Author: CNN Newsource

By Kimberly King

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The number of people injured or killed in gun incidents in Asheville declined this summer compared with the same period last year.

From June 1 through Aug. 31, Asheville Police Department (APD) data show 16 victims were injured or killed in shooting incidents in 2026, compared to 22 victims during the same summertime months in 2025.

The number of specific shooting incidents resulting in death or injury also fell from 13 incidents in 2025 to eight incidents this summer. In July, APD recorded 46 reports of shots fired, down from 53 in July 2025, according to online data published by APD.

This decline comes as communities across the country continue to see a broader downward trend in gun violence, per national reporting and data.

Summer is often a time when cities, including Asheville, see shootings increase. While Asheville experienced the deadly Biltmore Avenue shooting in July, overall gun violence numbers were down this summer. The July 19 tragedy remains a stark exception, in which two men were killed and seven others were injured.

Police training expert Dean Crisp, who founded the police leadership and training consulting group Leaders Helping Leaders, says one factor that could be contributing to lower figures could be data that helps police identify repeat individuals involved in gun violence as well as specific areas to increase patrols in.

“We’re seeing a trending up of intelligence-led policing,” said Crisp.

Over the past five years, APD has successfully filled vacant police positions, which can allow the force to have a more visible presence on the streets.

Rose Werth, a state gun violence analyst with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, is also aware of downward trends. This summer, Werth wrote an article titled “Firearm Violence Is Falling in North Carolina.”

“Just because the numbers are decreasing doesn’t mean we let up on our focus on gun violence,” said Werth.

State data shows a continuing downward trend in firearm-related killings over the past several years.

Werth says Asheville appears to be reflecting that broader trend, particularly following the surge in shootings several years ago tied to the pandemic. As for Asheville, she said there has been investment to help stabilize families.

“I know that there was money that went into housing programming in Asheville and I believe community violence intervention as well,” said Werth.

Asheville police’s gun violence heat maps also identify areas with higher rates of reported shots fired.

APD spokesperson Rick Rice said the department’s shooting-victim data has some important limitations. The numbers do not include robbery victims who were injured or other offenses involving a firearm when the gun was not discharged.

Rice said the data does include both minor and major injuries, including cuts, internal injuries, broken bones and unconsciousness.

“Sometimes a victim is injured by shattering glass resulting from gunfire, rather than being struck by a bullet,” said Rice.

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 Jeff Wagner

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — The first days of school can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. New teachers, new classes, maybe even a new building. It can be a lot to manage without a plan.

You may have heard the phrase, “Start the school year strong.” What does it mean? WCCO visited Hidden River Middle School to find out.

“To behave, listen and learn,” said eighth grader Antonio Jones.

“To do well and make friends along the way,” said eighth grader Fatema Eva.

“For me it’s like a routine thing. I get up at a certain time, so set your alarms early the week before,” added eighth grader Sky’Lynn Winters.

Proper sleep was a common theme. Another theme was getting organized before the year began.

“Preparing my things the day before school and maybe like a few days before school,” Eva said.

Those words were echoed by Principal Teresa Vibar as she shared the educator’s side of starting strong.

“My teachers are encouraged to start slow, take baby steps. We want to make sure everybody’s ready to jump into academics, so we’re often teaching all the classroom routines and rituals through fun activities while teachers are getting to know their scholars,” Vibar said.

That includes teachers learning how the students will interact with the curriculum, as well as the variety of perspectives filling the desks in the classroom.

“That’s critical for a teacher to have a successful year,” Vibar said

Many students are already starting with a learning deficit when you consider the “summer slide,” which particularly impacts reading and math retention. Vibar said ensuring students don’t fall behind further is a priority.

“Our students that we notice are struggling, we have a lot of building supports via counselors or social workers, but mental health experts in the building as well,” she said. “Because we all know life happens outside of our building and that life can impact a student’s success.”

Eva struggled at the start of a recent school year, including failing a few tests. She said her remedy to dig herself out of the hole was, “extra studying, of course.”

Winters had struggles when entering sixth grade. The new school, harder classes, longer class times and larger population of students messed with her organizational skills.

“I used to lose my iPad a lot,” she said.

In her view, the early days of the school year are precisely when students need to be on their game instead of taking it easy.

“That’s where a lot of kids go wrong. They don’t lock in for the beginning of the school year,” Winters said. “If more kids would, like, start focusing at the beginning of the school year, you start that early, it wouldn’t be as hard as it is at the end of the year.”

Although school just started, for some well over a week now, there’s still plenty of time to establish a good foundation that builds a strong school year. One step how they fuel their bodies. Proper hydration and eating healthy meals stand out to Winters.

“It’s good for your mind,” she said.

Gates feels that having all your supplies on hand, even something as simple as a pencil, can build confidence.

“Even though the teachers might provide it, it’s better for you to have your own stuff so you don’t depend on other people,” he said.

Vibar said families need to develop routines. Her first suggestion is establishing a bedtime.

“Kids hate to hear about a bedtime, but when does technology go off? What’s the bedtime routine so that they’re getting a good night’s sleep,” she said.

Other suggestions include reading, exercise and socializing with friends and family. The routine should be a well-balanced approach beyond just studying.

“Homework this time of year isn’t as important as it is to establish those routines,” Vibar 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 Sarah Horbacewicz

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Hundreds of Boulder Valley School District families rallied outside Monarch High School on Tuesday, urging the board of the Colorado school district to reconsider a proposal that would close four schools and move other students and programs into different buildings.

The proposal comes after years of declining enrollment across the district, prompting BVSD to consider consolidating schools in an effort to address enrollment and resources.

More than 100 people signed up to speak during Tuesday’s public comment period.

Some parents said the proposal would create another disruption for families who have already dealt with school changes.

“It’s like the last straw on the camel’s back. You know, we don’t know how we’re going to survive this in our community,” Flatirons Elementary parent Alexandra Girard said.

Douglass Elementary is among the schools proposed for closure. Some parents there said they were surprised by the proposal as the school had not been on early warning lists for low enrollment in previous years. The district says it switched to a new comprehensive system for school evaluation for this proposal, including a focus on student populations that lived near their school.

“I was devastated. I was surprised. We specifically chose Douglass because we thought it was a school that wasn’t at risk of closing,” Douglass Elementary parent Megan Citarella said.

Citarella’s family recently moved to live near Douglass Elementary. She said her family is now protesting another potential school move.

“A lot of my friends are sad, and I moved schools a lot, so I don’t want to move anymore,” second grader Corinne Citarella said.

The proposed changes would also affect families in Broomfield.

Birch Elementary School is proposed to close, despite having recently undergone renovations. Parents said they were receiving messages about those improvements around the same time they learned the school could close. The district later apologized for the timing of those announcements.

“We’re getting auto-emails that say, ‘Hey, get excited for the new renovations coming to your school.’ That came on the day that we found out that Birch was closing or proposed to close,” Birch Elementary parent Blake Unis said.

In a previous interview when the proposal was first shared, Superintendent Rob Anderson said consolidating schools could allow it to direct more resources toward students.

However, BVSD has declined to interview since that day, saying the district’s focus at this point is listening to families and community members.

Some parents remain skeptical of that argument and said they want to see the financial reasoning behind the proposed changes.

“First of all we need to think about what’s best for the kids, and second of all, if they want to convince us that it’s saving money, I think they need to show their math on that,” Flatirons Elementary parent Kevin Baum said.

The school board is expected to vote on the current proposal in two weeks.

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 Chelsea Hylton, Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Mandatory evacuations were lifted in Long Beach on Wednesday after officials completed inspections at properties affected by the high surf and powerful waves.

Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jack Crabtree said no homes were red-tagged, but building officials yellow-tagged one property. All remaining homes were deemed safe for entry, and residents were being allowed back into their homes.

Crabtree added that crews are continuing their cleanup and recovery efforts in the area.

The boardwalk along the seaside between 63rd Place and 68th Place will remain closed to the public while crews continue working. The Claremont parking lot at 5400 E. Ocean Blvd. has reopened fully for public use.

The city asked people to avoid closed areas.

Evacuation orders for roughly 20 coastal homes started on Monday after powerful waves compromised the seawall. Officials received reports that concrete around several homes was being damaged and cracked.

Hurricane Marie, which was traveling in the Pacific Ocean, caused the rough water. Remnants of the storm impacted several coastal communities in Southern California over the Labor Day weekend.

“Emergency repair work conducted overnight along the seawall held and was effective in providing additional protection to the area,” Crabtree said.

Councilwoman Kristina Duggan, who represents the area, said there are long-term plans to protect the area, including a dunes habitat protection and dredging project that will begin in late October.

“It’s a dredge and beach renourishment project,” she said. “It includes 400,000 cubic yards that will be dredged and placed on the beach.”

The project will extend the beach by about 250 feet. Duggan said the city has been working on the plan for at least three years, but funding challenges delayed it.

“Long Beach is incredibly unique,” Duggan said. “We’re the only coastal city with state and city oil revenue that should be going to our coastal restoration, but so much of it is going to the state general fund.”

The city only receives 8% of the revenue, according to Duggan.

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 Ricky Sayer

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A community gathered for a prayer vigil on Wednesday after their church in Irwin was slammed by last week’s storms. First United Methodist Church of Irwin is temporarily closed after the storms on Sept. 3.

“Unfortunately, we had a sewage flood on the whole bottom floor of the church, which closed the entire church due to contamination,” church secretary Kendra Ondish said on Wednesday.

One community member said the church has been through “a lot” over the last couple of years. Ondish added that they had to skip services last weekend.

“It’s not just Sunday services, though,” Ondish said. “We have the food bank, we have food pantry, we have [Narcotics Anonymous], we have [Alcoholics Anonymous], so many are depending on us. They have nowhere to go.”

While the community spent time praying on Wednesday for its post-storm future, the community also prayed for others.

“For families who are facing uncertainty about their homes, their work, their finances or their future, provide the help they need,” Rev. Hyung-Suk Joe prayed.

Wednesday’s prayer vigil was just what parishioners said they needed.

“It means everything,” one parishioner said. “My church is my life.”

Wednesday was a chance for everyone to come together after the storms split them apart. However, the church does not know when it will reopen.

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 Doug Williams

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    New York (WCBS) — New York City public schools will open their doors to students Thursday to begin a new academic year, but thousands of students with special needs and their families are questioning how they’re going to get there.

According to the organization Advocates For Children, an estimated 2,000 city students with disabilities are about to start the school year with no transportation lined up.

The organization sent CBS News New York what it says is a letter the Department of Education sent to school leaders in August.

“Due to a shortage of available school bus vendors and increased transportation needs, some yellow bus routes may not have a vendor available to operate the route at the start of the school year,” it reads, in part.

The letter also says the DOE is providing free rideshare vouchers as an interim option, but because these are students with disabilities, parents must accompany their children to and from school in these rideshares, which may not be easy for working parents.

One mom in Queens whose son has autism told CBS News New York the vouchers only pay for the parent to be taken home after their child is dropped off, but will not cover the parent being taken straight to work afterwards or picked up from work in the afternoon for pickup.

That mom said she decided a while ago to take days off from work Thursday and Friday to get her son to school herself. She doesn’t know if or when her son’s bus will come Thursday morning, and she says she’s not waiting around to find out.

CBS News New York reached out to the DOE for an update on whether it has been able to find bus vendors for these families at the 11th hour, but we did not hear back.

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By Madeline Montgomery

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and Wounded Warrior Project is raising awareness about the higher risk of suicide among veterans.

Wounded Warrior Project is a veterans service organization that supports wounded, injured and ill veterans, service members and their families. The organization works with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Emory and other partners to provide mental health programs and services.

More than 1 in 4 veterans registered with the organization reported having suicidal thoughts within the previous year, according to the 2025 Wounded Warrior Project Warrior Survey.

The Department of Veterans Affairs reported that an average of 17.5 veterans died by suicide each day in 2023. The agency also reports that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among veterans younger than 45 and that more service members and veterans die by suicide than in combat.

CBS News Atlanta spoke with Air Force veteran Sam Hargrove, who served for more than 11 years. Hargrove said she experienced suicidal thoughts while adjusting to civilian life.

“I was driving along, and I thought, ‘I can’t do this to my family.’ So, I reached out to my social worker at the time, and I told him, ‘Hey, if you don’t do something, I’m not going to be here much longer,'” Hargrove said. “It took a lot of time for me to realize that’s not a weak moment.”

Hargrove completed inpatient treatment at Emory through Wounded Warrior Project. She now works as a peer counselor with the organization, helping other veterans facing similar struggles.

“I went from being that soldier on top being carried to being that warrior on the bottom that’s carrying that soldier,” Hargrove said. “And that means a lot, you know, because we’re actually out here able to help. We’re not alone, but we feel so alone.”

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By Adam Thompson

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is condemning the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during an encounter with community members last week in Frederick and calling for an independent investigation.

Immigration agents were in the Tasker’s Chance area on Sept. 3 and 4. While agents did not make any arrests, they clashed with neighbors who were blocking agents from reaching a home, according to witnesses.

“The residents who peacefully monitored ICE activity were standing up for the dignity and safety of their community,” CAIR stated. “They should not have been met with intimidation or violence. Maryland leaders must make clear that brutality and lawless intimidation will not be tolerated.”

Tatianna Santos, who lives in the Tasker’s Chance neighborhood, told CBS News Baltimore that protesters were chanting on the sidewalk and blocking the street.

Some protesters were also trying to block access to a home they believed was being targeted by ICE when the confrontation turned violent, according to Santos and local activist Soolah Kemp.

Santos said she saw people leave the scene with visible injuries.

“People with scrapes on their foreheads, somebody was concerned about their hand being broken, somebody else had scratches on their back,” Santos said.

Kemp said she witnessed ICE agents use force against protesters.

“It was something I hope I never see again in my lifetime,” Kemp said. “They didn’t hold back with how hard they were hitting people that were unarmed.”

No one was arrested by ICE.

“For operational security and the safety of our personnel, we will not disclose or discuss information related to potential investigations,” an ICE spokesperson told CBS News Baltimore in a statement. “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S. We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”

Earlier this year, the Frederick City Council passed the City Values Act, which bars immigration enforcement at city facilities.

Several groups, including immigrant rights organizations We Are CASA and the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, also plan to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging its latest immigration enforcement policies. Details of the lawsuit are expected to be announced later this week.

CAIR is calling on Maryland lawmakers and Frederick officials to prevent similar incidents and protect immigrant communities.

The organization is also urging officials to investigate whether federal agents interfered with lawful observation, recording, protest or other activities protected by the First Amendment.

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 Brandon Truitt

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Two American flags are being carried from Boston to Ground Zero in New York City to remember the lives lost in the Sept. 11 terror attacks 25 years ago.

Relay for America’s 227-mile journey will consist of runners from all over the country taking turns carrying the two flags from start to finish. They huddled in the Boston Public Garden Wednesday night, just steps away from one of the city’s 9/11 memorials.

The two flags represent the two flights that took off from Boston Logan Airport on the morning of the attacks. The course is designed to “reclaim the route” they took to New York.

“The whole purpose of having the flag never stop moving is to show we are never going to forget, and we are always carrying the baton,” said Relay for America founder Joe Nail. “I think a lot of people only think about New York City or Washington, D.C., but it’s important to remember that many of the folks who were lost, especially on those first two planes, actually lived and worked here in Boston. So, that is our whole mission. We want to make sure especially for the next generation that we are never forgetting.”

The course is full of symbolism. It is split into 25 legs, to mark the years since the attacks. Each leg is 9.11 miles to honor the date America changed forever.

Andrew Van Singel flew from Chicago for the event. He will run three legs of this relay including the final one into Manhattan on the morning of Sept. 11.

“I know exactly where I was when it happened,” said Van Singel. “It was just very surreal. It’s crazy to think it’s been 25 years since it’s happened. Never forget was just a phrase that was ubiquitous with 9/11 and over the years you stopped hearing that. I think it’s really important to acknowledge the sacrifice of the first responders and the people that lost their lives on that day.”

The relay will move continuously until it reaches Manhattan.

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.