Author: CNN Newsource

By Nicholas Brooks

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Jackson police are revealing new details about the department-issued rifle investigators believe was used in the triple homicide that claimed the lives of two sisters and a 2-year-old boy.

Police told 16 WAPT News the SWAT rifle was stolen after suspects broke the rear window of a marked Jackson police vehicle parked at an apartment complex. Investigators believe that same rifle was later used in the June killings.

As the investigation continues, Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard is speaking publicly about the emotional toll the case has taken on him and other first responders.

Howard said the scene involving the young child is one he will never forget.

“To have a 2-year-old still lying in bed. I was even worse. The cartoon is still playing on the TV while we’re there, and again that just brought even more emotions to it. I’ll be honest, it was extremely difficult to put my emotions in my back pocket,” Howard said.

Howard said notifying families of a loved one’s death remains one of the hardest parts of his job.

“And that’s a tough pill to swallow even as a coroner. I’ve done this hundreds of times of telling moms that your baby is not coming home anymore. Then on top of that, I can’t let you see your baby because I have to treat them as evidence,” Howard said.

Howard said Hinds County has experienced years with between 120 and 160 homicides, giving Jackson one of the nation’s highest homicide rates per capita.

“I think there’s been years that we were working 120 to 160 homicides a year. Obviously, for Jackson to have such a low population, that’s a high per capita rate, which made us one of the deadliest cities in the world,” Howard said.

He said he has noticed progress over the past year.

“I noticed last year our homicide rates came down a pretty good bit. This year we were starting that trend of having the homicide rates continue to decrease,” Howard said.

Despite the decline, Howard said the triple homicide remains one of the most difficult investigations of his career.

At the scene, he said it appeared everyone inside the home had been targeted.

“It was their intention to kill everybody in that house. My opinion now,” Howard said.

Jackson police continue investigating the triple homicide while working to determine everyone responsible in the case.

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 La’Nita Brooks

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — Cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported across Missouri and Kansas, prompting health officials to urge residents to take precautions to protect themselves and their families.

More than 80 cases have been reported in Missouri, and 55 have been confirmed in Kansas.

Health officials say the two most important steps to reduce risk are washing hands and washing food. Before eating, cutting, or cooking fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly under running water. Cooking produce can also lower the risk.

It is also important to note that if symptoms appear immediately after consuming food, it is likely food poisoning or a different intestinal virus — not cyclosporiasis. Symptoms of cyclosporiasis typically present themselves after a few days.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease physician with the University of Kansas Health System, said people should know what symptoms to watch for.

“The symptoms can range from mild to more severe, meaning diarrhea that won’t stop. And you need to know your own body,” Hawkinson said. “If you are more at risk, if you are taking care of a small child or an elderly person, you are going to be more at risk at having those dehydration symptoms and problems, complications. And if you are immune suppressed.”

Hawkinson said treatments are available for those who test positive.

“There are treatments available,” Hawkinson said. “Our most common treatments are Bactrim or ciprofloxacin. There’s also alternative treatments for those who can’t tolerate those.”

Hawkinson said washing produce will not guarantee the removal of the parasite. The only way to know if you have cyclosporiasis is to get tested.

Anyone experiencing symptoms for more than a few days or who becomes extremely dehydrated should see a doctor.

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 Marlon Martinez

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — Missouri drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses will soon face tougher penalties under a new state law aimed at improving student safety.

Last week, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed legislation increasing fines and penalties for stop-arm violations. The law takes effect Aug. 28, just as students across Missouri return to school.

The change comes months after sharing concerns from school transportation officials, bus drivers, parents, and the county prosecutor who said stronger consequences were needed to discourage dangerous driving around stopped school buses.

For the past year, I have highlighted stop-arm violations in Platte County of drivers illegally passing school buses while students were loading and unloading.

“It’s something that needs to be addressed, and I was lucky in the fact that your station picked this up and started running it,” said JT Thomas, transportation director for Platte County School District. “Without that, I don’t think any of this would have happened.”

After seeing the reporting, Representative Mike Jones filed legislation to strengthen Missouri’s stop arm law.

What’s changing?

Beginning Aug. 28:

The minimum fine for a first stop-arm violation will increase from about $130 to at least $500. Each conviction will add five points to a driver’s license. Repeat offenders face steeper penalties, including the possibility of felony charges if a child is injured. In a statement to KSHB 41, Representative Mike Jones said, “I am pleased that Governor Kehoe has signed SB 1421 into law, strengthening penalties for drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus while its stop arm is extended.

Every child deserves to be safe when getting on or off the school bus. This new law sends a clear message that reckless driving around school buses will not be tolerated. My hope is that these stronger penalties will deter dangerous behavior and help prevent needless tragedies. It’s unfortunate that legislation like this is necessary, but protecting our children must always come first.

This legislation would not have become law without the dedication and advocacy of many people. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to KSHB 41 Reporter Marlon Martinez, whose reporting brought much-needed attention to this issue, and to Platte County School District Director of Transportation J.T. Thomas, whose expertise and tireless efforts were instrumental throughout the process. Their commitment to student safety made this important achievement possible.

I am proud to have supported this legislation and will continue working to improve the safety of Missouri’s students and families.”

Thomas said the tougher penalties are a step in the right direction, but the real goal is changing driver behavior.

“Now we’re not at the top, but we’re certainly not at the bottom as we were. I think that the prosecutors, law enforcement, now have tools that can help solve this problem.

Thomas said he hopes the tougher penalties will encourage drivers to slow down, pay attention and stop when school bus stop arms are extended — helping prevent a tragedy before it happens.

“I don’t want to be talking to a news reporter because a child has been killed.”

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 Jasmine Franklin

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    PEWAUKEE, Wisconsin (WISN) — Cases of a violent stomach illness are surging across the country. Cyclosporiasis is a sickness that causes severe diarrhea.

Wisconsin’s Department of Health says there have been 43 reported cases in the state.

Newlywed Gretchen Pleuss, formerly of Milwaukee, caught the stomach bug during her honeymoon.

“It was just like incessant diarrhea. It was watery and constant,” Pleuss said.

The camping trip to Yellowstone National Park has been filled with a lot of stops to the bathroom.

“I felt fine until we got out here, and a couple days into camping here, I started having symptoms,” Pleuss said.

A few days into her vacation, the pain became so intense that she had to go to the emergency room.

Doctors confirmed the Cyclospora parasite is in her system.

Pleuss thinks she caught it from shredded lettuce in a sandwich.

“It feels like your intestines are really tight, like something is seizing them,” Pleuss said.

While it’s been anything but the perfect start to happily ever after, the couple is staying positive.

“It’s still our honeymoon, so we’re making the best of it. Our vows said in sickness and in health, so we’re just getting an early start on that,” Pleuss said.

She’s not alone; dozens of Wisconsinites are dealing with this stomach bug, including one woman in Pewaukee who says the pain is intense.

“Last night was the first time I was able to eat and maintain all the food I took in,” said Jacque Lebreck.

Lebreck said she thinks she caught Cyclospora from an alcoholic drink with fruit.

“It was a fruit-based drink that I had at a lovely restaurant, there were many of us that had the same drink and they all got sick as well. It’s been inconvenient, but it’s not something that’s going to kill me,” Lebreck said.

Both women are getting rid of the parasite with prescribed antibiotics.

Doctors encourage people to thoroughly wash fresh produce, especially lettuce, bagged salads, and raspberries.

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 TJ Dysart

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Judges at the Milwaukee County Courthouse are calling for an immediate replacement for the nearly 100-year-old safety building at the Milwaukee County Courthouse as extreme heat disrupts operations and threatens the legal process.

On Wednesday, as outdoor temperatures reached 93 degrees, conditions inside the courthouse safety building were nearly as hot.

“It is 95 degrees in the courtroom, you are sweating through your clothes, you can barely concentrate,” Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Laura Crivello said.

Courtrooms, jury rooms, and holding cells climbed into the 80s and 90s, with ceiling fans providing little relief.

“I am dripping sweat standing here,” Crivello said.

Inside Crivello’s jury room, where jurors deliberate on cases, the temperature hit 81 degrees Wednesday afternoon.

“This is unacceptable, this is unacceptable,” she said.

Chief Judge Carl Ashley expressed concern about the impact on jurors.

“You expect jurors to come in here and deliberate Judge Crivello’s cases, which are so serious, and we stuff them in this room and tell them to do that,” Ashley said.

In a nearby holding room, where up to five defendants wait for their cases to be called, the temperature reached 89 degrees.

Ashley and Crivello said the heat highlights the urgent need for major improvements to the courthouse.

“We have the opportunity to provide this new facility that is going to really provide what we should expect from any judicial facility, and that is good accommodations, and this is not it,” Ashley said.

County leaders have proposed tearing down and replacing the safety building, a project estimated to cost nearly $900 million. They are seeking state assistance to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers, warning that delays will only increase costs.

“We want the project done. Do we have to shave here and there? Maybe so, but the ultimate goal is to get this new facility,” Ashley said.

After decades of issues, Ashley emphasized the need for immediate action.

“If someone says to you, ‘Well, do it later,’ what a statement to the people who work in this building, the people who have to come to this building. It’s not fair, it is not justified, and we are finally at a point where we can do something about it,” he said.

While the project is still in its early stages, a financing proposal is expected to come before the county later this year.

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 Pamela Comme

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    PORT ORANGE, Florida (WESH) — Seven years after they thought they had lost her forever, one phone call changed everything.

The Jones family adopted Copper when she was just 4 weeks old. A few months later, they believe the dog was stolen along with one of her puppies.

“We drove around every day for about a week looking for her,” the family said. “As time went along, we just kind of gave up hope.”

What they didn’t know was that Copper was still alive, hundreds of miles away.

Jennifer Baker found the dog wandering alone in Port Orange, right off Commonwealth Boulevard, and took her in.

“She was in god-awful condition,” Baker said. “Her nails had grown into the pads of her feet, and she had infections all across her back.”

Baker spent two weeks caring for Copper before taking her to a veterinarian to check for a microchip.

The scan identified Copper’s owners and led to an emotional reunion.

“She and I just broke down crying,” the family said. “Her first words were, ‘I want my baby.'”

When Copper was reunited with her family, Baker said the dog recognized them immediately.

“He called her name, and I watched her ears perk up,” Baker said. “She wagged her tail and slowly walked over.”

Copper is now back home with her family in Alabama, where she is receiving treatment for years of neglect.

Her owners say the veterinary care has been expensive, but they are grateful to have her back.

“It’s been pretty extensive and kind of expensive,” they said. “But it’s well worth it to have her back.”

While Copper is still recovering, her family says she is finally where she belongs, safe, loved and getting her spark back.

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.