Category: CNN Regional

By Ayron Lewallen

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    CLEVELAND, Alabama (WVTM) — A group of Cleveland High School students joined in prayer on Sunday to lift up one of their own. This comes after they believe Kimber Mills was hurt early Sunday morning at a bonfire in Pinson.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said others were also injured. Steven Whitehead is now charged with murder and is in jail without bond in connection to the shooting. The sheriff’s office hasn’t released the names of the victims, but her classmates told WVTM 13 they’re keeping Mills’ family in their thoughts and prayers.

“Miracles can happen, and it’s all in the will of God right now and not in anybody else’s hands,” Mills’ Jackson Davis said.

Many students in the small, intimate crosswalk student ministry bible study called Mills a light in their tight-knit community. Mills is a dedicated member of the cheerleading and football teams.

“Every time you see her in the hallway, you just make your day better,” Cohen Dawson, a classmate of Mills, said. “You can just start up a conversation with her, no matter what. It was always just a delight to talk to her.”

They said they can’t understand why this happened, but they’re leaning on each other and their faith in God and praying for her recovery.

“It’s not something you want to hear when you first wake up in the morning,” Darby Callahan, one of Mills’ classmates, said. “It’s not the way you want to start your day, hearing that one of your classmates or teammates or something has gone through something so horrible.”

They can’t understand why she was caught in the middle of the shooting.

“Hearing the word of God about her and all that, it’s just a sign that he’s going to help her,” Adelina Stephens said, “and He’s got this.”

Now, the students are leaning on each other and praying for God to heal the girl who means so much to everyone.

“She’s the type of person to, if you run out of money and you don’t have enough, she’ll definitely give you money,” Kyle Torbert, who said he knows Mills personally, said. “If you don’t have something, she’ll give you something. She’s just the type of person to — if you’re sad, she’ll give you the love that you need. If you need a hug, she’ll give you a hug.”

The Cleveland community is coming together on Monday to pray for those involved in the shooting. There will be a prayer at the Cleveland High School flagpole at 7:15 a.m. Then, at 6 p.m., there will be a prayer at the football stadium.

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By Zach Rainey

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    ORANGEBURG COUNTY, South Carolina (WYFF) — Authorities rescued 24 pit bulls from “inhumane” conditions in Orangeburg County, South Carolina.

On Oct. 15, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division charged 53-year-old Christopher Corbitt with animal fighting or baiting and ill treatment of animals.

The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives assisted SLED in the investigation.

A search warrant was conducted on a property in Springfield, where 24 pit bulls were found. Numerous dogs were found with scarring, open wounds, inadequate housing, and restrained with heavy chains.

SLED said the scarring was consistent with dog fighting.

Also during the search, authorities found more than one pound of meth, 24 grams of cocaine, a quarter kilo of fentanyl powder, THC vape cartridges, 5 oxycodone pills, 2 handguns, 4 vehicles, an electronic currency counting machine, and $22,421 in United States currency.

Corbitt was booked into the Orangeburg County Detention Center. The case will be prosecuted by the 1st Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

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By Logan Smith

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — Three men who jumped a postal service employee while she sat in her delivery truck during her lunch break in an Aurora park two years ago have now been imprisoned.

The last of the trio was sentenced Oct. 1. Elijah Woods received a 27-month term. He was 21 years old at the time of the incident.

Dravell Ross, then 27, was the getaway driver, according to case documents. He was sentenced three months ago to four years in federal prison.

Marquis Taylor, also 27 at the time, was sentenced last year to 46 months.

mail-carrier-robbery-suspects-combo-for-web.png Three suspects in the September 2023 assault and robbery of a mail carrier in Aurora are seen in images distributed by the U.S. Postal Service. One of the men was arrested hours later. The USPS offered a $150,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the other two. All three are now serving federal prison sentences. U.S. Postal Service The three assaulted and robbed the mail carrier on Sept.1, 2023. The woman, identified only as “D.B.” in court documents, was seated in her delivery truck at Utah Park. Woods and Taylor, unarmed, forced their way into the truck and demanded arow keys from the mail carrier.

Arrow keys are universal keys which access multiple residential mailboxes at the same time, usually at apartment buildings or similar residential complexes.

“Such ‘arrow keys’ are currently in high demand on the street and are frequently sought after by criminals involved in mail theft and related criminal activity,” prosecutors stated in a Woods case document.

The two men failed to acquire any arrow keys. But, they did punch and “rough up” the mail carrier, and did take a key to the delivery truck, a package scanner, letters, and packages. Woods and Taylor returned to a black Mercedes positioned nearby – which was driven by Ross.

The Mercedes sped off and, according to Woods’s plea agreement, the three men went to Ross’s girlfriend’s home a half mile away.

Postal service investigators who responded to the scene collected surveillance cameras from homes surrounding Utah Park. Those images, per the prosecutors’ description, showed both Woods and Taylor walking in the direction of the delivery truck five minutes before the robbery. Other cameras located Ross actively positioning the Mercedes on a nearby street. The post-robbery walk back to the car was also recorded.

Investigators, tipped off by the registration of Mercedes (which was Ross’s personal vehicle) and a GPS tracker inside the stolen package scanner, arrested Ross at his girlfriend’s house later that evening. All the stolen items were in his bedroom. His fingerprints were found by the lab testing on several of them.

The other two men were implicated by communications obtained from Ross’s cell phone.

Woods was arrested a month later. Taylor remained on the run until he was caught in November of 2024, four months after Ross, the first of the three to be prosecuted, began serving his prison sentence.

“Today’s sentencing is a message to those who contemplate perpetrating senseless and traumatizing acts of violence against U.S. Postal Service employees,” stated Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service after Taylor’s sentencing. “Robberies of our employees are a top investigative priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.”

Woods may have received a shorter sentence than the other two men, but the judge ordered additional guidelines during his incarceration and the three years of post-prison probation. Those terms include drug rehab programs, drug testing, mental health treatment, and no contact with gangs or gang members.

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By Mark Prussin, Naveen Dhaliwal

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    NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (WCBS) — A fraternity suspended its Rutgers University chapter days after a student suffered serious injuries at an off-campus house and was hospitalized.

Alpha Sigma Phi said Sunday it placed the New Brunswick, New Jersey, chapter on an interim suspension amid an investigation into whether the 19-year-old was being hazed.

A source, however, told CBS News New York’s Naveen Dhaliwal the incident appears to have been an accident, adding the student apparently stepped on an exposed wire and was shocked.

The teenager was found injured and unresponsive at a home in New Brunswick shortly after midnight Tuesday, according to Rutgers Police, who said they received a disconnected 911 call from the home. The address was not disclosed.

Gordy Heminger, president and CEO of Alpha Sigma Phi International Fraternity, told CBS News in a statement that the fraternity’s thoughts and prayers are with the teen, who is in critical condition.

“We are currently gathering information as to what happened that evening but to be very clear … if it is determined by the Fraternity, the University or law enforcement that the undergraduate members hazed that evening, the chapter will be closed, any member who directly or indirectly participated in those activities will be permanently expelled and the Fraternity will encourage the University and law enforcement to pursue the maximum penalties allowed,” Heminger said. “Hazing has no part in the Alpha Sigma Phi experience. It is not condoned nor is it tolerated. Alpha Sigma Phi regularly educates all chapters and members on our Health and Safety Guidelines, including hazing and the chapter at Rutgers received this training last month.”

Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office takes over case

The university provided a statement saying the case is being handled by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and that all inquiries should be directed there.

The prosecutor’s office said the investigation is active, but declined to give any further comments at this time.

Students said if hazing was involved, it will be very disappointing.

“Since it’s about brotherhood and sisterhood that’s why I’m so surprised that this could happen. It’s suppose to be an uplifting and supporting community,” freshman Leah Boikens said.

“I’m just praying for the kid,” freshman Ben Kuey added.

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By CBS 58 Newsroom

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    NORTHERN WISCONSIN (WDJT) — Here’s a haircut that’s really turning heads.

Ten-year-old Colton Goll from northern Wisconsin just took first place in the 2025 ‘Mullet Champ’ kids division.

But the ‘Coltonator’ already had a hunch he was on the verge of victory.

“I felt like I was already going to win the competition, because I remembered that I was the only one from Wisconsin left in the competition so, I was happy,” said the Coltonator.

Colton raised more than $3,500 for veterans and won $10,000 for his hairstyle.

He says that money will be going towards college and maybe a truck when he’s old enough to drive.

A big heart, a bigger mullet and one proud Wisconsin kid!

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By Ricardo Tovar

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    SANTA CRUZ, California (KSBW) — More instances of sea otters interacting with surfers were reported in Santa Cruz, a day after a similar instance.

Local photographer Mark Woodward, also known as Native Santa Cruz, said he witnessed two such incidents Thursday afternoon.

Sea otter stealing surfboard on Oct. 15, 2025. Otter pirates surfer’s board in Santa Cruz, evoking memories of Otter 841 He said he noticed two sea otters feeding at Steamer Lane and ignoring the surfers around them. One of them then jumped on a surfer’s board.

Later, Woodward said another sea otter at Steamer Lane tried to take a shortboard. After the surfer got off the board, the otter grabbed the surfer’s leash and tried to pull the surfer backward, then chased after the surfboard.

Otter 841 continued to elude capture from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, July 15Otter 841 comes face-to-face with his would-be captors This comes a day after a surfer at Steamer Lane had her surfboard stolen by a sea otter, resulting in a water rescue.

Isabella Orduna was paddling out when she felt “a nip” on her foot. She rolled off and turned to see an otter perched on her board.

Unsure what to do, Orduna called to another surfer for help. A full water rescue followed, with emergency crews arriving within minutes.

She was uninjured and in good spirits after the encounter with the sea otter.

The encounter revived memories of “Otter 841,” a female sea otter that went viral two years ago for repeatedly taking over surfers’ boards in Santa Cruz.

Whether it’s the same otter is unknown. Experts note there’s no current way to confirm 841’s identity; she previously had a tracker, but it’s no longer on her.

Otter 841 continued to elude capture from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, July 15Santa Cruz’s surfing sea otter still free after weeks of attempted captures “The vast majority of surfers here respect and avoid sea otters and other marine life they may encounter, as they should. This is their home; we humans are merely visitors and need to act like it. As they have in the past, I hope our ethical surfers will speak up if they witness someone intentionally approaching a sea otter or other marine life. We need to coexist in our coastal waters, so let’s all watch out for each other and our wildlife,” Woodward said in a social media post on Friday.

KSBW 8 has tried multiple times to reach the US Fish and Wildlife for comment on the strange sea otter activity. So far, they have yet to comment. It is unclear whether the government shutdown is impacting the response.

Santa Cruz Firefighters said they have contacted Fish and Wildlife regarding Wednesday’s otter activity.

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By Sam Smith

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — An 18-year-old man is in jail after an attempted carjacking Saturday in northwest Albuquerque.

According to court records, Kash Brown and two other juveniles attempted to steal a Ford F-150 truck at Ventana Ranch Park around 6:45 a.m. Saturday. The owner of the truck was preparing a field for an upcoming children’s soccer game when he noticed three men in his vehicle.

Court documents say the owner of the truck confronted the three men, when Brown attempted to swing at him. A brief altercation occurred, which resulted in the truck owner knocking out Brown.

According to court records, the other two males had jumped into a red vehicle and allegedly fired two gunshots in the air while leaving the park. Albuquerque Police arrived at the scene and took Brown into custody.

Brown is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. He has been charged with assault, conspiracy to commit burglary of a vehicle and burglary of a vehicle.

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By Pete Cuddihy

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — As Teen Driving Safety Week begins, the Cornhusker Driving School hopes to keep young drivers out of dangerous situations. Instructors walk them through simulations designed to make them safer drivers.

Local teens with their learning permits spent their weekend in class, practicing safe driving techniques.

Students at the Cornhusker Driving School got a front-row seat to rollover crash simulators, showing the importance of always wearing a seatbelt.

“The purpose of the seatbelt is to keep you in the car and to keep you from hitting anything inside the car,” said owner of Cornhusker Driving School Pat Venditte.

Venditte with the Cornhusker Driving School hopes that by putting students through simulated crash events, he can help prevent future deaths.

“The teenage driving population represents about 3% of all drivers, but they’re involved in almost 6% of all roadway fatalities,” Venditte said.

While buckling up is essential, Venditte said there’s another crucial factor.

“We tell them the most important thing behind the wheel is 100% laser focus on what they’re doing,” Venditte said.

He teaches the kids to keep their phones out of their hands and focus on the road, setting them up for success as they take the next step to getting their license.

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