Author: CNN Newsource

By Austin Pollack

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — There’s one thing guaranteed to bring the community together in Nashville — and that’s music.

Members in the Nashville Voices of Resilience Homeless Choir have either experienced homelessness or worked closely with those who have.

Founded by Daniel Holmes, who experienced homelessness for five years, the choir is made up of about 10 people united by a shared mission to use music as a bridge between communities.

“I said I’d like to have a homeless choir because I was homeless for five years,” Holmes said, when looking back at his desire to create this group.

“Everybody is a jewel to be extracted that has lived expertise of being unhoused,” said Kennetha Patterson, one of the members of the choir.

Conductor Nat Peterson Lopes joined after Holmes approached them with the idea.

“He told me one day, hey, so I kind of want to start a homeless choir, you want to help out? And I was like yeah I know about music, yeah absolutely,” Peterson Lopes said.

“The people in your life that are the most giving and the most generous are those that have the least,” they said.

Holmes describes the group as more than an ensemble — it is a family.

“We know each other because we call each other every night, we talk to each other,” he said. “We speak with each other, this is a family, this is not just a company.”

This Saturday, the choir will host a community gathering built around music, art and connection. The event is from 2-5 at 1502 Edgehill Avenue in Nashville. It’s also a fundraiser to support low-income families in need of stable housing.

Holmes said the path to helping someone experiencing homelessness is simpler than many might think.

“If you’re watching today and you ask yourself, what does it take to help a person who is homeless, it just takes love,” he said. “That’s all I would say – it just takes a little bit of understanding, and to say to someone I love you. Or, I care.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF’s editorial team 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 Julie Sharp, Michele Gile

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Warm weather is here, and as people head to the beach, Los Angeles and Orange County lifeguards warn of strong rip currents and high surf.

A powerful storm from the South Pacific generated a south-southwest swell that has reached Southern California’s coast, with conditions building on Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday.

The National Weather Service issued a Beach Hazards Statement that remains in effect through Thursday night, as wave size increases.

The long-period swell will bring surf “in the head-high to well-overhead range at many south-facing beaches across Los Angeles County,” LA County Lifeguards said in a statement.

In Orange County, lifeguards are also on alert, increasing staffing for the summer rush as waves could reach 12 feet by Wednesday.

“This is a big deal. With this incoming swell system, we are supplementing our daily roster with additional lifeguard positions open on Tuesday and Wednesday in some of our hotspots, most dangerous areas.” Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said on Monday.

“We are extending our hours out here in the field … we’re bringing in guards early, and we’re expecting them to stay late over the next couple of days.”

Near the Balboa Pier parking lot, a sand berm to block high surf was created where flooding has occurred in the past.

In Huntington Beach, Mike Ali said his beachfront bike rental store patio is ready for people to watch the action. “When people realize a big storm is coming, they want to come and watch it, so hopefully I have my patios open, I have food, and beach rentals.”

While the storm may be a surfer’s delight, lifeguards are hoping most people are ready to just watch and wait this one out.

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 Zac Harmon

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    SOUTH HAVEN, Michigan (WXMI) — The City of South Haven’s new lifeguard program logged its first rescue, just weeks after lifeguards returned to the sand.

On Tuesday morning, a swimmer got out of the water and spoke with lifeguards on south beach when the person collapsed and was unresponsive. The on-duty lifeguards immediately began CPR and used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), according to South Haven Area Emergency Services.

The lifeguards also called for emergency aid, with personnel from South Haven Area Emergency Services, the South Haven Police Department, and Beach Enforcement Attendants stepping in to care for the swimmer.

The person was eventually taken to a hospital in St. Joseph for continued medical treatment.

The on-shore rescue came just over two weeks since lifeguards returned to South Haven’s city-operated beach. The program restarted after a woman sued the city in the deaths of her daughter and her boyfriend.

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 Molly Demrow

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    BOONE COUNTY, Kentucky (WLEX) — A University of Kentucky student’s candy business has gone from local to the most magical place on Earth.

Aubrie Sink, founder of ‘Freezin’ with Aubrie,’ now sells her freeze-dried treats at Walt Disney World gift shops.

“It’s outside Space Mountain and Mission Space,” Sink said.

The road to Disney started with word of mouth and a series of wholesale partnerships closer to home.

“My first ever place that I wholesale to was the Cincinnati Zoo, and then I went to Jungle Jim’s and King’s Island, so still in the local area, and then I ended up (in) King’s Island, word of mouth, they told Cedar Point,” Sink said.

The business, based in Florence, Kentucky, ships products across 32 states. But it didn’t start with freeze-dried candy.

“So I actually started off with Jammin’ with Aubrie because I started my business with homemade jam and apple butter when I was 12 years old, and then that’s how I expanded it and I saved my money from doing that to buy a freeze dryer,” Sink said.

The Walt Disney World deal came together through a family connection at a trade show.

“My aunt, she’s my sales and marketing director. She met with the buyer for the space theme stuff at Disney Parks, and she met with them at one of our trade shows, talked to them, and they were pretty interested in the idea because for one I’m a teen founded business,” Sink said.

Sink’s ambitions don’t stop at Walt Disney World. She has her sights set on expanding the brand even further.

“Also even expand to like the Disney Cruise Lines, that would be a lot of fun. I would really like that. And then I also do dirty sodas, so my end goal for that is to get like a dirty soda food truck,” Sink said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Hunter Sowards, Dean Fioresi

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    ORANGE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Hundreds of Orange County residents gathered in Garden Grove on Tuesday night to demand answers from GKN Aerospace leadership during a special city council meeting regarding the chemical crisis at their facility in May.

The meeting, which was standing room only with two overflow areas full of upset residents, was held after the Garden Grove City Council demanded that a company representative from the aerospace company make an appearance so they could directly listen to community concerns.

“We cannot sleep at night with the GKN monster under our beds,” one woman said while speaking at the meeting, which saw many more expressing their anger after more than 50,000 people were forced to evacuate from their homes in six Orange County cities when a tank holding 6,500 gallons methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable, toxic substance, became compromised and at risk of exploding or leaking as the contents continued to self-heat.

The ordeal, which spanned over five days as local first responders worked to mitigate the incident and reduce the risk to residents, still hasn’t reached a complete end, as cleanup continues nearly a month after it began.

Some residents held signs that read, “Full transparency on the impacts on our health and environment!” while others held signs that simply said, “Make GKN pay!”

The meeting comes about a week after GKN officials announced a $3 million donation to the Orange County United Way’s OC Community Resilience Fund, to help people affected by the evacuation orders.

“Thank you for the opportunity to come speak with you tonight. I know a lot of people have been wanting to hear from us,” said Steve Carlin, the senior vice president at GKN’s Garden Grove location.

He was met with a litany of questions from residents, council members and Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein, who repeated further lines of questioning from the community members who didn’t get a chance to speak.

“What was inspected? Were there warning signs? Will there be changes to ensure this doesn’t happen again?” she asked. “I think one of them that struck home with me is: ‘Would you be willing to remove these chemicals from your facility altogether?”

Carlin said that it’s still too early in their investigation to answer the final question, but said that work was ongoing to resolve the situation.

Residents who live nearby, and can still see the problem tank, now dismantled and stripped of all weather protection after emergency crews began working to cool the tank, want the company gone altogether.

“I don’t think they understand. Their lives were not disrupted. They went home and they were far away and they got to watch it on the news,” said Frank Aguirre, who said that his family now leaves their car packed in case they have to leave at a moment’s notice again.

When Klopfenstein asked Carlin for a timeline as to when the hazardous material would be removed from their facility, and when compensation would be given to the people who had to find shelter for their families or their pets, he didn’t have an answer.

She demanded a resolution soon, as well as a town hall meeting where residents can speak to more company officials.

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 Ilene Gould

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    LANSING, Michigan (WXMI) — The Michigan Court of Appeals has overturned several terrorism-related convictions for one of the men tied to the alleged plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer back in 2020.

Joseph Morrison was convicted back in 2022 on state charges of providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership, and felony firearm.

In December of 2022, Morrison was sentenced to 4-20 years in prison, alongside others with ties to the militia group “Wolverine Watchmen.”

On Tuesday, the Court of Appeals overturned all three of his convictions, ruling that “kidnapping” did not meet the definition of a “violent felony,” one of the requirements for Michigan’s Anti-Terrorism law.

The ruling also notes that the jury’s instructions allowed for a conviction based on the understanding that the kidnapping was a violent felony.

“And because the jury instructions given by the trial court allowed for a conviction based on an underlying kidnapping offense, his conviction cannot stand. We agree that the charge of kidnapping cannot properly form the basis for defendant’s conviction,” reads the ruling.

The decision from the Court of Appeals comes after Morrison argued that kidnapping is not a “violent felony” according to the legal definition.

Let us walk you through it.

A “violent felony” is, in part, defined as a “felony in which an element is the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against an individual.”

In 2006, Michigan state law was changed and removed all references to “force” regarding kidnapping.

According to Michigan law, an “act of terrorism” means a willful and deliberate act that is all of the following:

An act that would be a violent felony under the laws of this state, whether or not committed in this state. An act that the person knows or has reason to know is dangerous to human life. An act that is intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or influence or affect the conduct of government or a unit of government through intimidation or coercion

The ruling goes on to say, “Because the ‘use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force’ is not an element of kidnapping, kidnapping is not a ‘violent felony’ falling within the definition of an ‘act of terrorism.'”

In a release, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “This ruling is completely and irredeemably nonsensical, outrageous, and irresponsible.”

She also says her office will appeal the ruling.

“My office will not allow this to stand. We will not downplay violent terrorism, we will not accept violent threats against our elected leaders, and we will not abide the arbitrary defanging of the criminal statutes that preserve public safety and order in the State of Michigan. To restore sanity, protect our public servants, and uphold the rule of law, we are appealing this preposterous decision,” said Nessel.

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 Darren Cunningham

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    LIVONIA, Michigan (WXYZ) — A man accused of terrorizing his neighbors appeared before a judge on Tuesday over a video feed for his arraignment.

Police said Manuel Bardakjian, 40, is the person behind a white painter’s or hazmat suit and mask who attempted to break into homes in mid-May.

Bardakjian lives in the same neighborhood as the victims.

Bill Williams, the father of one of the alleged victims in the May 13 incident, was in court for the hearing.

“(Victoria) landed on her hip and her elbow in the driveway. So, physically in pain from that. Mentally, she’s still very stressed out. She doesn’t want to be home alone,” he said.

7 News Detroit learned Bardakjian was arrested at a local grocery store on Saturday.

Rachel Murillo, who lives next door to the suspect, saw the raid on his home.

“I was thinking that it didn’t make any sense, really. I didn’t think that the picture looked like him, otherwise I would’ve said something,” she told 7 News Detroit.

Bardakjian, a father and husband, lives on Bloomfield Drive. He also allegedly attacked a 77-year-old neighbor who lives directly across the street from him and threatened him with a gun.

After that May 14 incident, 7 News Detroit spoke with a young woman who heard yelling and captured an image of the suspect jumping the wall in her backyard.

While canvassing the neighborhood and chatting with residents about the second incident, 7 News Detroit interacted with Bardakjian after knocking on his door. He came outside, and his reaction to the situation was like anyone else’s. However, his wife did not want him speaking with the news. Bardakjian pointed our crew to other neighbors who might be willing to interview.

During the arraignment, Bardakjian’s defense attorney Drew Norton told the judge he got in a car accident last year and hasn’t been himself since then.

“He suffered a head injury and broke both wrists. The last year-plus has been difficult for Mano. To a person, his family will tell you he’s been different. And that anything like what’s been alleged is totally out of character for him,” Norton said.

A reporter asked Williams what he thinks about the suspect’s struggles.

“Can I say not a damn thing? I don’t feel bad. I feel empathy because I’m a human and everybody goes through struggles at one time, but as I said several times, that does not excuse physically assaulting someone. That does not excuse threatening someone with a weapon,” Williams said.

The judge also charged Bardakjian with possessing ecstasy and Xanax, a controlled substance. He’s been given a $250,000 cash surety bond or 10% and has been ordered to wear a GPS tether if he posts bond.

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 Jolie Sherman

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    BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (WXYZ) — A Legionella case has been confirmed at a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Bloomfield Hills, prompting water use restrictions for residents and an ongoing investigation by the Oakland County Health Department.

The case involves Woodward Hills Rehabilitation. Residents have been restricted from showering and using tap water while health officials investigate the source of the contamination.

The Oakland County Health Department said a sample was collected from a patient on June 3. The following day, the facility proactively collected water samples. On June 5, the state health department notified the Oakland County Health Department of the confirmed case.

Tavia Hill’s 81-year-old mother is temporarily living at the facility and has been there for nearly two weeks. Hill said her mother has not had a bath in days.

“My mom is using wipes, you know, these body wipes. For someone with a pre-existing health condition, they need a bath,” Hill said.

Hill said she received no information about the water contamination until she reached out to 7 News Detroit.

“We’ve been there a little over a week, but no answers. Until I reached out to you, I got nothing,” Hill said.

The facility declined to comment when contacted by 7 News Detroit.

Dr. Michael Swain, an epidemiologist with the Oakland County Health Department, said the shower restriction is a precautionary measure tied to how Legionella spreads.

“We asked the facility, required the facility, to use sponge baths instead of showers because Legionella, to cause Legionnaires’ disease, has to aerosolize, and showers are an important risk in buildings like this. So we don’t want the showers used until filters are installed,” Swain said.

Swain said filters are expected to be installed by next week. The facility will then undergo 9 rounds of testing, a process expected to take 6 months.

Kate Guzman, a registered nurse and health officer with the Oakland County Health Department, said visitors, guests, and staff face limited risk from common activities.

“When we’re thinking about safety of visitors and guests and staff, I know people immediately think about drinking water and eating food, and those aren’t risky activities in terms of Legionella transmission,” Guzman said.

Dr. Teena Chopra, an infectious diseases professor at Wayne State University, explained how Legionella spreads and why a single confirmed case warrants close attention in a facility setting.

“It’s not contagious from person to person. The transmission happens through contaminated water systems, air conditioning systems,” Chopra said. “It all depends on where the case was acquired. If it is from the facility, it is significant. If the problem is in the water system of the facility, then other residents are at risk.”

The Oakland County Health Department said it is still too early to determine whether the case originated at the facility. The investigation is ongoing.

Hill said her concerns extend beyond her own mother.

“I’m very concerned, not just about my mom, but the other residents, like I said, there are a lot of aging people, that are in their 80s, 90s, 100,” Hill said.

7 News Detroit received the following statement from Woodward Hills:

Woodward Hills Health & Rehab is under a partial water restriction as there has been a case of Legionnaires reported to our community. Although the source of the legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires, has yet to be identified, once we learned of this development, we reported it to the Oakland County Department of Health and are working collaboratively with the Health Department to determine what the significance is, if any, of these results. In an abundance of caution we have also retained an independent water testing firm to further evaluate the recent test results and to develop an action plan moving forward. We have completed facility‑wide water testing, implemented all recommended precautionary measures, transitioned to a separate water supply while we await results, and will continue to work closely with the Oakland County Health Department.

Woodward Hills Health & Rehab continues to be committed to providing high quality care to those residents and families we have the privilege to serve. We would like to thank the Oakland County Health Department for their prompt response and guidance. We would also like to thank our residents, their families, and our devoted staff for their support. We will continue to provide all relevant parties with the most current information as it is made available to us.

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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ’s editorial team 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 Mike Castellucci

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    GOLD HILL, Colorado (KMGH) — A family has returned to the small Colorado mountain town of Gold Hill for the first time in 44 years, and found it hasn’t changed much. Thankfully.

Gold Hill has no cell phone service, no running water and no heat — until someone starts a fire in the potbelly stove. But when the “closed” sign turns to “open” at the Gold Hill General Store, the small Colorado mountain town comes alive.

Dwight DeBroux owns the general store — one of only two businesses in town.

“You have to try our chocolate chip cookie. Oh, it is the cookie,” DeBroux said.

The cookies draw people in. Two minutes after opening, a family surrounded the potbelly stove — the Smiths, who had just returned to Gold Hill for the first time in 44 years. It turned out Dustin Smith was born there.

“Brought my son here,” Smith said.

His father, Woody Smith, remembered the town well.

“My wife and I lived here and my youngest son Dusty was born here — delivered him with a mid-wife. One year, there was 12 feet of snow,” Woody said.

After 44 years away, the family expected things to look different.

“Not much. The log cabins and the school (are) pretty much the same,” Woody said.

Dustin pointed out the house where he was born — a little home with small wagons out front, just two doors down from the general store. It turned out that house now belongs to the town’s mayor. The Smiths and the mayor were in the general store at the same time but never met.

The mayor, Kelly Veit, described what the general store means to the community.

“It’s a place for opinions, (to) drive consensus, move things forward, move things backward, if necessary,” the mayor said.

The town’s quietness is something residents take pride in.

“We sort of respect and honor our quietness here,” the mayor said.

DeBroux moved to Gold Hill eight years ago after finding something he hadn’t expected.

“Decided to move up here. When you hit the dirt road, your shoulders kind of relax, forget about the outside noise for a while, and have a real impact on real people in your community and be the change you want to be,” DeBroux said.

The general store’s appeal extends beyond locals. One employee came to Gold Hill while traveling and never left.

“I wound up staying and that was 14 years ago,” she said.

For those who find their way to Gold Hill, whether passing through on the way to California or returning after decades away, the general store offers something hard to find elsewhere.

“Great energy up here,” DeBroux said.

And the homemade pie doesn’t hurt either.

“Yeah, they bought all the pie. It’s homemade, we make these ourselves,” DeBroux said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMGH 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.