Author: CNN Newsource

By Jennifer Eagan

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — One year ago Thursday, 67 people, including six affiliated with the Skating Club of Boston, were killed when American Airlines Flight 5342 crashed into an Army helicopter on approach to Ronald Reagan National Airport and fell into the icy Potomac River.

Several memorials are being held to honor the victims. There will be a moment of reflection as the names of 28 members of the skating community are read. Six of those victims had ties to the Skating Club of Boston.

Jinna Han, 13, and her mother, Jin Hee Han; 16-year-old Spencer Lane and his mother, Christine Lane, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were returning from a development camp when their plane crashed into an Army helicopter.

Last night, music and memories filled Constitution Hall where hundreds of family members, first responders and policymakers gathered to remember the lives lost.

“We completed our year-long investigation,” National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said. “That was just the first step. Now the important work, the hard work, begins — that means relentlessly, vigorously pursuing safety change.”

The memorial comes days after the NTSB released new findings, which said failures at multiple levels led to the crash, including congestion of the airspace around Reagan National Airport.

The NTSB is expected to publish its final report in the coming weeks.

The memorial honoring members of the skating community begins at 5 p.m.

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 Alan Shope

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A grieving Kansas City mother is asking for answers and urging the public to come forward after her 15-year-old son was shot and killed while walking home from school earlier this month.

“When you have a kid like Lucas, how loving he is,” Qusha Barbee said, describing the pain she says will never go away.

Barbee’s son, Lucas Long, was shot on Jan. 8 while walking home just before 3 p.m. in the 6600 block of Monroe Avenue in Kansas City. Police have not said what led up to the shooting, and no arrests have been made.

“You never think that you’re going to have to deal with this,” Barbee said.

Barbee said her son often walked home with friends.

“He had a lot of friends, and they would walk in groups,” she said.

More than two weeks later, Barbee said the lack of information has been frustrating.

“The information is very limited,” she said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Barbee joined the group Mothers in Charge at a press conference, asking anyone with information to come forward.

“If they’ve seen anything, reach out,” she said.

Family members described Lucas as fun-loving, kind and outgoing, with a love for sports and making people laugh.

“He joked, he was kind. I never had to open a door or carry a bag,” Barbee said.

The family said the route Lucas took home was one he walked every day. They say the hardest part has been living without answers.

“No one is saying anything. It could be anybody,” Barbee said.

Barbee said she hopes speaking publicly will encourage others to step forward.

“It’s time for us to stop being quiet. Every single person loved him,” she 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 Christian Petersen

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    LEXINGTON, North Carolina (WXII) — Davidson County is mourning a Lexington woman killed during the winter storm, the first storm-related fatality in the Triad.

Barbara Hartwell touched many lives through her countless hours raising money for Cancer Services of Davidson County and on Tuesday, those folks said they are shocked and saddened that she’s gone.

According to Lexington Police, Barbara Hartwell was walking on the sidewalk along South Main Street when she was struck by a vehicle that lost control during the first wave of the weekend’s winter storm.

The vehicle ended up at the bottom of an embankment. Due to the hazardous weather conditions, the vehicle was left there overnight. The next morning, Lexington Police were called back to the scene where Hartwell’s body was discovered.

Ray Howell is the Executive Director of Cancer Services of Davidson County. He said Hartwell was passionate about raising money for cancer patients.

“A lot of folks uptown knew her because she and her cart would be a presence. She would take that cart up and down and, a lot of folks knew her. She would sometimes sell things that she had handmade, whether it be knitting or crocheting. But every year, two of our events, she loved to go around and get people to sponsor her. And, and she might have bothered some of those people until they wrote her a check to make her go away,” Howell said.

The Lexington Police are still talking to the district attorney’s office about possible charges, but investigators said they don’t believe anyone in the vehicle realized they had hit a pedestrian.

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By Ed DiOrio

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    UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Wigs n’ More Mastectomy Boutique is a locally owned shop in Unity Township. It’s been in business for more than 25 years.

Those who work at the store call themselves a family.

“We could not be closer as a team,” Carla Gigliotti said. “We are all buds. We joke around all day long. We’re super tight. It’s just a laid-back environment for the most part.”

The boutique helps women every day.

“We’re very busy most of the time,” Gigliotti said. “Cancer is very prevalent. We help ladies get wigs for their treatment needs and also breast care products if they have breast cancer.”

The shop was busy again Tuesday morning. However, they weren’t assisting customers.

“I started hearing my name being called from across the building,” Gigliotti said. “I ran to the back. I thought [Sheri and Dawn] were joking around at first.”

The shop had to help one of its own.

“Dawn was on the floor,” Gigliotti said. “Her nose was bleeding. Her face was blue. She was making guttural sounds. I was just panicking. I thought ‘Oh my god, that’s my friend on the floor. You’re just trying to get the messages off the machine, get a cup of coffee, and then boom, medical emergency.”

“Sheri, one of the workers, came outside screaming for my name and waving her arms,” Greg Hendrickson, one of the store owners, said. “I’m like ‘Now what?’ She said Dawn was having a heart attack.”

Dawn’s coworkers found themselves in a situation they were trained for but weren’t familiar with.

“I am certified in CPR, but I’d never used it before,” Gigliotti said. “I worked in personal care homes for 12 years. I’ve been trained over and over, but I never got a call on the floor where I worked.”

Gigliotti started giving chest compressions.

“I was dripping sweat,” she said. “I was just pouring sweat. It was terrifying. All I could think was to keep her up, keep her up, keep her up so that she could have an oxygen supply. I remembered my training and did the best that I could for her. You’re terrified. Your adrenaline is going. You’re just waiting for help to arrive.”

After a few minutes, Hendrickson came in to take over.

“I started the compressions,” the retired maintenance foreman said. “They always preached safety to us. At meetings, we learned CPR. You never really forget the process. I picked her head up and gave her mouth-to-mouth. Then, I started getting noises from her. Dispatchers are on the phone, and they’re telling me not to stop and keep going.”

Medics arrived within minutes. Dawn’s work family was anxious for the rest of the day, wondering if their friend would be OK.

“I kept asking my wife if she had heard from Dawn,” Hendrickson said. “’Has anyone heard from Dawn?’ I went through all [of the emotions].”

On Wednesday morning, the shop got a call.

“She called us from her own cellphone,” Gigliotti said. “She sounded a little groggy. They had just taken the tube out of her throat, but she’s doing OK.”

Dawn is in stable condition at Westmoreland Hospital.

Her family at the boutique is a big reason why.

“We all played a part in saving her life yesterday,” Gigliotti said. “We were really happy to hear from her. It was a relief. It made me cry.”

“Anybody and everybody should learn CPR because it works,” Hendrickson said. “I found out that it works. You relive that experience of training and apply that to [Dawn].

Looking back, everyone inside did what they normally do. They helped a woman in need.

“We’re all a family here, and that really showed that,” Gigliotti said. “We love her. We miss her, but we’re glad she’s OK.”

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By Rachael Perry

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    FORT PIERCE, Florida (WPBF) — The mother of a Fort Pierce teen who was shot and killed says the suspect’s motions for temporary release are taking a toll on her.

Larry Lamar Smith is accused of shooting and killing 19-year-old Myrah Zeigler at a rented Fort Lauderdale home on May 19, 2025. For the second time, court records show he requested that a judge grant him a furlough or temporary release from the Broward County Jail.

According to court records, Smith originally requested to be released temporarily to attend the birth of his child. However, at a Wednesday morning hearing, his attorney said the baby had been born on Monday and requested that Smith be granted temporary release to visit his newborn child.

According to court documents, Smith agreed to be released with an electronic monitoring device on him and a curfew to visit the newborn child.

Smith was previously granted a temporary release to attend his father’s funeral in August. However, this time, the judge denied the motion.

Zeigler’s mother, Alacia Ford-Barron, told WPBF 25 News that each time Smith requests to be released, her heart shatters.

“It’s like reliving it all over again. I take it back. I relive it every day. I’m not going to lie. I relive it every day. Every time I open up my eyes, I relive it. But when he puts in a motion, it’s like, you’re not holding yourself accountable for what you did,” she said.

Ford-Barron said the first time he was released was hard enough.

“Just stop. Stop it. Hold your head up. Hold yourself accountable for what you did and learn from it. It’s irritating me. It’s really irritating me. It has already taken a lot out of me. It’s taking part of me away, and the little bit that I have left, it’s taking,” she said.

She said it’s frustrating to hear him ask to be released to visit his newborn child when her’s was taken from her.

“I can’t say, hey, can I get a motion? and say, hey, let me go and spend time with my daughter. No, I can only go to a grave site and talk to my baby, or just talk to her wherever I am. I can’t hold her. I have to grab clothes; I still have clothes that smell like her,” she said.

Now that Smith is a father, Ford-Barron said she hopes he’ll understand the emotional toll these motions take on a grieving parent.

“You’re going to be able to feel a parent’s love, a parent’s protection, wondering if your child is going to make it the next day. You are going to feel it real soon, and I hope you do feel it because you need to understand what as a mother I’m going through,” Ford-Barron said.

Since Smith was granted release the last time a motion was filed, Ford-Barron said she was expecting it to happen all over again. She’s now breathing a sigh of relief.

“I just, I thank God. I know there’s a God above, and I know that he’s working in my favor,” she said.

She also expressed her gratitude towards Judge Thomas J. Coleman, who denied the motion.

“I appreciate him so much for what he did today. You didn’t do it for me. You did it because it’s right, what’s right. So I do understand that. But I just want to say as a mother, thank you,” Ford-Barron said.

Through all the grief, frustration, and anger, Ford-Barron said she knows her daughter is looking down on her and is proud of the way she continues to fight.

“What I want everyone to know about Myrah is that she was a fighter, but she was also a lover. She had a big heart, and my daughter went out strong. She touched a lot of young people’s hearts. That I can say. Because of that, as her mother and as her family, we’re going to make sure Myrah’s name stays alive,” she said.

Ford-Barron said she’s started an organization called Myrah’s Purpose to help other young people navigate growing up and processing hard moments.

“If I could save one or two lives a year, that matters to me a lot,” she said.

She said even just talking about her daughter puts a smile on her face, and she’ll never stop fighting for justice.

“I’m going to keep coming and coming and coming. So just remember who I am and remember that every step and every voice, every thing that I say, I’m standing all for Myrah,” she told WPBF.

Zeigler’s family and friends celebrated what would be her 20th birthday last month. Her mother said it was hard, but it’s just one of many ways they’ll keep her memory alive.

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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    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A Volusia County EMT says a payroll error that began shortly after her promotion in 2023 has left her facing a demand to repay more than $62,000, money she says she never knew was an issue and repeatedly questioned.

Natasha Davis was promoted to lead EMT with Volusia County in late 2023, around the same time the county now says payroll errors began. Davis said she noticed inconsistencies in her pay early on and contacted the human resources department, seeking clarification.

“I was asking how much I make an hour, and they were unable to tell me, and they said my paychecks were correct,” Davis said. “So, I just assumed that they were correct.”

Davis said she reached out at least four more times over the following months and was told each time that her pay was accurate.

Two weeks ago, she said, that changed.

Davis received a letter from the county stating she had been overpaid and now owes more than $62,000, money the county says must be recovered due to a payroll error. About 30 EMTs received similar letters, according to the county, but Davis said she was told she owes the highest amount.

Davis said she heard rumors about possible pay issues before receiving the letter. When it was finally presented to her, she said the moment was overwhelming.

“I heard about this being a rumor, so I was upset, and I took myself out of service for the whole night,” Davis said. “Then, they came and presented this to me. … I had a panic attack.”

Davis took about a week off work. Under the county’s repayment plan, about $500 a month will be deducted directly from Davis’ paycheck until the balance is paid off, a process that could take years.

Davis said the repayment will be especially difficult because she was already working about 70 hours a week to make ends meet. As a single mother, she worries about how the deductions will affect her ability to support her child.

“What am I going to feed my child?” Davis said. “That’s the whole reason why I work that much.”

Davis said she believes the situation is unfair, especially because she says she tried to alert the county that something might be wrong.

“We basically work almost more than anyone else in the company,” she said. “And it’s just amazing how they come back and tell me I owe money back.”

Davis is scheduled to meet with the county soon and hopes to negotiate repayment terms. Until now, she said, the only information she has received is what was included in the letter.

The union representing EMTs released a statement saying it is seeking full documentation, detailed explanations of how the errors occurred and clarity regarding the county’s legal authority to recover paid wages over multiple years. The union also said it has contacted the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division for guidance.

County officials previously told WESH 2 they are required by law to recover the overpaid wages.

WESH 2 has requested copies of emails Davis says she sent to the county raising concerns about her pay and has reached out to Volusia County for a response to her claims. As of publication, the county had not responded.

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By Stewart Moore

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    MERRITT ISLAND, Florida (WESH) — A Merritt Island neighborhood is reeling after a man with a hatcher and pitchfork damaged property and assaulted individuals early Wednesday morning.

Charles Reed Knight was arrested by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office shortly after and booked with trespassing, battery, criminal mischief charges along with armed burglary and assaulting law enforcement charges.

“I opened the door and there was a strange man in the corner of my porch with an ax hitting my security camera,” said Laura Boles, a homeowner, who described the incident.

The attack escalated as neighbors awaited help, with Knight reportedly causing further destruction and chaos in the area.

“He broke their water system. He was jumping up and down on their rocking chairs, and then he come over, and he would break the pillars on mine, and he was throwing things, and he was just very erratic,” Boles said. “He had a bloody rope. He still had the ax in his hand.”

Another resident, Loc Vo, recounted his experience, saying, “He was, you know, approaching me and slamming me on the head and a race. Was raising my arm real quick, together and always running away from him, and he started chasing me up and down, back and forth for three to four minutes until he ran out the breath.”

Knight is facing several charges, including felonies for criminal mischief, armed burglary of a dwelling, and resisting an officer with violence, and he is being held without bond on these charges. Neighbors are demanding that Knight face the maximum penalty.

“My autistic daughter, who’s 28 witnessed the whole thing. We were terrorized by this man for a good 15 minutes on camera. He needs to go away for a long time. Our Sheriff needs to put him away for 10 or 20 years,” a neighbor said.

Knight is due in court for his first appearance tomorrow. He has been arrested two prior times in Brevard County for DUI.

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By Britt Leoni

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    BONITA SPRINGS, Florida (WBBH) — In a world as big and beautiful as ours, each of us is bound to find something that lights us up.

As a horticulturist at the Wonder Gardens, Dr. Jan Abernathie finds that something is all around him.

“Plants! I just like them,” said Abernathie. It’s a passion he found at a young age.

“I started out doing this when I was a kid,” said Abernathie. “I lived right on the campus at the University of Illinois. They had a horticulture division. I think I bothered those people something terrible, … looking at the garden, running through the greenhouses.”

That led him to pursue a career in botany spanning over five decades.

“Got a job at the Caribbean Gardens. I worked there for 16 years. Then I got a job at the Botanical Gardens and worked there for about four years,” said Abernathie.

After caring for thousands of plants, he is as dedicated as ever to his work. Even at 96-years-old, retirement is not in his vocabulary.

“You never learn it all,” said Abernathie. “You just keep trying.”

His co-workers cannot help but watch in awe of his commitment.

“He always tells me at 100, he’ll retire, but even then I tell him, ‘I don’t think you’re going to retire.’ It’s just who he is,” said Kaitlyn Henry, director of Living Collections.

Abernathie proves that when we find that something in life that brings us joy, it’s best to stay rooted in it for as long as we can.

“That’s what makes it worthwhile,” said Abernathie.

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