Milwaukee woman battles rat infestation near her home

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By TJ Dysart

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Kathleen Bebo, who lives near 12th and Morgan in Milwaukee, is dealing with a rat infestation that began in October, prompting her to consider moving.

Bebo has killed eight rats since the rodents started appearing, and she believes they are coming from the alley due to neighbors not disposing of trash properly. On Friday, she caught two rats, which remain in the trap outside her home.

“My husband usually opens this up and takes them out,” Bebo said, describing her routine of checking traps. “It’s disgusting, two rats in one day,”

Bebo shared a photo of a dead, soaking wet rat nearly the size of her shoe found in her back alley, noting that the problem has worsened since it began in June of last year.

“I personally have seen eight rats in my traps,” Bebo said. “So that’s eight rats since October that I have killed.”

Her biggest fear is that the rats will invade her home.

“They are going to be in my house,” Bebo said.

She believes the issue stems from neighbors not properly disposing of their trash and has reached out to her alderman, Scott Spiker, and neighborhood services for assistance.

“The neighborhood services guy came out to look at my property to see if I have burrows, and they said unless I have them all, I could do is kill them,” Bebo said.

Attempts to contact Alderman Scott Spiker and the Department of Neighborhood Services for comment were unsuccessful.

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.

New Orleans cousins celebrating 56 years of riding with Krewe of Iris

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Metia Carroll

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    New Orleans (WDSU) — Two cousins will be making history as one of the longest consecutive riding members of the Krewe of Iris.

Jackie Gondrella and Lynn Worley, cousins aged 79 and 86, have been riding with the Krewe of Iris for 56 years.

“Fifty-six years, this will be 56 years,” Gondrella said.

Initially, when the cousins joined the krewe in 1970, they had a mutual understanding that it would be a one-time deal.

“One-time deal, one and done, we knew we couldn’t afford it again,” Gondrella said.

Despite the $200 dues and monthly payments for beads, they found the investment worthwhile.

“We were so young and poor we would put on layaway and pay each month up until Mardi Gras to get our beads,” Gondrella said.

Reflecting on the costs, Gondrella humorously considered the real estate she could have owned had she invested the money elsewhere.

For the past 56 years, the cousins have cherished their time on the parade route, including the original one that rolled into the French Quarter.

“Ohhhh, the real thrill of a lifetime, turned onto Royal Street, people above us, below us, and you would get to the corner, and the crowds extended on every side street, it was fantastic,” Gondrella said.

Back then, the rules were looser, the crowds tighter, the floats smaller, and the costumes more revealing.

“Oh goodness, we were young and we wore short costumes, we were cute,” Gondrella said with a laugh.

In 2010, Gondrella traded her tunic for a tiara, becoming the queen of Iris.

“John and I were the king and queen of Iris,” she said.

It was a memorable year, coinciding with the Saints’ Super Bowl win, earning her the nickname “Super Bowl Queen.”

2020 marked the first time in 56 years that the duo didn’t roll down the avenue and then there was last year, which brought a scare when Worley thought Gondrella was dead.

“I turned around, her eyes were wide open. I thought she was dead… that was my worst experience,” Gondrella said.

This year, Gondrella is riding with a broken arm, determined to continue despite the challenges.

“This year it’s a broken arm, but I’m riding, I hope nothing else happens,” she said. “I only think about getting healthy enough to get on that float and ride … I don’t ever think about not riding, cause that even just thinking about that would be devastating to me. Because I know there will come a time when I get on at all,” Gondrella said.

The cousins are addicted to the thrill of the ride, and this year, all they want is a chance to do it again.

“I don’t know many people who do one thing for 56 years and still love it,” said Worley.

“I love it just as much as the first time I rode,” said Gondrella.

Jackie and Lynn are riding on the romance float, with Jackie on the neutral ground side and Lynn on the sidewalk side, talking to each other across the float.

They used to ride with Jackie’s sister Anne, who passed away, and the krewe marked her spot with a memorial plaque, ensuring her presence with them every time.

Iris is rolling Saturday at 11 a.m. along the Uptown parade route.

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.

‘This isn’t my house’: Oklahoma City homeowner discovers stranger asleep in living room

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Jason Burger

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Brenda, a homeowner in Oklahoma City, woke up early Thursday morning to find a complete stranger asleep in her living room, prompting her to call the police.

“I flipped on the kitchen light, heard a noise, like someone snoring, and I turn around, and there’s a man,” Brenda said.

She discovered the man asleep in her front living room, about four feet from her.

She immediately woke up her daughter and son-in-law, who were staying with her at the time.

“When I said, ‘There’s an intruder in our home,’ then they woke up quickly,” she said. “We all went out to the living room, and just kind of nudged him.”

Brenda noted that the man seemed intoxicated.

“He could barely stand up; fortunately, he was not aggressive, and we kind of shooed him out of the house,” she said.

According to the police report, when the man woke up, he said, “This isn’t my house,” and left on a bicycle.

Brenda reported that while nothing was stolen, the man left things out of place and had relieved himself in a fruit bowl. He also took some leftovers from the fridge.

Brenda does not wish to press charges, but made a police report to alert her neighbors about the bizarre incident.

“I don’t necessarily want to press charges. I did want to make a police report just because I don’t want this to happen to my neighbors either,” she 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.

‘Wanted to be that little voice of hope’: Steakhouse helps after Omaha Steaks announcement

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By KETV Staff

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    ASHLAND, Neb. (KETV) — Even with a full plate at his own restaurant, TJ Olson said Round the Bend Steakhouse is willing to step up after Omaha Steaks ended food service distribution earlier this week.

“We can cut, package and get them out. Kind of a short-term solution to get them through a busy holiday weekend that they were expecting to have product and now they don’t,” Olson said.

This is not a permanent answer, but he hopes to bridge the gap.

“If we can be that short-term answer for a couple of weeks to get help you out until you find a new supplier, that’s what we want to do,” Olson said.

Olson said Round the Bend can provide steaks, ribeyes and other products, all prepared by their in-house butchers.

“We grind all of our scraps from our steaks to turn into our burgers, so we have a lot of ground beef on hand as well,” Olson said.

His help doesn’t stop at butchering — Olson also has advice for finding a new supplier.

“Don’t jump around from this one to this one to this one. Find one you can build a relationship with,” Olson said.

He’ll give you recommendations for getting lower prices.

“Get together with four other restaurants and buy 100 cases of meat,” Olson said. “You can get that price down, and you can ask your suppliers to do that.”

He’s even offering to connect owners with sales representatives. He said he’s doing it because if the restaurant industry can get through the COVID-19 pandemic, then it can get through anything.

“We wanted to be that little voice of hope, like, ‘Hey, we can get through this weekend. It’s Valentine’s weekend,'” Olson said. “If we could do that, that’s what we wanted to do.”

If owners are worried about finding quality meat, Olson said that they shouldn’t be.

“There’s enough high-quality places that can come in and step right in where Omaha Steaks were for these folks with just as good, if not better, quality,” Olson said.

He said the restaurants are all in this together.

“We’re here for you no matter what industry you’re in,” Olson said. “Whether you’re a Korean barbecue or barbecue place or a steakhouse just like us, we’re going to help.”

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‘I just want to know why’: Omaha mother seeks justice 25 years after Jermaine Moore’s death

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Beth Carlson

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — Twenty-five years after the death of her son Jermaine Moore, an Omaha mother is still fighting for justice while keeping his memory alive.

On Valentine’s Day in 2001, the 17-year-old was shot several times, including in the head, according to Omaha Police. Linda Moore says no arrests have ever been made in her son’s case and her questions remain unanswered.

“Who did this? Why? Why would you lure him out of the house to do that to him? You know, 17 years old, his life was just getting started,” Linda Moore said. “They took a wonderful person for me. My only son.”

She remembers her son as a kind person who looked out for his family.

“He was just so joyful, outgoing, and. You know, I was just always used to that bright, pretty smile he always had on his face,” Linda said.

She often wonders what his life would be like if he were still here today.

“He would have been an amazing dad, because he was so overprotective of his sisters. He helped them out of everything. Every time they got in trouble, he was always right there,” Linda said.

The family believes that someone lured Jermaine out of his home that night.

“I could just remember that smile going out of the door, walking down the street. And that was the last time I seen my baby. And something kept telling me to call him back,” Linda said. “He told me, whatever you do, don’t come around this corner. You know, it’s like he knew. It’s like he protected us,”

She said she believes witnesses still know the truth of her son’s death.

“They’ve been hiding it all these years, instead of coming forward,” Linda said.

Moore said the holiday is especially tough for her family every year.

“My kids went to the gravesite and lit off 25 balloons, but I couldn’t get out. I just remember him as he is,” Linda said. “I’m never going to give up. If it takes me to the last breath. I will never give up. As long as I’m here, I’m going to keep more fighting to find out who killed my son.”

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.

From burying to marrying: Iowa funeral home director officiates wedding after judge doesn’t show

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Kayla James

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — A Marshalltown couple ran into a wedding day hiccup Thursday when the judge scheduled to marry them didn’t show up, but love and a quick phone call found a way.

Alexis and Rean Webb planned to tie the knot at the Marshall County Courthouse at 4 p.m. on Feb. 12. It was always meant to be something intimate, where they would be surrounded by close loved ones.

“We wanted something very small and low-key,” said Rean Webb.

The couple, joined by their children, posed for a photo inside the courthouse. Unfortunately, just moments later, they would learn the judge they had an appointment with wasn’t going to show up, and there wasn’t a different judge available.

While the no-show could have derailed their plans, the Webbs kept calm. In fact, they said they were more surprised by how quickly everything came together next.

“My dad instantly jumped up, and he was like, ‘I know somebody: Jody,'” Alexis Webb said.

That “somebody” was Jody Anderson. He’s a friend of Alexis’s dad and is ordained. He and his wife are also the owners and funeral directors of Anderson Funeral Homes.

Anderson said he was at home when Alexis’ father called his phone. His wife woke him up to let him know who was on the line.

“I rolled into the funeral home. Parking lot was full of cars. Family members. Didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Anderson said.

Still, he opened the doors to the funeral home’s chapel, welcomed the family inside, and took time to speak with the couple.

“I took 5-10 minutes, met with them, discussed the importance, made sure they were both for real,” Anderson said.

They were.

Within 30 minutes of that first phone call, Alexis and Rean Webb were married in a ceremony the couple said turned out to be more meaningful than they expected.

“It was even better than we expected because we kind of did get a real wedding in a sense. We’re in a chapel. I got to walk down the aisle with my dad. The girls got to be flower girls. My son got to be the ring bearer, and his son got to be his best man. I mean, what more could we ask for?” Alexis Webb said.

For the Webbs, what began as a setback ended with a wedding they’ll never forget, and they’re grateful for Anderson.

As for Anderson, helping was never a question.

“It goes back to my career as a funeral director. The phone rings? I go. I mean, you don’t say no. You help people, and I think that’s what the good Lord put me on the Earth to do, is to help people, and I was just happy to help,” Anderson 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.

Otero County will close detention facility in Alamogordo

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Hamilton Kahn

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    OTERO COUNTY, N.M. (KOAT) — After numerous reports of poor conditions and imprisonment of immigrants who may not be in the U.S. illegally, the New Mexico legislature passed, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill that is likely to reduce, if not eliminate, the detention of people by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Immigrant Safety Act bans local and state authorities from contacting ICE to detain people in New Mexico for civil immigration violations, and a quick response has come from the Otero County Detention Facility in Alamogordo. It announced that it will close when its contract is no longer in effect.

State Sen. James Townsend (R-Eddy & Otero) said the facility’s shutdown will deliver a heavy blow to the local economy.

“It’s a huge deal,” Townsend said. “It hurts Otero County, there’s no other way to spin it. There’s 1,000 going to be lost. There are three counties that are going to be affected, and as you well know, 1,000 jobs in New Mexico is a big deal.”

The other two facilities holding people detained by ICE in New Mexico are the Torrance County Detention Facility and the Cibola County Detention Center.

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.

‘I never thought I would fall in love again’: Claxton woman shares story of finding love after loss

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Kirsten Maselka

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    CLAXTON, Ga. (WJCL) — For many people, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of romance. For those who have lost a spouse, it can be a difficult day to navigate.

JoAnn Strickland, of Claxton, Ga., knows that feeling.

“We were together 27 years, then he got sick,” Strickland said.

Her husband died of cancer in 2016. In the years that followed, Strickland said she leaned on family and friends and had no interest in another relationship.

“My friends gave me a hard time, said, ‘You’ve got to get out and date somebody,’” she said. “I never thought I would fall in love again… I never thought I would even date.”

Hunter Bickers, a therapist at Waters Edge Counseling, said those emotions are common. He said there is no set timeline for when someone should start dating after losing a partner.

“That’s the big question, and it’s a struggle a lot of people experience,” Bickers said. “But if the answer is, ‘I am open and I’d like to explore and expand again while still commemorating and cherishing what I had,’ then maybe it is the right time.”

For Strickland, that readiness came slowly. Then she met Steve Stiegman.

“We clicked,” Stiegman said. “We don’t go anywhere where we don’t have a good time.”

Strickland said starting over brought complicated emotions, including learning not to measure a new relationship against the one she lost.

“You can’t compare it to your spouse that you lost, so I had to work through that,” she said.

Bickers said many widows and widowers worry that loving again means betrayal.

“We don’t have to prove our loyalty by staying alone forever,” Bickers said. “Moving forward does not necessarily mean completely moving on. That person is still in your life — it just looks a little bit differently.”

Strickland said her late husband remains part of her life — while making room for something new.

“I still visit the cemetery. I bring flowers and talk to him,” she said. “Steve can be part of that.”

Last Christmas, Stiegman proposed.

“He had on the shirt that said, ‘Will you marry me?’” Strickland laughed.

This Valentine’s weekend, the couple plans to spend the day at their favorite place and enjoy quality time.

“We’re going to hit the beach,” Stiegman said.

Strickland said finding love again changed her perspective.

“I really didn’t think I needed anybody until I met Steve,” she said. “It makes you want to love stronger if you find somebody that you can be with.”

Mental health professionals say no one has to navigate grief alone, and support from friends, family or a counselor can be an important part of healing.

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.

University of Michigan student accused of using AI suing school; lawsuit alleges disability discrimination

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Nick Lentz

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — A federal lawsuit alleges University of Michigan regents and faculty engaged in disability discrimination against a student accused by an instructor of using artificial intelligence to write papers.

The court document was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on Monday. It identifies the student as an undergraduate who has documented disabilities, including generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

“These conditions substantially limit one or more major life activities, including concentration, thinking, communicating, and interacting with others in high-stress settings,” the lawsuit said.

According to the court document, the university had notice “no later than” Feb. 7, 2025, of the student’s disabilities and need for accommodations through its Services for Students with Disabilities process and medical documentation.

During the last fall semester, Theo Nash, an instructor for the class Great Books 191, accused the student three different times of using AI to write course papers, according to the court document.

“The accusations were based heavily on subjective judgments about Plaintiff’s writing style and on self-confirming ‘AI comparison’ outputs generated using Plaintiff’s own outlines and content,” the lawsuit said.

According to the court document, the student denied using AI for the papers and provided written proof of the same, along with disability-related documents that said traits associated with GAD and OCD, including “formal tone, meticulous structure, stylistic consistency, and heightened distress during oral confrontation, can be misinterpreted as artificial or dishonest behavior and are not proof of AI misuse.”

The lawsuit said the university and its Office of Student Academic Affairs moved forward with discipline without providing the student with disability support, despite being notified. Measures included “disciplinary probation” and requiring them to write a reflective essay. The school also issued penalties that resulted in a “no record” grade on the student’s transcript, according to the court document.

The student on Dec. 24 submitted a formal appeal for the school’s ruling on two of the instructor’s accusations, per the lawsuit. The same day, they filed a joint civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the university’s Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office.

The university told the student her appeal would be paused until the federal education agency completed its review, the lawsuit said.

Per the court document, the federal office issued a written dismissal of the student’s complaint on Jan. 2, saying the student had approved testing accommodations.

According to the lawsuit, the NR grade and sanctions are blocking the student from graduating and threatening their future education plans, according to the court document.

The lawsuit said the regents and faculty named violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to “reasonably accommodate” the student’s disability-related limitations “in the academic integrity process and related academic decisions.”

According to the court document, the defendants also violated the Rehabilitation Act by discriminating against them “solely by reason of disability” by “treating disability-related writing traits as evidence of misconduct.”

The lawsuit is asking a judge to preserve the student’s academic record by stopping any negative marks on their transcript, preventing that information from being shared, and blocking any further academic penalties while the accusations are being challenged. It also asks the school to provide the student with a “prompt, fair, and disability-informed process” and is seeking financial compensation for an amount that has yet to be determined.

A spokesperson at the University of Michigan said the university has no comment in response to the lawsuit.

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.

A life-altering stroke couldn’t keep a Minneapolis triathlete from her passion

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — North Minneapolis resident Kate Varns is a bonafide Ironman, meaning she’s finished the toughest of toughest triathlons. It features a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then a full 26.2-mile marathon.

But after surviving a stroke several years ago, that accomplishment paled in comparison to what laid ahead.

“My parents started us young, which I’m so grateful for,” said Kate Varns. “When my brother and I were little, they really fostered a love of getting outside whenever we could. Just kind of climb around on trails and stuff like that. Then in high school, it was more formalized, where my brother and I got involved in cross country and track, and that was where it really took off.”

Maine is where Kate Varns grew up, Minnesota is the place she’s grown to appreciate, and husband Glenn Varns is the Minnesotan she’s grown to love after meeting in college.

“Her superpower is infectious enthusiasm. You’ve always had a pretty amazing, positive attitude,” said Glenn Varns. “And it’s not everything, but it counts for a lot.”

And that try-anything attitude got her to try something new as an adult.

“Glenn knew that I wanted to get involved in triathlon, being a runner by background. I had no swim background. Like, the first two years were heavy into swimming because, again, I just really needed to start from the ground up. And so we would swim in the pool, we would transfer to a stationary bike and then we would run on the indoor track. So it was a nice, kind of gentle way of kind of getting into it,” she said. “It was just exciting. I had gotten just really excited by just watching triathlon videos on YouTube and things like that, and watching the [Ironman World Championship] in Hawaii was a whole other thing.”

In 2018, she achieved her goal.

“I really believe the best thing about triathlon for adults is it gives summer back for adults, because, you know, you’re swimming in lakes, you’re taking nice bike rides, you’re running in pretty areas with friends, like parks and things like that, so it’s like a kid again,” she said.

The Varns were fully immersed in an endurance athlete community. But one night Kate Varns went to bed, and woke up as a different person.

“She couldn’t move her left side. Her face was drooping on the left side. It was pretty obvious to me what was going on,” said Glenn Varns. “As soon as I realized that she couldn’t stand up on her own, that’s when I knew we had to activate things quickly.”

A doctor himself with Allina Health, he sprung into action despite his shock.

“Kate was a, is an incredibly healthy person, and so we did have, and still kind of do, have this floating, like, uncertainty, of like why? Why did this all happen to her?” he said.

“I remember waking up at some point and being made aware that my left side was paralyzed, that I’d had a stroke, and I remember at some point, I had no idea when, waking up and just panicking, thinking, ‘But my walks, I love my daily morning walks. How am I going to do it?'” she said.

After months in hospitals, she ended up at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center, relearning what she had once mastered.

“That was actually a relief, because by that time I thought I’m going crazy. I have to move. I want to move. I need to do something,” she said. “And I told the therapist that, that I said, ‘Just so you know, for your peace of mind, I am used to working out more than once a day, so I want to get working and doing something.’ So I welcomed the therapy.”

And one day she welcomed an unexpected idea: to sign up for a triathlon six months later. It’s all thanks to her training buddy, Kim.

“I was just saying, ‘Oh, I don’t know how it’s going to happen. I really want to get back to triathlon.’ She said, ‘Have you ever thought about competing as a para-athlete?’ And my first thought was like, ‘Well, what does that involve?’ So we talked about it and learned more about it, and I watched some videos,” she said.

And with the help of her swimming buddy/husband, and a tandem bike, Kate Varns did the impossible once again — finishing a YMCA triathlon.

“I am so extremely proud of it, but I just kind of choke up thinking about it, but having had a stroke and been hospitalized for weeks and months, and then coming back on the race course, that was indescribable,” she said. “It was harder in many ways than Ironman.”

“Her superpower is infectious enthusiasm, and to just see that shine through all the time, and the way that you’ve gone through processing that fear and like, ‘Yeah, I can still do that,'” said Glenn Varns.

And that is exactly what she’s doing: training, and resting and prepping for what’s next. Because Kate Varns isn’t afraid of a challenge — she’s become a friend to it.

“There were days when I just had to tell myself, ‘Just keep moving forward.’ And that became kind of my mental mantra,” she 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.