Author: CNN Newsource

By Peyton Headlee

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    PLACERVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) — A few dozen people made their way to the Placerville Observatory on Monday night, hoping to catch a rare glimpse of the Northern Lights, which were visible only through a camera lens.

“We came over here to see the aurora and see if we can try to see it like through our phones, and we’ve been seeing it like, through waves, and it’s been really pretty,” 11-year-old Evelyn Strange said. “It was just like reddish pinkish and it was really light.”

The observatory, located away from city lights and above the fog line, offered a prime location to attempt to view the Northern Lights.

“It’s rare to see the aurora down this far south,” Raj Dixit of the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society said. “I, quite frankly, thought I might never see them during my own lifetime unless I was willing to pony up for a trip to Norway or Alaska or Iceland or Finland. Normally, you have to go to the Arctic Circle.”

The aurora was spawned from a coronal mass ejection, known as a CME, which created a strong geomagnetic storm in Earth’s magnetic fields.

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By Robert Desaulniers

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    SNOQUALMIE PASS, Washington (KAPP) — Kittitas County officials are warning folks to be cautious around frozen ponds and lakes after rescuers were able to help out a woman and her dog who fell through thin ice into freezing water last Thursday.

According to the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, in the evening of January 15, deputies heard a report that a woman and her dog had fallen through the ice at Gold Creek Pond near Snoqualmie Pass. Deputies said that while they were on they way, they asked for extra help from Kittitas County Fire District 7, Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue, and Eastside Fire and Rescue, who happened to be training nearby.

Deputies said the woman had been in the water long enough that rescuers feared she may have suffered fatal injuries. However, because of the speedy response and teamwork from multiple agencies, rescuers were able to get both the woman and her dog to safety before the freezing water overtook them.

Kittitas County deputies warned that ice may look solid, but can still shatter without warning, especially in a moderate winter such as the current one. Folks are urged to stay off frozen ponds and lakes, and if someone does fall through, to call 911 immediately and avoid going onto the ice.

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 Katrina Markel

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    SIDNEY, Iowa (KMTV) — Three-year-old Remi Steinert appears to be the youngest musician to ever play at the Grand Ole Opry. It’s an extraordinary milestone for the toddler who was born with a congenital heart defect.

Remi, at home in Sidney, with his parents Jessica and Alec showed off his drumming skills to KMTV. The Air Force family moved to the area a couple of years ago when Alec was transferred to Offutt Air Force Base.

“And then we moved here and we started noticing he’s really picking up beats, like he can do this,” Jessica said.

Jessica suspects she might have set the stage for Remi’s musical talents very early by playing Elvis Presley’s music to him while she was expecting.

Right after delivery, Louisiana doctors discovered Remi’s heart defect, and within hours, the newborn and his father wound up flying on a medical jet to Dallas.

“There’s like 15 doctors all hooking him up to everything,” Alec said.

“Alone in Dallas with his newborn baby and didn’t know what was going on, so he constantly played Elvis for him,” Jessica said.

The King’s music played for five months while waiting for the baby’s open heart surgery in Dallas.

“He became known as the ‘Elvis Baby’ because the only thing that would calm him down was, especially, it was ‘Burning Love’ by Elvis Presley,” Jessica said.

Now, with hundreds of thousands of social media followers, his parents say his heart beats to its own drum.

After winning a contest, Remi was selected to perform “Little Drummer Boy” with the group For King + Country at the Opry last month.

“Words cannot describe that moment,” Alec said.

“To see him on stage just thriving and just living his best little life. He has no idea, you know, what he’s been through,” Jessica said.

“This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.”

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By WRAL Staff

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    RALEIGH, North Carolina (WRAL) — Austin Thompson, the Raleigh teen accused of shooting six people, killing five of them in October 2022, will plead guilty to all charges, his lawyers announced on Tuesday.

The intent to plead guilty was filed one day before Thompson was scheduled for a a hearing ahead of a trial planned for February. That hearing is still scheduled for Wednesday. It’s likely Thompson would enter his plea at that time.

Thompson, who was 15 when he initiated the shooting spree that took him from his home in the Hedingham neighborhood to the Neuse River greenway, “recognizes the deep pain he has caused,” his lawyers said in giving notice of the intention to plead guilty.

“We are ready to move forward. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims,” Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said.

The plea allows Thompson and his victims’ families to avoid a trial.

“After lengthy discussions with his attorneys about how a trial would proceed, he has decided he wishes to save the community and the victims from as much additional infliction of trauma as possible,” said Thompson’s lawyers, Kellie Mannette and public defender Deonte Thomas, in the paperwork filed with the court.

Thompson will still face a sentencing hearing, but because he was under 18 at the time of his crimes, the death penalty is off the table.

Thompson, who had a gunshot wound to the head when officers found him hiding in a shed hours after the shootings, has a brain injury that his lawyers said, “has made it such that Austin cannot explain why he committed this shooting.”

As recently as last week, Thompson’s lawyers were filing motions to ask the court to allow for his brain injury. They said in those documents that Thompson suffered a seizure on Jan. 11, 2026, that they attributed to the stress of the scheduled trial.

Mannette and Thomas had also argued that statements Thompson made to police after the shooting should not be allowed in court because he was “medicated, brain-injured [and] under constant police surveillance.”

They said when he woke up in the hospital after the shootings he demonstrated symptoms of a severe brain injury, including confusion, poor memory, poor focus and impulsivity.

His defense argued that because of that injury, the statements that he gave to police were “confused and chaotic.”

On Oct. 13, 2022, police say, Thompson killed first his brother, James Thompson, inside their Hedingham neighborhood home, then fled through the neighborhood to the nearby Neuse River Greenway, shooting another four people along the way.

Friends Nicole Connors, 52, and Marcille “Lynn” Gardner were shot on Sahalee Way.

Connors died; Gardner survived but spent weeks in the hospital.

Raleigh police officer, Gabriel Torres, 29, was on his way to work when he was shot outside his home on Osprey Cove Drive.

Mary Marshall, 34, and Susan Karnatz, 49, were shot on the greenway.

Raleigh police officer Casey Clark was injured during the search for the shooter.

Thompson was charged with five counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with deadly weapon with intent to kill and one count of assault with firearm on law enforcement officer.

Court documents show the teenager was found in a shed with a shotgun, $772 in cash, multiple pistols, “projectiles,” knives, rifles, rifle magazines, shell casings, ammunition rounds and bullets.

Inside the Thompson home, officers found 11 firearms and 170 boxes of ammunition. Detectives also found what appeared to be a confession note signed by Thompson describing the killing of his brother, James Thompson, inside the home.

Alan Thompson, father of Austin and James, was cited for failure to secure a weapon linked to the gun allegedly used in the mass shooting. He pleaded guilty in September 2024 and was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation.

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By Hannah McDonald

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    HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — A Hendersonville homeowner is watching cracks spread through her walls and ceiling, and she believes intense blasting from a nearby construction project is to blame.

Despite filing multiple complaints with state authorities, CJ Stapleton says nothing has changed.

“It’s the absolute feeling of you can’t do anything about it,” Stapleton said. “There’s nothing you can do, you can’t stop them. You just can’t stop them. And it just gets worse.”

The cracks in Stapleton’s home appeared six months ago and are only getting wider and deeper. She points to damage throughout her living space, where she spends most of her time.

“It started a little bit, and then it was more and more, and now it’s quite noticeable,” Stapleton said.

The construction site of concern is less than a mile from her house on Molly Walton Drive. Public social media posts advertise 500,000 square feet of industrial space being built there.

The timing troubles her most. After more than two decades without problems, the cracks coincided with ramped-up blasting at the site.

“This is my living space. I have my TV and everything here,” Stapleton said. “So I’m sitting in my chair and looking at everything going on.”

Stapleton has pictures from a July assessment showing her house wasn’t as damaged before blasting intensified. The documentation could help her prove a connection between the construction and her home’s deterioration.

“It makes me mad. It makes me want to go over and start yelling: Who’s responsible for this? Why are you doing this?” Stapleton said. “Why didn’t you tell us? What are you going to do about my home?”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office can stop blasting for up to five days under specific conditions, but it cannot require repairs or compensation. Violations are based on exceeding blasting limits, not the number of complaints or reported damage.

The regulatory limitations leave Stapleton feeling powerless.

“I’m just flabbergasted. I don’t know… God’s the only one who can help me now, looks like,” Stapleton said. “It doesn’t seem that anyone around here – human-wise – is willing to do anything.”

Stapleton plans to call the same assessor back out to document the worsening damage.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, which oversees the State Fire Marshal’s Office, regulates blasting in Tennessee and fields numerous questions from the public about blasting rules and procedures. Consumers can learn more about filing blasting complaints and read up on frequently asked questions about the regulations online.

I submitted records requests with the Fire Marshal’s office to learn more about the project and any complaints that have been filed.

This story was reported on-air by Hannah McDonald and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Chris Davis

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    NOLENSVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — A Nolensville mother is pushing Tennessee lawmakers to expand funding for silent panic alarms in all schools across the state, hoping the wearable technology could save lives during emergencies.

Kristen Rucker, a mother of two boys, has been searching for school safety solutions since the Covenant and Antioch school shootings changed Middle Tennessee families forever. “When you think about your kids at school, we’re understandably worried about their safety,” Rucker said.

After hearing about silent panic alarms from fellow mothers, Rucker became convinced this technology could make a difference. “There can be a lot of debate on prevention, and those are important conversations that need to continue to happen — but that stuff takes a long time — so I don’t want to get stuck there,” Rucker said.

The panic alarms allow any staff member to trigger a total school lockdown by repeatedly pressing a crisis alert badge they wear. “Every mom I forwarded it to said the same thing. How do we get this technology in our schools? How do we get this to our teachers? Because seconds matter,” Rucker said.

Tennessee lawmakers previously passed “Alyssa’s Law,” named in memory of a victim in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Alyssa’s mother, Lori Alhadeff, has advocated for the legislation. “Therefore, every school needs their panic button,” Alhadeff said in a 2023 interview.

The Tennessee version established a pilot program for six public and private school systems to test the technology from Centegix. They were awarded to Franklin County Schools, Christ’s Legacy Academy, Hollow-Rock Bruceton, Priest Lake Christian Academy, Sacred Heart Cathedral School and Gibson County Special District.

“That’s a great start, but like let’s move from 6 to like all of them,” Rucker said.

Rucker is calling on state lawmakers to provide enough funding for every school — public or private — to have this technology. “I would breathe so much easier knowing my teachers have that on their badge, they have it around their neck. Help is just a click of a button away,” Rucker said.

However, the issue may not be willingness but availability of funds. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally warned, in a sit-down interview two weeks ago, that this legislative session will be tight, depending on how revenues come in. “It could be, it definitely could be” a harsh reality for some members, McNally said.

According to a state review, the panic alarm proposal would cost about $14 million to install in every public school and $19 million to also include private schools. The cost is expected to go down after the initial installation of the technology “You can’t put a price on life and luckily the sticker price on this is doable. Tennessee can do this,” Rucker said.

Rucker believes the technology could be at least part of the solution parents have been hoping for. “We can’t control like what happens, but we can choose how we’re going to respond. And let’s be a state that’s like, we’re going to respond as quick as possible,” Rucker said.

The legislation to make Alyssa’s Law statewide is being sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, and State House Rep. Ron Gant, R-Piperton. However, no debate has been scheduled on the bill so far this session.

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By John Hood

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    PORTSMOUTH, Virginia (WTKR) — The grandmother of one of the three girls reported missing out of Portsmouth is pleading for help, saying she fears for her granddaughter’s safety.

Fourteen-year-old Joseline Krofek was reported missing Sunday morning along with 12-year-old Forever Scott and 16-year-old Darsha McAllister. Police said the girls were last seen in the area of Fort Lane in Portsmouth.

“They’re just out there, hopeless and scared,” said Tammy Krofek, Joseline’s grandmother and legal guardian. “I just want her to be found safe.”

Krofek said her granddaughter had been living at Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center on Fort Lane to address behavioral issues. She said Joseline is originally from Morgantown, West Virginia — about seven hours away — and does not know anyone in the Hampton Roads area.

“She has no business being out on the streets,” Krofek said.

Krofek said she was not notified by the behavioral health facility that her granddaughter was missing until hours after police had already been alerted. She said the facility told her staff contacted Joseline’s social worker, but not her.

Krofek believes her granddaughter may have tried to reach her using unknown or blocked phone numbers.

“In the meantime, I have six private blocked numbers,” she said. “Had they called me when she disappeared, I would have answered those calls.”

Krofek said Joseline previously ran away from the facility on New Year’s Eve but returned a few hours later. She said she does not know the other two girls but believes the three may have run away together.

“I just want her home, and I want her safe,” she said.

News 3 reached out to Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center for a statement, but has not yet received a response.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Portsmouth police.

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By Cyera Williams

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    SILVER SPRING, Maryland (WMAR) — Founded in 1978 by Vietnam-era veterans, the Vietname Veterans of America was created in response to the lack of support many veterans faced when they returned home from war. Its founding principle, “never again will one generation of veterans abandon another,” continues to guide its mission today.

While its leadership is rooted in Vietnam-era service members, the organization now serves veterans of all generations.

A major part of that mission is funded through a nationwide donation pickup program. Trucks collect clothing, furniture, and household items directly from homes, then deliver those items to retail thrift stores. The stores purchase the donated goods, generating revenue that helps keep veteran programs running.

“It’s a real easy way for us to raise money,” said Quentin Butcher, Director of Fundraising and Development for Vietnam Veterans of America. “You don’t have to write a check or anything like that…you give us an item, and the thrift stores pay us for those items.”

Unlike other organization, Vietnam Veterans of America does not operate its own thrift stores. Butcher said that approach allows the organization to avoid overhead costs like building maintenance and staffing.

“By doing the business this way, we’re able to very nicely collect donated items, sell them, and be able to focus our attention on our veteran programs,” he said.

On a good year, Butcher said the donation pickup program represents the majority of the organization’s revenue, funding claims assistance, advocacy, and local chapter outreach.

“That represents anywhere from about 65 to 70 percent of our total revenue,” Butcher said. “So it’s very important to our operation.”

Those funds support veteran service officers who help veterans seek benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs, including representing veterans whose claims have been denied.

“When those claims get denied, we have service officers who will actually represent them and make sure that veteran gets the services or items they need,” Butcher said.

The pickup program also provides broader benefits, keeping usable items out of landfills and making affordable goods available in communities.

“We’re keeping things out of landfills, and we’re helping folks make room for themselves,” Butcher said. “It’s connected to a larger ecosystem, and for us, it just works really well because we’re able to fulfill our mission.”

Vietnam Veterans of America has state councils and local chapters in nearly every state, with pickup trucks operating across much of the country to support the donation program.

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By Taylor Epps

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    BUFFALO, New York (WKBW) — Buffalo Bills fans didn’t expect to say so long to head coach Sean McDermott Monday.

“Absolutely shocked,” said lifelong fan Don McElheny. “If anything, I thought maybe [Joe] Brady would go or maybe even [Brandon] Beane, but McDermott was not who I thought would be gone.”

I went to Danny’s South right near One Bills Drive to see how people were feeling.

“For the last 9 years, what we’ve had going on has been wonderful,” said Mark Ebling, Co-owner of Danny’s. “I think they’re ready for a change.”

Many fans worry about starting over, hoping it doesn’t stall the progress the team has made.

“I think we were starting to gain momentum,” said James Craig. “Especially Josh Allen. I think we needed a whole structure change, but I think starting with him is the wrong call.”

No matter who’s next, fans are again left saying: “There’s always next year.”

“I’m kind of sad,” said Austin Marshall. “I hope maybe in the next year they’ll find someone to get in and take us to the Super Bowl, but I have a lot of faith in the Bills, I’ve always had faith.”

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