Author: CNN Newsource

By WCCO Staff

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — A Stearns County, Minnesota, woman is accused of second-degree manslaughter after a 3-month-old baby suffocated in her allegedly unlicensed at-home day care.

The criminal complaint says Stearns County deputies were called to a residence on the 39000 block of County Road 186 around 2:20 p.m. on Nov. 11. They found the 53-year-old woman providing CPR to the infant.

The woman said she had placed in him a pack-and-play and went to another room. She hadn’t heard from the baby in some time, and when she went to check on him, found him on his side with his face in a blanket, the complaint says. He was taken to the hospital, where he died. An autopsy determined his cause of death was suffocation due to an unsafe sleep environment.

The deputies noticed the pack-and-play was filled with blankets and a large pillow, which had a warning on it indicating it could be a suffocation hazard, court documents say.

The infant’s mother told deputies that she paid the woman $150 a week for four days of care. There was another infant in the home, whose parents paid the same amount, according to the complaint.

The woman said she had previously worked for a licensed day care center but had been providing at-home care for approximately 10 years. She confirmed she was an unlicensed provider, according to the charges.

The director of a facility that she had briefly worked for in 2013 said they had trained her on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome before she started work, the complaint says.

Minnesota law also requires licensed and legal unlicensed day care providers to complete training related to safe sleep environments and preventing SIDS.

According to the complaint, the woman had posted on Facebook in 2019 that she had an infant spot available for paid child care. Stearns County Human Services sent her a letter outlining scenarios in which a day care license would be required, the complaint says. The woman responded, saying she had a disability and was not running an unlicensed day care.

The woman is charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of providing residential child care without a license, which is a misdemeanor.

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 Lunemann

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — As loons make their way back to Midwest lakes this spring, some are being forced out of the sky by dangerous weather conditions, leading to crash landings far from water.

Wildlife experts say the issue is caused by a mix of warm and cold air during migration. As loons fly through those layers, moisture can freeze on their wings, adding weight and making it difficult to stay airborne.

“Loons are very heavy bone birds, and they’re flying at their maximum capacity,” said Linda Grenzer, a conservationist with Loon Rescue Incorporated in Wisconsin.

When ice builds up, the birds can no longer maintain flight and are forced to land. In some cases, that results in what rescuers call a “fallout,” where multiple loons come down in the same area.

“We call it a fallout in certain areas where they’re flying over and they land on roads, fields,” Grenzer said.

Unlike many birds, loons are not built to take off from land. Their bodies are designed for water, which means a grounded loon may be stranded without help.

Experts say that while it may be tempting to step in, handling the bird yourself can cause serious harm.

“We don’t want citizens getting hurt, and we don’t want them to hurt the bird. If you do it wrong, you could break their wing or something,” said Sheila Johnston, a loon conservationist and educator on Gull Lake in Minnesota.

Instead, trained rescuers recommend contacting professionals who know how to safely handle and transport the bird.

“What we ask somebody to do is to give us a call. If somebody has a towel, a coat, a sheet, place it over the loon, entire loon, including the head, because those bills are very sharp,” Grenzer said.

A recent rescue south of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, shows how coordinated efforts can safely return loons to the water.

Organizations across Minnesota and Wisconsin have trained volunteers who respond to these calls, assess the bird’s condition, and transport it to a safe release location.

Anyone who finds a downed loon is urged to contact trained rescuers rather than attempting to move the bird themselves.

For more information on loon rescue assistance, see the links below:

Minnesota Loon Rescue Wildlife Rehab and Release The Loon Project Loon Rescue Incorporated (Wisconsin)

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 Samantha Chaney

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Milton residents are voicing safety concerns in the Blue Hills Reservation after Massachusetts State Police say a man stabbed a dog that allegedly attacked him.

“It doesn’t feel great to know that a dog was harmed or that someone has a potentially dangerous weapon in a place where children, families, and other dogs and people congregate,” said resident Alison Lowitz.

The incident happened Monday morning on Blue Hill River Road near Houghton’s Pond.

“I don’t think it’s ever an easy situation or black and white of who did what wrong. Everyone is just trying to protect themselves,” added another resident Sophie Boucher.

While Lowitz questioned the man’s response, saying, “People react in all different ways, but I don’t think pulling a knife is the correct way to respond to that.”

Boucher, emphasized human safety saying, “Humans have to be the first concern because at the end of the day, an animal is an animal, and a human is a human.”

Although signs throughout the reservation prohibit unleashed dogs, State Police say the dog was off leash at the time of the incident, and visitors say it’s common.

“Well, it depends if the dog is aggressive or not,” said Gabbi Rios.

“Sometimes I let my dog run around, but after hearing that story, I probably won’t be doing that anymore,” added her father, Simon.

For some, the incident highlights broader safety concerns around the park.

“It’s definitely concerning that dogs are off leash and that owners either can’t maintain well enough to keep them in control and right next to their bodies,” Boucher said.

“If somebody had to pull a knife out and hurt the dog, it’s another reminder why we should be using leashes,” Simon added.

According to Massachusetts State Police, both the man and the dog are expected to be OK. The dog was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for treatment.

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 Kaitlyn Ross

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    BUFORD, Georgia (WXIA) — What started as a peaceful day on Lake Lanier turned into a rescue that’s now getting national recognition.

For Marvin Winston, the water has always been a place to slow down.

“Anything or anywhere on the water for me is just calming, soothing,” he said. “I’ve always viewed fishing as my sort of therapy.”

He’s spent years building that routine, launching from spots like Clarks Bridge Boat Ramp, cameras rolling as he shares his time on the lake with others.

“I like recording any catches I come across,” Winston said. “For some people who can’t go out and fish, they catch fish through my videos.”

But on Feb. 19, that sense of calm shifted before he even cast a line.

“I am going out, and before I even start fishing, I hear what sounds like a faint call for help,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if it was a human, animal, or something, but I knew I had to check it out.”

What started as uncertainty quickly became urgency.

“This feeling overcame me that I couldn’t fish; I had to figure this out before I could continue on,” he said.

As he moved closer to shore, he realized what he was hearing.

“As I got closer to shore, I could actually see what looked like a person lying down,” Winston said. “I went to shore, got out of my kayak, and I was calling, hello, hello? And I could hear a woman who was crying.”

The woman was hurt, struggling to breathe, and alone.

Winston didn’t hesitate.

“It was just instinct,” he said. “To hear someone calling out for help the way this woman was in distress, something had to be done.”

He stayed with her, called 911, helped direct first responders, and did everything he could to keep her calm.

“I did my best to comfort her, to figure out what was going on with her, to help her as best I could until we got on scene,” he said. “I jumped into action, took action, and just stayed with her until professionals got on scene.”

That steady presence made all the difference.

“What Marvin did is exceptional,” said Flotilla Commander Richard Adams with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Lake Lanier. “He was able to redirect a 911 operator to get first responders on the scene.”

Adams says it’s the kind of response they don’t see often.

“So often now, people look the other way, and they don’t go out of their way to try to help people in distress,” he said. “It’s rare because people don’t usually do this type of thing. Oftentimes, we are lucky if people even call first responders.”

Because of his actions, Winston was given a Coast Guard commendation, an honor Adams says is not handed out lightly.

“It’s rare for the Coast Guard to give such honors because it’s rare for people to do what Marvin did,” he said. “We are grateful for Marvin, and we wish there were more Marvins out there.”

For Winston, the recognition is meaningful, but not the reason he stepped in.

“I just think, in my heart, it’s something that any good-natured human would’ve done,” he said.

He hopes the moment serves as a reminder.

“In a world where it feels like humanity is lacking, hopefully this shows that there are good people in this world,” Winston said. “We just need to act.”

He says in that moment, nothing else mattered.

“None of us knew each other, but we came together,” he said. “It’s what we all should be doing.”

The woman was treated and released from the hospital.

And for Winston, a day that started with the promise of peace ended with something even more powerful–being there when someone needed it most.

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 Sam Hartle

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — A Wyandotte County District Court judge released new details Monday in a slew of charges filed last month against a former Bonner Springs Police Department detective.

In March, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree filed 18 charges against Kyle Rector, 39, including child sexual exploitation, stalking and breach of privacy.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the charges, a captain in the Bonner Springs Police Department contacted a special agent at the Kansas Bureau of Investigations on Jan. 28, 2026, following an internal investigation into Rector. The captain told the KBI agent their investigation revealed that Rector “had used law enforcement technology and equipment to stalk his wife” and “persons [Rector] believed her to be intimately involved,” identified in court documents as two men.

Court documents reveal that Rector used license plate readers (LPR), such as Flock cameras, to track his wife and the two men. As part of their investigation, KBI agents requested Rector’s cell phone data.

Agents believed that Rector used LPR data close to where one of the two men lived. Agents then received cell phone data from Rector, which showed him in the area of one of the men.

Agents also detailed how Rector used department access to the Accurint Virtual Crime Center data to track his wife and the other two men more than 20 times in late December.

Court records reveal Rector’s wife filed for a protection order, which was granted and served on Jan. 19. Rector used the crime center data to make three more searches even after being served the protection order.

Court documents indicate that Rector would use the department resources, including his department-issued Ford Explorer SUV, to track and surveil the three victims while he was both on and off duty.

As KBI agents continued their investigation, they spoke with Rector’s spouse, who told them she had separated from Rector in November 2025. The woman told KBI agents that she found a computer program on her laptop that allowed remote access.

The woman also recalled an incident on Jan. 13 when she noticed the light switch in her bedroom looked different. She contacted Kansas City, Kansas, police, who disassembled the light switch and discovered a hand-made video recording device with a micro disk attached.

Agents also received a warrant to search several pieces of equipment belonging to Rector, one of which was a USB hard drive that contained child sexual abuse material. The USB also contained images and video that Rector had taken that captured his wife and one of the two male victims.

In one instance on Nov. 15, 2025, Rector’s wife was with one of the two male victims at a Planet Fitness in Olathe when Rector, who was watching nearby from his police vehicle, confronted the pair. The male victim told police he and Rector’s spouse drove off, with Rector following them in his police vehicle through parking lots in the area. Rector stopped following the pair once they got onto a nearby highway.

After completing their investigation, police in Bonner Springs terminated Rector on Jan. 26.

Rector was arrested and booked into the Wyandotte County Detention Center on March 18 on a $150,000 bond. Online jail records reveal that Rector posted bond.

Rector made his first appearance before a judge on March 31. The judge set a hearing for 9 a.m. on May 19.

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.