Author: CNN Newsource

By Kaylee Olivas

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    NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WEWS) — Just when you think it can’t get much worse after losing a child, it does.

Denise Williams lost her son, Derrick Armour, in 2020.

“Our favorite times were listening to the old country classics. He was the one that always worked on my car, did my oil changes. He gave me three grandkids, so yeah, he was special. He was my firstborn,” Williams said.

Since his passing, a niche mausoleum has been set up at Sunset Memorial Cemetery in North Olmsted.

Inside the illuminated glass box is Derrick’s wedding ring and a picture of him and his kids.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” Williams said to describe Sunset Memorial.

I spoke to Williams, who told me it’s too hard for her to visit the mausoleum, but that other members of her family do.

“My brother was out there on Valentine’s Day and he went to see my son. After being there a few minutes, he noticed something didn’t seem right,” Williams said.

She said the bud vase, as well as her son’s wedding ring, were missing.

“That’s like his home now. So somebody came into his home, went into it, took something from it. Did they touch his urn? Did they touch the picture of my grandkids? So yeah, that’s bothersome,” Williams said.

According to Williams, her brother reported it to Sunset Memorial Cemetery, which then contacted Olmsted Township Police.

According to an Olmsted Township Police report, Williams’ family isn’t the only one to have been stolen from.

Records indicate a retired Lakewood Police badge, identification card, and wallet had been stolen from Sunset Memorial, too.

On Feb. 13, the badge, identification card, and wallet had been found on a man who was arrested in Indiana due to allegations of theft at a different funeral home outside of Indianapolis.

The man, according to a New Castle police report, told officers he’d found the badge on the ground and didn’t know what to do with it.

Also found on this man were tools believed to have been used during the theft and other potentially stolen items from mausoleums, according to photos snapped by Olmsted Township and shared with us.

The recovered items include a locket, a pendant, a ring, and a cross necklace.

Derrick’s wedding ring was not found, however.

“Does it almost feel like losing another piece of him?,” I asked Williams.

“Yeah, that was his wedding ring, so yeah, it does,” Williams said. “This is all we have left of them. That’s all we have left is special pieces that were obviously important. Money can’t replace it. Money cannot replace this. My son’s never going to wear a wedding ring again.”

She’s not hopeful her son’s ring will ever be recovered.

Sunset Memorial confirms it is aware of the situation, saying, “Sunset Memorial Park is proud of its service to our community and the peaceful beauty and serenity the Park offers to our client families and visitors for reflection. Management is working with authorities to determine how a theft occurred at our park and remains committed to maintaining a safe and secure Park for our client families and their possessions. Steps have been taken and plans are already in place to even further enhance our security measures.”

While Williams appreciates the extra steps in an effort to prevent theft like this from happening again, she said she doesn’t fault the cemetery.

“We never felt unsafe to begin with because who would think somebody would do this. This is as low as you can get. I mean, this is stealing from the dead. It’s something you see in movies. You don’t think this is gonna happen,” Williams said. “The cemetery is also very upset about it because they have family there so they wanna make sure that it’s secure. They feel just as violated as we do.”

The man accused of stealing from Sunset Memorial is due back in Johnson County, Indiana, court on March 25.

As of Sunday night, the man facing allegations of theft in this case is still on the Johnson County inmate roster.

“This is not an isolated incident. This is not just Sunset Memorial. This could be any cemetery anywhere in this area or really anywhere across the country,” Williams said.

Williams’ hope is that the person responsible is held accountable. Not only that, but she wants her tragedy to be a tale of caution for others.

“Take a picture of your niches, put those away, put them with your paperwork for your niches or your important papers. If anything ever happens down the road, you’ll have that to prove that was in there,” Williams said.

If you have any information pertaining to the thefts at Sunset Memorial, contact the Olmsted Township Police Department.

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 Grace Rodriguez

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A community rally held Saturday at the Hudson Hill Community Center put faces and personal stories behind local efforts to stop gun violence.

Jamario Hazel, a survivor who now uses music to reach young people, described how a shooting left him in a wheelchair.

“Me and a neighborhood friend, we got into an argument, and he shot me, and that’s how I ended up in a wheelchair,” Hazel said. “A lot of my brothers that I went through that struggle with are either doing a lot of time, or dead and in the grave.”

Organizers said the Stop the Violence rally focused on connecting youth with resources and mentors willing to intervene early. One of those groups is Savannah’s Building Bridges.

“We are in the hood. We put ourselves in the hood for that reason, to make ourself available for the people who just don’t know where to run to,” Rashad Jones with Building Bridges said. “It’s not snitching. You know what I’m saying? You’re not telling on nobody. All you’re doing is relieving yourself.”

Organizers say the message for the rally is simple. It’s not just about preventing violence; it’s about saving lives.

“We have organizations. We have leaders that are standing strong in the fight to reduce those numbers,” said Jimmie Johnson, the senior director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement for the city of Savannah.

Faith leaders and advocates agree that violence doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

“We have too many children being killed by gun violence,” Reverend Alan Maynor said. “If we can attack poverty, maybe we can get a handle on violent crimes.”

Others want people to remember that every voice and every life matters.

“A house divided against itself won’t stand. And so we have to give respect and honor to what they do, and we all have to put down our silos and just come together and recognize that guess what? We need help. We need help, and we need the Lord,” attendee Todd Rhodes said.

For Hazel, he says it’s a reality too many young people don’t think will ever touch them… until it does.

“If I can get one person to listen and that one person can go and find another one person to listen, and then it just keeps going on, and I’m happy with that,” Hazel 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 Ayron Lewallen

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — For many across the country, watching the situation in Iran unfold is a mix of fear and frustration. Some are worried that prolonging the conflict will only bring more suffering to everyday people who have no say in the decisions being made.

Attorney Michael Shabani fears the democracy Iran is fighting for would turn into turmoil and destruction if this continues. He said he already lost some loved ones during the war in Iraq, and he’s hoping the U.S. and Iran solve this conflict soon.

Shabani said the lack of communication has been the hardest part. With spotty service and long outages, he said families are left waiting — sometimes for weeks — without knowing whether their loved ones are safe.

Shabani, an immigration lawyer in central Alabama, has family who lives in Iran. He told WVTM 13 he hasn’t talked to his family in a month, except for a quick conversation with his uncle just two days ago.

While praying for his family’s safety, Shabani hopes no one else loses their life before the U.S. and Iran can come to an agreement. He feels the destruction these strikes caused is a waste, but the innocent lives lost are something he just can’t accept.

“Unfortunately, the history will show in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was there — in Libya, Syria and Afghanistan — we spent so much money and time and efforts there, and lots of our soldiers got killed,” Shabani said. “These people are suffering. They’re not having the infrastructure. They don’t have basic needs after 25 years. My biggest fear is that if this continues and something similar to that happens to Iran that Iran is going to be turned into a rubble like others, and I hate it.”

Shabani hopes the American people will use their voice and speak out against what’s happening in his home country.

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 Lindsay Jones

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    SPRINGFIELD, Vermont (WPTZ) — A Springfield, Vermont, student is giving back to her local animal shelter by donating her prize money after winning a talent show.

Quinn Carafiello is no stranger to the Springfield Humane Society.

“Quinn’s actually been coming for years to hang out with the animals and has, for her birthday, occasionally gotten presents for them instead of herself,” said Springfield Humane Society Executive Director Marissa Bentley.

She recently competed in Windham County’s Got Talent, taking home first prize for her singing performance.

“This year I was like, I’m going to donate if I win. And then I did win!” said Quinn Carafiello.

Her victory came with a one-thousand-dollar prize. Quinn knew right away what she wanted to do with the money.

“Everybody needs something and I thought they needed it more than me,” she said.

Quinn decided to donate several hundred dollars’ worth of toys, treats, and cleaning supplies to the Springfield shelter. Bentley said she was touched by Quinn’s generosity.

Bentley said that because they are a nonprofit that runs off of donations, the supplies will go a long way.

“We rely solely on kind people to donate to the animals, either monetarily or in item fashion. So, it’s extremely important,” Bentley said.

And for Quinn, the goal was to give the animals a little extra boost.

“I just think that sometimes dogs can have hard lives and sometimes they just need things to help them pick them back up,” she said.

Quinn hopes her donation will bring joy to these animals.

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 Jamie Azulay

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    MANCHESTER, Maine (WMTW) — Ainsley’s Closet, a free clothing resource, is now open at Everest Recovery in Manchester. Doug Kilgore works for the opioid treatment center, and he started this project in memory of his daughter, who passed away after a battle with alcohol addiction in November 2024.

Ainsley’s Closet can be shopped by appointment by patients and community members in need. Kilgore explained, “Pick out two outfits that fit you from stem to stern, and then you put them in a bag, and you exit stage left at no fee.”

Before Ainsley died, she asked her dad for help getting rid of some old clothes. Her only request was that they were not sold. Kilgore said, “My philosophy has always been, and I think Ainsley’s was as well, that you’re giving the clothes away anyway, so why don’t we just give them to someone who really needs them?”

With the support of his co-workers and local retail experts, Kilgore designed Ainsley’s Closet to resemble a commercial store. He wanted to give people in need the chance to “shop” for their own clothes. That’s something he remembers Ainsley, who he referred to as a fashionista, loved to do.

“It’s not stuff that’s just being given to them,” he said. “They can actually pick and find an outfit that really, truly works for them.” This is an approach the state’s director of opioid response, Gordon Smith, believes can help break the stigma associated with addiction.

Smith said, “These types of things that help a person in their dignity and in their individualism is huge, so whether it’s housing, clothing, food security – all incredibly important.” He explained addiction is a chronic illness, and it should be treated as such.

The small storefront is guarded by a stuffed bear made from one of Ainsley’s shirts. It sits on a shelf beside a photo of Ainsley and below a sign that says, “The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.”

“She was that bright star on a dark night,” Kilgore said. The phrase is a reminder of his daughter’s brilliant personality. Ainsley’s friends describe her as the life of the party and a friend who was willing to join in on any adventure.

Kilgore said that quote on the wall also reminds him of the stars in the sky on the night she died. A photo of the moon and stars from Nov. 15, 2024, hangs on the opposite wall.

He said, “I think that was her just saying, ‘Hey Dad, I’m OK. I’m OK. Things are going to be good.’ And then, the next day, the sun rose. The stars came back up, and Ainsley’s closet came into existence.”

Kilgore has already given away more than 1,000 articles of clothing and helped 643 people in the year he spent getting Ainsley’s Closet ready to officially open. “It’s her closet,” he said. “You know, people are just kind enough to donate to it, but she’s kind of the driving force behind all of this and who we are and what we’re doing today. And I’m hoping that will continue for years to come.”

Kilgore hopes to expand the closet to other Everest Recovery locations in the future. He can be reached through the Ainsley’s Closet website to coordinate a donation drop-off or make a shopping appointment.

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.