Author: CNN Newsource

By Chantelle Navarro

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — A woman who rented out a room inside her home in exchange for work being done on her property is now warning others about squatters’ rights after the tenant kept her out of her home for more than a year.

Traci Bates said there is some relief in sight after the tenant changed the locks and kicked her out. A judge just sided with her earlier Monday on a default judgment, but she has been going back-and-forth with the case for more than a year.

“I feel bullied, pushed into a corner. I feel like I had no rights, especially in the beginning,” Bates said.

Bates said this happened at her late father’s home after she agreed to rent out one of his rooms to a mutual friend.

“Asked him if he would like to exchange for rent to help me clean up the house, you know, do some remodeling, some small jobs, just some minor things like hauling off some trash from the backyard or whatever. Fixing a fence, repairing it,” Bates said.

After just three weeks, things took a turn.

“He changed the locks to the house. I show up to go to get something because all my clothes are there. All my dad’s belongings, everything are still in the house,” Bates said.

She said she hasn’t been able to get it back since. Bates said he actually called the police on her, but they couldn’t do much because it was a civil matter.

Bates said he produced a fake sales agreement, claiming she sold the house to him for $13,000.

“There’s no proof. That’s not how you’re buying a property,” Bates said.

A police report filed by Bates accused him of fraud for that agreement, saying she never signed it. It points to a letter from the secretary of state, acknowledging that the notary stamp he used was reported missing around the time that the agreement was supposedly made.

“This isn’t just a problem in Oklahoma. You see this problem all over the country,” attorney Noble McIntyre said.

McIntyre, who is not tied to the case, said the situation is sort of a civil court loophole.

“If you had somebody that was very, very wealthy that had all the resources in the world, they could push this much more aggressively. But the average person doesn’t have that kind of money. So, they get caught in these situations where they’re a law-abiding citizen. They own the property. They’re doing everything right. They’re doing everything right. But the law is treating them like the bad person. It’s ridiculous,” McIntyre said.

The property assessor’s website still lists Bates’ family trust as the owners, but the man has since tried countersuing for everything from breach of contract to intentional infliction of emotional distress.

KOCO went to the home Monday to try and speak with him about the situation, but no one answered.

But just hours after the interview with her Monday, Bates got a notice that the judge granted a default judgment, meaning, soon, she finally gets her house back.

” Oh, my goodness! I’m so excited,” Bates said. “This is such a big release. I’m in tears because of it. I didn’t think this day would come.”

There are a couple of things that still need to happen. Her attorney will have to bring that notice to the sheriff’s office, giving the man 48 hours to move out.

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 Brian Hamrick

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A West Side man fled for his life early Sunday morning after stopping to help a motorist with flashing lights on I-71 in Silverton.

Richard Fultz, who owns CDS Land Services, was on the highway at 5 a.m. when he saw flashing hazard lights and decided to stop.

“I’m probably within 75 feet, and I’m like, ‘hey buddy, are you okay buddy’?” Fultz said.

Instead of gratitude, Fultz said he was met with a weapon.

“He comes out from his side of his car on the passenger side, and I see he’s holding an AR-15 in his hand,” Fultz said.

Fultz described the terrifying moment when the man aimed the weapon at him.

“[He] starts to shoulder it and up and on me, gets down on one knee and then gets down in a sniper position on his stomach towards me, and I take off, zigzagging as fast as I can back to the car, thinking I’m about to catch one in the back and then jump in the car and call 911,” Fultz said.

In the 911 call, Fultz told the dispatcher, “I stopped at first and when I got close, he laid down in sniper position like he was going to shoot at me.”

The suspected gunman, 18-year-old Aaron Phelan, appeared in court Monday. He is charged with aggravated menacing and discharging a firearm on prohibited premises. Prosecutors said four shots were fired during the incident.

Phelan’s attorney told the court that he graduated from Monroe High School and was a star football player. However, the explanation for the incident remains unclear.

“When they questioned, he said he admits the shooting and says he was trying to shoot people who were ‘trying to steal his car engine’,” the prosecutor said.

Fultz reflected on the incident, saying, “It’s sad either way. All the way around. I’m glad that he wasn’t injured. And as far as I know, no one else was injured.”

Judge Mallory set Phelan’s bond at $200,000.

Defense attorneys suggested the teen may have been victim of a “possible involuntary intoxication,” though they did not elaborate on what that entailed.

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 Sarah Killian

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    CULLMAN COUNTY, Alabama (WVTM) — A Moroccan-inspired Airbnb tucked away in Cullman County has gained national attention after being featured on HGTV’s “Wild Vacation Rentals.”

Jeff and Cherisa Lewis own the Flying Carpet Treehouse.

“When people drive up and get out of their car, the ones that have told us, wow,” Jeff Lewis said. “I couldn’t even dream this was in Alabama.”

The idea for the treehouse started with a simple concept.

“We was loving the trend for the treehouses. So we thought, well, I think we’ll do a treehouse,” Cherisa Lewis said.

However, the project quickly grew into something much more elaborate.

“We were on our way home from vacation and stopped at a salvage store and found these doors and windows,” Cherisa Lewis said. “I think it’s the first thing that we seen and we fell in love with it. So we decided we’re going to do a Moroccan treehouse.”

The couple dove into the design process, drawing inspiration from Moroccan architecture.

“I started just going through all the pictures of what the architecture looks like, and you start to click and ideas of what made Moroccan, Moroccan,” Jeff Lewis said.

The project was challenging but rewarding.

“It was very labor intensive. But it’s just when you have a passion to do something, it just drives you. It’s exciting,” Jeff Lewis said.

The Flying Carpet Treehouse is filled with intricate details, including rich fabrics, vases and lighting from Morocco, and custom wallpaper from Latvia.

“It was like a puzzle. The pieces just started coming into place,” Cherisa Lewis said. “I would find the perfect piece, It seemed like, this is just meant to be because everything just fell into place.”

Since its feature on HGTV, the treehouse has attracted visitors from across the country and even internationally.

“Since we’ve been featured, we’ve actually gotten a lot more diverse. We’ve from California. We’ve, yeah, from Colorado. Just Boston, I think. New York, Boston, a lot of different states,” Jeff Lewis said. “We had a couple who stayed a week from Guam, they came just for the treehouse.”

Despite the attention, the Lewises say their focus remains on creating a memorable experience for their guests.

“We love the hospitality side of it,” Cherisa Lewis said. “We really want them to leave here. Say, you know what? Everything was perfect,” Jeff Lewis said.

The couple is already planning their next Airbnb property, though they are keeping the details under wraps, promising it will be just as unique as the Flying Carpet Treehouse.

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 Leah Phillips

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    ANDERSON, South Carolina (WYFF) — A student-run branch of Upstate Federal Credit Union (FCU) is helping students from kindergarten through high school learn the fundamentals of financial responsibility.

Crescent High School is home to a fully student-led branch of Upstate FCU that operates like a traditional bank while giving students hands-on experience managing money before they graduate.

Students can open accounts, make deposits, and learn how everyday banking works under the guidance of credit union staff.

“Our dream is to see financial education at all levels of the schools,” said Donna Metz, president and CEO of Upstate Federal Credit Union.

Some branch employees, including recent graduate Lilly Cook, are helping inspire the next generation to build healthy financial habits through creative methods, including her piglet puppet, LES.

“LES stands for Learn It, Earn It, Save It,” Cook said.

Together, Cook and LES visit elementary classrooms to teach students the importance of balancing saving and spending.

“I kind of wanted to bring it back old-school with puppets,” Cook said. “I wanted to turn it into a fun way, and who doesn’t love a puppet?”

Cook said she was inspired to teach financial literacy after seeing how many families in South Carolina struggle financially, and wanted the next generation to feel equipped to make financial decisions.

“I was floored that she, on her own, decided to create this puppet and go out and teach financial education,” Metz said.

Metz also stressed the importance of introducing financial education at an early age is critical. “The need for financial education starts young,” Metz said. “Some families, all the way up into adulthood, are unbanked.”

At Crescent High School, the student-run credit union branch also gives students the opportunity to put lessons from the school’s recently added financial literacy curriculum into practice by opening and managing their own accounts.

“They just started doing financial courses, but honestly with some teachers and some students, they learn it in the classroom, and then what’s next?” Cook said.

For many students, that next step is gaining real-world experience managing money—an opportunity they may not have had without access to the school’s credit union branch.

“Being able to give them the card, it kind of gives them some light, a sense of independence, because these kids, they haven’t had bank accounts before,” Cooke 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 Jennifer Peñate, Imani Clement

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    HOLLISTON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A child was flown to a hospital Sunday after a reported possible drowning in Holliston, Massachusetts.

The Holliston Fire Department said the incident happened just before 7 p.m. Sunday at Stoddard Park. Fire officials said the child was conscious when they were loaded into the helicopter.

Vanessa Gomes and Beatriz Souza were attending a church outing at Lake Winthrop when they heard screaming and rushed to help.

“Loud crying, they said help, help, help, and the mom said save my babe, save my baby,” Souza said.

The two friends rushed to the family who had just run out of the water, holding a little girl in their arms.

“Her mouth was blue, her face, was blue, her arms were blue,” Gomes said.

Souza, who recently became certified in CPR, immediately jumped in to help the two-year-old who was not responding.

“She didn’t move for one or two minutes and now what can I do if she doesn’t come back?” Souza said.

Refusing to give up, the two stayed by the little girl’s side, giving her compressions and helping clear her airway for several minutes.

Officials said the child was flown to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Her mother said she is now home and in good health.

Firefighters said there was another patient at the scene, but have not released that person’s condition or provided details about what happened.

The incident remains under investigation.

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 Britt Leoni

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    FORT MYERS BEACH, Florida (WBBH) — Along Shrimp Boat Lane… across from Fort Myers Beach, fleets sit at the docks today, in peace. But years ago, these docks weathered nothing short of a battle.

“Everybody talks about Ian, but we’ve had hurricanes before Ian, and we’ll have hurricanes after. We’ve just got to get through it, said Jesse Clapham, a fleet manager at Erickson & Jensen’s Seafood Market.

Clapham’s seen his share of hurricanes wreak havoc in his four decades here.

“We’re trying to bounce back,” said Clapham.

While devastation has painted a picture most would call bleak, a new player sets food, and undoubtedly brings joy.

“She’s been on the front page more than most people have,” said Clapham.

Meet Cupcake, the potbellied pig. At just six months old, Cupcake weighs in at 200 pounds.

“If I take a bite of ice cream, the pigs get a bite of ice cream; if I eat a pretzel, the pigs get a pretzel. That’s how they are,” said Clapham.

Clapham found Cupcake walking around a reserve in LaBelle. He says it was fate, considering his wife, Holly, was fixing for a pet pig.

“She said, ‘get that one,’ and I had to jump out and chase it around until I caught it,” said Clapham. “Then, we put it in the truck and brought it home.”

While Cupcake is now a part of the family, she’s also family to the shrimpers nearby.

“We come down here, and we’ll see him talking to her, sitting with her,” said Holly.

So while Fort Myers Beach has endured more than enough pain, new memories are being made off Shrimp Boat Lane.

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 Lauren Seaver

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    SEASIDE, California (KSBW) — At 88 years old, Libby Downey is two years into her law degree at Monterey College of Law, proving it’s never too late to chase a lifelong dream.

“It just makes life so much more interesting,” Downey said.

Downey is a wife, mother, grandmother, retired nurse, former Monterey City Council member, and has served on nearly 40 boards during her 60 years on the Monterey Peninsula. Her life has been dedicated to public service, but one goal she always wanted to achieve was attending law school.

“I said, ‘You know, Mitch, if I had my life to do over, the only thing I wish I had done is go to law school.’ And he said, ‘Well, come to my law school,’” Downey said. “When he said that was a possibility, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I think I’ve wanted to do this all my life.’”

Mitch Winick, the former dean of Monterey College of Law, said, “I have a strong suspicion she is the oldest law student in the United States.”

Downey’s dream of studying law dates back to high school, but societal expectations at the time limited her career options.

“My choices in that day, a woman was to be a nurse, a school teacher, or a secretary. So I thought that was it,” Downey said.

Now, decades later, she is one of 100 students enrolled at Monterey College of Law, which is one of the first two accredited online JD programs in the country. The program allows students to pursue a legal education at night while working full-time during the day.

“The practice of law is such a critical part of equity and fairness in our community,” Winick said. “We need lawyers, and we particularly need lawyers who are rooted to the community.”

Downey is nearing a master’s degree in legal studies and plans to decide her next steps after completing it.

“I’m getting very close to a master’s in legal studies. So I think I’ll do that first and then we’ll see if I hang in there,” she said.

Upon graduation, Downey hopes to work in mediation or consulting with attorneys in the medical field or city policy.

“You know you’re not going to have as many years to practice what you’re doing. But the enrichment and the learning—nobody can take away from me what I’ve learned in law school,” Downey said.

Winick added, “Libby could’ve retired many times. And yet what Libby does is she looks and finds something else to do in service.”

Downey said her drive comes from her desire to stay active and engaged.

“I don’t want to sit around and watch TV and go out to lunch,” she said. “I need to do something where I feel like I’m accomplishing something.”

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 Jazmon DeJarnette

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    SANTA CRUZ, California (KSBW) — A lifeguard at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, battled massive waves to rescue a young swimmer in a dramatic incident captured on camera.

The man who recorded the rescue, Scott Vander Dussen, said, “I’ve never seen a rescue this intense before. So when I saw that unfolding, I just didn’t know how it was going to turn out.”

The lifeguard fearlessly ran into the huge waves to reach the boy, holding onto him throughout the ordeal.

“That just missed the opening seconds where the first lifeguard just fearlessly ran out into those huge waves and did what was needed to bring help to that boy,” Dussen added.

Several bystanders attempted to assist but were quickly knocked off their feet by the powerful surf.

Lifeguards explained that while such efforts are appreciated, they can unintentionally create more victims.

“I understand the instinct to want to go and help someone. And often the more effective way to help is going to be getting someone who is trained and professional to respond to that,” said Anaiis Moise, Marine Safety Officer for the City of Santa Cruz.

After a relentless fight against the waves, another lifeguard joined the effort, and together they brought the boy safely back to shore.

The man who shared the video said, “My heart for sharing the video was to bring a cautionary tale to people coming out to the beach. We want to see people come out, have a good time, enjoy the weather, but get home safely.”

California State Parks lifeguards for Santa Cruz issued a statement, saying, “We have made 34 rescues for beach visitors that misjudged the danger these waves present. Conditions change rapidly, and what seems normal is potentially deadly.”

California State Parks lifeguards have rescued 34 people in Santa Cruz County since the weekend began.

For those who witnessed the rescue, it was a reminder of how quickly the ocean can turn dangerous.

“People ignore, and there’s rescues every day in this area. So the beaches are safe as long as you don’t turn your back to the water and you obey the rules,” said Karen Crivelli, a Santa Cruz County resident.

With strong surf expected throughout the week, lifeguards are urging beachgoers to know their limits before entering the water.

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 Kaylee Olivas

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    BEREA, Ohio (WEWS) — A 4-month-old puppy allegedly thrown from a third-story window on July 6 is recovering well, according to the Berea Animal Rescue.

Berea Animal Rescue executive director Jennifer McCarty told me the puppy, Luna Mae, was transported to MedVet Cleveland, where she was cared for before its shelter stepped in to help.

“We can confirm that our MedVet Cleveland team provided extensive care to Luna Mae for injuries sustained after she reportedly fell out of a window. Along with treating her physical injuries, the team provided lots of love and attention, including iPad time for mental stimulation throughout the time she was with us,” MedVet vice president of communications Sarah Berger told me via email.

McCarty believes a police report was filed when the incident happened, but neither the animal rescue nor MedVet knew where.

I reached out to several law enforcement agencies in Cuyahoga County for information. One department said it sounded like the incident involving Luna Mae happened in Lorain County, so I reached out to several departments there as well.

No one has been able to confirm a location as of Monday night.

McCarty said Luna Mae suffered two traumatic leg breaks as well as cuts and abrasions to her face.

“She was casted up on the front leg and then the back leg. The way it was broken, there really wasn’t anything we could do. Just had to try to let it heal and hope we could save that leg,” McCarty said.

The animal rescue’s original estimate for Luna Mae’s medical costs was $2,000.

McCarty said the total cost was looking to be around $6,000 when I last talked to her.

“Now that we’re seeing more orthopedists, it’s going to be a little bit more,” she told me. “Orthopedists aren’t cheap. We’ve thought about amputating her leg, but because she’s growing, we’re trying to make sure we do the right thing for her future health.”

Amputating Luna Mae’s back leg still isn’t off the table, but McCarty said the rescue is working through every other option before that.

The initial $2,000 request has been met through crowdfunding.

“This community always comes through in a time of crisis. We put the call out, and we raised it in probably less than a day, and money is still coming in because I’ll tell you, our community knows not only does Luna Mae need help, there’s always gonna be the next Luna Mae, unfortunately,” McCarty said.

McCarty said Luna Mae’s situation is sadly not a first-of-a-kind case for the animal rescue. Knowing that it will continue to be the case, though, she told me the rescue will always say yes to intakes.

“We have a very small staff. There’s only four of us that are full-time, and then I think I’ve got a staff of about 11, but we have nearly 400 volunteers and probably 100 foster families,” McCarty said. “It’s truly a village.”

One of those foster families, Donna and Ken Federer, has welcomed Luna Mae into their home the last few weeks.

“After we had lost our two dogs this year, we decided to start going around to different shelters and looking at dogs,” Ken said. “When we came to [Berea Animal Rescue], this was the first dog that they had shown us, and she had a cone around her head. She was in a cage in a room with just one other dog. She had these sad eyes when she was looking at us with that donut around her neck. I guess it was just a first impression type of a thing.”

Donna and Ken describe Luna Mae as the sweetest dog they’ve had.

“Luna gets three different medications a day. She gets anxiety pills, she gets pain pills, and she gets anti-inflammatory pills, so we have to give her those pills three times a day. We don’t let her jump around too much, but there are occasions when she just chases a butterfly or something like that. We try to keep her under control so she doesn’t hurt herself anymore,” Ken said.

In the short time they’ve cared for her, Ken said there have been major improvements.

When I sat with Luna Mae a couple of weeks ago, she was already out of the front leg cast and donut. She does have a limp, but overall, Luna Mae is looking much better.

Ken and Donna plan to adopt Luna Mae once she is medically cleared.

“She definitely didn’t deserve what happened to her. What could she have done? Pee on the floor, maybe then got what she got? She’s been excellent. She’s been great. She’s enhanced our lives,” Ken said.

The Berea Animal Rescue is always accepting donations.

There will be a fundraiser at The Local Bar in Strongsville on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., where proceeds will go to the animal rescue.

There will be live music, raffle baskets, a 50/50 raffle, an ice cream truck and even a dunk tank.

Berea Animal Rescue pups will also be there for meet-and-greets.

“I want people to realize that animals need care, and they need a home, and they need someone to love them unconditionally. They’re gonna make mistakes just like kids, but you need a heart to give to them,” Donna said.

Throughout the month of August, customers of the new Flamingos Coffee Cafe in Columbia Township will also get an opportunity to make a difference. One dollar from all purchases of a drink called “The Charlie” will go to the Berea Animal Rescue.

“If you want a dog, go to your local shelter and see what they got. There’s a lot of love out there in the shelters, and you can donate. Do anything to help them because they need help just as much as everybody else does,” Ken 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.