Author: CNN Newsource

By Francis Page Jr.

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    June 29, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — HOUSTON — In a city that knows how to tell a story, communicate through crisis, celebrate culture, and keep moving when the cameras are rolling and the deadlines are unforgiving, few voices have carried the steady authority of Mary Benton.

At the 2026 PRSA Houston Excalibur Awards, hosted by the Public Relations Society of America Houston Chapter at the scenic Houston Botanic Garden, Benton was honored with one of the evening’s most meaningful recognitions: the Legacy Award. The honor spotlighted her distinguished career, trusted leadership, and lasting contribution to public service communications, media relations, and civic storytelling in America’s fourth-largest city.

This year’s gala, themed “The Night of Bold Voices,” brought together Houston’s leading public relations professionals, agency innovators, corporate communicators, nonprofit storytellers, public affairs leaders, media partners, and rising stars. The room was filled with people who understand that communication is not just about press releases and perfect soundbites. It is about trust, timing, truth, and knowing exactly when to put the right message in the right hands.

photo PRSA Houston Group

Mary Benton has done that for years.

Currently serving as Chief of Communications and Senior Advisor to the Mayor for the City of Houston, Benton stands at the intersection of public policy, media strategy, civic leadership, and community confidence. That is not a small intersection. In Houston, it is more like a five-lane freeway during rush hour, with a news helicopter overhead and everyone expecting answers by 5 p.m.

And Benton handles it with the calm, clarity, and professionalism of someone who has lived the work from every angle.

Before stepping into City Hall leadership, Benton spent more than two decades as a television journalist, covering hurricanes, government, politics, public policy, neighborhoods, and the everyday triumphs and challenges of Houston life. That newsroom experience gave her something no title alone can provide: instinct. She knows what reporters need, what the public deserves, and what leaders must communicate when the stakes are high.

That is why PRSA Houston’s Legacy Award feels especially fitting. A legacy is not built in one news cycle. It is earned through years of showing up, getting it right, staying composed, and understanding that words matter most when people are listening for direction.

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The 2026 Excalibur Awards celebrated excellence across public relations, marketing communications, digital strategy, media relations, nonprofit communications, public affairs, community engagement, and corporate storytelling. PRSA Houston President Angelique Myers-Evans, APR, captured the spirit of the evening with a message to honorees: “Your work spoke with purpose, moved audiences, and showed what excellence sounds like when bold voices lead the way.”

For Benton, that phrase lands with special power. Her career has been a masterclass in purposeful communication. Whether helping guide the city’s message during major civic announcements, responding to fast-moving media inquiries, or helping residents better understand city priorities, Benton has helped make public information more accessible, more credible, and more human.

The evening also featured Jennifer Reyna of KHOU 11, whose presence added familiar Houston sparkle and broadcast charm to a celebration already rich with talent and pride. PRSA Houston also thanked its sponsors and the dedicated Excalibur Awards Committee, including Jourdan B. Scruggs, Ed.D., Event Chair; Hannah Farr Pietsch, Awards Chair; Angelique Myers-Evans, APR; Emely Arenas; Johnta Wilson; Liz Lawhorn; and Elizabeth Fordham.

Still, Benton’s Legacy Award gave the night a special sense of history. Her recognition celebrates not only one accomplished professional, but also the essential role of women, journalists, public servants, and communications leaders who help shape how Houston sees itself.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, Mary Benton’s honor is a proud Houston moment. It reminds us that behind every major announcement, every civic milestone, and every carefully delivered message, there are professionals working with discipline, dignity, and purpose.

Mary Benton has been one of those professionals. And now, with PRSA Houston’s 2026 Legacy Award, her bold voice receives the applause it has long earned.

More information on PRSA-Houston: prsahouston.org

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.

Kierra Lee
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By Nick Lentz

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    ROTHBURY, Michigan (WWJ) — Michigan State Police personnel are investigating after the body of a newborn baby was found in a restroom at the Electric Forest festival on Sunday morning.

The state agency said the portable restroom where the body was found was in the camping area of the annual music event in Rothbury, Michigan.

“The body was discovered by an employee of the restroom vending company during routine maintenance,” officials said.

According to the agency, there is no known threat to the public. As of Sunday evening, no other details have been disclosed.

Anyone who was in the area and saw anything unusual or has information that may be relevant is asked to leave a report with the agency here.

The festival at Double JJ Ranch, which features dozens of DJs and music artists, started on Thursday and is expected to wrap up on Sunday night, according to its website.

Rothbury is around 61 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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 Kennedy Camarena

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — The West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes from six cities within Davis County, the Davis Mosquito Abatement District announced on Monday.

The cities found to have mosquitoes carrying the virus included Syracuse, West Bountiful, Sunset, Woods Cross, Centerville and North Salt Lake.

Mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found in Davis County since 2004, according to the mosquito control program. Last year, mosquitoes carrying the virus were present in all Davis County cities except for South Weber.

The mosquito control program uses traps to gather “pools” of mosquitoes, which are then tested for the West Nile virus. In Davis County, the Culex pipiens and Culex tarsalis are the two species of mosquitoes that are tested for the virus.

“We monitor and test (two) species to identify when WNV appears in the mosquito population,” the Mosquito Abatement District-Davis said on its website. “Due to the natural landscape of our county, we have large areas of prime habitat for mosquito and bird interaction.”

The mosquito control program said Davis County’s habitat increases the potential for its mosquitoes to acquire the virus.

The mosquito control program advised people to protect themselves from mosquito bites by using bug spray, wearing long-sleeved, loose-fitting clothing that is light-colored, using caution when out at night and emptying containers with water in them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine to prevent or treat it.

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 KABC Staff

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    CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KABC) — A California man arrested in connection with a dog attack that left a 12-year-old boy dead is expected to appear in court Monday.

Authorities say two of Kenneth Dobbins’ off-leash dogs chased Fernando Torres Moreno at a park in California City. The boy tried to escape by running into a lake and ultimately drowned.

Los Angeles County deputies later arrested Dobbins in Lancaster. The 68-year-old faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligent ownership. He is being held at a Kern County jail.

A GoFundMe created to help the boy’s family with funeral expenses has raised over $20,000.

The case remains under investigation.

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 Kelly Doty

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    BERTIE COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — An eastern North Carolina jail has been cleared by state and federal authorities after inmates seized control of the facility and took two guards hostage early Monday, June 29.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) said in a 1:47 p.m. press release that all staff and inmates are safe and accounted for, adding that those who were injured have received treatment.

The situation began after inmates at the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center assaulted on-duty guards and gained control of parts of the building, according to the SBI. At the time of the takeover, 88 inmates and three guards were inside the facility.

Soon after the incident began, the SBI said one guard was able to escape, while two other guards were taken hostage.

At around 9:30 a.m., the SBI said negotiations led to the safe release of 18 inmates and the two guards who were held hostage. About 20 minutes later, a “large group” of inmates was also released and left the facility.

Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said in an update that, along with the guards, about 80 inmates were removed, leaving only a few individuals inside the facility.

“The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has made entry into the facility and is working to secure and take the remaining inmates into custody,” Sheriff Ruffin said during a press conference later in the day.

The SBI said the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center will remain closed as staff assess the extent of the damage to the facility.

Inmates have been transferred to other facilities for housing, according to the SBI.

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 Riley Shoemaker

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    SUN VALLEY, Idaho (KIVI) — Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, Sun Valley is known today as a world-class ski destination. But nearly 90 years ago, it became something America had never seen before: the nation’s first destination ski resort.

As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, Idaho News 6 is taking a look at how this small Idaho town helped reshape recreation, tourism and winter sports across the country.

The story of Sun Valley is one of boom, bust and reinvention.

Long before skiers arrived, the Wood River Valley was home to the Shoshone-Bannock people. In the late 1800s, silver mining transformed the region into one of the busiest communities in the American West. The railroad soon followed, bringing people, commerce and opportunity.

But when silver prices collapsed, so did the local economy. By the 1930s, the once-thriving mining community had dwindled to only a few hundred residents.

“It’s incredible to think that this town had gone from 2,000 people in the 1890s to 200 people,” said Kristine Bretall, the Public Programs Director with the Sun Valley Museum of Art. “It had been this very international town in the 1890s with mining and then had become almost nothing.”

That changed in 1935 when Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Averell Harriman set out to create a destination ski resort unlike anything in the United States.

The resort opened a year later with a 220-room lodge, heated outdoor pools and what would become one of its greatest innovations.

“They have also invented the chairlift, first in the world. Period. End of statement,” Bretall said.

The world’s first chairlifts debuted in Sun Valley in 1936, helping introduce generations of Americans to downhill skiing and creating a model for ski resorts that would later spread across the country.

But Sun Valley wasn’t just selling skiing.

“It was essentially social media before it was social media,” Bretall said. “They would take pictures of famous people, whether it was Ernest Hemingway, whether it was Marilyn Monroe, whether it was Gary Cooper.”

Hollywood stars, Olympic athletes and renowned authors helped put Sun Valley on the map. Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball and Gary Cooper all spent time in the area. Sun Valley’s own Gretchen Fraser became the first American to win an Olympic medal in skiing.

Among the town’s most enduring connections is author Ernest Hemingway.

“He came and really fell in love with this place,” Bretall said. “He loved hunting here and really made great friends here.”

Hemingway first visited Sun Valley in 1939 at the resort’s invitation. What began as a promotional trip became a lifelong connection. He eventually made the Wood River Valley his home, spending his final years there before his death in 1961. He is buried at the Ketchum Cemetery, where visitors from around the world continue to pay their respects.

Nearly 90 years after the resort opened, Sun Valley’s influence can still be seen at ski resorts across the United States, from the chairlifts that carry skiers uphill to the destination resort experience that began in the mountains of central Idaho.

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 Nick Sloan

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — Kansas City could soon be home to a new kind of downtown high-rise.

Plans filed with the city by Miami developer Revitalization Unlimited call for a 20-story, 384-foot tower at 934 Central St. that would primarily operate as a data center.

The project would include about 140,880 square feet of space, with most of the building dedicated to data center operations and supporting infrastructure.

The proposal describes the project as a “Communications Service Establishment (Data Center) & Retail.”

A 4,140-square-foot coffee shop with outdoor seating is planned for the ground floor, while the upper floors would house data center equipment, including IT racks, electrical systems, generators and fuel cells.

Renderings show a slender brick-clad tower rising above the surrounding downtown buildings.

City records say the proposal is scheduled for a staff review meeting June 30, followed by an applicant meeting with the Development Review Committee on July 14.

A hearing before the City Plan Commission is scheduled for Aug. 5.

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.