Detroit police seize over $172,000 street value of drugs, weapons

By Paula Wethington

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — Over $14,000 in cash, hundreds of pills and three firearms were confiscated during a narcotics investigation on Jan. 16, the Detroit Police Department reported.

Three people also were arrested during the evidence seizures in the 17000 block of Hull Street and the 18000 block of Cardoni Street. “Both locations were known to be run by a gang,” police said.

The total value of the seized items is about $172,465. The items included:

27,629 grams of marijuana.

101 Xanax pills.

350 oxycodone pills.

354 fentanyl pills.

One handgun.

One shotgun.

One rifle.

Cash.

The teams and units working on this case included the Detroit Police Department 11th Precinct’s Special Operations Unit, Gang Intelligence Unit and Traffic Enforcement Unit.

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.

From poop to potting soil: Stock Show turns animal bedding into compost

By Ethan Carlson

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    DENVER (KMGH) — Organizers of the National Western Stock Show say they have sharply reduced the event’s animal bedding waste by changing how stalls are bedded and by recycling the material into compost sold locally.

“We happen to be the only venue in the country that we’re aware of that actually uses this process,” said Kevin Bode, senior director of event operations for the show.

The long-running Denver event, now in its 120th year, will host more than 15,000 animals this year, he said.

There are over 15,000 animals at the Stock Show this year and they all need their own mulch bedding.

In the past, ranchers typically bought bagged bedding and put down their own mulch, often more than they needed. The show now uses a pre-bedding system. Mulch is blown through a tube from a special truck to put down a uniform layer before exhibitors arrive. That change, Bode said, lowered annual waste from about 2,500 tons — roughly 9,000 cubic yards — to about 1,600 tons, or about 6,000 cubic yards.

“It’s also benefiting our local businesses,” he said. “Express Mulching is a local business, so we’re utilizing them. The company that’s doing our hauling to take them to composting is a local business… The composting company is a local business. So, we’re definitely benefiting the environment here and helping our neighbors.”

All bedding is mulched, hauled to a local composting facility, and turned into bagged compost sold through local retailers.

The new pre-bedding process saves mulch usage by 33%.

“It’s very possible that if you’re purchasing gardening materials come springtime, you might be getting some of the waste materials that were generated during (the) stock show,” Bode said.

The show also takes steps to protect local waterways during the show by diverting storm drains in the stockyard area to the public sewer system so waste is treated rather than discharged into nearby rivers. The yards undergo a sanitization process that can continue until mid-March.

“I think if you look, you’ll find that the ag industry is one of the best stewards when it comes to being environmentally friendly,” he said.

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Waukesha family searches for beloved missing dog amid dangerously cold temperatures

By Andie Bernhardt

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Tuesday, Jan. 20, marks 10 days since a Waukesha family’s beloved dog went missing.

The freezing temperatures are not making it an easy search, causing major concerns for the dog’s safety.

“It becomes very discouraging,” said Melinda Basterash. “We just want her home, it’s cold.”

Basterash says she’s spent the past 10 days worried sick about her 5-year-old lab, Shelby.

“No sleep, not eating, trying to really just get her home,” said Basterash. “You know, it was driving around, crawling through woods, trying to get any sightings.”

Basterash says she was at her mother-in-law’s funeral when her dog was let out into the backyard with no leash and ran off.

“We are telling everybody, check Ring cameras, check Nest cams,” said Basterash. “She’s trying to get warm, check under bushes.”

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.

26-year-old woman survives workplace shooting after being shot 4 times

By Julie Salomone

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    BRADENTON, Florida (WFTS) — A Manatee County woman remains hospitalized after being shot four times in a workplace shooting last week.

Summer Freitag, 26, was working at a lab processing center when she witnessed a deadly shooting on Thursday, Jan.15.

Bradenton Police said Keith Roberts Jr. came into the lab, shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, Myshaela Burnham.

Officers said he then shot a co-worker who witnessed the deadly shooting.

Summer’s good friend, Taylor Strayer, said she learned about the shooting from one of Summer’s family members.

She was working in Tampa and received a call from an unknown number.

“It said Bradenton so I picked up. It was actually her sister, Sage, and she had let me know Summer was at work and she unfortunately had been shot and they were rushing her to the hospital,” said Taylor. “A long ride, a long ride of praying to God that she was going to make it through.”

Summer is expected to have another surgery soon.

“The left arm, the brachial artery had been severed so they had to go in and repair that as soon as she got to the hospital and then her right leg was also shot, completely shattered her knee as well as the bones in her upper leg and lower leg,” said Taylor.

Summer and Taylor have been friends for nearly 15 years. The two grew up in Manatee County and attended middle and high school together.

Summer works as a licensed practical nurse or LPN. She graduated from Manatee Technical College.

“Never take anything for granted. Life is so short, and you never know, you never know just when your life could end,” said Taylor.

Friends are raising money online through a GoFundMe page to help with Summer’s recovery.

“It’s going to take some time and a lot of physical therapy as well as mental therapy because this is just not something that happens every day, and it’s really taking a toll on everyone,” said Taylor.

“I don’t want to speak on her behalf on that kind of stuff, but it’s definitely tough to wrap your head around, that’s for sure, and I know, she just feels terrible and obviously, the other girl who lost her life, we want to say prayers for her family and her son. It’s just a terrible situation, all around,” said Taylor.

To learn more about Summer and her recovery, click here.

Roberts faces charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

He remains in the Manatee County Jail.

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Need a unique Valentine’s Day gift? Joe Exotic is selling phone calls from prison

By Addison Kliewer

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    OKLAHOMA (KOCO) — Joe Exotic is offering fans the chance to buy a unique Valentine’s Day gift this year.

Netflix’s Tiger King star announced he is selling phone calls with him from prison. The calls will take place from Jan. 15 to Feb. 28, according to his Instagram account.

“What better Valentines [sic] gift could you ever get your loved one? A memory that happens only once,” Joe said in an Instagram message.

To reserve a call, fans were asked to send money to Joe through Venmo, Cash App or PayPal. The calls are $25 for five minutes and $50 for 10 minutes.

He said the money will “help free him.”

Fans were then told to send a screenshot of their receipt, and then Joe’s team will set up a time and a day for the call.

To pay for the phone call, buyers can send their money to the following:

Venmo: @joeexoticworldwide Cash App: $tigerkingtv PayPal: @josephmaldonado0305

Joe, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after he was convicted of two counts of murder-for-hire, eight counts of violating the Lacey Act for falsifying wildlife records and nine counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.

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Coyote spotted swimming to Alcatraz Island

By Amanda Hari

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A shocking video of a coyote swimming to Alcatraz has been circulating on social media.

The video shows a lone coyote swimming in the Bay, its head bobbing above the water as it makes its way to Alcatraz Island.

“Astonished, of course,” said Janet Kessler after seeing the video, sent to her by a friend.

Kessler is a self-taught naturalist who has been documenting coyote behavior in San Francisco for about 20 years. In the video, the coyote crawls out of the water and struggles to get his footing once on the rocks.

“He can barely make it,” said Kessler. “He’s depleted. He is shivering. He is cold.”

Coyotes can be found on nearby Angel Island, but this is the first time one has been documented on Alcatraz. The coyote likely swam over a mile to get there.

Kessler believes the animal may have felt interspecies population pressure in the city, and it needed to find a new territory.

“This one was probably pushed around by other territorial owners and decided that he could make this trip,” said Kessler. “So, he attempted it, and he made it.”

It’s still unknown if he survived the first night on the island, but she thinks he had the resources to do so.

“There are banana slugs,” said Kessler about what is on Alcatraz, “There are rats. There are mice. There are birds. There is plenty for him to eat. Although there is no running water, there has been rain so there are big puddles lying around. So, in that sense, he would be able to make it.”

A man who works on Alcatraz shared the video on Facebook, saying it was given to him by a tourist. Kessler believes they did the right thing by keeping their distance.

“Leave the coyote alone because this is it doing what it does best,” said Kessler.

After two decades studying the species, Kessler has learned they can adapt to many environments, some have lived in San Francisco for generations, and this one could potentially adapt to Alcatraz.

“They are survivalists,” said Kessler. “And ready to push their envelopes, and that’s why they continue to expand.”

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.

California down payment assistance program for first-generation homebuyers to reopen applications

By Brady Halbleib

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KMAX, KOVR) — A popular California program designed to help people buy their first home is making a comeback.

California’s Dream For All program is reopening applications next month, offering down payment assistance to eligible first-generation homebuyers struggling to break into the state’s expensive housing market.

“It was so popular, it was like Taylor Swift tickets,” said Jake DaRosa, a broker with the DeRosa Real Estate Team.

The program, operated by the California Housing Finance Agency, is aimed at people with good credit and stable employment who are trying to purchase their first home.

“It’s really challenging to buy a home, especially your first home,” said Eric Johnson, with the agency. “Prices are high, interest rates are all over the place, and sometimes it can be really challenging to save up a whole bunch of money in the bank to apply for a down payment.”

Eligible buyers can apply for down payment assistance of up to 20% of a home’s purchase price, capped at $150,000. DaRosa says that level of assistance can make a major difference.

“It’s really aimed at getting that first generation, that person who hasn’t owned a home, into a house,” DaRosa said. “It’s pretty massive.”

The program covers a significant portion of the down payment, which lowers monthly mortgage costs. When the home is eventually sold, the buyer repays the down payment to the state, along with a share of the home’s increased value.

In 2024, roughly 18,000 people applied for the program, with about 2,000 selected at random through a lottery-style process.

“It’s a small number of people we can help if you look at the total population of people in the state,” Johnson said. “But for every single one of those people, it changed their lives.”

State officials expect to have between $150 million and $200 million available next year. The application window opens February 26 and closes March 16. Housing officials are urging interested applicants to begin talking with their loan officers now, who can help guide them through the application process.

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.

IU fans savor historic national championship moment

By Adam Schumes

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    MIAMI (WRTV) — Longtime Indiana University fans say the moment still feels surreal.

After decades of waiting, the Indiana Hoosiers Football team are national champions — a reality many never thought they would see.

“I was a ’96 graduate of Indiana, and I didn’t even know we had a football team then,” said John Wheeler, an IU alumnus who watched the championship game alongside his daughter, a recent graduate. “The last couple of years have been incredible, and this was amazing. It was one of the best games in a long time.”

For Wheeler, the victory carried extra meaning. Sharing the moment with his daughter — who graduated in May — made the historic night even more memorable.

“It was incredible,” he said. “It was the greatest sporting event I think I’ve ever been to.”

Nearby, fellow Hoosier fans echoed the disbelief and nostalgia that swept through the crowd after the final whistle.

“I don’t really know what’s going through my head,” said David Upton, an IU fan. “This is all very nostalgic. For a long time, we thought Indiana would just be Indiana — and now they’re national champions.”

John Bugh said the reality of the moment still hadn’t fully sunk in.

“This is unbelievable. Are you kidding me?” Bugh said. “After all these years, we finally got it.”

John wheeler said he didn’t expect to believe the news right away.

“If it’s true in the morning, I’ll believe it,” he said, laughing.

Fans also pointed to the drama of the final moments — including a critical false start that forced a field goal — as part of what made the game unforgettable.

“When it was second-and-one, you thought if they got the first down they’d ice it,” Wheeler said. “Then they had the false start and had to settle for three. It was incredible.”

As celebrations stretched into the night, Hoosier fans said the championship represented more than just a win — it was the payoff for decades of loyalty.

“I guess it’s a dream that came true,” Wheeler said. “I still can’t believe it.”

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Charged with killing a Utah woman, he fled to the Philippines. Now this fugitive breaks his silence

By Nate Eaton

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    IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (EAST IDAHO NEWS) — A man charged with murdering a Utah woman in 2024 says he had nothing to do with her death and is being set up by the victim’s husband.

Henry Cito Piano Resuera Jr. is accused of fleeing to the Philippines after police say he killed 60-year-old Kimberly Hyde. Resuera and his family lived next door to Hyde and her husband, Michael Hyde, in Roosevelt, Utah.

Kimberly was reported missing by her husband on Oct. 7, 2024. Her body was found inside her vehicle the following day in Vernal, Utah, about 40 miles from her home.

A medical examiner found blunt force trauma to Kimberly’s head and face, eight superficial stab wounds, and fatal neck wounds, according to court documents.

Resuera flew to the Philippines hours after Hyde’s body was discovered, and police interviewed his wife and teenage son in Utah. Court documents say his family told investigators that Resuera confessed to killing Hyde, and his son and wife were scared of him because of unreported domestic violence.

A warrant for Resuera’s arrest was issued on suspicion of aggravated homicide, kidnapping, robbery and burglary. Nobody else has been charged in connection to crime.

He has been living in the Philippines for over a year and has remained silent about the case until now. Resuera contacted EastIdahoNews.com after seeing an interview on “Courtroom Insider” with two of Hyde’s family members. During a 45-minute on-camera interview, he shared his version of events for the first time.

“I can’t be silent for too long. The other side of the story must be known. I don’t know what will happen next, but I just put my trust to God as I know I am telling the truth and that I am innocent,” Resuera says.

Resuera says he was in his garage when he received a phone call from an unknown number between 12:30 and 1 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2024.

“It called me four to five times, but I ignored it, thinking it was just a random call from telemarketers. I also got a message request in my Facebook Messenger from an account named Jaz Utah that read, ‘Hello Henry. This is Michael.’ I accepted the message request, (and) replied with a thumbs up,” Resuera explains.

esuera assumed Michael was Michael Hyde, so he called his neighbor’s phone, but the call did not go through. Jaz Utah then called Resuera through Messenger, and he heard Michael’s voice.

“He asked me if I was at home and that he wanted me to do a favor. He told me to open the back door fence of their house because they sold their gas stove and someone was coming to get it,” Resuera recalls. “I asked Mike how I could get in because I knew that Kim and my wife were out, and I didn’t have the key.”

Resuera says Michael gave him the garage passcode. Resuera remembered he had a retirement gift for his neighbor so he went into his own home, grabbed the present and then walked over to the Hydes’. Resuera says surveillance cameras in his garage and outside of his home detail his movements that afternoon.

After dropping off the gift and opening the back fence, Resuera went to the gym for around 20 minutes. He then walked home and on the way, he says Jaz Utah called him again.

“It was Mike. He asked if I could pick them up at Constitution Park and said I could use Kim’s car. When he said ‘them,’ I thought I’d pick up Kim and my wife,” Resuera says.

He went back to the Hyde’s house, grabbed the car key from inside the home and got into Kimberly’s car. He recalls the windows being tinted and “a lot of things” piled in the back seat.

As he started driving to the park, Resuera says Michael called again.

“He informed me that they were already picked up and were going to Ashley Hospital (Ashley Regional Women’s Health) in Vernal. He told me to go there,” Resuera says.

After the call was over, Resuera heard a “weird” sound coming from the back seat – like a “person having difficulty breathing.”

“I immediately parked the car on the side of the road. I looked back and I was shocked because there was a person under the piled boxes and bags and I recognized it was Kim,” Resuera says. “She was blindfolded, her mouth was sealed with tape and there was a lot of blood.”

Resuera says he panicked and didn’t know what to do. He says he called Michael several times, but the calls didn’t go through. He provided screenshots to EastIdahoNews.com showing multiple missed calls with Jaz Utah between 3:30 and 4:18 p.m. “I immediately thought of my wife because I remembered she was with Kim that day. I called her, but she didn’t pick up. I called my son and asked where his mom was, and he told me she was in the kitchen cooking,” Resuera recalls. “I told my son to meet me in Naples City. At that moment, I didn’t know what to do. I continued driving to Constitution Park. When I was in front of Roosevelt Junior High, I fully stopped the car on the side of the road because I couldn’t take the smell of the blood, and I began to vomit.”

Resuera says he kept calling Michael, but he never picked up. As Resuera was driving, he saw his son driving another vehicle.

“I gave him a hand signal to follow me. At that moment, I really didn’t know where to go because it’s a place I’m not familiar with,” Resuera says. “I stopped and parked the car on the side of the road. I left Kim’s car. While my son was driving home, I took screenshots of the messages Jaz Utah sent me. When we got home, my wife told me Mike had sent her a message asking where Kim might be. I was still in shock. I know that Mike knew where Kim was, but I didn’t tell my wife anything. After a minute, I checked my Facebook Messenger and saw that Jaz Utah unsent the messages he sent me earlier.”

Resuera asked his wife to come with him to visit Michael next door, but their neighbor was talking with a police officer.

The next morning, he says he returned with his wife and son, hoping to speak with Michael again, but “there were already about three or four people inside.” He noticed changes around the home, including the back door fence being closed and the gas stove still there.

Later that morning, Resuera and his wife went to pick up their son from school.

“As I go out of the driveway, I saw Mike, and he gave me a hand gesture telling me to go to him. I drove the truck to his direction. He said they found her in Vernal and told us she’s already dead,” Resuera recalls. “My wife started to cry, and when I looked at Mike. He was normal, as if nothing had happened. He was still well composed. Not the usual reaction of a husband who just lost his wife.”

When Resuera returned home, he says he hurriedly booked a flight to the Philippines, telling his wife he “needed to be home.”

His son drove him to the airport, but on the way, after speaking with a friend, he reconsidered.

“I realized, why do I need to leave when I know I am not guilty of anything?” he explains, so they went back to their home in Roosevelt.

That night, he claims he saw Michael outside, and his neighbor asked, “Why are you still here?”

“I told him, ‘I can’t leave my family, Mike.’ He said, ‘If you really love your family, you must leave.’ I asked him, ‘Who did it?’ He told me two names, Monde and Julia. I asked him, ‘Do I know them?’ He said, ‘You don’t know them.’ I asked, ‘Where are they now?’ He replied, ‘They’re still here.’ I asked him, ‘Why me, Mike?’ He bowed his head. At that moment, I started to cry in front of him,” Resuera recalls.

Resuera says Michael asked for his Vemno information so he could send him money for a plane ticket, but Resuera refused and told him he could buy his own ticket. He used his wife’s phone to book a flight and his son took him to the airport at midnight on Oct. 9, 2024.

“My wife was actually confused as to what was really happening…I did not say anything to my son or even to my wife,” Resuera recalls. Once overseas, Resuera says he spoke with a police officer in the United States on the phone. The officer asked his height and weight and whether he had scratches on his arms “because they got some skin on Kim’s nails.”

“He also asked me if I am having an affair with Kim. I told him Kim was like a mother to me and that I’m not in a relationship with Kim,” Resuera says. “The police officer told me to go back to the USA to cooperate with the investigation. I told him, sure, I will go back in three days, but I have to see my parents first in our hometown.”

On Oct. 12, Resuera says he gathered his siblings at his parents’ house in the Philippines and told them everything that happened in Utah. He said they encouraged him to return to the U.S. “to prove my innocence.”

His son then called from Utah and said Vernal police officers were speaking with him and his mom.

Resuera’s wife and the juvenile allegedly “admitted that Henry had disclosed to them that he had killed Kimberly Hyde. They were both able to provide details of Kimberly’s death that had not been made publicly available,” the police affidavit says.

Resuera refutes those claims and says once he realized he was wanted in connection to the murder, he decided not to return to Utah because the investigation was “biased.”

In August, Resuera’s wife and son moved to the Philippines. He has spoken with them and says, “There is a story behind (their) confession (to police),” but did not elaborate. He says he was never abusive and denies all the charges, saying there is no reason or motive for him to kill Kimberly Hyde.

“How can I kill a person whom I treated as my own mother?” he says. “She baked goodies for my kids. My kids love her so much and even call her grandma.”

Resuera says he does not trust the police in Utah, but is willing to speak with the FBI and even has a message for President Donald Trump.

“From the bottom of my heart and with a clear conscience, I did not kill your citizen. We came to the US to live our American dream and to give a better future for our kids, and not to harm anyone. Please help the victim’s family. Give them peace of mind and peace of heart,” Resuera says.

He says he remained silent “because I knew no one will believe me,” and did not want to jeopardize the safety of his wife and children. He hopes Michael will come forward and has a message for him.

“I thought we were friends. I am talking to you, man to man, father to father. Tell the truth. It’s not too late, Mike. One day you will face Kimberly in the afterlife. I know you have totally moved on, but please, you are my only hope to clear my name because I know you knew who did this,” Resuera says.

Michael Hyde has never been named a suspect or charged in connection with Kimberly’s death or any other crime associated with the case. He has been advised not to talk with the media about the investigation, according to an email from Joy Hyde, his current wife.

In a public message posted on his Facebook page on Oct. 7, 2025, he wrote:

“I understand that many on social media jumped to the conclusion that I was somehow involved in my wife’s murder. Statistics show that that is often the case, but it’s not true in this case. … I do not wear my emotions on my sleeve, and some criticize me for that and the way I choose to grieve. Some have criticized me for wanting to find happiness in marriage again.

“I am abiding by Kim’s wishes in that respect (waiting at least a year if I do get remarried). … I have cooperated with the authorities 110% this entire time. I too am frustrated that a year has passed and justice has yet to be done. The authorities say that it will take time and to be patient. Kim never deserved this to happen to her. She was the best wife I could’ve ever asked for. My 19 years with her were the best years of my life. She served me and she served others. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother as well.

“While I have many photos of us and our good times together, I sorely miss her companionship, her voice, her laugh, her presence, and her touch. Please join me in praying that her killer can be extradited as soon as possible, and that justice will ultimately be done. And please don’t judge me as I seek to rebuild what’s left of my life and find happiness again.”

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.

Library, parents share impacts of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

By Alexis Barrett, Tayjon Bumphus

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    PADUCAH, Kentucky (WPSD) — Dolly Parton turned 80 Monday, and while some may have celebrated with her music, participants in her Imagination Library program showed their love a different way: reading.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was launched in 1995, gifting children across the globe a free book every month until age 5. As of October 2025, the nonprofit reported that over 300 million books have donated in total, with an additional 3 million mailed out each month.

“It’s meant to build literacy, build family togetherness,” said Lea Wentworth, Adult Services Manager at the McCracken County Public Library. “They are encouraged to read these books together, and it’s just been shown to really give children a good head start if they have books in the home.”

The McCracken County Public Library joined the program in 2021 and Wentworth said it has distributed almost 42,000 books since then.

According to the Imagination Library, 51% of eligible children across Kentucky are receiving books. Wentworth said that over 1,600 children are currently enrolled in McCracken County, with 782 having graduated since the library began the program.

“We encourage people to start early,” Wentworth said. “Little babies can start building up this home library of age appropriate books. So they’ll start out with baby books and kind of move on up.”

Allison Gray has done just that, as her 4-year-old son has been enrolled since he was an infant.

“Every single night, we do the bedtime routine, and then he’s like, ‘Mommy, can I pick out a book?’ And we’re like ‘of course,'” Gray said. “Sometimes we’ll read a couple books a night. He loves it.”

Gray says her son adores the library, but the gifts from Dolly are especially exciting.

“Whenever we see it in the mailbox, we’ll let him go check the mail,” Gray said. “He’s so excited to see his name on there, on the postage, and he’ll open it up. Then, we usually read it that night.”

“The bonding experience is really nice,” Gray said. “I love him sitting in my lap and us looking at pictures.”

According to Gray, her son is starting to learn how to read. “I think it’s easier for them, when you’re sitting with them, to point out words and like, ‘Oh, I know that word,'” Gray said. “I think it helps them prepare themselves for kindergarten, because he’ll be in kindergarten next year, and I feel like he’s a step ahead.”

“As children are developing that tactile practice of sitting with a parent with a book, an actual book, and learning the motor skills of turning a page is just really important,” Wentworth said. “It’s important for bonding with a parent. It’s important for socializing with the parent and child. It’s important for learning reading the words.”

“There’s children ages zero to five everywhere, and a lot of kids wouldn’t have books at their house if they didn’t enroll in the Imagination Library and get these free books sent to them,” Wentworth said. “I’d love to thank Dolly Parton for starting the Imagination Library. We are certainly big fans of Dolly Parton’s vision for this literacy program. We love it. We love that we get to participate in it, and we love that it’s touched so many lives in our local community.”

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.