Category: CNN Regional

By Craig McKee

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    ARIZONA (KNXV) — The latest numbers from the Department of Veteran Affairs show veteran suicides decreased by 44 veterans year to year within their reporting period of 2022-2023. Critics of the data have long said the numbers do not tell the reality of veteran suicide.

Data shows that most veteran suicides occur in veterans who are 50 and older.

Rick Kreiberg, a 35-year Army veteran who retired as a Command Sergeant Major, sees a solution to the issue of suicide among older veterans through coffee, donuts, social interaction, and most importantly, action.

“Less Hooha, more Dooah, that’s what we say. We can talk about a problem all day. There’s nothing that irks me more personally than suicide awareness. But, geez, thanks, Captain Obvious. But what are you doing about it?” Kreiberg said.

Kreiberg told me he saw an immediate need when he went to a veteran support group for himself.

“I went there, and I was the oldest veteran there. So, I’m like, where are Vietnam veterans at? And the organization said that they don’t support them, was a post 9-11 organization, and they don’t support them. So, I’m like, well, who’s supporting our senior veterans? And so, I decided to create an organization to address those needs of the pre 9-11 veterans, the older folks, especially Vietnam,” Kreiberg said.

This led to the creation of Veterans Affinity. While the group focuses on older veterans, they are open to any veteran looking for community and camaraderie.

Doug Leach served in Vietnam and now volunteers with Veterans Affinity to help veterans like himself.

“It’s given me purpose,” Leach said.

“There’s a lot of veterans out there that just never leave the house, and those are the ones we’re looking for. They’re isolating themselves. We want to get them out,” Leach said.

“They know they’re welcome here. They know that there’s other men here who went through the same thing, and they can commiserate,” Leach said.

After 22 years in a Navy uniform and nearly 15 years contracting in Iraq, Joyce Camelon still felt like she didn’t fit anywhere. Then a stranger introduced her to Veterans Affinity.

“I felt like a piece of a puzzle looking for the puzzle. I couldn’t figure out where I fit,” Camelon said. “Veterans Affinity saved my rear end. My piece of the puzzle that I couldn’t seem to find anywhere else for a very long time, I found it right there at Veterans Affinity with their camaraderie, their conversation, their ability to make you feel like you’re home.”

From Mesa to Prescott, these one-hour gatherings are taking place in 28 different communities. Kreiberg has a goal to grow the organization even more.

“There’s 500,000 veterans in the state of Arizona. So, we got, we got to find a way to touch every one of them,” Kreiberg said.

Kreiberg hopes to change the narrative from how many veterans are lost to how many are given life.

“I want control of that outcome. I want the ability to ensure that that veteran gets across the finish line, whatever that looks like. So being hands on, whether it’s me or one of my outstanding volunteers, we’re gonna ensure that gets done right,” Kreiberg said.

You can find out more about Veterans Affinity by visiting their website veteransaffinity.org.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KNXV 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 Colin Riley

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    BOULDER, Colorado (KMGH) — A Brighton woman is turning compassion into action by building a nationwide network to match pets in need with loving foster homes.

JoAnn Lagace, founder of the National Animal Foster Network, is gearing up to launch a new app this May with the help of University of Colorado Boulder students. The nonprofit is currently looking for volunteers to be ready when the platform goes live. Sign ups begin in May at NAFN.us.

“No one should have to choose between their health and the safety of their animal,” Lagace said.

The mission is personal for Lagace, who wants to keep people connected with the pets they love even in times of crisis. The network will be the nation’s only coordinated foster care system for pets of people facing medical emergencies, military deployment, housing instability or other crises.

“I’m 18 years sober, so I know what it’s like in the world of alcoholism, and what it means to people in sobriety who need sobriety, and what a barrier it is for them to go in and get the treatment that they deserve because they don’t have care for their only source of unconditional love and support,” Lagace said.

The program aims to reduce shelter overcrowding and save lives by providing temporary care.

“We will foster their animals while they go do what they have to do, and then reunify them with the animal,” Lagace said.

“65% of Coloradans have a pet. And if even 1% of Coloradans who love animals and find this an important program that can help so many animals,” Lagace said.

To make the network a reality, Lagace teamed up with CU Boulder computer science majors Langston, Isabelle and Caroline. The seniors are building the network’s website and app as their capstone project.

“I wanted to be part of something that I knew was going to actually be making a difference,” Langston said.

“Being able to apply my knowledge base that I’ve learned in school to something with such an impact and such a good mission that adds such value,” Isabelle said.

“If you’re an individual in crisis and you know that you need help and you don’t want to depart with your animal, we’re providing a way for people to communicate,” Langston said.

When the site and app launch next month, anyone will be able to search for foster homes in their area, and volunteers can sign up to offer care.

“Any kind of animal. We do not discriminate,” Lagace said.

Lagace is building an animal sanctuary to help foster animals. You can find more information on the Paws ‘N Claws for the Cause website.

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 Robert Garrison

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    PUEBLO, Colorado (KMGH) — Two Pueblo brothers filed a lawsuit last week claiming their landlord’s negligence left them with permanent brain damage after carbon monoxide poisoning in their apartment.

Fort Collins-based Cannon Law, on behalf of Branden and Dameion Quintana, filed the complaint in Pueblo County Court on April 7 against C & S Grand Investments, LLC, and its managing member, Jason Scott Berrier.

According to the lawsuit, the two brothers were hospitalized with life-threatening carbon monoxide poisoning in April 2024 from a malfunctioning furnace, which the landlord allegedly tried to fix himself without a required license.

The property is located at 2805 N. Grand Avenue in Pueblo.

The suit claims the two brothers had no idea they were being slowly poisoned as their broken furnace continued to fill their unit with the deadly, odorless gas, which went undetected because their unit allegedly lacked a working CO detector.

The furnace malfunctioned two times in December 2023 and again in March 2024, according to the lawsuit. Each time, Berrier came to their residence and worked on the HVAC system.

However, “Unknown to the Quintanas, Defendant Berrier did not possess a mechanical license as required to work on fuel-fired appliances by the City of Pueblo,” the complaint reads.

The complaint details the hours leading up to the April 29, 2024, hospital stay when the brothers first noticed something was wrong, both experiencing severe symptoms, as one brother stayed home and the other went out to help a friend.

The lawsuit claims that after a few hours playing Minecraft, Branden felt dizzy when he stood up for food, and he was eventually unable to stand, talk, or write a note when his girlfriend arrived.

The girlfriend immediately called 911, and Branden was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, Dameion, who went to a friend’s house to help change her tire, was starting to feel dizzy and weak himself, almost collapsing as he finished replacing the friend’s tire, according to the complaint.

Moments later, the brother’s mom called him and told him to go to the hospital too, after learning of Branden’s hospitalization, the lawsuit read.

The brothers were discharged from the hospital early the next morning with instructions not to return home as firefighters found CO levels above 500 ppm in the apartment unit, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit claims that both men were diagnosed with long-term brain injuries.

Denver7 contacted C & S Grand Investments, LLC, and spoke with Berrier, who said they were not aware of any lawsuit and couldn’t comment on the issue because they had not yet spoken with their attorney.

The lawsuit accuses the property owner and manager of negligence, premises liability, and violating Colorado’s Warranty of Habitability, and seeks medical costs, lost income, and punitive damages.

The brothers say they’re speaking out to prevent similar incidents.

Carbon monoxide incidents in Colorado are an ongoing, persistent public health threat as CO deaths have never dropped below 40 in any year from 2000 to 2024, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Colorado law requires CO detectors to be installed in all residential properties that are rented, sold or remodeled.

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 Clara Faith

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    DENVER (KMGH) — It’s finally spring, and flowers aren’t the only things waking up from hibernation across the state. But the warm and dry winter has left some creatures struggling to survive.

In Laura Roberts’ backyard, everything is coming out of winter dormancy — including her bees.

“I am a backyard beekeeper. I keep two hives,” Roberts said. “I think bees serve a really important part of the ecosystem.”

Roberts has kept bees for years, but this winter brought challenges.

She told Denver7’s Clara Faith that one of her hives likely died after last year’s unseasonably warm season.

“They’ve been eating through their food stores faster, so they ran out of food, and they haven’t eaten the food that I feed them,” Roberts said. “So, I think one of my hives died of starvation.”

The fo-founder of Free-Range Beehives, Mike Rosol, has spent nearly a decade in the beekeeping industry and manages nearly 125 hives across the Denver area, partnering with Urban Gardens.

He understands what Roberts and other backyard beekeepers are going through.

“With the dryness, we worry about drought and not enough nectar to feed the bees,” said Rosol.

Rosol said his bees are now down to limited frames of honey, forcing beekeepers to supplement food sources such as dry sugar to help colonies survive.

“You can use dry white sugar and put it on top of the inner cover, and the bees will come up and eat the sugar,” he said.

As the bee population grows, another threat is growing as well — mites.

These parasites can wipe out entire hives if not treated, which is what Roberts suspects killed one of her neighbor’s entire hive.

“They eat the fat bodies of the bees,” Rosol said. “More importantly, they reproduce in cells where the baby bees are developing, so it is very difficult to see them.”

Roberts said she believes mites may have contributed to losses in nearby hives as well.

Despite losing one hive, Roberts said she is not giving up.

“I started beekeeping because my son had really bad seasonal allergies, and I read that local honey can help,” she said. “I started keeping bees a couple of years ago with my dad and my son.”

As the season continues to shift, she hopes her remaining hive can withstand the season through next winter.

“I am watching them a little closer these days and doing everything I can to hopefully ensure their success,” Roberts said.

For now, beekeepers across the Denver area are watching closely — hoping their colonies can weather the changing climate and keep the buzz alive.

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 Riley Shoemaker

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — An 11-year-old golfer from Boise is already chasing a dream many spend a lifetime pursuing.

Owen Zaragoza recently competed in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, held in part at Augusta National – one of the most iconic venues in golf.

“That was super awesome knowing like, you gotta putt where all the pros and all the winners gotta putt,” Zaragoza said.

Zaragoza finished seventh in the nation after advancing through multiple qualifying rounds. He started at a local competition, moved through regional events and ultimately won at Pebble Beach to earn his spot at Augusta.

Once there, he says the experience went beyond just the competition.

“It felt like, super awesome and I loved it, having everybody rooting for me,” Zaragoza said.

His father, Adam Zaragoza, said the event gave young golfers a taste of the professional level.

“They roll it out, and you get the pro experience walking through the patron corridor… a couple thousand people just applauding the kids for what they’re doing,” Adam Zaragoza said.

Zaragoza’s journey began in the backyard with plastic clubs, and even pine cones.

“He would be hitting pine cones at his sister in the backyard… and it’s taken off ever since,” Adam Zaragoza said.

Now, Owen continues to train, compete and grow his game while learning to manage the pressure that comes with it.

“He’s been able to progress and control it… now he’s taking those emotions and channeling into a better shot,” Adam Zaragoza said.

With another world competition on the horizon, Zaragoza says he’s just getting started.

“My dream is to compete on the PGA Tour,” Zaragoza said.

The tournament may be over, but Zaragoza is already looking ahead to what’s 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 Roland Beres

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — Each week for America 250, Idaho News 6 is shining a spotlight on something uniquely Idaho.

And when it comes to food, everyone already knows Idaho is synonymous with the potato. But what goes better with potatoes than meat?

Finger steaks, a popular Idaho bar food staple, are said to have been first cooked at Boise’s Torch Drive-In— back when it was just a restaurant.

From there, the breaded steak bites gained national notoriety.

Legend has it that a former forest service worker and chef named Milo Bybee created the recipe. However, nobody has been able to confirm the claim.

Bob Tinker, who works as the General Manager for Lindy’s on Chinden Blvd., grew up on finger steaks.

When asked how often he’d eat finger steaks while growing up, Tinker replied, “A couple times a week.”

For years, Tinker has served up his own unique take on finger steaks, but his recipe remains a secret.

Meanwhile, Stacy Ann Fitzgerald, who is not a chef, said she has the original recipe, and this is it.

“The recipe is right on top— finger steaks— that’s my grandma’s writing and the rest is my grandfather’s writing,” said Fitzgerald, who used to work as a certified surgical technician.

Fitzgerald says she didn’t even know about the recipe until her mom got sick.

“When my mom got unexpectedly ill, she said, ’Don’t forget, don’t ever give it away,’“ explained Fitzgerald of the recipe card.

Fitzgerald said her grandfather, Lawrence Lamar Gwin, worked at the Torch around the time finger steaks emerged as a favorite neighborhood dish.

His writing is included on the recipe card that’s been passed down for generations.

Fitzgerald told Idaho New 6 that the only proof that she has to confirm the recipe’s originality is that two generations of her family have urged family members on their deathbeds to guard the recipe card carefully.

“All I have is— all these promises to never give it away,” added Fitzgerald.

After her mother passed, she ultimately found the recipe card in her mother’s safe, which she said includes ingredients not used in any other recipe.

“My grandfather coveted this recipe,” she said.

So, now that Fitzgerald has it, what does she want to do with the recipe?

“I would love to share it with the community. I don’t want to go promote it and sell it, but I think it needs to be celebrated,” said Fitzgerald.

While there are lots of people in the Treasure Valley who claim to have insider knowledge regarding the original finger steaks recipe, does it really matter when the idea and all its variations are so delicious to begin with?

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 Michelle Hofmann

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    ROCKPORT, Texas (KRIS) — A Rockport woman is turning fabric and memory into a tribute for Vietnam War veterans, stitching together a story she says has gone too long without recognition.

Ingrid Little, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Sweden and a resident of Rockport, has created a commemorative quilt honoring sailors who served on Swift Boats during the Vietnam War. Inspired by her friendship with a veteran of those missions, Little said the project began as a personal gesture but quickly grew into something larger.

“I felt a profound calling to honor them,” Little said.

The quilt is dedicated to a specific Swift Boat unit and includes the names of 58 service members listed as “Still on Patrol,” a term used to describe those who never returned home. Their names are sewn into the border, transforming the piece into both a memorial and a storytelling artifact.

Little said. “There are 58 men…that did not make it back from a swift boat patrol. They never want those 58 men to be forgotten, ever.”

Swift Boats, formally known as Patrol Craft Fast, or PCFs, were central to the U.S. Navy’s so-called “Brown Water Navy,” operating in the shallow rivers and coastal areas of Vietnam where larger ships could not go. Originally designed for offshore use, the 50-foot aluminum vessels were adapted for combat and became a key part of naval operations during the war.

Their missions evolved over time. During Operation Market Time, Swift Boats patrolled the coastline to intercept weapons and supplies being smuggled by sea, often stopping and boarding local vessels for inspection. Later, under Operation SEALORDS, they moved inland into the narrow canals and rivers of the Mekong Delta, where crews worked to disrupt enemy supply lines and support special operations, including inserting and extracting Navy SEAL teams.

Heavily armed for their size, Swift Boats typically carried twin .50-caliber machine guns mounted above the pilot house, along with an additional .50-caliber gun paired with an 81mm mortar on the rear deck. They also transported South Vietnamese forces on combat missions, serving as fast-moving platforms for troop insertion.

Despite their firepower, the boats’ thin aluminum hulls left crews highly vulnerable to ambushes, mines and rocket-propelled grenades. Some of the most dangerous operations took place in waterways such as the Ben Tre Canal in the Mekong Delta, an area known among service members as “Rocket Alley” for its frequent and intense attacks.

Little’s connection to the project is deeply personal. The quilt was created in honor of her longtime friend, Swift Boat veteran Bud Kittle, whom she has known for more than 25 years.

“I made him a quilt just because I love Bud Kittle,” she said. “He sent photos of it to his fellow Swift Boat members, and they asked him to ask me to do the quilt for their banquet.”

What began as a raffle item has since taken on greater significance. After seeing the finished piece, organizers decided it would instead be preserved at a museum in San Diego, Claifornia.

“Once people saw this quilt, it’s going straight to the Swift Boat Vietnam Museum,” Little said. “They are adamant on keeping the memory of those men alive, and if I can do something to help that, I am so honored to do that.”

Little, a Blue Star mother whose son served six years in the Air Force, said her understanding of the war deepened through conversations with veterans.

“As someone who didn’t have family in Vietnam, I didn’t fully understand,” she said. “But hearing their stories and seeing the lasting effects changed me.”

Those stories include not only the dangers faced overseas, but the reception many veterans encountered when they returned home.

“When those gentlemen came back, they were treated horrendously,” Little said. “They were told to wear civilian clothes so they would blend in… I’ve heard stories of eggs being thrown at them, fights being picked. It’s just wrong.”

According to Little, the emotional weight of those experiences still lingers decades later.

“It’s 50-plus years, and the sad part is these reunions used to be 500-plus people,” she said. “Now they’re down to around 75.”

The quilt itself has already had a powerful impact on those who have seen it.

“Anyone that has seen this quilt, they’ve had goosebumps,” she said. “Many have just started to cry… the gravity of what those men meant, and that they’re finally getting some positive recognition.”

What began as a collection of leftover fabric has evolved into something far more meaningful.

“It started from just scraps from Bud’s quilt,” Little said. “And now it’s going to a museum. I’m beyond honored.”

Little plans to attend a national Swift Boat reunion in San Antonio in May, where the quilt will be displayed. She hopes it will serve as a focal point for remembrance and reflection.

Beyond the event, she said her broader goal is to ensure that the sacrifices of those who served, particularly the 58 who never returned, are not forgotten.

“They were young men who never got the chance to build lives, have families or careers,” she said. “They won’t get to have their first dance with their daughter or see their grandchildren.”

For Little, the act of quilting itself carries symbolic meaning.

“Every stitch is made with love,” she said. “You don’t do that if you don’t love what you’re doing.”

As time passes, she said, opportunities to hear firsthand accounts from Vietnam veterans are diminishing, making efforts like hers all the more urgent.

“If we don’t tell these stories now,” she said, “there may soon be no one left to tell them.”

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 Isabella Ledonne

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    OTTAWA, Missouri (KSHB) — Ottawa is recovering after an EF2 tornado tore through dozens of homes and businesses on Monday night. There have been at least three confirmed injuries.

No deaths have been reported as a result of the storms.

There were a few community groups and neighbors out on Tuesday, passing out hot meals and water to clean-up crews and those affected. Power is still off for many neighborhoods as crews assess and clean up the damage.

For one Ottawa family, they lost a lifetime of memories when the tornado hit.

Peggy and Jeffrey Castleberry live near K-68 Highway, where the tornado destroyed their home.

“You always think, it’s not going to happen to you,” Peggy Castleberry said. “It was a nightmare.”

Castleberry told KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne they tried to reach the cellar in time as they heard the storm getting closer.

She held onto her two grandsons in the laundry room on the way to the cellar when the tornado tore the roof off their home.

“I held onto the little boy, and I shut my eyes. When I woke up, it was light because the whole room was gone,” Castleberry said. “It was scary, but when I saw the light, I knew that God had a cover over us.”

Castleberry explained her family didn’t suffer any physical injuries, except the pain of losing their entire home.

“We’re alive, but I don’t know how we can rebuild,” Castleberry said. “This was my home. It was peaceful. I could sit out on the front porch, watch the deer cross the road. I just mowed my yard yesterday, and I took pride in my home.”

As they count the remnants of a lifetime, the Castleberry’s are also counting their blessings.

“There’s no rhyme or reason why we didn’t get hit in the head with something,” Castleberry said. “It was scary. But when I [saw] the light, I knew that God had a cover over us.”

The Castleberry family launched a GoFundMe to help the couple start rebuilding their home.

The Red Cross is offering help to those whose homes were destroyed in the tornado. United Way of Franklin County is also offering resources to those affected.

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 Mariah Williams

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    KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — A 58-year-old bicyclist requires lifelong care after two vehicles struck him in October, and his family is seeking justice after the Bell County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the drivers.

David McDade was riding his bicycle when he was hit from behind by a vehicle. The impact flipped him over the hood of the car, leaving him in the street where a second vehicle ran him over.

“My uncle was riding his bike, not doing anything wrong, and he was hit from behind riding his bicycle. The impact was so hard, it flipped him over the hood of the car and he was left there in the street. A second vehicle came while he was in the street, ran him over a second time,” Carlos Kea said.

Kea is McDade’s nephew. He said the crash left his uncle with severe neurological damage.

“He did suffer from some neurological damage which has now rendered him, uh, incapacitated. So, he can’t respond on his own. Um. He’s, how should I say, he’s not there consciously,” Kea said.

The Killeen Police Department initially investigated the crash as a hit-and-run and asked for the public’s help to identify the suspects. A police report shows the first driver who hit McDade performed CPR but left the scene once police arrived. The second driver stopped and contacted 911, but fled the scene when police arrived. The second driver later contacted police to provide information to investigators.

“Investigators with the Traffic Unit advised that the case was presented to the Bell County District Attorney’s Office on two occasions; however, prosecution was declined both times and no arrests were made,” the Killeen Police Department said.

Bell County District Attorney Stephanie Newell explained why the charges were not pursued.

“Our office did review the case and found that the two listed suspects had each stopped at the scene and attempted to render aid by contacting 911 and requesting assistance, with one rendering aid to the victim and performing CPR. Each driver also made themselves available and provided voluntary statements the day after the accident. In light of these facts, the cases did not meet the elements for criminal prosecution,” Newell shared with 25 News.

“Our office did speak to the family of the victim to explain our decision and express our sympathy for the injuries suffered by the victim as a result of the collision,” Newell said.

“This was a human being and he was really left there to die. I do not understand under what circumstance the police department could see where, ‘you know what, these individuals are able to go home,” Kea said. “Whatever was presented to them, they felt it was not enough. So whatever the, the detective lacked on that document, such as toxicology, such as all of those details that can bring a person and make them accountable for what they did.”

Kea described his uncle as a man who loved his family, God and riding his bike.

“He was a simple man. He was not too complex in terms of his philosophies and things of that nature. He was just someone who believed in God. He believed in family and he just wanted peace and happiness for himself,” Kea said.

McDade will need long-term care for his injuries for the rest of his life. His family is trying to reopen the case to seek justice for what happened.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KXXV 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.