Category: CNN Regional

By Krista McNally

Click here for updates on this story

    SUFFOLK COUNTY, New York (WABC) — Suffolk County Police helped make one young cancer survivor’s dream come true.

11-year-old Dilara Coker, who bravely battled brain cancer, got the chance to step into the kitchen at a local bakery and learn from the pros.

“I used to make them from scratch when I was sick, that used to be my favorite thing to do,” Coker said.

Baking offered Coker a creative escape when she was battling brain cancer.

The 11-year-old was diagnosed in 2024. After 17 rounds of cranial radiation and 13 rounds of spinal radiation, she is now in remission.

“I was thinking to myself, wow this kid is so brave,” Officer Vincent Maio said.

Officer Maio met Coker at a community event and was inspired by her courage. He made it his mission to make one of her dreams a reality.

Coker walked into a sweet surprise organized by Suffolk Police where she got to be a baker for the day at La Roma Pastry Shop.

After experiencing what it was like to work at her dream job, Coker then got a day of pampering.

Next door, the Bellissima Hair Salon gave Coker an afternoon of beauty treatments.

“She dealt with a lot and deserves something so wonderful,” Coker’s mother Katelyn, said.

“I got choked up I’m not going to lie, but I’m so happy she is doing so well,” Officer Maio 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 Charles Perez

Click here for updates on this story

    GREENSBORO, North Carolina (WLOS) — On Feb. 1, 1960, four Black college students walked into the F.W. Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Greensboro and took seats reserved exclusively for white customers. They requested service but were refused. Instead of giving up, they returned day after day.

“These students understood the time was now,” said John Swaine, CEO of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum. “They decided they were going to come back and keep going until they are served.”

At the time, Black customers were allowed to purchase food from “The Negro Snack Bar” but were not permitted to enter and sit at the lunch counter. Instead, they had to wait for their food, leave and eat somewhere else.

Local officials initially believed the demonstrations would end quickly and life would return to normal. Instead, the movement gained momentum as high school students joined the protests.

“Those high school students came and they stood as many as nine deep behind each one of these seats,” Swaine said.

The peaceful protest in Greensboro soon inspired similar demonstrations at Woolworth lunch counters across the South. Sit-ins spread to 55 cities in 13 states, including Asheville, as students challenged segregation through nonviolent resistance. Their objective was clear: to desegregate lunch counters throughout their communities.

Today, the original Woolworth lunch counter remains preserved at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro. The site serves as both a memorial to those who took a stand and a reminder of the impact individuals can have on history.

“I want people to leave from here a little uneasy but hopeful,” Swaine said. “Hopeful that they can make some powerful changes in this country.”

As America reflects on 250 years of history, the Greensboro sit-ins remain a lasting reminder that meaningful change often begins with ordinary people willing to take an extraordinary stand.

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 Mya Constantino

Click here for updates on this story

    ROY, Utah (KSTU) — As residents in a Roy neighborhood continued to pick up the pieces after a fire damaged several homes Monday, they’re recognizing one neighbor as a hero for jumping in as soon as he saw the flames.

Robert Fisher was coming home from running errands when he saw smoke coming from the hill near the Roy FrontRunner Station.

“In a matter [of] about 20 seconds. The smoke doubled and doubled and doubled,” Fisher said Wednesday. “It’s pretty impressive what fire can do in a matter of minutes.”

What Fisher actually saw were three fires burning.

“Everything started burning,” he said. “I threw my hose over the fence, jumped over, started spraying all of this.”

Video showed Fisher fighting the flames with a garden hose.

“I could feel embers bouncing off my face and the heat,” he explained. “I’m watching my son’s trampoline melt. Bounced between the three yards for like 6 hours.”

One of those yards belonged to Fisher’s neighbor, Miguel Real.

“That’s a lot of hard work to just be able to lose it just like that in a blink of an eye, and it was a lot of processing,” Real said.

Community comes together to help Roy neighbors left without homes after fire:

The fire damaged his backyard, but Real’s house is okay thanks to some quick action from his neighbor.

“I’m really, really thankful for [Fisher],” he said. “I don’t really talk to much people around the neighborhood because everybody knows each other. He’s always been there helping me out.”

For Fisher, Monday’s fire felt too familiar.

“Thirteen years ago, we had a house fire here. We lost about 95 percent of everything; we had to start over,” recalled Fisher. “My first thought was making sure this didn’t happen to anyone else, you know, my neighbors; if I could prevent it, I would.”

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 Jessica Porter

Click here for updates on this story

    DENVER (KMGH) — Denver graphic novelist R. Alan Brooks wrote a story for the Archie Comic Digest Halloween Special featuring a new character designed to bring autism awareness to one of comics’ most beloved universes.

The story centers on Scarlett Saltee, a half-Irish, half-Filipino character with autism created by Archie Comics Co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit and her freelance team. The new issue also features Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead.

“When Scarlett was created, her platform was to represent the autistic population and to let society know that people who are on the spectrum want to be included. They want friendship,” Silberkleit said.

Silberkleit drew inspiration from her previous work as a New Jersey public school art teacher to create a character that could teach others about inclusion and autism.

“When I became a publisher, I wanted to bring that message into just not Archie Comic world, but into graphic literacy, because the power of graphic literacy is huge,” Silberkleit said.

Silberkleit said she worked on Scarlett’s story for years, taking the character with her on her travels, but couldn’t put it together until she met Brooks. She also wanted Scarlett’s story to include a message about taking care of pets and Vermont’s historic Rutland Parade — a tall order for Brooks to include in an 8-page comic.

For Brooks, the project was an opportunity to highlight the shared humanity of people with different life experiences.

“So much of what I write is about expressing the humanity of different kinds of people. It was important to me that this character Scarlett, that we could show her humanity through her autism, and it’s my hope that people who read it, whether they’re young or old, are able to connect with the humanity of that character,” Brooks said.

Brooks said honoring Archie’s 85-year legacy was a priority while writing the story. He also made a point to include two Black characters from the Archie universe.

“When you write something that’s like a legacy, like Archie, it’s more important that it is Archie than it is like Alan. But also I wanted to bring in two of the Black characters from Archie who I think came around in the 70s. The characters are named Chuck and Nancy,” Brooks said.

Brooks said his sister introduced him to Archie Comics when they were kids, and he made sure to include a nod to one fan-favorite character.

“I wanted to play with at least one of the like, legacy characters too, and there’s like a funny little gag with Jughead in it,” Brooks said.

Brooks has written several graphic novels. His work has been featured at the Denver Art Museum, he writes a comic for the Colorado Sun newspaper, and his TED Talk has nearly 3 million views.

The new story hits comic book shelves on Aug. 21. Fans can meet Brooks at Fort Collins Comic Con Aug. 14-16.

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

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 Kaylee Harter

Click here for updates on this story

    DENVER (KMGH) — A Denver nightclub has been ordered to cease operations and close immediately after a shooting on its premises early Monday left one dead and eight injured.

In the Wednesday order suspending the business’s liquor and entertainment licenses, Denver licensing officials said the license-holder for Ultra Lounge at E. Hampden Avenue “willfully and deliberately allowed circumstances to exist which have resulted in multiple violent incidents.”

Those circumstances, Licensing and Consumer Protection Executive Director Molly Duplechian wrote, include hiring unlicensed security guards and “not taking proper precautionary measures to prevent violence,” as well as failing to be properly licensed.

The person who now claims to own the club, Ultra Lounge East at 9755 E. Hampden Avenue, is not the same person who owns the building and holds its licenses, according to Duplechian. The order alleges that Dol Bhattarai, who previously operated Yak and Yeti out of the building, sold or subleased the premises to Dionte Wilkins without properly transferring the licenses.

According to Duplechian, Wilkins has indicated on social media he owned and operated the club for more than a year, meaning he is “running a nightclub serving alcohol without having properly applied and not having been vetted to confirm that he is allowed to hold a liquor license.”

“The Department has received information indicating that Mr. Wilkins may not be eligible for a liquor license due to his criminal history, and that he has intentionally and deliberately tried to circumvent the licensing process and mislead the department by characterizing himself as a manager and not an owner,” Duplechian wrote in the order.

Neither Bhattarai nor Wilkins responded to request for comment by the time of publication.

Bhattarai told Denver7’s media partners at the Denver Post he owned the building and had leased it to Wilkins about a year ago.

“We were trying to switch the liquor license to his name, but it was taking a long time,” Bhattarai told the Denver Post. “It should have been changed by now. I don’t know what happened. I am surprised.”

The order also alleges that the business has been serving food and providing hookah without proper food and tobacco licensing.

This week’s shooting happened just after midnight, and police found a total of 66 shell cases inside the premises and on the patio from 45 mm and 9 mm caliber guns, according to the order.

No arrests have been made, but police have said they believe at least two groups of people were involved.

“A witness reported that security was lax during the evening of July 19 and early morning of July 20 and that security did not check for weapons before patrons entered the property,” the order states.

In addition to Monday’s fatal shooting, the order also cites two other recent violent incidents on the club’s premises.

In March, a man was beaten in the parking lot of the club and was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the order. The person accused of beating the victim has been charged with second-degree murder, the document states.

“Officers on scene attempted to gather additional information from Respondent’s staff, but the staff were uncooperative and declined to provide information,” Duplechian wrote in the order.

In April, the order alleges, unlicensed security guards peppersprayed and punched a customer in the face who “indicated he had a firearm” and attempted to fight security. The customer was taken to the hospital with “potentially serious injuries,” according to the order.

Bhattarai will have the chance to argue his case as to why the licenses should not be suspended or revoked on Sept. 11, according to a separate order.

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 Owen Skornik-Hayes

Click here for updates on this story

    PUEBLO, Colorado (KOAA) — Cows, goats, dogs and poultry fill the Cedar Ranch Homestead. When the Aspen Acres Fire threatened that life, one woman made a call, and her neighbors answered.

Jen Way watched flames come over the ridge and quickly realized she had a problem.

“My truck’s down. Our Ford over there, unfortunately, the engine needs replaced. I said, ‘I need a truck because that fire’s coming for me and I don’t have any way to get these cows out,'” said Way.

She called her neighbors, Jennifer and Tyler Frenia, who drove more than an hour, arriving not with one truck, but with four vehicles and trailers.

Together, they loaded bulls and goats into trailers and dogs into trucks.

“Once we got them here in the corner, just keep the panel behind them and just kind of wait them out, you know, eventually they came towards the hay and towards the feed,” said Jennifer Frenia.

Tyler Frenia said staying calm was the key.

“What I can control is how effectively I can get everything out of here by being calm,” said Tyler Frenia.

For Way, knowing every animal would make it out was overwhelming.

“To know that not a single life on my property was going to have to stay behind. There aren’t words,” said Way. “They drove towards the apocalypse to just save my animals,” she said.

For the Frenias, the effort was simply the right thing to do.

“It costs you absolutely nothing to be kind, zero at all,” said Tyler Frenia.

It’s been more than a week since residents returned to Colorado City following the Aspen Acres Fire, but the experience forged a bond that goes beyond neighborly kindness.

“It’s strange because, like, we were friends before all this, but you know, hanging out was rare and few. Now, like this brought us together, and this is like my best friend now. It’s crazy. Just like a little bit of positive came out of all this. We really got to know each other,” said Jennifer Frenia.

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 Gianella Ghiglino

Click here for updates on this story

    SANTA BARBARA, California (KSBY) — For the Genet family, dropping off their one-year-old dog Bruce at daycare was part of their regular routine. They say Bruce had been going to Camp Canine in Santa Barbara since he was a puppy and was a familiar face at the facility.

“Thank you to everyone for all the kind words and caring about our Bruce,” said Alison Genet, Bruce’s owner’s mother.

The family says they were never notified that Bruce had drowned. They say they learned what happened when they arrived to pick him up last Thursday and were handed his body in a storage bin.

“We haven’t heard from Camp Canine since we were informed of Bruce’s death. There has been no offer of help or private apology,” Genet said.

The incident has sparked protests, including one outside the facility Wednesday morning, as community members called for accountability.

“It’s very emotional because the dog was handed over in a bin. They trusted them. This is a place where you trust your animals are safe. We’re paying for a service. We’re paying for you to take care of them,” said protester Courtney Frederick.

While many are demanding answers, others say it is important to wait for the investigation before reaching conclusions.

“I don’t feel greatly about hate or hateful text messages. I can say how I would feel if that was my dog, but I also think there is a difference between making a mistake and something happening maliciously,” said Camp Canine client Jackie Andrade.

Camp Canine owner Jayne Sigman invited me inside the facility on Wednesday. I was not allowed to bring a camera, but I saw the pool area where Bruce reportedly died. The pool is located behind a fenced-off area and can only be accessed by walking up a set of stairs.

The business is currently closed for daycare services but remains open for boarding.

Sigman declined a request for an interview but provided a statement, saying, “This has been devastating for us all. We are rethinking and reevaluating everything, with the safety of the dogs in our care being our top priority. Exact changes have not been determined but will be soon.”

The circumstances surrounding Bruce’s death remain under investigation by the Santa Barbara Police Department.

The Genet family says they are still searching for answers and want accountability for what happened to their dog.

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 Austin Grabish

Click here for updates on this story

    SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An Airbnb host is warning property owners to fight back after squatters took over a home on her ranch and demanded $30,000 to leave, prompting her to hire a company that specializes in removing squatters.

“The whole situation just crushed me. I reached a point where I had no idea what to do and felt extremely helpless and beyond frustrated,” said Grace Young in an interview on her property in unincorporated El Cajon.

Young said the nightmare started in June after an Airbnb guest, who she says broke house rules by having several unapproved visitors, bringing dogs and violating the sound curfew, checked out after being booted from the online vacation rental platform.

The day after the guest left her home, Young said three squatters moved in and damaged her home during their takeover.

“They manufactured some narrative that they had had the right to be in the home because an Airbnb guest had given them that permission, had rented to them,” she said.

Young called the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office for help and said the response she got floored her.

“A junior officer came over. I was on the speakerphone and said, ‘OK, well, we’re letting them go. It’s a civil matter.’”

After deputies left, Young said the squatters put up notices in the windows of Young’s home titled Notice of Tenant Rights and Requirement for Lawful Entry and demanded $30,000 to leave.

“Dear Grace Young, please be advised that as of our continuous occupancy of the property … since early April 2026, we have established legal tenancy under California law. Because our stay has exceeded 30 consecutive days, we are no longer considered transient guests or short-term lodgers. We are now legally classified as month-to-month tenants and are protected by California landlord-tenant laws,” the notice said.

The letter went on to tell Young she couldn’t legally force the squatters to vacate the premises or lock them out.

“A landlord must follow the formal, legal eviction process to remove a tenant, which requires proper written notice (typically a 30-day or 60-day notice),” the notice said.

Feeling like she had nowhere to turn while also losing rental income, Young then hired the Squatter Squad, which specializes in removing squatters.

“Ninety percent of our squatters have the most entitled attitude and they were basically telling her, ‘We know our rights,’” said Kimrey Kotchick, who runs the company with founder Lando Thomas.

Kotchick said he believes the Airbnb guest who was kicked out of Young’s home gave the code to the rental to the squatters who moved in.

“I think it was retaliation against Grace because he was mad at her for kicking him out.”

The professional squatter removers told Team 10 they get several calls a day from desperate homeowners in Southern California.

“We’ve had other cases in San Diego where a senior had to leave his property for medical reasons. He’s in his 80s, he’s gonna be in the hospital for about a month and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, squatters swooped right into his home. His Porsche is missing. All of his belongings were being sold at a yard sale by the squatters.”

Being told “it’s a civil matter” is what happens 95% of the time when homeowners call police, Thomas said.

“When you have law enforcement show up and you’ve got the property owner and the unlawful occupant /squatter going back and forth, law enforcement will say, ‘I can’t be the judge and jury. This has to go to civil court.’”

He said property owners can protect themselves by keeping a notarized copy of their deed, installing solar-powered security cameras and never letting their homes appear vacant.

“They will drive around when the weeds start to grow up and the lights are off. There’s telltale signs.”

After being hired by Young, the Squatter Squad, which works with a professional bounty hunter, put together a plan to get the trespassers out.

They gathered notarized documents, court records and other evidence and had Young return to the sheriff’s office to ask for help. This time it worked.

Twenty days after they moved in, detectives arrested the two remaining squatters Kevin Barlow and Amanda Hopkins on charges of burglary related to utility theft. Court records reviewed by Team 10 show both have multiple detainer cases on their records. Neither returned requests for comment.

“I think that Captain Navarro and his team did an excellent job. In less than a business day, they put a plan together, came up with a search warrant, and had feet on the ground out here. Ten or 11 officers.”

Team 10 asked Airbnb to respond to Young’s concerns and to tell us what it does to protect hosts from squatters and if there’s a way for hosts to recoup costs for lost rent and damages.

The company’s spokesperson Ruthie Kongo responded by telling us when Young’s property was occupied by the trespassers, it was not operating as an Airbnb reservation.

“The squatters were in no way associated with Airbnb,” she said in an email.

Back at her ranch, Young said she’s increased security and said she hopes other property owners can learn from her experience.

“We’ve got to begin to switch it, turn the dial, to where every time a situation like this happens, it doesn’t just go, ‘Civil court, it’s going to take you months and years, too bad for you,’ and go on to the next.”

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 Michael Chen

Click here for updates on this story

    SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Video captured by a park employee shows a firefighter flight medic at the end of a helicopter rope, just before a dramatic rescue at Mission Trails Regional Park.

The footage, shot just before 9:30 Monday morning, shows the medic attached to a helicopter rope, flying along a ridge before landing near an injured rock climber.

About 30 minutes before the video was recorded, a female climber had fallen approximately 15 feet during a climb, landing on a ledge. Fire crews were dispatched quickly, though it has not been confirmed whether she was the one who called 911.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Oscar Saucedo said the location made a standard ground response difficult.

“She was in a weird position. Our crews couldn’t get in there quickly,” Saucedo said.

That hard-to-access location meant the fastest way to reach the climber was to put the medic on the rope. In the video, the medic can be seen waving his arms as wind sends dirt flying.

“That’s the helicopter, hovering, causing wind force,” Saucedo said.

Saucedo described how the medic used hand signals to communicate with the helicopter crew.

“The rescue medic is doing hand signals, with the fire captain on the helicopter, to get himself safely down to the patient,” Saucedo said.

The park employee who recorded the video said after the medic landed, she stopped recording as the medic disappeared around a boulder. Rangers, fire crews and the medic then worked together to get the climber off the ledge.

“We set up a rope system, a safety and main line to her. Then safely put her on the trail,” Saucedo said.

The climber was then airlifted out. Her injuries are unknown.

Rescues at the park are not uncommon, particularly in warm weather.

“During hot weather, it’s common to see these open space rescues,” Saucedo said.

In this case, Saucedo acknowledged the operation carried real risk.

“There’s always a risk with the medic, and helicopter in that situation. The wind could shift and cause issues, but these are well-trained crews, been together for a long time,” Saucedo said.

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

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 Justin White

Click here for updates on this story

    COLLEGE TOWN, Florida (WTXL) — Florida’s new student-athlete heart screening requirement is now law statewide. One Leon County gymnast’s story is a powerful reminder of why early detection matters.

Florida’s new requirement for heart screenings before student athletes can compete is now officially in effect statewide — and one Leon County teenager’s story illustrates exactly why supporters say the law could save lives.

Aubrey Boyd, a competitive gymnast who trained nearly 5 hours a day, had no idea anything was wrong.

“I had no symptoms. I wasn’t feeling fatigue like any of that I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t losing my energy more so I just had like no way of me, knowing that it could’ve happened without the test,” Boyd said.

One heart screening changed everything. Doctors discovered two hidden heart conditions that placed her at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest. She was admitted to the ICU and underwent two procedures. Today, she has a clean bill of health.

Her mother, Ginger Boyd, said the timing of the discovery was critical.

“Had her condition not been caught when it was based on the amount of activity that she was engaged in she would’ve begun to lose heart functioning and capacity over time and according to the physician who actually did her ablation it’s likely that she would’ve passed out somewhere and ended up in the emergency room and that’s how she would’ve found out about the condition,” Ginger Boyd said.

Aubrey Boyd said the experience gave her a new perspective on what the screenings actually mean.

“Before I had taken the test, I like thought it was just a normal test that the school screenings that you have at school, but after I had gone to the hospital, gotten the surgery, and was healed. I realized how much that had saved my life, and it just like saved my heart and further issues down the road,” Boyd said.

The screenings take only a few minutes, are painless, and can detect heart abnormalities that traditional sports physicals often miss. Amanda Dibley, screening site director for the nonprofit Who We Play For, said 1 in 300 youth have an undetected or underlying heart condition.

Patrica Stadler, a nurse and member of Transformation Church, explained what the screenings can reveal that a standard checkup cannot.

“EKG is going to find the electrical components of the heart so we can be low in the safety thinking that, well, listen to my heart. I went to the doctor. This is more detailed,” Stadler said.

Who We Play For has pushed for expanded screenings across Florida, and Dibley said the new state law is a milestone for the organization.

“We are very grateful for the Second Chance Act just so we can keep our children’s hearts safe and that parents and children can feel confident and safe that when their child is out there playing on the field or in the court or participating in whatever they do, they can know that their child is safe,” Dibley said.

As the statewide screening requirement takes effect, organizations like Who We Play For hope more families will understand that one appointment could make all the difference before the season ever begins.

Free community heart screenings will be held in Leon County on July 29 and again on Aug. 1 ahead of the upcoming school year.

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

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.