Month: September 2026

By Tiarra Braddock

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    DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit family says they are still searching for answers after a heartbreaking mix-up at a funeral home left them without the body or ashes of their loved one.

The family of Kimberly Moore gathered Saturday to celebrate her life, but they say they were forced to do so without her remains after discovering what they believe was a devastating error involving funeral arrangements.

Moore’s daughter, Bianca Robinson, says she went to Hutchison Funeral Home on Friday before her mother’s scheduled viewing to say one final goodbye. That’s when she says she realized the woman in the casket was not her mother.

Robinson said she noticed identifying features did not match and immediately raised concerns with funeral home staff.

According to Robinson, she was then told her mother may have been cremated weeks earlier.

“We need answers,” Robinson said. “This is crazy. We don’t deserve this, and she doesn’t deserve this.”

The family says they still have not received the ashes that the funeral home claims belong to Moore.

“I’m just trying to figure out where is my mom,” Robinson said.

Despite the uncertainty, Moore’s family moved forward with plans to honor her memory on Saturday.

Her son, Christopher Moore, said the situation has made an already difficult time even harder.

“I can’t believe this happened to her,” he said, noting that his mother had carefully planned her funeral arrangements to spare her family additional stress.

Family members traveled from out of state to support Moore’s children through the ordeal. Her cousin, Geraldine Carr, came from Alabama and said the lack of closure has been especially painful.

“You can only grieve so much without saying goodbye to that person,” Carr said. “Her children are truly devastated. I’m devastated.”

In a statement provided Saturday, Hutchison Funeral Home said it is conducting an internal review into the incident.

“We are heartbroken and deeply sorry for what Ms. Moore’s family has experienced. We are aware of the family’s concerns and we will continue to communicate with them honestly and respectfully. We have launched our own internal review to determine exactly what happened and we will deal with it accordingly. Out of respect for Ms. Moore and her family, we ask that their privacy be honored during this time. We will share more when we can.”

-Hutchison Funeral Home

The funeral home also said it is continuing to communicate with the family and asked that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.

As the search for answers continues, Robinson said she is also thinking about the family of the woman whose body she says was mistakenly identified as her mother’s.

“Whoever this lady is, I pray that her family come forth,” Robinson said. “They need answers too.”

For Moore’s loved ones, the focus remains on finding out what happened and obtaining the closure they say every family deserves.

“She was sweet, just loving, funny, outspoken,” Robinson said while remembering her mother.

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 Jolie Sherman

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    PONTIAC, Michigan (WXYZ) — Everybody Coffee, located on Lawrence Street in downtown Pontiac, is more than a place to grab a latte. It’s a business built on inclusion — and every cup served carries a deeper purpose.

“The heart of our business is the inclusion of everybody. Everybody matters all the time,” owner and CEO Jenny Brown said.

Brown opened Everybody Coffee with her older sister, Becca, whom she describes as her role model.

“My sister, Becca, is the best, kindest, most loyal, hardworking, honest, funny person I’ve ever known,” Brown said. And growing up, she was my mentor; I really looked up to her, and I really wanted to go into business with her,” Brown said.

The business is connected to Dutton Farm, a non-profit their family started in 2010 that provides skill-building and supportive employment to individuals with disabilities.

“So, the non-profit provides the sort of pipeline for training, job readiness, job coaching for individuals to be successful in the workplace, and then the social enterprise, Everybody Coffee, is just one of the businesses that provides employment opportunities for people,” Brown said.

For Becca Smither, working as a barista at Everybody Coffee is a dream come true.

“It was my dream to work in a coffee shop. My favorite job is the register… because I’m good at it.”

Jenny Brown says growing awareness about the shop’s mission remains one of its biggest challenges.

“I think just growing and getting the word out that we are a business that also accomplishes social change and increasing that foot traffic is probably our biggest challenge,” Brown said.

Everybody Coffee is approaching its one-year anniversary at the Lawrence Street location in November. Brown says the business is also hoping to open another location in Macomb County.

For first-time customer Ryan Heur, the visit left a lasting impression.

“I’ll definitely come back here. It’s a great location, the coffee is good. What more could you ask for?” Heur said.

Brown says every visit to the shop is a step toward a more inclusive future.

“I tell myself, every customer that comes, and every dollar that gets spent, is like a vote for the type of world we want to see in the future, and every day we stay open, we bring ourselves closer to a brighter future for those that are excluded,” Brown said.

I will be at Everybody Coffee on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a community conversation with residents and city leaders. If you have a story idea in Pontiac, stop by and share it.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Sery

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    CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXYZ) — A disabled Navy veteran in Clinton Township is watching his North Oak Street home transform — thanks to a grant from the Home Depot Foundation and dozens of volunteers racing to finish the job in just five days.

Richard Lumetta, who lives with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation among several other conditions, had been struggling with access inside his own home. The renovations are designed to help him stay independent and safe.

“I knew they were gonna do a home makeover but I had no clue it was gonna be everything,” Lumetta said.

“Had no idea all this was gonna take place in the last couple days,” Lumetta said.

The Home Depot Foundation partnered with Team Patton Outreach — the foundation of Tammy T. Patton — to fund and organize the renovation. Volunteers from 12 Metro Detroit Home Depot locations are carrying out the work.

Rodney Morisette, operations assistant store manager for the Home Depot in Utica, described the scope of the project.

“We’re repainting his whole house, rehanging doors, redoing all the landscaping, making it safe for him to enter and exit the house,” Morisette said.

Improvements include new railings at the side and front doors, laminate flooring to replace carpet, and relocating the washing machine to a spare bedroom so Lumetta no longer needs to navigate stairs.

“They put railings on the side door and the front door, that’s gonna help tremendously, putting the washing machine in the spare bedroom for me, my family doesn’t want me going downstairs,” Lumetta said.

Patton, a veteran herself, said the goal of the project was straightforward.

“Instead of him going into a nursing home, this was a way to keep him in his house,” Patton said.

On the flooring upgrade, Patton explained the practical benefit.

“Instead of carpet he’ll have laminate flooring so he can get around with his walker,” Patton said.

Patton said she was inspired to give back after the loss of her 16-day-old daughter 25 years ago.

“Any events we do, whether it’s backpacks or senior lockboxes or working with veterans, children, everything, it’s all in memory of her,” Patton said.

Patton and Lumetta met at physical therapy nearly 4 years ago. Lumetta said daily life has not been easy.

“It’s a struggle everyday, it really is,” Lumetta said.

The project is expected to be complete by Saturday. For Lumetta, the outpouring of support has been difficult to put into words.

“It’s very overwhelming, totally shocked seeing all these people come through today to help out and be so supportive of me and all veterans they’ve helped through the years, it’s just amazing,” Lumetta said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Melissa May

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    SACRAMENTO-DAVIS, California (KOVR) — You may have driven over the Yolo Causeway between West Sacramento and Davis countless times, but there is more than just traffic on the bridge.

The NorCal Bat Association says underneath the causeway lives a bat colony with almost a quarter million members. Each evening, they emerge from underneath the bridge and take to the sky in search of insects, including mosquitoes.

September is considered prime time for watching the bats emerge around sunset, drawing visitors who gather beneath the causeway with chairs, cameras and plenty of questions.

For visitor Ashley Manges, the experience was an unexpected surprise, as she watched hundreds of tiny silhouettes begin to fill the sky.

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” said Corky Quirk, a certified NorCal Bats educator who leads educational programs about the colony.

Quirk said people who have driven across the causeway for years may have mistaken the bats for birds.

“But if you are seeing them at sunset, it’s bats,” Quirk said.

The colony beneath the causeway is one of the largest urban bat colonies in the region, and the bats play an important role in the ecosystem by consuming insects.

Quirk works with the Yolo Basin Foundation to educate visitors about bats through its bat education and tour programs.

The program includes a caravan tour where visitors learn about the animals before watching the colony emerge. Visitors can also see bats that are being rehabilitated by the Yolo Basin Foundation and take part in a question-and-answer presentation.

Quirk said the bats’ physical characteristics help them move quickly through the air.

“They have a long, narrow wing, a sign of speed,” Quirk said. “And these guys can fly faster than a cheetah can run.”

For Quirk, the tours are about more than watching thousands of bats take flight.

“Mostly I hope people learn bats are an important part of the environment and they are not scary animals, no reason to fear them,” Quirk said.

Visitors often turn the experience into an evening outing, bringing chairs and settling in beneath the causeway as they wait for the bats to emerge.

The surrounding landscape provides plenty to watch while they wait, but the bats remain the main attraction.

“Watching kids play in the dirt and get in touch with the world around them in nature is a great part,” Quirk said. “It is always good to see.”

Then, as the sun begins to disappear, the bats start emerging.

The Yolo Basin Foundation Bat Caravan tours run through September and have a $17 registration fee.

NorCal Bats offers education on bats to schools year-round.

Quirk says you should never handle bats and always call for help if you see one on the ground for safety.

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 Julie Sharp

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A 57-year-old woman faces dozens of animal abuse and code violation charges for the conditions of animals found at her Lake Hughes animal rescue, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced on Friday.

Christine De Anda heads the nonprofit Rock ‘N Pawz and earlier this year, authorities removed about 300 dogs and cats from her Lake Hughes property after neighbors complained of horrific conditions.

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control said that during its March raid at the property, it seized the largest number of cats and dogs in the department’s history.

In all, they recovered 233 dogs, 66 cats, one goose, a parrot, a pig, a rabbit, and two goats.

Hochman described conditions as “the opposite of a rescue operation,” as dogs had allegedly even bent kennel wire while trying to escape to reach water.

Dogs were allegedly confined in small cages without food or water and kennels were stacked on top of each other, with sick dogs grouped in the kitchen.

LA County DACC had issued De Anda citations and warnings over several years concerning conditions at the property and the number of animals she was keeping.

“The documented conditions that they saw on that day (in March) included severe matting, heart murmurs, cherry eye, untreated open wounds, exposed bone protruding from a leg, and urine and fecal scalding caused by prolonged confinement and contaminated enclosures,” Hochman said.

Marcia Mayeda, director of LA County DACC, said rescue teams had to wear respirators to enter the animals’ living areas because of extremely high ammonia content in the air, which also causes irritation and damage to the animals’ respiratory systems.

“More than 300 animals came out of this situation needing care. They are now receiving it,” Mayeda said.

“Our staff are working every day to help these animals recover physically and behaviorally. Some will require considerable rehabilitation before they’re ready for the next chapter of their lives.”

De Anda is charged with 12 felony counts of cruelty to an animal, two felony counts of grand theft labor and 21 misdemeanor counts, including violating multiple county codes. She operated an animal kennel without required land-use approval, had unpermitted structures, and maintained unsanitary conditions.

She is expected to appear in court sometime next week, and prosecutors will seek bail of over $900,000. If convicted as charged, De Anda faces up to 24 years in prison.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Noel Brennan

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Beach season is over in Chicago, but the Chicago River was the place to be on Friday morning, as local leaders, former Olympians, and everyday people took the plunge together.

It was the Big Jump, a kickoff event for the Chicago River Swim this weekend.

“Some people called it a crazy idea for a period of time to be able to put swimmers back into the Chicago River,” Chicago River Swim CEO Doug McConnell said.

Dr. Abhilasha Shrestha with the University of Illinois Chicago tested the water to make sure it was safe before the Big Jump.

“We just got the results out for this morning’s testing, and it’s all good to go for the 10 a.m. Big Jump event,” Shrestha said.

Last year’s inaugural Chicago River Swim was the first open swim event in the Chicago River in 95 years.

Before Sunday’s second annual Chicago River Swim comes the Big Jump, a rare sanctioned chance to plunge into the Chicago River.

Shrestha doesn’t know how to swim, but her research assistant, Will Kane, does, and he joined the Big Jump on Friday.

“It’s actually quite nice. It’s warmer than I think some of the times I swam in the lake,” he said.

The lab collected samples from the Chicago River over the past few weeks to confirm the water is within U.S. EPA limits.

“There has been a lot of effort in cleaning up the river in the past two decades, and I think what we are seeing now is the result of all the advocacy and the cleaning up, and it’s really good compared to what it was 30 years ago,” Shrestha said.

Years ago, it would have been a questionable leap of faith to swim in the Chicago River, but now it’s backed by science.

“It says that they believe the science behind it, and they believe the testing that I am doing,” Shrestha said.

Researchers have tested the waters in more ways than one, and they hope to replicate the results.

“Maybe next year I’ll learn how to swim and jump,” Shrestha said.

The Big Jump and the Chicago River Swim raise money for ALS research. The events also support swim lessons and the importance of water-safety education.

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 McNicholas

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — With the United Nations headquarters located right on the East River, the NYPD is taking to the water to keep hundreds of world leaders and dignitaries safe when they visit New York next week for the U.N. General Assembly.

NYPD divers are ready for anything, says NYPD Inspector Raul Maisonet.

“When we think terrorism, counterterrorism, anything that can happen, we normally think land, air, but we always usually forget about the sea and that’s what we’re here for,” he said.

Maisonet says the NYPD Scuba Unit is diving not just near the U.N. headquarters, but also tourism hotspots like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.

“They are the best in the nation. They literally know what’s supposed to be down there, if you can picture that,” he said. “It’s not just rocks and water. They will literally feel with their hands around the areas that they’re touching to make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be.”

The NYPD is also using thermal cameras perched on top of their boats to detect anything unusually warm in the water. For example, if a person is swimming, the camera can pick them up even in the dark of night.

Police will also enforce frozen zones on the water, where unauthorized boats will not be allowed while world leaders gather.

“I can tell you the whole unit is on duty, and it really starts now,” Maisonet said. “We’ll be on duty 24/7 – plenty of boats, plenty of officers on each boat.”

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are both expected in New York for the assembly, and with protests and political tensions soaring over the last few years, the NYPD is monitoring for any credible threats. They say as of now, they’ve found none.

“As always, the NYPD will facilitate First Amendment activity. At the same time, there will be no tolerance for violence or destruction of property,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference Thursday.

The U.N. General Assembly begins Tuesday.

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 Derek James

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — You don’t need a full tank of gas or a full weekend to see Minnesota’s fall colors.

Some of the state’s best color trips can be done in a day, with time to hike, explore and still get home for dinner. Sara Berhow of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the North Shore gets most of the attention every fall, but the color is worth seeing all over the state.

Early in the season, Berhow steers people toward the prairie parks on the western side of Minnesota. Glacial Lakes State Park, outside Starbuck, has wildflowers, trails and fewer crowds. Sibley State Park is another option.

To the south, Frontenac State Park offers hiking and overlooks of the Mississippi River Valley. Berhow said fall is bird migration season and the Mississippi is a flyway, making the park a “really good spot to see bird migration.”

From Frontenac, the DNR suggests driving south and stringing parks together — John A. Latsch State Park and Great River Bluffs State Park, then west toward Rochester and Whitewater State Park.

“That could be a really great day trip, and you can hit three or four parks in one beautiful drive,” Berhow said.

If you want a quieter trip, go midweek. Berhow said Afton State Park, southeast of the Twin Cities, gets very busy on fall weekends but stays quiet on weekdays, and early morning or late evening thins the crowds anywhere.

The DNR kicked off its 2026 fall color season this month with its Fall Color Finder, which tracks change at more than 70 state parks and recreation areas and updates weekly through the end of October, according to prior CBS News reporting. Color in Minnesota typically peaks from late September through mid-October, starting in the far northwest and north-central parts of the state and working southeast, and it usually lasts about a week in any one area. Summer heat and drought could affect how brilliant the colors get, and fall has become a bigger piece of the state’s tourism business.

One more thing to keep in mind when planning: don’t get hung up on hitting the exact peak.

“After peak just means it’s not at the very best, but there’s still gonna be leaves on the trees,” Berhow said. “There are still great things to see and do.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Jason Rantala

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    NEW RICHLAND, Minnesota (WCCO) — Residents in New Richland are cleaning up from what many describe as the worst flooding they’ve ever seen in the small southern Minnesota city.

Dozens of homes in the city of about 1,200 people were impacted as floodwaters surged through neighborhoods, filled basements and forced evacuations on Saturday. Waseca County Sheriff Jay Dulas said no injuries were reported, but the extent of the damage remains unclear as water slowly recedes.

Aerial views showed large portions of the community underwater.

For homeowner Zoe Jepson, the flooding happened fast.

“I rushed to the garage and our two vehicles were underwater,” Jepson said.

Water poured into her home near the creek that runs through town, damaging furniture, carpet and her 2-year-old daughter’s toys.

“It was just panic because it was coming in fast,” she said.

Brenda Routh returned home after driving more than 12 hours from a wedding in Tennessee to find about 16 inches of water in her basement.

“We lost everything in the basement,” Routh said.

She said the force of the floodwater shattered basement windows.

“The water pressure was so high,” she said.

The flooding also prompted the evacuation of 36 senior residents from the New Richland Care Center.

“Water was flowing over Highway 13, and I said, ‘We’ve got to go now,'” said Robert Johannsen, an administrator at the care center.

It took three hours for staff to move all the residents to safety and onto two buses.

“There were three people who got to ride a bed through the water over to dry land,” Johannsen said.

New Richland experienced significant flooding in 2010 and 2016, but Dulas told WCCO this event appears to be worse than either of those floods.

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.