After bankruptcy, solar panel customers say they’re left in the dark

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Ben Simmoneau

Click here for updates on this story

    FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (WCVB) — Leasing solar panels is an easy way to avoid the upfront cost of owning your own system. But it comes with other potential problems, including one most people might not think about: What happens when the company that owns the panels goes bankrupt?

That’s exactly what has happened for customers of Sunnova, and numerous homeowners across Massachusetts say the replacement management company — SunStrong — is leaving them in the dark, letting their systems go unrepaired for months on end. At the same time, they’re still being charged hefty lease payments.

Emilio Spagnuolo is sick and tired of simply trying to get what he’s paying for: power produced from the solar panels on the roof of his Framingham home.

“I feel like I have been taken and that they have not followed through with anything they told me that they would ever do,” he said. “Four times they told me they were coming out. They canceled without notifying me.”

In 2023, he leased his solar panel system from Sunnova, entering a 25-year agreement for $329 per month. He says most months of the year, his electric bill is $0. But that changed last June when he had the system disconnected to put an addition on his home and upgrade his electric service. The same month, Sunnova filed for bankruptcy, and the company was sold a few weeks later.

Construction wrapped at Spagnuolo’s home in August, but he hasn’t been able to get Sunnova or SunStrong Management, the company that took charge of Sunnova’s operations, to reconnect his panels. There are still loose wires hanging from the side of his home where his system should be tied into his electric meter, and he hasn’t been able to obtain a final inspection to close his building permit.

In the meantime, his electric bill skyrocketed, yet SunStrong was still charging him hundreds of dollars in lease charges for the panels each month. Unable to get any resolution, he eventually changed his bank account and told them to stop payment.

“I was paying for something I was not receiving,” he said.

On the South Shore, Ali Cash said she spent far too much time trying to get her solar panels back online after they stopped working last summer. She said calling SunStrong tested her sunny disposition.

“Each call that I placed to SunStrong was anywhere from four to five and a half hours,” she said. “Anytime you call, you don’t talk to a service department. You talk to the department who transfers you to the department that will transfer you to the service department.”

She said she only learned her system was down after she received several electric bills in a row during a time of year when her solar panels should be producing the most power, and her electric bill is typically nothing.

“When they tell me that they can see it’s not working, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have reached out to begin with,” she said. “As a customer, I had to realize it a few months into the problem.”

Cash pays $228 per month for solar panels that didn’t work for half a year, and like Spagnuolo, has also been paying electric bills she wouldn’t have received if her system was working properly. In the Sunnova lease is a clause that says a customer “will not be charged for the System being offline due to Sunnova’s fault.” Despite that, neither Cash nor Spagnuolo was offered credits for the time their systems were down.

They also believe SunStrong needs to strengthen its maintenance response.

“There’s been no follow-up from the company at all, knowing that I’ve been through all of this,” Cash said.

Her system is now back up and running, but Spagnuolo’s is not. After NewsCenter 5 contacted SunStrong, the company sent a technician to his home but could not get it back online without additional equipment. A follow-up visit this week did not happen as scheduled.

Both customers believe SunStrong owes them credits for the time their systems were down, and a company spokesperson said they will “evaluate customer credits, at a customer’s request, once the system is repaired. This enables us to see the full timeline of any outage.” That indicates a customer must actively ask for the reimbursement.

Other solar lease customers experiencing long waits for maintenance should file a complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Those complaints could be helpful for the state to consider action on solar providers who aren’t responsive.

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.

Nashville woman makes history as first recorded Black female violin maker in U.S.

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Eric Pointer

Click here for updates on this story

    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — After being laid off from her job in hospitality, Amanda Ewing needed to find a new rhythm in life. The answer she landed on is one that’s blazing trails and paving the way for others one piece of wood at a time.

Ewing is turning ordinary wood into art that will one day make music. Working from her studio at the Forge, a shared creative workspace, she has become what researchers believe is the first Black female violin maker on record in U.S. history.

When looking for a new career, Amanda decided to reprise old hobbies, like playing violin. So, she joined a local symphony and met a luthier.

“I never needed to think about where violins came from outside of the violin shop,” Ewing said.

She started to shadow them, just to see how it was done. But it wasn’t until someone told her that they’d never heard of a Black woman making instruments that her perspective changed.

“I was like this doesn’t make any sense to me. How is this possible given the contributions of Black Americans in music for a very long time?” Ewing said.

That’s when she decided to change her tune.

“I decided to take it a bit more seriously, go a bit more often, do a bit more research on my own, dive into instrument making so that I can have a full understanding of exactly what I was doing and eventually set myself up to be teaching individuals to make instruments after I finished my apprenticeship,” Ewing said.

“I did not want anyone else searching and searching and searching and searching for hours and hours looking for instrument makers who look like them,” Ewing said.

She spent five years learning the craft, mastering each note of the process. She has been independently making instruments for the past three years. So far she has made four violins one banjo and is in the process of making a bass.

“I want to be a resource for anyone who wants to make an instrument in the wood string family. My goal is to learn how to make all instruments so that I can teach individuals to make any instrument that they want to make,” Ewing said.

She said representation matters.

“It seems so unattainable when you don’t see someone like you reflected in whatever you want to do,” Ewing said.

Amanda may be the first and only Black female luthier on record, but she doesn’t want to be a solo act. She plans to continue and hopes to discover others who may have come before her. Even if she is the first, she plans to mentor and help others so she won’t be the last.

This story was reported by Eric Pointer and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Eric Pointer and Scripps editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Tri-State barber teams up with law enforcement to mentor teens

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Taylor Woods

Click here for updates on this story

    GREENHILLS, Ohio (WCPO) — A local barber is teaming up with law enforcement to keep teens out of trouble.

Antonio Spicer is building bridges with young men ages 12 through 18 by turning a barbershop into a safe space.

“He’s been my barber for as long as I remember,” said Rob Parker Jr., a seventh grader at Gamble Montessori who looks forward to the monthly program.

Teens gather once a month for mentorship and learning opportunities. The program focuses on building confidence, creating connections and helping keep teens off the streets.

“At our last meeting, we were talking about firefighters, the equipment, what it does, how it helps you. I think the program is really good for people like me,” Parker Jr. said.

For Spicer, the mentorship role came naturally from his position as a barber.

“I’ve been able to mentor and pour into young men ever since I was a barber, and before then, it started out with me seeing some of the absences in our community and some of the things we needed,” Spicer said.

The program has gained support from law enforcement agencies in Greenhills, Forest Park and Springfield Township, who help mentor the young men.

“I’ve made good connections with the chief and some other policemen,” Parker said.

They learn about possible professional careers, mental health care and even how to treat gunshot wounds — practical skills that could prove lifesaving.

Parker’s parents, Rob Parker Sr. and Lanae Billings Parker, said they have noticed significant growth in their son’s confidence and engagement.

“He gets to see his uncle Tone every week, so that is normal, but seeing the other professionals there and watching him month after month as the program goes on, how he gets more comfortable and how he asks more questions,” his father said.

For Parker, the program’s impact is clear in how it encourages honest communication.

“I give my honest answers, honest questions, and that’s what made them grow into me,” said Parker.

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.

Parents file wrongful death lawsuit after daughter, 11, dies by suicide after ‘severe and pervasive bullying’

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Kara Kenney

Click here for updates on this story

    JENNINGS COUNTY, Ind. (WRTV) — The parents of an 11-year-old girl who died by suicide have filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the school district failed to address “severe and pervasive bullying.”

Brooklyn Cook, a 5th grader in the Jennings County School Corporation, died by suicide on February 17, 2025.

Her parents, Benjamin and Sarah Cook, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on Tuesday.

The complaint details accounts from the 2024-2025 school year in which students repeatedly told Brooklyn to kill herself, physically groped her at school, and sent abusive messages.

“On multiple occasions, male students inappropriately touched Brooklyn’s body without her consent,” read the lawsuit. “Examples of the male students’ verbal harassment included, but were not limited to, telling Brooklyn that she smelled, calling her “Megamind”, laughing at her, calling her fat and ridiculing her in the presence of others. The male students repeatedly told Brooklyn that she needed to kill herself.”

The lawsuit says several of Brooklyn’s friends tried to look out for her and reported the allegations.

According to the complaint, one friend showed a guidance counselor a text message in which a male student told Brooklyn, “f*ck you, kill yourself, I f*cking hope you die in a shit show you dumb f*cking whore.”

Her parents allege Brooklyn was the victim of“severe and pervasive bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual touching by male classmates.”

Brooklyn’s parents allege these incidents were reported numerous times by Brooklyn, her friends, and staff to North Vernon Elementary School teachers, counselors, and administrators in the Jennings County School Corporation.

“The bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct directed at Brookyln was repeatedly reported to school officials,” read the lawsuit. “The male students engaging in the bullying, harassment and sexual abuse of Brooklyn were never disciplined for this bullying during the 2024-2025 school year.”

The lawsuit also alleges:

During the 2023-2024 school year, while Brooklyn was in the fourth grade at North Vernon, she was subjected to regular severe bullying and harassment by two (2) male students in her class. The bullying was reported to school administrators and as a result of these reports, the male students were removed from Brooklyn’s classroom. After the male students’ removal from the classroom, the bullying ceased, and the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year passed without further incident. During the 2024-2025 school year, when Brooklyn was in the fifth grade, the same male students were in Brooklyn’s classroom again. Shortly thereafter, the same male students, along with additional male students resumed and escalated the bullying Brooklyn experienced in fourth grade. WRTV Investigates reached out to the school corporation for comment on the lawsuit.

“We strongly deny the allegations and will have no further comment on this pending legal matter at this time,” the Jennings County School Corporation superintendent said in an email to WRTV.

The law firm representing the Cooks issued a statement on the lawsuit.

“Despite repeated reports, clear signs of emotional distress, and specific warnings about sexual assault concerns and suicide threats, we believe school officials failed to take reasonable and effective steps to protect Brooklyn or remove the offending students from her classroom, even though similar action had stopped bullying the prior school year,” read a statement from CohenMalad, LLP. “On behalf of Brooklyn’s parents, the complaint alleges that this failure to act allowed the abuse to continue and escalate, contributing to Brooklyn’s severe psychological harm and death. Through this federal lawsuit, Brooklyn’s family seeks accountability from Jennings County School Corporation and individual school officials.”

Counts in the complaint include:

COUNT I: Inadequate Polices and Protection, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Against all Defendants COUNT II: Violation of Title IX, 20 U.S.C. 38 § 1681 et seq. Against Jennings County School Corporation, Superintendent Nicole Johnson and Principal Leonard Collett COUNT III: Wrongful Death Against All Defendants COUNT IV: Negligence Against All Defendants COUNT V: Negligent Hiring, Training, Supervision and Retention Against JCSC, and Defendants Johnson, Collett and Hill COUNT VI: Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress Against All Defendants

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.

Police say dog ‘kept nudging’ officers, guiding them to missing toddler’s home

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Chloe Godding

Click here for updates on this story

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — The Kansas City Police Department is crediting a four-legged friend for its help in reuniting a lost toddler with their family.

Police responded to a call about a toddler wandering barefoot in the street last week. Officers began working to try to find out who the toddler was and where their family was when the dog “kept nudging at the officers.”

The officers had a feeling the dog was trying to tell them something, so when it began to wander away, they followed it.

The dog led officers to a nearby house, which turned out to be the toddler’s home.

The child was reunited with family thanks to the pup’s help.

“Some heroes have four legs,” KCPD said on social media.

Police are investigating what led to the incident.

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.

After bankruptcy, solar panel customers say they’re left in the dark

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Ben Simmoneau

Click here for updates on this story

    FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Leasing solar panels is an easy way to avoid the upfront cost of owning your own system. But it comes with other potential problems, including one most people might not think about: What happens when the company that owns the panels goes bankrupt?

That’s exactly what has happened for customers of Sunnova, and numerous homeowners across Massachusetts say the replacement management company — SunStrong — is leaving them in the dark, letting their systems go unrepaired for months on end. At the same time, they’re still being charged hefty lease payments.

Emilio Spagnuolo is sick and tired of simply trying to get what he’s paying for: power produced from the solar panels on the roof of his Framingham home.

“I feel like I have been taken and that they have not followed through with anything they told me that they would ever do,” he said. “Four times they told me they were coming out. They canceled without notifying me.”

In 2023, he leased his solar panel system from Sunnova, entering a 25-year agreement for $329 per month. He says most months of the year, his electric bill is $0. But that changed last June when he had the system disconnected to put an addition on his home and upgrade his electric service. The same month, Sunnova filed for bankruptcy, and the company was sold a few weeks later.

Construction wrapped at Spagnuolo’s home in August, but he hasn’t been able to get Sunnova or SunStrong Management, the company that took charge of Sunnova’s operations, to reconnect his panels. There are still loose wires hanging from the side of his home where his system should be tied into his electric meter, and he hasn’t been able to obtain a final inspection to close his building permit.

In the meantime, his electric bill skyrocketed, yet SunStrong was still charging him hundreds of dollars in lease charges for the panels each month. Unable to get any resolution, he eventually changed his bank account and told them to stop payment.

“I was paying for something I was not receiving,” he said.

On the South Shore, Ali Cash said she spent far too much time trying to get her solar panels back online after they stopped working last summer. She said calling SunStrong tested her sunny disposition.

“Each call that I placed to SunStrong was anywhere from four to five and a half hours,” she said. “Anytime you call, you don’t talk to a service department. You talk to the department who transfers you to the department that will transfer you to the service department.”

She said she only learned her system was down after she received several electric bills in a row during a time of year when her solar panels should be producing the most power, and her electric bill is typically nothing.

“When they tell me that they can see it’s not working, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have reached out to begin with,” she said. “As a customer, I had to realize it a few months into the problem.”

Cash pays $228 per month for solar panels that didn’t work for half a year, and like Spagnuolo, has also been paying electric bills she wouldn’t have received if her system was working properly. In the Sunnova lease is a clause that says a customer “will not be charged for the System being offline due to Sunnova’s fault.” Despite that, neither Cash nor Spagnuolo was offered credits for the time their systems were down.

They also believe SunStrong needs to strengthen its maintenance response.

“There’s been no follow-up from the company at all, knowing that I’ve been through all of this,” Cash said.

Her system is now back up and running, but Spagnuolo’s is not. After NewsCenter 5 contacted SunStrong, the company sent a technician to his home but could not get it back online without additional equipment. A follow-up visit this week did not happen as scheduled.

Both customers believe SunStrong owes them credits for the time their systems were down, and a company spokesperson said they will “evaluate customer credits, at a customer’s request, once the system is repaired. This enables us to see the full timeline of any outage.” That indicates a customer must actively ask for the reimbursement.

Other solar lease customers experiencing long waits for maintenance should file a complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Those complaints could be helpful for the state to consider action on solar providers who aren’t responsive.

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.

Man arrested after hide-and-seek chase with officers, police say

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Stephanie Moore

Click here for updates on this story

    MONROE, North Carolina (WYFF) — A North Carolina man was arrested after breaking into a business and trying to evade police by playing a game of hide-and-seek, including hiding under a tarp and inside a hole.

The Monroe Police Department arrested Brandon Tyler Campbell, 30, of Monroe, on Thursday afternoon after an early morning break-in at Carolina Cat on Morgan Mill Rd.

Illegal alligator found in home Illegal alligator found in SC home during search for child sex offenses, deputies say Officers said they determined that Campbell had broken into the business and was using it as a hiding place following an incident the previous night.

When employees arrived to start their workday, police said Campbell ran from the building, taking several items, including a pair of Hey Dude shoes, a jacket, and a Wi-Fi box.

After identifying Campbell and obtaining warrants, officers were called to a suspicious person near Windsor Windows on Sutherland Avenue. An officer spotted Campbell attempting to hide near a tarp. When he realized officers were nearby, he ran again.

Another officer launched a drone, which kept a clear view from above as Campbell tried a series of hiding spots, first inside a large hole near a concrete plant, then underneath a large storage container. The drone operator maintained sight of him until a K-9 arrived.

Campbell was taken into custody.

SaundersMan arrested at Waffle House after killing two people in front of young children, prosecutors say He is charged with felony habitual breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, first-degree trespassing, simple assault, and resist, delay, and obstruct.

When officers arrested Campbell, they said he was still wearing the stolen Hey Dudes.

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.

Illegal alligator found in SC home during search for child sex offenses, deputies say

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Stephanie Moore

Click here for updates on this story

    JASPER COUNTY, South Carolina (WYFF) — An alligator was found inside a South Carolina home during the execution of a search warrant related to child sex offenses, according to authorities.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said they executed a search warrant Thursday at the home of James Allen Beckett, 64, of Ridgeland.

arrest made toccoa skyline driveTeen, his mother and another man arrested after fight over gun at Georgia home, deputies say During the search, deputies found an alligator that was being kept illegally.

Authorities contacted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, which responded to assist with the safe removal of the animal.

Beckett has been charged with five counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Additional charges are pending, including potential charges that may be brought forth by SCDNR.

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.

South Carolina family saved from fire by doing this before going to bed, firefighters say

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Stephanie Moore

Click here for updates on this story

    KERSHAW, South Carolina (WYFF) — Firefighters in South Carolina say a family was saved from a house fire thanks to one decision they made before going to bed.

The Kershaw County Fire Service said firefighters were called about 7:20 a.m. Thursday to a mobile home fire in Elgin.

Firefighters said when they arrived, they found one person was trapped inside.

The person was rescued through a bedroom window and only had minor injuries.

While putting out the fire, the firefighters noted that the residents had been sleeping with their bedroom doors closed.

They said this simple action made a significant difference.

Firefighters say closed doors can help slow the spread of smoke and heat, creating a safer environment and providing valuable time during a fire. They say an easy way to remember it is “Close Before You Doze.”

“We cannot stress this enough — sleeping with your bedroom door closed can create a life-saving buffer if a fire occurs in your home at night,” the fire department said in a Facebook post. “It’s a small habit that can make a big impact. Please take a moment tonight to close your bedroom doors and ensure your smoke alarms are working properly.”

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.

Caregiver in Pennsylvania accused of stealing thousands from vulnerable men

CNN Newsource on February 20, 2026

By Marcie Cipriani

Click here for updates on this story

    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.