Roswell police warn of ‘virtual kidnapping’ scam

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Katie Marshall

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    ROSWELL, N.M. (KOAT) — The Roswell Police Department is warning residents about a scam that has resurfaced.

They have been receiving reports of callers claiming to be holding someone hostage and demanding money. In many cases, the caller says the supposed victim is a relative of the person being contacted and may even have personal information to make the threat seem legitimate.

Police say these incidents are consistent with what the FBI calls “virtual kidnapping,” a scam in which no one is actually abducted. Instead, the caller attempts to create panic and pressure victims into sending money quickly.

Police advise anyone who receives one of these calls to immediately verify the whereabouts and safety of their loved ones. If those attempts raise legitimate concern, residents are urged to contact police at 575-624-6770.

RPD says residents should not send money to the caller under any circumstances.

Anyone who believes they have been targeted by this scam is encouraged to report it to the 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.

Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz honored by West Sacramento, Sacramento mayors

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By KCRA Staff

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    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — Athletics standout Nick Kurtz was recognized in West Sacramento on Tuesday for winning the American League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award, a major league honor celebrating the most outstanding first-year player.

West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero and Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty both spoke at the ceremony. Guerrero highlighted Kurtz as an example of the talent, discipline, and competitive spirit that define the next generation of baseball.

“As a rookie, you didn’t just meet expectations, you exceeded them,” Guerrero said. “You played with confidence, consistency, and composure well beyond your years. And you set a standard that inspires teammates, fans and especially young athletes here.”

The city of West Sacramento also declared it Nick Kurtz Day in his honor.

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Fish and Wildlife says Watsonville ‘mountain lion’ video likely shows a house cat

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Tracy Escobedo

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    WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KSBW) — Watsonville police posted a video on social media saying another mountain lion had been spotted in Watsonville near Blackbird Circle and the Ramsay Park tennis courts.

However, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) confirmed the video does not show a mountain lion. After reviewing it, officials said the animal appears to be a house cat.

“Neither the previous nor the current mountain lion sightings reported to us over the past several weeks have involved aggressive behavior. We will continue to forward reports of sightings to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, as these wildlife matters are handled directly by them,” Watsonville police said in a social media post.

The CDFW encourages people to report any mountain lion sightings.

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Body found during search for missing 73-year-old Santa Cruz County hiker

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Ricardo Tovar

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    BONNY DOON, Calif. (KSBW) — The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said a body was found during the search for missing at-risk hiker Jeanne Burke, who was last seen on Nov. 18, 2025.

Deputies and search teams continued search efforts Saturday and Sunday in the area of Ice Cream Grade and Moore Ranch Road, where Burke was last seen.

Burke was described as wearing a red-and-black plaid jacket, black pants, one pink sandal, and one black sandal. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall, has a medium build, weighs 108 pounds, and has long gray hair, blue eyes, and glasses.

On Sunday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said a body was found in a “densely wooded area within the identified search zone.”

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office has not yet determined the identity of the person found. More information will be released when available.

“We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Santa Cruz County Search and Rescue Team for their resilience and dedication throughout the search efforts, and to thank the community and all assisting agencies who have traveled to support the continued search for Ms. Burke,” the sheriff’s office said in a media release.

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Marcia Campbell celebrates 40 years as part of the Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Forrest Sanders

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — A woman has now been a part of the Grand Ole Opry story for 40 years. She doesn’t take the stage with a guitar. However, if you’ve been to the Opry, you’ve very likely seen her.

On another night at the Grand Ole Opry, I found Marcia Campbell backstage.

“This is the Honky Tonk Angel room, and it is absolutely amazing,” Campbell said, looking around at pictures on the wall. “It’s our women in country music.”

Just like those women, Campbell also has a long story with the Opry.

“It all started with my granny,” she explained. “I remember dancing with my grandmother in the kitchen. She would just hum, and we would have the best time.”

Campbell’s grandmother, Christine Barnett, was teaching a style of dancing that was a very old tradition and one that had been featured on the Opry since 1952.

“Appalachian-style square dancing,” Campbell nodded.

“Were you saying even as a child, ‘I want to be on that stage?'” I asked her.

“I didn’t know how to dream that big!” she answered.

Instead, Campbell, a little girl from Dickson County, was dancing at festivals and competitions. It was at one of those the director of the Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers happened to see her.

“I got the call,” Campbell remembered. “I was very young. I didn’t have a driver’s license. I was only 12-years-old at this time. I made a debut, and then in 1985, I became a member of the Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers or Melvin Sloan Dancers.”

On those Opry broadcast nights, Campbell was growing up among country music legends.

“For one, Mr. Roy Acuff,” she smiled. “We also had Minnie Pearl. We had Roy Clark. Bill Monroe.”

The connection to the Opry has brought so many amazing moments. You can even hear Campbell’s feet dancing on a recording by Dolly Parton.

“The album is Little Sparrow,” she said. “The song is He’s Gonna Marry Me. Dolly wanted a square dance rhythm.”

Campbell has now been square dancing on the Opry for 40 years.

It actually isn’t the longest. Eddie Oliver danced for 50 years.

“Does Marcia go to 50?” I asked Campbell.

“Shoot yeah!” she laughed. “Absolutely! Like Dolly was saying, ‘I don’t have time to get old.'”

Speaking of Dolly, in 40 years of amazing Opry memories for Campbell, Saturday night was another one.

“We are celebrating Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday!” she said.

The Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers ran out on the stage, all sporting blonde Dolly Parton wigs. They began to perform their routine.

“I don’t take it for granted,” Campbell said. “God has given me great health to do this and a full heart. Only eight dancers in the whole wide world get to dance at the Grand Ole Opry. As long as I can get out there and do a great performance, I’ll be here. To dance is to be joyful.”

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.

Women who witnessed fight file $5M racial discrimination lawsuit against Cork & Bull Chophouse

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Sarah Hagen , Erin Holly

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    CHESAPEAKE, Virginia (WTKR) — The group of nine Black women who say they experienced racial discrimination while dining at Cork & Bull Chophouse in Chesapeake in November 2025 filed a $5 million lawsuit on against the restaurant Tuesday.

“I think they were hopeful at one point, that there may be some resolution. Now, they’re a little sad that we had to get to this point,” Joyvan Malbon-Griffin, the attorney representing the nine women said.

“Plaintiffs were lawful, paying patrons who were expelled from Defendants’ restaurant solely because of racialized assumptions, despite having no involvement whatsoever in a physical altercation that occurred between unrelated customers,” the lawsuit states.

Shakoya Somerville-Holt, one of the plaintiffs, told News 3 in a previous interview that the incident happened when she and eight friends were having dinner at the restaurant on Nov. 6, 2025.

Shortly after, Somerville-Holt said two other Black women at a nearby table got into a fight. Despite not knowing the women involved in the altercation, Somerville-Holt said restaurant management also told her group they had to leave.

All the women in Sommerville-Holt’s group were dressed in white tops and denim bottoms, making them “visibly distinguishable from all other patrons,” the lawsuit states.

“The management came over to our table and told us that they will not be servicing us tonight, that we had to leave,” Somerville-Holt said in a previous interview with News 3. “I questioned, ‘are you shutting the entire restaurant down for tonight?’ ‘No, we’re just not serving you all, because y’all like to fight.'”

After police arrived, they confirmed the women had no involvement in the fight and allowed them to collect their things.

According to the lawsuit, Dallas Walton, a Cork & Bull chef, approached the women aggressively while they were gathering their belongings and said, “I run this [expletive]” and “Get the [expletive] out.”

Multiple restaurant patrons expressed sympathy to the women and left the restaurant in protest.

At least one of the plaintiffs was treated medically for stress, and others sought out counseling, according to the lawsuit.

“Many of them still have not dined out, even in the holiday season, for fear that that same incident could happen again,” Malbon-Griffin said.

The plaintiffs are seeking $5 million in damages for malicious and reckless conduct.

Chesapeake Neighborhood Reporter Erin Holly went into Cork & Bull and spoke to the manager on duty. He said the restaurant is aware of the lawsuit and has no comment at this time.

“Whatever the motive was behind the lack of public accommodation, does not need to happen again,” Malbon-Griffin said.

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$99 lung cancer scan helps woman detect disease early

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Ashley Glass

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    JUPITER, Florida (WPTV) — Although Lung Cancer Awareness Month is observed nationally in November, a woman who attended a Let’s Hear It meet-up said she would like to see awareness raised year-round.

WPTV Morning Anchor Ashley Glass spoke with Holly Fisher, who said a scan at Jupiter Medical Center helped her beat lung cancer.

“I had no idea about it. I found out by accident,” Fisher said. “Jupiter Medical Center has a program that if you don’t qualify through insurance to be scanned, you can get a $99 CT scan.”

Jupiter Medical Center offers a self-pay, $99 low-dose CT lung screening designed to detect lung cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. About 800 people receive the screening each year, according to a spokesperson.

A spokesperson also stated that the hospital offers free financial counseling to assist patients in exploring options for managing their medical bills.

On the Treasure Coast, HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital and HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital also offer low-dose CT lung cancer screenings. A spokesperson said patients should speak directly with their care team to determine eligibility and access.

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, accounting for about 1 in 5 cancer deaths nationwide.

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Modesto City Schools proposes new mental health service plan

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Nina Burns

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — A proposed update to Modesto City Schools’ mental health policy drew sharp criticism from parents during a school board meeting, with concerns centered on when parents would be notified if students access counseling services.

The policy, introduced as a first reading, outlines how the district provides mental health education, training, and services on campus. A key provision allows students 12 years old and older to consent to mental health counseling in certain circumstances, without parental consent, when a licensed mental health professional determines the student is mature enough and that involving a parent would be inappropriate.

Multiple parents spoke during public comment, arguing the policy could sideline families in decisions involving their children’s mental health.

“It suggests you can leave the parent out,” one speaker said, while another told the board, “It really needs to be the parents that are in charge.”

District officials emphasized that the language does not create new authority, but aligns local policy with existing California law. They pointed to state legislation passed in 2024 that removed the requirement for minors to meet a strict danger or abuse standard in order to consent to certain mental health services.

The policy also requires schools serving grades six through twelve to post mental health resource information on campus, including warning signs of mental health crises, coping strategies, and crisis hotline information.

Several speakers said their concern was less about state law itself and more about communication, questioning whether parents would be informed when their child seeks services.

Following public comment, board members discussed whether the policy language could be amended to more clearly reference parental involvement. However, district officials noted that adding such requirements could conflict with state law.

Board members agreed the policy would need revisions before returning for approval at a future meeting.

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Mother fights for justice after son’s death in controversial Stand Your Ground case

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Dave Bohman

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    WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — A mother is demanding prosecutors reopen the case after her son was shot and killed in what authorities ruled a justified Stand Your Ground shooting, despite video evidence that a criminology expert says should have led to homicide charges.

Yvonne Victorero and seven supporters demonstrated in front of the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, protesting the decision not to charge the man who shot and killed her son Rolando Victorero in December 2023.

“We’re here to find justice,” Victorero said.

The case gained attention after I obtained video footage showing the deadly confrontation between Rolando Victorero and Kelvin Fajardo over a woman. The video shows Victorero appearing to confront Fajardo, who was wearing red. Victorero was shot, then fled, and was shot twice more before dying later that night.

“I think they should reopen the case and reinvestigate,” Victorero said.

Deputy reports WPTV obtained included emails from Victorero to Fajardo prior to the shooting.

According to the report, Victorero wrote, “Ain’t no one gonna stop me from whooping you when I see you,” and “Just fight me… let me get some anger out on you.”

The deputy recommended Fajardo not be prosecuted under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to use deadly force if they reasonably believe they are in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm.

Gary Kleck, professor emeritus of criminology at Florida State University, reviewed the video at my request and questioned the decision not to prosecute.

“It was originally designed basically to address cases where there really was lawful, there was legitimate self-defense,” Kleck said.

“In this case, there should have been a pretty obvious case for a criminal homicide rather than self-defense,” Kleck said.

Kleck believes prosecutors in Florida are often reluctant to bring charges when suspects use the Stand Your Ground defense.

“I guess you could call it bureaucratic problems of productivity, you’re supposed to have a good conviction rate as a prosecutor,” Kleck said.

I obtained an email sent to Victorero’s lawyer from the prosecutor defending her decision not to file charges.

“The shooter merely had to have had a reasonable basis to believe he was about to suffer a forcible felony such as aggravated battery,” former Assistant State Attorney Aleathea McRoberts wrote in 2024.

A representative from the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office said it has not received any additional information from law enforcement.

Despite the setback, Victorero vows to continue her fight.

“And I will not stop until I can be heard, and I will find justice,” Victorero said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WPTV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Mosquito infestation plagues El Segundo residents; city leaders promise action

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — An infestation of mosquitoes in one El Segundo neighborhood has created a months-long nightmare for residents, who are hopeful that mitigation efforts from Los Angeles County leaders will finally make a difference.

Los Angeles County Vector Control officials say that the influx of mosquitoes is likely from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, which has created breeding grounds for the annoying pests. They say they’ve been working to try and solve the issue since it was first brought to their attention in mid-December.

In an update to the mitigation plan posted on Jan. 2, city officials said that an inspection of the site revealed several breeding areas.

During a city council meeting on Tuesday night, LA County Vector Control Executive Director Aaron Arugay spoke on the infestation.

“Because of the time of year, it was a little unusual to see the spike in the winter; it’s not what we’re really accustomed to,” he said. “I think it was a rain event, then some warm weather in addition to some maintenance issues in the facility, all combined to create the issue.”

Some residents say that they’ve spent hundreds of dollars in recent weeks to try to solve the problem, with temporary solutions ranging from traps to essential oils.

“The community, we all started buzzing about it right before Thanksgiving,” said Samantha Hedding, an El Segundo resident. “We went through our holidays like this. It was miserable. Then the weather got nice, it’s still been miserable.”

Vector Control and Hyperion staff are expected to set six new traps along the greenbelt between the water plant and El Segundo on Wednesday, which they hope will help ease the large amount of mosquitoes.

“LA County Vector Control staff have been applying pesticides as needed,” said the City of El Segundo’s website. “Hyperion also has a private contractor on standby to apply pesticide, if needed.”

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