Author: CNN Newsource

By Marcie Cipriani

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    CANTON TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Quinn Wells, a 41-year-old house coordinator hired by Pathways of Southwestern Pennsylvania, is accused of stealing nearly $15,000 from two care-dependent men in Washington County over a little more than a year, according to court papers.

“This type of action is despicable,” said Greene Washington Regional Police Chief William DeForte. He said that Pathways quickly stopped the theft once they spotted it.

“They were really vigilant on catching this quickly. As soon as they found out that this was happening or in place, they notified the authorities immediately,” DeForte said.

There is now a warrant for Wells’ arrest. Attempts to reach Wells at his home for comment were unsuccessful, as no one answered the door.

Court papers reveal that Pathways fired Wells and reimbursed the men for their missing money.

In a statement, Pathways said, “Consistent to our commitment to transparency and accountability we immediately initiated a comprehensive internal review and notified the appropriate regulatory authorities and law enforcement.”

“You have an individual that comes in, and acts in a predatory way. It’s an awful crime,” DeForte said.

Wells faces several charges, including theft and receiving stolen property. While he awaits his day in court, Pathways is seeking restitution from him for the $14,930.64 they paid back to the residents.

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 Raquel Ciampi

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — A man has been charged after authorities say cocaine was discovered to have been in the system of two children.

Authorities say their investigation began after the 5-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl were found alone at a home on Mayville Avenue in Pittsburgh by a Children, Youth and Families caseworker.

According to a criminal complaint, the caseworker contacted Jason Mallery, the children’s father, who said he left to go to the store with his girlfriend Tara Resch.

The caseworker stayed with the children for an hour, waiting for Mallery’s return before taking emergency custody of both the boy and girl.

Both children were given a standard physical, which is where authorities say it was discovered they tested positive for cocaine metabolite.

Following the discovery, authorities executed a search warrant at Mallery’s home. Inside, officials say they found numerous pieces of narcotics evidence. That evidence was either seized or documented by detectives.

Mallery was taken into custody and read his rights. He allegedly told police he believed his children were taken away because he went to the grocery store too long.

He also told authorities he had just got out of rehab at the end of January and had been living in the Mayville Avenue home since. Prior to that, his girlfriend had been living with the children.

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 Rachel Williams

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    INDIANTOWN, Florida (WPBF) — Farmers on the Treasure Coast are preparing for another cold front while still recovering from a historic freeze that caused catastrophic crop losses. At East Coast Nursery in Indiantown, owner Mark Rutizer reported that over 50% of his crops were destroyed across 29 acres of land.

East Coast Nursery, a local tree farm, has seen its revenue disappear since the freeze hit South Florida. “I don’t have any sales because … what it is if they didn’t die, it looks like it’s dead for the most part. It’s unsellable,” Rutizer said. “It was unexpected. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never dealt with this before. Now I’m going through spraying the trees that might be able to bounce back.”

Rutizer described the situation as a setback, noting that he has lost millions of dollars and has already conducted layoffs at his farm. “Right now, I have to care for the plants that I have left so they don’t decline more. Then I guess in a few weeks, assess the situation and see where it goes from there,” he said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed an executive order to assist Florida’s farmers in their recovery efforts. He posted on X saying, “I signed Executive Order 26-33 in response to last week’s winter weather event and ongoing drought conditions throughout the state. This action helps facilitate emergency harvesting and protects Florida agriculture from further losses with expedited recovery under state authority and prompt assistance to be provided to Florida’s farmers.”

Rutizer expressed hope for timely assistance, saying, “It’s nice that they do it. I would hope that it’s in a reasonable manner so many farms don’t have to close their doors before that.”

Congressman Brian Mast toured the nursery and other farms to observe the widespread devastation. “It’s a different kind of emergency for people out here. You’re up in Virginia or Maryland or anywhere up along the east … beyond that temperature is not a big thing but to the Florida economy and the things that grow here the companies that exist to produce things in this USDA climate zone, it is an emergency to them because you’re not used to seeing sustained 25 degrees or even 25 degrees at all,” Mast said.

Mast acknowledged the need for financial assistance for farmers, stating that the Department of Agriculture must declare an emergency for aid to be provided. Which an emergency has not been declared yet.

In light of millions of dollars lost at the nursery the past few weeks, owners started a GoFundMe link to keep the business afloat.

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 Ari Hait & Malcolm Shields

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) — A newly released police report shows police believe a father and son were arguing over dog walking before the son fatally shot the father.

Port St. Lucie police said Sheldon Morrison killed his father, Glen Morrison, shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday morning inside the family garage on Southwest Ketona Circle.

According to the police report, Sheldon’s mother, Glen’s wife, told police that Glen was “agitated and angered” and “banging water containers around” during the argument and “at one point aggressively walked up very close to her.”

Sheldon Brian MorrisonSuspect in custody after allegedly shooting his 69-year-old father in Port St. Lucie She told police Glen never touched her and she never felt threatened.

The report says it was around this time that Sheldon went into the house, retrieved a gun, returned, and shot his father.

Sheldon reportedly told his mother, “I thought he was going to kill you.”

“I think the critical piece of evidence is the gap in time,” said former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg.

Aronberg is not involved in this case but has tried many similar cases.

He said he expects Sheldon to plead self-defense.

“The defendant may try to convince at least one juror that he was in reasonable fear of his safety and had to engage in violence to protect his mother and himself,” Aronberg said.

But Aronberg said he believes a self-defense argument may be a “steep hill to climb, noting that Glen was not armed and has no history of violence.

“The defendant had to go into another part of the house to go retrieve a weapon, so the threat was over at that point, and he brought it back with a gun,” Aronberg said.

Sheldon Morrison was arrested in Hollywood Wednesday afternoon.

He has since been brought back to St. Lucie County and is currently being held in the St. Lucie County Jail on murder charges.

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 Rachael Perry

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    WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Palm Beach County’s oldest hospital will soon be knocked down as a brand-new one is built.

Good Samaritan Medical Center announced Thursday plans for a new hospital and a campus to include housing, commercial space, and more. Construction for the new hospital will begin shortly on the land where the CVS currently sits.

Maggie Gill with Tenet Healthcare runs Palm Beach Health Network.

“The first thing we’ll be doing is building a brand-new hospital. So right behind where Good Sam sits today, we’ll be building a brand-new, state-of-the-art, expanded-capacity hospital that will be built and designed to serve this community for the next hundred years,” Gill told WPBF.

The hospital will include a cancer center, advanced cardiac care, office space for doctors, and a walking path for patients.

“We see the growth in the West Palm community. We hear what the community is asking for in terms of health care, more advanced cardiac services, access to pediatric care, things like that,” Gill said.

The hospital’s history dates back to 1914, when a five-bed cottage known as “Emergency Hospital” opened on land donated by Henry Flagler. It was the first organized hospital in the region.

As the population continued to expand, the Good Samaritan Hospital opened its doors in 1920 with 35 beds. It would become the county’s first modern medical facility.

“We have definitely spent a lot of capital maintaining Good Sam, but I do think that it is time to build something that is more modern, more efficient,” Gill said.

She said as the area grows, they want to grow with it.

“West Palm today is not what it was five years ago, much less 106 years ago, and as we think about what’s happening, the growth here and the needs of the community and what we’ve heard, we have a unique opportunity to build that,” she said.

Once the new hospital is built, the current building will be knocked down. Gill said it will be replaced by a campus centered around wellness.

“Through our partners at Easton Street Capital and Frisbee Group, we’ll be building additional workforce housing, other types of housing, condo, commercial space, etc. So, it’s an entire ecosystem anchored by health and wellness,” she said.

That could even include a hotel.

“We do see that the future of Good Sam looks like destination care, and we want to give people a place to be able to stay, convenient to the resources that are here,” she told WPBF.

Gill said it’s about creating a space where health and wellness are a priority while also factoring in work and play.

“Multi-generational care. Live, work, and play in one area where we have it all. We can take care of you; you can work here, and you can live here. We can take care of your kids, we can take care of your grandparents, and we can do it all in one site,” she said.

As for the timeline, Gill said they will be starting construction on the new hospital very soon, and that should take roughly three years.

Operations at the current hospital will continue until care can be transferred to the new building.

Once that’s complete, the current hospital will be knocked down and replaced with a longevity and wellness center, workforce and market-rate housing, community wellness amenities, and a walkable, pedestrian-focused environment.

Easton Street Capital and Palm Beach Health Network are finalizing plans before submitting a development application for City review in the coming weeks.

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By Allison Petro

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    ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Florida (WESH) — Police arrested a man on Tuesday after he allegedly pulled a gun on people inside a gym in Altamonte Springs.

The Altamonte Springs Police Department said the incident happened at a Crunch Fitness on State Road 434 in Altamonte Springs. They were called to the scene for reports of a disturbance involving a firearm.

The incident started because the suspect, Winston Medley, allegedly got into an argument with a couple of men over the amount of weight they were working out with, calling them weak, according to police.

The group separated, but Medley approached them again minutes later and pulled out a gun.

Multiple witnesses in the gym said it looked like he was trying to fire the gun, but was fiddling with it as if it were jammed. He ran away but was caught near 417 and State Road 400.

When police asked him about the gun, he initially claimed it was a “king-size Snickers bar.”

Medley then told officers it was fake and that he only pulled it out to scare others.

Medley declined to reveal the gun’s location, and authorities were unable to recover it.

He has been charged with attempted homicide, possession of a weapon by a state felon, and tampering with evidence, according to police.

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 Emma Burch

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    TULSA, Okla. (KJRH) — A rescue dog who endured five litters in five years has found her calling as a therapy dog at a Tulsa private school, bringing comfort and second chances to students with learning challenges.

Sterling, a certified therapy dog at Town and Country School, was rescued from a breeder after years of difficult conditions. When Kathy Roark and her husband saw Sterling’s photo, they knew she was meant for them.

“She was rescued from a breeder…five litters in five years,” Roark said.

What started as a simple request to bring Sterling to school for a few days turned into something extraordinary. On her very first day, Sterling demonstrated her natural ability to connect with students.

“A student with high anxiety was sitting on the floor…she lay down next to him, didn’t move…and 10 minutes later, he was ready to go back to class,” Roark said.

That moment cemented Sterling’s role at the school, where she now serves as a certified therapy dog for children with learning challenges.

“Anytime she walks into the room…the kids just automatically change their focus,” Roark said.

Executive Director Shevaun Etier says Sterling has transformed the learning environment for students who might struggle in traditional classroom settings.

“Sterling has given students opportunities they wouldn’t have had in a traditional classroom,” Etier said.

Sterling’s days are spent roaming the halls and checking on students, though Roark notes that “most of the time, she’s asleep on my office floor.”

Beyond providing comfort, Sterling shares a powerful message of resilience with the students. Her story of overcoming a difficult past resonates with children facing their own challenges.

“They hear her story…she came from a poor life and still gives love…and they know they can get that second chance too,” Roark said.

Sterling has become so beloved at the school that she even made it into the yearbook. The students are more than happy to shower her with attention and treats.

“Sterling deserves to be spoiled the rest of her life…and the students are happy to help me do that,” Roark 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.

By Allison Petro & Pamela Comme

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    DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (WESH) — The Daytona Beach Police Department has launched an internal review of its investigation into Jermaine Long.

That man is now facing several charges for two reported attacks.

Jermaine Long, the man police said slashed a 13-year-old’s throat in Daytona Beach, had two more run-ins with law enforcement earlier that day.

Police say the violence began around 8 a.m., when Long was trespassed from a home in Daytona Beach. Joanne Payne said her husband, who is friends with Long, had kicked him out the night before. But she said he returned the next morning.

“My neighbor called 911. She said he came back with a sledgehammer and was hollering that he was going to make some noise,” Payne said.

A few hours later, police say Long struck a man with a sledgehammer near a 7-Eleven on State Road A1A. Officers responded to the scene, but Long was not arrested at that time.

According to booking records, he was not arrested at the time, but this week, police charged him after the slashing incident that left a 13-year-old injured.

The teenager needed 13 stitches after the attack. However, the doctor explained that if the wound had been even one millimeter deeper, the consequences could have been far more serious.

We also reached out to the Daytona Beach police department on why Long was arrested for the 711 sledgehammer incident, and they said, “Officers investigated and spoke with both parties. However, because the alleged victim did not fully cooperate and there was not enough evidence to legally justify an immediate arrest, Mr. Long was not taken into custody. The store clerk requested that law enforcement trespass Mr. Long from the establishment due to prior retail theft. It should be noted that the victim of this incident did not have any major injuries.”

Long’s attorney said his client maintains his innocence.

“My client has indicated that he’s innocent, and that’s what we’re going to believe, that he’s innocent,” the attorney said.

Long is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail without bond.

He has entered a not guilty plea in both cases.

WESH 2 also discovered that Long is a registered sex offender with a criminal history involving drugs and battery.

His most recent arrest before this one was for a case in January. He was accused of chasing two men with a wooden pole and cutting one in the face with a knife. The State Attorney’s Office declined to pursue charges in that case, and he was released. We reached out to SAO on what they decided to drop the charges. They responded and let us know they are reviewing the case.

Below is the full statement from the Daytona Beach police department on all three cases involving long on Valentine’s Day.

“On February 14 at approximately 7:58 a.m., officers with the Daytona Beach Police Department encountered Jermaine Long at a property where the owner asked that he be removed. Officers issued a trespass warning, where he was formally notified, he could not return to the property. At that time, there was not enough evidence to arrest him, so he was released.

Around 11:30 a.m. that same day, officers responded to a disturbance at the 7-Eleven at 35 South Atlantic Avenue. Mr. Long was accused of hitting someone in the head with a hammer earlier in the day, after an argument. Officers investigated and spoke with both parties. However, because the alleged victim did not fully cooperate and there was not enough evidence to legally justify an immediate arrest, Mr. Long was not taken into custody. The store clerk requested that law enforcement trespass Mr. Long from the establishment due to prior retail theft. It should be noted that the victim of this incident did not have any major injuries.

Later, on February 14, officers responded to 18 South Ocean Avenue after receiving reports of a stabbing. This time, witnesses provided statements, the victim fully cooperated, and officers observed physical evidence at the scene. Based on that information, police had sufficient legal grounds to make an arrest. Mr. Long was located and arrested for Aggravated Battery.

After further review of the prior incident, involving the hammer, investigators worked with the State Attorney’s Office and determined there was enough overall evidence to file an additional Aggravated Battery charge, even without the victim’s cooperation. As a result of the added charge, Mr. Long is now being held without bond. Initially, bond had been set at $50,000 in connection with the stabbing case.

The department will not release body-worn camera footage at this time. Under Florida Statutes 119.01(3), 119.071(2)(c), and 119.011(3)(d), information related to active criminal investigations and pending prosecutions is exempt from public disclosure.

The department has also begun an internal review of the investigation. This type of review is standard practice with complex investigations. No additional details will be released until the review is complete.”

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By LeeAnn Huntoon & Gail Paschall-Brown

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    OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A 16-year-old was shot and killed during a shoplifting confrontation at a Walmart in Poinciana on Thursday evening, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

An off-duty deputy at the store at 904 Cypress Parkway was notified by a loss prevention officer of three men concealing merchandise in their clothing.

One suspect was holding a gun as he fled. The deputy shot the suspect, who was later confirmed dead, according to Sheriff Chris Blackmon. He was identified as a 16-year-old living in Poinciana.

“Our deputy fired downrange at the suspect and took him out,” Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon said.

In an update on Friday, OCSO said the two additional suspects have been “identified and accounted for.”

One is a juvenile and the other is an adult in his 20s, OCSO 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.