Category: CNN Regional

By Marissa Sulek

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A crowd of fired-up parents surrounded a Humboldt Park dress shop, saying the owners never handed over the gowns they paid thousands for, and the dance is this weekend.

Parents were riled up outside Makeda Designs, at 1530 N. Pulaski Rd., on Wednesday afternoon to the point where they called police to file reports after they learned they would not be receiving the custom prom dresses they had waited months for.

“We want to pursue charges against her,” said parent Catherine Smith.

Smith said her daughter has been coming to the location every month since January to get alterations on her prom dress. It was supposed to be ready by this weekend, but Smith said she did not receive any response from the owner, even though she paid her $2,200 for the dress.

The families say they went to Makeda Designs because the owner, Makeda Evans, makes gorgeous gowns as seen on TikTok.

“She recently made my mom’s wedding dress in November, and it was lovely, it was wonderful,” said senior Teriyana Gage.

Gage booked and paid for her dress over a year ago. She says she was supposed to pick up her dress hours before prom last Friday, but it was still unfinished, leaving her with an hour to find a dress at another store.

“And this is the only day that I have for prom, you don’t get another prom at all,” she said.

“I got this two hours before my daughter’s prom,” said Taneshia Lambert.

Lambert actually got a dress. She said she paid over $1,200 for her daughter’s gown, but she showed that the sequins were hot-glued, the ribbon holding the dress together broke, and the bottom was not hemmed.

While parents were on the sidewalk near the store, the owner, Makeda Evans, posted on Facebook saying she apologizes for not finishing their dresses and will work it out with each customer after she deals with what she calls a mental health crisis.

“The police was out here earlier, and I spoke to them, and they said they had been here three years ago, two years ago,” said parent Roy Pierson.

Pierson says he believes Evans is making thousands off his daughter, Rakyra, and the rest of the parents. Rakyra says she just wanted Evans to be honest.

“If you ain’t have the, um, time to finish the person dress, you could’ve just been straightforward,” she said.

So everyone here could have found the dress of their dreams elsewhere.

“It’s sad to say that she’s stealing these moments away from our kids,” Smith says.

Chicago police said at least one person broke the window of the shop on Wednesday evening around 8:40 p.m. They say multiple people then entered and took property from inside, but did not say if any of the items were prom dresses.

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 Tony Peterson, Derek James

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — A Twin Cities teenager is facing an unimaginable battle: terminal cancer. She’s fortunate enough to have family by her side through her fearless fight as they all hope for a miracle.

Sometimes, there are no words to say to someone in times of uncertainty. Charlize Hyser, known as Charlie, is facing one of those moments parents fear.

Last Thanksgiving, normal life changed for the sophomore at Buffalo High School. She started losing feeling in her right arm and shoulder.

“Things got progressively worse. Her strength on her right side, she started to have numbness and tingling in her hand,” said mother Kira Hyser.

After multiple doctor visits, she eventually got an MRI on Feb. 6. That same day, Charlie Hyser was admitted to Children’s Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis. A brain tumor was removed. A rare terminal cancer, called diffused midline glioma, remained.

It was a shock to the family, especially her mother.

“She’s my entire world. The worst feeling, not being able to take this from her. To think, ‘Why couldn’t this be me?’ I want it to be me. She doesn’t deserve this. It shouldn’t happen to a 16-year-old,” said Kira Hyser.

Several months after surgery, Charlie Hyser was moved to the inpatient rehab center at Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul.

“When Charlie came, she had trouble moving her arm and her leg on the right side. She’s made a lot of progress on her functional recovery,” said Dr. Ian Ackers, who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Gillette Children’s.

She is now relearning how to walk, eat and other daily activities with her mother by her side.

“She shows up every single day. She gets out of bed, she smiles, she laughs. She brings joy to everyone,” said Kira Hyser.

“I know there’s never going to be a cure in the next five years, and you know, maybe with the clinical trials, I’ll live past five years,” said Charlie Hyser.

The family will go home on Friday and Charlie Hyser will hopefully back to school in a week. To follow her journey, visit her CaringBridge page.

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 WCCO Staff

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    GRAND RAPIDS, Minnesota (WCCO) — Police in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, say one of their K-9s attacked another dog Tuesday night, causing “significant injury” to the pet.

The K-9, named Murphy, was home in his yard when he ran at the leashed dog who was walking with its owner, according to Police Chief Andy Morgan.

“We are committed to better understanding the event to ensure this never happens again,” Morgan said.

Morgan said the pet dog underwent “emergency care” but didn’t note its current condition.

He said his department “continues to work with the pet owners.”

Grand Rapids is about 170 miles north of the Twin Cities.

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 Doug Myers

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    DALLAS, Texas (KTVT) — DART released footage on Wednesday, three days after its police force fatally shot a 17‑year‑old who officers say pointed a rifle at them during a foot chase near Victory Station.

The incident happened just after 5 p.m. Sunday in the 2500 block of Victory Park Avenue, near the American Airlines Center.

According to DART, a witness at 5:08 p.m. used a DART app to report a male in white pants and a blue puffer jacket at Victory Station, allegedly armed with a long gun and trying to hide it.

At 5:18 p.m., DART officers arrived and spotted a male matching the description. The suspect ran from officers and entered a culvert beside the railroad tracks.

Officers say teen pointed rifle During the foot chase, the suspect turned and pointed a rifle at officers, according to DART. Officers opened fire, and the teen took cover behind a concrete platform in the culvert. Police said he ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon, and officers fired additional rounds, striking him.

Officers then moved in, took him into custody and began first aid. He was transported to Parkland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. DART identified him only as K.B. at the family’s request, while Dallas Police Department documents list him as 17‑year‑old Kristian Burkley.

Resident video shows aftermath Initial video released Sunday by a nearby resident showed officers running along the light‑rail tracks toward a person, and one officer kicking away what appears to be a gun from the individual on the ground.

Photos sent to CBS Texas show paramedics treating the person who was shot.

Service halted during investigation In its original statement, DART said no officers or bystanders were injured. Train service through Victory Station was halted, and a bus bridge was put in place to move passengers.

At DART’s request, the Dallas Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit is conducting an independent 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.

By Briauna Brown, CBS Texas Staff

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    EVERMAN, Texas (KTVT) — Authorities announced Thrusday that human remains have been found during a renewed search for 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez in Everman.

After announcing new evidence found in the search for Rodriguez-Alvarez on Wednesday night, authorities went into detail about the findings during a news conference. Everman police said the human remains that were found haven’t been positively identified as Rodriguez-Alvarez; however, authorities hope to have results of who the remains are soon.

“We owe it to Noel, we owe it to our community, to seek justice in this case,” Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said. “We will not forget him… We will not stop working for justice for him.”

Rodriguez-Alvarez was last accounted for in October 2022, but his family did not report him missing until March 2023.

His mother, Cindy Rodriguez Singh, was charged with capital murder in connection with his disappearance. She was recently ruled incompetent to stand trial in her son’s murder and was sent to a state hospital.

As investigators perused through tips and searched the property where the boy lived with his family, his body was never found.

Despite the fact that cadaver dogs that previously searched the family’s home indicated dirt in the family’s backyard had the scent of human remains.

Renewed FBI search in the case On Tuesday, CBS News Texas learned that the FBI, along with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, were once again at the property where the family lived. They were seen via CBS Texas Chopper digging in the yard with excavators and shovels, sifting through piles of dirt.

In an interview, Sorrells said after two days of a renewed search for Rodriguez-Alvarez, investigators had found something, though its significance wasn’t revealed.

Neighbors and the family who currently live in the home expressed both hope and frustration that Rodriguez-Alvarez will be found.

“He was a kid…he had all his future in front of him,” neighbor Jazmine Ramirez said. “It’s heavy… to think of ever doing anything like that to a kid.”

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 DeJanay Booth-Singleton

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — The Detroit Zoo welcomed a new giraffe, Nguvu, to the herd, officials announced on Wednesday.

Officials say 1-year-old Nguvu came from Utah’s Hogle Zoo as part of the zoo’s “long-term plan for the giraffe herd.”

“This move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Plan, which promotes the health, genetic diversity and overall sustainability of giraffe populations in zoos – and we’re eager to support Nguvu as he adjusts to his new home,” the Detroit Zoo says.

Officials say Nguvu has been working with the animal care teams for several days and will be introduced to the herd soon.

According to Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Nguvu was born in February 2025. His name means “strength” in Swahili.

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 Ellie Coatar, Benson Cook

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — In a potentially life-changing announcement for families in Chicago and beyond, the University of Chicago said it will offer free tuition for students from families making less than $250,000 a year.

For families making less than $125,000, students can also get free housing, meals, and other fees covered.

This policy will start for undergrads in the fall of 2027.

University leaders said they want to deepen their Commitment to affordability to make sure the brightest minds can join them.

“The University of Chicago is proud to sponsor a learning environment characterized by intellectual curiosity, ambition, and rigor, to shape the next generation of great thinkers whose ideas will benefit the American people and the broader world,” UChicago President Paul Alivisatos said in a news release. “By deepening our commitment to affordability, we are helping to ensure that the brightest minds can join us.”

Tuition alone at the U of C is around $71,000 a year. Add in room, board, books, and other fees, and the university said it costs on-campus students around $98,000 to attend each year.

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.