Author: CNN Newsource

By Felicity Taylor

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — After spending almost 20 years in the Steel City, Mike Tomlin’s impact reached far beyond the football field.

The word his community partners used repeatedly when describing him to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Felicity Taylor was leadership, both on and off the field.

“When you put his entire career together professionally, community, he’s done a fantastic job and set a fantastic example,” said Esther Bush, interim president of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

When the Rooneys hired Tomlin in 2007, he became the first Black head coach in Pittsburgh Steelers history.

“He is a qualified individual, but he happens to be a Black man,” Bush said.

In 2003, the NFL adopted the Rooney Rule, named for former Steelers chairman Dan Rooney. The policy originally required teams to interview at least one diverse candidate for head coaching vacancies. The rule has since expanded, requiring teams to interview at least two external candidates for any general manager or head coaching position.

Bush said both the Rooneys and Tomlin helped change the racial landscape in Pittsburgh. The Urban League even presented the Rooneys with an award.

“It is for the city of Pittsburgh to have a different comfort level about putting African Americans where they belong,” Bush said.

Soon after arriving in Pittsburgh, Tomlin got involved where he lived and worked on the North Side. He became a role model through his work with Urban Impact.

“Mike is more than a coach. He’s a father. He’s a husband. He’s a man that is on a mission. He’s about making a difference,” Pastor Ed Glover with Urban Impact said.

Tomlin helped launch the “Man Up” program with Urban Impact early in his tenure. The initiative focuses on helping men love God and their families and supports the fatherless.

“When you have somebody like the caliber of Mike Tomlin coming in and shaking hands with little kids and big kids and parents and showing that he has time to do that and looks them in the face, knows their name, encourage them, that is hugely impactful,” Glover said.

Even as Tomlin moves beyond the Steelers, community leaders say they are confident he will remain involved in Pittsburgh and his influence will be felt for years to come.

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 Madilyn Destefano

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    TAVARES, Florida (WESH) — Kimberley Mills, 38, the mother accused in the murder of her 10-year-old son, Xavier Williams, changed her plea in court on Wednesday.

Mills changed her original plea of not guilty to charges including first-degree murder and felony child abuse to a plea of no contest on all counts.

The judge, however, adjudicated Mills guilty on all counts and sentenced her to life in prison.

Mills will also testify against her co-defendant in the case, 37-year-old Andre Walker.

“Our focus has always been justice for this child and accountability for those responsible,” said State Attorney Bill Gladson.

“Mills’ plea, which includes truthful testimony against her co-defendant, strengthens our ability to pursue that goal and ensures the full story is brought before the court. In doing so, Mills will spend the rest of her life incarcerated. I have no doubt she will think of Xavier every waking day and regret the pain and suffering she made him endure while she repeatedly endures her own.”

Xavier’s family was in court on Wednesday for the hearing, where Xavier’s father, Keniel Williams, told the judge and the court how impactful his son’s death has been.

“Remembering my son, I break down,” he said. “When I look at his picture every day, [there are] tears in my eyes.”

Through her attorney, Mills told the court she “loved her sons,” and her decision to accept the plea deal was made so that Xavier’s little brother would not have to testify against his mother.

Originally, Mills pleaded not guilty after police alleged she and her boyfriend, Walker, abused her 10-year-old son Xavier Williams to death.

Investigators said they beat and burned him, and even dropped a 10-pound dumbbell on him while he was duct-taped to a ladder.

On Feb. 22, 2025, the boy was brought to AdventHealth Waterman in cardiac arrest, covered in bruises and burn marks. He was later airlifted to a children’s hospital in Orlando, where he died on March 21, 2025, after nearly a month on life support.

The victim’s death was ruled the direct result of systematic abuse committed by Mills and her paramour, Walker, while at Mills’ home in Tavares, according to the statement from the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.

Child abuse suspects Florida mom, man accused in gruesome child abuse case plead not guilty Mills had two options: Plead guilty, or “there is also an option of pleading no contest if the judge accepts it and the prosecutor allows it,” said attorney Rajan Joshi.

“What a no-contest plea is essentially saying is I don’t want to contest the plea. I’m not saying I did it, I’m not saying I didn’t do it, but I’m going to accept the responsibility,” Joshi said.

The state filed a notice to seek the death penalty for Mills, and the notice for Andre Walker still stands.

“Nothing will ever justify a life. I believe whether they get the death penalty or don’t get the death penalty, that’s not going to bring my nephew back, that’s not going to bring my brother’s son back,” said Cameil Williams, Xavier’s aunt.

“God is the only person that can say this is what’s going to happen to them for what they did.”

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 Tony Aiello

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    STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT (WCBS) — Two men posing as Amazon delivery workers held a Connecticut homeowner at gunpoint while robbing him and his wife, police said.

Officers were dispatched to a million-dollar house in Stamford on Monday after a woman called, saying her husband was being attacked just before noon.

The husband told police that a man wearing an Amazon-style vest knocked on his door, claiming to have a package requiring a signature. Then, the suspect forced his way inside with a silver gun, according to officers.

The man yelled to his wife to call 911 and told her to lock herself in the bedroom. When she looked downstairs for her husband, a second man wearing an Amazon-style vest ran toward her and grabbed her by the neck, threw her onto the bed, and placed a pillow over her head, officers said.

The homeowner was able to activate the home’s panic alarm during the incident. Once the alarm sounded, the two suspects ran away.

Stamford Police Lt. Doug Deiso called it a vicious attack.

“This was a very, very violent crime,” he said.

Nearby restaurant owner called officers with an important tip

As police started to arrive and investigate, a pizzeria owner reported seeing a suspicious man yelling at another person over the phone. The witness told officials that the man was asking where someone was before he left the area in a white car.

“He was very nervous, looking at the cops going by, back and forth at the door. He started into the back of the store to see if there was an exit,” the owner said.

The witness was able to take down the license plate information and description of the car to share with law enforcement.

Getaway car gets caught up in a construction zone

Officers tracked down and tried to stop the driver, but the vehicle drove off. The suspected car was then stopped due to a traffic detour.

Police arrested the two men, identified as Hayes Edmonds, 24, and Sam Oduor, 25. The victims identified the two Georgia men as the suspects. Two guns were also found inside the car.

Edmonds and Oduor were charged with home invasion, assault, firearms offenses, motor vehicle violations, and interfering with a 911 call. They are each being held on a $2 million bond.

Stamford resident Charlie Ford said he was relieved that police flooded the area and quickly captured the two men.

“It’s very scary,” he said. “Never think it will happen in your neighborhood, and then it does.”

The homeowners were taken to Stamford Hospital and treated for minor injuries, according to police.

Amazon officials said deliveries requiring a signature are almost always pre-arranged. If you’re not expecting that type of package, don’t open the door.

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 Layza Pinero Resto & Madison Monroe Adams

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    FORT MYERS, Florida (WBBH) — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested three men accused of stealing over $10,000 worth of Pokémon cards and attempting to resell them on Tuesday afternoon.

Deputies say they were called to Dynamo Collectibles on South Tamiami Trail after reports that the suspects, Daeshaun Boyd, Jimmy Sattan and Jermaine Warren, were accused of trying to sell stolen booster boxes filled with Pokémon cards.

They added that a store employee was alerted by Gorka’s Poke Barn that the same three men were accused of being involved in stealing more than $10,000 worth of Pokémon cards with a fraudulent credit card in Collier County less than an hour earlier.

Mark Nestico, co-owner of Dynamo Collectibles, said, “If they didn’t come here and we hadn’t had advance knowledge that they were stolen, they almost 100% would have gotten away with it.

“I turned to my partner and said, ‘That’s them call cops.’ So he very nonchalantly went in the back,” Nestico said. “I spent some time hanging out with them, joking with them, having a really good time. We let them open free packs. I told them I had to put everything in a spreadsheet, so I took some time, put everything in a spreadsheet, kind of just stalling, waiting for, it to take as long as it could.”

Store employees recognized the men and called LCSO, who arrested them. Boyd, Warren and Sattan are all facing charges for possession of stolen property. Boyd is also facing a charge of providing a false name to a law enforcement officer.

“The reason people are stealing these cards primarily is because they’re almost untraceable,” Nestico said. “If you pull a card from a booster pack, there’s no serial number on it.”

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 Rachael Lardani & AJ Sisson

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    DUNCANNON, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — An 11-year-old boy faces homicide charges after shooting and killing his father in Perry County, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

WGAL News 8 obtained court documents that reveal new details about what happened the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 13, in Duncannon Borough.

Officers responded to a home on South Market Street around 3:20 a.m. for an “unresponsive male” and found Douglas Dietz, 42, dead from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the documents.

Douglas was found in his bed in the bedroom he shares with his wife, which is connected to their son’s bedroom by a closet, according to the affidavit.

After investigating, police identified Douglas’ 11-year-old son, Clayton Dietz, as the suspect.

According to the court documents, Douglas’ wife told police she was asleep when a loud noise woke her, and she smelled something similar to fireworks. She said she tried to nudge Douglas, but he didn’t move. She then heard what she thought was water dripping, but when she turned on the light, she realized it was blood, according to the documents.

Police said Clayton then entered the bedroom and shouted, “Daddy’s dead.” Troopers at the scene also said they heard Clayton tell his mother, “I killed Daddy.”

Officials noted that Douglas and his wife adopted Clayton in 2018.

Happened on son’s birthday, police say According to the court documents, the couple went to bed shortly after midnight after singing happy birthday to Clayton.

Clayton told investigators that he had a good day with his parents, according to police. “When his dad told him he needed to go to bed, he got mad at him,” the documents stated.

When police asked Clayton what happened, he said, “I shot somebody,” according to the affidavit. “He admitted that he had someone in mind whom he was going to shoot, whom he identified as his father,” the documents said.

The wife told police there was a gun safe in the bedroom, but she denied knowing where the key was kept, according to investigators.

Clayton said he found the key in his father’s drawer and unlocked the safe in an attempt to find his Nintendo Switch, which was previously taken away from him, according to the documents.

Clayton admitted to “removing the gun from the safe, loading bullets into it and walking over to his father’s side of the bed,” the affidavit stated. “He pulled back the hammer and fired the gun at his father.”

When police asked Clayton what he thought would happen when he fired the gun, he said that “he was mad, and he had not thought about that,” investigators stated.

According to state police, Clayton was taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide.

Clayton was denied bail and is being held at the Perry County Prison, where a hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22.

WGAL News 8 Reporter AJ Sisson spoke to a neighbor who expressed shock, saying they didn’t expect something like this to happen in their community.

“They’re very kind. I mean, I didn’t talk to them much. They, you know, kept to themselves over there and just seemed pretty nice. I didn’t expect this,” said Jesse Weldon, lifelong Duncannon resident.

Weldon lives just down the road and was outside during the Pennsylvania State Police’s investigation, but barely knew the people inside. Neighbors who spoke off-camera say this street used to be a tight-knit community, but not many know each other nowadays.

“Have you ever seen something like this here in the area?” asked Sisson.

“Not really. Not this close. I mean, you hear about it, like, not like right next door to people, you know?” said Weldon. “I remember the 90s when stuff was just transitioning, technology, and from now back to then, so much has changed.”

The Susquenita School District in Perry County released a statement late on Wednesday afternoon, expressing sympathy to the community following the shooting.

“We recognize that in a close-knit community such as ours, events like this can affect our students. Our school counselors and psychologists are available to provide support to any students in need.”

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 Shanice Hopkins

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    OKLAHOMA (KOCO) — Pleasant Hill Elementary in the Mid-Del School District improved its state report card grade from an F to a C by focusing on growth, consistency and collaboration.

“It’s about growth,” said Patrice Tucker, principal at Pleasant Hill Elementary.

She explained that the school’s success was due to tier one instruction, which she described as “good old-fashioned teaching” and adhering to the district curriculum to ensure students understand the material taught each day.

Schools across Oklahoma are graded on academic achievement, growth and overall progress. In the most recent report, Oklahoma scored a D in academic achievement.

Pleasant Hill Elementary saw a 14% increase in academic achievement, demonstrating the importance of what they say is consistency.

A key component of the school’s improvement strategy is collaboration. Every other week, Principal Tucker meets with teachers, district officials, and other members of a “professional learning community” to discuss data and targeted instructional strategies aimed at increasing student performance.

“We discuss data. We look at targeted instructional strategies just to help increase our student performance, which, you know, you have to have a picture of every student in order to grow them,” Tucker said.

According to the Department of Education, the number of schools receiving an A last year decreased, while the number of schools receiving a D increased, and the number of schools graded at F remained about the same.

“We can look at those letter grades, those As and those Bs. But what’s important is growing our kiddos each and every day, and if you’re doing that, then they will achieve at higher levels, and they will meet your expectations,” Tucker 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 Nick Sloan

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A Missouri lawmaker has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that would significantly rewrite the state’s marijuana and hemp laws.

If passed, the proposal would expand legal protections, remove possession limits, and reshape how marijuana is regulated, taxed, and enforced across Missouri.

House Joint Resolution 106 would repeal the state’s existing constitutional provisions on marijuana and replace them with a new framework that covers both medical and recreational cannabis.

Under the proposal, statewide purchase and possession limits would be eliminated, adults and qualifying patients could grow marijuana at home, and legal protections would expand for consumers, caregivers, and businesses involved in cannabis-related activity.

The resolution also calls for expunging certain nonviolent marijuana-related convictions and limiting civil and criminal penalties tied to lawful use.

It includes workplace protections that would prohibit discrimination for off-duty cannabis use, unless impairment affects job performance or safety.

If lawmakers approve it, the proposal would go before Missouri voters in the November 2026 general election.

The measure directs the General Assembly to establish a regulatory and tax structure for marijuana and hemp products, with limits on combined state and local taxes.

Revenue would be dedicated to veterans’ services, substance abuse treatment, and public defender programs.

For now, the measure has been introduced but hasn’t been debated or approved by either chamber of the Missouri General Assembly.

No hearings have been scheduled yet.

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.