Author: CNN Newsource

By Shanice Hopkins

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — A man who helped shape Oklahoma’s civil rights history will be honored during a public memorial on Tuesday.

Richard Brown, who was the nephew of civil rights icon Clara Luper and one of the students who took part in the original Katz Drug Store sit-in, has died.

In 1958, Luper led 13 students, including her daughter and nephew, during the sit-in. Brown, who was 15 at the time, helped define the fight for equality in Oklahoma.

They staged a peaceful sit-in and protested racial inequalities. The protest became a pivotal moment in Oklahoma’s civil rights movement.

Brown’s legacy lives on at the Clara Luper National Sit-In Plaza. The newly completed monument honors the original sit-in participants.

Brown, who later became an educator, is survived by his wife and son. A public memorial to honor Brown’s life will be held starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the sit-in monument in downtown Oklahoma City.

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 Stephanie Moore

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    GASTONIA, North Carolina (WYFF) — One of the suspects wanted in a stolen motorcycle investigation was found hiding in the ceiling of a hospital in North Carolina, according to police.

The Gastonia Police Department said they got an alert just after noon on Sunday from a Flock camera about two stolen motorcycles spotted.

Officers said they spotted the motorcycles near the intersection of New Hope Road and East Franklin Boulevard and tried to pull them over.

Authorities said both riders took off and the motorcycles were found wrecked and abandoned at the dead end of Melvin Drive, just east of New Hope Road.

A Gastonia police K-9 was called to track the suspects.

During the search, one suspect was located and arrested nearby in the bushes. He is identified as Payton Beatty.

The K-9 tracked the other suspect to CaroMont Regional Medical Center.

After an extensive search, authorities said Christopher Adam Hooper, of Dallas, was found hiding in a drop-down ceiling of the hospital.

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By KCCI Web Staff

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    NEVADA, Iowa (KCCI) — A leg injury ended a Nevada High School senior’s track season, but not his music career.

Miles Engstrom, a soccer and track athlete, suffered the injury during a track meet on Thursday. Despite barely being able to move, he traded his track baton for drumsticks the next day.

Miles and his brother Frank make up the band “Pretty Uncommon,” which played its biggest gig yet Friday night at Nevada’s Pizza Pie Looza, opening for rock artists Diamante and Fuel.

The injury was to Miles’ left leg, leaving his right foot free for the kick drum and his two hands ready to rock out.

Miles said even right after the injury he told his dad the show must go on.

“He was like, ‘Do you think you’ll be able to play the show?’ and I was like, ‘I have to. I don’t really care how bad this is I need to’,” Miles said. “This could potentially, you know, kickstart a real career in music for the two of us.”

Miles graduates from high school on May 17 and told the Pizza Pie Looza crowd that the band plans to play a show that day, as well.

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By Todd Magel

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    JOHNSTON, Iowa (KCCI) — A Dowling Catholic High School student rescued a woman from her burning home in Johnston Sunday night after spotting flames while playing golf at Hyperion Golf Club.

“We kind of were shocked. We yelled out, ‘There’s a fire!’ No one was really there. We didn’t know what was going on,” Marek Dessimoz, 17, said.

His mother, Agnieszka Pieta, described her reaction to the fire.

“I start screaming, help fire, help fire. But nobody was out,” she said.

Dessimoz and his father, Douglas Kaye, jumped over the tall golf course fence and ran to the house to help. Dessimoz reached the front door first.

“I started knocking on the windows, like, hitting as hard as I could and seeing if someone was there,” Dessimoz said.

He soon spotted the homeowner, a woman who lives alone.

“And then this lady, I see her inside and she runs over and opens the door and she’s shocked,” Dessimoz said.

Seconds later, a propane tank exploded, and the fire spread quickly from the deck to the roof. Thick black smoke poured into the house, and the homeowner tried to go back inside to retrieve her cat. Dessimoz and an Amazon delivery driver who stopped to help pulled her out of the house and away from danger.

“And I saw how big it got; it was spreading on the walls. I just did what I thought was right,” Dessimoz said.

Johnston Grimes fire Chief Percy Coleman commended Dessimoz’s actions.

“Getting her out in a timely manner was certainly key. And I think it’s safe to say, really saved her life here,” Coleman said.

Pieta expressed pride in her son.

“So for sure this makes me very proud of my son,” she said.

Reflecting on the incident, Dessimoz said, “It can go by so fast. Just a little flame can change everything about your house. So that was really nerve-wracking, for sure for me.”

Pieta now calls her son her hero.

“He is my superhero. Yes, my superhero and the best Mother’s Day gift you can give,” she said.

The Johnston Fire Department confirmed that the homeowner’s cat survived and was found in the basement. However, the house is a total loss, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

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By Ari Hait

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    MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — A traffic stop on I-95 northbound in Martin County early Saturday afternoon resulted in the arrest of a man and the discovery of 31,000 benzodiazepine pills, crystal meth and mushroom gummies, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

The stop occurred just south of the Martin Highway exit.

“Our deputy noticed that they were weaving in and out of traffic and pace clocked him, and ended up pulling him over for, I think, 80 in a 70,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said.

Deputies said the driver, identified as 36-year-old Zoltan Ganoczi from Hungary, did not have a driver’s license.

During a search of the vehicle, the deputy found crystal meth in the front and mushroom gummies in the back.

But the sheriff said that was just the beginning.

“The largest discovery was in the trunk of the vehicle, where he discovered 31,000 pills with different names, but basically all of them were benzodiazepine pills,” Budensiek said.

Benzodiazepines, commonly referred to as benzos, include drugs like Ambien and Valium, which are used as sedatives and muscle relaxers.

“If it’s taken appropriately, it can be a good thing. But in this case, if it’s taken off the street and mixed with other kinds of drugs, it can be deadly,” Budensiek said.

The pills were wrapped in legitimate post office packaging, but investigators doubt they were intended for mailing.

Ganoczi reportedly told investigators he picked up the pills in Miami and was delivering them to Volusia County.

The sheriff’s office is currently analyzing Ganoczi’s phone for more information.

“That may lead to who the exact source was, who the pills came from, and where he was taking them to. But we don’t know that at this point,” Budensiek said.

Budensiek also raised concerns about the potential rise of benzodiazepines as a new drug of choice in Florida.

“These drug dealers always step in that void, and it’s our job to constantly be there, heading it off and trying to make these arrests and sending the message we’re not going to tolerate it,” Budensiek said.

Ganoczi is currently facing a number of charges, including possession with intent to sell.

He’s being held without bond in the Martin County jail, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating his immigration status.

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By Kayla Morton

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    FEDERALSBURG, Maryland (WBAL) — A Caroline County farm owner is facing an estimated $500,000 loss after a chicken house fire on Sunday.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal said an electrical or mechanical failure in the tunnel fan of a chicken house in the 6600 block of Reliance Road in Federalsburg created a fire that quickly spread.

A release from the state fire marshal said 35,000 chickens died when the interior caught fire and the building was eventually leveled. The chickens, valued at $1 each, contributed $35,000 toward the estimated damages.

It took 60 Federalsburg Volunteer Fire Department firefighters more than one hour to get the fire under control, the release also said.

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By Brooke Kinebrew

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    CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, California (KSBW) — Carmel Owls, a nonprofit organization, is installing platforms for great horned owls across the Monterey Peninsula to help homeowners address rodent problems naturally.

“A lot of people have problems with rats eating their car wiring harnesses, which are soy-based, since 2015,” said Paul Falworth, chief owl officer of Carmel Owls.

The group completed the second phase of its installations, putting up eight platforms last week and another eight this week.

They aim to install 35 platforms this year, each designed to last about 30 years.

Great horned owls begin searching for nesting spots in December-January, with nesting season starting in February.

Owl families can consume about seven rodents a night for two to three months.

“It’s returning to natural predation, trying to get rid of rodenticides, which has a lot of secondary kill when you spread poison in your backyard, obviously, dogs and cats and other raptors,” Falworth said.

Volunteers build and install the platforms for free, but only about one in 10 applicants qualify for installation. Robb Talbott, a property owner who had a platform installed last week, said rodents have caused significant damage to equipment and problems around his home for years.

“The bird will do the rest, so we don’t poison the environment. I’ve never used poison to kill gophers,” Talbott said. “We’re hoping for our family to come when the season chooses, to help us. Until then, we trap every single day.”

Stevenson School recently had a platform installed next to its new science building, providing students with an opportunity to observe the owls from the third floor for educational purposes.

“We never know if a mating pair of owls are going to find a nest and actually inhabit it. But, if they do, I’m all ready to put up a cam and have it livestreamed and have people from wherever they are, they can keep track of the owls,” said Andrew Czerny, a science teacher at Stevenson School.

Carmel Owls said they hope to see owls move into the platforms by next April, though it could take a year or two.

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By Hamilton Kahn

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Thanks to the magic of music, nine-year-old Hunter Rael’s story of his heart transplant — in his own words, with imaginative enhancement — filled Popejoy Hall with love and admiration on Sunday.

Hunter is still recovering from the transplant in Denver with his mother, Anna Moya, but they were able to be there virtually.

The Albuquerque Youth Orchestra’s original music, with student Carlos Hovey reciting Hunter’s story, moved the audience and transcended the medical ordeal he experienced after he was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. Here’s an excerpt:

“For a couple of years, I did pretty well after being diagnosed, but during a routine CT scan, the doctors found out I needed a heart … Now I can’t do any activity at all, not even jump rope. That makes me sad.”

The story continues with Hunter saying he got into playing Minecraft, hanging out with his brother and cousin, and listening to Jelly Roll.

“Even though I can’t do a lot of things now, I know what I want to do when I grow up — be a police officer, because they help me. This is what I’m thinking about right when I start to go sleeping, right before my surgery. Everything goes away.

“Nice shot. Stop. Run to arrest. Get on the floor and make sure all the civilians are safe first, then chase the robber down the street. I’m very fast, but I still call for backup to make sure we keep the city safe. I yell at the radio, ‘Officer Noah, I need backup now.’ Just when I’m about to lose the robber, Officer Noah kills me.

“Together we save the day and catch the bank robber. Then, something amazing happens. I imagine I’m getting hurt, and it turns me into Iron Man. I find fans. A very bad guy is with us. He’s trying to take over the world and turn everyone into dust. With my super strong, brand-new heart, I win the battle against Thanos and save the world.”

Hunter’s mom, Anna, told KOAT about the joy, appreciation and compassion she felt from the orchestra’s performance.

“Pretty awesome. Pretty cool to hear Hunter’s story and the music,” Anna said. “It really touches the heart. They went out of their way to make a cool story about Hunter. It’s very humbling to know that they care about Hunter so much. They were able to do this for him and make it special for him and tell his story.”

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By Maricela De La Cruz

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    MODESTO, California (KCRA) — California peach growers are facing significant challenges after the closure of the Del Monte cannery in Modesto earlier this year, which left hundreds unemployed and growers uncertain about their future.

“I would have at least three to four more years out of these trees,” said Ranjit Davit, a peach grower in Sutter County.

Davit is one of about 70 growers across the state now working to remove 60 acres of cling peach trees after losing contracts with Del Monte.

“We have about 70 growers who have been left behind as part of the Del Monte bankruptcy, and as a result of the bankruptcy, we have watched our industry shrink by 25% virtually overnight,” said Rich Hudgins, president of the California Canning Peach Association.

Davit expressed his surprise at the closure, saying, “I never thought the name Del Monte would go away ever.”

“We thought it was kind of guaranteed,” Davit said. “We know they’ve had their issues, but we never thought they’d go away, so it was a shock to us.”

The impact of the closure extends beyond the orchards.

“We had to lay off and probably use half the seasonal workers that we would normally use,” Davit said.

Approximately 70% of the growers affected by the closure are located in the Yuba-Sutter area. While many farmers are still figuring out their next steps, the USDA has announced a $9 million funding package to help remove clingstone peach trees. Hudgins explained, “It doesn’t buy new trees, it simply allows the grower to prepare the ground to plant new trees.”

The California Canning Peach Association is contributing an additional $1 million, bringing the total funding to $10 million. The funds will help remove about 3,000 acres of peach trees across the state.

Despite the relief, farmers say the transition remains difficult.

“It’s extremely difficult. We put a lot of money and our heart into these orchards, and now that they’re coming out with no home to go, it hurts,” Davit said. “We got to transition into another commodity, takes a lot of time and money, and three to four years with no income.”

Next week, rows of green peach trees in Sutter County will be replaced by empty dirt, a visible reminder of how quickly the industry has changed.

“We’re seeing troubles in all industries,” Davit said. “We see other large companies, whether it be walnuts or almonds, that are going out of business as well, so it’s definitely very concerning.”

Farmers could begin receiving funds to remove trees in about two months.

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