Author: CNN Newsource

By Terry Stackhouse

Click here for updates on this story

    WATERVILLE, Maine (WMTW) — Nearly four months after the explosion that leveled his home and left him badly injured, Cliff Hannon of Oakland is sharing his story and thanking the many people supporting him.

Hannon is still recovering at a rehab facility in Waterville after surviving the explosion on Thanksgiving.

Holding a tattered photo of his family salvaged from the wreckage, Hannon reflected on his survival.

“It was a miracle that I even survived initially. And then it took some more miracles that I made through the first week,” Hannon said.

The explosion, likely caused by a propane leak according to the state fire marshal’s office, scattered debris throughout the neighborhood.

Despite the destruction, Hannon maintains his sense of humor, saying, “The explosion destroyed two of my neighbors’ homes, and they still like me,” with a laugh.

Hannon continues to heal after being impaled and having two large wounds on his backside, with 50% of his body burned.

“I gently rubbed against something today, and my skin was so tender that I looked down on my hands, bleeding,” he said.

After being sedated for nearly two months at Maine Medical Center, Hannon is now at Lakewood Healthcare Center in Waterville, where he has received numerous letters from friends and acquaintances.

He expressed deep appreciation for the support from neighbors, first responders, medical teams, and everyone who has reached out.

“My first non-family that visited me in Portland, they walked in the door, and I started bawling. It was just, I couldn’t believe where I was. I couldn’t believe I was alive,” Hannon said.

A fundraiser held late last year and a video of attendees offering encouragement particularly moved Hannon.

“One of the nurses comes in. She could tell I was crying, and she says, ‘Are you crying?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m happy.’ I said, ‘I’m just so happy.’ You know, watching the video and listening to the people say, get well and good wishes. You know, I was balling by the time I got through it,” he said.

Hannon isn’t sure when he will be able to leave the rehab facility, but he hopes to return to normal health and community service by Thanksgiving, as he is heavily involved in organizations such as the Waterville Sunrise Rotary Club. He also praised his wife, calling her a “hero” throughout the recovery process.

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 Ricky Podgorski, Maria Wilson

Click here for updates on this story

    KEENE, New Hampshire (WMUR) — An employee of a gun store in Keene pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing a firearm and obstructing a federal gun trafficking investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Doug Mulligan, 80, admitted to warning suspected traffickers by leaving notes on their cars that read, “ATF is watching you.”

According to court documents, the federal investigation involved an operation that transported firearms from New Hampshire to Canada.

Officials said Mulligan is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms. He was previously charged with two counts of receiving a stolen motor vehicle in 1976.

Surveillance footage showed Mulligan had a firearm when he purchased another gun from a customer at American Trikes & Motorsports.

The ATF said Mulligan ignored warnings about working at a gun store and possessing firearms, using his position to get around restrictions and interfere with the investigation.

American Trikes & Motorsports declined to comment.

Mulligan’s sentencing is scheduled for July 7. He could face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The Department of Justice said it will continue to prosecute those who enable criminals to access guns or interfere with public safety.

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 Todd Kazakiewich

Click here for updates on this story

    QUINCY, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Running her first Marathon will be a major milestone for 20-year-old Quincy native and Boston College sophomore Grace Connolly, but setting a personal record is not really why she’s running the Boston Marathon.

Her two biggest reasons — and inspirations — are her parents, Brian and Jill.

“My mom was diagnosed in December of 2012 with a rare form of blood cancer known as Multiple Myeloma, and my Dad was diagnosed with large B-cell, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the spring of 2022,” Grace Connolly said.

“I had a stem cell transplant in 2015. Multiple Myeloma has no cure. So I’m on a trial protocol,” said Grace’s mom, Jill Adduci Connolly. “My husband is still a patient in there. He is doing OK, but nonetheless.

Grace’s parents are both patients at Dana Farber, so she knows that the money she raises from her run will make a big impact through the Jimmy Fund.

“100% of the funds raised by the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge Team support the Claudia Adams Barr Program, and innovative basic cancer research at Dana Farber, which is just so important because it funds cancer research at its earliest stage,” said Colleen Fafara, associate director of The Jimmy Fund.

Grace’s grit and determination are plain to see — determination to finish the race on Marathon Monday, and raise money to reach cancer’s finish line.

“So many people have this, like, really difficult experience, but so many people have reached out to me, like, ‘Oh, I lost somebody, my parent, my sister, like, my friend, has cancer,'” Grace said.

Her pursuit has an even greater purpose.

“It’s not just for my parents, for all of them too, because you don’t meet someone who isn’t connected to cancer in some way,” she 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 Metia Carroll & Jasmine Franklin

Click here for updates on this story

    NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — The New Orleans Police Department have taken a suspect into custody, during a SWAT roll in the St. Roch area.

According to police, a man wanted in connection with two shootings and an aggravated assault with a firearm has reportedly barricaded himself inside a home in the 2400 block of North Galvez St.

The SWAT team has arrived at the scene and has blocked off North Galvez to St Roch, St Roch to Miro, Miro to Arts Street and Arts to N Galvez, creating a large square.

New Orleans police have evacuated homes in the area and are asking residents to avoid the area until further notice.

The SWAT roll was declared at 5:24 p.m.

No injuries have been reported and no shots have been fired at this time.

No other information has been provided at this time.

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 Eric Graves

Click here for updates on this story

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — Behind the bar at Fern Bar in Kansas City, Diana Condori is focused on more than just making drinks.

“You just slap it, opens up those aromatics,” Condori said while preparing a cocktail.

But for Condori, a great cocktail is about more than what’s in the glass.

“How you make people feel. It is, I think, going to stay with them more than sometimes what the cocktail is going to taste like,” she said.

As bar manager at Fern Bar along Southwest Boulevard, Condori has built her approach around relationships, something she says starts with energy.

“I think energy is everything,” she said.

That connection shows up in small, personal moments with customers.

“You don’t have to even talk to them. I just pour it. Here you go. And I think it makes them feel special to, you know, to not even have to say anything,” Condori said.

And for new customers, she keeps things simple.

“I’m not doing anything special. I’m just making him laugh. I’m making a daiquiri, which is a very simple lime, sugar, and rum,” she said.

What’s not simple is what she’s built behind the bar.

“My most important thing is making sure that the culture that I work in is a positive and fun environment, and I take care of my people,” Condori said.

That philosophy has earned her national recognition. Condori is now a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

“It’s scary,” she said, laughing.

Condori said the honor, one of the most prestigious in the culinary industry, came as a surprise.

“And to be on that list, I was like, I have so much work to do. Still, There is so much work to be done I want to keep learning and growing,” she said.

The recognition also carries meaning beyond the bar.

As the daughter of Bolivian immigrants, Condori said she’s heard from others who see themselves in her success.

“A lot of people have reached out to me who, you know, have looked like me, and they’re having a Latina in a space like this is pretty cool,” she said.

As for winning the award, she isn’t thinking too far ahead.

“That would be, I don’t know, that would be a fluke,” she said.

For now, Condori is staying grounded.

“We’re not saving lives here. We’re just making cocktails,” Condori 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 Terri Parker

Click here for updates on this story

    LAKE WORTH BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Twenty years after Cynthia Moffett was shot and killed while working at a Lake Worth golf course pro shop, detectives are renewing their call for the public’s help in solving the case.

Moffett was killed on March 23, 2006, at the Forest Oaks Golf Club pro shop on Lucerne Lakes Boulevard in what investigators believe was a robbery.

One clue has lingered for two decades.

According to investigators, the killer fled the shop with wrapped coins taken from the register. Some of those coins were later found scattered outside, suggesting a hurried escape.

Detectives believe the shooting happened between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Moffett’s body was later found outside the south door of the pro shop.

Despite years of investigative work, no one has been arrested.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the homicide case remains active and detectives are still hoping someone with information will come forward.

The case has left a lasting mark on those who knew Moffett.

Friends and loved ones have described her as someone who helped others and volunteered at St. Jude Catholic Church in Boca Raton, teaching English to migrant workers. After Hurricane Wilma knocked out power in the area, they said she used the pro shop’s gas power to cook hot meals for people looking for food.

Now, 20 years after her killing, investigators say even a small tip could make a difference.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS. Tips can remain anonymous. Information can also be submitted through the PBSO app using the “See Something” feature.

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 Perry

Click here for updates on this story

    RIVIERA BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Anthony Evans was driving to work when he says a man ran out in front of his truck and tried forcing him out of his vehicle. Seconds later, Evans told WPBF 25 News he was rushing himself and his coworker to the hospital after they were both shot.

Evans is just one of five people who were shot in what officials say was a mass shooting in Riviera Beach. It happened on March 16 in the Azure Estates Community on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard. According to police, the suspect, Terrell Gibson, then ran into the road and shot three more people as they were driving by, including Evans and his coworker.

Hear in his own words the moment he realized he had been shot and what he remembers from that night here.

Evans and his coworker are both recovering and doing much better.

He told WPBF 25 News he grew up in Riviera Beach and at one point served seven years in prison. After being released, he started R.O.U.T.E (Redirecting Offenders Unemployed to Employment) and focuses on helping at-risk youth avoid the path to incarceration.

“These things have to change. We can no longer glorify that type of behavior. So who else is best to talk to them than someone who’s been there? I must say that I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I’ve got the T-shirt. We need to come together as adults, as parents, and put forth the effort to give these kids an alternative to crime, to violence,” Evans told WPBF.

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.