Author: CNN

WWJ

By Paula Wethington

Click here for updates on this story

    WOODHAVEN, Michigan (WWJ) — A Southeast Michigan judge called out a defendant during a virtual court hearing, saying it looked like she was operating a vehicle while participating in the video conference.

“Am I crazy, or does it not look like you are driving that car?” the judge said.

The hearing took place on Monday in the 33rd District Court in Woodhaven, with Judge Michael K. McNally presiding.

Video conference participation is allowed on a case-by-case basis for court hearings in Michigan. The Zoom video platform shows an array of images of those participating, whether they are in the courtroom or another location.

The case involving the woman in a car was one of multiple cases recorded on the judge’s livestream that day.

When court officials noted on the record that the woman wasn’t signed into the video call at the designated time, McNally issued a declaration by default and began another conversation with the attorney.

A court staffer then interrupted the judge, saying, “I have an iPhone here that I haven’t been able to identify.”

The judge told the person on the iPhone to start the video function on their device and “tell us your name, please.”

The woman stated her name. She said she didn’t know how to virtually enter the hearing room correctly.

McNally again insisted that the woman sign in to the hearing with a video view, which she did. A video conference image shows her seated in a vehicle with a seat belt across her shoulder.

“I just ordered a default judgment,” the judge said as the connection was made.

“You cannot be driving, ma’am,” the judge said, shaking his head, as he looked at the computer screen. “What are you doing? Come on.”

“I am not driving. I’m a passenger in a car,” the woman replied.

The judge insisted he would not be hearing a case during which a participant was driving, or as passengers in cars.”

The woman said she would pull over, then continued to insist she was a passenger.

“I’m sorry. I have an emergency. I’m going out of town for a family member, but I will have my driver pull over. Hang on,” she said.

“What side of the car are you on?” the judge asked.

“I’m on the left-hand side,” she replied.

“How would you be on the left-hand side if you’re a passenger in the front seat? Am I missing something?” McNally asked.

She could be seen looking forward, and also out of the window as the vehicle appeared to be moving, but not directly at the phone screen.

“You know you’re lying to me, right?” the judge said. “Let me see the driver.”

She appeared to sigh. “Hang on one second. … I have to ask their permission.”

“Now,” the judge yelled.

The vehicle stopped. She exited the door as the vehicle appeared to be parked near a business. No one else was shown on her camera.

“You think I’m that stupid?” the judge said. “I’m going to go ahead and enter a default judgment. … You lied to me.”

The judge said his order for a judgment of $1,921.95 will reflect that the defendant was “not available at the time and then was driving a car and telling the court she was not.”

“Have a great day. Thank you,” he said as he ended the hearing.

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.

KOVR

By Ashley Sharp

Click here for updates on this story

    WOODLAND, California (KOVR) — Following a vicious attack by a large, loose dog on a small dog at a Woodland park, both the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office and Yolo County Animal Control are investigating the incident, as potential criminal charges are pending for the owner of the dog responsible.

It happened on Saturday, March 14, at Campbell Park in Woodland.

Neighbor Tom Bowler tells CBS Sacramento he was just wrapping up a walk at the park with his 14-year-old rescue dog, Petey, when a loose dog he describes as a pit bull came running from the garage of a neighboring home.

“I did everything I could to save him. I still feel some guilt,” Bowler said.

Petey was rushed to the vet, where he eventually died from severe injuries to his neck and torso.

“He took Petey into his mouth and he held on to him for about two minutes, mauling him. I did everything I physically could do to try and release the grip of the Pitbull while yelling for help,” Bowler said.

Bowler says mid-attack, the dog’s owner eventually ran out from the open garage to help.

That neighbor, he says, was the first to report the attack to animal control.

“I asked the animal control officer where the dog was. He told me the dog would remain with the owner, because the owner told him that this had never occurred before. Well, if I were the owner, I’d say the same thing,” Bowler said. “I’m being told by the animal control officer that the maximum penalty for this is $500 and I’m faced with $10,000 plus in vet bills, which I could care less about. I’d give every every dime I’ve got to get my dog back. But something needs to be changed in the laws regarding this kind of stuff, because, clearly, a $500 fine, it does nothing. It’s meaningless.”

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig told CBS News Sacramento on Tuesday that they have identified the dog’s owner and they could potentially face criminal charges, pending the completion of the investigation.

The dog responsible has not been taken by animal control at this time.

Across Campbell Park, Bowler hung flyers in Petey’s memory. He hopes other dog owners will be aware.

“It is kind of scary to hear that, because a lot of people here are dog lovers, you know, and so we want to protect our animals,” said Leslie Contreres, a neighbor walking her two small dogs at the park Tuesday evening.

She worries it could happen again and said she has had to run from another loose dog in the park in the past.

“It’s just being aware of what your abilities of your dog are, and if they can get out, you know. Accidents happen, but that’s a pretty serious accident,” Contreres said.

Last Tuesday, March 17, Bowler went to the Woodland City Council meeting and spoke in public comment to explain what happened and advocate for change.

“What I hope can come from this is some more proactive enforcement, maybe some new laws locally,” Bowler said at the podium.

“We’ll see what we can do, perhaps more patrols in that area if there is a continuing problem,” Mayor Tom Stallard responded, saying he, too, had lost a pet cat to a loose dog in the past.

It’s a petition for tougher consequences from a dog owner who says he never expected to lose the dog he adopted from the Yolo County SPCA at just 18 months old in this horrific way. He called Petey his best friend.

“The only reason I’m not crying now is I’m pretty much cried out, but to witness the carnage, the sounds, the sights, that’s something that’s in my head, and it is getting out of my head anytime soon, if ever,” Bowler said.

Almost exactly one month ago, CBS News Sacramento reported on another small dog being attacked and killed by a large dog in Natomas.

The Yolo County District Attorney’s office posted on social media Tuesday, reminding people of local leash laws across the county, sending a message that incidents like these will not be tolerated.

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.

KPIX

By Brad Hamilton

Click here for updates on this story

    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Hard work done in the dark is about to bring the famed Bay Lights back to the Bay Bridge.

Bart Ney, who has spent the majority of his 30-year career at CalTrans, has focused on one of the busiest and biggest overpasses in the world.

“I was on the team that built the new eastern span. I’ve worked on the Bay Bridge for 20 years,” Ney told CBS News Bay Area.

On one particular night, he’s happy to work the late shift to see firsthand the finishing touches on the revitalization of the Bay Bridge lights.

First introduced in 2013, the original collection of over 40,000 bulbs that lit up the structure sparked attention like never before.

“The original Bay Lights were such a hit globally. We had media from all over the world doing stories on the Bay Lights, kind of putting the Bay Bridge kind of back in everybody’s view,” he explained.

However, in 2023, the lights were shut off after years of environmental wear. That decision was made by the artist behind the project, Leo Villareal.

“There was kind of an uproar in San Francisco. People said, ‘We want this back, this has become part of my therapy,’ it has become part of the city,'” Villareal told CBS News Bay Area.

The project, privately funded, cost $11 million to replace the original installation and embark on a new chapter.

“The exciting thing for me is that the way it provokes a sense of wonder and awe,” Villareal added. “It just dazzles people and people can’t help but talk to one another.”

Ney adds that the positive feedback they’ve received since announcing the return is just another sign that this project was worth the time and effort it took to make it happen.

“There is 48,000 individual LED lights in this installation. The western spans of the Bay Bridge are two miles long. They are over 500 feet above the water at the highest points, so it’s a lot,” Ney said.

On March 20th, an official ceremony will celebrate the relighting of the Bay Bridge.

But on this night, the crews who made it happen are having a little celebration of their own.

They’ve spent countless long hours in the dark, bringing the shine back to the Bay Bridge.

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.

WJZ

By Ashley Paul

Click here for updates on this story

    HARTFORD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — A Harford County family was reunited with their cat, who went missing five years ago.

Melissa and Brooke Garci thought they were never going to see their cat, Artemis, again, until the most unlikely scenario played out.

In September 2021, Artemis, who is an indoor/outdoor cat, never returned to her Hickory, Maryland home.

The Garcis made fliers in a desperate attempt to find her.

“I posted them around the neighborhood, rolled them up, and put them in people’s doors, knocked, and got nothing,” Melissa Garci said.

Emotional reunion

Five years later, a woman came into the Harford County Humane Society with a cat she found in her unfinished basement.

As standard procedure, the shelter scanned the cat for a microchip and called the listed number.

“This woman answered, ‘Hello?’ And we said we have your cat, and she was unbelieving. And she said, ‘Are you sure? My cat has been missing for five years,”” said Erin Long, with the Harford County Humane Society.

Long says she has never seen an animal reunited with its owners after that much time, and the Garcis were just as shocked.

“I was like, I couldn’t cry yet because I was in disbelief, but when I saw her, I was like, ‘Omg, she looks exactly the same,'” Brooke Garci said.

“It was a beautiful thing”

Photos from the tearful reunion show the moments Artemis stepped out of her carrier and laid eyes on her long-lost family.

“He kind of walked out of the kennel and looked at them and went right over and was rubbing on them, got in mom’s lap, got in daughter’s lap. It was a beautiful thing,” Long said.

While we’ll never truly know where Artemis was this whole time, what we do know is that the name Artemis comes from the Greek goddess for hunting and wilderness, and after surviving five years on her own, she certainly lives up to it.

“Her instincts are strong,” said Brooke Garci.

The humane society urges people to microchip their pets, and make sure that to keep the information associated with the chip up to date.

It could make all the difference if your pet is ever to get lost.

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.

WBBM

By Marissa Sulek

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — As members of the plumbers’ union, Local 130, plowed through the Chicago River, dyeing it a glowing green, thousands lined Wacker Drive and the bridges to catch a glimpse of how the process is done.

“It’s fascinating that it’s orange, that they dump orange dye into the river. It’s like the science behind it makes you think,” one visitor said.

The group, made up of Chicagoans and visitors from California and Tennessee, came to be part of this famous Chicago tradition.

“We came out obviously for the green river. We came out for the energy. We love the city of Chicago. We love the Irish spirit,” the visitor said.

“I wanted her to experience it because I did when I was a little kid with my parents,” said Amanda Griffin.

Griffin made a special day trip from Michigan, so her daughter, Payton, could experience the event.

“I don’t feel like it was as populated as it is now. So it’s definitely much busier, much crowded. There’s drinks everywhere,” she said.

The annual event left the river as green as far as the eye could see. If someone didn’t come prepared, vendors all over the Loop were selling extra gear.

“My cousin made this hat for me. I am happier than a Packer fan on Sunday,” said Joe Rubin.

Rubin already had his green for the day.

“I mean, we are turning the river green! I mean that’s almost as beautiful as the Mona Lisa, granted, here in the city of Chicago area, compared to France, it’s a different world and a different area,” he said.

The festivities didn’t stop there. At the downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade, attendees could hear the Irish spirit.

“Even though I’ve lived here for over 20 years, I’ve never actually come out to the parade,” said Rachel Blackburn. “I usually just watch it from the comfort of my home.”

Blackburn and her family said after two decades of watching this from a screen, it was worth the trip to see why no city does St. Patrick’s Day like Chicago.

“It’s so much fun to come out, I recommend everyone do it next year,” she said.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the river dyed green, it should stay that way for a few days, weather pending. The South Side Irish Parade and the Northwest Side Parade are on Sunday.

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.

KDKA

By Christopher DeRose

Click here for updates on this story

    LIGONIER TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — What started as a routine Amazon delivery to a rural home in Ligonier Township on Monday night quickly escalated, with a man saying he drew a gun and chased the driver down.

Tim Bacco said it started around 8 p.m. at his home, which is down a long, secluded driveway in a rural part of Ligonier Township.

“A strange vehicle came down the driveway, I saw it was a rental van,” Bacco said. “I went out to confront it, he took off, so I jumped in my vehicle and took off after him. He pulled out on Darlington Road, I pulled in front of him to question him to see who he was. He couldn’t speak English and I drew my pistol on him.”

That’s when Bacco said the driver sped away and he pursued. Both men called 911 during the chase, with the two vehicles eventually reaching the intersection of Sharky’s Drive and Route 30 in Unity Township, some 10 miles away.

That’s where officers from several municipalities stopped Bacco and the driver of the van, who police said was delivering for Amazon in an unmarked vehicle. Bacco was placed in handcuffs for a short time but was later released.

Ligonier Valley Police Chief Michael Matrunics says the whole situation is under investigation, but he adds a lot of misinformation was spread on social media Monday night, which led to public confusion. Initial reports that shots had been fired were incorrect, Maturnics said, adding that his officers had de-escalated the situation after stopping the two vehicles.

“They identified all the parties that were involved,” Maturnics said. “We feel that there was probably more that happened at that house than what we were able to gather last night. My officers are conducting the interviews and trying to do all the follow-up before any type of decision is made.”

Bacco said he’s sorry about what happened, but that he had been robbed before.

“If you are making a delivery, if you are looking for somebody, ask a question,” Bacco said. “Stop. Show me a badge. Everybody has ID badges.”

In a statement, Amazon said, in part, that it is “relieved the driver was unharmed and are thankful to law enforcement for responding quickly to this incident. We’ll cooperate fully with their investigation.”

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.

KDKA

By Andy Sheehan

Click here for updates on this story

    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The reverend in charge of the largest cathedral in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is accused of stealing more than $1,000 worth of baseball trading cards.

Rev. Aidan Smith, the head priest and administrator of the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Downtown Pittsburgh, has been on administrative leave from the cathedral since late January, and police arrested him on Feb. 27 at the Walmart in Economy Borough.

Borough police and store security say they caught Smith stealing 27 packs of baseball trading cards worth more than $200. Police say this followed a multi-day stealing spree in which Smith stole more than $1,000 worth of trading cards from the Walmart.

According to a police report, surveillance cameras first observed Smith on Feb. 23 shoplifting $244 worth of cards. On Feb. 24, the report says he can be seen again on video stealing cards worth $261. On Feb. 25, he allegedly took cards worth $121, and finally on Feb. 26, police seized him with the 27 packs worth $245.

Police say Smith walked past the registers without paying and into the parking lot, where they found the cards in a box he was carrying underneath his clothing. In all, police say Smith stole $1,100 worth of cards. And minus the cards recovered, Walmart is seeking $873 in restitution.

Police say Smith offered no reason for the alleged theft, and his attorney had no comment. But his arrest may have placed his position in jeopardy.

In a statement to the diocesan community, Bishop Ketlen Solak said the church will investigate the matter and follow the process for handling clergy misconduct. She said she has reached out to Smith and his family.

“I have spoken with Aidan and assured him of our prayers for him in this difficult time. Please pray for Aidan, for Melanie and their children, for the entire cathedral congregation as we grieve this news, and for everyone involved in this hard situation,” Solak said.

Smith faces charges of retail theft and receiving stolen property and is free on $50,000 bail. He was to face a preliminary hearing this week, but that has been postponed to later this month.

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.

KYW

By Natasha Brown, Will Kenworthy

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Nearly six decades ago, John Anderson had a realization after watching the Miss America Pageant with his daughters in the Philadelphia area.

Wearing the crown would have just been a dream for them at the time.

“My daughters had watched the Miss America Pageant,” Anderson said. “I asked them, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Both of them said, ‘I want to be Miss America.’ And I knew that was a dream that could never come true.”

So, he decided to do something about it.

The Miss Black America Pageant celebrated its 58th anniversary in 2026, and to celebrate the milestone, you have to go back to its storied beginning and its founder, Anderson.

By 1968, there had never been a Black Miss America crowned. It was the height of the Civil Rights Movement, and he says he wanted to showcase Black women in a way not yet seen on a national pageant stage.

“It elevated downtrodden citizens who were doing everything they could to have their presence recognized in America and be accepted,” Anderson said.

Anderson was already producing events in Philadelphia at the time. In 1968, he booked a hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, right across the boardwalk from where the Miss America Pageant was going to be held, and held the first-ever Miss Black America Pageant on the same night.

That was the beginning of a historic 58-year run with the pageant moving from city to city, hosting Black women from around the country every year to compete for the crown.

A young Oprah Winfrey represented Tennessee in the early 1970s and is now one of the pageant’s most famous contestants.

Aleta Anderson has taken on the role of the pageant’s executive producer from her father. She said she took her father to school for show and tell one time.

“It’s quite a weight. It’s quite a responsibility, more so than just the family business,” Aleta Anderson said, “but a program that is so important to community and race relations and provides a platform of confidence.”

A platform where beauty is just one facet of so many amazing layers of criteria.

“Without consideration of height, size, hair texture, complexion, complexity, character,” Aleta Anderson said.

Miss Black America 2026 has been crowned, adding to the list of women holding the title. The evolution of a platform that stands the test of time and has changed the face of beauty in America.

“Black women after that started looking into the mirror,” John Anderson said, “seeing how beautiful they were and accepting the fact and the understanding and realizing the facts of their beauty and it’s still going on today.”

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.

KYW

By Marcella Baietto

Click here for updates on this story

    WILMINGTON, Delaware (KYW) — In the produce section under piñatas and by the tortillas, a live show for shoppers is becoming a regular occurrence inside Fiesta Fresh Farmers Market in New Castle, Delaware.

“The idea is to highlight independent artists from the area,” store co-owner José Luis Aguilar Garcia said. “Because it’s getting more attention online, people are excited. They’ll ask when we’re doing the next one.”

The concept was inspired by NPR’s famous “Tiny Desk Concerts.”

At the supermarket on DuPont Highway, their version is called “Mercadito Concerts,” or market concerts.

“It was hard trying to find a place that reminds you of home, being so far from Mexico here,” Aguilar Garcia said. “We’re trying to obviously have people feel comfortable who are not from Mexico and expose them to a bit of our culture.”

Aguilar Garcia co-owns the store with his sister, who runs most of the day-to-day operations, while he also works at a Latin record label he started in 2019 that’s based in Wilmington.

Aguilar Garcia and his family are from Puebla, Mexico, and have been in the area since 2006.

Many of the musicians who record sessions at the market work with his label, like the band Ilusión.

“I feel like it’s a very vibrant atmosphere and it makes me really happy to take part in such an exciting performance, a cultural performance,” Ilusión bassist Carlos Mayo-Jiménez said. “And to be representing my roots too.”

The band was started in 2023 and also includes singer and songwriter 21-year-old Jesús Beltran Méndez, who moved to the U.S. at the age of 10.

For artists like Beltran Méndez, the recordings are more than just a soundtrack for customers or a viral clip.

“It gives us a platform to portray who we really are,” Beltran Méndez said. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about who we are. There are bad people. There are good people. We are just human.”

“Never be afraid to represent who you are and who you always will be,” Mayo-Jiménez said. “Remind yourself that you’re coming from a different area that the general majority aren’t maybe used to, maybe not accustomed to, but it’s a special background nonetheless.”

As for what’s next, the store is prepping for a live music event called The Meltdown that will feature two bands on March 20 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the supermarket.

The recorded sessions are open to any artists of all genres as the series continues to grow, turning a grocery run into a front row ticket to a cultural show.

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.