Rare flesh-eating infection leaves Pennsylvania business owner in the hospital

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Cheyenne Corin

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    DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — A Montgomery County business owner is continuing to recover in the hospital after being diagnosed with a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection, a medical emergency that has kept him hospitalized since mid-December.

Peter Atkinson, 49, of North Wales, has been at Doylestown Hospital since Dec. 19 after doctors diagnosed him with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating bacteria.

Atkinson said the hospital’s swift response saved his life.

“If it wasn’t for the help of this hospital, I would definitely be dead,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson said his illness initially felt like the flu. He described spiking a 104-degree fever and noticing a mass in his chest area before seeking medical care.

“How did I get this? How did this happen? Apparently, it’s rare, but it’s not that rare because it happened to me,” he said.

He said doctors quickly realized the severity of his condition.

“I showed them, and it was like, wow, not even five minutes later, he came and said, ‘We have to do emergency surgery. We’re going to intubate you,'” Atkinson said.

The infection later progressed to sepsis, and his kidneys began to fail, according to his family. His sister, Marietta Atkinson, said the experience has been especially painful given their family’s history.

“Probably one of the most traumatic events in our life, second traumatic event. In 2016, we lost our sister to sepsis, very similar to what Pete had,” she said.

Family members said Atkinson began to show signs of improvement on Christmas. His wife, Sherri Paulson-Atkinson, described the emotional toll of seeing her husband hospitalized.

“My husband is a fighter, he’s a go-getter, he is always busy, and to see him laying there like that was really hard for me,” she said.

Atkinson owns a towing company and is unable to work for the foreseeable future. To help support the family, a friend started a fundraiser page that has raised $13,000.

“The amount of people that have touched me just in the last couple of days – I can’t fathom the help,” Atkinson said.

Paulson-Atkinson said the family remains focused on his recovery.

“He does everything for us, and we just need him back,” she said.

Atkinson is currently on dialysis. He is scheduled to undergo another procedure and is expected to eventually be moved to a rehabilitation facility to continue his recovery.

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.

‘I want to take full accountability’: Milwaukee father sentenced to 19 years for injuring infant son over video game

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Mia Bearden

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — A Milwaukee father has been sentenced to 19 years for injuring his 8-month-old son during a video game.

Jalin White, 22, was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by seven years of extended supervision.

According to the criminal complaint, the child’s mother returned home and noticed something was wrong.

Court records show the baby’s arms were twitching, his hands were changing color, and one eye was swollen shut.

White was holding his son while playing a video game when he became frustrated after falling behind by two points.

Investigators said he threw the baby against a wall and heard the child’s head hit it loudly.

“My intentions were never to hurt my baby boy, everything just happened too quick,” he said.

He took responsibility for his actions in court on Tuesday.

“I want to take full accountability for my actions, of being under the influence, on drugs while my child was in my care. I made a mistake. My mind was moving fast, I was moving fast, and I wasn’t thinking,” he said.

The baby was taken to the hospital, where doctors found a large skull fracture and a serious brain injury.

The child now requires care from multiple specialists and is visually impaired.

“I thank God every day that he is okay and breathing. I’m sorry that he suffered those injuries and I won’t ever let that happen again,” White said.

The child’s mother appeared in court via Zoom but logged off before sentencing, saying it was too difficult for her to continue. White’s family declined to comment.

White told the judge he plans to change when he is released.

“When I go home, I am going to be the best father I can to my J,” 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.

Mississippi store owner’s pigeon feeding draws mixed reactions

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Ross Adams

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    BYRAM, Mississippi (WAPT) — At a busy shopping center in Byram, a store owner’s practice of feeding pigeons for nearly 20 years has sparked mixed reactions from the community, including concerns from the mayor about the birds’ impact on the area.

“If you take care, I take care of you. So, I trust in God and that’s why I started this. And after that long time, maybe many years, I still continue feeding birds and birds love me. Birds are like a blessing,” said Newton Patel, who feeds the pigeons outside his liquor store.

Mayor Richard White is concerned about the growing number of birds, which he estimates to be around 40,000.

“He was just being friendly to them and the next thing we know, there’s 40,000 of them out there. It’s a bunch. They were everywhere,” White said. “They would land on the power lines and take turns going to eat and everything.”

The mayor said there are also issues with the birds interfering with fans and air conditioning units, leading to requests for people to stop feeding them in the parking lot, where the birds tend to congregate outside a grocery store near the McDonald’s at Siwell and Terry Roads.

“I don’t think they need to be in that parking lot with all the stuff we’ve got going on in our downtown. That’s our downtown area by the way,” White said.

Despite the concerns, some locals, like Carl Bolton and Dennis Smith, are unfazed by the pigeons.

“I’m not speeding through to run them off. But as long as you drive they’ll move. They ain’t gonna get hit,” Bolton said. Smith added, “They don’t bother me and I don’t bother them. so everything’s good.”

Patel remains committed to feeding the birds.

“Birds are a blessing to everyone if you like it. If someone doesn’t like it, I cannot say. But I love birds,” he said.

Over the years, Patel has spent thousands of dollars on birdseed to continue his practice.

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.

Video shows Florida first responders ‘hazing’ 19-year-old rookie

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Gail Paschall-Brown

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    MARION COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has released interviews and documents regarding an alleged hazing incident at an Ocala fire station last month, involving the waterboarding and bullying of a rookie firefighter.

One of the employees arrested, a paramedic with Marion County Fire Rescue, told detectives she took pictures and videos of the incident but was later instructed to delete them, which she did, except for one video.

“I just don’t want my merch anymore,” the victim yelled in a video showing the 19-year-old firefighter being restrained at Fire Station 21. He repeatedly shouted that he no longer wanted the merchandise from the station.

Tate Trauthwein, Edward Kenny III, Seth Day, and Kaylee Bradley are accused of assaulting and terrorizing the young firefighter on November 16. The firefighters face charges of kidnapping, robbery, and battery.

“You have the right to remain silent,” a detective said while reading Bradley her Miranda rights. In a tearful interview with Marion County Sheriff investigators, Bradley explained that she initially thought the incident was just horseplay among the firefighters. “I thought that we were friends. This is something they’ve done a million times,” she said. “I thought they were friends. They told them to stop, and they didn’t stop. I’ve only been there a month. This was like a daily occurrence.”

When asked by the investigator if this was the first time anyone had been beaten with a belt and essentially waterboarded, she replied, “No, it’s not.”

The victim reported being waterboarded and bullied during the alleged hazing incident on November 16. He told detectives he was also beaten with a duty belt. “One came behind me and held my arms and dragged me over to in front of the bay… took my belt off and started hitting me with it,” he said.

Bradley said she took videos and pictures on her phone. “I have like them like rough housing like on my phone, and then they told me stop taking videos of it, so I did,” she said.

In an initial interview, detectives asked Bradley if it was horseplay. “I thought it was horseplay, but then Tate said he had left marks on him,” she said. “I was told not to bring up any instances of former hazing, so this was like an isolated incident; this was a joke that went too far,” she added.

When asked by a detective at what point she thought the situation was getting out of hand, Bradley said, “It alone, like not even getting to the waterboarding point, it just felt excessively wrong.”

Bradley told detectives she permanently deleted everything except one video. “I just felt like this was going to be something. I didn’t want to get in trouble for deleting anything,” she said.

Paramedic Kaylee Bradley was charged with robbery and principal-accessory to robbery. In total, 10 fire rescue members were fired for failing to report the alleged hazing at Fire Station 21 last month. The fire chief stated that those fired included leadership personnel who were on shift the day the alleged hazing occurred.

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.

Man sleeping in burning Florida home saved by friends

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Kendall Brandt & Layza Pinero Resto

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    FORT MYERS, Florida (WBBH) — A man sleeping in his Fort Myers home was woken up by friends after a fire started in the roof of the home.

The Fort Myers Fire Department arrived to the house on Cranford Avenue near St. Charles Street at 10:15. Before crews arrived, Tony Holmes said he was asleep, but his roommates got him out of the house.

“It was blazing, the fire, but they caught it,” Holmes said. “I’m glad they caught it. They caught it just in time.”

Fort Myers Fire Department leaders reported the fire started in the roof, rendering the house unsafe. Battalion Chief Paul Dearmond of the Fort Myers Fire Department said, “There’s a couple of people that might be displaced for a little bit, but they said they had family members that they can stay with.”

Holmes mentioned that his roommate’s part of the home is destroyed and expressed uncertainty about his next steps, though he is thankful the fire did not spread further.

“It was traveling pretty fast, but they got it, caught it just in time,” Holmes said. “It would have got away with a jump to the next house here, too.” Holmes said.

Fire crews are still investigating the cause of the fire.

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.

Volunteers save Mechanicsburg’s 21-year New Year’s Eve wrench drop

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By AJ Sisson

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    MECHANICSBURG, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — The Mechanicsburg New Year’s Eve wrench drop is on tonight, continuing a 21-year tradition in Mechanicsburg that nearly did not happen this year.

“I announced we’re going to do it. And then, it just unfolded, and I said, ‘I can’t do this by myself,'” said Darrell Westby, organizer of the Mechanicsburg NYE Wrench Drop since 2004.

Since 2004, Westby and his wife have organized the Mechanicsburg wrench drop, but this year is different because of recent personal losses and health issues.

“The wife passed away last year, and that’s made a big change,” said Westby.

On top of lung cancer surgery in October of this year, and his son recovering from a motor vehicle accident, Westby could not organize the wrench drop all on his own.

Westby posted to Facebook on Dec. 10 that he canceled the wrench drop, before a Mechanicsburg husband and wife stepped in to help.

“Our initial reaction was we were rather sad,” said Joseph Kattermann, the new wrench drop organizer who moved to the borough in 2022. “My wife and I saw it, we kind of just looked at each other at the kitchen table and said, ‘Hey, you know what? We need to do the right thing, keep this going.'”

“I’ve told the couple that’s taking over there’s a lot of work. It’s a full-time job year-round,” said Westby.

Less than 24 hours after the cancellation post, Westby made a new post that the wrench drop would continue, and the wrench now waits to be hoisted on Main Street. Volunteers at the Mechanicsburg Fire Department will help set up Main Street and raise the wrench with a ladder truck, as they’ve done for the last four years, to keep the tradition alive.

“We’re doing our best to have our members help out, labor-wise. To help Darrell, you know, give his last send off here and help him out to make this a good New Year’s for him,” said Ricky Martini, vice president of the Mechanicsburg Volunteer Fire Department.

The wrench symbolizes the mechanics who lived in the borough during the late 1700s, where in 1828, the borough officially donned the name “Mechanicsburg.” The drop started in 2004 after an Eagle Scout, Sheldon Rogers, came up with the idea to celebrate the new year and commemorate those who helped build the town.

A small commemorative wrench is made every new year with the year it will turn printed on it, and it will also be available for attendees to take home.

“Seeing the history that’s behind it. There’s a lot of responsibility with that. So we’re looking forward to bringing it forward,” said Kattermann.

“It’s gratifying to know that the community does recognize the wrench drop, and they want it to continue,” said Westby.

Roads on Main Street will close at 8 p.m., with events including a live band, a DJ and kids’ activities starting at 9 p.m., and the big wrench drop at midnight.

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.

Teen honored at Rose Parade after two liver transplants

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Lauren Seaver

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    WATSONVILLE, California (KSBW) — Treasure Every Moment Together–that’s the theme of the Donor Network West float at this year’s Rose Parade in Pasadena.

18-year-old Christian Gomez from Watsonville will be on it. “I look forward to meeting the other honorees at the Rose Parade and learning about their journeys,” said Christian Gomez.

Christian’s journey starts back in 2007. He was born prematurely at 34 weeks, weighing only 3 pounds and 11 ounces, and his skin and eyes were very yellow. Watsonville Community Hospital referred him to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with biliary atresia.

“We were scared. We didn’t really know what it meant,” said Christian’s mom, Maria Gomez.

Stanford doctors told the Gomez family Christian would need a transplant and would not survive without one. “Waiting on that waitlist, you don’t know when it’s going to arrive, if it even arrives on time. He didn’t have much time. So I was very lucky I was a match,” said Maria Gomez.

Maria donated a portion of her liver to Christian and that transplant lasted 17 years. “I have been able to go to school. Play soccer. Just enjoy my life,” he said.

But liver issues returned and Christian ended up back on the national transplant waiting list in 2024. A frustrating and devastating moment for him and his family.

“Really made me upset but it all comes to a point where you really just have to move on, keep going and pushing through,” he explained. “I am very proud of my son. He’s been very strong. He’s been a fighter. And he continues to be positive about all of this, even if it’s a tough road,” said his mom.

That tough road got a little easier in May of this year, when Christian and his family got a call about a donor who was a match. He successfully received a second transplant, this time a full liver donation. “Hopefully this is it. And I just keep living my dream,” he said.

Now Chistian is being celebrated by Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, where he’s had both transplant surgeries and treatment, and Donor Network West.

Christian says his mission now is to spread the word about organ donation as he is living proof of how it saves lives. “You really can save a lot of lives,” he said.

Maria said, “It’s a great gift. When you are able to donate, it gives you a selfless gift. You’re literally giving another person a chance to live.” Something Christian and his family celebrate every day. They know how to treasure every moment together and they’ll do so at the Rose Parade this New Year’s Day.

More than 20,000 people await transplants just here in California. To become a registered donor, there’s a link here: donornetworkwest.org.

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.

“The most contagious infection that we know of”: Local doctors speak out after suspected measles case appears in NKY

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Danielle Dindak & Kurt Knue

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    WILLIAMSTOWN, Kentucky (WLWT) — Officials are working to get the word out after a suspected case of measles was reported in Northern Kentucky this week.

The Northern Kentucky Health Department tells WLWT that an unvaccinated child traveled with adults from out of state to visit the Ark Encounter in Grant County on Monday.

The child is believed by health officials to have had measles, with potentially as many as a thousand or more people said to have been visiting the Ark on Monday.

Additionally, the child had also previously stayed at the nearby Holiday Inn Express in Dry Ridge between Dec. 28 and 30.

Doctors warn that measles is highly contagious, and is a disease that has made a resurgence in recent years due to declining vaccination rates throughout the U.S.

“When I hear about measles exposure, I think about how measles is the most contagious infection that we know of to date,” said Dr. Tracy Cable, an infectious disease specialist at UC Medical Center.

Cable added that most of those who become infected with measles may not feel or see symptoms for weeks. “The incubation period between the exposure and when they develop symptoms, most commonly it’s 11 or 12 days, but it could be up to 21 days,” said Cable.

With over 2,000 cases reported throughout 2025 in the U.S., the epicenter of this most recent possible outbreak is localized to Grant County, with a specific focus on one of the busiest tourist destinations across Kentucky.

“You know, anywhere between 800 to a couple thousand people were there on the 29th, so we’re trying to reach out to all those people and let them know,” said Skip Tate of the Northern Kentucky Health Department. “And so, that’s a lot of people. There’s the potential for really widespread passing on of the disease.”

Experts add that measles can can be transmitted through the air, with the disease able to remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the room.

“So, if this family maybe sat down at a table to get something to eat and they were talking — or the child coughed or something like that, the next family that may have come in and used that table may not have had direct contact with them — but they still were exposed to the disease,” said Tate.

Doctors say that the best way to protect yourself and loved ones against measles is to get vaccinated.

“Twenty percent of the people who actually get measles end up in the hospital,” said Tate. “Because it can advance to other issues like pneumonia or like cephalitis. It can cause hearing problems and respiratory problems that they have to carry with them for the rest of their life.”

On Friday, a representative with Ark Encounter released a statement that said that the attraction’s management was continuing to monitor the situation, and that they have reached out to guests who were present at the Ark on Monday.

“We have been notified by the Northern Kentucky Health Department that a child who visited the Ark Encounter on Monday has been diagnosed with measles,” the statement read in part. “For unvaccinated guests in attendance on Monday, the email requested that they promptly contact their personal physician for guidance, indicating that measles can be contagious before symptoms appear. That same information was shared with Ark staff. 775 emails were sent to guest families who visited Monday.”

“We pray that the child affected is doing well,” the statement concluded. “We have not heard of reports that other guests have contracted measles.”

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.

Towing company donates repairs, tires to help high school student get to school

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Andy Alcock

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    INDEPENDENCE, Missouri (KMBC) — A towing company has gone the extra mile to help a high school student in need.

Last month, Jason Hubbs’ Ford Fusion rolled up to William Chrisman High School in Independence on a tow truck with some new tires.

On Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, Hubbs had a blowout on the highway.

His sister rescued him, and he left his car.

“I was supposed to come back later that day. And when I went back, it was gone,” Hubbs said.

With snow in the forecast, Jason’s car had been towed.

And it would cost $800, he didn’t have to get it without repairs.

Living with a friend’s family in the Northland and having no way to get to school, Hubbs was waking up at 4 a.m., taking a bus, walking for about half an hour, and still showing up late for school.

Hubbs talked to Chrisman Family Counselor Angela Shipley and told her why.

“So, I called my boss, and I was like, hey, I’ve got to figure out how to get his car out so he can get here to school,” Shipley said.

She reached out to Lindsay Inlow of Brad’s Towing & Recovery.

After speaking to Inlow, owner Bradd Trigg decided not only to give Hubbs his car back free of charge, but he also replaced the tires, had a cracked wheel fixed, and added new brakes.

“I had a rough life too and I would like someone to help me like this kid deserves to get help,” Trigg said.

“He’s a great kid and truly comes here, is dedicated to finishing his studies, wants to graduate, has plans for after school,” Shipley said.

“There’s many ways I could thank them, and it has really helped me a lot, and it has made me really look at the people differently,” Hubbs said.

He also said he wants to help people who are worse off than himself by feeding homeless people in his community.

“Big O Tire” and “D and M Automotive” also contributed to the repairs for Hubbs’ car.

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.

Charter school to close after nearly 25 years, leaving 200+ students searching for new schools

CNN Newsource on January 2, 2026

By Tony Atkins

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — More than 200 students at Legends Academy Charter School are facing uncertainty after the school’s board voted to close the Orlando campus just weeks before students are set to return from winter break.

The school’s board of directors voted 4-2 Monday to shut down the charter school, citing unsustainable financial challenges. Legends Academy has served the community for nearly 25 years.

Parents say the timing and lack of notice made the decision especially difficult for families.

“Disgraced is the only word that I have,” said Saleena Simmons, whose son attended the school for four years.

Simmons said her son was devastated when he learned he would not be returning to Legends Academy.

“He was sobbing. My son does not cry,” she said. “He couldn’t even enjoy his Christmas because the only thing he’s thinking about is he won’t have his friends from school.”

Simmons said parents received notice of the board meeting just before winter break, leaving little time to process or prepare for the closure. With her son just one semester away from high school, she worries about how quickly students will be placed elsewhere.

“They’re going to help us with withdrawal paperwork, but nothing was based on getting these kids into classrooms immediately,” Simmons said.

According to the school’s website, Legends Academy had 214 students enrolled. As of our check on Monday, the website no longer lists academic or enrollment information, displaying only a notice about Monday’s board meeting.

In the meeting, board chair Frank Mitchell said the decision was made due to ongoing financial issues.

“We do have the financial issues ahead of us, and we do have to make a decision,” Mitchell said. “We need to act so we can provide for the transition period and the next steps.”

The school’s board of directors sent this statement to WESH2 News:

“For nearly 25 years, Legends Academy has been a place of learning, growth and community for students and families, made possible by the dedication of its educators and staff. After careful review of the school’s financial condition and long-term viability, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to close the school due to unsustainable financial challenges. This decision was not made lightly and does not diminish the impact the school has had on generations of families. The Board is working closely with the School District to complete the required closure process and support families as they plan next steps.”

Simmons said the closure impacts more than just students.

“It’s 200-plus students. It’s all of the staff,” she said. “These people are displaced. They don’t have a job.”

The school said it is working with Orange County Public Schools to complete the closure process and plans to support families as they determine next steps.

On Friday, OCPS said, “We understand that this unexpected news has created uncertainty and concern for many students and their families attending the charter school.

OCPS has contacted impacted families to offer guidance, support, and provide student enrollment options within our schools or explore other school choices through Open Enrollment. We are committed to supporting students through this transition so they can continue to receive high-quality instruction.”

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.