Author: CNN Newsource

By Chloe Godding, JoBeth Davis

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A Kansas City mother charged in her 5-year-old son’s death has pleaded guilty to a new charge.

Corrinne O’Connor was initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child after her son’s death in 2023. That charge was amended Monday, and she pleaded guilty March 16, 2026, to first-degree involuntary manslaughter.

Grayson O’Connor, 5, fell from the 17th floor of an apartment building and died. Detectives said surveillance video shows the boy fell from his apartment. His body was discovered in an alley behind that building.

Neighbors told KMBC 9 News that they believed Grayson O’Connor’s death was preventable.

Documents revealed that the Missouri Department of Social Services had seven interactions with the family before Grayson’s death but did not separate him from his mother.

Videos shared with KMBC included O’Connor repeatedly cursing at Grayson, hitting him, and another fight. Neighbors reported problems to property managers and police.

KCPD and the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services even put Grayson in a neighbor’s care for several days after he was found wandering downtown alone at night. He was returned to his mother four days later.

O’Connor was sentenced March 16, 2026, to 10 years in prison with credit for time served.

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 Emma Benson

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    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL) — At a time when owning a home seems out of reach for many, a group of friends is trying to make the American dream possible.

Sky Evans, along with his wife Lily and friend Sawyer Reidelbach, started what they call the Homerun Project. They are renovating a 1920s house in Salt Lake City and, once it’s finished, plan to give it away — no mortgage, no rent, just a fresh start, in a drawing.

“We cannot fix the housing crisis for everybody, it’s such a disaster. But we wanted to fix it for someone,” Lily Evans said.

Evans said they are renters themselves and even sold one of their investment properties to help make the renovation possible.

“That’s really how passionate we are about this — to be able to bring such a dream to somebody else,” Sky Evans said.

The transformation is already well underway.

“What’s cooler than being able to give away a house?” Reidelbach said. “Every day I wake up, it’s all I think about. I lay in bed, and I think about it — getting to work on this makes me so happy.”

Once the renovation is complete, they say the goal is simple.

“Somebody is going to get keys to a home, and that’s really the moment that this whole project is for,” Sky Evans said.

They hope to expand this project in the future, giving even more people a place to “run home” to.

“We love it. We’re so excited about it, and we think it will change someone’s life,” Lily Evans said.

The giveaway ends Aug. 23, and the winner will be randomly chosen after that. Each dollar spent on merchandise through their website counts as entries. For more details, visit TheHomerunProject.com. Updates on the renovation are also available on their Instagram page.

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 Alex Suckow

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    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WLKY) — The coroner has identified the woman who died after getting stuck on a float during Louisville’s big St. Patrick’s Day parade.

The annual parade takes place the Saturday before the holiday on Bardstown Road.

Police said that roughly an hour into Saturday’s parade, around 4 p.m., they were called because a woman who was walking next to a float got her foot caught in it, causing her to fall and get stuck under the vehicle.

That woman has been identified as Joan Pannuti Pottinger, 50.

Police said the vehicle stopped and Pottinger was given first aid. She was taken to a hospital, but died in the ER.

Her husband, Tony Pottinger, sent a photo.

He described what happened as “truly a freak accident.” He said she was marching with members of their church, St. Agnes, when she was caught under the rear wheels.

We’re told a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy rushed in to help her.

“We appreciate the work of the crowd in lifting up the vehicle and the professionalism of the first responder,” Tony said.

He provided this statement about Joan’s character:

“Joan, like the saint for whom she was named, was fiercely loyal and faithful. She was (and remains) the light of our lives as a mom, wife, and friend. We are a military family and before settling in our forever home in Louisville, we made multiple moves. In every community, Joan has been a passionate force for good, volunteering her time and helping those in need, including in her most recent work fundraising for Best Buddies. We are blessed at the outpouring of community support as we mourn our loss,” he said.

The archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville released a statement on Monday, as well.

“I was saddened to learn about the death of Joan Pottinger, a parent of St. Agnes Catholic School and parishioner of St. Agnes Church, who was killed Saturday at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. I want to express my condolences to her husband and her children as they deal with this profound loss.

“Furthermore, I want to extend my sympathy to the St. Agnes community who knew and loved Joan. Please know we are grieving with you.I invite the Archdiocese of Louisville to join me in praying for the repose of her soul, her family, and the St. Agnes School community.Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine about her. May her soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace,” Archbishop Shelton Fabre said.

Parade organizers, The Hibernian Cultural and Charitable Association, Inc, released a statement as well. It read, in part, “It is, however, deeply saddened by the tragic accident at this year’s parade. Its members’ hearts and prayers are with the family, and all impacted by the incident.”

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 Dennis Valera

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A team of scientists at the University of Maryland (UMD) is gathering first-of-its-kind data through a device you put on your underwear.

Smart Underwear is able to track whenever a person farts. While it may sound silly, this information could be a big benefit to our health, according to the leading scientist behind the effort.

While the research started at UMD, people around the country are now helping collect this data.

Dr. Brantley Hall’s lab looks more like a factory these days, with multiple 3D printers running at all times.

The machines are working constantly to produce devices about the size of a nickel and it goes on your underwear.

“We thought, maybe we can advance our science by making a new type of wearable device that we can have people wear all day,” said Hall, who teaches in UMD’s cell biology and molecular genetics department.

Hall’s lab studies gut microbial metabolism, the process that causes people to produce flatus, which most people know as farting.

Right now, there is no scientific baseline on what constitutes a healthy amount of passing gas. Hall wants to change that.

“More than one-in-five people report experiencing excess intestinal gas, but right now there’s no objective measure of whether they’re telling the truth or not,” Hall said. “We obviously have physiological baselines for most measures, like blood glucose or cholesterol, but without one for flatus, it’s very hard to say when someone has excess flatus or not.”

Initially, Hall and his team conducted a smaller study with mostly UMD undergrad students.

Now, they’re going bigger, launching the Human Flatus Atlas. This is a national study where anyone in the country can participate.

When you sign up, a Smart Underwear device is sent to your home. You’ll have to wear the device for three days in a row.

Hall said they are looking for people across the spectrum to participate, including:

Those with high fiber diets who don’t fart a lot, which he calls Zen Digesters Those who do fart a lot, which he calls Hydrogen Hyperproducers Anyone else in between

“Our current maximum number [of farts] is about 175 times per day, and our current minimum number is four times per day. That’s a huge variation between people,” Hall said.

All Hall is really aiming to do is figure out something about our gut and to create a new healthy standard.

“We’re trying to understand how different fibers affect gas production and how people can eat a healthy, high-fiber diet without experiencing excess intestinal gas,” he said. “We need to go beyond patient perception and measure objectively. We’re in the unknown here, and it’s always an extremely exciting place to be.”

Hall is hoping to have results by the summer.

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By Tricia Kean

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In a city known for quick weddings and big romance, wedding officiant Maria Romano has had a front-row seat to thousands of couples finding love.

Romano has helped more than 7,000 couples say “I do” at the Chapel of Flowers in Las Vegas, where she performs weddings.

“I get to meet people from all over the world, all walks of life,” Romano said.

“And many of them live here and I always ask my first question is how did you meet? So definitely here in Las Vegas you can find love,” Romano said.

Romano is also the founder of True Love Knots, which works with couples from around the world to plan their wedding in Las Vegas. She says the city has long carried a reputation for neon lights and quick weddings, but that perception is changing.

“We were known for many years as a transient town. People would come, but they wouldn’t stay. But because we’re growing as a community, we have close to 3 million people where we are creating families. We’re building families, relationships, and real connections. So there’s an opportunity to definitely find love,” Romano said.

As a widow herself, Romano says she understands the vulnerability that comes with putting yourself back out there. That’s why she often encourages people, whether they meet through dating apps or everyday encounters, to stay open to connection.

Among the thousands of couples she has married, one story stands out.

“There was a couple I married not too long ago. They were both gamers online. He lived here in Las Vegas. She lived in Germany. So yes, they finally met 2 years later. I married them, as a matter of fact, right here in this chapel, so you never know where you’re going to find love,” Romano said.

After thousands of ceremonies, Romano says she has learned one thing — when people take that chance, love often finds a way.

“There are so many ways to find love in many different ways, and you know what? We’re real people. We’re out there making real connections and building real relationships, so love can happen anywhere. And why not get lucky in Las Vegas? Listen, it’s a sure bet,” Romano said.

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

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By Brenna Donnelly

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    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL) — A Utah mother is raising awareness about the heightened suicide risk among military veterans after losing her own son, Private First Class Bowden Hunter of Saratoga Springs.

Utah currently ranks second in the nation for veteran suicide (adjusted for population), with 78 deaths reported last year, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Because the state has a smaller-than-average veteran population, the numbers are especially alarming to families like the Hunters.

The statistics have motivated Janaea Hunter to launch “Bowden’s Brigade,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safe, community-centered spaces for veterans returning to civilian life.

Hunter said her message is especially important as more American military members are heading overseas. The United States is in the midst of its largest Middle East deployment since 2003, according to Center for Strategic and International Studies statistics. This week, military officials confirmed 5,000 more marines will deploy and join the 50,000 American soldiers already in the Middle East.

A memorial held Friday in Bluffdale honored Bowden with a “Battle Vest” ceremony — an event designed both to remember his life and to spotlight the ongoing crisis of veteran and emergency responder suicide. James Collins, president of “Heroes in the Sky,” explained the vest displays 19 names of service members who died by suicide, including seven from Utah.

It is one of several similar vests traveling the country thanks to “Heroes in the Sky.” The one dedicated in Bluffdale Friday will remain in Utah with “Bowden’s Brigade.”

“Veterans need to be around other veterans,” Hunter said. “There are so many organizations people don’t know about, and we want them to know there’s a place they can go when they get home — where they can still be with their veteran brothers and sisters. So they don’t have that sense of loss; it’s like moving to a different base.”

Bowden’s Brigade, together with Heroes in the Sky, hope to shift public understanding of post‑traumatic stress disorder, describing it not as a weakness but as a nervous system injury that results from trauma. Through awareness and increased access to resources, both groups aim to reduce veteran suicides in Utah.

“This just so happens to come right at a time where there’s international conflict that sits heavily on a lot of us combat veterans’ minds as we process what’s happening overseas right now,” Collins said. “Whether or not you deployed or not, the commitment of veterans or first responders service involves significant sacrifice.”

Hunter said she also hopes to see a behavior change in the community members the soldiers will return home to.

“My biggest concern, honestly, is the political stance that people have, and they hold it against the veterans,” she said. “They’re just doing what they’re told. They signed up because they love our country and they want to protect us. And whether you agree with the conflict or not, you shouldn’t hold it against them.”

The organization’s next major effort is a Salute to Service Gala on May 9 at Club Paddock in American Fork. The public is invited to attend and contribute to the group’s ongoing veteran meetups, which are designed to build connection and prevent isolation among Utah veterans

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 Mike Anderson

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    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL) — Technology, developed through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, could become Utah’s new standard in measuring snowpack, and managing water supply.

A three-year pilot program called Wings Over Weber is being focused on about 805 square miles within the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. Planes flying in meticulous zigzag patterns above, collect data, using millions of tiny lasers, with what’s known as light detection and ranging, or LiDAR.

Jon Parry, assistant general manager at the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, said he’s very interested to see what they can learn from the data gathered.

“When we know what the snowpack looks like — the depths across the entirety of the drainage — we have a better ability to forecast the runoff scenarios,” Parry explained. “We have just more accurate information to help us make better decisions.”

Utah’s Division of Water Resources is running the program, thanks to about a million dollars in grants from the Bureau of Reclamation. Scott McGettigan, section manager over water efficiency, said the process to gather and create the 3D modeling is tedious and expensive. Water managers in California have been using the technology for over a decade. McGettigan said part of the pilot program will take a close look at whether the cost is worth the benefit for Utah.

“Part of the process is to understand the value that it provides versus the cost associated with the different projects,” McGettigan explained. “It’s not cheap to put planes in the air, flying back and forth over a watershed.”

Currently, SNOTEL sites, spread across wide areas help give averages of snowpack levels. Even if Utah adopts the new 3D-based technology, the SNOTEL sites will still be needed to help measure snow density.

Ideally, water managers hope the more accurate data will help them better prepare for flooding events, and improve collaboration in restoring Great Salt Lake. While the verdict is still out on whether the tech is worthwhile in Utah, McGettigan said it’s important to take a close look at resources that could help improve how we use and conserve water.

“I think we’re at a stage where we should really take advantage of learning and maybe not slow down at this point in time,” he 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 Erin Wencl

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    RICHLAND, Washington (KAPP) — The Richland Police Department’s Bomb Squad responded to a home Saturday after a person called and said they had found what they believed to be a grenade.

The call for help came in around 1:30 p.m. The woman said her and her mother were cleaning out a relative’s home on the 1000 block of Smith Avenue when they found the device inside a drawer. The device was moved to the front yard.

When officers got to the scene, they established a safety perimeter around the home. Members of the bomb squad checked out the device and safely removed it from the area.

According to the Richland Police Department, calls like this are not uncommon. RPD asked if anyone ever comes across devices they feel are suspicious to call police right away. Do not attempt to take the device anywhere on your own.

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 Craig Smith

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    TUCSON, Arizona (KGUN) — A cartoon character may have helped Tucson Police track down a suspect in an alleged road rage shooting that wounded two teens. Police say a well known cartoon cat helped identify the suspect’s car.

There were five people on board when someone fired a shot into a truck, according to police. They say the bullet went through the leg of one teenaged girl, kept going and wounded another girl.

The trouble happened near Golf Links and Kolb.

The victims said when they tried to move into the right lane, another car rushed into the spot, and the driver fired a shot into the car.

Police say the victims got a good look at the car’s personalized plate and the Hello Kitty sticker on the back glass. KGUN9 is not showing the sticker from the car. Our story shows how the cartoon cat appears on the site of Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty.

Police put the car description into their databases. That led officers to a house less than a mile from where the shooting happened.

There, they arrested 29 year old David Anthony Cedeno. He’s facing ten charges in all, including 5 charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Court documents say he claimed he heard a shot coming from the victims’ car.

Police say they also found a woman named Heather Allen leaving the house as officers arrived. They say she admitted removing the car’s plate and the Hello Kitty sticker.

She said she was in the car with Cedeno at the time of the shooting and did not see or hear anything that suggested a gun in the other car.

As of Friday night Cedeno was still in the Pima County Jail. His bond is set at $75,000 either cash or secured through a bail bond.

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.