Author: CNN Newsource

By Ashley Sharp

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — Friends and family gathered for the funeral of Shalini Thakur, 38, in Sacramento on Monday, nearly a week after she was shot and killed by her alleged stalker.

“It’s a very sad moment. A very, very sad moment,” said Tara Singh, with the Guru Nanak Sat Sangat of California, a Sikh temple nonprofit.

Shalini was murdered in broad daylight on Tuesday, Sept. 8, outside a Panera in Sacramento.

The man responsible, Rohit Rohit, was in the country illegally according to the Department of Homeland Security. Shalini had an active civil harassment restraining order against Rohit when she was gunned down by him as she tried to run away.

Shalini’s friends and family want her to be remembered for her bright spirit.

“She was a lady with a vibrant personality. Larger than life, with this glow about her, her aura,” said Satinder Dulai, a friend of Shalini’s. “She had a bubbly personality. She had a lot of goals. And I think one by one, she was completing them. She was a little feisty, but very loving.”

Shalini’s mother, Sudesh Kumari, grieved the unimaginable loss as she watched her only child pass before her on Monday in a wooden casket and sobbed during her funeral.

“Today, Mom is saying, ‘Please let me go with her, and I can’t be living all my life alone,'” Singh said.

Family and close friends are having a hard time processing Shalini’s tragic death.

“I still can’t believe it’s real until today. Today, reality hit for a lot of us, a lot of her friends,” Dulai said.

Most of Shalini’s family is home in India. Her mother and uncle were her only family in attendance at her funeral in Sacramento. Everyone else who showed up to honor her was a friend and even a customer of the IHOP in Arden-Arcade where she worked.

“I want to honor her heart and her kindness,” said regular IHOP customer Melinda Willey, who formed a friendship with Shalini.

Willey says she hopes this tragic event exposes a need for change.

“There’s going to be voices being raised at the different government levels, and possibly there could be a bill passed with her name on it that could expedite situations like she was in. So nobody else has to go through what she went through or her family,” Willey said.

Singh criticized law enforcement and said they could have done more to protect Shalini.

“He was an illegal person in this country and she has a restraining order. I don’t know how the police department didn’t take any action,” Singh said. “Some coward man. I shouldn’t call him a man. I think he’s a beast. He’s an animal. Who shot her for no reason. No reason.”

Deputies say Rohit took his own life after leading them in a chase onto Highway 50 right after he murdered Shalini. Her friends call it justice denied that he will never be legally held accountable for his actions.

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office deputies confirm that they did have probable cause to arrest Rohit after he violated the restraining order in late July.

A spokesman for the department says they could not find or arrest him on multiple occasions they went looking for Rohit.

“We can’t have another incident like this,” Dulai said.

Friends are now working to help get Shalini’s mother back home to India. She had only come to stay with her in Sacramento for a few months to visit and was living with her daughter.

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 Caroline Foreback

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    ANNE ARUNDEL, Maryland (WJZ) — The family of a 7-year-old boy who nearly died after choking on a piece of meat and going into cardiac arrest reunited Monday with the paramedics and 911 dispatcher who helped save his life last month in Anne Arundel County.

Emmett Petri and his family visited the Galesville Fire Station Monday to thank the emergency responders who saved his life. The first responders were honored with the department’s Gift of Life Award.

“It is beyond words the gratitude that I have,” said Sherri Petri, Emmett’s mother.

On Aug. 17, Emmett’s family was sitting down for dinner. Sherri Petri said they were eating burnt ends, one of his favorite foods, when Emmett suddenly began choking on a piece of meat.

His father immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver while Sherri called 911.

“He went unconscious, and when that happened, they instructed us to start CPR,” Sherri Petri said.

Emmett’s father, who has military training and experience performing CPR, began chest compressions.

On the other end of the phone, 911 dispatcher Angie Reslie kept the family calm while they waited for paramedics to arrive.

“I get it, take a couple deep breaths for me, we’re going to get through this,” Reslie said.

Paramedics arrived at the home in about four minutes.

“He wasn’t breathing and he had no pulse. The father was continuing compressions,” said Anne Arundel County Fire Lt. Cory Polidore.

Polidore worked to clear Emmett’s airway and began ventilating him. Emmett regained a pulse and began breathing again before he was flown to Johns Hopkins Hospital.

“I believe that if those steps of compressions, the Heimlich maneuver, the back slaps, if those were not implemented, we might not have the outcome we have here today,” Polidore said.

Emmett spent about 48 hours in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit but made a fast and full recovery.

For the first responders, receiving the award was meaningful, but the real reward was seeing Emmett healthy again.

“It was a relief because a lot of times the outcomes aren’t as good. It’s a great feeling,” Reslie said.

Polidore said the call was one of those rare emergencies that responders will never forget.

“This kid is going to be healthy, he’s going to grow up and graduate high school, and who knows, maybe he’ll join our department one day,” Polidore 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 Dustin Dorsey

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    GILROY, California (KGO) — Construction of a proposed ICE detention center in Gilroy has been halted after a federal judge ruled the project did not meet environmental standards.

The preliminary injunction will keep construction paused while a lawsuit filed by the County of Santa Clara and the state of California moves forward. Santa Clara County leaders praised the decision, calling it a victory for the community.

“We are proud to announce Monday that the Federal District court issued a preliminary injunction late Friday night, halting the project here,” Santa Clara Co. Counsel Tony LoPresti said.

A federal judge found ICE failed to follow the national environmental policy act, saying there was no proof that the federal government conducted an environmental analysis before construction.

As a result, work at the proposed facility is legally suspended while the case proceeds.

County Supervisor Betty Duong said, “Today, construction is stopped because no administration, no matter how powerful, should be able to come into a community to bypass the rules meant to protect the people and the environment, and simply tell local governments to get out of the way.”

The proposed detention center would be built on a 24-acre site east of the Gilroy Premium Outlets.

The project has faced opposition since plans were discovered in May.

LoPresti said the facility would overwhelm the existing septic system. He also said hazardous materials on the site could pose risks to nearby residents if construction continued.

“The evidence presented shows that the federal government didn’t think this through at all,” LoPresti said. “The real question is why throw away good money after bad money? Why waste even more taxpayer money trying to salvage a project that should never have been cited here in the first place?”

County officials said the federal government will have an opportunity to comply with environmental laws that, according to the lawsuit, were not followed before construction began.

A future court hearing will determine what activities, if any, ICE may conduct at the site while the injunction remains in effect, including potential environmental testing.

Community leaders said their concerns extend beyond environmental issues and applauded the judge’s ruling.

“The Department of Homeland Security thought it could quickly and quietly construct a brand new holding facility in our community,” Rebeca Armendariz, who represents the ICE Out of Gilroy Coalition, said. “What it got instead was quick action from the state of California and Santa Clara County to stop it in its tracks.”

The next court date in the case is scheduled for Sept. 30. County leaders said they expect the legal fight to continue and pledged to remain organized as they oppose future federal actions in the South Bay.

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 Ellyse Edwards

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    COLUMBIA, Missouri (KMIZ) — Diesel prices reached record highs again in Missouri and Columbia on Monday, putting more burden on farmers already facing high operating costs and tight profit margins.

AAA reported Missouri’s average diesel price at $5.91 per gallon Monday, up more than 36 cents from $5.549 one week ago. The statewide average has increased nearly 94 cents from $4.972 one month ago and about $2.50 from $3.406 one year ago.

AAA lists Monday’s statewide average as the highest diesel price recorded in Missouri.

“Record diesel prices are another significant blow to farmers who are already dealing with historically high input costs and tight margins,” Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins said in a statement to ABC 17 News. “Fuel touches nearly every part of a farm operation, from running tractors and combines to hauling grain, livestock and supplies. When diesel prices rise, the cost of producing food rises with them.”

Hawkins said farmers are often unable to pass their increased operating expenses directly to customers.

“Farmers are price takers,” Hawkins said. “We don’t get to simply pass higher fuel, fertilizer, seed and equipment costs along to our customers. Those expenses come directly out of the farm’s bottom line.”

Columbia’s average diesel price also reached a record high Monday at $5.903 per gallon. That is up more than 39 cents from $5.510 one week ago and more than $1 from $4.891 one month ago.

Diesel averaged $3.449 per gallon in Columbia one year ago.

Some stations in Mid-Missouri are selling diesel for $6 per gallon or more.

GasBuddy reported the national average price of diesel increased 31.6 cents during the past week to $6.183 per gallon.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, attributed the increase to several international developments, including tensions between the United States and Iran, hostilities in the Red Sea, the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and attacks that took two Russian refineries offline.

“Diesel prices could climb even faster in the wake of the new refinery attacks,” De Haan said. “While most of the country transitions to cheaper winter-blend gasoline this week, the scale of ongoing geopolitical escalations makes meaningful price relief unlikely in the near term.”

Gasoline prices are also increasing across Missouri.

GasBuddy reported Missouri’s average gasoline price increased 15.9 cents during the past week to $3.99 per gallon Monday. The statewide average is 15 cents higher than one month ago and $1.11 higher than one year ago.

The national average price of gasoline increased 17.2 cents during the past week to $4.25 per gallon. That is 19 cents higher than one month ago and $1.14 higher than one year ago.

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By TaMya Bracy

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    ST. JOSEPH, Missouri (KQTV) — As gas prices continue to rise across the country, one local man is saving money by using a different mode of transportation, and he’s trying to help others in the process.

Johnnie Winslow has used an e-bike as his main way of transportation around St. Joseph for the past four years.

“I rode a regular bike for years, and it got to where if I could just get up that hill was kinda how I got started on this whole thing, and it worked out well,” he said. “This is my eighth bike.”

Winslow owns three e-bikes, including two named after the famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.

Winslow hasn’t bought gas in more than 10 years. Since switching to e-bikes, he has made it a tradition to give gas station customers money for gas every time he reaches another 1,000 miles.

“I just thought it was my way to give back,” he said. “I’ve gotten things in my life, and this is my true way of giving back from my heart. It takes a long time to go a thousand miles on a bike; try it sometime.”

Winslow has reached 30,000 miles on his e-bike, marking the 30th time he will give away money to help someone fill their gas tank, which is about $600 toward gas within his four-year stint.

“This is a very special day, and just think about that: 30,000 miles in town on an e-bike, and so that’s what I’m all about,” he said.

Winslow shares his e-bike adventures on TikTok, where he has built a following of more than 10,000 followers.

“I take pictures and videos of a lot of stuff around town,” he said. I enjoy it, and people enjoy it.”

Even though Winslow enjoys riding his e-bike, he says safety always comes first, especially after he was involved in an accident on his previous bike.

“I did get run over on this bike, and it did a lot of damage, and fortunately I had my helmet on at the time,” he said. “Pass that on if you see someone without a helmet, and if you need a helmet, you come and see me, and I’ll give you one.”

Overall, Winslow enjoys giving back to the community while having fun cruising around town on his bike.

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By Gracie Palmer

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — This month marks two years since Helene devastated western North Carolina. While communities across the mountains have made major progress, recovery does not look the same everywhere.

“Some days it feels like two weeks. Some days it feels like 20 years,” said Buncombe County Helene Recovery Officer Kevin Madsen.

Madsen said there are 114 projects across Buncombe County municipalities, along with 31 projects focused on the county’s own recovery efforts. The work includes restoring parks, working with property owners on hazard mitigation and building up supplies of generators and backup power sources.

“We’ve learned a lot from Tropical Storm Helene, how we’ve responded,” Madsen said. “And we’ve built those partnerships and those collaborations. So I feel like we are better prepared today than we were.”

But in Bat Cave, a community in Henderson County, the landscape still carries clear signs of Helene’s destruction.

Bat Cave Fire and Rescue Chief Steve Freeman said some roads and bridges remain missing or under repair. In one area, he said, residents have limited windows to travel while crews work on the road.

“The residents can only get out every 45 minutes for a 15-minute thing on the hour because they’re working on the road to get that back,” Freeman said. “They’ve been dealing with that ever since the start of this.”

Freeman said the community has made significant progress. In the first days after Helene, he said, the only way out was by helicopter. Still, he said the recovery remains vulnerable. Debris remains along creeks, and he worries another storm could threaten work already completed downstream in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

“We’ve come a long way with that. There are some things that could be done better,” Freeman said when asked whether western North Carolina could handle another natural disaster. “All it takes is for one hurricane to come through. Not as bad as Helene. But all the work that has been done in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock — water runs downhill.”

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By Cameron Polom

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — Most middle schoolers spent their summer hanging out with friends.

Twelve-year-old Sloan spent hers collecting nearly 30,000 diapers.

The Valley youngster recently delivered one of the largest diaper donations Nourish Phoenix has ever received, filling a U-Haul with diapers destined for families across the community.

And that’s no small gift.

Nourish Phoenix helps families with food, clothing, hygiene products and job assistance, and staff say diapers are among the most requested items they provide. Unlike food, there are no government assistance programs specifically designed to help families afford diapers, making donations like Sloan’s especially valuable.

What’s even more impressive is that this wasn’t her first diaper drive.

Sloan has been volunteering with Nourish Phoenix since she was seven years old. After seeing the need firsthand, she launched her first diaper drive, collecting about 7,000 diapers. Five years later, her annual effort has grown into a community-wide movement fueled by donations from family, friends and supporters through Sloan’s Diaper Drive.

ABC15’s Cameron Polom caught up with Sloan as she helped stock shelves at Nourish Phoenix and learned why she believes helping others is always worth the effort.

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.