Teacher does ‘art drops’ as a way to make kids smile during summer

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Arianne Brown, KSL

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    ST. GEORGE, Utah (KSL) — Art has long been a way for Sara Barraclough to connect with herself and others, and recently, she’s found another way to do just that with what she calls art drops.

A few times a week, Barraclough — a woodcarver and painter — creates a unique art piece and posts it on the local Facebook page with a clue to where it’s at. It didn’t take long for her to see that this simple gesture could bring smiles to people’s faces.

“I was at Washington Wheels Park with my daughter, and I took the first piece out and hid it, and some people came pretty quick,” she said. “They had three little girls, and they posted a picture of it and they were just super excited about it.

“There was that high of making someone happy, so I did it again, and it was the same response. The more people were responding to that, the better it was making me feel.”

Barraclough, who is also a life skills teacher at a local charter school, said that part of the reason she started doing this is because with the summers off, she wanted a way to connect with kids in a positive way. She also said that like many, she has faced her share of life challenges.

“We all have positive and negative input in life,” she said. “We go through highs, and we go through lows and we go through things that are difficult to deal with. With the negative input, we have to channel it somehow, and you can either channel that in a positive way or a negative way.

“This summer, I was struggling when school ended,” she continued. “You go from having a lot of kids the whole day to absolutely nothing. It’s quiet, and you’re sitting at home. I just needed a way to give and make someone happy.”

Barraclough started woodcarving and painting about 10 years ago after life took a difficult turn. She said it was a also way to connect to her ancestral roots and turn what felt very negative to her at the time into a “physical positive.”

“For me, I do well when I can learn something,” she said. “If I’m going through something rough, I kind of immerse myself in learning something new because with art especially, you’re channeling it into a physical positive.

“I was a new mom, and my daughter was about a year old and things were not very good with my marriage, and I didn’t know what to do,” she added. “I knew that my great grandpa and great grandma were both master wood carvers from Scandinavia. I thought, ‘I should learn to wood carve and keep it in the family.'”

She quickly found that she was really good at it. She started posting some of her creations on social media under the handle @theclevercarver, and it snowballed.

“I’ve been really lucky in the wood carving community,” she said. “I’ve been able to have a few books published, and I won a couple of awards, and it’s been a really fun hobby to help connect with the community.”

Barraclough said that she really hopes to do art drops throughout the summer. KSL went with her on a recent art drop and witnessed the quick retrieval of a newly painted “SpongeBob SquarePants”-themed art piece.

“I just love art, and I think art makes people happy,” she said. “Treasure hunts make people happy, especially when they’re attainable. If it makes people happy, why not spread some happiness?”

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.

Local DJ hands out 1,600 water bottles to unhoused residents as temperatures rise

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Marc Monroy

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    TUCSON, Arizona (KGUN) — A local DJ is handing out water bottles to unhoused residents on Tucson’s south side as temperatures continue to climb.

Jahmar Anthony, a DJ, and his friends are distributing water to homeless people in the community in an effort to prevent heat-related deaths among what Anthony describes as a vulnerable population.

“If you not from Arizona is one thing i’ll tell you is that Arizona is hot during the summer time,” Anthony said.

“They don’t have the pleasure of being in the house with the AC and they don’t have the pleasure of jumping in the pool, so why not help them,” Anthony said.

The Pima County Health Department says 117 people died due to heat-related issues in 2025. About a quarter of those were homeless people.

Anthony and his crew distributed about 1,600 bottles of water, donated by his close friends and community members.

“They all need an opportunity and hand up, so if we can do our little part to try and help them in these hard times then that’s what we’re all about,” a friend who goes by Octane said.

Anthony said he wants to challenge assumptions about the unhoused population.

“We got to really get across this sterotype that they’re homeless and they’re drug addicts because no that’s somebodies mom, dad, child, uncle and it’s up to us to look out for each other,” Anthony said.

This is the fourth year Anthony has organized the effort. He plans to continue for as long as he can.

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.

Bike ride in memory of man who died by suicide raises $1.2 million for mental health support

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Katrina Markel

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    COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — A cycling event along the Wabash Trace in southwest Iowa has raised $1.2 million for mental health resources in the Omaha area, honoring a man who loved the sport and died by suicide.

Mike Kutilek rarely missed the Taco Ride — a popular cycling event from Council Bluffs to Mineola along the Wabash Trace — according to his father, Steve Kutilek. Mike also had schizophrenia and died by suicide six years ago.

His family wanted to help others experiencing a mental illness.

“We felt that the resources for mental health were very weak in the Omaha area at that time,” Steve Kutilek said.

Bike with Mike, a bike ride in Mike’s memory was started following his death. To date, the event has raised $1.2 million in net proceeds for Community Alliance, allowing the organization to hire more staff and take on more clients.

“Being able to do something in Mike’s memory is beautiful. It helps bring us some peace. It helps us continue our grieving process,” Steve Kutilek said.

Kutilek said they will continue working to increase education and resources for anyone experiencing a mental illness, while trying to reduce stigma.

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

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.

Veteran declared dead twice by government, losing disability benefits both times

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Carrie Sharp

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    CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — A Clarksville veteran was declared dead — not once, but twice — by the federal government, cutting off the disability payments he and his wife depend on to live.

Juan Rodriguez proudly served as part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment — the Night Stalkers — in the 1990s. He was drawn to the military from an early age, enlisting right out of high school.

“I remember seeing those commercials on TV. You remember the ‘Be All You Could Be,’ ” Rodriguez said.

He became a helicopter mechanic based with the Night Stalkers at Fort Campbell. The youngest in his unit, he says his fellow soldiers raised him. But military service with the elite group also left a lasting mark. A battle with PTSD led to a disability determination in 2022, and the monthly payment became the main source of income for Rodriguez and his wife, Discie.

That income abruptly stopped in January 2026.

“You’re not dead,” Discie said.

“I’m not dead!” Rodriguez said.

Letters arrived one after another, expressing the government’s deepest sympathies. Discie said the correspondence described burial benefits and surviving spouse compensation.

“And then they’re telling me how I was gonna get the burial check and the surviving spouse compensation,” Discie said.

A letter bearing the signature of President Trump followed.

“The United States of America honors the memory of Juan Rodriguez. This certificate is awarded by a grateful nation in recognition of devoted and selfless consideration to the service of our country in the armed forces of the United States signed by President Trump,” Discie said.

With their main source of income gone, the stress mounted.

“I mean, that’s a lot of anxiety — it’s a lot of sleepless nights. I saw a sharp increase in his depression,” Discie said.

Discie launched her own effort to fix the problem, first contacting the Department of Veterans Affairs, which she said could not provide a timeline for resolving the error. She then reached out to elected officials.

“Reached out to the congressman and the state senator and no response. You’re the only one,” Discie said told me.

In February 2026, I emailed a VA contact in Nashville, and the situation was resolved within days, and Rodriguez’s disability payment was restored.

Then, unbelievably, it happened again on May 1, 2026.

“I’m still dead in the system — and then the letters start populating again,” said Rodriguez.

A visit to a Social Security Administration office offered a possible explanation for where the bureaucratic breakdown began.

“They said that the gentleman that passed away on 12/25/25’s name was Juan Morales Rodriguez. My husband’s legal name is Juan Manuel Rodriguez,” Discie said.

The social security numbers connected to the two men were not even close, Rodriguez said.

With Rodriguez still listed as deceased on paper, Discie reached out to me again. This time, resolving the error took weeks and required a call to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.

“You kind of gave us a little bit of hope, because things started moving and people were starting to call us,” Discie said.

With May’s payment deposited into their account, the couple is hopeful the mistake is behind them. But Rodriguez, who thinks of the military as family, said the experience left him feeling forgotten.

Juan and Discie updated Carrie and said they received June benefits.

But they are speaking out for two reasons: they do not want to go through this again, and they do not want anyone else to experience it.

As of now, they still have not received any assurance that the problem is truly fixed.

Carrie reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration for answers.

Only the VA responded, writing:

“When VA receives incorrect information affecting benefits, it moves quickly to correct any errors. In this case, VA has resumed Mr. Rodriguez’s benefits payments and will ensure he is issued any retroactive payments he is owed. VA has also notified SSA to ensure they are aware of and can look into this recurring problem.”

Carrie will keep you updated if the SSA responds.

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

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.

Georgia stuns Mississippi State in extra innings and heads to the College World Series for the first time since 2008

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Christopher Harris

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    ATHENS, Georgia (WUPA) — The University of Georgia’s baseball team is going back to Omaha for the first time since 2008 after surviving a wild 11-9, extra-innings win over Mississippi State on Sunday to clinch the Athens Super Regional and punch its ticket to the Men’s College World Series.

The third-seeded Bulldogs (51-12) closed out the dramatic win in front of a sold-out Foley Field, with junior catcher Daniel Jackson delivering a go-ahead two-run home run in the 10th inning, his 31st of the season, and redshirt junior Justin Byrd finishing it off in the bottom half to secure the win.

Georgia, which also got key home runs from Brennan Hudson and Kolby Branch in a back-and-forth offensive battle, is headed to its first College World Series since 2008 and seventh overall appearance in program history, per Georgia Athletics.

The Bulldogs will travel to Omaha, Neb., for the NCAA Men’s College World Series, which begins June 12.

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.

Filmmakers capture the deepest part of Lake Superior as part of new documentary

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Kellen Voss, Whitney Burney

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    LAKE SUPERIOR, Michigan (WXYZ) — As part of a new documentary about the Great Lakes, filmmakers captured the deepest part of Lake Superior, and will livestream their footage later this morning.

Very few people have dived to Superior Maximus, the deepest part of the lake. Very little is known about what exactly is down there, but phenomena has emerged surrounding the depths, such as the emaciated siscowet lake trout — “zombie fish” — that have been observed in these waters.

“Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries research biologist Shawn Sitar and the crew of the research vessel Lake Char will join filmmakers Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick to explore Superior Maximus as it has never been seen before — using a cutting-edge ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) equipped with high-resolution cameras,” the DNR told us in a press release.

“We spent the last week going deeper and deeper and deeper, 362 meters is the deepest we’ve ever been the other day,” Yvonne said. “Where we’re headed is over 400 meters, 1300 feet, that’s 35 school buses down stacked on top of each other. We really have been working up to that deepest dive.”

You can watch the live stream of the dive, which debuted on Sunday morning, as well as learn more about the documentary, ‘Hidden Below: The Great Lakes’ at this link: inspiredplanet.ca

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.

3rd inmate at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility dies in a span of a month, Michigan officials say

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Nick Lentz

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    Michigan (WWJ) — An inmate serving time at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Michigan has died, state officials said Saturday. The incident marks the third inmate death tied to the institution in a span of a month.

The Michigan Department of Corrections said 36-year-old Ashley Hoath died on Saturday morning, several hours after being transferred from the Washtenaw County-based facility to a hospital.

“During the early morning hours, an officer noticed that Ms. Hoath was feeling unwell,” the state agency said in a statement to CBS News Detroit. “The officer promptly escorted her to the healthcare area of the facility for assessment and care, where it was determined by medical staff to transfer her to the hospital by ambulance. Ms. Hoath was responsive at the time of the transfer.”

According to the agency, Hoath’s death was unexpected and the cause is under investigation.

“We ask the public, out of respect for the family, to refrain from speculation without the facts, while investigations are conducted,” Heidi E. Washington, director of the agency, said in a written statement. “I can promise you that the community will have answers to what caused this death, and the ones that have preceded it.”

Officials said 57-year-old Rebecca Fackler died at the facility on May 17, four days after Khaira Howard, 28, died there. The cause of their deaths is also being investigated.

“The department takes the safety and security of those under supervision very seriously and has comprehensive processes and medical protocols for health emergencies,” the agency said.

Michigan state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, a Democrat, said in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon that she’s spoken with women at the institution and conditions there are “intolerable.”

In response to Hoath’s death, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, said in a social media video, “We need to do more.”

Tlaib, Pohutsky and more than 30 other current and former lawmakers last month signed a letter demanding that Washington resign, citing concerns about the conditions in state prisons and recent inmate deaths.

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.

Atlanta extends Quinn Snyder’s contract after Hawks win Southeast Division and return to playoffs

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Christopher Harris

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — The Atlanta Hawks and head coach Quin Snyder have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Monday.

The Hawks are rewarding a coach who guided the franchise to one of its most successful seasons in nearly a decade.Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Snyder led Atlanta to a 46-36 record during the 2025-26 season, a six-win improvement from the previous year, while helping the Hawks capture the Southeast Division title and return to the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2022-23 season.

The Hawks also led the NBA with a franchise-record 30.1 assists per game, the ninth-highest single-season average in league history.

“Quin has been a phenomenal leader for our team, and extending his contract reflects our commitment to stability and sustained growth as we build toward high-level success,” Hawks President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh said in a statement.

Atlanta finished the regular season on a strong run, posting a 20-6 record after the NBA All-Star break. The Hawks ranked second in the league in defensive rating and fourth in net rating during that stretch.

Under Snyder’s leadership, the Hawks have also seen significant individual development. Nickeil Alexander-Walker won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in 2025-26 after teammate Dyson Daniels earned the honor the previous season, making Atlanta the first franchise in league history to produce back-to-back Most Improved Player winners.

Jalen Johnson also enjoyed a breakout campaign, earning his first NBA All-Star selection and a spot on the All-NBA Third Team after averaging career highs of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists.

“I am grateful to the Ressler family and humbled to continue leading this team,” Snyder said. “I love this group of players, love coaching this team and am fortunate to have a tremendous coaching staff.”

Snyder was hired by the Hawks in February 2023 after an eight-year run with the Utah Jazz. He has compiled 132 victories in Atlanta and 504 career wins as an NBA head coach.

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.

Man attempts to enter U.S. illegally by kayak near Port Huron, authorities say

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Paula Wethington

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    Michigan (WWJ) — An Italian citizen was arrested on June 1 after he crossed the international border into the United States from Canada by kayak, the U.S. Border Patrol, Detroit Sector, said.

He was found and arrested by the border patrol’s Marysville Station agents near Port Huron, Michigan.

The man has been charged with immigration without an immigrant visa and illegal entry of an alien, the federal agency said. He had previously been denied entry to the U.S. due to prior visa overstays.

The man also has a history of misdemeanor charges in Florida, including a conviction for fraud.

He will be deported from the U.S., the border patrol 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.

Ransomware attack shuts down Evanston Township High School campus

CNN Newsource on June 8, 2026

By Lauren Victory

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    Illinois (WBBM) — The FBI is investigating a cybersecurity at Evanston Township High School that has closed down the whole campus Monday morning.

A ransomware attack is hitting the district’s phone lines, internet services and computers, and impacting the school’s emergency notification and public address systems.

“Because these systems are not fully operational, we made the determination to cancel summer school classes and other on-campus activities until we can restore access to a point where we can safely run school,” said district spokesperson Reine Hanna.

A popup on the Evanston Township High School website announced that summer school, sports camps, and on-campus activities are canceled due to the ransomware attack that happened on Sunday.

Hanna told CBS News Chicago that they have not yet received a money demand for the attack, but it’s “part of the investigation and response process.”

“Because this happened in the summer months, the impact is substantially less than it would’ve been during the regular school year,” she said.

She said the disruption means staff may have limited access to their email and student accounts may not work. Phone systems are also unavailable.

She said the breach is causing a major disruption for students and teachers that do need to access the school building, who will not be able to for at least two days.

Staff members that were scheduled to come in to work Monday have been told to stay home and work remotely.

A school spokesperson said their IT team discovered the breach. An email sent to parents, students and staff Sunday night assured the community that the hack is being handled.

Cybersecurity attorneys and forensic experts are on the case, and the FBI is investigating.

The district’s superintendent said the school is still working to figure out what information the hackers may have accessed, and said, “recovery efforts are under way.”

District leaders said they have already reset Google passwords for employees as a security precaution.

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.