Author: CNN Newsource

By Jeff Morgan

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WMAR) — The Maryland Transportation Authority has $818 million in unpaid tolls from out-of-state drivers and collecting that money is far from straightforward.

A recent audit found the MDTA currently lacks a recovery process for pursuing those unpaid tolls, an issue that became more widespread following COVID.

MDTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner said the challenge is rooted in the limits of cross-state enforcement.

“Across the board in the toll industry, out of state collections is a challenge because the enforcement mechanisms that we typically have in-state for all agencies isn’t the same.”

Unlike in Maryland, where the state can withhold a driver’s vehicle registration until outstanding tolls and fines are paid, collecting from out-of-state drivers requires cooperation from other states’ motor vehicle administrations.

“With out-of-state, we have to rely on a motor vehicle administration in another state. So simply signing agreements between a state and saying, ‘hey, we’re gonna help each other,’ it’s got to be a lot more detailed than that. It’s about file exchanges, information exchanges,” Gartner said.

Gartner said the MDTA is already in talks with Pennsylvania to formalize a more detailed agreement.

“So we’ve stepped in with Pennsylvania and having much more, um, vigorous conversations about how to get an agreement signed before the end of this calendar year.”

State Delegate Ryan Nawrocki, a Republican from Baltimore County who sits on the Environment and Transportation Committee, is calling for a legislative hearing on the matter.

“We should do hearings with respect to this. Why do we have nearly a billion dollars sitting out there, not understanding what the leadership is doing? Yeah, I’m on the on the Transportation Committee, Jeff. I’m going to ask my chair to convene a hearing on this,” Nawrocki said.

The MDTA said it does not currently believe a legislative change is necessary to resolve the issue.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WMAR’s editorial team 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.

By Rachel Whelan

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    WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WLWT) — Months after 20-year-old Jayden Zurlinden died from a rare cancer, his family’s fight to find him treatment is changing how Ohio helps other families facing a pediatric cancer diagnosis.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the creation of the Pediatric Complex Care Navigation Program this week, coinciding with the beginning of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

DeWine said the program was inspired by Jayden’s experience.

“What this tragedy told me was that we have to do a better job,” DeWine said.

The program, housed within the Ohio Department of Health, will give families a single point of contact who can connect them with resources involving insurance and Medicaid coverage, medication support, physicians, nonprofit assistance and travel for clinical trials.

The navigation services will be available to all Ohio families, regardless of income.

“This program is going to be so helpful to families trying to navigate something that’s impossible,” Jayden’s mother, Cassie Zurlinden, said.

Jayden’s experience showed his family how difficult that system can be.

Jayden was first diagnosed with perineal rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer, when he was 18 months old. He survived, but years later was diagnosed with a rare, radiation-induced osteosarcoma.

When WLWT first met Jayden in May, the cancer had spread and his family was racing to get him to California for an experimental clinical trial.

Cassie had flown to California on Mother’s Day and waited outside the treatment center for it to open, determined to find another option for her son.

After the family met with DeWine, the governor’s team helped coordinate a medically supported flight to California that would be covered by insurance. Jayden’s parents said the resources had existed, but no single person or agency knew how to bring all of them together.

The flight and medical support were eventually arranged, but one day before the family was supposed to leave, Jayden became too sick to complete the scans required for the trial.

“He felt like he was letting us — and everybody that was rooting for him — down,” Cassie said. “I wish I could tell him that nobody was angry. It’s not fair.”

Jayden died in June at 20 years old.

His parents said the new navigator could spare other families from spending precious time searching for answers, filing appeals and trying to determine who can help.

Cassie recalled spending an entire day trying to resolve an insurance denial involving one of Jayden’s medications. She later learned it was caused by a clerical error.

“That’s not fair to families, because time matters in all of this,” she said.

The new program expands work already being done through Ohio’s Complex Medical Help Program, which covers some treatment costs for families who meet medical and financial eligibility requirements. The state is adding staff to operate the new navigation program.

DeWine said families should not have to reach the governor’s office before they can find someone capable of cutting through delays and connecting them with the right resources.

The Zurlindens call the program an important first step, but their work is far from finished.

The family has established the JaydenZ Foundation, which supports families affected by pediatric sarcomas and raises money for research into better treatments and a cure.

Jayden helped develop the idea for the foundation and designed its logo before his death. His parents formally launched it afterward.

Jay and Cassie have filled a whiteboard in their home with goals for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The first was meeting with DeWine as he announced the new navigation program. Other goals include raising money for the foundation, contacting lawmakers and expanding their network of families, medical professionals and supporters.

Jay Zurlinden said pediatric cancer research remains severely underfunded, pointing to estimates that childhood cancers receive only about 4% of national cancer research funding.

He said Jayden made both parents promise they would continue advocating for children with cancer.

“It would be easy for us to stop,” Jay said. “But we made that promise to our son, and we will never stop until real change in the landscape for pediatric cancer is made. Ohio made a first step in that, but we have a lot of work to do.”

Families seeking information about Ohio’s Pediatric Complex Care Navigation Program can email BCMH@odh.ohio.gov.

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 Addie Meiners

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — After cancerous tumors and surgery on her spine, one Henry County mom is using her children and a new machine at UofL Health’s Frazier Rehab to relearn how to walk.

Kaycie Jackson, a mother of three, was told she had two tumors on her spine in 2024. She had surgery to remove them, but it left her wheelchair bound. While Jackson is cancer-free, she’s still fighting an uphill battle.

“I couldn’t even bathe my twins or anything like that in the beginning, because I couldn’t even walk. I was in a wheelchair, had to use a Hoyer lift at home,” Jackson said. “I learned to never take anything for granted because it could be snatched from me in a blink of an eye.”

She began her rehabilitation journey at Frazier Rehab, where she initially struggled to move her legs without assistance. Now, she is walking, side-stepping, and even throwing a ball while walking, thanks to UofL Health’s Zero-G 3D Body Weight Support System.

UofL Health Physical therapist Lindsay Nalley said the benefits of the machine, which is the only one of its kind in Kentucky, are that it protects patients’ balance while providing varying levels of support to help them gradually regain strength.

“With Kacey, we’ve done lots of challenges outside of the Zero-G environment. But I’m really able to get creative and find difficult ways to challenge her in that safe environment,” said Nalley.

Jackson said she’s slowly getting her life back. On Friday, she was able to drive her kids for the first time since surgery. Small wins like that, she said, are what push her to keep going.

“I’ve learned to never take anything for granted because it could be snatched from me in a blink of an eye,” said Jackson.

The Zero-G 3D equipment at UofL Health is now available for all patients at Frazier Rehab.

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 Jim Keithley

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    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — The Portland Police Department says it is closer to solving a missing person case involving a Boston man who went missing from Maine’s largest city 20 years ago.

Miguel Oliveras is believed to be a murder victim, but his body has never been found.

Oliveras, who was 24 when he disappeared, was last seen leaving what was then the Platinum Plus Club at 200 Riverside St. at about 1 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2006. The Riverside Street venue is now known as Rick’s Cabaret.

Police now have grainy images that were captured by a security camera outside the strip club the night Oliveras went missing. The images show Oliveras leaving the club with another man, whom police believe is the only surviving suspect.

“We believe we have three persons of interest that were involved. Two of them are deceased. One is alive,” said Portland Police Lt. Nicholas Goodman.

The lone surviving suspect has hired a lawyer.

Myrna Gonzalez, Oliveras’ mother, traveled to Maine six months ago for an exclusive interview with Maine’s Total Coverage. During that interview, Gonzalez made a tearful plea for someone to come forward.

“Please speak up,” Gonzalez said. “Give my mind peace, so I can bring him home and give him a proper burial.”

Investigators have determined that Oliveras traveled to Portland 20 years ago to visit a woman who worked at the Platinum Plus Club. The woman reportedly sent Oliveras bus money and asked him to come.

Police said Oliveras was asked to leave the club at about 1 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2006, and he did so without incident.

According to police, they have identified and interviewed everybody who was at the club that night. Investigators believe Oliveras was killed and his body was dumped somewhere.

There have been a number of searches for Oliveras’ body over the years. Early on, dive teams searched the Rock Row Quarry in Westbrook, which is about a mile from the club.

Police said Oliveras was staying in the Old Orchard Beach area around the time of his disappearance. John Kerry, a Saco resident who lives in the Ross Road area near the Old Orchard Beach town line, said police paid him a visit as recently as 2025.

“A couple of detectives came up and said, ‘Can we walk your land, first of all? We’re looking, searching for a missing person, possibly a dead body. Possibly buried back here in the back of the barrens and down near the offside of the brook,'” Kerry recalled. “So we said, ‘Oh, sure.'”

Kerry owns 55 acres of land near the blueberry barrens off of Ross Road.

“I said to myself, ‘If you wanted to bury a body in the back of this blueberry barren near the brook, easily done and no one would ever see you,'” Kerry said.

Police would not confirm if they plan to search that area again, but said that future searches will include more advanced equipment, such as ground-penetrating radar and sonar.

“Finding a person that potentially could be buried or potentially could be hidden, or secreted in an area, is a long and tedious task. But we’ve been doing that now for half a year, and we think we’re getting closer by the day,” Goodman said.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about this case to call the Portland Police Department at 207-874-8575 or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.

In March, the FBI increased the reward for information leading to Oliveras’ whereabouts to $25,000, which is more than double the $10,000 reward that was offered the year before.

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 Kara Kenney

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    INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WISH) — The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) plans to launch mobile driver’s licenses within the next 18 months, Indiana’s I-Team has learned.

Wednesday, the Interim Study Committee on Roads and Transportation met to talk about the rollout of mobile driver’s licenses.

A mobile driver’s license is a digital version of a physical license, learner’s permit or identification card. The license lives on a smartphone, typically in a mobile wallet or through an app.

Indiana has been talking about the idea since 2019.

Indiana’s I-Team found at least 21 states already use mobile driver’s licenses, including neighboring Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio.

The Indiana BMV says our state’s version is currently under construction.

“There is no Indiana mobile driver’s license yet, so there’s tech work that needs to be done to actually make it,” said Matt Kestian, General Counsel at the Indiana BMV, told Indiana’s I-Team.

The state is working with alcohol and tobacco retailers, banks, law enforcement, and election offices.

“It’s not a photo of the license; it’s a connection between a phone and a reader, and so we need to have that infrastructure in place,” said Kestian.

Lawmakers asked questions about whether other identification like hunting licenses and car registrations could be added to it.

“Not at this time,” responded Kestian.

Groups including the American Civili Liberties Union have raised concerns about privacy, tracking, and security.

“The ACLU of Indiana has serious concerns about digital driver’s licenses, particularly around privacy, tracking, and the ability for the government to revoke someone’s access to their ID,” ACLU of Indiana advocacy manager Danielle Drake said.

Sen. Mike Crider, R-Greenfield, said the state has adopted federal standards that other states have used.

“I think anytime you bring something new out, you make sure that you’re addressing things that can’t be hacked,” said Sen. Crider.

Scott Shackelford, a cybersecurity expert and professor at Indiana University Kelley School of Business, said security should be a concern for mobile driver’s licenses.

“That’s going to be a really prime target potentially for attackers,” said Shackelford. “So if that database is compromised or if a phone is, those credentials can be stolen and used for frankly identity theft, for impersonation, and for other purposes.”

Shackelford said the more data we put out there, the harder it is to monitor all of it.

“When we’re relying on you know major tech companies,” said Shackelford. “Let’s just say they don’t have the best track record for accountability with our data as part of that equation.”

The Indiana BMV emphasizes that people will not be tracked, the mobile driver’s licenses will not be mandatory, and people will not have to hand their phones over to anyone.

“That that’s not at all how this works,” said Kestian. “You would not be handing your phone over to someone else. Their phone would be interacting with a device that the officer would have in sort of a like a tap to pay.”

Lawmakers did not vote and they actually don’t need to.

The BMV says all the laws they need to implement mobile driver’s licenses are already in place.

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 Bethany Cates

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    GUILFORD COUNTY, North Carolina (WXII) — Family, friends, coaches, and the Viking community gathered at Northwest Guilford High School to honor Caden Sorrell, a middle schooler who died after suffering cardiac arrest during football practice last week.

During the vigil, Sorrell’s sisters shared emotional tributes, describing him as a light in their lives and the best friend everyone wanted.

“He was the most loving, caring, sweetest boy I’ve ever met, and I’m so lucky to call him my baby brother,” one of his sisters said.

She reflected on the good times they shared and the moments she wished they could still experience together.

“The hardest thing to comprehend, you won’t be at my wedding or meet my kids. We were supposed to do all of this together,” she said.

Despite the pain, she vowed to keep his memory alive.

“I will make sure nobody ever forgets you, Caden. You will always be here in spirit,” she said.

Sorrell’s older sister shared how she felt grateful to be by his side in his final moments.

“When you took your last breath, I’m so glad that I got to be there holding your hand and being there for you when you needed me most,” she said.

A family friend shared a poignant moment from the vigil, describing how a dove landed near the number 42 on the field, which was Sorrell’s football number.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but a dove came down and landed right by the number 42 on the field. I don’t know if you noticed that, but we were not alone. Caden was here, and he made his presence known when he came down to his number,” said Alan Vaughn, friend of the family.

He also remembered Sorrell’s warm personality.

“He left every environment, every situation by hugging everyone in the room,” he said.

Sorrell’s coach shared that the number 42 will now hold a special place in the community.

“From this day forward, the number 42 will not only be with them on the football field but in the classrooms and all the homes that he impacted,” the coach said.

The family said they are working to bring awareness to AEDs and have started a fundraiser for two AEDs to have at both of their practice fields. Vaughn said they had already been given.

Sorrell’s family plans to hold a memorial service at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Ellisboro Baptist Church.

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 Jolie Rodriguez

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    STUART, Florida (WPBF) — Tiger Woods will not face a DUI conviction after accepting a plea deal Tuesday that reduced the charge against him to reckless driving.

Woods pleaded no contest to the lesser charge in Martin County. Under the agreement, the professional golfer will avoid jail but must pay a $1,500 fine and surrender his driver’s license for five years.

Deputies arrested Woods in March after his SUV rolled over on Jupiter Island. Investigators determined Woods caused the crash, and deputies arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Authorities later added a second charge after Woods refused to provide a urine sample that could have determined whether he had drugs in his system.

Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said the lack of chemical test results created significant challenges for prosecutors and would have been difficult if this went to trial.

“This was not a slam-dunk case. What you have is video of him acting a little unsteady after a rollover accident. So, [Woods] could use that in his defense,” explained

Aronberg said video showing Woods appearing unsteady after the crash was not necessarily enough to prove impairment. The defense could have argued Woods’ condition resulted from the rollover and his history of injuries.

Under the agreement, Woods may not operate a vehicle on public roads during the five-year suspension. That restriction includes driving a golf cart on a public road, although he may operate one on private property.

“It resolves a matter that would have taken up a lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of bandwidth, and also was no guarantee,” Aronberg said.

Aronberg said he does not believe Woods received favorable or harsher treatment because of his fame. He said prosecutors had to weigh the available evidence and that the agreement represented a fair resolution for both sides.

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 Dante Stanton

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    INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WISH) — An Indianapolis woman was searching for answers Wednesday after federal immigration agents detained her brother Tuesday morning at an east-side job site.

Following reports of immigration activity throughout central Indiana Tuesday and Wednesday, Circle City Broadcasting contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ask whether the agency was conducting a sweep.

An ICE spokesperson declined to confirm or deny the reports, saying in a statement: “ICE agents uphold our nation’s immigration laws in all 50 states, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.”

Dulce Morales said agents detained her brother, 27-year-old Milo Morales, while he worked at a job site Tuesday morning.

She tracked his phone’s last location to a parking lot off 38th Street on the far-east side. By the time she arrived, Dulce said he was gone. However, she said she approached a black SUV with tinted windows at the scene and met a man who identified himself as an ICE officer.

“He was wearing this vest, a green vest that says ‘Police – ICE’. He did identify himself as ICE as well,” Dulce said. “I asked, ‘Have you detained anyone? And he said, ‘Yeah, I’ve detained plenty of illegal immigrants.’”

Dulce said the agent told her they had taken several people into custody at the job site where her brother worked, but would not confirm if her brother was among them.

Hours later, Dulce received a call from Milo, who confirmed agents had detained him. She says that because Milo has no criminal record, he has no assigned federal identification number — often called an “A-number” — meaning the family cannot track where he will be transferred.

“We just want to know if he’s OK. We want to make sure he comes home. He’s a hard-working man … and I mean he’s going to be a dad soon, too. We just want him to come home,” Dulce said.

As a member of the military, Dulce says she feels disheartened to see what is happening to her brother.

“Working as a servicemember and finding out that they’re taking your family left and right, it’s really hard to keep showing up,” Dulce said.

Her family says no one has heard from Milo since 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the east-side location. They remain unsure of his whereabouts or when the government will assign him a tracking number.

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.