Category: CNN Regional

By Allie Triepke

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — A handmade quilt created by contributors from across the country is now on display in the Treasure Valley, honoring the life of Kaylee Goncalves and offering comfort to her family.

The Kaylee Jade Dahlia Quilt, unveiled at The Quilt Crossing, was crafted by more than a dozen quilters and dahlia enthusiasts from Idaho and beyond. Each square was stitched with messages of remembrance, forming a one-of-a-kind tribute to Goncalves, one of four victims killed in the 2022 University of Idaho murders.

“You’re never gonna replace the void that has occurred in their life, but it can be brighter, and it’s a very loving kind of tribute,” said contributor Kristin Custer of Caldwell.

The quilt draws inspiration from the Kaylee Jade Dahlia, a newly bred flower with bright pink and purple tones named in Goncalves’ memory. Custer said the vibrant colors are meant to bring light during a dark time.

Quilters from states including Florida, Ohio, and Idaho contributed to the project, each creating pinwheel-style sections that were later assembled by Nampa quilter Jodi Frederick.

“It looks better up there than I thought it would. I’m really happy that it’s done,” Frederick said. “It’s a relief that I got it done on time.”

Vickie Holbrook, another contributor, said the quilt represents more than a creative project.

“What the quilt means to the family really is an everlasting hug and something that can help in dark times,” she said.

Organizers say the quilt is meant to symbolize a nationwide embrace of support for the Goncalves family, with contributors hoping it provides a sense of comfort and connection.

The quilt will remain on display at The Quilt Crossing before being presented to the Goncalves family on May 9.

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 CBS 58 Newsroom

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — A Milwaukee man trying to get to work late Wednesday, April 15 ended up wading out of floodwater after a rideshare vehicle got stuck under a bridge near Burleigh and 31st.

Corey Wedgeworth tells CBS 58 that he was headed to his third-shift job when the driver followed a navigation app route into the flooded underpass. Wedgeworth said he warned the driver not to head in that direction after seeing the water ahead, but the driver took that path anyway and became trapped.

Wedgeworth said he got out and made his way through waist-deep water before eventually returning home to change clothes and then heading to work.

He said his experience also left him thinking about Milwaukee families dealing with flooding across the city.

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 Itinease McMiller

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — For the first time, we are hearing from the woman behind a now-viral video showing a mama bear doing something moms everywhere can relate to: trying to wrangle her cubs.

Kristina Rupp said she was driving home on Emma Road in Asheville when traffic suddenly came to a stop.

“I was actually annoyed because traffic was stopped. I thought it was a goose or something,” Rupp said.

But she quickly realized it was a mama bear trying to get one of her cubs out from underneath a car. Rupp grabbed her phone and began recording, capturing the bear’s determined effort to get all of her cubs safely across the road.

Like toddlers, the cubs certainly didn’t make it easy. Every time the mother pulled one to safety, another wandered right back toward danger.

“That’s what was so funny for me. I really empathized with her, and I wanted to help her. That was my instinct, I was like she needs a babysitter,” Rupp said, laughing.

The video has clearly struck a chord, especially with parents. As of April 16, the video has reached 7.3 million views on TikTok, 4.4 million views on Instagram, 4.4 million views on YouTube, and 950,00 views on Facebook. Across all of WLOS’s social media platforms, it has reached a combined 17 million views.

Even though Rupp doesn’t have children of her own, she said her experience as a nanny made the moment instantly relatable.

“They were so sweet. To see this mama bear have this really complex emotion of patience, and then losing it. It was so funny. And they were being so naughty,” she said.

Beyond the laughs, Rupp said the experience left her with a deeper takeaway.

“We’re so lucky they’re still here, as much as they are with us having boomed this area so much,” Rupp said. “And how important it is to keep some areas wild for the bears, for all these animals, so that they don’t end up on the road.”

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said encounters like this are becoming more common and is now expanding its “BearWise” program statewide, aimed at helping people safely coexist with bears.

For many viewers, the viral moment serves as both a heartwarming and important reminder that even in the wild, moms have their hands full.

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 Bun Choum

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    HAMMOND, Louisiana (WDSU) — The Hammond Police Department has taken a 13-year-old in custody in connection with a shooting near the Tangipahoa Alternative School Tuesday morning.

According to Hammond police, the shooting happened in the school carline around 7:39 a.m.

Police say that before the shooting, the 13-year-old boy and his father got into an argument. Officers say the boy did not want to go inside the school.

Due to the argument, the school resource officer responded to the carline, and the father of the boy decided to take his son home.

As the car began to drive out of the carline, the resource officer heard gunshots and saw the teen approaching the officer with a gun, according to police.

Hammond police say the father’s car then accelerated across the street into a home. There was a Pre-K-aged student in the backseat. That child was not injured and is now in the custody of another family member.

The home the father crashed into was damaged, but no one inside was hurt.

After the car crashed, police say the 13-year-old got out of the car and began walking toward the side door of the school with the gun.

According to Hammond police, the school resource officer put himself between the scene and the school. The resource officer then disarmed the teen and took him into custody.

The teen was taken into custody without incident, and the boy’s father was taken to North Oaks Medical Center and is considered critical at this time.

Officers have secured the scene, and there is no ongoing threat to public safety. The school was placed on lockdown as a precaution, but has since returned to normal operations.

The identity of the teen and father will not be released at this time. The teen will be taken to the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center to be processed.

The school has placed counselors on campus for students who need to speak about the incident, according to school officials.

Due to the boy’s age, no information on his criminal history or behavior record at the school will be released.

“This type of violence is senseless and outrageous and sadly underscores why school resources officers are so important,” said Hammond Chief of Police Edwin Bergeron Jr. in an issued statement. “We are incredibly grateful that we had a SRO at the school to intervene and prevent further injuries.”

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 KCCI Staff

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A new pilot program giving Des Moines paramedics the ability to perform blood transfusions in the field is already being credited with saving lives — and changing how trauma care begins.

Doctors say some of the most critical moments in saving a patient don’t happen in the hospital, but in the minutes after they are injured.

“By treating patients early, we can automatically decrease the risk,” said Dr. Carlos Pelaez, trauma medical director at Iowa Methodist Medical Center.

That philosophy helped launch a pilot program last November that equips certain ambulances with blood and the tools needed to administer transfusions on scene.

Now, first responders and medical specialists say it’s making a life-or-death difference.

Coby Klocko, a paramedic in Des Moines, saw that impact firsthand on Feb. 19.

A 911 call reported a stabbing at Polk County’s Life Services Center.

“There was a stabbing victim that was in trouble and was bleeding out,” Klocko said.

When Klocko arrived, he was faced with a critical decision. Although he had only practiced administering blood transfusions on training mannequins, he knew the situation called for immediate action.

“I just took a few deep breaths, realized I’ve done this plenty of times, and it’s just another routine thing, just on a live patient,” he said.

Using the mobile blood transfusion system, Klocko began treatment before the victim arrived at the hospital.

That early intervention, doctors say, can increase survival rates by roughly 30 percent.

“I have been in practice for approximately 15 years,” Pelaez said. “This is the single most relevant change in trauma care in our city that I have seen since I started practicing trauma surgery.”

Klocko also believes having the kit and training to use it was critical to his patient’s survival.

“If I didn’t have the blood, I don’t think it would be the outcome that we had today,” he said.

His decision to begin the transfusion in the field ultimately saved the man’s life — and led to a moment not every paramedic gets to experience: meeting the patient he helped save.

For Klocko, it’s a reminder of the stakes that come with every call.

“Coming to work every day, you just never know what you’re going to get yourself into,” he said. “But having the tools that we have in our ambulances, knowing that I can make a difference in somebody else’s life, and also make an impact on their family, is definitely a huge reward, not just for myself, but for our entire department.”

As the pilot program continues, doctors and first responders say it could mark a major shift in how trauma care is delivered — starting long before a patient reaches the hospital.

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 Jacquelyn Quinones

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    SOQUEL, California (KSBW) — Local organizations in Santa Cruz County are working together to build a straw bale tiny home village next to Mount Calvary Lutheran Church on Cabrillo College Drive in Soquel, aiming to address the housing crisis and climate challenges.

Just Places, in partnership with People First, is reviving a building method from the 1800s to construct the homes.

“It was developed in the 1800s by farmers who had no resource for wood, so they saw these bales and realized they’re like building blocks the way kids play with Legos, etc. So they started stacking with bales and built really substantial homes and churches in Nebraska in the 1800s, and some of those homes are still standing and occupied,” said Michele Landegger, a general building contractor.

Landegger began building with straw bales in 1996 and has completed more than a dozen homes, along with several studios. His projects range from 1,200-square-foot spaces to 4,000-square-foot conference centers, all within Santa Cruz County.

“The reason we’re building with straw now is that straw is a biogenic carbon sequestration. It can hold carbon and draw it out of the atmosphere and hold it for its entire viable life of its use,” Landegger said.

Landegger and her team at Just Places are stepping in to help address the need for housing in Santa Cruz County.

The plan is to build a small village of LEED-certified cabins constructed from straw bales.

These thoughtfully designed homes are intended for very low-income residents, offering not just shelter but stability and a path forward.

“They have the land, we have the idea and inspiration to do it, and so we talked with them and said, ‘Hey, do this,’ and they were really receptive,” another contractor, Kita Glass, said.

According to Landegger, this project will be a step forward in combating the homelessness issue in Santa Cruz County.

“It’s affected lots of people I know in lots of different ways. It’s really hard to pay rent here, it’s really easy to lose your housing, and even if you’re in a house, you’re affected by it in all kinds of different ways,” Glass said.

The team still needs to raise at least $300,000 to cover the cost of the project. They will host two fundraisers this weekend, and according to Just Places, if they raise the necessary funds, the project could be completed within four to six months.

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 Frances Lin

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    LARGO, Florida (WFTS) — A Largo man was arrested Wednesday after Florida Highway Patrol troopers say they found more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a camper trailer he was towing on Interstate 75 in Sumter County.

Troopers said they stopped 55-year-old William Wesley Hicks for traffic violations in Wildwood. During the stop, a K9 alerted to the truck and camper, leading officers to search the trailer. Inside, troopers said they discovered 62 large bags of vacuum-sealed marijuana weighing a total of 2,025.70 pounds, along with modifications to conceal and transport the drugs.

Hicks faces multiple felony charges, including trafficking marijuana in excess of 25 pounds, possession with intent to sell, possession of drug equipment, maintaining a nuisance structure for drug activity, and owning or renting a property used for trafficking drugs. He was booked into the Sumter County Detention Center without bond for the trafficking charge.

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 Lily O’Brien

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    CLEARWATER, Kansas (KAKE) — People who knew a woman accused of murdering her 15-month-old son are sharing what they saw, what doesn’t add up, and emotions surfacing now that investigators say the death wasn’t an accident.

Neighbors say they’re feeling more “unsettled” by what was happening a couple of doors down than anything.

For some of Shanna Whitton’s neighbors, the signs of problems were there long before investigators ruled the death a homicide.

For others who knew her, the charges don’t match the woman they thought they knew.

“There’s no loss like the loss of a child,” said Cindy Miles.

It’s a loss, Miles says, that is crushing: the death of 15-month-old Matthew Whitton.

“I don’t think any of us have a full understanding of what truly happened,” she said.

Miles says she went to church with Whitton for years.

She says the accusations facing Whitton don’t sound like the woman she knew, sitting near her in the pews at church.

“I knew her as a very loving mother, so I was very taken aback when I saw the charges filed,” she said. “But I am hesitant to convict immediately without knowing more of the story.”

In 2024, investigators say Whitton’s two-year-old daughter, “Gypsy Rose,” died from choking.

One year later, Whitton says Matthew also died from choking.

“First, she told people it was a meatball… then the Spaghetti-O’s with sausage in it,” recalled Heather Lambert, a neighbor.

Months later, an autopsy would show something very different — homicide by asphyxiation.

Whitton is charged with murder and multiple counts of child abuse.

“We were all in fear,” said Lambert. “From what I understand, she has had DCF in her life since Matthew was born.”

Matthew died in August, his autopsy finalized in January, and investigators charged Whitton three months later.

“She was handcuffed and she showed just a little emotion. She actually had tears, which I hadn’t seen in any of the other incidents with Matthew,” said Lambert.

Another charge — for arson — stems from a fire almost exactly one month before Matthew’s death.

The Clearwater Fire Department declined to comment on whether the volunteer department had originally determined the cause of the fire, and if CFD brought it to the attention of either Sedgwick County or Kansas fire investigators.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and autopsy reports indicate Whitton intentionally started the fire inside Matthew’s bedroom while he was inside.

Between the fire, Matthew’s death, and the death of Whitton’s daughter, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office says it’s digging deeper.

“This is a day that’s been needing to come for a long time,” since Lambert.

The office says it will be opening an investigation into the two-year-old daughter, who did not have an autopsy performed after her death.

“If I worked for DCF, I certainly would be exploring as well what happened with these children,” said Miles.

Miles lost her own 15-month-old grandson in 2009 because of child abuse.

She says it’s helped her understand how multifaceted these types of cases are, and that there’s always different sides to a story — but at the end of the day, “there’s no loss as heartbreaking as losing a child.”

“Every time another child dies, I am crushed. I don’t know whether we’re making the progress that we need to make overall with addressing child abuse and neglect,” said Miles. “It’s heartbreaking to see us lose one child, let alone, you know, for somebody to lose two children.”

As the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office says it’s digging deeper — so is KAKE News.

KAKE News has filed multiple open records requests (KORA) with the state to get more information on the arson investigation, as well as from the Department of Children and Families.

The State has three days to respond to those requests.

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.