Author: CNN Newsource

By Amber Grigley

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    INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — A small but mighty blessing, serving those in need in the community. “Thy Kingdom Crumb” serves gourmet meals from a food truck, free of charge.

WRTV’s Amber Grigley spoke with an expert about the importance of having resources like this in the community.

“We have chicken empanadas or chorizo and cheese empanadas. We also have chips and salsa, and then a homemade cookie as well. All of it is gourmet,” Caleb Wuethrich, Outreach Director for Thy Kingdom Crumb, said.

Caleb Wuethrich said, “Thy Kingdom Crumb” does more than curb appetites.

“It’s to remind people that God loves them. It’s to meet people where they’re at, and then we want to connect people with an organization that might have a physical need, and then also we’d love to introduce them back into the community, whether that be a church or another organization that would help,” Wuethrich said.

Tuesday, they partnered with Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF).

“We partnered with them because we understand that 10% of the homeless population are veterans,” Wuethrich said.

A goal of serving 200 people speaks to a larger issue that needs to be addressed.

“Homelessness is an issue that we treat as a crisis every day because we do not believe that people should be living or dying on our streets ever,” Chelsea Haring-Cozzi, CEO with the Coalition for Homeless Intervention Prevention (CHIP), said.

Cozzi said her department is approaching homelessness with a level of urgency and intentionality.

“Making sure that we have housing pathways and services to get more people off the streets and out of shelters into permanent housing,” Cozzi said.

Nearly seven months ago, CHIP launched the “Streets to Home” initiative, an $8.1 Million-Dollar solution Cozzi said is trending in the right direction.

“So far we’ve housed over 114 people directly off of our streets,” said Cossi. “Also closed three encampments and worked in two downtown zones. The promise of Streets to Home is that once we house everyone from an area, then we work to clean, close and maintain that area for its original usage.”

Cozzi said partnering with organizations similar to “Thy Kingdom Crumb” aligns the momentum to respond in a unified way.

“We’re meeting so many people who are hurting and in pain, and we want to come alongside them and walk with them,” Wuethrich said.

“Thy Kingdom Crumb’s” next pop-up will be this Thursday from 4-6 p.m. at the transit center on East Washington.

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 Frank Sulkowski

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    GUYTON, Georgia (WJCL) — Remember that movie, We Bought a Zoo?

The 2011 film starring Matt Damon was based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee. It told the true story of a family that purchased a dilapidated zoo and worked to restore it to its former glory.

Well. An Effingham County family has taken things a step further – building a zoo from scratch and they’re inviting everyone to come take a walk on the wild side.

“When we did our first build, these were just wooden bird cages,” said Shannon Valim. “We now call this Main Street.”

It’s a Main Street where you can hang around with a sloth – chill with a Kookaburra or roll around with the warthogs.

Shannon and Gilvan Valim have taken their love of animals to the next level. The Valim family turning their sprawling property between Guyton and Oliver – into a safe home for hundreds of animals and exotic birds from around the world.

Welcome to Hope Ranch.

“People say a zoo – in Guyton, Georgia, that’s not possible,” said Valim. “We’ve taken things nice and slow. It’s been important to be methodical about everything.”

Many of the animals are donated and others rescued, like Pogo. The Rhesus macaque, just settling in to her new surroundings at Hope Ranch.

“We’ve had it here for just a couple of weeks,” said Valim. “When animals come here, they get blood work done and are in quarantine for several weeks before being moved into their new enclosures.”

Housing and caring for so many furry, four-legged and feathered friends is no easy task.

A small staff and volunteers have helped turn Shannon and Gilvan’s dream into a reality.

Over the years, this once small, private aviary and ranch has been transformed into a full blown zoo.

“We are constantly learning,” said Valim. “We share knowledge with folks and they share with us. We take pride in everything that we do here at Hope Ranch.”

A Grand Opening celebration is set for Saturday, March 28 at Hope Ranch.

In addition to seeing the animals up close, local vendors and food trucks on will on site from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The cost is $20 per person, children 2 and under are free.

Hope Ranch is located at 1381 George Hurst Road in Guyton.

For more on Hope Ranch, visit their website or follow them on social media.

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 Nicholas Brooks

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — A Jackson woman said she was hunted, beaten and shot all in front of her 7-year-old son.

Crystal Emery, a mother and amputee with one arm, said the violence escalated suddenly over the weekend when her husband came home intoxicated.

“As I’m standing directly in front of him, asking him what you’re on, he was like, ‘All I need you to do is give me a reason. Give me a reason,'” said Emery.

Emery said she took that statement as a warning sign and made a crucial decision.

“So, my mind was like, ‘Go get your son and just get in your car and go,'” said Emery.

But she said she never made it safely to her car.

“Then he was like, ‘You’re not going anywhere.’ As I’m going this way, he runs off the porch, knocks me to the ground, punching me all over my face and head,” Emery said.

Emery said she was beaten while her 7-year-old son watched in horror.

“My son was like, ‘Duke, please stop hitting my mom. Don’t do my mama like that,'” said Emery.

She said her husband had a gun and took her phone, preventing her from calling for help. Emery and her son finally got into the car, hoping to escape.

But that’s when she said the gunfire began.

16 WAPT News counted four bullet holes that went through her windshield, all while she and her son were inside. The damage is still visible — bullet holes piercing the windshield and even the driver’s seat where Emery was sitting.

Emery was shot in the shoulder.

“He was like, ‘Oh, so now I have to justify why I shot you,'” said Emery.

Her story highlights how quickly domestic violence can escalate. This past weekend in Brandon, a woman was killed by her husband, who then died by suicide. Last year in Yazoo City, a teacher was killed by her ex-partner, who also died by suicide. Both tragic domestic violence cases.

Despite the severity of the incident, 41-year-old Ackland Dukes is currently charged with aggravated domestic violence. Emery said she believes the case should be considered attempted murder.

We did speak with Jackson Police Chief Tyree Jones, who said it is highly likely additional charges could be filed once the case is presented to a grand jury.

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 Norman Seawright

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    NEW ALBANY, Indiana (WLKY) — Bobby and Debbie Wilburn of New Albany say thieves stole and altered checks they dropped at the Elm Street post office, resulting in about $14,000 taken and several other checks still missing.

The Wilburns, who own a construction business, say they dropped more than 20 checks at the post office to pay business expenses and later learned three had been altered and deposited by thieves.

“Today is our anniversary,” Debbie said. “We’re spending it at the bank.”

The couple was first tipped off by an email from their bank, leading them to realize a check was altered.

“We actually still have that check number in our checkbook. So we didn’t even write that check,” Debbie said.

“We’re a small business—nine employees—and it hurts when you get hit like that,” Bobby said.

Debbie said the theft created a series of issues: “We had to close our account, pay $300 to get payroll checks here by Thursday, and pay late fees from everything not reaching where they’re supposed to be going.”

After Debbie posted about the theft on Facebook, other residents reported similar incidents.

“It’s sad you have to go to Facebook to find out that this has been happening to a lot of other people,” Bobby said.

Indiana State Police say they are investigating similar crimes.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service sent a statement:

“USPIS is aware of reports regarding stolen mail from the New Albany Post Office. There is an ongoing investigation being conducted by USPIS out of Indianapolis which covers southern Indiana. USPIS is in contact with local law enforcement who have received reports of the theft and have been instrumental in identifying local victims of this illegal activity.

“Combating mail theft is a priority for USPIS. We are coordinating with the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute criminal enterprises targeting the mail for their illegal activity. If any your viewers have been victims of this crime or have witnessed suspicious activity related to these criminal acts, they can report it to USPIS by calling 1-877-876-2455 or by filing a mail theft complaint online at uspis.gov/report.”

For now, the Wilburns say they will not send their checks through the New Albany post office.

“I just think that everybody needs to know that this is going on down here and, you know, take precaution because, you know, it’s a hassle,” Bobby 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 DeAndria Turner

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Four days after surviving a shooting that killed his twin brother, Ravon Allen says he knows who was responsible and is pleading for justice.

“It hurts for me to think about my brother,” Allen said. “I can’t think about my brother.”

Allen said he and his twin, Remon, were shot Friday inside their Smoketown home after falling asleep.

“We’re all downstairs, playing on the game stuff, and they were getting high,” Allen said. “We fell asleep. Next thing you know, I heard somebody come in, but before I could open my eyes, me and my brother, we got shot up.”

Emergency radio traffic captured the violence.

“Nine gunshots heard from location,” one Broadcastify transmission said.

Allen said he remembers feeling multiple gunshots.

“I really did feel myself getting shot like four or five times,” he said.

He said he survived by playing dead, then forcing himself to regain his vision before calling 911.

“I had to sit down to get my composure together and really talked to God,” Allen said. “I asked God to give me my vision or to help me. … Once I got back together, I called the police.”

Dispatch audio described the scene in the moments after the shooting.

“He’s advising he’s inside and he was shot in his sleep,” one dispatcher said.

Another transmission said: “27-year-old male shot in the head.”

Allen said two other men were inside the home when he and his brother fell asleep. He said he believes they helped let the shooters inside.

“I know one of the guys, both of them had guns at the time, and I know they let someone in,” Allen said. “They let someone in the house to do it.”

As he recovers, Allen said the trauma of losing his twin has been overwhelming.

“Me and him went through any and everything together,” he said. “If I had nobody, it was my brother by my side 24/7.”

He said the image of his brother after the shooting is one he cannot escape.

“Any time I think about my brother, all I can think about is how he was shot, and he was just laying there,” Allen said.

Allen said his family did nothing to deserve what happened.

“We never carried ourself or did anything for this to happen,” he said. “I just want to get justice for my brother.”

He also said a detective showed him a photo of a possible suspect and that he immediately recognized the person.

“As soon as he showed me that first picture, I was like, ‘That was one of the main guys who did it,’” Allen said.

Allen said he remains hospitalized and is struggling physically and emotionally in the aftermath of the shooting.

“I can’t talk to anybody or anything like that at all,” he said. “I just been in the hospital suffering.”

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 Zach Rainey

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    NORTH CHARLESTON, South Carolina (WYFF) — Officers said a report of a naked man outside a North Charleston, South Carolina, gas station led to a drug arrest on Monday afternoon.

Around 4:15 p.m., an officer with the North Charleston Police Department responded to the Circle K gas station on Rivers Avenue following a call about a man reportedly naked in the nearby bushes.

Upon arrival, the officer found the man in plain view without pants.

The officer instructed the man, identified as 34-year-old Davon Octavious Lawrence, to put on his pants, which were beside him.

While gathering Lawrence’s belongings, the officer found a small bag containing less than a gram of methamphetamine. Lawrence admitted that the bag and one of the IDs inside belonged to him.

Lawrence was charged with possession of methamphetamine and indecent exposure. He was transported to the Al Cannon Detention Center.

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.