Author: CNN Newsource

By Christian Petersen

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    GREENSBORO, North Carolina (WXII) — Passionate soccer fans braved the heat Wednesday to watch some of the world’s best players take the pitch at UNCG.

The sold-out crowd welcomed the Norwegian National Soccer Team with cheers, Viking chants, and even Viking costumes, making Greensboro feel like a home away from home ahead of the World Cup.

“Why not represent their culture a little bit?” fan Megan Feeney said. “We’re super excited that they’re here, especially Haaland.”

Erling Haaland, nicknamed the “Striking Viking,” was one of the biggest draws for fans. Some came to see his world-class skills. Others admitted they were drawn to his looks.

“I like his hair and his tallness,” one fan said with a laugh.

For diehard soccer fans, the open practice was a rare chance to see top-level players train before heading to the sport’s biggest stage.

“Something like this means everything,” said Carter Robbins, executive director of Carolina Core FC. “It gives the younger players something to aspire to. It gives them an opportunity to watch the players at the highest level train before they go to the world’s biggest stage.”

Fan Zaryk Diem said he previously traveled to Norway to see his favorite players. This time, the trip was much shorter.

“It’s a very big pleasure being able to see them in basically my backyard,” Diem said.

The hot, humid Carolina weather was also part of the experience. Norway midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt said the team prepared with saunas back home, but the humidity in North Carolina was still different.

“I think we’re handling it well,” Thorstvedt said.

The team appeared to enjoy the open practice as much as the crowd did.

“We’ve been made to feel really welcome in Greensboro,” one player said.

Norway begins its World Cup run Tuesday against Iraq.

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 Kelcie Bolden

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — A 20-foot inflatable intrauterine device, or IUD, was displayed at the Mississippi Capitol on Tuesday to highlight the need for the Right to Contraception Act.

Organizers said the display underscores the importance of federal and state legislation that would ensure Mississippians have access to contraception, regardless of future Supreme Court decisions.

Chris Fleming, co-founder of Americans for Contraception, spoke about the significance of the display.

The display is scheduled to travel to Birmingham on Wednesday.

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 Brian Johnson, Nick Sloan

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    PUTNAM COUNTY, Missouri (KMBC) — Powerful storms tore through Putnam County on Wednesday night, destroying a family’s home and damaging multiple buildings across the county.

Putnam County Emergency Management told KMBC that several outbuildings and a couple of homes were damaged.

The damage was scattered across the county, and 911 dispatchers were overwhelmed with calls as the storms moved through.

One of the hardest-hit areas was about 10 miles west of Unionville near EE Highway and 190th Street.

A cattle barn at the top of a hill was flattened by the strong winds. All four walls collapsed, leaving the structure ripped apart. Another barn nearby appeared to escape significant damage.

On the opposite side of the property, the family’s mobile home was destroyed.

Little remained except concrete blocks from the foundation, while chickens wandered through the debris.

“It’s really scary. It’s a total loss for the family, but mother nature had other plans I guess. so,” said Jonathan Foster of Putnam County.

Residents said damaging tornadoes are uncommon in the area.

“We haven’t had many big tornadoes around here. At least that I know of. When I was younger we had a decent tornado but that was 17 years ago,” said Jace Hanes of Schuyler County.

Others focused on the long recovery ahead.

“It’s a shame. There’s lot of damage to rebuild and more money to spend, which no one really likes in this economy,” said Kaden of Schuyler County.

Friends and neighbors were already stepping up to help the affected family.

Emergency management officials said several outbuildings across Putnam County were destroyed, but they were still working to determine the full extent of the damage.

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 Hynes

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — (Warning: the story below describes details of animal abuse)

Animal rights advocacy group PETA has added to the reward for an abandoned, abused dog found in Iroquois Park in April.

PETA is offering $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the person who abandoned a husky inside a garbage bag. Combined with the $10,000 award offered by Hagan Properties, the total is now up to $15,000.

The husky, named Sammie, was originally found on April 28.

LMPD said a groundskeeper heard animal cries coming from a black, plastic bag in Iroquois Park.

Inside the bag was Sammie, who had twine wrapped around her muzzle and severe injuries. Due to her injuries, the dog had to be euthanized.

Louisville Metro Animal Services was able to use the dog’s microchip to connect with her owners.

The owners said the dog had slipped out of their fence the night before during a thunderstorm. Louisville Metro Animal Services said the owners had no idea what had happened to Sammie after she escaped the fence.

PETA added money to the reward to help hold the person accountable.

“Sammie was lost, scared, and in need of help, but instead, someone out there abused her, tied her up, and left her alone to suffer in terror,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk.

Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous Crime Tip Hotline at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or use the anonymous LMPD Crime Tip Portal.

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 Jacquelyn Quinones

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    CARMEL VALLEY, California (KSBW) — Human remains discovered near Viejo Road in unincorporated Monterey County last December have been identified as Corey Allen Ringer, a California man who had been missing since 2013.

The case began when a land surveyor found what appeared to be a human skull. Deputies confirmed the discovery and spent days searching the area, recovering additional skeletal remains.

“The remains were eventually sent off to the California Department of Justice laboratory for DNA testing, and those results did come back with a positive identification. The human remains were identified as belonging to Corey Allen Ringer,” Monterey County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Andres Rosas said.

Ringer was last seen in 2012, but family members did not report him missing until early 2013. Investigators believe he was about 56 years old at the time of his death.

“In this particular case, during the forensics and anthropologic examination, they were not able to determine a cause or manner of death,” Rosas said.

The sheriff’s office explained that investigations like this can take years, as forensic testing and identification efforts often require extensive lab work to determine who the person was and, when possible, how they died.

“The Department of Justice is the one lab for the entire state of California. Monterey County and the sheriff’s office are not the only agencies that have remains or articles of property that have to be identified through the DNA process,” Rosas said.

“What it comes down to is whether or not somebody’s sample of DNA is in a database that can be compared to that of the human remains that were located, and there are occasions where that’s not the case,” Rosas said.

The sheriff’s office is encouraging the public to report missing loved ones if they have not had contact with them and are concerned about their whereabouts.

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 Eric Graves

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    RIVERSIDE, Missouri (KMBC) — More than 100 Kansas City metro youth soccer players got coached up on the game by local coaches and learned the Dutch philosophy on their favorite sport.

“What we do essentially is we train people to become football coaches, but learn how to use football as a tool for social impact,” said Jesse Beesems, the manager of the World Coaches program.

The program is an initiative of the Royal Dutch Football Association. The intention is to teach soccer and the social skills that come with sports to coaches and players around the world.

“Basically, what we do is we help them to organize training sessions according to the Dutch vision on football,” Beesems said. “So everything with the ball at your feet, but also to integrate life skills and life skills are skills that are always present in sports. Such as communicating, leading with your emotions, creative and critical thinking.”

Wednesday was the first time the World Coaches program had been taught in the United States.

It all happened on the pitches of the KC Current Training Facility in Riverside after the Netherlands national team had a community training session that morning.

Head of International Program for the Royal Dutch Football Association, Michael van der Star, said they began working on this partnership in the months before the Netherlands arrived in Kansas City for the World Cup.

“I was here in April and connected with the club to see, ‘Okay, how can we create a partnership between World Coaches and the KC current?'” van der Star said. “And, well, within a few weeks, months, we are here with 25 coaches, a lot of kids, and nice momentum with each other. So very happy with that.”

Both van der Star and Beesems have been very impressed with the KC Current facilities and organization.

“I’m amazed by, as I said, by the facilities, I think many professional clubs in the Netherlands would already be jealous of this. Also, the men’s clubs,” Beesems said.

Beesems sees the Current as a perfect partner to continue growing the sport of soccer for girls and women.

“We believe that every girl deserves the opportunity to play, and having well-equipped coaches, especially female coaches, is the way to do so,” he said.

The afternoon wasn’t all about training and life skills, though.

Dutch national team players Tijjani Reijnders, Marten de Roon, Lutsharel Geertruida, and Jurrien Timber joined the training to take pictures with the kids and sign autographs.

As he was leaving the field, Geertruida gave this piece of advice to the young soccer players, “Just to focus, to focus and work hard,” the defender said.

Between trainings, press conferences, and everything else to prepare for the biggest tournament in soccer history, van der Star is grateful for the players’ time.

“We only have a few minutes, but at the end, it’s nice to see that the players were on the pitch,” he said. “They want to sign their autographs and signatures.”

It’s safe to say the KC kids came away impressed from the open training that morning and seeing the players up close during their own training session.

“It was really cool,” said Vivian Crane, one of the youth soccer players. “They were really good on the ball, and they knew exactly what to do with it whenever they got it.”

There aren’t any other planned World Coaches programs during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but van der Star hopes this is setting the foundation for future partnerships with the KC Current and more World Coaches programming in Kansas City in the future.

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 Ricardo Tovar

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    SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, California (KSBW) — Two people were rescued Wednesday afternoon after rising tides swept them into the water near Yellow Bank Beach, according to CAL FIRE.

Crews responded to a confirmed water rescue and deployed rescue swimmers, with about eight in the water at one point during the operation.

One patient was brought in at Yellow Bank Beach and taken to a local hospital. A second patient was rescued at another nearby beach, hauled in using a Stokes basket and also taken to a local hospital.

Both victims were believed to be women in their 20s.

Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Captain Kyle Breton said both people were believed to have been sleeping near the Keyhole area when the tide came in and caught them off guard. Responders said the Keyhole is often used to access Yellow Bank Beach, but people can quickly become trapped by incoming tides.

CAL FIRE said the rescue was the fifth performed in the past month along a 1-mile stretch of coastline between Yellow Bank Beach and Bonny Doon Beach.

The rescue involved multiple agencies, including CAL FIRE CZU, CAL FIRE SCU Alma Helitack Copter 614, California State Lifeguard rescue swimmers, Santa Cruz City rescue swimmers, Central Fire District, Santa Cruz Fire, Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and State Lifeguards.

Officials said that during the after-action briefing, responders were alerted to another emergency within Santa Cruz city limits, prompting city crews to quickly clear the scene and respond.

No additional information about the patients’ conditions was immediately available.

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 Allison Petro

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    PALM COAST, Florida (WESH) — A man is facing charges after he was accused of exposing himself to a 15-year-old boy and attempting to enter the teen’s shower at a Planet Fitness gym in Palm Coast.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 34-year-old Craig Stevens Jr.

Deputies responded to the gym on Feb. 25 after receiving reports of a possible sex offense in the men’s locker room.

The 15-year-old victim said he entered the locker room and noticed Stevens Jr. naked in the shower with the curtain completely open, according to deputies.

The teen reported feeling uncomfortable and entered a separate shower stall with the curtain completely closed.

The FCSO said that once the teen began showering, Stevens Jr. walked to the teen’s shower stall, pulled back the curtain, and exposed himself.

Stevens Jr. allegedly told the victim, “I thought you said I join you?”

The victim immediately said “No,” at which point Stevens Jr. left the gym, according to the FCSO.

The FCSO explained that Stevens Jr. entered the gym using a family member’s membership.

A photo lineup was conducted in which the victim identified Stevens Jr. as the suspect in the incident.

Stevens Jr. was charged with one count of lewd or lascivious exhibition involving an offender 18 years of age or older and a victim younger than 16.

Stevens Jr. is currently in federal prison serving a four-year, six-month sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in the Middle District of Florida.

He also has a criminal history that includes felony convictions for burglary of a dwelling and possession of stolen property, along with other misdemeanors, according to the FCSO.

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 Melanie Wingo

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    ROSEVILLE, California (KCRA) — The next generation of firefighters is building up emergency response skills during a week-long camp experience.

Nearly 90 middle school age kids are spending Monday through Friday of this week at the Roseville Fire Training Center learning all about what it takes to be members of the fire service.

Each camp day begins with endurance, strength and agility training exercises through which campers feel the physical demands first responders face on the job.

“We’ve been doing it for almost 30 years,” said camp director James Kornweibel. “We’re almost 50/50 boys and girls and we’re exposing them to the fire service and they can do everything we do, including climb the ladders and go into our burn rooms.

Each kid has a skill they enjoy building the best.

“Oh, my favorite part is probably rappelling,” said 12-year-old camper Juniper Hall. “Rappelling is pretty fun.”

The fire service mentors are making it about as close as the kids will get to a mini fire academy experience, organizers said.

“They have team work, camaraderie, they get to work on strengths and push themselves every day,” said Kornweibel.

Thursday’s camp day will take the kids to Folsom Lake where they’ll learn emergency response on the water.

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.