Author: CNN Newsource

By DeJanay Booth-Singleton

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    CENTER LINE, Michigan (WWJ) — A husband was taken into custody after police say his wife was fatally shot on Tuesday in Center Line, Michigan.

Police say they received a call at around 5:30 p.m. about a shooting in the 7500 block of Sterling Street. The 38-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene from a single gunshot wound, police say.

A preliminary investigation determined that a domestic dispute had occurred, leading to the shooting.

Police say the husband, 39, ran away from the scene, and he was later arrested in the area of 10 Mile Road and Wainwright Street. Police say the suspect was taken into custody roughly 30 minutes after officers received the 911 call.

An investigation is ongoing.

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 Jennifer Mayerle

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    CHISAGO COUNTY, Minnesota (WCCO) — A mother who was blackmailed by a Minnesota sheriff is speaking out for the first time in a WCCO Investigation. Darcey Duncan recently received a multimillion-dollar settlement for the abuse she endured. The former Chisago County sheriff pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct in 2023.

She told only Senior Investigative Reporter Jennifer Mayerle why she trusted the man who hurt her.

“My story is I was sexually assaulted by the sheriff of Chisago County, and now it’s time to share my side of things,” Darcey Duncan said.

Darcey Duncan is nearly a decade removed from the blackmail scheme carried out by then-Chisago County Sheriff Rick Duncan in 2017.

She said she trusted him because he was law enforcement.

“I did, because they’re supposed to protect us,” Darcey Duncan said.

Rick Duncan was also her brother-in-law. The mother of two first reported him in a 2021 police interview.

“He showed up at my house in uniform. And then he told me we were being blackmailed and he had a letter,” Darcey Duncan told police at the time.

She told police that Rick Duncan had convinced her the two of them were being blackmailed by someone in law enforcement and the former sheriff said he’d protect her.

“This blackmailer wanted us to act like we were having an affair. If we didn’t follow his rules, he’d kill my family and Rick’s, too,” Darcey Duncan told police in 2021.

But there was no blackmailer. It was a ploy by Rick Duncan all along. The demands started with them recording her spanking the sheriff’s bare butt and escalated over time. The ruse ended a few months later, but it took her years to piece together what really happened. By that time, Rick Duncan had resigned as sheriff, and he was sentenced for stalking in a similar scheme with a coworker.

“As soon as I figured it out, I just told myself that this isn’t OK, this isn’t appropriate. Something needs to happen,” she said.

So she went to the police.

“It was very scary for me to have to tell law enforcement, considering he is law enforcement. ‘Do you think they’re going to believe you?’ That was my first thought. Are they going to believe me?” she said.

Wyoming, Minnesota, police executed a search warrant at Rick Duncan’s home as part of the criminal investigation.

“We’re looking for electronic devices used for storage, as well as your electronic communication devices, as well as paper letters from a blackmailer to a victim,” police told Rick Duncan.

During the criminal investigation, police recovered text messages from Rick Duncan trying to keep Darcey Duncan quiet. Attorneys in her civil case provided WCCO Investigates video of the former sheriff’s deposition.

Attorney: “What did you observe of her reaction when you were forcing her to have sex?”

Rick Duncan: “Probably disgust.”

Attorney: “And what was your reaction?”

Rick Duncan: “At that point, I didn’t care.”

“It just made me sick, because how could someone do this to someone else? Why would you want to ruin someone’s family or their life?” Darcey Duncan said.

“The level of manipulation, and really grooming that went into this by the sheriff, was remarkable,” said attorney Andy Noel, with Robins Kaplan.

Noel led the civil rights team, negotiating a settlement of $7.5 million with Chisago County.

“It’s accountability. This case, we have abuse of power, destruction of trust, the ability of one criminal sexual predator who’s in a position of authority to wreck someone’s life,” Noel said.

Darcey Duncan says she’s leaned on her parents to help get her through what Rick Duncan did to her.

“I was in a very bad spot for a very long time, but at some point you realize that you have to keep going. I have two children who need a mom,” she said.

She survived divorce, sees a therapist and wants other women to know there is hope.

“I look back and I’m so glad I was strong enough. Now I’m 10-times stronger. I don’t let it define me in any way. And I’m a survivor,” she said.

A judge sentenced Rick Duncan to six months in jail and supervised probation for 15 years. He also had to register as a sex offender.

Rick Duncan is headed back to court in April for allegedly violating a restraining order involving Darcey Duncan last year. WCCO reached out to his, who said his client had no comment.

The Chisago County attorney provided this statement on the settlement:

“Chisago County and its insurer the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust (MCIT) have negotiated a payment of $7.5 million to Ms. Duncan in exchange for a dismissal of her lawsuit and a release of the claims against the County. While the County strongly disagreed with the United States District Court’s decision holding it responsible for Richard Duncan’s disgusting conduct, this resolution helps avoid the potential of a larger jury verdict and uncertainty in an appeal before the Eighth Circuit. Chisago County did not indemnify or defend Richard Duncan in the litigation.”

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 Briauna Brown

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    DALLAS (KTVT) — A woman has been taken into custody in connection with a fatal hit-and-run Tuesday night, police confirmed.

Dallas police told CBS News Texas that the incident happened at about 9 p.m. underneath the Northwest Highway and Skillman bridge.

Police said a woman allegedly struck and killed a man, drove to a nearby bank and then parked her car before leaving the scene.

Police said a man who witnessed the incident told them that he gave the woman a ride to a QuikTrip gas station on Skillman.

Officers found the woman at that QuikTrip and arrested her in connection with the hit-and-run. At this time, police have not released her identity or what charges she’s facing.

The name of the victim has also not been released.

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 Josh Haskell

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    VENICE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Venice residents are voicing their frustration after a homeless encampment cleared by Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe Program returned.

The encampment, which is one of the most notorious in the area, is located at Rose Avenue and Hampton Drive.

Over three years ago, Eyewitness News was there when the encampment was cleared by Bass and Councilwoman Traci Park as the city’s second Inside Safe operation. At the time, the encampment was on Hampton Drive and stretched from Sunset Avenue to Rose Avenue.

Residents and businesses applauded the action and continued outreach that housed over 100 people, but now, the encampment is back.

“We need to not have to keep having a land war like every few months in the same place. Once we win it, we should win it. So I don’t understand why there isn’t any uniformness about the enforcement, even though, you know what? A lot of good work has been done, and a lot of people have been housed,” said Mark Ryavec, the President of the Venice Stakeholders Association.

“The law is not enforced. It goes and it comes. I wish it would just stick. It would make it easier for the PD, fire department, everybody involved,” said Craig Ribeiro, a Venice resident of 35 years.

ABC7 visited the encampment and witnessed it being cleaned and outreach taking place. But, instead of those living at the encampment accepting shelter, we saw the opposite.

While the encampment was cleaned and cleared, those living there tell ABC7 that they just moved around the corner, and once the crews leave, they plan to return.

Eyewitness News reporter Josh Haskell asked an unhoused woman named Kat whether she wants to get off the street.

“Yeah, we’re trying,” she said, adding that on Monday night, she planned to sleep, “Right back where I was until I get housing, because I’m not running away. There’s nothing to hide.”

Haskell asked Kat what the city was doing regarding outreach.

“Making our lives a lot harder, because the reason my bag gets stolen is because of a cleanup crew. My backpack, everything in it — my IDs, my birth certificate — everything was stolen, so I can’t make it anywhere because everyone wants an ID for a job, you need an ID to apply for anything,” Kat said.

According to Councilwoman Park’s office, those who live at the encampment have picked an area that’s in between two 41.18 zones — areas where encampments are prohibited.

“Two 41.18 enforcement zones we established in this area following the 2023 Inside Safe operation have largely prevented encampments of the scale we saw before from repopulating. However, the gap between those zones has allowed a small number of persistent and mostly service-resistant individuals to return. We’re working now to close that gap,” a statement from Park’s office said in part.

In a statement, Mayor Bass’ office said in part, “We have known this is an extremely attractive area for encampments, but we will not be deterred.”

The encampment surrounds a currently vacant building — The Rose Venice, a historic restaurant that has been in Venice for over 40 years.

In a statement, the company that operates The Rose Venice, Sprout L.A., said in part, “We have been repeatedly vandalized, burglarized and harassed. Despite all this, we believe in the strength of this community and are committed to an eventual reopening.”

“I’ve seen them yell at people, go after people, crystal meth use, all kinds of drugs, shouting, urinating, defecating, all of it,” said Ribeiro.

Both Bass and Park are currently campaigning for re-election.

“It’s really bizarre, and I don’t know why they’re not enforcing the law the way they have been for three years,” Ryavec 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 Caleb Stipkovits

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    COLUMBIA COUNTY, Wash. (KAPP) — Communities across southeast Washington are working to recover after weekend flooding left some areas temporarily underwater.

Dayton, the largest city in Columbia County, experienced significant flooding that covered streets with water reaching up to a foot high on some properties.

“I was sleeping so it must have happened in the middle of the night,” Josh Lucas said, one Dayton resident. “I was wondering what was going on, then I heard swooshing outside, then I looked outside and saw all this water.”

At its peak, Lucas said the water reached his doorstep, about a foot off the ground.

Dayton, Waitsburg, and other communities built along the Touchet River bore the brunt of the flooding. The towns now face extensive cleanup efforts as residents and local crews work to remove the mud and debris left behind.

“I just started. Someone already shoveled my sidewalk, I don’t know who did. It’s a pain,” Lucas said about the cleanup process.

The flooding originated in the nearby Blue Mountains, where the combination of rainfall melting snow at high elevations and additional rain in the foothills overwhelmed the local water system. That included the Touchet river and other nearby water sources, causing them to swell.

Despite the challenging cleanup ahead, Lucas offered encouragement to fellow residents dealing with flood damage.

“Stay strong, that’s it. Stay strong,” he said.

Cleanup crews continue working to clear streets in Dayton and other affected areas. Authorities are asking residents to avoid driving on roads that remain blocked during the ongoing recovery efforts.

Apple Valley News Now plans to speak further with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for more information on the county’s cleanup efforts.

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 Karson Wells

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    CALIFORNIA (KSBY) — When a wildfire breaks out, every second counts. A quick response can make the difference between a manageable fire and a catastrophic one.

CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Louis Ermigarat says that in the last 15 years, technological advances have made a huge difference in responding to wildfires quickly and efficiently.

“It’s important for us to get there within, you know, 20 or 30 minutes, nothing more than that, because we’re able to keep the fire ten acres or less 95% of the time,” Ermigarat said.

He says the use of the Alert California camera system has been a game-changer.

“The camera will send an alert to our emergency command center, and the folks will swing the camera over there and zoom in and see the size of it. With that very quick response, not only going, but gathering intel of how the fire started, how fast it’s spreading, we’re able to escalate our response,” Ermigarat said.

Now, a new company is aiming to take wildland fire detection technology even further. EmberPoint, founded by PG&E, Lockheed Martin, Salesforce, and Wells Fargo, is working to advance the tools available to fire teams.

“We want to make sure that our firefighters stay safe and that they have the right tools and the right coordinated technology to be able to, again, prevent, detect, and respond to fires quickly and safely,” said EmberPoint spokesperson Linsey Paulo.

Emberpoint says it will give first responders and utilities access to “artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and integrated command-and-control technologies” to help detect fires earlier and enhance coordination between agencies.

Before the company can fully deploy its technology, it will need to navigate a regulatory process.

“In order to utilize the wealth of information that we’ve developed on wildfire prevention and mitigation over the last 10 years, we’re going to have to go through a regulatory process with the California Public Utilities Commission,” Paulo said.

The technologies are reportedly being built out now and Emberpoint plans to be able to demonstrate them later this year.

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 Ryan Ketcham

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    HENDERSON (KTNV) — You may have seen camels Moses and Abraham around the valley at a variety of community events, but that could change soon.

“Got my first camel in 2013 that was him,” said Nancy Rouas, Petting Zoo 2 U owner who has two camels. “Yup, that’s Moses, he was 6 months old when I got him at that time.”

Rouas has two camels in total and plenty of other animals, all part of her traveling business.

“So my company is called Petting Zoo 2 U, and it started very small in 1997 with just a few goats and chickens and rabbits,” Rouas said.

It’s grown from there.

Rouas now brings her animals all around the valley to community events, birthday parties, church events, and much more.

She even brings the camels with her often. As you’d expect, the reaction to seeing a large camel is priceless.

“So many people are in shock because he’s such an impressive animal. He’s so big, but he’s also super gentle,” Rouas said.

Rouas says the trouble started in 2024 — 11 years after she got her first camel — when she claims a Henderson Animal Protection Services officer visited her property.

“She saw the camels and said that’s an exotic animal, and you’re not allowed to keep exotic animals in Henderson,” Rouas said. “It was a little bit surprising.”

The visit coincided with a USDA reclassification that grouped camels alongside exotic animals. The City of Henderson tells Channel 13 it follows those federal guidelines, meaning camels are considered exotic — and prohibited without a special permit.

But the permit process itself has caused confusion.

“It does not require an owner just to keep a camel or to enjoy their camel,” Rouas said.

She says she’s nervous about the outcome. If her application is denied, she’d either have to give up the camels or leave Henderson entirely — and she says she’d rather move.

Before it came to that, though, Rouas says she would take the fight directly to the Henderson City Council, with a lawyer by her side.

The City says Rouas did apply for a conditional-use permit, but the application also proposed keeping more than 125 animals on her 1.5-acre property.

Despite the scale of her operation, Rouas says she has never received a single complaint.

“Never had a complaint from a neighbor, never a complaint from anyone at a public event, nothing,” Rouas said.

Henderson resident Steve Brincat backed that up: “I have never seen any complaints or heard any complaints from anybody about any animals.”

Rouas says her fight extends beyond Henderson — she also plans to challenge the USDA’s camel classification at the federal level. And she’s not doing it alone.

More than 18,000 people had signed an online petition in her support as of Monday night, with backing from across the country and internationally.

“It’s wonderful to get that kind of support,” Rouas said.

Brincat says he supports her 100%.

Here is the full statement the City of Henderson sent me regarding this story:

“The City of Henderson relies on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for review and permitting of wild and exotic animals, which includes camels. Camels are prohibited in Henderson; unless, owners are able to obtain the appropriate approvals, including any required city and federal permits.

In October, the City Council adopted revised animal code regulations that include enhanced standards for rural neighborhoods. Based in part on feedback Nancy provided during a public meeting, the City added a provision allowing residents to apply for a Conditional Use Permit to request approval for additional animals on their property within the rural neighborhood.

Since the code update, the City has not taken enforcement action and has been working with Nancy over the past four months to bring her animals into compliance with the regulations. She recently received a warning after exhibiting a camel without the required approvals and permits, including a USDA exhibitor permit.

Nancy currently has a Conditional Use Permit application under review. Her application includes the camel and requests approval to increase the number of other animals on her property. The property is approximately 1.5 acres, and the application proposes keeping more than 125 animals.

As part of the review process, the City evaluates the number and types of animals to ensure they are appropriate for the size of the property and consistent with City code.

The City’s animal codes are intended to ensure that animals are kept in appropriate areas, and that adequate space and proper conditions are maintained for their care and wellbeing.

The conditional use permit will be on April 16 Planning Commission agenda.” That Planning Commission meeting is at 4 p.m. April 16.

We will make sure to keep you up-to-date with all the latest on Nancy and her camels, and we’ll let you know what they decide.

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.