Author: CNN Newsource

By Stephanie Moore, Brad Broders

Click here for updates on this story

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WYFF) — A bear was able to get into an Asheville home and swat at a woman inside on its way out, according to firefighters.

The Reems Creek Fire Department confirmed that fire crews were called to an incident involving a bear about 9 p.m. Tuesday on Spooks Branch Road north of downtown Asheville.

Crews said when they arrived, they used a siren to try and scare away any bears in the area.

They said no bears were seen by firefighters and crews were able to safely get into the home.

Firefighters said a woman inside the home encountered the bear as it left, with the bear swatting at the occupant on its way out.

Buncombe County EMS also responded, evaluated the woman, and took her for further evaluation.

A North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission spokesperson said an adult female bear entered a home through an unlocked door while her three cubs were seen playing on the front porch and said the woman was injured while attempting to give the bear an escape route out of the home.

The NCWRC said the adult female bear poses a threat to human safety and efforts are being made to humanely dispatch the bear. NCWRC biologists will determine whether the cubs are at a self-sufficient age to be moved to an undeveloped area based on NCWRC orphaned cub guidelines.

We saw crews taking bear traps near the woman’s property Wednesday afternoon.

“I mean it’s two-fold because we are starting to get used to seeing bears in the neighborhood and we leave them alone and for the most part they leave us alone but when bears become so aggressive and desperate it is frightening,” one neighbor said, who didn’t want to be identified out of respect for her injured neighbor. “

The Reems Creek Fire Department also said in a post about the bear encounter, “We remind residents in areas with active bear populations to use caution, secure potential food sources and other attractants, and keep doors and windows secured. Please do not approach or attempt to interact with a bear.”

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 Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    August 20, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — In a county of more than five million people, public safety is never a one-tool job. Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis is making the case that keeping neighborhoods safe requires not only responding to crime, but investing earlier — before a behavioral-health crisis becomes an arrest, before neighborhood tensions become gunfire and before domestic violence turns deadly.

Ellis, alongside Georgetown Law’s Center for Innovations in Community Safety, has released Advancing Safer Communities in Harris County, a report recommending an additional $4.5 million for three community-safety initiatives launched in 2022: the Holistic Assistance Response Team (HART), RISE community violence interruption program, and domestic violence prevention and intervention programs. The additional funding would bring the proposed investment in the programs to $15.3 million.

For Ellis — a longtime civil-rights leader with more than four decades in public service — the philosophy is straightforward: good government should be smart enough to stop some emergencies from becoming emergencies in the first place.

“For too long, our public safety systems have been built to respond only after harm has already happened,” Ellis said, arguing that mental-health and substance-use challenges often require treatment rather than a jail cell. “We have four years of proof that these programs work. Now we have an obligation to make these programs permanent.”

photo Harris County community safety leaders gather for the release of Advancing Safer Communities in Harris County, a new report highlighting the results of HART, RISE and domestic-violence prevention initiatives while calling for an additional $4.5 million investment to strengthen and sustain proven community-based safety strategies. Ivonne Godinez

HART: Sending the Right Help HART may be the clearest example of that approach. The program dispatches unarmed interdisciplinary response teams to nonviolent calls involving behavioral health, homelessness, substance use and other quality-of-life concerns. Harris County Public Health confirms that HART began in March 2022 and expanded throughout all Harris County Sheriff’s Office districts by 2025.

The newly released report says HART has now answered more than 31,000 calls, connected more than 5,000 residents to care, and freed thousands of hours for deputies and emergency medical personnel to concentrate on situations requiring their specialized response.

That is not about replacing law enforcement. It is about letting law enforcement do more law enforcement.

“Community safety cannot rest on law enforcement alone,” said Mariela Ruiz-Angel, Georgetown Law’s Director of Community Safety Initiatives and a report co-author. She emphasized behavioral health, crisis response and prevention as complementary tools that allow police to focus on situations where an armed law-enforcement response is truly necessary.

RISE: Interrupting Violence Before the Trigger Is Pulled The county’s RISE — Relentless Interrupters Serving Everyone — program takes prevention directly into neighborhoods. Harris County’s strategic plan identifies RISE expansion as part of its objective to reduce violent crime, using trusted “credible messengers” to interrupt conflicts and defuse tensions before they escalate.

According to the new report, Cypress Station — where RISE was piloted alongside other public-safety interventions — experienced a 36% decline in crime, including a 48% decrease in family violence and 34% decrease in aggravated robberies during the first two years of the initiative.

Domestic-violence initiatives provide the third pillar. The report says county programs have assisted more than 5,000 survivors and children in safely leaving abusive situations while delivering more than 20,000 hours of therapeutic care to 1,000 families.

And then comes the taxpayer test.

The report estimates Harris County could save more than $5 million in detention and legal expenses if an expanded HART prevents 500 additional low-level jail bookings and RISE prevents seven gun-related homicides.

With Commissioners Court preparing to make Fiscal Year 2027 budget decisions, Ellis’ proposal presents a distinctly Houston-sized question: If prevention is working, can Harris County afford not to invest in more of it?

For a county accustomed to thinking big, $4.5 million could prove that sometimes the smartest public-safety investment is the crisis that never happens.

Community Health and Violence Prevention Services Website: HarriPs County Community Safety Programs

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

By Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    August 20, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston’s 2026 Annual Faith for Social Justice Luncheon brought faith, public service and community action to the same table Friday, August 7, under the powerful theme “Freedom Rising 2026.”

Presented by Kingdom Builders Global Fellowship, the annual gathering at 1024 Pinemont Drive in Houston reflected a historic tradition deeply rooted in the Black church: using faith not simply as inspiration, but as a force for civic participation, equality and social progress.

photo

Bishop James Dixon II, co-leader of Freedom Rising, delivered the movement message, challenging attendees to transform belief into meaningful action. Houston television personality Isiah Carey served as moderator of a powerhouse panel featuring U.S. Rep. Al Green, U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee, State Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons, State Rep. Ron Reynolds, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Rev. Dr. Max Miller, Shekira Dennis and Rev. Alex Moorer.

The luncheon also recognized an impressive group of 2026 honorees, including Johnny Mata, State Sen. Royce West, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, Conchita Reyes, Dr. Coretta Mallett-Fontenot and Rev. Dr. Samuel Gilbert II.

For generations, Houston’s churches and faith leaders have helped turn moral conviction into community progress. Freedom Rising 2026 carried that legacy forward with a timely message: justice works best when people of faith, elected leaders and everyday citizens rise together.

And in Houston, that movement is clearly still rising.

More on The Community Of Faith Church, go to: thecommunityoffaith.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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

By Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    August 20, 2025 (Houston Style Magazine) — Tuesday, August 18, 2026, was more than certificate day at Houston City College’s Stafford Campus Workforce Center. It was another green light for Greater Houston’s fast-moving manufacturing future, as nearly 50 Tesla employees completed specialized workforce training through the expanding HCC–Tesla partnership.

The milestone put people—not machines—at the center of advanced manufacturing. Inside HCC Southwest’s Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence, Tesla employees have been sharpening hands-on skills designed to translate directly into high-demand work at Tesla’s Megafactory Texas in Brookshire. In an industry filled with robotics, automation and sophisticated energy technology, the partnership carries a refreshingly human message: before a world-class factory can run, a world-class workforce must be ready to run it.

And HCC has been preparing Houstonians for that moment for years.

photo

HCC Southwest traces its Stafford presence to 1998, and the campus has steadily evolved into a workforce and technology hub serving one of America’s most diverse metropolitan regions. Today, Stafford’s Workforce Building supports advanced manufacturing and other career-focused programs designed around practical skills and modern industry needs.

That history makes the Tesla partnership feel less like a sudden spark and more like the next powerful connection in a circuit HCC has been building for decades.

The collaboration accelerated in May 2026, when Houston City College and Tesla signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Stafford and celebrated an inaugural cohort of 12 program completers. HCC said the partnership incorporates curriculum development, shared resources and direct training opportunities, with participants demonstrating skills in industrial maintenance, advanced manufacturing, troubleshooting and workplace safety. The partners also announced plans to substantially expand participation during 2026.

Three months later, nearly 50 additional Tesla employees crossing the training finish line offers an encouraging snapshot of that promise becoming practice.

The timing could hardly be better for Greater Houston. Tesla is developing its Megafactory in Brookshire, west of Houston, as a major energy-storage manufacturing operation. Tesla has said the new facility will produce Megapack 3 for its next-generation Megablock energy-storage system, with production planned for 2026. Current Tesla career listings in Brookshire include manufacturing, production, fabrication, maintenance, engineering and operations positions.

That is where Houston City College’s workforce model shines. Instead of asking industry what it needed yesterday, HCC is helping prepare workers for what employers need next.

HCC Chancellor Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher has described the partnership as part of the College’s commitment to building strong industry connections and meaningful career opportunities. HCC Board Chair Eva Loredo has similarly characterized the collaboration as the future of workforce education—connecting classroom instruction, hands-on experience and pathways into high-demand careers.

photo

For the nearly 50 employees honored August 18, those big-picture ideas now have names, faces, certificates and new skills attached to them.

Houston has always been a city that knows how to build—energy systems, medical breakthroughs, space exploration, neighborhoods, businesses and bold second acts. Advanced manufacturing is simply adding another chapter, and Houston City College is making sure local talent has a seat at the workbench.

The Tesla partnership also demonstrates a larger truth about community colleges in the 21st-century economy: workforce education is no longer a side door into opportunity. Increasingly, it is the front entrance.

So, congratulations to the latest HCC–Tesla completers. The machines may be smart, the factory may be ‘mega’ and the technology may be futuristic—but Houston’s greatest competitive advantage still begins with skilled people ready to get to work.

photo

Learn more about Houston City College (HCC): hccs.edu

Explore Tesla careers and opportunities: tesla.com/careers

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

By McKenzy Parsons

Click here for updates on this story

    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — The man convicted of using ChatGPT to plan an armed bank robbery in Omaha was sentenced to prison.

According to the Department of Justice, Deron Lewis-Payne, 23, went into the i3 Bank near 156th and Spaulding streets, pointed a handgun at the tellers, and told them he would kill them if they didn’t follow his instructions.

The DOJ said Lewis-Payne told the tellers to empty their drawers and warned against using dye packs.

The tellers did so, and Lewis-Payne got away with $9,175.

The bank’s surveillance footage captured Lewis-Payne’s “distinctive outfit, including red Nike slides.” Residential surveillance footage captured the vehicle as well as the license plate he used to flee the scene.

The DOJ said surveillance footage captured Lewis-Payne at multiple retailers at the Westroads Mall.

An officer saw him near one of his residences, and Lewis-Payne ran, leaving behind a band of cash.

The DOJ said law enforcement searched his home and found more cash, the vehicle he used, and most of the outfit he was seen wearing in the bank’s surveillance footage.

According to a news release from the DOJ, Lewis-Payne admitted to driving the car, but he denied his involvement in the robbery.

After a search of his phone, the DOJ said officers found that Lewis-Payne used ChatGPT to plan the robbery, “including advice on law enforcement response times, how to strip and repair a Llama Mini-Max .45 handgun, and for advice on obtaining ammunition as a felon.”

The DOJ said his most recent search on Google maps was for the bank.

Lewis-Payne was sentenced to a little more than 10 years in prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm.

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 Daisy Kershaw

Click here for updates on this story

    BELLEVUE, Ky. (WLWT) — A dramatic arrest in broad daylight, in the middle of a busy Bellevue street, was caught on camera.

WLWT has video showing officers stop the driver of a stolen car, at gunpoint.

On Monday evening, Bellevue Patrol Officer, Johnathan Kohler said he ran the tags on a car passing him on Taylor Avenue.

Kohler says that’s how he discovered the car was reported stolen in early August. He said extensive training through the department helped him jump right into action.

Neighbor and local bar owner, Charlie Zimmerman, caught all the action on his phone.

“I was upstairs in my bedroom right above the tavern here, and I heard a very commanding voice say, ‘hey get out of the car’,” said Zimmerman.

It was Kohler’s voice.

“I called him back to me, and I backed up with him as he was walking towards me. I got him on his knees, made sure that we were in a safe position as possible,” said Kohler.

Releigh Lunsford, 57, was taken into custody.

Kohler, who has been on the force just over a year says that it is because of constant training drills that officers are able to react safely and swiftly in these cases.

“Everybody went home safely. Nobody had any scratches. We’re all good at the end of the day,” he said.

Officers were also able to get the car back to the woman it belongs to.

Meanwhile, the suspect is still being held behind bars at the Campbell County Jail on a $2,500 cash bond. He is charged with being in the stolen car, driving without a license and having drugs on him.

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 Stephanie Moore

Click here for updates on this story

    RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WYFF) — A mother has been arrested after authorities said her 6-year-old brought a loaded gun on a school bus in South Carolina.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said the School Resource Officer for JP Thomas Elementary School was called about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday after the gun was found.

Authorities said it was an AR Pistol with .556 rounds.

The child’s mother, Destar Hall, 35, was called to the school.

Authorities said it was discovered the firearm was not properly secured by Hall at their home, which led to her child gaining possession of the firearm.

Hall was placed under arrest and charged with unlawful conduct towards a child.

She was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

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.