Author: CNN Newsource

By Tania Francois

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — After more than 25 years of uncertainty, a Haitian family’s fight for permanent legal status in the United States has reached a turning point.

CBS News Miami has followed the Ponthieux family’s journey from Little Haiti to the halls of Congress as they advocated for Temporary Protected Status recipients and fought to keep their own family together.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Ponthieux serves in the U.S. Army overseas. He and his sister, Ronyde Christina Ponthieux, were born in the United States, while their parents were born in Haiti.

“My father and my mother have been in the States well over 25 years,” Christopher said. “They’ve done things the right way the whole way through, and I think that’s reflective within my own upbringing and what I’ve done myself.”

When Christopher turned 21, he filed Green Card applications for each of his parents. That was nearly five years ago. “I assumed that it would be an easy process,” he said.

His mother’s application was approved late last year, but his father, Rony Ponthieux, remained in legal limbo. The uncertainty grew after Rony lost his TPS protections and was forced to stop working as a nurse, a career he has held for more than 20 years a few weeks ago when the Supreme Court’s decision to end TPS took effect.

“My dad was still at risk, and so it became, ‘What can we do? Is there anything we can do? Are there any legal protections?'” Ronyde Christina said, trying to think of anything to help.

Over the two-decade-long fight the family refused to remain silent. Rony took his fight to Congress and also joined Family Action Network Movement (FANM) press conferences and other efforts supporting Haitian immigrants.

“I am here to fight for all TPS recipients,” Ronyde Christina said during one of those events.

Just days after Christopher spoke with CBS News Miami about his fear that his father could be detained by immigration authorities, the family received the news it had been waiting years to hear – Rony’s Green Card had been approved.

Although his own immigration status is now secure, Rony said he intends to continue speaking for other immigrants facing the same uncertainty. He also hopes to begin the process of becoming a citizen.

“I don’t want those people to suffer from what I suffered because they’ve been here for a long time. They’re working,” he said.

His daughter said many immigrants are afraid to advocate publicly because they fear drawing attention to themselves and risking detention. “I think that it’s a bit hard to advocate for yourself when you’re afraid that they might take you,” Ronyde Christina said. “I want people to know that the fight is not over.”

With his Green Card in hand, Rony has reapplied for his former nursing position and hopes to return to work soon.

The family’s experience has also influenced Ronyde Christina’s future. The Florida International University senior said the fight inspired her to become an immigration attorney.

She plans to begin law school next year.

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.

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    August 19, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Houston has never been short on women who know how to turn vision into velocity. This fall, many of those leaders will share one room when the Houston Business Journal presents its 2026 Women Who Mean Business Awards, and Houston Style Magazine is proud to support a celebration that recognizes achievement while reminding the next generation what leadership can look like.

The luncheon takes place Thursday, October 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar Street in Downtown Houston. HBJ has named 76 honorees spanning nine industry categories — Energy, Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality/Restaurants/Retailing, Law, Nonprofit, Professional Services, Real Estate and Construction, and Other — plus its Women to Watch category for leaders with 10 years or less in their industries.

That breadth matters. This class reflects Houston’s wide-ranging leadership landscape: executives, entrepreneurs, educators, attorneys, healthcare leaders, civic professionals, builders, innovators and emerging voices. Among the honorees are Nell Reed of Chevron, Erica Giwa of Legacy Community Health, Hannah McNair of the Houston Texans, Frances Villagran-Glover of Houston City College Southeast, Tammi Wallace of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Anjelika Stephens of Bartlett Cocke General Contractors. Different lanes, one common denominator: impact.

This year’s theme, “Petals & Power,” is an especially fitting Houston combination — elegance with horsepower. HBJ describes the celebration as one recognizing grace, resilience and leadership while honoring women who inspire change and leave lasting marks on Houston’s business community.

The awards also carry growing historical significance. HBJ launched its inaugural Women Who Mean Business awards in 2016. A decade later, the program remains a prominent platform for recognizing women whose accomplishments stretch beyond boardrooms into community service and civic leadership.

One of this year’s defining moments will be the presentation of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award to Houston City College Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. Ford Fisher joined HCC in 1985 and became the institution’s ninth chancellor in 2024. Houston City College says she leads a seven-college organization serving nearly 100,000 students annually across 22 Greater Houston locations. Her career includes two decades as president of HCC Northeast College and leadership of HCC Online College, where she helped establish more than 60 fully online degrees and 70 hybrid programs.

Her recognition gives the event an added layer of meaning: leadership is not simply about reaching the top; it is about widening the staircase for others.

The 2026 honorees will also appear in a special section of HBJ’s October 16 weekly edition. For attendees, however, October 15 is about being present — applauding achievement, building relationships and perhaps meeting the next collaborator, mentor, client or community partner over lunch.

Houston Style Magazine encourages businesses, organizations and professionals to gather their teams and reserve seats while tickets and table packages remain available. HBJ’s current event page includes individual event registration and several table-package opportunities.

Because when Houston celebrates women who build companies, strengthen institutions and move communities forward, everyone gets a clearer view of the city’s future.

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REGISTER / PURCHASE TICKETS: 2026 Women Who Mean Business Awards MEET THE 2026 HONOREES: HBJ’s Women Who Mean Business Honoree Announcement LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT — DR. MARGARET FORD FISHER: Houston City College — Lifetime Achievement Award

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.

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    August 19, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — August 19, 2026 — Texas Southern University basketball has never been shy about big expectations. At a program where championships, postseason pressure and March Madness have become part of the vocabulary, the Tigers have now handed the whistle to a coach whose résumé suggests he knows exactly what winning sounds like.

Texas Southern University announced Corey Lowery as its new head men’s basketball coach, bringing to Houston a veteran leader with 27 years of coaching experience, 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach and a 266-73 collegiate head-coaching record.

The appointment opens a new chapter for one of the nation’s most recognizable HBCU basketball programs — and it comes as Texas Southern approaches its centennial celebration in 2027.

“Coach Lowery has won at every level and every stop of his career,” TSU President J.W. Crawford III said in announcing the hire. “Beyond constructing winning rosters and producing on the court, he is a maker of men off the court.”

That last part may prove every bit as important as the win column.

Lowery arrives from Seton Hall University, where he spent four seasons as an assistant under Shaheen Holloway. During his tenure, the Pirates’ staff produced 42 victories in its first two seasons — a Seton Hall record for a new staff — before capturing the 2024 NIT National Championship.

But Lowery’s résumé stretches well beyond the Big East.

At Lincoln University, one of America’s historic HBCUs, Lowery transformed expectations. In his first full season, Lincoln finished second in the CIAA Northern Division after being projected 10th in the preseason. The turnaround earned Lowery CIAA Coach of the Year, while Zahrion Blue was named CIAA Player of the Year. Lowery was also selected to coach in the inaugural HBCU All-Star Game.

Before Lincoln came an impressive junior-college run. At Essex County College, his Wolverines captured six consecutive regular-season conference championships, five straight region championships and made five consecutive NJCAA Division II Tournament appearances. His 2014 squad reached the national championship game, while Essex advanced to the Final Four in 2014 and 2016. At Middlesex County College, Lowery also produced three straight conference championships and a 2008 Elite Eight appearance.

In other words, Coach Lowery apparently does not collect frequent-flyer miles without collecting a few trophies along the way.

Now he inherits a Texas Southern program where the standard is already sky-high.

The Tigers own 14 SWAC regular-season championships, 11 SWAC Tournament titles, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1977 NAIA National Championship. In 2023, TSU became the first No. 8 seed to win the SWAC Tournament, completing a remarkable postseason run by defeating the tournament’s No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 seeds.

That championship DNA is precisely what Lowery says attracted him to Houston.

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to be named the Head Men’s Basketball coach at Texas Southern University,” Lowery said. “Texas Southern is rooted in a proud tradition of winning championships… I will work tirelessly to serve and uphold the standard of excellence that already exists at Texas Southern University.”

And that standard extends beyond basketball.

For generations, Texas Southern University has represented Houston, HBCU excellence and opportunity, producing leaders while carrying the maroon and gray onto national stages. For Lowery, this is more than another coaching assignment. It is an opportunity to guide young men, build champions and take command of a program accustomed to hearing its name called when March arrives.

The next century of Texas Southern basketball is approaching. Coach Corey Lowery now has the ball.

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More information on TSU Sports, go to: tsusports.com

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 Indiana Schilz

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    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Two wild deer in Washington County have tested positive for the virus that causes epizootic hemorrhagic disease, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR announced Tuesday that the deer were found near the village of Richfield and the city of West Bend.

Samples were collected for testing after landowners and other members of the public reported a cluster of dead deer in the area. Many of the reports involved deer that appeared healthy before being found dead in or near water.

“Although it may be concerning to see many deer dead in a localized area, these outbreaks rarely have significant long-term population impacts on the overall deer herd,” DNR deer herd health specialist Erin Larson said. “The short duration of these outbreaks and the robustness of our deer populations allow areas experiencing an EHD outbreak to recover quickly.”

EHD is spread by midges, which are small flies also known as biting gnats or no-see-ums.

According to the DNR, the virus does not infect humans, including through handling infected deer, eating venison from an infected deer or being bitten by an infected midge.

Signs of EHD in deer can include excessive salivation, foaming around the nose and mouth, weakness or unusual approachability around humans.

The DNR said infected deer may also be found in or near water because the disease can cause fever, prompting the animals to enter water to cool down or drink.

Anyone who sees a deer showing signs of EHD or finds a dead deer in or near water is encouraged to report the sighting to the DNR.

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 Jeremiah Martinez

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    FOLSOM, Calif. (KCRA) — Investigators are looking into the second homicide in a week at California State Prison, Sacramento in Folsom.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said state prison staff in Folsom saw an inmate, Julio Caesar Madrigal, 36, striking another inmate, Danny Aguilar, 47 around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

After staff ordered all inmates in the area to get down, officials said Madrigal failed to comply and staff fired two less-lethal rounds at him to stop the attack.

Staff then began life-saving measures on Aguilar, as they transferred him to the prison’s triage and treatment area. Officers then called 911 and a physician later pronounced Aguilar dead.

Prison staff were not injured.

Officials said Madrigal was restrained in restricted housing, where he remains pending an investigation by prison’s Investigative Services Unit and Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.

An improvised weapon was found at the scene, CDCR said.

Aguilar was received from Los Angeles County on Oct. 26, 2006 and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, CDCR said.

Madrigal was received from Tulare County on June 9, 2022, after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder.

The deadly attack is the second homicide investigation at the prison in the past week. On Aug. 11, Walter Badelle was found unconscious by staff in his prison cell.

Badelle was later pronounced dead by outside ambulance staff.

His cellmate, Jonathan Blackwell, was placed in handcuffs and placed in restricted housing.

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 Lowrey

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    CLAIBORNE PARISH, La. (WDSU) — A Louisiana resident has contracted a brain-eating amoeba.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, the resident contracted a Naegleria fowleri infection, also known as a brain-eating amoeba, likely while swimming in Lake Claiborne in Claiborne Parish.

Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals, and ponds throughout the United States.

It can cause a brain infection after water containing the amoeba rushes up the nose and enters the brain, according to health officials.

The infection is extremely rare, but nearly always fatal.

Naegleria fowleri cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person. The amoeba is not found in salt water or in properly maintained and chlorinated pools.

According to LDH, symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection typically start with severe headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting, and progress to stiff neck, seizures, and coma that can lead to death.

Symptoms usually begin about five days after infection but can start within one to 12 days.

LDH provided the following safety tips for swimming in fresh water across the state:

Use caution when engaging in water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of extended extreme heat. Naegleria fowleri usually occurs when temperatures increase for prolonged periods, resulting in higher water temperatures and lower water levels. Swimmers can reduce their risk by keeping their heads out of the water and using nose clips or plugging their noses when going underwater. Avoid submersing your head in hot springs and other untreated fresh thermal water. Avoid digging in or stirring up the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas. Naegleria fowleri infections are rare, with only 180 known cases of PAM in the U.S. (between zero and eight cases annually) from 1937 through 2025. Louisiana had three Naegleria fowleri cases during that time period.

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 Chris Oswalt

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    JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WAPT) — Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath is pushing back against criticism from attorneys representing the family of Nolan Wells, saying legal and ethical rules limit what she can publicly disclose about the ongoing investigation into the 18-year-old’s death.

In a statement released Tuesday, McIlrath said prosecutors do not have the same freedom as private individuals to discuss evidence, witness cooperation or other details tied to an active investigation.

McIlrath said she cannot publicly identify which information has been verified or deemed false, and cautioned the public against drawing conclusions based on information shared online.

“The fact that something is said does not necessarily mean it’s actually true,” McIlrath said in the statement.

Her comments come after attorneys representing Wells’ family accused the district attorney’s office of not operating in good faith as the investigation continues.

Part of the dispute centers on a forensic examination of Wells’ cellphone.

Attorneys for the family have said Wells’ parents remain willing to make the phone available for a joint forensic examination and have not refused to cooperate with investigators. The legal team has also said it wants clear procedures in place concerning the examination, chain of custody and handling of any data recovered from the device.

McIlrath said her responsibility is to protect the integrity of the investigation and the grand jury process, even amid growing public pressure for more information.

She said releasing additional details publicly could interfere with the legal process or violate her ethical obligations as a prosecutor.

“My obligation and commitment is to present the Grand Jury with all the evidence collected in this case in order for them to reach a decision based on a thorough investigation, complete evidence presentation, the actual truth, and an understanding of the law,” McIlrath said.

McIlrath also asked the public to allow investigators and prosecutors to complete their work rather than pressuring her office to release information she says cannot legally be disclosed.

She said her office intends to present the grand jury with a “thorough, complete, and fair investigation” into Wells’ death.

Wells disappeared during a July 4 boating trip to Horn Island. His body was found two days later along the shoreline.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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.