Author: CNN Newsource

By Hannah McIlree

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — Taking the bus or calling an Uber isn’t something most people have to plan ahead for. But for people who use wheelchairs, securing a reliable ride can take days, even a week of preparation. One Detroit woman is hoping to change that.

In 2024, Dominique Townsend was heading home from the grocery store with her son when she was shot five times while sitting in her truck. The men who attacked her were strangers, and the shooting left her paralyzed at 35.

“Becoming paralyzed drastically changed everything… it took away my freedom. It took away my mobility to just get in the car and go free like I want to,” Townsend said.

Townsend says those challenges inspired her to begin developing RideAble, a rideshare service designed specifically for people who use wheelchairs.

“You can go wherever… we don’t have limitations to doctors’ appointments or therapy. You can go to the grocery store, social events, visit a friend downtown, wherever you want to go,” she said.

RideAble isn’t a full mobile app yet. Townsend has launched a pilot program that matches riders with wheelchair‑accessible drivers through her website.

“You’re not just making money, you’re giving back as well because you’re helping out people with disability and mobility challenges,” she said.

Townsend says the need for accessible transportation is significant, especially for people who can’t rely on public transit or traditional rideshare apps.

“If you want to get a ride to appointments or doctor’s visits, you have to schedule days ahead… sometimes they don’t show up. Sometimes they’re late,” she said.

Townsend is still recruiting drivers. Anyone interested must complete a background check before joining the pilot program. She hopes to launch the full app after a successful test phase.

The Detroit Department of Transportation says all 291 of its buses are equipped with wheelchair‑accessible ramps. The department says wait times vary by route and time of day, anywhere from five minutes to an hour. While DDOT is exploring new accessibility technology, no major upgrades are planned in the near future.

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 Cifone

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A powerful Kona low storm system is forcing evacuations across the North Shore and Central Oʻahu, as relentless rain pushes waterways to dangerous levels and strains emergency shelters islandwide.

Officials are closely monitoring the Wahiawā Dam near Lake Wilson, which is nearing capacity after days of steady rainfall on already saturated ground. The threat of flooding has prompted evacuations in areas including Haleʻiwa and Waialua.

In Central Oʻahu, evacuees have been arriving at shelters throughout the day as conditions continue to shift.

At Wahiawā District Park, which opened early in the morning, residents described how quickly the flooding escalated. One couple said they watched their car float away as water rushed into their home, forcing them to evacuate immediately.

Another resident reported being awakened in the middle of the night by emergency crews.

“It was a bang on the wall at three o’clock in the morning — police telling us to get out,” said Clem Camou, an Otake Camp resident. “There was water everywhere, rushing, moving fast. I’ve got a surf shop in my backyard… I’m just hoping it’s still there when I get back.”

Shelter staff have been assisting families since early morning, with evacuees arriving by bus from areas like Waialua. Some were also taken to Leilehua High School as officials worked to distribute people across available locations.

Residents said this storm feels different from previous Kona lows. During past events, shelters were largely occupied by the homeless population. This time, many evacuees are families displaced by rising floodwaters.

As conditions worsened on the North Shore, evacuations intensified, with some residents airlifted out of flooded areas where access roads became impassable.

Several of those evacuees were transported to shelters on the west side, including Nānākuli High School, where crews are preparing for a surge in arrivals.

“A busload of about 40 people — we will be assisting them as they enter our shelter,” said Principal Christine Udarbé. “I know there is another busload coming.”

The school began operating as a temporary refuge earlier in the day and is transitioning into a full emergency shelter with support from the American Red Cross. Staff and volunteers have been setting up sleeping areas, organizing supplies, and preparing for additional evacuees.

Other shelters are also opening to meet growing demand.

In Central Oʻahu, Inspire Church Mililani has stepped in to provide relief for displaced residents, particularly as conditions forced the evacuation of shelters like Waialua High School due to flooding and safety concerns.

“I saw Lake Wilson this high — I’ve never seen it like this,” said Pastor Clint Chinen. “We’re just getting ready to help people who aren’t able to stay safely where they are. Inspire Church, we’re here for the community.”

Church leaders said a team of volunteers is ready to assist around the clock, but supplies are already running low. They are requesting donations of bottled water, nonperishable food, towels and other essentials, as more evacuees are expected.

City officials said evacuation efforts remain ongoing and plans continue to evolve as conditions change. Authorities are also urging the public to avoid flying drones, warning that they are interfering with airlift operations, which remain a top priority.

Officials continue to urge residents in evacuation zones to follow all instructions, emphasizing that conditions can shift rapidly as the storm system moves through the islands.

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 Brady Halbleib

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    GLENN, California (KOVR) — The war in Iran isn’t just impacting oil prices. It’s also hitting California farmers.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down, growers are unable to ship products to one of the Middle East’s biggest trading hubs: Dubai.

“It’s just the uncertainty. We don’t know what to do,” said Bill Carriere of Carriere Family Farms in Glenn, California.

Carriere said the Middle East accounts for more than 20% of his business, with shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz to Dubai. Carriere noted that his own farm ships to more than 30 countries.

But with fears of Iranian missile strikes, it’s not just oil tankers being disrupted but agricultural shipments too.

With shipments to Dubai taking 30 days, some of Carriere’s walnuts are now stuck at sea, unable to reach port.

“We have loads ready to go, and our buyers are telling us don’t ship because we don’t know how long this will last,” Carriere said.

With walnuts only lasting so long in storage, there’s growing concern at Carriere Farms that this year’s crop could spoil, creating a backlog ahead of next harvest.

“I’m optimistic, but this is an unusual situation,” Carriere said. “We’ve never seen this before. It’s the unknown.”

At the same time, rising oil prices are driving up shipping and transportation costs, adding even more pressure on farmers.

Meanwhile, the California Farm Bureau says it’s closely monitoring the situation.

“California farmers and ranchers have faced elevated input costs for several years and increased prices for fuel and fertilizers, combined with market disruptions, come at a time when the U.S. farm economy is facing significant financial headwinds,” the bureau said in a statement to CBS News Sacramento.

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 Carlos E. Castañeda

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    MENDOCINO, California (KPIX) — A surfer in Northern California was injured in a reported shark attack off a public beach, prompting the temporary closure of the beach, authorities said.

California State Parks said in a press release that rangers received a report on Wednesday at about 5:18 p.m. of a shark biting a 39-year-old man surfing off Big River Beach in Mendocino Headlands State Park in Mendocino County. The surfer sustained injuries to both of his legs and was taken to a hospital in Fort Bragg; his condition was not disclosed.

At the time of the incident, three off-duty State Parks seasonal lifeguards were surfing nearby and helped rescue the surfer, the agency said.

Cal Fire, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife also responded, according to the release. CDFW was collecting evidence and leading the ongoing investigation, State Parks said.

Following the incident, State Parks posted signs at nearby beaches notifying of a 48-hour beach closure as part of the department’s protocol.

Studies show that shark-human interactions are rare, even in high-proximity areas like Southern California, where sharks and people share the water 97% of the time. California averages fewer than three, and often zero, annual shark attack injuries, according to a CDFW study.

The U.S. averages about 40 to 44 attacks yearly, while in 2025, unprovoked shark attacks worldwide totaled, according to the International Shark Attack file.

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 Riley Rourke, Paul Burton

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    COHASSET, Massachusetts. (WBZ) — A man has been charged after allegedly secretly filming two women with a hidden camera in a restroom at a public library in Cohasset, Massachusetts.

The suspect, 63-year-old Thomas Campbell from Marshfield, allegedly set up the camera in the unisex restroom of the Paul Pratt Memorial Library on March 16. Court documents show that Campbell used a partially taped iPod Nano and placed it in an overdose prevention kit inside the bathroom. The camera captured two women using the restroom and court documents say it “very likely could’ve captured children as well.”

“It would be hard to believe that no children were recorded because children go in there,” said Robin Donahue from Cohasset.

Secret camera discovered in bathroom The device was discovered by library staff that same day as they were restocking the prevention kits. She told police that she had noticed a hole had been ripped in one of the kits and that she had found the iPod inside. The staff member removed the device and called the police.

Police believe that Campbell had taken the prevention kit on March 13, when staff noticed it needed restocking, and had modified it before returning it on March 16 to set up the device.

A video of Campbell setting up the camera in the restroom was also found on the device, showing “his face and upper body multiple times.” Officers sent the video, along with the iPod’s serial number, to an IT manager to help track down the suspect. The IT manager was unable to locate the suspect using the number, but told police he believed that he resembled Campbell, with whom he had previously worked. Campbell runs an IT company, according to investigators.

Campbell was arrested and charged with recording individuals in a state of nudity without their knowledge or consent and illegal wiretapping. He appeared in court on Friday visibly shaking.

He is being held on $2500 bail, must stay away from both victims and the Cohasset library. He also cannot use any public restrooms in Norfolk County. Campbell will be back in court on April 16.

Court documents show that he has a previous criminal history of accosting, disorderly conduct, trespassing, malicious destruction of property, lewd and lascivious conduct.

Parents disturbed about filming in bathroom Parents were distraught to find out about the hidden camera at a library they frequent with their children. Donahue explained that she comes to the library three times a week with her children.

“You don’t think about something like that happening in a small town like this,” Donahue said. “I take for granted that it’s safe for me to bring a four-year-old into the kids’ section of the library.”

“I was shocked, I was stunned, it’s supposed to be a safe place for children to come play,” parent Diana DePalo 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 John Dias

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Police are searching for a suspect who jumped into the water at Mill Basin to evade police.

It happened at around midnight at the Kings Plaza Shopping Center in Brooklyn.

Two suspects were attempting to steal two vehicles when responding officers arrived on the scene, according to the NYPD. One of the two suspects was apprehended. The other, however, took off and jumped into the water. He hasn’t been located yet.

The NYPD and FDNY responded with specialized units including helicopters and marine units to help search the area.

“That’s crazy. I’ve never heard of something like that, where you jump into the water and get away. Usually they catch you. So I’m kind of amazed to hear that happened,” one area resident said.

There’s no word yet on charges for the suspect who was taken into custody.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on X, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.

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 Patrick Damp

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Texas man has been charged after an abandoned dog was found at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

According to Allegheny County Police, around 5 p.m. on Friday, county officers were alerted to the dog, which was running loose near the curb at departures. With the help of some bystanders, they were able to locate and secure the dog. The dog, a Labrador puppy, is now in foster care.

As officers began investigating, they spoke with a 42-year-old man, Omar Perez of Texas, and he told them he saw an Uber driver abandon the dog.

However, they later learned that Perez had abandoned the dog when he learned he would not be able to fly with it. Perez is now being charged with animal cruelty and animal abandonment.

This is the second time in recent history that a traveler abandoned a dog at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

In 2023, a woman left her dog in a stroller near the entrance to the short-term parking lot.

While that dog did not have a collar, police were able to use the microchip to identify its owner. They learned the owner was told she could not bring the dog on the flight and would have to have the dog crated. She declined, but still boarded a flight to Mexico.

Originally, she was charged with neglect and animal cruelty, but those charges were withdrawn after a guilty plea.

Allison Gaiser, the owner of the bulldog, ended up paying a $150 fine.

After the dog was found, it was taken to Animal Friends, where they were “inundated” with requests to adopt the dog.

“We are grateful for the interest and compassion, but for now, we are focused on moving this case forward and ensuring the dog receives the justice he deserves. The outcome of the case will determine his next steps and his final home,” Animal Friends said in a news release at the time.

Just a couple of months later, another dog was found at the airport; this time, the dog was found tied to a pole in the short-term parking garage.

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.