Author: CNN Newsource

By Brett Rains

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    POCOLA, Oklahoma (KHBS, KHOG) — Concern is growing in Pocola, Oklahoma, after thousands of gallons of chemicals spilled in Fort Smith and flowed downstream, raising questions about long-term environmental impacts.

Emergency managers said the spill happened Saturday, May 2, when a holding tank ruptured at the C&S Chemicals facility on Highway 271 in Fort Smith. Approximately 89,000 gallons of chemicals were released into the environment, primarily acidified aluminum sulfate — commonly used to disinfect poultry houses — along with nearly 3,000 gallons of sulfuric acid, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality.

Most of the chemicals entered storm drains and flowed into a nearby drainage ditch, moving downstream toward Oklahoma. Crews are working to neutralize the waterway by reducing acidity levels.

The drainage creek runs from Fort Smith to the Poteau River. An Arkansas Game and Fish spokesperson said crews have counted more than 300 dead minnows and sunfish so far, but residents across the state line say they’ve seen far more.

“There are thousands of fish dead in this creek,” said Jerry Vaughn, who lives along Highway 112 near the contaminated drainage creek. “My children, my grandchildren, fished in this creek for 15 years or 16 years. Lots of fish, and they’re dead. They’re just dead.”

Vaughn lives next to the creek where crews are currently testing and aerating the water after the spill. He said he’s especially worried about what happens as the water flows into a swamp before reaching the Poteau River — and what that could mean for his beehives.

“From here, this creek goes into a huge swamp before it gets into the Poteau River,” Vaughn said. “I have 14 beehives. Those bees work that swamp. And from the research I’ve done, that aluminum sulfate gets into my bees. It’s going to kill my hives.”

Remediation efforts are expected to take two to four weeks, according to emergency managers. Vaughn said he fears the impacts could last much longer.

“I don’t think I’m being told everything,” Vaughn said. “The problem is the aluminum sulfate. It’s not going away. It’s going to be a long-term problem. I’m afraid that long-term problem is just going to be my problem instead of the people that dumped this into the creek.”

In an email sent to 40/29 News, an EPA spokesperson said the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality, with assistance from Oklahoma, is now the lead agency monitoring the cleanup. C&S Chemicals is responsible for all cleanup costs, and a company spokesperson said the total cost is still being determined.

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 Eric Graves

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KMBC) — Bishop Ward High School seniors will not walk across the graduation stage Tuesday evening as scheduled after a recent act of vandalism.

School leadership postponed the commencement ceremonies after seniors reportedly damaged the school building.

In a message to parents, Bishop Ward leadership said the vandalism happened the night of Thursday, May 7, and involved a “significant portion” of the senior class.

Bishop Ward parent Alexcia Gonzales said Thursday was the last day of school for seniors.

Gonzales said she called the school Friday. An administrator told her the vandals destroyed classrooms, damaged furniture, threw eggs and ripped textbooks.

“I don’t understand,” Gonzales said. “What would you think is funny about destroying a classroom? That’s not funny. Like, that’s not even considered a prank.”

Gonzales said her son, Emilio Duran, was out hand-delivering graduation announcements to family and friends Thursday evening.

“He’s been through a lot,” Gonzales said. “And he’s worked really hard. And for it to end like this, it’s just very upsetting.”

In a statement, Bishop Ward High School leaders said commencement ceremonies would be rescheduled when the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department investigation into the vandalism concluded.

Gonzales said it’s frustrating for her son and other uninvolved seniors to be punished for the actions of their classmates.

“All the students weren’t involved, but they’re punishing everybody,” she said. “I know it’s to teach everybody a lesson, but still, it’s not right. It’s not right.”

With that graduation date up in the air, Gonzales has had to change plans quickly. Her son’s grandparents were supposed to come into town, and they had booked an Airbnb.

“Luckily, we were able to get a refund, but I had to let everybody know there’s no ceremony,” she said. “That was hard.”

Gonzales is hoping Bishop Ward will reschedule graduation, but she’s worried because she doesn’t know how long the investigation will take.

She’s hoping the parents of the students involved will help speed up the process.

“I hope if they know that their student did it, that they will make their student come forward because they’re ruining it for everybody,” Gonzales said. “I know if my son was involved, oh, best believe I would take him to the police station.”

In a statement, KCKPD said officers were called to the school before 8 a.m. on Friday, May 8, for a reported burglary.

“The initial investigation indicates that multiple persons, potentially students, gained access to the school building after hours on May 7 and vandalized several interior areas, causing damage to property. The identity of those involved and total value of damaged property is currently undetermined.”

Once KCKPD finishes up the investigation, Bishop Ward High School leadership will decide on any disciplinary actions and whether they would like to pursue charges.

Gonzales said she’s keeping a close eye on her email, hoping to see details on a rescheduled graduation date.

If not, she’s planning to give her son his own ceremony at his graduation party.

“I said, ‘Hey, if you don’t have a ceremony before this party, we will make one for you,'” Gonzales said. “We’ll do the whole thing. We’ll play the song, make you wear your cap and gown. We’ll put a red carpet down. You can walk across and act like you’re getting the diploma.”

But she and her son are both hoping for the real thing.

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 Katherine Worsham , Gianella Ghiglino

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    SANTA BARBARA, California (KSBY) — A fire was reported Monday morning on the natural gas platform “Habitat” off the coast of Santa Barbara.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the fire was reported just before 7:15 a.m.

There were 26 people on board the platform at the time. Coast Guard officials say everyone made it back to shore safely with just two minor injuries reported.

The Coast Guard established a 1,000-yard safety zone around the platform while crews worked to extinguish the fire. Officials say the fire was contained by 11:40 a.m.

Platform Habitat is operated in federal waters by DCOR, LLC.

According to the City of Carpinteria, it was installed in 1981, about eight miles from shore.

It produced natural gas but is now in the process of being decommissioned.

Environmentalists say the incident is a reminder of the potential dangers of offshore oil drilling.

“The entire process of drilling in our oceans risks horrible accidents that can injure or kill workers, spill oil that washes up on coastlines, and harm fish and wildlife,” said Joseph Gordon, campaign director for the organization Oceana. “Despite these threats, the Trump administration is considering a massive expansion of offshore drilling in California’s ocean, including using old, deteriorating infrastructure like the rig that caught fire today, putting more communities and coasts at risk. We must stop the cycle of destruction and protect both our oceans and those who work and live by them.”

KSBY News reached out to DCOR for comment but has not received a response.

Officials say there are no indications that any oil leaked from the platform into the water, and there are no impacts to wildlife or the public at this time.

Fire departments and harbor patrol from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties assisted during Monday’s fire.

“The entire process of drilling in our oceans risks horrible accidents that can injure or kill workers, spill oil that washes up on coastlines, and harm fish and wildlife,” said Joseph Gordon, campaign director for the organization Oceana. “Despite these threats, the Trump administration is considering a massive expansion of offshore drilling in California’s ocean, including using old, deteriorating infrastructure like the rig that caught fire today, putting more communities and coasts at risk. We must stop the cycle of destruction and protect both our oceans and those who work and live by them.”

KSBY News reached out to DCOR for comment but has not received a response.

Officials say there are no indications that any oil leaked from the platform into the water, and there are no impacts to wildlife or the public at this time.

Fire departments and harbor patrol from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties assisted during Monday’s 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 Metia Carroll

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    NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — A beloved New Orleans animal known for bringing smiles to thousands of people across social media has died.

Neuty the nutria, a local fan favorite who has become something of a New Orleans internet icon, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday morning.

In March, Neuty underwent medical tests after his owners revealed he had a malignant mass.

His owners say he tried to fight the cancer, but it was too aggressive and spread quickly. He continued to be active and not in pain during his last three months.

The update was shared on Tuesday on Neuty’s official Instagram page. In the post, his owners said they were taking him to the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital for further testing.

Neuty has gained a large following online and throughout the New Orleans community, where photos and videos of the unusual pet nutria have brought joy to thousands of people.

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 Joe Brandt

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    TRAPPE, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Authorities are searching for a man accused of stealing over $9,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a Pennsylvania card store earlier this month.

The theft happened just before noon on Monday, May 4, at Nashcards, on West Main Street in Trappe, Pennsylvania, according to state police.

The man went into the trading card shop and asked to examine multiple pieces of Pokémon merchandise for sale. When the store handed them to him, he ran away, according to a news release.

In dashcam video shared on the PSP Tips Facebook page, the man can be seen running through the parking lot, looking over his shoulder.

Police say the stolen items include a box of Base Set XY booster packs worth more than $4,200, and two cards that have been graded — meaning a collectible authentication service has verified they are legitimate cards and assigned them a rating based on their condition. Graded cards like these come in a special case labeled with details including their name and rating.

One of the cards is a Japanese-language Gengar VMAX printed in 2021 and graded as a PSA 10. The card is valued at $2,500. The other is a Gold Star Metagross Delta Species printed in 2005 and graded as a PSA 6, worth about $2,850.

The suspect was described as a man in his 20s, wearing a light-colored shirt and black pants, with a bag and an over-the-shoulder strap.

Anyone who reports information to PSP Tips that leads to an arrest could be eligible for a cash reward.

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 Ashley Kirklen

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — As National Nurses Week comes to a close, a West Side family is celebrating their remarkable three-generation legacy in nursing, with over 275 years of combined service in the field.

Sisters Charla Payne and Megan Henley, along with Charla’s daughter Madison McCreary, have dedicated their careers to helping deliver babies in the area, making nursing a calling that defines their family.

Charla Payne, clinical nursing director of the women’s health service line at The Christ Hospital, said this year will be No. 31 for her.

Megan Henley, assistant manager at Liberty Birthing Center, has been in the field for 26 years.

Madison McCreary, a labor and delivery staff RN at The Christ Hospital, has been a nurse for five years.

Together, the three women have over 50 years of nursing experience, but their family’s connection to the profession goes back even further.

“Our mom is a nurse and her sister is a nurse, and her sister is a nurse, and they both worked in the NICU at Christ and then out here at Liberty,” Payne said.

For the family, nursing was always a natural choice.

“Yeah, I knew what I was doing from the time I was itty-bitty. Yes,” McCreary said.

Beyond the family legacy, their passion for nursing is fueled by the honor of supporting patients during life’s most significant moments.

“It was just always kind of understood and, and viewed as an honor to sort of walk with people through that space. If someone was having a baby or, you know, after delivery or something like that, it was viewed as a very important thing, or even if they had lost a baby that, you know, it’s an honor to be in that space with them,” Henley said.

The nursing tradition extends to nearly a dozen other family members, including Charla and Megan’s other sister, her husband, and others who have joined the profession. Even those who marry into the family are expected to embrace the nursing culture, which can lead to lively discussions during weekly Friday night dinners.

The legacy will continue, as Megan’s 18-year-old child is set to start at Miami University in the fall, beginning their journey in nursing.

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 Burniston

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — Paleontologists and researchers at the Cincinnati Museum Center are leading new scientific research about an extremely rare dinosaur species they have on display. However, to complete the important research, they had to take their display apart piece by piece.

The dinosaur at the center of their research is the museum’s Torvosaurus, the only one of its kind in the world. Because of its rarity and to make it more accessible for even further extensive research, the museum partnered with a team from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Matt Lamanna, a paleontologist at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, said it’s special to have the chance to work on this rare display.

“Dinosaur skeletons are almost never found complete, and that’s especially true with predatory dinosaurs, in particular, the giant ones. So, having about 50% of a skeleton of a dinosaur that’s about two-thirds the size of a T-Rex is a really rare and remarkable thing, ” said Lamanna.

Over four days, teams from both museums worked together to meticulously take apart the Torovsaurus, bone by bone, for 3D scanning. These scans will provide three-dimensional, high-resolution imagery integral to ongoing research.

“Having models of the skeleton that we can spin around on the computer, measure from all sides, look at it from all angles, it’s almost better than the original itself, because we don’t have to worry about harming the original fossils when we’re doing this,” said Lamanna.

The Torvosaurus, a giant carnivore and apex predator, lived during the Late Jurassic period 153 to 148 million years ago. While it bears some resemblance to the Tyrannosaurus, it predates it by over 80 million years.

“A good example of this is T-Rex is famous for having its little short arms. Torvosaurus is almost the opposite. It’s got, on top of a big skull like T-Rex, very well-developed forelimbs, very powerful arms that would have played probably a bigger role in prey capture than it would have in T-Rex,” said Lamanna.

You can view the Torvosaurus on display along with several other dinosaur fossils at the Cincinnati Museum Center, open daily 10 a.m. to 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.