Author: CNN Newsource

By Mike Holden

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    CLEVELAND (WEWS) — A Cuyahoga County councilman is introducing new legislation aimed at preventing violence and protecting children by banning the sale of novelty lighters designed to look like firearms.

The proposal, known as the “Tamir Rice Act,” will be formally introduced Tuesday evening before the Cuyahoga County Council.

The legislation is named in honor of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old who was fatally shot by a Cleveland police officer in 2014 while holding a pellet gun.

Under the proposed ordinance, retailers throughout Cuyahoga County would be prohibited from selling or displaying novelty lighters that resemble pistols, rifles, shotguns, or other firearms.

Businesses found in violation of the law could face fines of up to $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for repeat violations.

The legislation is being sponsored by Michael J. Houser Sr., who says the products create unnecessary confusion and pose a public safety risk.

“This is a dangerous item, period,” Houser said. “We want to take these off the streets of Cuyahoga County.”

Houser added that realistic gun-shaped lighters can easily be mistaken for actual guns, particularly when carried in public.

“If you’re walking down the street with this in your hand, if the cap comes off, it could be a serious issue,” Houser said. “We’re just trying to make sure young people are protected.”

The idea for the legislation came after Myesha Watkins, administrator of the Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention, discovered realistic-looking gun-shaped lighters being sold at a local beauty supply store while she was shopping for hair products with her daughters.

After learning about the products, Houser then visited the store, spoke with an employee, and purchased the remaining inventory.

He said the worker agreed not to order additional gun-shaped lighters.

Watkins says the issue with the gun-shaped lighters extends beyond the lighters themselves.

She says it centers on the potential harm caused when imitation firearms are mistaken for real weapons.

“It’s not really about the lighter,” Watkins said. “It’s about the harm that the lighter being shaped as a firearm can cause in communities that are most impacted by gun violence.”

She also noted that people would be unable to distinguish the novelty item from an actual firearm, depending on how it was positioned and where it was located on your body.

“If I’m holding this in my hands, you cannot tell if it is real or fake,” Watkins said.

Supporters of the legislation say the measure is designed to reduce risk, prevent potentially dangerous misunderstandings, and honor Tamir Rice’s legacy.

The proposal is being introduced during June’s National Gun Violence Awareness Month and has the support of Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice.

In a statement supporting the legislation, Rice said:

“When objects are designed to be indistinguishable from real weapons, they create unnecessary and life-threatening confusion — a burden that falls heaviest on urban communities and families of color. No parent should have to bury their child because of preventable circumstances. Tamir represents the humanity and innocence of all children. I support this legislation in his name, and in the name of every child, all of whom deserve to grow up safely.”

If approved, the ordinance would take effect 30 days after it passes.

Houser said he hopes the Tamir Rice Act could eventually serve as a model for communities across Ohio and potentially inspire national laws.

Cuyahoga County Council is scheduled to consider the proposal during its meeting on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

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 Frederick Sutton Sinclair

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    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Nearly a week after City Council rejected Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s proposed ride-hailing tax, she announced a plan Wednesday to preserve 340 school-based positions that had been slated to be eliminated under the School District of Philadelphia’s proposed budget.

Parker said the district faces a $300 million deficit because of federal COVID-19 relief funds that expired in September 2024. The mayor had proposed filling that gap with what she described as predictable, recurring revenue through taxes on ride-hailing services, hotels and short-term rentals.

After City Council preliminarily approved Parker’s $7.1 billion budget without the proposed taxes, City Council agreed to provide the district with a one-time $48 million infusion. Initially, Superintendent Tony Watlington said the $48 million would not be enough to preserve those jobs, according to a letter obtained by CBS News Philadelphia. That seems to have changed.

On Wednesday, Parker and City Council President Kenyatta Johnson announced an agreement to identify a locally generated, recurring revenue source that would provide the district with $50 million annually over the next five years, preserving 340 school-based roles.

“The 340 school-based cuts are off the table,” Watlington said.

City officials said the people in the positions that were slated to be eliminated would have been reassigned to other vacant roles within the district.

The city has already committed to providing the funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs through June 30, 2027. Officials said they will work to identify a predictable, recurring revenue source before the next budget.

If a new revenue stream is not secured by next year, officials said the city could draw from $216 million in potential savings identified over the next five years as a backup plan.

City Council is expected to give the budget final approval on Thursday.

The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers is expected to thank the mayor during a news conference Thursday morning.

Parker also said during Wednesday’s press conference that she, Johnson and other officials also plan to ask lawmakers in Harrisburg for more state money for the school district, including to modernize some buildings.

Eva Andersen contributed to this report.

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By Naveen Dhaliwal

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    ROCKLAND COUNTY, New York (WCBS) — Dozens of young girls unexpectedly emerged from a drain in the patio of a Rockland County restaurant Wednesday after taking an unauthorized trek underground.

Nyack Mayor Joe Rand said the girls were on a school trip visiting Nyack Memorial Park when they entered a massive drainage tunnel, which collects much of the village’s stormwater runoff.

“They saw the culvert, they saw the cave, and they thought, let’s go take a look, see what’s there,” he said. “And they started walking, and they just kept walking and walking and walking.”

The mayor says the group traveled roughly half a mile through the dark culvert on rocks and uneven terrain before safely finding an exit at Hudson House restaurant, surprising restaurant owner Matt Hudson.

“I was in the office when I heard kids chattering,” Hudson said. “I was like, where is that coming from?”

He was astonished to find the young girls climbing out of a drain over a creek in the courtyard behind his restaurant.

“Sure enough, we came back here into the patio, looked here, and it was filling up with kids,” he said. “They were fine, but they were excitedly talking. They were happy to be getting out of here.”

“Everybody was safe, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m grateful for the first responders,” Rand said. “But it was dangerous, they shouldn’t have been doing it. Because … we could’ve gotten rain this afternoon, and if it rains, this thing gets much more powerful, and the water could have really picked up on them.”

The mayor said he will be reviewing safety measures at the culvert site and is reminding residents and visitors that drainage culverts are not for recreational use.

For Hudson, it’s a day he won’t forget.

“We’ve been here almost 36 years,” he said. “We thought we saw it all, but no, no, there are still some surprises here.”

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 Breana Pitts

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Garlic mustard might look like an innocent wildflower, but conservationists say it’s one of the most invasive plants in Massachusetts.

Despite its serrated leaves, delicate white flower and unmistakable scent, garlic mustard is on the state’s Prohibited Plant List.

“It’s like wildfire,” said Lisey Good, founder of Wild Cohasset, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring native habitats and removing invasive species. “I hate garlic mustard so much.”

The biennial plant, originally brought to New England by European settlers hundreds of years ago as a food source and herbal remedy, has since become a major ecological threat. While some people still use garlic mustard in salads, soups, and pesto, the plant can quickly overwhelm forests and crowd out native species. Good said each stem has “tons of seeds in there.”

“This plant might have 7,000 seeds,” she told WBZ-TV. “Next year this plant will die, but all around it will be 7,000 new baby garlic mustards.”

That’s why Good founded Wild Cohasset in 2015. As garlic mustard spreads, it pushes out native plants that local wildlife, like ruby-throated hummingbirds and butterflies, depend on for survival.

“They’re putting out a kind of chemical warfare,” she said. “It’s a poison that’s similar to cyanide, but it’s not harmful to humans. It’s just a mild amount. But it’s enough to change the soil chemistry so that nothing else can grow around it.”

Recently, Cohasset High School seniors helped Good remove the plant from Wheelwright Park.

“I play at the baseball fields, I’ve been around here awhile, so I just want to make sure it’s going to be here, be healthy for the next generation,” said senior Ronan Carnes.

“We should stop it while it’s just one weed, rather than like 7,000,” added fellow senior Emma Lee.

Timing is critical when it comes to garlic mustard removal. Experts recommend pulling the plant as early in the spring as possible, once the ground has thawed. May is often the easiest time to identify garlic mustard because its distinctive white flowers are in bloom.

The goal is to remove the plants before they set seed. After about June 20, conservationists say the risk increases dramatically. The seeds can spill from the stems during removal and spread to new areas.

Garlic mustard often spreads when people remove it from their yards and place it in compost piles. Seeds end up at municipal compost sites, transfer stations, or in community mulch piles, where they’re unknowingly redistributed and introduced to new areas.

Instead, experts recommend bagging the plants and throwing them in the trash.

For Good, the work is about more than removing a weed. It’s about helping people understand the connection between plants, wildlife, and healthy ecosystems.

“It’s so gratifying to see that people learn what to do,” she said. “People are planting more native plants in their yards for wildlife, and I think people have really started to understand the connection between plants and the creatures that live with us.”

There may also be a natural solution on the horizon.

Good points to a native wildflower called golden ragwort, which pollinators love, and researchers have found can successfully compete with garlic mustard. She recommends planting it in areas where garlic mustard has taken hold.

“It’s something people can do that tangibly helps birds and butterflies and bees and whole forests,” she said.

More information on removing garlic mustard can be found here.

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 Mike Sullivan

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Scotland will play in the first World Cup match at Boston Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts Saturday night, but many of their fans are already in town and fired up.

Several landed at Logan Airport Wednesday dressed in uniform, ready for the games. Some Scottish fans crossed the pond in a kilt for the entire flight. It’s part of their ethos. They are known for three things, those kilts, their chants, and their drinking.

“Been drinking since one o’clock in the morning when I got up,” said David Wood as he arrived.

“We ran out of beer, that was my only complaint,” Darren Wilson said of his flight. “We had a round of applause when we landed. I don’t know if you do that here. That’s a very Scottish thing.”

The pilot on his flight told WBZ-TV when the beer ran out, they switched to wine.

“I’m going to go have a nice whiskey at my digs, then I’m going go about the town,” said Wood, holding up a bag with a large whiskey bottle. “I’m going to find Cheers. That’s what I want do. I want to find Cheers. I watched it when I was younger, and I want to find the bar.”

It’s the spot where everyone knows your name, but by the end of the weekend, Boston will know the Scots, especially by their attire. Graham Howieson and his two sons wore their kilts on the flight here.

“It’s a bit hot and sweaty,” said Howieson. “It’s a bit uncomfortable, but we wanted to represent Scotland didn’t we.”

Fans showed up ready for the match against Haiti Saturday with some shelling out thousands of dollars to see the team play in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.

“When they first went on sale they were about 1,200 (British pounds). Now they aren’t selling and are down to $500,” said Allan Begg who has tickets for a Scotland match.

Carole McNamara bought her tickets online, and it turned out to be a scam. She is out more than $1,300, but she and her family are finding ways to have fun without going to the game.

“We got scammed is what it is, but we are still smiling,” said McNamara. “We are going to the fan zones, and we got tickets to one of the pubs.”

She’s lucky to be in Boston. Some fans struggled to get into the states after their visa waiver applications switched from approved to pending or rejected in the process known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

“Checking every day just in case. Loads of people spent thousands of thousands of pounds and you can’t get your money back,” said McNamara. “When you waited 28 years, it’s a kick in the teeth.”

“We were talking to some guys in the pub last night, and they were all nervous too,” said Howieson.

“There’s been a lot on social media, a lot of people getting knocked back and not getting across and stuff, so it has been a bit of an eyeopener, but we’re here now, just about outside, so we are nearly on American soil,” said Scotland fan Justin Longmuir.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told WBZ-TV in a statement, in part, “ESTAs are continuously vetted and travelers must be complete and truthful. Failure to disclose arrests or convictions constitutes misrepresentation and can lead to ESTA denial, revocation or a permanent bar from entering the United States.”

The French national team also landed at Logan Airport Wednesday afternoon. Fans packed Boylston Street trying to get autographs and photos of players as they entered the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston.

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 Austin Turner, Nicole Comstock

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    POMONA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — The city of Pomona says it’s working to identify how “inappropriate images” appeared in its summer recreation guide.

In a news release, the city said it’s aware that “some copies” of the recently distributed guide include images that should not have appeared.

“We sincerely apologize to our community, especially to families and children who may have been affected,” the release said. “This content does not reflect the City’s values, and we take this matter very seriously.”

Assistant City Manager Mark Gluba told CBS LA that at least two copies contained pornographic material, as well as other color discrepancies. The images were printed onto the guide, rather than being physical inserts.

“Inappropriate images that we would not associate with our children and families, or with anything that the city stands for,” said Pomona City Manager Anita Scott.

The images were on the guide’s second page, under the “Movies in the Park” header.

A digital edition of the guide appears on the city’s website, although no inappropriate images appear inside.

Pomona said further distribution of the physical edition has been suspended, and an investigation into how the images were printed is underway in coordination with its publishing and printing partners.

“We are working to identify the cause and strengthen safeguards to prevent this from happening again,” the release said. “We recognize this incident has damaged public trust and are committed to transparency as we review the issue and implement corrective actions.”

Scott said that al publications were reviewed by city officials before they were sent to a third-party vendor for printing. Of the 25,000 people on the mailing list for the recreation guide, only a few have reported receiving copies with the explicit images, Scott said, noting that they’ve recovered two of the copies so far.

“We do take the responsibility very serious, and look forward to rebuidling that trust with the company and that begins with transparency and a full investigation,” Scott said.

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By Brenda Teele

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — When Darrin McEachern walks through the doors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, staff members are often surprised to learn just how long he has been part of the hospital’s history.

McEachern was just 2 years old when he arrived at St. Jude in 1967 after being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. Now 60, he is among the hospital’s longest-term survivors and remains a passionate supporter of the institution he credits with saving his life.

“I was always sick. I could never get well,” McEachern recalled.

His journey began in Shreveport, where physician Dr. Donald Mack recognized something was seriously wrong and escorted the toddler to St. Jude. At the time, the Memphis hospital was still in its early years and pioneering new treatments for childhood cancers and other catastrophic diseases.

For his mother, Doris Sue Polston, the diagnosis and the trip to Tennessee marked the beginning of an uncertain and frightening chapter.

“I remember us going to St. Jude and going through all of the stuff,” Polston said. “They kept us for three years, and that was the longest three years I ever spent.”

Polston still remembers flying out of Shreveport with her son and being met by hospital staff upon arrival.

“They took us right into St. Jude,” she said.

Treatment options for pediatric brain tumors were far different in the late 1960s than they are today. Families often traveled long distances for specialized care, and many were separated for extended periods while children underwent treatment.

“It separated a lot of families,” McEachern said. “One parent being with the child.”

The trips between Shreveport and Memphis were long and difficult. McEachern remembers his grandparents helping the family purchase a car and modifying it so he could lie down comfortably after painful medical procedures.

Yet through years of treatment, his mother never left his side.

“I was very strong because of her and the good Lord,” he said.

Today, he sees the results of those efforts every time he returns to the hospital.

During a recent survivor study visit, McEachern met a young patient facing circumstances similar to those he experienced nearly six decades ago.

“It reminded me of myself,” he said. “That was me back in 1967.”

The encounter highlighted how much has changed for families. Modern patients often have access to regional affiliate clinics closer to home, reducing the burden of repeated long-distance travel. Housing programs also allow families to remain together during treatment.

“That’s a blessing for a lot of parents,” McEachern said.

As one of St. Jude’s long-term survivors, McEachern receives commemorative pins marking milestones in his journey. One of his most treasured recognizes 50 years of survivorship.

The hospital also sends annual ornaments that have become part of his family’s Christmas traditions.

For McEachern, those reminders represent more than personal milestones. They symbolize the impact of decades of research funded through donations and community support.

“The money brought in so much research,” he said.

Now, as KTBS 3 continues its partnership with the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, McEachern hopes his story serves as a reminder of what those donations can accomplish.

A frightened 2-year-old boy who arrived at St. Jude in 1967 is now a husband, father and survivor whose life spans nearly six decades beyond a diagnosis that once carried far fewer treatment options.

“Thank you for your money and your donations,” McEachern said. “Be sure and buy a ticket for the Dream Home.”

For his family, St. Jude was more than a hospital.

“Once our child is diagnosed with any kind of cancer, that’s our home until they get home,” McEachern 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.