Norman aims to retain high-income families with new entertainment district

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Meghan Mosley

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    NORMAN, Okla. (KOCO) — Norman city leaders are proposing a billion-dollar entertainment district to address the decline in high-income families, as recent U.S. Census data shows a significant drop in such households.

Lawrence McKinney, CEO of the Cleveland County Economic Development Coalition, highlighted the decrease from about 5,300 high-income families to 3,600 between 2020 and 2024.

“We dropped from about 5,300 high-income families to 3,600,” McKinney said. “What jumps out is that we’re the fourth worst in the country in terms of our drop.”

County leaders believe the new entertainment district could help reverse this trend by attracting higher-paying jobs.

McKinney explained that while Oklahoma cities are interested in retail sales, retail jobs do not pay as well as wealth-producing primary jobs. The new district is seen as an opportunity to bring in higher-paying jobs.

“Cities in Oklahoma are very interested in retail sales, so we attract a lot of retailers. But retail jobs don’t pay as well as wealth-producing jobs, primary jobs, and we’re focused on primary jobs, and this is an opportunity with the new entertainment district to bring higher-paying jobs in,” McKinney said.

The State Supreme Court has approved the construction of the Rock Creek Entertainment District after a lengthy legal battle.

The county anticipates that the district will create approximately 1,800 jobs, including construction jobs, and attract workforce talent, particularly in the 25-44 age group.

“There’s about 1,800 jobs that come with this, including some construction jobs. But what it does is attract talent. And we’re focused on workforce talent, that 25-44 year old age group, and if there’s nothing to do in the community, they don’t stay here,” McKinney said.

The Rock Creek Entertainment District is expected to be completed by 2029.

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Minimum wage bill goes to governor’s desk, lowers wages for young Nebraskans

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Madison Perales

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    NEBRASKA (KETV) — Nebraska’s minimum wage is one step away from being lowered for young people; a new cap on rate increases would also be implemented across the board.

The reintroduced bill passed final reading in the Capitol on Thursday and now heads to the governor’s desk.

KETV spoke with small businesses and a young person impacted by the measure.

Census data from 2024 reveals that around 16,000 16- to 19-year-olds in Douglas County are in the workforce.

Legislative bill 258 would lower the minimum wage for 14- and 15-year-olds from the current $15 an hour to $13.50. Sixteen- to 19-year-olds would be paid $13.50 for the first 90 days of training on the job.

“I’ve never seen minimum wage go down. Like, it’s only gone up,” said Debra McKnight, founding paster at Urban Abbey.

State senators in favor of the bill say the legislation will aid small businesses like Urban Abbey.

“Employers will be forced to cut costs by eliminating jobs altogether,” said Sen. Jane Raybould.

The bill would put a cap on minimum wage increases to 1.5%, or a 26-cent increase per year for everyone.

“We want something that is fixed and predictable,” Raybould said.

The measure would also create a $13.50-an-hour minimum wage for young people.

“If we didn’t care about this, we would leave this alone, and people ultimately would lose their jobs,” said Sen. Paul Strommen.

Raybould introduced LB 258 last legislative session, and Strommen prioritized the bill this session.

“Fourteen- and 15-year-olds are not entering the workforce with a resume full of skills, and that’s exactly the point,” Raybould said.

“They’re discouraged to know that what they are contributing isn’t seen as enough,” said Voices for Children’s Anahí Salazar.

Sixteen-year-old retail worker Lillian Twohig would feel the impact if she changed jobs, with her wages dropping to $13.50 an hour for the first 90 days on the job.

“It’s just going to be difficult for people to maybe just get used to it and feel like what they’re doing doesn’t matter as much as other people, which can be frustrating,” Twohig said.

Sen. John Cavanaugh opposed the bill, saying, “The thing we hear is their frustration with this Legislature undermining the will of the people.”

Cavanaugh was referring to the 2022 ballot initiative in which reports show about 60% of Nebraskans voted for a $15 minimum wage for everyone and an adjusted wage increase based on the current economy.

“I do think minimum wage should increase in relationship to the economy instead of a flat percentage,” McKnight said.

The bill still needs to be signed by Gov. Jim Pillen before it becomes law. If signed, it would be implemented 90 days after the legislative session ends.

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Atlantic School District investigates staff member over alleged inappropriate communication with student

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By KCCI Staff

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    ATLANTIC, Iowa (KCCI) — The Atlantic School District has placed a staff member on administrative leave following allegations of inappropriate communication with a student, as investigations by local authorities continue.

In a statement released Thursday, the district said, “On Sunday, the district received a phone call from a parent raising concerns about a staff member. That same day, district administration placed the staff member on administrative leave to allow the district to conduct an investigation consistent with district policy and best practice.”

The district has chosen not to release the name of the staff member involved and is refraining from further comment due to the ongoing investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Atlantic Police Department.

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Tuscaloosa lawmaker sponsors bill to protect prison inmates after death

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Lisa Crane

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    MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WVTM) — A law with no consequences if it’s broken. That’s what some Alabama legislators say they’re trying to remedy with a bill moving through the state house.

We first told you about allegations concerning the illegal harvesting of deceased inmates’ organs two years ago when the first lawsuit was filed. On Thursday, several family members met with lawmakers.

Brandon Dotson and Kelvin Moore died behind bars in Alabama prisons. When their bodies were released to their families, they were missing organs.

“We’ve just been destroyed ever since then because we feel like he was mutilated,” said Kelvin’s sister, Simone Moore.

Alabama lawmakers said there is a law already on the books that makes it illegal for a medical examiner to keep a deceased person’s organs without notification to and consent from the next of kin. But it’s a law with no teeth.

Moore added, “It’s nothing short of thievery, but there are no consequences. It’s against the law. It is illegal, but they have no consequences.”

State Rep. Chris England has sponsored a bill to change that. House Bill 71 would make what happened to Dotson and Moore a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine. He said the goal of the bill is to keep this from happening again and to bring transparency to the process and the Department of Corrections, which is already under investigation by the Department of Justice for civil rights violations.

England said, “It’s just another example of Alabama’s failure in our criminal justice system and our Department of Corrections. And I do think you get to a point where it can’t get worse. And then you find out that families are being put through further trauma because organs are being taken from their loved ones after they pass away.”

England said HB71 is out of committee. He expects the bill to pass with bipartisan support.

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The National Park Service plans to remove the word ‘racist’ when describing Medgar Evers’ killer

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Brooklyn Joyner

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    JACKSON, Miss. (WAPT) — During her visit to Jackson, Dr. Sharelle Barber viewed the history inside Medgar and Myrlie Evers’ home, a space memorialized by the National Park Service.

She said it’s one of her favorite spots to visit every time she pops into town, often showing the space to friends who never seen it before.

“Particularly for Medgar Evers and all he did for Mississippi, but also for everything he did for American democracy,” Barber said.

The next time she visits, the brochure that gives details of Evers’ life may be edited.

According to the National Parks Conservation Association, the National Parks Service was instructed to remove the word racist when describing Evers’ killer, Byron De La Beckwith, who shot the civil rights leader. While visiting the home, a bullet hole left behind from the fatal shooting is still there.

“To not refer to him as a racist, even though he was a lifelong member of the KKK, he’s a devout white supremacist, and he also shot Medgar Evers in his own home?” asked Alan Spears, a member of the National Parks Conservation Association.

Spears said he is an advocate for all national parks. He does not agree with the potential change, saying it stems from an executive order made by President Donald Trump to “Restore Truth and Sanity to American History.”

In May 2025, Trump said crews would begin reviewing public monuments to ensure they are uplifting and reminding Americans of their extraordinary heritage. Spears said this is a slap in the face to all the hard work Evers did to improve the lives of Black Americans.

“One of the first things he did was to investigate the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till, and he went on to be a champion for voting rights for African Americans, that’s what cost him his life,” Spears said. “He devoted himself to making those changes happen, and now we want to sanitize and censor the history that’s coming out of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home in order to make people who like Byron De la Beckwith feel better. It’s about as ridiculous as it gets.”

While visiting the home, 16 WAPT noticed that the brochures had not yet been replaced, but Barber says even if they are, this history will live on.

“There are enough people in Jackson and Mississippi who will continue to tell the truth, even when it gets erased by the federal government,” Barber said.

Angela English, the Rankin County chapter president of the NAACP, said, “Context matters. In places like Mississippi, where African Americans were legally terrorized and silenced, removing civil rights history today echoes that same silencing. You can’t separate current erasure from a long history of segregation, voter suppression, and racial violence.”

The workers at the National Park say they could not comment on this discussion.

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Son of rapper Lil Jon missing in Milton as search focuses on nearby 5-acre park and retention pond

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Cody Alcorn

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    ATLANTA (WXIA) — Police are searching for Nathan Smith, the 27-year-old son of Atlanta rapper and producer Lil Jon.

Smith was last seen running out of his home along Baldwin Drive on Feb. 3, near downtown Milton.

The focus of the search has been in Mayfield Park. It’s a five-acre property with trails and a retention pond.

Law enforcement agencies from across metro Atlanta and north Georgia are assisting Milton Police with a vareity of resources, including tracking canines.

On Thursday, officers could be seen focusing on the retention pond. Officers were walking the perimeter and other officers were staged on a dock, using technology to assist in searching the pond.

Smith, known to many outside his family as DJ Young Slade, ran from his home around 6 a.m. Feb. 3, just a few hundred feet from a neighborhood pond where law enforcement has concentrated search efforts.

Authorities have released few details about the circumstances surrounding Smith’s disappearance. Police have not said whether video captured him leaving the home, though a Ring doorbell camera was visible at the residence.

Milton Police created a missing person flyer, which said Smith may be disoriented and in need of help.

Family and friends have been coming and going from the home as concern grows. The family is asking for prayers and privacy as the search continues.

On social media, Smith’s last visible post appears to be from Jan. 9, when he shared a photo from Jingle Ball at State Farm Arena alongside rapper Lil Bow Wow.

At a nearby gas station, a flyer printed by Smith’s mother asks the public for help in the search. In the message, she urged people to check security cameras and wrote that any help “would mean more than I can say,” thanking the community for keeping her family in their prayers.

While police continue their work, hope remains high in this Milton neighborhood. Many here are watching, waiting and praying for Smith’s safe return.

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.

‘Act of Bravery’: Georgia officer risks life to pull woman from burning building

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Zach Rainey

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    ROYSTON, Ga. (WYFF) — A police officer in Royston, Georgia, is being praised by her colleagues and the community after she put herself in danger to save a woman from a burning building.

Around 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, the Royston Police Department along with the Royston Fire Department were dispatched to a house fire.

Officer Elizabeth Eddy was one of the officers who responded to the call.

When she arrived, Eddy discovered that the flames were coming from a bedroom and that a woman was still inside.

Officials said Eddy entered the burning building with total disregard for her own safety and pulled the woman out of the building.

Firefighter West Bennett arrived as they were exiting and immediately went to assist Eddy and the woman.

Patrolman Josh Fowler wrote in a statement, “Eddy remained inside the burning structure for over a minute while battling the extreme heat, heavy smoke, and other hazards associated with the fire.”

He added, “In my 22 years of law enforcement experience, I have rarely witnessed such an act of bravery. Officer Eddy displayed extraordinary courage and heroism by placing herself in immediate danger to save another person’s life.”

Royston Police Chief Brooks Moorhead praised Eddy by stating, “Elizabeth Eddy went above and beyond her duties placing herself in grave danger to save a Royston resident. We are blessed to have her as a member of this department. She sets the bar high for us all.”

Moorhead recommended Eddy for the Royston Police Department’s “Life-Saving with Valor” award. This is awarded to officers or civilian employees who, with total disregard for their personal safety, saved or attempted to save the life of another.

When recommending Eddy for the award, Moorhead said, “I can’t think of a better example.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation with the Georgia State Fire Marshals. No other details have been released.

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.

El Paso woman turns personal struggles into empowerment through fashion

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Tyaun Marshburn

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    EL PASO, TEXAS (KVIA) — An El Paso woman is sharing her journey of addiction, recovery and resilience in hopes of inspiring others through fashion and community.

Bright Woman Boutique manager Karla Lara says she spent nearly 15 years battling drug addiction before deciding to change her life.

“I was addicted to drugs for about 15 years of my life,” Lara said. “One day, I just gave up.”

Behind the smile she showed the world, Lara says she felt lost. That changed after a chance encounter at Del Sol Church, where she found support during one of the lowest moments of her life.

Now nearly a year sober, Lara manages her sister’s boutique, Bright Woman Boutique, crediting her family especially her sister for believing in her recovery.

“My family has so much faith in me,” Lara said. “My sister put a lot of support toward me and what I’ve been doing, so I decided I had to help her out, too.”

For Lara, sisterhood extends beyond bloodlines. She says it’s about connection, encouragement and shared strength among women.

The boutique was recently featured in Audi El Paso Fashion Week, an experience Lara says she will cherish.

“I’m seeing the empowerment of women,” she said. “There are so many women here in El Paso that actually support each other.”

Inspired by the help she once received, Bright Woman Boutique is now giving back by offering a free dress rental for special occasions. Lara says the initiative is meant to ease financial stress for women and families who may not be able to afford expensive attire.

“Why spend so much money on a dress when you already have so many other expenses?” Lara said. “This is just an option so everyone can have their special day.”

“It gives you more support knowing other women have gone through things too,” Lara said. “I love that I can empower somebody else with my story.”

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.

‘Make better choices’: Crews rescue woman who crawled 500 feet into casino drainage pipe, got stuck

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Nick Sloan

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — Kansas City firefighters rescued a woman who became trapped deep inside a storm drain Wednesday night.

The Kansas City Fire Department said crews were called around 7:20 p.m. to the 3200 block of North Ameristar Drive after receiving reports of a person stuck underground.

When firefighters arrived, they confirmed a woman in her 40s was trapped several hundred feet inside a storm drain pipe.

Rescue crews with the department’s specialized rescue division secured the area and sent a team into the pipe to reach the woman and begin extrication.

After nearly 90 minutes of rescue operations, firefighters were able to free the woman around 9:30 p.m., according to the department.

Fire officials said the woman had been stuck for several hours before being rescued.

She was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and was reported to be in stable condition.

No other injuries were reported.

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.

Maine inmates earn paychecks through remote work program

CNN Newsource on February 6, 2026

By Scott McDonnell

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    MAINE (WMTW) — While some serving time may pass the hours with cards and cribbage, others are spending that time working.

At the Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center in Windham, Ashley Mackie is filling her time with classes and coding.

“I have to fix some of the questions that aren’t coming up properly,” Mackie said.

Mackie was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. She has served three.

She is one of almost 40 residents in Maine prisons holding down remote jobs while incarcerated.

“I get paid by the hour. I get a check once a month,” Mackie said.

The Maine Department of Corrections says the average salary for full-time work across male and female inmates is between $50,000 and $70,000 a year. Some inmates earn more than $100,000 annually.

“We have an individual in Mountain View that’s a senior software engineer,” said Commissioner Randall Liberty of the Maine Department of Corrections. “And the beauty of him making six figures is he’s able to pay restitution back to victims. He’s able to pay court fees and fines. He’s able to pay child support. He’s paying his mortgage. He’s able to put money aside.”

Liberty said when individuals have purpose, the positives are hard to ignore.

“In 2017, we had 87 assaults on staff at the Maine State Prison,” Liberty said. “In 2023, we had seven — so, significant reduction in violence, creating a non-adversarial environment. And we’ve had great success doing it.”

The program also requires residents to pay toward their own room and board.

After that, Mackie said she is able to send money to her family instead of the other way around.

“A lot of us are qualified to hold positions,” Mackie said.

Working while incarcerated, she said, proves residents can be worthy employees.

“A lot of us really want to do better, and we are working our best to be better,” Mackie said.

More than 15 outside employers are currently participating in the remote work program, hiring people who are serving time. Other states have tested similar ideas, mostly limited to small groups working call center jobs.

The Department of Corrections said states across the country have reached out to learn how Maine’s program works.

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