capacity.

“I definitely foresee the (school) district doing an analysis of schools that meet the criteria for closure,” Vazquez said.

Contributing factors When talking about declining enrollment in schools, it’s important to remember there’s not one specific reason: It’s a combination of factors that are causing enrollment to decline.

Some of it is that people are having fewer children; others are moving out of an increasingly expensive state, but perhaps the biggest reason is billions of public dollars being rerouted to private and homeschool vouchers.

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 Evan Dean

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    FORT MYERS, Fla. (WBBH) — Two men have accused Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson of sexual misconduct.

The men made the allegations during the public comment period of Monday’s city council meeting.

“You propositioned me for sex,” 23-year-old Kagan Vann said directly to the mayor from the public comment podium. “You – on top of that – when I kept saying no, were being pushy and forceful.”

Vann said it happened in November of 2024. He even accused the mayor of drugging him while they were having a drink downtown.

“When the server came out and said, ‘Do you want any more drinks?’ I said no, multiple times, as my body was shutting down,” Kagan said. “And you turned red in the face, and you’re like, ‘No, he wants another one. No, he wants another one.’ Clearly, I did not, if I walked away, and then I made it to Kava where I collapsed, and the EMS came to me.”

Eighteen-year-old Florida Gulf Coast University student Dominic Hendricks also accused the mayor of inappropriate conduct during public comment at Monday’s meeting.

Hendricks said it happened this past summer.

“On the Fourth of July, Kevin Anderson sexually harassed me. He tried to solicit sex from me, asking me unprofessional personal questions about sexual matters,” Hendricks said during public comment. “What I’m asking for today is for the City of Fort Myers City Council to hold him accountable.”

Hendricks and Kagan, along with several others who spoke at the meeting, called for Anderson to resign. They also called for a new investigation into the accusations against the mayor.

At the end of the meeting, Anderson responded to the crowd.

“I just want to be clear that these allegations being made are completely false,” he said. “These exchanges are being taken out of context and used to create a false narrative. I have always made myself available to the public, even when they were critical of me, and I will continue to do so. With that said, I remain focused on carrying out the work of our city as I have for the past six years.”

Gulf Coast News tried asking the mayor questions after the meeting, but he refused to answer.

“You heard my statement – that’s it,” he said when pressed. “You heard my statement – that’s all I have to say.”

After the meeting, Gulf Coast News asked Vann about his decision to bring the allegations to light.

“It’s looking at your attacker in the face – and basically calling him out on it,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s tough. But it needs to be done.”

Gulf Coast News reached out to the Fort Myers Police Department to see if they have any reports about the allegations. We are still waiting for a response.

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they did receive an inquiry regarding an investigation into Anderson, but a spokesperson said the matter is now closed. FDLE did not share the outcome or specific details.

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 Ross Adams, Angela Williams

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    JACKSON, Miss. (WAPT) — The mother of a woman who was found dead and hanging from a tree in Jackson said she is anxious for more arrests.

“I want justice to be served,” Christy Spivey said. “We need to be patient and let the Jackson Police Department work their case.”

Tasia Fortune, 29, was found hanging behind a home on Road of Remembrance on Aug. 3. On Sept. 4, Jarques Ratliff, 51, was arrested and charged with murder. According to an affidavit, Ratliff is accused of using a black cable cord to hang Fortune from a tree. Ratliff, who has pleaded not guilty, is in jail without bond.

“I came down here because I’m trying to seek the truth. I went by the tree earlier. I didn’t want to do it, but I needed to do it,” Spivey said. “I just want to make sure that we’ve got the right people. I honestly believe that Jackson police are headed in the right direction.”

Spivey said Jackson police officials told her there are additional suspects. Spivey, who came to Mississippi from Kentucky, spoke to members of the media on Monday with Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes sitting.

“I came down here because I’m trying to seek the truth. I went by the tree earlier. I didn’t want to do it, but I needed to do it,” Spivey said. “I just want to make sure that we’ve got the right people. I honestly believe that Jackson police are headed in the right direction.”

Spivey said her daughter was struggling with homelessness and had lost custody of her children. She said that family members have custody of some of the children and others have been adopted.

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 Tasmin Mahfuz, Sarah Metts

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    CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. (WGAL) — A Carlisle man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the training death of an 18-year-old soldier at Letterkenny Army Depot earlier this year.

Parents find some relief after plea Information shows that Sean Stark, 38, killed Private First Class Krystofer Lopez while conducting firearms training in a “grossly negligent manner,” according to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller.

Lopez’s parents, Carmen and Hector, said they feel some relief after a person charged in connection with his death entered a plea.

“It is some relief,” Carmen Lopez said. “But to get where we got, I had to raise the king.”

“I was praying to God and my son, ‘At least let this person own up.’ Our prayers came true.”

Parents recount alleged training room shooting According to the parents’ account of a conversation with the attorney general’s office, the instructor went outside for a cigarette break and inserted a loaded magazine into a firearm. Upon returning, the instructor was supposed to remove the magazine and carry the unloaded firearm inside but allegedly failed to do so.

“He did not do that. He went straight through,” Carmen said. “When he was doing his training, he pointed the gun at our son and shot him.”

Carmen and Hector Lopez said video of the incident showed the instructor pointing a firearm at their son and telling Krystofer Lopez to point one at him as part of the exercise.

“They saw this in the video, and it was the wrong protocol,” the parents said.

When asked what Carmen wanted Stark to hear, she responded, “You murdered our son.”

Letterkenny Army Depot Responds To Charges

In a statement sent to News 8 on Tuesday morning, Chief of Public Affairs Todd Wivell confirmed Stark was actually the LEAD Directorate of Emergency Services at Letterkenny Army Depot.

Wivell said he was eventually suspended indefinitely from his role.

“The death of Specialist Krystofer Lopez during a training exercise on March 12, 2026, was a devastating tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers remain steadfast with his family and unit,” said Wivell. “Letterkenny Army Depot has cooperated fully with federal authorities throughout this investigation. Because criminal proceedings are ongoing, we cannot comment further on the specifics of the legal charges or the case. We refer all inquiries regarding the prosecution to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.”

Family’s fight for accountability continues The couple said they hope the case encourages other families who have lost loved ones during military or similar training exercises to seek answers and accountability.

“I hope nobody else will be scared and just let it get swept under the carpet,” Carmen said. “I hope other families will gather together to fight.”

The parents said they continued pursuing the case because Lopez was their son.

“We did it ourselves because that was our child,” Carmen and Hector Lopez said. “We didn’t have other family members who lost a child through the Army or the military. We did it ourselves because it was our child. And that is what a lot of parents need to do. It’s their child.”

Although the plea provides a measure of closure, the couple said their fight is not over.

“It’s only a quarter of it,” Carmen said. “There’s still more to fight.”

The family is accepting impact statements, which are written declarations that detail the physical and emotional effects Krystofer’s death has had on family and friends. The statements will be presented to the judge at Stark’s guilty plea hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

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 Peter Eliopoulos, Imani Clement

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    EVERETT, Mass. (WCVB) — Robin Gay’s car broke down in the middle of the busy Revere Beach Parkway on Friday evening after she left volunteering at Phunk Phenomenon Dance Studio in Everett.

“When I pulled out of the parking lot, the car just died,” Gay said.

Gay described the chaotic scene and her growing fear as traffic rushed by.

“Cars were literally flying, so I kind of went into a panic state,” she said. “My biggest fear was somebody is going to hit me.”

A group of Everett High School student-athletes noticed Gay’s predicament and immediately decided to help.

“She’s stuck in the middle of the road; let’s help her,” said Raul Guimaraes, a senior.

“Our first instinct was just to help out,” said senior Kevin Ordonez.

“Because that’s what we’re taught here at this high school,” said senior Emmanuel Lerbout. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the person; if you know the person. If you see someone in trouble, just go help.”

The seven young men instructed Gay to steer while they pushed her car to safety. One of the students directed traffic, and senior captain Jayden Alsaindor documented the moment.

“You cannot ask for a better team than this!” Alsaindor said in the video.

“I just wanted to have it as a memory, to show acts of kindness in the world,” Alsaindor said.

The group successfully pushed Gay’s car into a parking space and celebrated their efforts. When Gay tried to offer them money, they refused and instead gave her a hug.

“They just refused; they were pushing my hand away, they were like, ‘Absolutely not,'” Gay said. “To them, it was like, ‘We’re really glad that you’re safe.'”

For Gay, the students’ actions were deeply meaningful.

“The impact they had, it was just unbelievable,” she said. “You don’t realize what people are going through. The littlest things make a difference, and hopefully, the kindness keeps spreading.”

The students said they would not hesitate to help again.

“If we saw it again, we would just go do it again,” said senior Emmanuel Nelson.

“You feel great after doing something good, and it was amazing to help her,” said senior Gerardo Cubias.

“Regardless of who you are, regardless of your skin color, don’t need to get into politics,” Alsaindor said. “Just be you, and just show kindness. To whoever needs help, just help, that’s it.”

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 Hannah Hoffman

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Drought conditions are depleting water reservoirs, so Baltimore City is outsourcing its water.

However, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works doesn’t need to go too far. The DPW tested a system in July to blend water from the Susquehanna River with water from the city’s reservoirs.

While the arrangement isn’t new, it hasn’t been used in some 20 years.

The river water will be added to the city reservoir supplies and treated before it’s sent to customers starting later this month or in early October.

Because river water has more sediment and organic materials, customers could notice some taste differences and color differences. Any changes are expected to be minimal to unnoticeable.

Not all city water customers will receive the blended river water. Those who get their water from the Montebello Water Plant will receive the river-water blend, which includes customers in East Baltimore and Baltimore County.

Areas on the Liberty system — including West Baltimore and parts of Howard and Carroll counties — aren’t expected to get blended water.

The exact start date will depend on reservoir conditions, which will also dictate how long the city uses water from the Susquehanna.

There is still a voluntary water restriction in effect, so customers are asked to limit water usage, which can include cutting back on watering lawns, taking shorter showers and repairing leaky faucets.

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.