Kansas massage therapist arrested after alleged assault during appointment

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Nick Sloan

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    DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kansas (KMBC) — A massage therapist who worked in northeast Kansas and the Kansas City area is under investigation after police say a client reported being sexually assaulted during an appointment.

Officers with the Baldwin City Police Department arrested 44-year-old Aaron Borger of Hartford, Kansas, on Wednesday.

He was booked into the Douglas County Jail on suspicion of two counts of rape and one count of aggravated sexual battery.

Police say the investigation began after an alleged incident last week at Om Grown Yoga in Baldwin City, where the man worked part-time as a massage therapist.

Borger also provided services out of a chiropractor’s office in Grandview, though no incident has been reported there as of yet.

At this stage, no formal charges have been filed.

An affidavit has been submitted to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether charges are warranted.

Police are asking anyone who believes they may have had inappropriate contact with Borger to come forward.

They also said the business has fully cooperated with the investigation.

You can call police at 785-594-3850 or email the detective on the case at vschmalz@baldwincity.gov.

Om Grown Yoga & Wellness Collective posted this statement on Facebook:

“We are writing to you today with heavy hearts to share some difficult news. We have been informed by the Baldwin City Police Department that a massage therapist previously associated with our studio has been arrested on serious charges.

We believe in being transparent with you about matters that affect our community. While these legal proceedings are ongoing, we want to be very clear: the safety, sanctity, and trust of our students and clients are our highest priorities. We have zero tolerance for any behavior that compromises the safety or dignity of those in our care.

We are committed to maintaining a space that is a safe and healing.

We understand this news is distressing. We are here to listen and to support our community as we process this together. We kindly ask that you direct any concerns or questions to Lora or Sandy at 785-816-0207 or omgrownyogacollective@gmail.com, so we can respond with care and clarity.

Our commitment to your well-being and to the integrity of this practice remains unshakable.”

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.

Kentucky couple makes special wheelchairs to help people with disabilities explore outdoors

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Jennifer Osting

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    BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky (WLKY) — A Western Kentucky nonprofit is working to make the outdoors more accessible for people with disabilities.

Jessica and Kent Madison founded Wheelable Wilderness in 2025.

Kent has been in a wheelchair since he was 17 when he was hit by a drunk driver.

He has always loved the outdoors, so he and his wife wanted to give wheelchair users in south central Kentucky an opportunity to rent out the Action Track Wheelchair.

“It can be a game changer just for your mental health alone, just to be able to access and be included in places, and with this chair, there are no limitations. It opened up a whole new world of independence for me, and I want to share that with others,” said Kent.

Wheelable Wilderness will deliver within a 200-mile radius of Bowling Green.

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Officials approve drone program; residents express privacy concerns

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Heath Kalb

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    OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — The Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted 13-4 to approve a pilot program on Wednesday night that will allow drones to be used to help the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office respond to 911 calls; however, many residents showed up to the commissioners’ meeting to voice their concerns.

“With this vote, we invite the infrastructure of mass surveillance. The very idea is an appalling invasion of our privacy and our civil liberties, and it is the exact opposite of public safety,” said one resident during Wednesday’s meeting.

It was a packed house inside the commissioner’s meeting as residents voiced their frustrations over the vote allowing the sheriff’s office to use drones from the company Flock Safety. The residents were doubly upset that not only did the board vote for this motion, but they also moved public comment after the vote.

“We fear that as the number of cameras grows, it creates an all-inclusive surveillance system where people are constantly watched, violating the expectation of privacy in public,” said Raymond Sultz from Waterford.

The pilot program will be free for nine months, but if extended, the program would cost $2.5 million over two years. Flock Safety has faced strong criticism, with many worried about the public’s privacy and security moving forward.

“We don’t want to be watched. Flock is such a known bad actor that the Ferndale police voluntarily did not renew their contract,” said Simon from Ferndale.

“Oakland County commissioners who voted for this are either unbelievably trusting and naive to believe flock’s promises, or you’re simply jumping on board the freight train that’s hurdling towards the breakdown of democracy,” said an Oakland County resident.

Earlier in the day, Sheriff Michael Bouchard spoke to CBS Detroit, saying the use of drones in the past has helped the sheriff’s office find kids who were lost, Alzheimer’s patients and has even captured a murder suspect.

“We understand the privacy concerns people talk about, but we’ve already addressed all those. You can go to our webpage right now and look at every DFR (drones as first responders) flight we’ve flown, where it went, how it came back, what the call was for,” said Bouchard.

There were other residents in the meeting on Wednesday who have organized a petition on Change.org against these drones in Oakland County that has already received over 3,000 signatures.

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.

Closed behavioral facility faces lawsuit over alleged sex abuse of teen

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Terell Bailey

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — A former treatment facility in Detroit is the subject of a newly filed lawsuit, alleging that a teen was sexually abused while there.

The Detroit Behavioral Institute and Acadia Healthcare are listed in a new lawsuit filed in the Wayne County Circuit Court. According to the lawsuit, a 17-year-old was sent to the facility in 2015 and was allegedly sexually abused and groomed by a staff member over the next year.

“When he was restraining her, he’d fondle her and grope her. And it was under this sort of idea that he was calming her down,” said attorney Nicholas Wainwright with Gould, Grieco, and Hensley.

According to the lawsuit, the institute had two locations in Detroit, but the state suspended its license in 2022 after continuous abuse allegations.

Acadia Healthcare currently operates several treatment facilities in Michigan and across the country. CBS News Detroit reached out to the company on Wednesday and is awaiting a response.

“This is a company with a litany of problems at the state and federal level,” Wainwright told CBS News Detroit.

The lawsuit alleges that a staff member went as far as purchasing underwear for the victim.

“He would buy her lacy underwear, have inappropriate conversations about having affairs and cheating on his wife,” Wainwright said.

Last year, several victims filed lawsuits against Detroit Behavioral Institute and Acadia Healthcare, alleging similar accusations. The litigation for that case is still ongoing.

“How are they making sure, when two people restrain a kid, we’re checking to make sure the way they said it went down is the way it went down,” Wainwright said.

Wainwright alleges that the company started putting profits over people, which is when problems began to escalate.

“Then they stop focusing on things like hiring the top tier indivudals to be there, because they cost more money. They start focusing on how we can do this – cheaper and cheaper and cheaper,” Wainwright said.

According to the lawsuit, the victim suffered extreme emotional damage from her time at the facility.

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.

New arrest report details alleged abuse at Las Vegas dog training business; 2 charged

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Alyssa Bethencourt

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — New details are emerging in a criminal case involving a now-shut down Las Vegas dog training business, where police say what was happening inside “was not reasonable” and caused “unjustifiable suffering.”

An arrest report obtained by Channel 13 lays out allegations against employees at Working Dogs of Nevada, where investigators say dozens of dogs were subjected to abusive training methods.

According to police, the investigation began after several videos surfaced showing how dogs were being handled inside the facility.

In one instance, investigators say a dog named Dottie was lifted by a leash until her feet were off the ground and then swung during training.

In another case, a dog named Jeb was subjected to repeated activations of an electronic collar while resisting commands.

A third dog, Astro, was found with injuries to its neck, according to the report. Investigators documented those injuries but did not specify a definitive cause.

Police ultimately removed 35 dogs from the facility.

Charges filed

Police arrested two people in connection with the case:

John Johnstone, 38, faces multiple felony counts of animal cruelty. Tabitha Berube, 32, is charged with one count of felony animal cruelty. According to the arrest report, Berube is accused of being present during at least one incident, observing the conduct, and failing to intervene.

When reached by phone, Berube told Channel 13 she had no comment.

What proper training should look like

To better understand the allegations, Channel 13 spoke with a local professional dog trainer, who reviewed the reported actions and images described in the arrest report.

Trainer Brad Norton, co-founder of Norton Dog Training, said while dog training can involve corrections, there is a clear boundary.

“If the dog’s afraid, you’re crossing a line,” Norton said.

He added that proper training should build trust and understanding, not fear.

Heigl Foundation responds, cuts ties

Channel 13 also followed up on tips that Working Dogs of Nevada may have been connected to actress Katherine Heigl’s nonprofit, the Jason Heigl Foundation.

In a statement, the foundation confirmed it had previously used the business for training services but says it is not a partner and has now ended all involvement.

Full statement below:

The Jason Heigl Foundation has been made aware of the arrests of individuals at Working Dogs of Nevada and the animal cruelty charges now under investigation.

We understand that people will want to know about the Foundation’s relationship with WDN. We want to be precise.

Working Dogs of Nevada is one of several dog training facilities the Foundation has retained on a fee-for-service basis to provide training and placement for dogs we rescue from Los Angeles shelters. We are not a sponsor or partner of WDN, and any characterization to that effect on WDN’s website is false.

Nothing we encountered in the course of that engagement indicated the conduct now alleged. Had it, we would have acted immediately — as we are acting now.

Effective immediately, the Foundation has ceased all involvement with Working Dogs of Nevada. We are actively working to ensure the safety of dogs connected to our programs.

We do not yet know the full scope of what occurred. What we do know is that any mistreatment of animals is unacceptable. The Foundation was built on the belief that every animal deserves humane, accountable care. That is the standard we hold — for ourselves and for anyone we work with.

What happens next

31 dogs remain in the care of The Animal Foundation and are currently under a legal hold as the case moves through the court system.

Johnstone and Berube are due in court on April 29.

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.

Couple, ex-police officials tied to prostitution scheme, intel-gathering effort, district attorney says

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Doug Myers, Marvin Hurst

Click here for updates on this story

    Texas (KTVT) — A North Texas couple and former Godley police officials are under investigation after authorities say a prostitution conspiracy and a scheme to gather intelligence on local public officials were further revealed during a search of the couple’s home last week.

The District Attorney’s Office for Johnson & Somervell Counties said Wednesday that the investigation focuses on ongoing criminal activity involving Michael and Ashley Ketcherside and former members of the Godley Police Department.

While Michael Ketcherside has been arrested, Ashley Ketcherside has not, though she is named in the District Attorney’s Office release on the charges. No one at the Ketcherside home responded to CBS News Texas’ request for comment on Wednesday.

“This is an active and ongoing investigation, and additional arrests are anticipated,” District Attorney Timothy M. Good said.

Search warrant and seized devices

A search warrant was executed on March 31 at the Ketchersides’ residence, where authorities seized electronic communications and storage devices believed to contain evidence of criminal activity, according to the release.

The devices contained evidence of a prostitution conspiracy involving the Ketchersides and numerous “clients,” and evidence showing the Ketchersides coordinated with then‑Godley Police Chief Matthew Cantrell and other officers, according to the release.

Cantrell, who was arrested and out of jail on bond, told CBS News Texas he had no comment.

He and former Officer Solomon Omotoya were indicted in late 2025 after the City of Godley found discrepancies in its fleet fuel card purchases. The Valley Mills City Council also fired Cantrell as its police chief in early 2025 after a council member flagged suspicious police‑department credit‑card charges.

Court documents describe decade‑long scheme, newspaper reports

CBS News Texas is in the process of obtaining the court documents connected to the case.

The Cleburne Times‑Review, which covers Godley, reported details from those documents on Wednesday.

According to the Times‑Review, citing court records:

Cantrell was arrested Tuesday on a charge of promotion of prostitution amid a widening investigation.

Michael and Ashley Ketcherside allegedly ran a years-long prostitution and racketeering operation, with Ashley Ketcherside coordinating clients and communicating regularly with Cantrell and Omotoya.

Omotoya admitted soliciting Ashley Ketcherside for sex in exchange for yard work or babysitting and said both he and Cantrell were aware of the Ketchersides’ operation.

Cantrell pulled criminal histories on city officials and on people involved in disputes with Ashley Ketcherside, while maintaining close ties with the Ketchersides.

Cantrell admitted to subscribing to Ashley Ketcherside’s OnlyFans account.

Cantrell acknowledged longstanding knowledge of the Ketchersides’ prostitution enterprise and said Ashley Ketcherside charged about $1,000 per hour.

Officials allegedly targeted

According to the District Attorney’s Office, the alleged purpose of the group was to compile information on local public officials and private citizens they viewed as opponents or enemies.

The “adversaries” included members of the Godley City Council, Godley ISD School Board, the former mayor, and the former Godley police chief.

“As the investigation progresses, we will update the public as needed,” Good said in the release.

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.

City offers help replacing Colorado lawns with drought-tolerant alternatives​ as drought restrictions tighten

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Tori Mason

Click here for updates on this story

    Colorado (KCNC) — As drought conditions worsen and new water restrictions take effect, Aurora is pushing residents to rethink their lawns. The city is even offering money to help.

Through its Grass Replacement Incentive Program, or GRIP, Aurora Water is paying residents to replace traditional turf and replace it with more sustainable landscaping.

“The ubiquitous water-guzzling grass is Kentucky bluegrass,” said Diana Denwood, Aurora Water’s conservation supervisor.

She says that type of grass requires about 28 inches of additional water each year beyond natural rainfall to survive.

By comparison, water-wise landscapes, made up of native plants, shrubs and mulch, can cut water use dramatically, sometimes requiring little to no supplemental watering.

To encourage that shift, Aurora is offering rebates through GRIP:

Up to $3 per square foot for traditional water-wise landscaping 50 cents per square foot for native, low-water grass

Denwood says one common misconception is that the most water-conscious option is to cover a yard entirely in rock or artificial materials, often called “zeroscaping.” But she warns that approach can actually create new problems.

“It contributes to the urban heat islands. We don’t want to see a landscape that’s devoid of plants and has a heat absorbing rock, or even worse, potentially rubber,” Denwood says.

The GRIP program is designed to help offset the cost of replacing turf with drought-tolerant alternatives that are also lower maintenance and better suited for Colorado’s climate.

Projects must be approved before installation and rebates are paid after completion.

Switching landscapes still require water upfront.

Denwood says new native or water-wise grass requires an establishment period of about four weeks, when it needs more frequent watering to take root. After that, the difference is significant.

“Just like any kind of turf grass during a normal year, we do a permit. Now this year, because we’re in drought Stage 1, you’re not allowed to do a Kentucky bluegrass lawn, so we’re not issuing permits for that,” said Denwood. “But we will still absolutely issue a permit for doing a native or water-wise grass, and we’re really happy to see people do that.”

City officials say participation is picking up as restrictions take hold.

“We’re getting about five new applications a day,” Denwood said. “That’s a significant increase compared to this time last year.”

Still, funding is limited, and not every project gets completed.

At Nick’s Garden Center, the change is already showing up in what customers are buying.

“I was lucky if I could sell a yucca to someone 20 years ago…now I show them a yucca, and they’re down,” said horticulturist Colette Haskell.

Haskell says more customers are coming in specifically asking for drought-tolerant plants, often with city-provided lists in hand.

“We get customer after customer saying, ‘I don’t know what this plant is, can you show me?'”

Even as demand for water-wise plants grows, traditional lawns aren’t disappearing overnight.

Haskell says some customers are still buying Kentucky bluegrass, despite restrictions and rising temperatures.

The city offers support, including a landscape design program, in-person and online classes, the GRIP Manual and staff ready to answer your questions.

For more information about GRIP visit auroragov.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.

Miami city officials are urging residents to prepare for planned implosion of Mandarin Oriental hotel

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Nikiya Carrero

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — Residents of Brickell Key are being urged to prepare for the planned implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental hotel as if they were getting ready for a storm, according to the company overseeing the demolition.

City officials with Miami Fire Rescue and Miami police said they have been planning the implosion for about a year.

The demolition is scheduled for Sunday morning. The former luxury resort will be brought down to make way for a new residential and hospitality development. The structure now sits gutted with explosives attached to its concrete columns, which officials say will ensure a smoother implosion.

Ivy Fradin, managing member of BG Group, which is overseeing the demolition, explained the process. “The tower will come down first, the parking garage will come down second, but to the public eye, it will look like one carefully choreographed event,” Fradin said.

Fradin described the collapse as a “cascading fashion,” where the floor above collapses as the column below it gives way.

For safety reasons, Brickell Key will be closed to residents and visitors from 7 a.m. to about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, with no access in or out of the island during that time. An 800-foot exclusion zone around the property will also be enforced.

For those inside the exclusion zone, Fradin advised, “If you’re located within the exclusion zone, we ask that you stay indoors with doors closed. If you’re not in the exclusion zone, keep your doors and windows closed. It’s obvious — if you have things outside, bring them inside”.

Some residents living within the exclusion zone expressed safety concerns. Brickell Key resident Ydais Laya said, “I have not seen anything to provide details regarding the city’s plans, if anything should go wrong during the implosion on Sunday, because in reality, no one knows”.

Other residents were less worried. Alejandro Barahona, another resident, said the required precautions were “reasonable,” adding, “Either you get out, or you stay in, but it’s too much of a liability risk for the explosion and all that stuff”.

The company conducting the implosion has previously handled several high-profile demolitions, including the historic Deauville Hotel, South Shore Hospital, and the remaining structure of the Surfside condominium building.

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.

Pennsylvania state police trooper pleads guilty to using work computer to create AI-generated pornography

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair

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    Pennsylvania (KYW) — A Pennsylvania State Police corporal has pleaded guilty to creating AI-generated pornography, possessing child sexual abuse material and secretly filming women, including coworkers and a Montgomery County judge, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Thirty-nine-year-old Stephen Kamnik pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court Wednesday to a total of 15 charges for years of abusing law enforcement databases, state-owned devices and unauthorized material for personal sexual gratification.

Kamnik, who is currently suspended without pay, used secured law enforcement and commonwealth computer systems to create AI-generated pornographic images of numerous women, according to the attorney general’s office. Prosecutors said Kamnik created some of the explicit material at a Montgomery County barracks.

The investigation, which was conducted by state police, found that Kamnik secretly filmed and photographed numerous women while on duty. Authorities said he repeatedly entered the women’s locker room at the state police barracks to take pictures of female officers.

Prosecutors said Kamnik also used the state’s Justice Network, known as JNET, to obtain hundreds of photographs of women, violating database policies.

Investigators also found an unlawfully recorded video of a Montgomery County magisterial district judge during a court proceeding that prosecutors said Kamnik edited for lewd purposes.

Authorities also found a stolen .22-caliber gun during a search of Kamnik’s vehicle in January 2025.

Kamnik pleaded guilty to four felony counts of unlawful use of a computer, sexual abuse of children, misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy, tampering with evidence and other related offenses.

A Montgomery County judge is scheduled to sentence him July 8.

“These crimes stain the great work being done by law enforcement every day in communities across the Commonwealth,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement.

A lawsuit filed by a victim who alleges her image was used in AI-generated pornography claims Pennsylvania State Police were aware of prior incidents of Kamnik abusing his position as a state trooper but failed to properly discipline him.

The complaint alleges Kamnik took undergarments belonging to female troopers from a locker room and kept a mannequin at his assigned station where he placed the stolen clothing to photograph it.

It also alleges Kamnik conducted traffic stops involving female motorists while presenting himself as a law enforcement officer and making degrading requests, including asking them to stick out their tongues while he secretly filmed them.

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.

Brooklyn-based taekwondo para athlete overcomes tragedy, homelessness to fight for gold

CNN Newsource on April 9, 2026

By Hannah Kliger

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    NEW YORK (WCBS, WLNY) — Ismael Ox survived an attack that left him without a hand.

Now, the Brooklyn-based para athlete is celebrating a series of victories, from overcoming homelessness to getting his American citizenship.

“I never feel disability” You might walk by a park in Bed-Stuy and see Ox, 25, training in taekwondo. No stadium lights, no sponsors, just sheer determination. But look a little closer, and you’ll see what a fighter really looks like.

At just 11 years old, in his village in Niger, Ox tried to save his neighbors from a grenade launched by members of the militant group Boko Haram.

“I tried to find a way to throw it away from everybody, so everybody will not get like dying or injured. So before I throw it, it explode. But everybody survived. It’s just my hand,” Ox said.

He lost his right hand, but didn’t quit his sport. Instead, he learned to adapt.

“I never feel disability or maybe something missing or anything,” he said.

Rain or shine, he’s chasing a dream most people would have given up on long ago. Today he’s a para athlete in one of the most competitive adaptive sports: taekwondo.

In an interview translated from French, his coach Ali Amadou called him “a diamond in the rough.”

Paralympic dreams Then came another fight. Ox arrived in the United States alone at 17 and was homeless for weeks with nothing but a dream. That persistence paid off. He went through the foster care system, was adopted by a loving family, and last year became an American citizen.

“I just so happy. I don’t know how to express it. Just one big emotion to make you excited, make you feel good, make you feel like these great people and you are part of them,” Ox said.

Filmmaker Chris Chu has been documenting his journey.

“Every experience that he’s had, he’s never made it like a problem that holds him back. It only just motivates him. And he never used as an excuse,” Chu said.

Ox is supported by a loyal community of friends and athletes he’s managed to build in his new home.

“Not just that you have that dream, but that you commit to it through your actions every single day,” said friend Jan Avendano.

At tournaments across the globe, he’s raking in medals, preparing for his shot at Paralympic gold. He’s now qualified to compete for Team USA and is hoping to make his Paralympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

“It’s just amazing to be part of this big society and be with all these people and then be able to represent the country I wanted to be in since I was young,” Ox said.

Perhaps a reminder that the strongest fighters are often built off the mat.

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