Author: CNN Newsource

By Peter Maxwell

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    CENTER LINE, Michigan (WXYZ) — Nine-year-old Laila Breitshtrus is in good spirits and recovering in the hospital just days after a woman crashed into her bedroom. Laila says she’s thankful she is alive and that angels were protecting her.

“I was scared,” Laila said, recounting the moments when an SUV driven by 20-year-old Caris Adell Wade crashed through her bedroom.

The crash happened on MacArthur Boulevard in Center Line just before 3 a.m. Monday as Laila and her family were sleeping.

The impact was so violent it sent the 9-year-old flying out of her bed and outside into the yard, leaving her pinned under debris.

“I felt kind of trapped under everything. I tried crawling out. Then after that, I remember my stepdad Casey picking me up and making sure I was OK and then yelling for someone,” Laila said.

After the terrifying crash, police say the suspected drunken driver, Wade, took off running but was arrested a short time later by Warren police officers.

Wade is now charged with fleeing the crash and reckless driving causing serious impairment. She could face additional charges when toxicology results come back.

I looked at Wade’s driving record and found that multiple speeding violations have put her on driver’s probation.

Laila’s injuries include spinal fractures and a laceration to her liver. On top of that, she still feels pretty sore.

“Right now, my chest is hurting, my tailbone and my ribs a little,” Laila said.

Hear from Laila Breitshtrus’ mother, Rachael Wright, in the video player below:

Despite her injuries, Laila remains grateful for the support she’s received.

“I don’t think I would have been able to make it without everybody there, especially my stepdad, my mom and my dad, and the angels above me,” Laila said.

She has a message for her supporters.

“I just want to say thank you to everybody who has been out there and supporting me,” Laila said.

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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. The Scripps editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Eric Pointer

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    HICKMAN COUNTY, Tennessee (WTVF) — The family of one of the victims in the deadly explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in Hickman County that killed 16 people is seeking legal accountability from the company through the first wrongful death lawsuit filed in connection with the October 10 explosion.

This is the first wrongful death lawsuit, alleging the company failed to take proper precautions.

Attorneys from Hughes and Coleman say the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Jeremy Moore’s daughter. There are claims that proper precautions could have prevented the deaths, and it raises questions about corporate accountability and worker safety standards.

“This is a disaster of epic proportions,” said lead attorney Lee Coleman of Hughes & Coleman in a statement. “This explosion involved ultra-hazardous materials, and the devastation it caused impacts dozens, if not hundreds, of lives. The loved ones will be in mourning for years, and our clients are still shocked by this horrible tragedy.”

Hughes & Coleman has partnered with Armstrong Lee & Baker and Terry Bryant, PLLC out of Texas to investigate the incident.

The lawsuit suggests that the explosion involving ultra-hazardous materials also raises immediate public safety concerns and questions about industrial safety regulations.

So far in the investigation, crews have identified 14 of the 16 victims through their remains. The ATF, FBI, and local law enforcement are still working to determine what caused the explosion.

Another update on the progress investigators are making is expected Friday night.

Watch the full investigation and get the latest updates on this developing story. Have information about workplace safety concerns in your community? Contact Eric at Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com – we want to hear from you.

This story was reported by Eric Pointer and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Eric Pointer and the Scripps editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Robb Cole

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    MOUNT JULIET, Tennessee (WTVF) — You might have noticed pink ribbons are popping up almost everywhere right now, that’s because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Across Middle Tennessee, events are raising money and awareness for the cause.

A senior living community in Mount Juliet found a way to honor survivors in a uniquely glamorous way.

“It’s just so exciting to see the light in their eyes. They come walking down the aisle, all dolled up,” said Karen Tucker, executive director of Rutland Place.

“I enjoy it, and the other ladies do too,” said Saundra Sims, a breast cancer survivor who lives at Rutland Place.

Their fierce clothing looks are all provided by the clothing brand Chico’s.

However, it’s a fierce fight they’ve been through that unites them much more.

“I was just diagnosed with breast cancer this year,” said Jan Drury, who also lives at Rutland Place.

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the senior living community puts on an annual fashion show featuring women who are breast cancer survivors.

“Well, it gives you closeness. It gives you something, a bond with the other ladies,” Sims said.

Saundra Sims has beaten three types of cancer; this is her seventh time walking this runway.

She said that whether it’s her fellow models or anyone battling cancer, she’s here to lend an ear and some support in the fight.

“Be a listener, to be someone that they can come to and talk to about it, because it is definitely something that you cannot know what it is unless you’ve experienced it,” Sims said.

Neighbor Jan Drury is a more recent survivor.

“I will be tested off and on for various things to see if it’s spread, it can, I guess it can spread. But so far, everything’s okay. It’s only been eight months,” Drury said.

Drury walked in the fashion show for the first time this year.

Both visited the glam squad beforehand and strutted their stuff for an adoring crowd in their dining room.

While the pink decorations and runway may be around once a year, the connections made between the models, that’s something that will always be in fashion.

“I do have a bond with all of them, we all know that we have had something together,” Sims said.

The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 300 thousand women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone.

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By Alyssa Bethencourt

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A North Las Vegas mother says she’s living every parent’s nightmare after her 4-year-old son slipped out of his daycare unnoticed and made it all the way toward a busy intersection before anyone realized he was gone.

It happened Tuesday morning at the Simmons North Vegas KinderCare on Ann Road and Simmons Street.

His mother, Ashlyn Eidy, says it wasn’t until nearly 20 minutes later that another KinderCare parent spotted the boy near the intersection and brought him back to safety.

“He could have been gone.”

Fighting back tears, Eidy recalled the terrifying call she received.

“My child could have been splattered on the street. He could have been gone. I could have been planning his funeral,” she said. “He was not watched correctly and put in danger.”

Eidy says she trusted the daycare to keep her son safe.

“I thought he was in the right hands, to be protected the way that I would protect him.”

Now, she says, that trust is broken.

“Every second, it’s guilt that I can’t believe I put my child there thinking that it was a good school.”

KinderCare admits safety protocols weren’t followed

In a statement to Channel 13, KinderCare officials confirmed that the child did leave the facility, calling the incident “something that should never have happened.”

They said that the staff members involved are on leave, and that the entire team is being retrained on child supervision protocols. The company also said it is cooperating with North Las Vegas Police and state regulators to determine how the incident occurred.

“What kind of response would you have wanted?” senior reporter Alyssa Bethencourt asked. “There’s no response that’s appropriate. It shouldn’t have happened,” Eidy said.

A mother’s plea for change

Eidy says she’s pulled her son from the center and doesn’t plan to enroll him anywhere else anytime soon.

Her biggest fear now is that another family could face the same horror.

“At the end of the day, what if this happens to another one? What are you going to do about it? You should have better protocols,” Eidy said.

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By Geneva Zoltek

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It’s not just pigeons that strut the UNLV campus, the university is also a resting ground for migratory birds.

And now — the campus is a little bit safer for the feathered creatures that stop down on their long journeys — thanks to a group of students speaking up for wildlife.

“It is a huge corridor for migration,” said Aaron Smith, a member of the Birding and Conservation Club and a junior studying cybersecurity.

“One of the best things about growing up here is that we have amazing nature and amazing wildlife, and it’s kind of hard to imagine Nevada with none of that,” Smith continued.

It’s not an empty fear.

Bird populations are in decline across the country, and one reason might surprise you: In the U.S. alone, research shows more than one billion birds die annually from hitting windows.

“We saw a couple of collisions and it’s a little distressing,” Smith explained.

But instead of standing by, the club took action by surveying campus and collecting data on bird collisions at different buildings assessing “hot spots” for collisions.

Then, they brought a game plan to facilities.

“Everything went smoothly, the way they handled it,” said Michael Bailey, Assistant Director for UNLV Work Management and Facilities Management.

Bailey explained that the students of the birding club set up meetings with his team and showed off their data, making the case for intervention. For the facilities department, it was an easy yes to get involved.

With a donation from Red Rock Audubon and labor donation from UNLV staff, several vinyl screens were installed at different hot spots — including one window of significant issue at the William D. Carlson Education building.

According to the Birding and Conservation Club, the students surveying counted 18 bird collisions at that window.

“It’s definitely nice to actually get to interact with the students, help them out with something that is important to them. So yeah, it means a lot to us,” said Garrett Hedges, who helped oversee the project with UNLV Facilities Management.

But how does it work?

“It’s a series of little dots on the glass that are evenly spaced just enough that the bird notices something with the depth reception is wrong. It interrupts the illusion,” Smith explained.

The project cements a partnership between students and staff that all parties hope to continue into the future.

“Groundskeeping and facilities, they definitely do a lot of work to make it a friendly place for wildlife. We’d like to kind of supplement that by also making it a safe place for wildlife,” Smith said.

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By Johnette Magner

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — A Shreveport family’s grief turned to shock and anger today when a burial at Carver Memorial Cemetery was abruptly halted — after relatives discovered another casket already inside the grave prepared for their loved one.

The family of Frank Ruffin Sr., a beloved pastor and musician, gathered at the cemetery expecting to lay him to rest. Instead, they were met with a disturbing sight: a damaged casket visible inside the open grave.

A casket was uncovered at Carver Cemetery Thursday morning as the funeral home prepared the gravesite for a man’s burial.

“When you open a grave, you should never see the casket of another loved one,” said Alexander Elie, owner of Choice Funeral Home, who was handling Ruffin’s burial.

Elie said that when he saw what happened, he and the family agreed to not move forward and instead reload Ruffin’s casket into the hearse and return it to the funeral home.

Gravesite where Frank Ruffin Sr. was to be buried Thursday morning.

When KTBS arrived at the cemetery shortly afterward, cemetery owner Arthur Walsh was seen using a backhoe to quickly fill in the grave. He told KTBS that the hole had “caved in,” but declined to speak further on camera.

“Even if the grave caved, why was it still like that when we got here?” asked Elie.

The end of a casket can be seen after a hole was dug Thursday morning at Carver Cemetery for Frank Ruffin Sr.’s burial plot.

Family members of Frank Ruffin Sr. console each other after not being able to complete his burial service Thursday morning.

Family members said they were stunned not only by the discovery but also by the way cemetery Walsh handled the situation.

“He offered to just throw dirt in the hole and ignore the fact that someone’s casket had been damaged,” said Ruffin’s niece, Angelica Hampton. “When we asked for a refund, he told us to call the office, said that was fine, and walked away — without even offering condolences.”

Ruffin’s granddaughter, Jer-Kiya Hall, said her grandfather was “a funny person” who “was not only my papa, he was my best friend.”

The family had hoped for a peaceful farewell to a man remembered for his faith, his music, and his warmth. Instead, they were left heartbroken and frustrated.

KTBS has reported on issues at Carver Cemetery for years, including complaints about overgrown grass, broken headstones, and missing grave markers. The Louisiana Cemetery Board previously told KTBS it has no jurisdiction over Carver Cemetery because it is not a perpetual care cemetery.

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By Victoria D

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    KENNEBUNK, Maine (WBZ) — Police in Kennebunk, Maine are looking for two people seen picking up money from the street after a man drove off with thousands of dollars in cash on the roof of his car.

On Wednesday evening, police said the man had just sold a car and got $7,400 in cash for it. He then drove off with all the money on the roof of his car and the cash then fell off on Fletcher Street.

A dashcam then caught two people picking up the money in the roadway before leaving the area. Police said they now consider this money stolen property and would like to speak to them.

At least one of the people who grabbed the money was a man described by police as being older and wearing a blue shirt and brown pants. He was last seen driving a dark gray Honda CR-V westbound on Fletcher Street just before 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Anyone with information on the people or the whereabouts of the money is asked to call Officer David Brown at the Kennebunk Police Department at 207-985-6121, ext. 1637.

Located on the southern tip of Maine in York County, Kennebunk is about two hours north of Boston. It’s popular in the summer for its beaches and is also home to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.

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