Author: CNN Newsource

By Max Williams

Click here for updates on this story

    FREMONT, Nebraska (KMTV) — Three Rivers Public Health Department in Fremont is offering free colon cancer screening, radon and well water testing kits to residents — and they are available every day, not just at special events.

The department held a drive-thru style giveaway on Monday, making it easy for residents to pick up testing supplies. Fremont resident Martina French stopped by while running errands.

“I was just running errands and my good friend Ashley asked me to pick up some radon kits for her so this is great,” French said.

Katie Schultis, director of environmental programs and special projects at Three Rivers Public Health Department, said radon testing is especially critical in Nebraska because the state has the third most high-risk counties in the country.

“The environment you spend the most time in for a lot of folks our kiddos our older adults is at home is where you spend the most time,” Schultis said.

Lead exposure is also a concern in the area. 65% of houses in Dodge, Washington, and Saunders counties were built before lead paint was banned. The department offered lead testing equipment at the event, allowing residents to test everyday household items.

Fremont resident Nelle Richardson used the equipment to test plates she inherited from her grandmother. A reading over 1 milligram of lead paint per square centimeter can put harmful amounts of lead in the body. Her plates tested positive, coming back at over 10.

Fremont resident Rebecca Flores brought her grandchildren to the event because she wanted to protect her family from lead exposure.

“It’s very important because we also have our animals out there our cats and dogs and stuff and we don’t give them water from the sink we give them the bottled water,” Flores said.

All of the testing kits available at the drive-thru event are free and available daily at the Three Rivers Public Health Department.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMTV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Kerri Corrado

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Mother’s Day may be filled with chocolates, flowers and breakfast in bed, but it wasn’t always meant to be like that. Anna Jarvis, the Philadelphia woman behind the holiday, started Mother’s Day to honor her late mother and advocate for better healthcare for women and children.

The first large-scale Mother’s Day celebration was held in Philadelphia in 1908 after efforts spearheaded by Jarvis.

“She was the mother of Mother’s Day, but she did not have children,” Selena Austin of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania said, “and this was really her carrying out the cause of her own mother.”

Jarvis was from Grafton, West Virginia, and moved to Philadelphia in 1892. When her mother Ann Marie Reeves died on May 9, 1905, Jarvis started the celebration to honor her spirit and Reeves’ advocacy, repeatedly championing better healthcare for women and children.

Jarvis helped coordinate a service at their church in West Virginia and in Philadelphia on May 10, 1908, a day close to the anniversary of her mother’s passing.

“She also, though, has friends in Philadelphia and she has an advocate in John Wanamaker,” Austin said. “John Wanamaker, who at this point is very, very well established, very successful with the Wanamaker department store, and had a very close relationship with his own mother, lets Anna use the space to hold a ceremony.”

There, thousands of people attended. They handed out carnations — Anna’s mother’s favorite flower — to all of the mothers there.

From there, Mother’s Day began to be celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. Out in front of City Hall, near the Wanamaker Building, is a historical marker to show the city’s connection.

As Mother’s Day celebrations picked up steam, other states around the nation wanted to join in. But Jarvis grew upset that the meaning of the holiday was being lost, Austin said.

“It’s no longer about celebrating and advocating for these people in our lives,” Austin said. “It’s now become commercialized, and there is a dollar sign attached to it, which really, really irritates her and leads her, unfortunately, to sort of regret ever organizing this holiday.”

Jarvis spent the rest of her life fighting to bring back the true meaning of Mother’s Day until she died in 1948.

“In the end it’s not what she envisioned it to be. It took a different turn,” Austin said. “It’s a bittersweet story.”

While it’s important to spoil all moms everywhere, it’s also just as special to remember why the holiday started.

“Remember that the original intent of the holiday is to celebrate your mother, everything that she has done for you,” Austin said, “and everything that women have accomplished and been able to achieve, and what they can still continue to do.”

While moms everywhere ought to be celebrated 365 days a year, Mother’s Day was officially recognized in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson.

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 Peter Maxwell

Click here for updates on this story

    WARREN, Michigan (WXYZ) — A Warren family’s search for their missing dog ended with a police investigation and an arrest after a 21-year-old man allegedly demanded money in exchange for the dog’s return.

Leslie Richardson and his family posted on social media after their dog, Diesel, escaped from their fenced yard. Richardson said he spent hours searching for him.

“He went down the street to do his usual. Then he turned around and went somewhere else,” Richardson said. “We wanted our dog. I probably spent about 4 and a half hours over three days looking for him because I am also on call for work at all times.”

Warren Police Detective Daniel Toth said the social media post attracted the wrong kind of attention.

“They started receiving fictitious texts and phone calls,” Toth said.

Those messages demanded money in exchange for Diesel’s return. The investigation accelerated when Richardson’s mother-in-law received a message claiming someone had the dog.

“My wife’s mother received a message saying, ‘Hey, we have your dog. We paid 600 (dollars) for him,” Richardson said.

Police say 21-year-old Lemarzay Tolbert told Richardson he had bought the dog off the street and wanted cash to return him. Toth tracked Tolbert to his home.

“This gentleman wanted to work out something financially for the return of the dog. Last Friday, we went out to this gentleman’s house, knocked on his door, heard a dog barking. He opened up the door, and there was the dog. He refused to give the dog back,” Toth said.

Police arrested Tolbert when he left his home and charged him with one count of receiving and concealing stolen property.

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said the demand for payment crossed a legal line.

“They were holding the dog ransom for a certain price by making that statement,” Lucido said. “This is an unfortunate incident. I hope we don’t see this commonly done because with technology we have today, you will be found and you will be prosecuted.”

I went to Tolbert’s house to ask why he would do this. He told me he had no comment and to leave.

Richardson said his family is relieved to have Diesel home and wants others to be cautious.

“We are glad to have our best friend back,” Richardson said. “Be very wary of people asking for money. If you can’t meet up and hand them cash, don’t do it.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Kit Kuhne

Click here for updates on this story

    GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (WXMI) — A woman and a teen boy are dead following a shooting Tuesday night in Grand Rapids.

The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. in the area of Rumsey Street SW and Oakland Avenue SW.

Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg said a group of juveniles were playing soccer at a nearby park when the suspect approached and asked to join. The suspect was turned away, which led to a verbal fight. Trigg said the suspect then pulled out a weapon and shot the 14-year-old teen.

A woman in her 30s who tried to defend the teen during the fight was also shot.

Officers responded to the scene and found both victims on the property of Southwest Elementary School. Officers attempted life-saving measures on the teen, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Trigg said it is believed the woman and teen are related.

“[It was] juveniles, older juveniles, you know, that witnessed this. Which is just horrific, horrific for anybody to witness this, let alone juveniles. To see a friend gunned down is terrible,” Trigg said.

Trigg said the suspect ran from the scene, but police located him at a home and arrested him. Police were not able to share the age of the suspect.

Following the shooting, Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby sent a letter to staff, along with Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle High School families. It said crisis teams and school therapists would be available to any students who need support.

The district initially said there would be school Wednesday, but later sent out an update saying Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle High School will be closed Wednesday. All other GRPS schools will be open.

Read the letter below:

Dear GRPS Staff,

I am writing to share information about an incident that occurred just outside of Southwest Elementary School this evening. Shortly after 6:30 p.m., a shooting occurred near the playground at Southwest Elementary. According to the Grand Rapids Police Department, two people died as a result of the shooting.

This took place well after dismissal today and was not connected to any activities happening at the school. At this time, we do not have additional information about those involved. Updates on the incident will be shared with our community by the Grand Rapids Police Department as they become available.

We expect that officers will remain in the area overnight as they continue their investigation.

Our crisis teams and school therapists will be available to support any scholars who may need help processing this violence in our community. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this tragic incident.

Sincerely, Leadriane Roby, Ph.D. Superintendent

The Grand Rapids Police Department’s Major Case Team is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 616-456-3380. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Silent Observer.

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 Kurtis Ming

Click here for updates on this story

    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — Hackers are increasingly targeting loyalty rewards points, leaving travelers struggling to recover stolen miles and rewards.

Linda Roth, a seasoned traveler, discovered nearly 200,000 of her American Airlines AAdvantage miles had been stolen from her account over a weekend.

“I was just crushed,” Roth said. “It’s a violation. It’s a theft. And I did shed a few tears. I did cry.”

The stolen miles were used by a hacker to buy gift cards. Roth says she faced challenges reaching American’s fraud department which is closed on weekends. She called back on a Monday.

“I was on hold for over an hour, and when I finally got to the fraud department, ‘there was nothing we can do. And our policy is that we cannot reinstate your miles,'” Roth said.

Clint Henderson, a representative from The Points Guy, shared a similar experience.

Two years ago, scammers drained his American Airlines account, using his miles to book rental cars in New York City.

“I was like, that definitely wasn’t me, and sure enough, my account had pretty much been drained,” Henderson said.

Henderson revealed that American Airlines valued his stolen 449,500 miles at $13,260.

“These things do have value,” he said.

Experts say hackers often scan the dark web for breached usernames and passwords, then use them to access accounts and siphon loyalty points. Roth noted that thieves exploit the fact that fraud departments are closed on weekends.

“They’ll steal your stuff on the weekend when there’s no way to report it,” she said.

Henderson criticized the limited hours of American’s fraud department.

“I don’t think in this day and age you can have your fraud department only open business hours Monday through Friday. I think that doesn’t work anymore,” he said.

American Airlines responded to KCRA 3, stating, “When we identify or are made aware of unauthorized activity in an AAdvantage account, we act quickly to secure the account and work directly with the customer to resolve the issue and help prevent similar incidents.” The airline recommends using strong, unique passwords and enabling multifactor authentication for email accounts.

Both Roth and Henderson admitted they had been using old passwords created before multifactor authentication was available.

American Airlines required them to file police reports, which they described as a hassle. However, after completing the process, the airline restored their stolen miles.

Roth, who plans to use her restored miles for a trip to Australia, said, “I’m a big traveler, Kurtis. I’ve been to all seven continents, but I haven’t been to Australia yet, so that was definitely on my list, and I know American flies there.”

American Airlines confirmed its fraud department operates Monday through Friday but emphasized that customer service agents are available 24/7 to lock accounts if fraud is reported.

Travelers are encouraged to log in to their loyalty accounts, update passwords, and enable multifactor authentication to protect their rewards points from hackers.

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 Morgan Trau

Click here for updates on this story

    COLUMBUS, Ohio (WEWS) — After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional, some states are trying to draw new district lines ahead of the election. Ohio, which completed a bipartisan process in 2025, will likely not be joining the latest mapmaking effort.

Since the Voting Rights Act (VRA) went into effect decades ago, minority communities have had the assurance that there is recourse if they are discriminated against when trying to cast their ballot, but the Supreme Court’s latest 6-3 decision could take away representation.

Future elections could look different, at least that’s what voting rights advocate Jen Miller worries about.

“We could see large communities that are sliced and diced in ways that they really don’t have fair representation,” Jen Miller with the League of Women Voters of Ohio said.

The justices issued a decision in Louisiana v. Callais, overturning a Louisiana congressional map, saying its two majority-Black districts were unconstitutional.

“When large swaths of voters are not heard, our democracy will not be as effective,” Miller said.

This dramatically alters the interpretation of Section 2 of the VRA, which has allowed for some racial data to be used when drawing congressional and legislative district maps.

“The court has made it really, really hard for districts to be drawn in a way that gives black people or other minorities a realistic chance to elect candidates of their choice,” said Jonathan Entin, a Retired nonpartisan Case Western Reserve University constitutional law professor.

Entin explains that this could allow a legal challenge to a previously enacted map if racial data were used in creating the district.

“We’ll see some effort by Republicans to redraw at least some of the congressional districts in a way that makes it more likely that Republicans can control, can win those,” Entin added.

Ohio GOP leader Tony Schroeder cheered the ruling, saying it was a long time coming. Using race to draw districts is actually what is discriminatory to minority populations, he said.

“This actually harms black voters who may not have anything in common other than their race,” Tony Schroeder, Ohio Republican Party Secretary, said.

He approved of Ohio’s 2025 mapmaking process, when the state’s redistricting commission unanimously passed a 12-3 GOP-leaning map.

The new map is being called a “compromise” by both GOP and Democratic leaders on the commission, angering both progressives and far-right advocates we spoke to.

Republicans were worried about a referendum, and Democrats say that any other map would have been significantly worse for them.

“Will this ruling impact how the Ohio GOP redistricts moving forward?” I asked Schroeder.

“Well, I mean, I think there’s some possibility that there will be litigation associated with it,” he responded, adding that he doesn’t think anything will happen in the short term to change Ohio’s maps. “The larger impact we’re going to see as a result of this case is in 2030, when every state’s going to look at its redistricting in the light of that census.”

Ohio is supposed to have certain safeguards against gerrymandering, but some voters, like Bria Bennett, said that politicians have continued to break that law, which a bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court has previously agreed with.

“This partisan gerrymandered, 12 Republican, three Democratic, map explicitly targets black and brown communities,” Bennett said during the commission process.

Unlike other states, Ohio has a schedule of if and when it is allowed to redraw maps mid-decade. The congressional map decided in 2025 will be used for the next six years, according to the state constitution.

Legal experts say that it could now be up for interpretation.

Miller doesn’t trust any politician to do the right thing when it comes to redistricting, regardless of whether it’s in a blue or red state. She said politicians need to be out of the process as a whole, but that effort failed, in part due to what she calls deceptive ballot language, in 2024.

Still, both Schroeder and Miller think that 2030 is the target for more redistricting in the Buckeye State.

Due to the unanimous decision that came from the redistricting commission, plus House Speaker Matt Huffman’s dismissal of the Trump administration’s begs for more seats, points to Ohio staying out of the mapmaking spotlight — at least for the next few years.

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 Jay Shakur

Click here for updates on this story

    FAIRFIELD, Ohio (WCPO) — Marina Sandoval and her wife, Grace Umbaugh, say they faced weeks of silence, a denial, and now a bill for nearly $2,000 after asking their apartment complex for a reasonable accommodation related to a disability.

The couple, who lived at The Villages of Wildwood in Fairfield, said they began the process on March 28 after Umbaugh’s health made it unsafe to continue living in a second-floor unit.

“My wife’s disability has kind of progressed over the last few months, making it difficult for her to move around,” Sandoval said. “We had multiple stairs to get up to our unit.”

Umbaugh has Small Fiber Neuropathy, a condition involving nerve damage that causes painful sensations. She is also hypermobile, meaning her joints are looser than normal and prone to partial dislocations.

“Stairs are one of the hardest things for hypermobile people,” Umbaugh said.

Sandoval said they asked The Villages of Wildwood management to either transfer them to a first-floor apartment or release them from their lease without penalty if changes couldn’t be made — both of which may be considered reasonable accommodations under the federal Fair Housing Act.

On April 6, she said, they were asked to provide medical documentation, which they did. The couple claims they received no further response for more than two weeks.

On April 23, Sandoval said their request was denied.

“They didn’t really give a reasonable reason as to why,” Sandoval said. “They kind of said we had outstanding obligations.”

By then, the couple said they had no choice but to move quickly into a smaller first-floor unit at another complex.

“Now I can actually leave the house and get some fresh air without worrying about stairs or being in pain when I get home,” Umbaugh said.

Caitlyn Byers, a senior supervising attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, said the Fair Housing Act requires landlords to consider reasonable accommodations — changes to rules, policies or practices that allow a person with a disability to equally use and enjoy their housing.

Examples can include allowing a guide dog despite a no-pet policy, offering a transfer to a more accessible unit, or permitting a tenant to break a lease without penalty.

“It doesn’t matter if the disability is something that moves in with you or something you acquire later,” Byers said. “A landlord can deny a reasonable accommodation if it’s an undue burden — meaning it’s going to be too burdensome for the landlord — but that is a fact-specific inquiry. It depends on the size of the landlord and the resources available to that landlord.”

Byers said a related concept, reasonable modifications, which involve physical changes to a property — such as ramps, grab bars, or altering entryways for accessibility — an be required as well, though the tenant may be responsible for the cost.

The law also calls for what Byers described as an “interactive process” — communication between landlord and tenant to explore solutions.

“Maybe the combination the tenant requested doesn’t specifically work, but maybe they can discuss alternatives,” Byers said.

Sandoval said The Villages of Wildwood is billing them nearly $2,000 and threatening to keep their security deposit. She argues that’s a violation of federal law given the medical circumstances.

“It feels like they’re trying to make me have to keep paying or give them the money they want rather than negotiate anything with me,” Sandoval said. “We did not move because we couldn’t afford it. We didn’t move because we didn’t like it. We moved to a first-floor apartment so that she could live her life the way that she deserves to.”

The couple said they have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but the process is slow.

“The statute does allow the landlord to ask for evidence that the person has a disability,” Byers said. “But the tenant is not required to spill their entire medical history in order to get simple accommodations they need — especially if the disability is obvious.”

Sandoval and Umbaugh said they want accountability — not just for themselves, but for others in similar positions.

“Don’t back down,” Umbaugh said. “You deserve to live in the same conditions and have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

We reached out to the property owners, GoldOller Real Estate Investments LLC, for comment. They haven’t responded yet.

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.