Author: CNN Newsource

By Andy Alcock

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — A young Kansas City fan of Argentina’s superstar Lionel Messi is on the road to recovery after accidentally falling into a fire pit Saturday.

According to his parents, Christian Holmes, 6, was more upset about his Messi jersey being destroyed than his injuries.

From his hospital bed, Christian delivered birthday greetings to Messi, who turned 39 on Wednesday.

“Hi Messi. I watched the World Cup. Hope you have a good birthday. Go Argentina,” Christian said in a video.

In another video, the boy explained what happened to him.

“I was at my friend’s house; there was a bonfire. I fell into the bonfire, and I burnt my Messi jersey,” he said.

Christian’s parents, Andrea and Matt Holmes, said the quick response from a fire chief neighbor who saw what happened helped get their son immediate care and a quick ambulance response.

“The first words he said to me were, I’ve ruined my life. I ruined my life. And, he was like, so mad. And I burned my Messi jersey,” said Andrea Holmes, Christian’s mother.

She said Christian suffered burns on his back, legs, hands, and arms.

Christian’s parents said having World Cup games on in his hospital bedroom has helped.

And they said Messi is inspiring Christian on the challenging and sometimes painful path in front of him.

“He has like a sticker chart with Messi’s name on it that says, you can do it, Christian for little things like getting out of bed or finishing a meal. So that’s been important,” Andrea said.

Christian also had his own inspirational message for Messi in his video.

“I like when you play the World Cup and good luck on your goals,” he said.

Christian’s parents are waiting on word from doctors about what’s next for their son.

They’re hoping he won’t need skin grafts, but said it’s likely. Christian is the youngest of five children.

His parents said they’re grateful for the help they’re getting from the community as they focus their attention on Christian.

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 Angela Rozier

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    INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — An escaped inmate who fled a Department of Corrections prison camp in Volusia County was captured in Vero Beach by Indian River County Sheriff’s deputies and U.S. Marshals.

Deputies and members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrived at an apartment complex in Vero Beach to locate Jalyn Binion.

One neighbor described the scene as looking like something from a movie.

Investigators said Binion reportedly walked away from the prison camp in Daytona, and a woman who lives in the apartment unit allegedly picked him up.

“His girlfriend from Vero drove up to the camp in Volusia County, picked him up, and they had her car. They knew it was her,” Sheriff Eric Flowers said.

Authorities monitored the apartment and confirmed Binion was inside the unit. When members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempted to make contact, Binion tried to escape through a second-floor window.

“He’s taking the window,” deputies said, as the sound of breaking glass was captured on body camera footage.

Binion was later taken into custody and booked into the Indian River County Jail.

“This one just happened to be a hometown fugitive that came back to Vero, and our folks did a great job. They were able to take him into custody without any major incidents,” the sheriff said.

The sheriff said Binion now faces escape charges and will have to complete the remainder of his original sentence.

“His original charge was grand theft, and so literally this guy is in on a grand theft charge. He was going to get out in October. I mean, why not just hang out there until October and then go see your girlfriend? And now, he’s going to spend years in prison. It just makes no sense whatsoever,” Flowers 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 Lakyra Banks, Tia Greene

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    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Arkansas (KHBS, KHOG) — A Washington County jury is deliberating in the capital murder trial of Kacey Jennings, the Fayetteville man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Allison Castro, in 2022.

If convicted of capital murder, Jennings could face the death penalty.

Last week, testimony focused on evidence prosecutors say links Jennings to efforts to conceal the crime and dispose of Castro’s belongings after her death.

Last Thursday began with testimony from forensic DNA analysts. Jurors heard that DNA recovered from human remains found near Beaver Lake matched Castro’s mother, helping investigators identify the remains as Castro’s.

According to testimony presented in court, only portions of Castro’s legs below the knees have been recovered. Earlier in the trial, jurors viewed videos recorded by Jennings in which he described dismembering Castro’s body and disposing of remains in multiple locations, including Beaver Lake.

Prosecutors also called witnesses from resale and trade-in businesses. Jurors heard testimony that Jennings attempted to sell items belonging to Castro after her death. Witnesses said Jennings told employees the items belonged to his sister.

The state argues those actions show Jennings was attempting to get rid of evidence connected to Castro.

Jurors were also shown text messages between Jennings and another man who was casually dating Castro while she was living with Jennings. In the messages, Jennings referred to Castro as a “serial dater” and told the man to leave her alone “if you know what’s good for you.”

Prosecutors contend the messages demonstrate strain in the relationship between Jennings and Castro before her death.

Another witness testified that he sold Jennings the shotgun investigators say was used in the killing. Jurors were shown messages arranging the sale in a Fort Smith parking lot.

After the jury was excused for the day, defense attorneys asked the court to consider lesser charges, including manslaughter and negligent homicide. The defense pointed to Jennings’ recorded statements claiming the shooting was accidental and that he did not intend to kill Castro.

The judge denied the request, ruling that it will be up to the jury to determine whether the evidence supports a capital murder conviction.

Jennings also informed the court last Thursday that he does not plan to testify in his own defense.

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 Lauren Seaver

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    MARINA, California (KSBW) — Fort Ord, a U.S. Army base founded in 1917, made history as the first military base to implement full racial integration following President Harry Truman’s 1948 executive order to desegregate the armed forces.

From his business, The Brass Tap in Marina, Karl Waller reflects on his childhood home at Fort Ord, where his father, Samuel James Waller, was stationed in the mid-1970s.

“I remember him getting up in the morning, running with the soldiers along the beach,” Waller said.

For more than 80 years, Fort Ord served approximately 1.5 million soldiers. Marina local Howard Gustafson, whose father was one of those men, has since become a historian and written three books about the base and its soldiers.

“It started out with 15,000 and quickly escalated as the draft continued to 25-30,” Gustafson said.

The base housed thousands of soldiers training for World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the invasion of Panama.

President Truman’s executive order in 1948 abolished segregation in the armed forces and mandated full integration across all branches. Fort Ord was the first to implement these changes.

“It opened up the military. Everybody saw it as a chance to get a hold on life, and military was a good way to go, and it didn’t matter who you were,” Gustafson said.

Waller shared how his father, originally from the South, valued the sense of equality fostered by the integrated military.

“My dad often talked about being from the South—how important that was for him to feel equal and part of one military,” Waller said.

However, integration faced initial resistance. According to the National Archives, the process took time, and by the end of the Korean conflict, almost all of the military was integrated.

“There must’ve been a lot of meetings with the captain and lieutenant amongst guys when you started integrating,” Gustafson said. “But as time went on, they started the first classes on race relations in 1952.”

Lyndon Tarver, president of the NAACP Monterey County, highlighted Fort Ord’s broader impact.

“That started basically here and then spread across the United States,” Tarver said.

“Locally it impacted the community because we had a lot of Black folks here. Seaside was probably about 35% Black,” Tarver added.

Waller noted the base’s role as a “pipeline of diversity,” particularly for Black Americans, and how its closure shifted local demographics.

“Fort Ord was a pipeline of diversity—particularly for Black Americans. Once that pipeline died, you could see the demographics for the Blacks in particular, just shift,” Waller said.

President George H.W. Bush signed the Base Realignment and Closure Act in 1988, leading to Fort Ord’s official shutdown in 1994.

Despite its closure, Fort Ord’s legacy endures through the stories of those who lived and served there, including Waller and Gustafson, who continue to honor their fathers’ contributions.

“Remember Fort Ord for all the people, remember what it contributed to the area, and how much it helped the United States,” Gustafson said.

“Those soldiers are the ones who defend our rights and sometimes we take for granted,” Waller said. “As I look back, I try each and every day to reflect on that.”

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 Lauren Pastrana

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — Advances in health care have helped people with Down syndrome live longer, healthier lives. But that increased longevity also brings a new challenge: a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

For Gina El Hassan, the issue is personal. Her brother, Rudolph Vincent Perez, has always loved music and dancing. The 56-year-old shares a close bond with El Hassan, who was 13 when he was born.

“When he was born, I was 13, so he became my baby doll,” El Hassan said. “So for me it was great.”

Decades ago, people with Down syndrome typically lived into their 30s, often before the age when Alzheimer’s disease commonly develops. Today, longer life expectancy means more individuals are reaching ages associated with dementia.

El Hassan said she first noticed warning signs years ago.

“Every 10 or 15 years, he has psychological testing done, and when we went, the psychologist told us he was already seeing signs,” she said.

Now, she says her brother sometimes forgets where things belong and has withdrawn from activities he once enjoyed. The changes remind her of their mother, who also developed Alzheimer’s disease.

“He stopped wanting to go in the car. He got scared of cars,” El Hassan said. “He also got withdrawn, stopped watching TV. Little things like that that my mother suffered.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, people with Down syndrome face a substantially higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease as they age. Some studies estimate a lifetime risk as high as 90%, with most cases appearing in a person’s 50s.

By comparison, the lifetime risk for Alzheimer’s in the general population is estimated at about 20% for women and 10% for men.

Keith Gibson with the Alzheimer’s Association said brain changes linked to dementia can begin much earlier in people with Down syndrome.

“They want to be proactive because usually an individual who has Down syndrome, their brain will start changing and they’re developing symptoms at age 40,” Gibson said.

He said research focused specifically on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is essential.

“When we say ‘a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementias,’ we need to look at all communities,” Gibson said. “The Down syndrome community is one that we need to be more intentional about because their needs are different.”

For caregivers like El Hassan, the uncertainty can be overwhelming.

“I’m 70, and I worry,” she said. “Of course, I worry if I get it, but I worry more about him. How to take care of him and deal with it again. I don’t want him to go through something else.”

Down syndrome affects how the brain and body develop, but people with Down syndrome can live healthy and fulfilling lives with supportive care.

Resources for families are available through the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices.

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 Peyton Spellacy

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Albuquerque highs are expected to reach the upper 90s again Wednesday, prompting many to look for ways to stay cool.

Meteorologist Eric Green said the metro area typically sees about two or three days where temperatures reach triple digits, based on readings taken from the Sunport. Green noted that starting the day at 70 degrees and reaching the high 90s by noon can take a huge toll on the body.

Some families have been participating in Operation Cooldown, a city-run initiative. When Albuquerque is forecast to hit 100 degrees or higher, the city rotates sprinkler play at select city parks from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

However, not everyone can escape the heat. Noah Woisin with New Mexico Concrete said his demanding work on any day, but triple-digit temperatures make the job even tougher.

“That’s brutal, sun baking down on you, it always makes the day a little more difficult,” Woisin said. “It makes a big difference. The sun really takes it out of you.”

Construction crews protect themselves by using UV-blocking long-sleeve shirts, sunscreen, cooling towels, and plenty of water.

Bob Genoway, deputy director for the Compliance and Enforcement Division under Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said those practices align with official safety standards.

Genoway said there are “three basic pillars of protecting workers from heat, and that’s water, rest, and shade.”

Employers are responsible for training and educating their workers on the symptoms of heat-related illnesses, which include fatigue, nausea, and headaches.

“There’s no set number of breaks, but it’s important for an employer to recognize that as it gets hotter and hotter, more breaks might be necessary,” Genoway said.

In 2023, when Albuquerque experienced 17 days of 100-degree temperatures, OSHA reported that 50 workers statewide ended up in the emergency room for heat-related illness. If temperatures hit 100 degrees Tuesday, it will mark the second triple-digit day of the summer. Signs of heat-related illness are fatigue, headaches, and nausea.

Woisin said that with the right gear and preparation, his crew works hard to keep heat-related illnesses rare.

“We don’t see them as often as you would think, just by taking precautions and making sure you’re hydrated and staying, staying out of the sun in direct sunlight,” Woisin said.

OSHA advises workers who are feeling the effects of extreme heat to alert their employer first. If nothing changes, the agency encourages workers to reach out to them for help.

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.