Author: CNN Newsource

By Tim McNicholas

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Nine of the nation’s newest air traffic controllers just completed their training in Queens as part of a new program to fight the air traffic controller shortage.

Yanni Agrotis from Melville spent months training on simulators at Vaughn College in Queens.

“It feels like there’s duty to be done, and it feels like I’m putting my badge on my shoulder like I’m ready to handle something very important,” Agrotis said.

New FAA controllers like Agrotis used to have to travel to Oklahoma City to train. But a new FAA program allows aviation-focused colleges like Vaughn to train controllers on campus. We first told you about the plan about a year ago.

Vaughn College President Sharon DaVivo says it’s a big draw for controllers who want to train close to home, and more.

“So it’s expanding the number of seats the federal government has to train air traffic controllers,” DaVivo said.

Nine trainees joined the program, and all nine completed it. Now, they’ll head to air traffic control towers across the country to launch their careers with the FAA. They’ll still require additional training at those towers before they can become fully certified controllers.

The staff at Vaughn says, when combined with other schools in the program, the FAA is gaining about 100 new controllers.

“But that’s 100 more they didn’t have last year, right? So all of this helps to grow the air traffic controllers,” DaVivo said.

She’s hoping to expand Vaughn’s program to 15 trainees this fall.

As for Agrotis and the other eight graduates?

“The instructors were very welcoming. They were tough, but they did it in a nice way. So they prepared us for being in a stressful situation,” Agrotis said.

They hope to start working at towers within a few weeks.

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 Juli McDonald

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    NORWOOD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — With the school year winding down, you can find a group of Norwood high schoolers up the road on Willett Pond, enthusiastic junior members of the Walpole Fish and Game Club.

“Probably like three to four times a week. We all love fishing. It’s really fun. We get to take a boat out all by ourselves,” said sophomore Sean Needham.

Last week as the winds picked up, they were about to call it a night – when they noticed an overturned kayak, and a man in a poorly fitting life preserver.

“From far away it looked like the guy in the water was swimming and we kept on asking if he was OK,” recalled Devin Dwyer.

“It was really loose. He was sinking through it, so his head kept on going under,” Needham added.

The friends said a woman with the man explained he is autistic and nonverbal. While one of them leaned to balance out their boat, the other two worked together, pulling the man safely onto theirs, and earning high praise from witnesses on shore.

“They did exactly what they were supposed to do. We teach them how to fish and tie knots and all that but the important stuff about being safe when you’re on the water and wearing a life preserver. They remember what we told them,” said witness Jim Kane, who’s been a member of the club for more than 30 years.

The club recognized the teen heroes, who not only acted quickly, but treated the man with compassion and kindness. After he was safely back on land, witnesses helped the man dry off and made sure he and his companion were not hurt.

“We were all raised to do the right thing if someone needs help,” Needham said.

“It was honestly pretty scary. Got kind of nervous but I’m just glad we were at the right place at the right time,” Nick Serratore 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 Adi Guajardo

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park on Tuesday, distressing parkgoers who witnessed it all.

It’s renewing a push to ban carriage horses in the city.

It happened around 7:30 p.m. on 72nd Street near Central Park West.

Carriage driver Nurettin Kirbiyik said he was giving a carriage ride when Deniz, his 16-year-old horse, collapsed.

“I was going on a run, and I saw a horse on the floor struggling to breathe,” witness Clara Bermudz said.

She said moments later, the carriage horse stopped breathing.

“In two seconds, horse died. Just shake and I feel like he’s going to pee. He just died,” Kirbiyik said. “I lose like somebody from my family.”

“I’m shaking now just talking about it,” witness Danielle Leeann Chin said. “This is the second time that I’ve seen a horse carriage incident in 10 months.”

Kirbiyik and a spokesperson for TWU Local 100, the union representing carriage horse drivers, said Deniz was in good health and went to the vet back in January.

TWU Local 100 spokesperson Christina Hansen called this a sudden medical emergency and said the horse will be taken to Cornell University for a necropsy.

The nonprofit organization New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) is advocating for Ryder’s Law, which would ban horse carriages in New York City. It was named after a horse that collapsed on a Manhattan street back in 2022 and died several months later.

“This is a nightmare,” NYCLASS Executive Director Edita Birnkrant said. “Our message to the Speaker Julie Menin and the City Council and the mayor is, we have got to pass Ryder’s Law this year. We have another horse that dropped dead in an agonizing death. We’ve had six violent incidents.”

Hansen denied accusations that carriage horses are overworked.

“It’s not true. You know, these horses are literally strolling in the park,” she said. “They think that any work is overwork. This is an easy job for horses.”

The City Council Committee on Health voted against Ryder’s Law back in November. NYCLASS said they have scheduled a rally for Wednesday afternoon on the steps of City Hall to reintroduce the law.

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 Joan Murray

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    BROWARD COUNTY, Florida (WFOR) — A “tsunami” of seaweed is washing ashore on South Florida beaches, creating an unsightly problem and irritating both locals and visitors alike. The decaying matter causes a stench that lingers for days.

The conditions are the same in Pompano Beach and up and down the coast.

Trish Currin, a visitor from Austin, Texas, was sunbathing Tuesday but said she was avoiding the water due to “seaweed pikes along the shoreline”. Currin, who noted conditions were “perfect” during a previous visit in December, described the difference as “night and day”.

“You don’t like it when it sticks to your leg,” Currin said. “When we saw what it was like, my husband didn’t even want to come to the beach”.

In Pompano Beach, Commissioner Audrey Fesik, whose district includes the beach area, has received complaints from residents. Beach rakers bury the seaweed, but Fesik acknowledged it is a “never-ending task of trying to stay ahead of mounting seaweed,” noting that “12 hours it’s all back”.

Fort Lauderdale Beach also uses beach raking, with careful attention not to disturb turtle nests. Some of the seaweed is scooped up and sent to a park where it is allowed to decompose and become rich soil, saving the city $100,000 a year in dumping fees. On the positive side, the seaweed mixed with sand helps with dune building, and some marine life feeds off the seaweed.

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 Angela Williams

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    MADISON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Madison police said a delivery driver is facing charges over a fast food order.

Officers were called at about 2:35 p.m. Sunday to the Taco Bell on Main Street in Madison, where they encountered John Michael Beall as he tried to leave the parking lot.

Officers learned that Beall became irate when he was told his order wasn’t ready for pick-up. Beall is accused of damaging a cash register and throwing it at an employee.

Beall is charged with misdemeanor malicious mischief and simple assault by threat. He has been released 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 Ricky Podgorski, Mike Moses

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    THORNTON, New Hampshire (WMUR) — The 18-year-old brother of a 21-year-old Plymouth State University student found dead in a Thornton home Monday is expected to appear in court Tuesday after being charged in her death, according to authorities.

Logan Anderson is charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of his sister, Leah Anderson.

An autopsy is also scheduled Tuesday as investigators continue working to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Police were called to a home on Mad River Road shortly before 9 a.m. Monday.

The Attorney General’s Office said officers found Leah Anderson suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

Authorities have released few details about what led to the shooting, and officials said the investigation remains ongoing.

Leah Anderson was majoring in elementary education and youth development at Plymouth State University, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

People who live in the area said they did not hear or see anything unusual until police began arriving Monday morning.

“They had the roadblock, and that was about 9:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m.,” neighbor Bob Imonti said.

“You almost never hear sirens here. It’s very quiet. You come out at night, and it’s dead silent. It’s nice. So, yeah. When I heard the sirens this morning, I knew something was up. It’s not usual,” neighbor Karl Bewersdorf said.

Bewersdorf described the Anderson family as kind and well-known in the neighborhood.

“I’ve dealt with them before,” he said. “They’re very nice people, a nice family.”

Logan Anderson is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. WMUR will provide updates from court and additional information from investigators 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 Nick Bohr

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — Prosecutors presented video evidence Tuesday in the Waukesha County trial of Kevin Lychwick, who is charged in the 2024 shooting death of his neighbor Carlos Maldonado.

Waukesha police discovered Maldonado’s body in October 2024 near Frame Park, wrapped in a tarp and concealed under leaves and twigs in a wooded area behind an apartment building.

“The body was quasi-semi-buried and was covered in leaves and twigs and stuff, so it looked like the body was to be intentionally concealed,” Waukesha Police Capt. Dan Baumann said at the time.

Maldonado, 55, had been missing for six months before his body was found. Police arrested Lychwick, his neighbor, after finding a gun in his car that they said fired the fatal shots. Investigators also discovered what they described as a hit list in Lychwick’s home, which included Maldonado’s name with the word “neutralized” written next to it.

“You’re trying to make a fool out of me on top of it. I refuse to be part of this. You’re railroading me, I say again,” Lychwick said during the trial Tuesday.

Representing himself, Lychwick frequently clashed with Judge David Maas.

“I need to go back to my cell and lay down. That’s all I can tell you. When I feel better, I’ll let you know,” Lychwick said in court Tuesday while attempting to delay the trial.

His efforts to postpone proceedings were unsuccessful.

During testimony, a neighbor said he saw Lychwick on his surveillance camera after midnight.

“Let me just play this clip for you, and at the conclusion of the clip, I’ll have a question for you,” the prosecutor said.

“Mmm hmm. Yes,” the neighbor replied after reviewing the footage.

“Is there an individual walking on this clip, sir?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes,” the neighbor said.

“Do you recognize that individual?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes,” the neighbor replied.

“Who is that individual?” the prosecutor asked.

“Kevin Lychwick,” the neighbor said.

Lychwick faces life in prison if convicted. Testimony is set to resume Wednesday.

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 Adam Roberts

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    DYER, Arkansas (KHBS, KHOG) — Bodycam footage shows a Crawford County deputy go into a burning home twice to try to rescue a woman.

Deputy Robin Gaines was hospitalized after the attempted rescue on the morning of June 3 due to burns and smoke inhalation. He was originally in the Intensive Care Unit, but was expected to begin outpatient treatment on Tuesday.

Three people were able to escape the fire. The state fire marshal is looking into what caused the fire.

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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    OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (KMBC) — What do you do when you’re in need?

Ask for what you need.

For Amanda Schmidt of Overland Park, that request is being made in a creative way.

“I was playing around with an AI website, and had it make me a decal, and it just popped out. It’s really cute…So I had them made, and just slapped on the back of my car.”

And more than seventy other cars after that.

The decals carry Schmidt’s ask: “I need a Kidney.”

Schmidt is looking for a living donor, and one with a rare blood type: O+ or O-.

She has PKD, or Polycystic Kidney Disease. It’s a genetic condition that causes cysts to grow on her kidneys that will, over time, lead to kidney failure.

Schmidt says each of her kidneys weighs around eight pounds, the same as a full gallon jug each. They’re compressing her organs and her lungs, and they’ll need to be removed soon. That removal is complicated by the need for a living donor with a specific blood type.

“It is more of a rare blood type, rare in the sense that you can only receive a positive or negative, so the way the wait list for that is longer than other, the other blood types.”

Despite the longer wait, Schmidt holds hope that these decals will help get the word out and maybe connect her to the person who will save her life.

“My hope has been renewed.”

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.