Author: CNN Newsource

By Kara Burnett

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — What began as one hair appointment for an 8-year-old boy has grown into a mission to restore confidence in children across Baltimore.

Tina Moore, stylist at Capelli Hair Services, got a call about a young boy who was homeless and hadn’t had a haircut in more than six months. By the time he made it to her chair, he had already missed two weeks of school.

“He was crying a lot because he said, ‘I’m going to be embarrassed in school. Please don’t cut my hair,’” Moore recalled. “His hair was so matted I didn’t know if I could save it.”

For two hours, Moore gently detangled the boy’s hair while the men in the shop poured encouragement into him. Her mother, a social worker, even joined the appointment to speak with the family. By the end, the boy’s tears turned into relief.

“He gave me a hug and said, ‘Now I’m ready to go to school,’” Moore said.

“Sometimes we think kids are young and don’t understand what self-esteem and confidence is, oh they do,” Moore said.

She reached out to Mount Royal Elementary and Middle School, offering free hair tutorials and support for families in need. When she was asked to serve more than 30 children in a single visit, Moore knew she needed help.

Local beauty supply stores stepped in with donated products, while Target and Costco provided gift cards and food. Moore says the generosity reminded her of her own childhood.

“My house was always filled with a bunch of children, my mom feeding the whole neighborhood. I just think we got away from that as time has went on and no one’s caring about one another,” Moore said.

Now, Moore is working to launch Crownivity Mobile Salon a project that would bring free haircuts, hygiene kits, and confidence-building programs directly to schools across Baltimore City and beyond. The goal is to raise $250,000 to get the mobile salon rolling.

“So they can focus on what their skills are, what their strengths are, what their talents are and not worry about if they’re going to get picked on before or after school or get into a fight because they don’t look like everyone else,” Moore said.

Moore is also partnering with her alma mater, Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, to help provide some of these services.

“We know that there is a need and that children are suffering in silence and parents are suffering too because they can’t get their kids back to school,” Moore said.

The Crown Project is hosting its first free public event at Mount Royal Elementary and Middle School on October 16, offering free hair services for students.

For more information, or to donate, contact crown@crownitivity.org

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By Mallory Sofastaii

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A local college student is battling to restore her Instagram account after Meta accused her of violating policies on child sexual exploitation, abuse, and nudity — claims she calls false, hurtful, and baseless.

Mackenzie Blake, who wants to be a teacher, discovered last month that she couldn’t log into her Instagram account. Instead, she saw a message saying her account was suspended for a rule banning Instagram users from interacting or attempting to interact with children in a sexual manner.

“I thought it was a really gross accusation. I also work at a preschool occasionally, so I think that was disgusting that they would accuse me of that,” Blake said.

Prior to the account suspension, Blake said she posted typical photos of vacation and with her family and friends.

“I went to New York City. I posted pictures of that with my mom, my brother. That’s pretty much it,” Blake said.

Blake filed an appeal, which was denied immediately. She then paid for Meta verification to speak with a human customer service representative.

“They said they sent my review to a specialized team which came back within a day as still violating guidelines. I called another Meta agent and they said that my account was probably hacked since my password won’t work. I have seen nothing that suggests that,” Blake said.

Screenshots from her support chats with Meta show agents refused to explain what triggered the flag.

“They said they couldn’t tell me due to privacy and security reasons, which I think is ridiculous because it’s my account,” Blake said.

Blake’s case isn’t isolated. Our Scripps sister station, WRTV, in Indianapolis spoke with Amy Ladaw-Ortiz, a teacher, mother, and pastor’s wife who faced similar accusations.

“And when I saw this, it was like child sexual exploitation. I was like, what! I’m like, what happened? I was just in shock,” Ladaw-Ortiz said.

Similar reports have emerged worldwide from the U.S. to Australia, England, and Canada. More than 44,000 people have signed a petition calling on Meta to restore wrongfully disabled accounts, citing automated decisions, unhelpful support, and having to pay to speak with a human.

“It wasn’t helpful at all, and I think that as a company you should be able to have support without having to pay for it,” Blake said.

WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii reached out to Meta and has not yet received a response. A company spokesperson told WRTV that “We take action on accounts that violate our policies, and people can appeal if they think we’ve made a mistake.”

Meta added that no system is perfect but they haven’t seen evidence of a significant increase in incorrect enforcement of their rules.

In July, Meta announced new safety features to better protect young users. Many support that goal, however for those wrongfully accused, they want their access back.

“It’s really frustrating. I have my work group chat on there, so I’m missing out on that. I have notifications about my college on there, missing out on that, clubs missing out on that,” Blake said. “It’s just stressful, concerning, and I don’t know why it’s happening.”

Some users, including Ladaw-Ortiz in Indiana, have since had their accounts restored. If this happens to you, you can file an appeal on the platform, file a complaint with your state attorney general, the Federal Trade Commission, and be persistent. You can also pay for Meta verification for enhanced customer support, which costs about $15 per month.

As of January 1, 2025, the Maryland Attorney General has received 179 Instagram complaints and 101 Facebook complaints.

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

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By Kayleigh Randle

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    LONDON, Kentucky (WLEX) — A Laurel County family and their dog were reunited after she’d been missing for four months during the EF-4 tornado that ripped through London back in May. In September, a Facebook post brought them back together.

Sadie Lou is a 7-year-old Rottweiler-Doberman mix. She was welcomed with love into the Carnes family when she was just a puppy.

“She’s been wonderful. She’s always stuck by my side like my shadow. She loves to be around mama,” said Tina Carnes, who is Sadie’s owner.

Carnes says Sadie has always been skittish during storms.

Back in May, Carnes was out of town while her husband and kids were home when an EF-4 tornado barreled through London. Her husband was able to pull one of their dogs into a closet with him, but was unable to grab Sadie.

“He couldn’t chase after her because the windows started breaking, so he ran into the closet, and as soon as he got into the closet. The wind shut the door and trapped him in,” recalls Carnes. After they were able to safely walk outside, most of their home was gone. “They was looking and there was no sight of Sadie. So she was sucked out of the house.”

Carnes says she lost her home and Sadie in one night.

“We was posting for about a month online. Like on Facebook and stuff. Everybody was like Tina, there’s no way she’s lived through this. I mean, there’s not been a sight. She’s probably just out laying somewhere and someone’s just not recovered her just yet,” said Carnes.

After four months, recovery became a rescue. Carnes says she receieved a Facebook notification at 4:30 a.m. “There was a lady who posted and said “is this your dog?” … I was like ‘oh my God! That’s Sadie! That’s her!”

Sadie was seen walking around the Burkmann Feeds building, a mile away from their home. With help from an organization for animal advocacy, the family was reunited once again.

“I mean God is good. I mean it just shows that there is miracles and hope. Don’t ever let up hope,” Carnes praises.

Carnes says her cat and husky are still missing after the two were rescued from the rubble, but then ran away.

If you’d like to help out the Carnes family during this time, you can visit their gofundme link.

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By Mariah Monsour

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    TOPEKA, Kan. (KOAM) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has initiated a statewide enforcement operation targeting vape shops and CBD dispensaries suspected of selling illegal marijuana products.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, KBI agents, alongside law enforcement partners, executed multiple search warrants across cities in Kansas. The raids focused on seizing marijuana vegetation, THC vape cartridges, and other products with suspected illegal levels of THC, which is prohibited under Kansas statutes KSA 21-5705 and KSA 2-3908. In some cases, weapons and cash were also confiscated.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and KBI Director Tony Mattivi announced the operation.

“These illegal substances are in our homes, in our schools, and in the hands of our children,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “They are so widely accessible that some Kansans mistakenly believe they are safe. Anyone who sells illicit products poses a direct and unacceptable threat to the health and safety of our most vulnerable. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove these poisons from our streets.”

Attorney General Kobach added, “These are brazen illegal activities. Not only are many of these stores selling illegal THC vapes, but they are also selling pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes. The law is the law in Kansas, and it will be enforced. A young teen attempting to purchase tobacco would meet more resistance than they would if buying marijuana from one of the shops included in today’s operation.”

Upon completion of investigations, the KBI will submit findings to local prosecutors for charging decisions. Potential charges include unlawful distribution and possession of controlled substances with the intent to sell.

The operation is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as available.

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By Julian Paras

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    TAOS, New Mexico (KOAT) — Rainor Joiner confessed to the Taos County Sheriff’s Office that he killed and mutilated 25-year-old Matthew McLaughlin in July.

Joiner explained that he brought McLaughlin to New Mexico to help him straighten his life out, as they had served in the military together. Joiner said McLaughlin was struggling with substances and had been bringing strangers to his house, which Joiner says he offered to McLaughlin.

As deputies were interviewing him, Joiner said this led to repeated requests for McLaughlin to clean up his act.

Joiner said he lost his temper after McLaughlin said something that angered him. “I was just so f—— pissed,” Joiner said. “I really don’t know what the f— he said. He said something, and I just f—— shot him.”

He then provided Taos County deputies with a timeline of events following the killing on July 25, stating that he dismembered McLaughlin’s body over the next few days and disposed of it near U.S. Highway 64.

Despite Joiner’s claim that the killing was not premeditated, officials indicated their investigation suggested otherwise.

David Degroat, charged as a co-conspirator in the murder, was also questioned by the sheriff’s office. Degroat claimed in a written statement that he tried to dissuade Joiner from killing McLaughlin several times and alleged that Joiner threatened to kill him if he did not assist.

“You had intentionally set yourself up in a position to shoot him, then you shot him. Then you went up to and shot two more times to finish the job,” one deputy said in the interview.

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