Author: CNN Newsource

By Allie Triepke

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    MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (KIVI) — Four aircrew members are safe after ejecting from two U.S. Navy aircraft that collided mid-air during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home Air Force Base on Sunday.

The crash happened roughly two miles away from the air show venue and spectators attending the free event, according to base officials. Viewer video captured the collision and showed all four crew members ejecting as the aircraft fell and sparked a brush fire near the base.

Mountain Home Air Force Base confirmed the pilots and crew members were recovered and evaluated by medical personnel.

In a statement posted to social media, Col. David R. Gunter, commander of the 366th Fighter Wing, said everyone involved in the incident is safe.

The collision involved two U.S. Navy Growler aircraft performing during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show. The remainder of the airshow was canceled following the crash, although some ground activities resumed after the base reopened.

Spectators at the event described confusion and concern as emergency crews responded to the scene.

“We started looking at the road, and that’s when we saw that big black plume of smoke behind us,” said Anna White, who told Idaho News 6 what she saw while driving by the show.

“It was definitely a little nerve-wracking to not only hear that there was a crash, but when they informed us that they weren’t really letting anyone leave,” airshow spectator Makayla Sharp said.

Sharp said she saw a large plume of smoke rise from the crash site moments after the collision.

“There was just this giant black cloud, and we were wondering what had happened,” Sharp said. “The announcer told us that we needed to just be where we were and not move at all. That’s when they told us all four parachutes had been deployed and we were like, ‘wait what?’”

Several roads leading to the base were temporarily closed during the emergency response, including Grandview Road north of the base. The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office said one of the aircraft crashed onto the roadway.

Officials also said the brush fire sparked by the crash burned about 25 acres before crews contained it.

As Idaho News 6 reported, windy conditions impacted airshow activities leading up to the weekend, grounding some practice flights, and conditions remained windy Sunday afternoon.

The crash remains under investigation. Military officials said additional information will be released as it becomes 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 Emily Pofahl

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Schlitz beer, a Milwaukee icon and once the largest brewer in America, is being retired after 177 years, as Pabst Brewing Company has ceased production.

Founded in 1849 in Milwaukee, Schlitz Brewing Company holds a legendary place in local history.

“Schlitz was sent down on train cars to Chicago after the great Chicago fire,” said Joseph Conforti, general manager of Milwaukee Brat House. “They didn’t have clean drinking water, so they were drinking Schlitz beer.”

The beer has been a source of pride for Milwaukee, with the brand often seen at local dives, restaurants, and the old brewery at Schlitz Park. Purchasing a pint of Schlitz has long been a way to honor a simpler time.

“It’s a nostalgia factor,” Conforti said. “People from out of town are surprised that they still make it. When we hosted the RNC (Republican National Convention) in Milwaukee, that was one of the top-selling products we had.”

Schlitz is still on tap at Milwaukee Brat House downtown, but its availability is coming to an end.

“About two months ago, my sales guy let me know that we’d be losing the brand,” Conforti said.

Pabst Brewing Company owns the brand and stopped brewing Schlitz months ago.

“Schlitz volume had dropped to the point where Pabst has a Busch plant in Texas do their brewing for them,” said Kirby Nelson, brewmaster at Wisconsin Brewing Company. “The minimum quantities that Budweiser required, the brand fell way below that, so they had to retire it.”

Wisconsin Brewing Company received permission from Pabst to brew Schlitz one last time.

“We decided that, Schlitz being what Schlitz was, it deserved a proper sendoff. One with dignity and respect,” Nelson said.

Both Wisconsin Brewing Company and Milwaukee Brat House are planning farewell events for the beer later this month.

Milwaukee Brat House will host a “Last Schlitz on Earth” goodbye party at its Shorewood location on May 29 and at its downtown location on May 30, using the last of its supply.

Wisconsin Brewing Company will brew its final batch on May 23. A pre-order will be available starting that day online or in-person at the tap room. Nelson also plans to host a goodbye celebration at Wisconsin Brewing Company’s Lake Louie location June 27.

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 Duke Carter

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Thousands of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students celebrated their graduation Sunday at Panther Arena, including Bella Lipski, daughter of Milwaukee fire Chief Aaron Lipski.

“I’m so excited. It was awesome. A bunch of my friends were here. My whole family was here. I couldn’t be happier,” Bella Lipski, a UWM alum, said.

Bella Lipski earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational science and technology, with plans to focus on improving mental health support for firefighters.

“For firefighters, they’re working every day, and they’re experiencing all of these different traumas. They’re seeing all these things, and while they’re responding to traumas,” Bella Lipski said.

She shared that her father, Aaron Lipski, inspired her career path.

“I can feel how proud he is of me every day. And it means so, so much to me,” Bella Lipski said.

Aaron Lipski expressed his pride in his daughter and reflected on the challenges firefighters face.

“I was touched that, you know, she’s been watching, right? And she’s been seeing things that a lot of the firefighters that I’ve worked with over the years who have suffered, some of them to the worst final outcome,” Aaron Lipski said.

The National Institute of Sciences reports that 40% of firefighters experience significant levels of anxiety and depression. Aaron Lipski emphasized the importance of mental health programs to retain firefighters and support their well-being.

“We lost, like, I think almost 30 people just retired midcareer. They weren’t at pension or nothing. You know, there were six or seven years in there. Just put their hands up and said, ‘I can’t keep doing this.’ And, that, that really got our attention,” Aaron Lipski said.

Bella Lipski hopes her work will help people better understand the emotional toll firefighters endure.

“I think I just want people to take away that firefighters are human too. They’re the people that we look to when there’s a problem and when we’re in pain or we’re scared, but they have feelings too,” Bella Lipski 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 Samantha Carlson, Edward Franco

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    LEE COUNTY, Florida (WBBH) — Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) says a Florida man is facing charges after a high-speed chase Saturday night, during which he crashed his car and later joked with the trooper about getting a faster vehicle.

On May 16 at approximately 10:25 p.m., FHP says a Florida State Trooper observed a Lexus rapidly accelerating to over 100 mph on eastbound State Road 82 near the intersection of Colonial Boulevard, nearly rear-ending two other vehicles.

“He was swerving in and out of traffic, and people thought he was going to go across the median and hit them,” Jessica Enamorado, a Lee County resident, said.

The trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but says the Lexus continued to accelerate, turning onto southbound Daniels Parkway, reaching speeds over 130 mph, and turning off its lights, effectively blacking out.

As the Lexus approached Commerce Lakes Drive, troopers say the driver lost control and rolled into the tree line off the shoulder of the roadway.

FHP identified Yair Alberto Pavon-Rivera as the driver.

He was transported to a local hospital, released, and subsequently arrested for reckless driving, super speeding, and fleeing.

After his arrest, FHP says Pavon-Rivera showed no remorse for his actions.

Troopers say he laughed and asked the trooper, “Should I get a faster car for next time?”

Tire marks, broken car parts, and a damaged sign were left at the crash site.

Witnesses expressed concern about the dangers of speeding. “Not only are you injuring yourself, like it could lead to something very serious, but you’re also putting me, my family, other people’s families, other people’s kids in danger,” Jessica Enamorado said.

Angel Enamorado, another Lee County resident, added, “If you’re going to want to do that, go ahead and do it on a racetrack or, you know, on a dirt road where there’s nobody else around.”

Troopers said the investigation is still active.

Rivera was released from the Lee County Jail on bond.

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 Nick Sloan

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    OLATHE, Kansas (KMBC) — An Olathe dealership says a sold pickup truck can’t leave the lot because baby robins have already moved in.

Workers at Olathe Ford Lincoln said a robin built a nest right on the tire of a shiny new F-250 sitting on the lot.

Since then, baby birds have hatched, turning the truck into a federally protected no-touch zone.

That means nobody can move the truck or disturb the nest until the tiny squatters decide it’s time to fly the coop.

Employees said random animal encounters have become almost normal at the dealership.

“We found some cats in the cars before. One of our employees has adopted a cat we found in one of the trucks. And just today, someone came in to get their oil changed, and we lifted up the hood, and there was a mama possum with about seven baby possums. So we’re all laughing because now we’re just an animal rescue,” worker Sammi Dodson said.

The truck has already been sold, but for now, the customer’s brand-new ride is still serving as a bird nursery.

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 Donna Pitman

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    OLATHE, Kansas (KMBC) — What started as a normal morning four years ago held a moment that would forever change Kaleb Stoppel’s life.

Olathe East students alerted administrators to something abnormal: word that a classmate had a gun in his backpack.

Within the hour, Stoppel found himself grappling with the reality he’d been shot in the front office.

While he survived the shooting and has healed physically, Stoppel continues to work on his emotional health. He’s lived with anxiety and depression since that March morning in 2022.

Stoppel says he’d never experienced mental illness.

“I was experiencing more emotional things that were also impacting physical things,” he said.

Stoppel is learning to give space for the anxiety and depression and to give himself grace for the way he now navigates the world.

The former assistant principal and athletic director at Olathe East High School has left education but continues to teach by sharing his experiences in hopes that they’ll help others.

The latest way he’s doing that is through his book, “One Step at a Time: Surviving a School Shooting, Rebuilding my Life, and Rediscovering What Matters Most.”

Stoppel says someone doesn’t have to have survived a shooting for it to resonate with them. It’s for the many people living with anxiety and depression.

“It’s really important to me that this book opens the door to have people just think about their own life, what truly matters to them,” he said. “It is a daily journey still of knowing my limits, what my coping strategies are and how I can go day by day.”

Stoppel’s book is available on Amazon and Stoppel’s website.

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By Chantelle Navarro

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    MCALESTER, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Oklahoma executed Raymond Johnson on Tuesday for the 2007 murders of Brooke Whitaker and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya, marking the conclusion of a case that spanned over two decades.

Witnesses described Johnson’s final moments in the execution room. As the curtain lifted, Johnson looked toward the witness area, mouthed “I love you” to his friends and received the same signal back. A tear streamed down his face.

“The way he died today was so simple. It was like putting a dog down,” said Angie Short, Whitaker’s sister.

In June 2007, Johnson attacked Whitaker with a hammer before dousing her and her baby with gasoline and setting them on fire. Whitaker died in the hospital, while Kya succumbed to the fire. Johnson later told police he believed Whitaker deserved to die.

“I will never forget the firemen who testified at the trial. And he picked up Kya, and he thought she was a baby doll. He thought she was a burned baby doll,” Short said.

At 10:12 a.m., Johnson died by lethal injection. Strapped to a gurney, he used his final words to address Whitaker, Kya and their family.

“I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused and hope for forgiveness,” Johnson said. “I hope people can now speak their names without my name attached to it.”

When asked about Johnson’s apology, Short dismissed it.

“It’s a little too late for that. He was never remorseful. He’s never apologized, except for at the clemency hearing when he was begging for his life. Basically, that meant nothing,” she said.

During the clemency hearing in April, Johnson had said, “I know the love shared because to know Brooke and Kya was to love them. Today, I sit here, responsible for their deaths. I tried to plead guilty, and I got it.”

Kya’s siblings chose not to attend the execution. The family expressed feeling robbed of closure, as Whitaker’s mother died suddenly in 2024 after enduring years of stress and anxiety over the case.

“I feel that Raymond Johnson is the reason that my elder sister isn’t here as well, because of the stress and anxiety caused her for over 17 years. She died of a heart attack, a broken heart, and broken as a result,” Short 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 Pepper Purpura

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — At Valley View Village in Des Moines, Thursdays have become something residents and students alike look forward to each week.

Fourth and fifth graders from Phillips Elementary spend time reading with residents at the assisted living facility as part of a program designed to strengthen literacy skills and create connections across generations.

For fifth-grade student Nora Brown, the visits became about much more than books.

“I’ve always liked reading and doing reading clubs, and I thought it would be a great way to meet some new people,” Brown said.

One of those people was Nancy Hanson, a former East High School teacher, now resident at Valley View Village. Over the last two years, the pair has spent time reading together, talking about family and life, and building a friendship that now feels much deeper than a learning activity.

“The first day I came up to her, and I guess we just knew each other, and it kind of took off from there,” Brown said.

The program originally started as a way to encourage reading practice, but Phillips Elementary Principal Kristy Fitzgerald said it quickly evolved into something more meaningful.

“We thought at first it would be about practicing reading, and it really ended up being something about forging generations,” Fitzgerald said.

During visits, books can become secondary as conversations take over. Fitzgerald said many students form strong bonds with residents and even ask to be paired with the same person week after week.

“Over the year, a bond does absolutely build,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s kind of sad, too, when we graduate fifth-graders.”

For Hanson, the friendship with Brown has become one of the highlights of her week.

“I really, really love this girl. I really, really love her,” Hanson said.

Now, with the school year ending and Brown preparing to move on to middle school, the two know their weekly visits are coming to a close. Still, both hope the friendship continues long after elementary school.

“I want her to come back and visit me,” Hanson said.

For now, they’re focused on enjoying the time they are still guaranteed together, a chapter at a time.

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 Ben Kaplan

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — The newest data from the Department of Veterans Affairs shows nearly 15% of deaths by suicide in Iowa are veterans. The suicide rate amongst those who served is nearly double the rate of everyone else.

Veteran John Thompson started a nonprofit organization to help Iowa families navigate these unimaginable losses. Now, he’s trying to stop them from happening at all. And he’s using a beat-up old ambulance to help his cause.

“The goal of buying an ambulance is, an ambulance is used to help save lives,” Thompson said. “But it’s the medical side. Why can’t it be the mental side?”

Thompson has dedicated his life to this cause because he remembers when he felt he had reached the end of the road.

“When I got home out of the military, I was one of those that struggled severely with transition. Attempted suicide five times,” he told KCCI’s Ben Kaplan.

That was a decade ago.

In the years since, he and his wife, Misti, started the Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit Salute to the Fallen.

At first, the goal was to help families deal with the tragedy of losing a service member.

“We’ve assisted in 564 funerals in the last 6 years,” Thompson said.

More than 400 were tied to suicide.

“You see the Killed in Actions in the news,” Thompson said. “How many people show up to support the families. And a soldier that struggles with the injuries of war that comes back, and takes their life, no one shows up. It’s very somber to see the big difference.”

In the last two years, they’ve also been responding before tragedy happens, primarily in Eastern Iowa.

“This year alone, we’ve handled 342 crisis calls.”

And the Guardian Response Unit, which is what the ambulance will become, will traverse the entire state and is the next puzzle piece.

“When you step into it, it’s going to look like an industrial living room. It’s going to have a calming effect; it’s not going to look like a medical unit,” Thompson explains.

He says a therapist will occupy the chair in the front.

“We can actually seat up to three other individuals. So, the first responder or veteran or soldier that is struggling, and a support network, their spouse can be there if they choose to do that, that way they can help if they choose to with the process moving forward.”

Thompson says the GRU will also be “a mobile resource center because one of the issues we see across rural communities here in Iowa is people don’t know how to find out what resources are available or what events are going on across the state.”

Debra and Jerry Sanders say it never gets any easier.

“I say a prayer every night, when I say that prayer at the end of it, I say, dear lord, please let him know how much we still miss him.”

They think a resource like the GRU could have helped their son, Staff Sgt. Adam Sanders, who served two decades in the Iowa National Guard and died by suicide in April of 2020.

“We did not realize he was having problems,” Debra said.

“The length of stays we had with him weren’t long. I guess in a way, we should have noticed something then. Because we were close to him.”

The hulking 300-pound Hawkeye fanatic was a career soldier who deployed multiple times. His family was the first Salute to the Fallen helped through the tragedy.

“We were basically lost. We didn’t know what the next step was,” Jerry says.

Debra added, “John connected us with the people and the agencies that could help us get through any red tape that we needed to get through.”

They believe their son’s memory lives on when “Salute to the Fallen” helps others.

“His smile, his laugh, his bear hugs. We all have to remember those things,” Debra said with tears in her eyes.

John knows if something is beat up, it doesn’t mean it can’t be saved. He is proof that there can still be a lot of great roads ahead.

The Salute to the Fallen is about $8,000 short of its fundraising goal for the Guardian Response Unit.

And, if you’d like to utilize its services, you can contact the ‘Salute to the Fallen’ here: salutetothefallen.org

If you, or someone you know, needs help right now, you can call 988 24-7. Press 1 to reach the Veteran Crisis Line.

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.