Man details being shot by police after 911 error sent them to wrong home

CNN Newsource on September 13, 2025

By Doug Myers, Briseida Holguin

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    GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (KTVT) — A Grand Prairie man says police shot him after he opened his garage door to what he believed were burglars — only to discover officers had mistakenly arrived at his home due to a 911 dispatch error.

“I never popped a round off. As soon as the door opened, I saw their badge. I threw the gun to the ground, got shot in the leg,” Thomas Simpson told CBS News Texas.

Simpson said the incident happened around 1:30 a.m. Friday. He was awakened by his dogs barking and, fearing a break-in, grabbed his firearm and opened the garage door. He said he raised the weapon in self-defense but dropped it immediately upon recognizing police badges. That’s when he said officers opened fire, striking him in the leg.

“They did not identify themselves or anything,” he said. “They never said Grand Prairie Police Department. But I recognized from the light, the shine off the badge when the garage door got to a certain point, and that’s why I dropped my pistol.”

Grand Prairie police later confirmed that officers were responding to a disturbance call but were mistakenly sent to the wrong address due to a computer-aided dispatch system error.

The family said police fired a total of eight rounds — some of which struck the garage and interior walls — even after Simpson was on the ground. His teenage son and nephew, who were also armed, were standing behind him at the time.

All five family members were detained for about four hours, according to the family, including the children, who were handcuffed and placed in police vehicles.

“Even my children, 13-year-old and 16-year-old, had to sit in the back of a cop car in handcuffs for three hours,” Simpson said.

Simpson said police offered no explanation or apology afterward. He was taken to the hospital and later released. He said he plans to take legal action.

“We’re gonna talk to lawyers and go after everybody responsible for it,” he said. “They need to pay. They need to learn there’s consequences to their actions.”

The family was in the process of moving out of the rental home when the shooting occurred. They said one of the bullets ruptured a water pipe, flooding the house with three inches of water. Fortunately, most of their belongings had already been moved out.

Simpson expressed frustration with how the situation was handled.

“Hopefully, they’ll follow their police procedures in the future, because from what it appears, a lot of the actual procedures were (expletive) in my opinion,” he said.

CBS News Texas has reached out to the Grand Prairie Police Department multiple times for further comment but has not received a response. The incident remains under investigation.

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Teacher walking every block in Brooklyn finds forgotten history along the way

CNN Newsource on September 13, 2025

By Hannah Kliger

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Public school math teacher Christopher Burke has a unique goal: to walk every single block of Brooklyn.

Along the way, he’s uncovering hidden pieces of the borough’s history.

“I was a sub, so I was working at different schools. So I started walking home from different schools and I started mapping it out,” he recalled on a recent walk.

Burke, who grew up in Park Slope, began this ambitious journey in 2019 as a personal challenge and a way to connect more deeply with the place he calls home.

“There are a lot of memorials all over Brooklyn that I never knew about,” he told CBS News New York’s Hannah Kliger.

Meticulously tracking his progress on his phone, Burke estimates he’s covered almost the entire western half of the borough, and is more than halfway through.

He often posts updates on Instagram and Reddit, where reactions are mixed. Some offer encouragement, while others doubt his commitment.

“I get a lot of feedback, some of it positive, some of it, you know, jokes,” Burke said.

Along his walks, Burke photographs traces of the past: old trolley tracks, memorable statues, and historic architecture.

“A lot of things are changing, you know. I’ve been to Coney Island recently. It’s all construction,” he said.

But some places stand out to him because of how much they’ve stayed the same.

“This is Ten Eyck Street,” he said. “It’s a Dutch name. It actually means ‘of the Oak’ and the Ten Eyck family actually came over to New Amsterdam in the 1630s. So almost 400 years ago, they were like one of the founding families of New York.”

One recent discovery brought Burke to a monument in Williamsburg dedicated to a nearly forgotten piece of history.

“This monument was erected by the Lithuanians of Greater New York back in 1957,” he said, pointing to the square at the intersection of Hewes Street and Union Avenue. “That one surprised me only because Lithuanians is not one of the ethnic groups I think of – I know we have all of them, it’s just not one of the ones that pops out at you.”

The monument honors pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas, who attempted a record-breaking transatlantic flight from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to Lithuania in 1933 before tragically crashing to their death.

“There are several monuments like this all over the United States of America, dedicated to them,” said Augustinas Zemaitis, a Lithuanian researcher and author of a book documenting Lithuanian heritage sites in the U.S.

His work is an effort to preserve and share this history.

“Indeed, Williamsburg was once the center of that community and many Lithuanians immigrated very long ago, late 19th century and the early 20th century,” Zemaitis said.

For Burke, these discoveries are what his project is really about.

“It’s a goal. It’s not a mission,” he said, laughing. “If I do it, great. If I don’t, I’m getting a lot of exercise and I’m seeing a lot of Brooklyn.”

Burke says it’s not just about mapping the borough, but about truly seeing it, one block at a time.

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Woman fights off alligator with her bare hands to save puppy: “I punched him in the eye”

CNN Newsource on September 13, 2025

By Sergio Candido

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    LAND O’LAKES, Florida (WFOR) — A Florida woman is recovering after fighting off an alligator that tried to drag her puppy into a backyard creek.

It happened last week in Land O’Lakes, just 20 miles north of Tampa.

Danie Wright said she was walking her 4-month-old puppy, Dax, behind her house when the attack took place. The two were strolling along a stagnant creek covered in water moss, giving perfect cover for the predator, she told Tampa CBS affiliate WTSP.

“I heard a squeal, and I got pulled,” Wright said. “The alligator had him by his [collar] and dragged him, and I wasn’t gonna let go.”

She said the reptile latched onto Dax’s collar and began dragging him into the water. That’s when Wright went into fight mode.

“I just punched him, punched and punched,” she recalled. “I punched him in the eye enough that he kind of let go, he unclamped a little, and I pulled off, but his teeth dragged down my arm.”

Wright was bitten during the attack but is now recovering.

Trappers and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers later captured the 5-foot alligator and removed it from the property, according to WTSP

“Just be careful with your dogs, you know these alligators are no joke,” Wright, a Floridian for 20 years, warned. “I mean, 15 feet, he came out to get him, and I didn’t see him.”

Thanks to Wright’s quick action, both she and Dax survived the harrowing encounter.

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Songwriter shares his inspiration behind writing a song with Taylor Swift

CNN Newsource on September 13, 2025

By Lisa Hughes

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    MASSACHUETTS (WBZ) — A Massachusetts songwriter has written for artists like Reba McEntire and Martina McBride and he shared his inspiration for writing a song with Taylor Swift when she was just starting out.

Inside Robert Ellis Orrall’s backyard studio are bits and pieces of some of the biggest moments in musical history. Including the table card from the night Taylor Swift got her record deal.

“I am a songwriter, because that’s why I started trying to be a musician, because I wanted to write songs,” said Orrall.

But it’s his ability to connect with other artists where his talents truly shine. He met Swift decades ago, when she was about to write her debut album.

“She was 13, 14, 15 [and was on] RCA. She was originally on RCA, a lot of people don’t know that she was on RCA,” said Orrall. “And then they wanted me to write with her so we wrote and then she had fun.”

So how does a 50-year-old man connect with a teenage girl? By writing with his own teenage daughter.

“[She said] ‘I want you to write a song that’s called That’s Not Punk, about Avril Lavigne because it’s not punk, Dad, it’s pop,'” he said. “So I started writing from this point of view.”

A colleague at RCA knew he had been writing for his daughter, and knew he could step up.

“He called me up and he said ‘I’ve got this girl coming over, she’s 13 and you gotta come over and write with me,'” said Orrall.

Little did he know he was on the verge of helping a megastar take her first steps.

“And she walked in and said that she wanted to write a song that was like Avril Lavigne, only country. And I was like get outta here! And we wrote ‘I’m Only Me When I’m with You.’ The first song we ever wrote.”

But even he couldn’t have predicted how far she’d go.

“I’ve written with a lot of young people, but she was pretty extraordinary. Her confidence…she just had a thing. And I told her dad, when he came to pick her up, your daughter’s gonna sell 300 million on her first record, and I was wrong, I was off by like 7 million,” said Orrall.

He also wrote Lindsay Lohan’s “Ultimate” from “Freaky Friday,” which he’s reprised for the recent remake.

“Disney got in touch with me and said we wanna use ‘Ultimate’ in ‘Freakier Friday,'” said Orrall.

Now more than 20 years later, he’s still making music with his band and even has a new album out, “Wrong Thing.”

“I’m just gonna keep making music,” said Orrall.

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‘They fit in with the town’: Eggplant, giant peach sprout controversy

CNN Newsource on September 12, 2025

By Tommie Clark

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    ELLICOTT CITY, Maryland (WBAL) — An eggplant and a giant peach are sprouting controversy on Ellicott City’s century-old Main Street.

Business owners are being told the public art is too distracting for the historic area, but they feel the towering tributes to produce are fun and add character. Now, they’re fighting to keep the fruit.

A massive Georgia peach sits outside Georgia Grace Cafe, where owner Paula Dwyer was happy to see it installed several months ago.

“It was this big, beautiful orange peach. And, at first, honestly, I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it,'” Dwyer told 11 News.

Across the street sits an enormous eggplant known as the Aubergine. Both produce have been popularized over texting language as playful nods to body parts.

David Carney, owner of The Wine Bin, said the Aubergine has brought in business for years.

“I guess I don’t quite understand the innuendo because I have one of those body parts and it doesn’t look like that and it’s not purple, so I’m not sure really how that came about. It’s kind of weird. So, it’s kind of comical that people think that,” Carney told 11 News.

Now, the merchants have since been told to take the art down. Both sculptures are supported through the Fund for Art in Ellicott City.

Both pieces of art were also discussed at last week’s meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission, which expressed concern about the art “detracting from the historic buildings.”

“History is really important. So, this is great artwork, but I guess it’s not historic enough for them,” said Ken McNaughton, an Ellicott City resident.

“This is great artwork, but I guess it’s not historic enough for them.”

Don Reuwer, who manages numerous Main Street properties as president of the Waverly Real Estate Group, helped gather hundreds of signatures to keep the sculptures.

“Unfortunately, the chairperson told me that they weren’t interested in the petitions that actually said that the merchants are only temporary, so they don’t matter. And frankly, that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back for me,” Reuwer told 11 News.

People are far from giving up on the eye-catching produce.

“I have one of those body parts and it doesn’t look like that … I’m not sure how that came about.”

“I feel like they fit in with the town. I mean, everyone likes them. We’re a community of business owners and people, and all of them seem to like it. So, I feel like we are the town also, not just the history. And we are now the history,” said Mark Johnston, an Ellicott City resident.

11 News reached out to the commission but did not receive an official response.

Without approval, the statues must be taken down. Those in support of art plan to appeal the decision, and are even willing to take the issue to circuit court.

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Three more charged in Fremont County voter fraud case, FBI’s early involvement confirmed in court docs

CNN Newsource on September 12, 2025

By Seth Ratliff, Stephanie Lucas

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    September 10, 2025 (KIFI) — ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — The voter fraud investigation in Fremont County has expanded. Local News 8 has now confirmed through court records that authorities have charged three more people with voter fraud in a 2023 Island Park election, bringing the total number of accused individuals to ten. Local News 8 first broke news of the voter fraud investigation Sunday Night.

On August 28, 2025, detectives questioned Teara Gailbraith, David Jenson, and Michelle Green. According to court documents, all three were charged on September 2nd.

They join the initial seven individuals who were arrested and charged on August 28. All ten are accused of fraudulently voting “in the May 26, 2023 AMB LEVY-AUD, while not being a resident of Island Park,” and each is charged with Illegal Voting and perjury.

Those seven arrested individuals are as follows: Teara Gailbraith David Jenson Michelle Green Marian McKenna Rodney McKenna Christi Spinner David Spinner Marcye Gifford Chad Vanderbeek Winter Mickleberry

The election, which was decided by a narrow margin, centered on a proposed district that would have imposed a 5% lodging tax on short-term rentals, increasing the booking price for Airbnbs, cabins, etc. Many local property owners had publicly voiced concerns that the tax would make their businesses less competitive with those in nearby West Yellowstone.

The Community Center vote created intense community debate. Local News 8 has received multiple calls and emails since our initial investigation from residents and property owners describing a concerted effort from both sides of the issue to register voters ahead of the election.

Officials from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office have confirmed that they are not involved in the case.

The seven individuals initially arrested are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. on Sept. 17 before Magistrate Judge Faren Eddins.

The additional court documents in the ongoing Fremont County voter fraud case have also revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been involved in the investigation since at least April 2024.

The affidavit, filed in the case of Teara Gailbraith, states that on April 26, 2024, Detective John Harding assisted “Special Agent Almeda from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” According to Detective Harding’s sworn statement, the FBI agent was investigating an alleged voter fraud incident that occurred during the May 16, 2023, election in Island Park. This election included a ballot measure regarding the formation of the Island Park Community Auditorium District, to be funded by a lodging tax.

The affidavit further details that on May 2, 2024, Detective Harding obtained a list of challenged voters from the Fremont County clerk. According to the affidavit, Gailbraith’s name was included in that list. She is accused of using a short-term rental address in Island Park, found on the website visitislandparkidaho.com, to vote in the election. The affidavit also notes that Gailbraith’s driver’s license, issued on December 26, 2023, lists a North Ogden, Utah, address.

While the exact number of names on this list is not disclosed, ten individuals have been arrested in connection with the investigation so far. According to arrest and property records, their primary addresses are in cities like Rigby, Ashton, Idaho Falls, and Herriman, Utah. Despite the subject matter, the arrests received little attention outside of Fremont County.

Local News 8 has reached out to the FBI field office in Salt Lake City for comment and is awaiting a response. However, the FBI’s website provides insight into its role in such cases. The site states that the “DOJ’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.” It adds, “DOJ generally does not engage in overt criminal investigative measures in matters involving alleged ballot fraud until the election in question has been concluded, its results certified, and all recounts and election contests concluded.”

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7 arrested for voter fraud in Fremont County, Idaho

CNN Newsource on September 12, 2025

By Seth Ratliff, Stephanie Lucas

Click here for updates on this story

    September 7, 2025 (KIFI) — ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — On August 28, Fremont County authorities arrested and charged seven individuals with felony charges of voter fraud and perjury related to the May 2023 election. The arrests were made following an investigation into voter irregularities in the Island Park area.

While seven people, or just under 2% of the 405 voters who cast a ballot in the Fremont County Precinct 1 election in May 2023, were arrested, they all have one outstanding factor in common: according to court documents, none of them actually live in Island Park.

The accused individuals are:

Christi Spinner & David Spinner

Marian McKenna & Rodney McKenna

Chad Vanderbeek

Marcye Gifford

Winter Mickleberry.

According to arrest and property records, their primary addresses are in cities like Rigby, Ashton, Idaho Falls, and Herriman, Utah. Despite the subject matter, the arrests received little attention outside of Fremont County.

How the arrests fit together – The Island Park Auditorium District

Local News 8 began its investigation into the arrests on August 24, after receiving viewer emails about potential voter fraud. We reached out to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Fremont County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Fremont County Elections Office, and were told we would receive a call back. As of Sunday, September 7th, we are still waiting for a response.

We’ve also contacted the Idaho Attorney General’s Office and the Idaho Secretary of State’s office, who said they would look into the matter.

Court documents, including the criminal complaint and probable cause statement for each case, indicate the arrests are directly linked to a contentious local election: the proposed Island Park Auditorium District.

In 2023, members of the Island Park community petitioned the county to form the district and collected the necessary signatures to place the issue on the May ballot. The measure needed a simple majority to pass, but failed by just 9 votes: 198 to 207.

 The proposed district, if passed, would have imposed up to a “five percent (5%) lodging tax on all qualifying nightly lodging facilities that rent rooms or facilities for 30 days or less.” In other words, Airbnbs, cabins, and short-term rentals in Voting Precinct 1 of Fremont County.

The money from the tax would have been used to build and fund a new multipurpose meeting spot for the town of Island Park, at a proposed cost of $3 million.

“The community needs a place that we can have meetings, that we can have our clubs and do fundraisers,” Island Park Auditorium District Committee Member Bruce Ard told reporters in 2023. “We have no place right now that it will is big enough.”

Once again, the measure only failed by a handful of votes. According to the criminal complaint from the Fremont County Prosecutor, each of the seven arrested individuals “did fraudulently vote in the May 26, 2023 AMB LEVY-AUD, while not being a resident of Island Park, and did cause such ballot to be added to those legally polled, with the intent to change the outcome of the election.”

Authorities used court documents, voting records, tax filings, and homeowners’ exemptions to establish the voter’s primary residence. Court documents also indicate that the property owners used addresses such as Airbnb, leasing agencies, rental properties, secondary homes, etc., to vote in the election.

 In the Island Park case, some of the probable cause affidavits include a litany of excuses for voting in the election or registering to vote under a different address. For example, one property owner told deputies, “They claim their Utah home as their primary address because it makes it easier for taxes.”

While certain voting records are private, Local News 8 cannot confirm if those accused voted in favor of or opposed to the district; however, historically, property owners have interfered in or fraudulently voted in elections to avoid tax increases.

For example, in New Hampshire, Santa Cruz Mountains, California, South Lake Tahoe, California, and Alabama, officials have found second-home owners and dual residents who switched addresses, often when short-term-rental rules or new taxes were on the ballot.

In one probable cause affidavit, police noted one suspect as saying, “Well s—, sounds like we’re getting a community center,” suggesting they were aware of the potential for the vote to be overturned.

All seven individuals were arrested and charged separately. They have since been released on parole and are scheduled to appear in court on September 17.

Sources in Fremont County have suggested to Local News 8 that more people may be involved in the potential scheme. Local News 8 will continue to investigate this story.

All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Seth Ratliff
seth.ratliff@localnews8.com

7 arrests made in connection with Monterey County Fair brawls

CNN Newsource on September 12, 2025

By Felix Cortez

Click here for updates on this story

    MONTEREY, California (KSBW) — More than half a dozen people, most of them juveniles, have now been arrested in connection with the violence that broke out at the Monterey County fair Labor Day weekend, which eventually spilled into the streets with more fights and gunfire in Seaside.

Monterey police have announced they made seven arrests in connection with several fights that broke out on August 30 at the fairgrounds: five juveniles and two adults.

On September 1, 2025, the Seaside Police Department arrested a 17-year-old, and they were booked into juvenile hall for assault with a deadly weapon. On September 1, 2025, the Monterey Police Department arrested Mario Giovanny Perez Luis, 19. He was booked into Monterey County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon.

His bail was set at $200,000.

On September 3, 2025, the Monterey Police Department arrested a 17-year-old, and they were booked into juvenile hall for assault with a deadly weapon. On September 3, 2025, officers arrested two 15-year-olds who were also booked into juvenile hall for assault with a deadly weapon. On September 6, 2025, the Monterey Police Department arrested a 17-year-old, and they were booked for assault with a deadly weapon. On September 10, 2025, the Monterey Police Department arrested Roberto Mendez, 20. He was booked into Monterey County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon. His bail was set at $200,000.

Police said this case is being investigated as a gang crime.

The announcement comes just days after Seaside police arrested 20-year-old Adrian Lopez Bernal in connection with a car chase that ended in gunfire on Luzern Street in Seaside. Bernal is being held on $2 million bail.

Seaside police chief Nick Borges said that attempted murder was fallout from the fair fights; nobody was injured in the shooting.

And then on Wednesday, Seaside police served a high-risk search warrant at a Marina home on Tallmon Street looking for a second suspect in connection with the shooting, but that suspect was not located.

“The people involved, we are tracking them down. We have solid leads, solid information, and we are going to capture everyone involved,” said Chief Borges.

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Newly licensed pilot overshoots runway and crashes

CNN Newsource on September 12, 2025

By Ricardo Tovar

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    HOLLISTER, California (KSBW) — An emergency landing was reported at or near Frazier Lake Airpark on Wednesday night.

The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was reported around 7:20 p.m. in a field near the airport.

The plane was flying from San Mateo to Hollister with three people on board, including the pilot.

The Sheriff’s Office said the pilot was newly licensed.

Preliminary information indicates the pilot overshot the runway and went into the field.

The FAA and NTSB will conduct the investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office said the pilot is having difficulty getting a hold of his insurance, so the property owner agreed to keep the plane on their property until things are sorted out.

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Woman rescued after trying to cross active slide in Big Sur

CNN Newsource on September 12, 2025

By Ricardo Tovar

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    MONTEREY COUNTY, California (KSBW) — CAL FIRE says a woman had to be rescued Thursday morning after attempting to cross Regent’s Slide.

According to CAL FIRE, the woman was trying to cross the active slide from the San Luis Obispo side to the Monterey County side when she slid down the cliff and landed on a ledge.

She was allegedly suffering from a mental health crisis and ignored Clatrans’ directions not to proceed.

The CHP H-70 helicopter assisted in extricating the patient. She was not injured.

Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade assisted with helping the woman onto the helicopter.

In 2024, a man attempted the same thing and also had to be rescued.

He was charged with “wanton disregard of failing to obey a person directing traffic and failing to obey the traffic signs and signals,” CHP said at the time.

Regent’s Slide has been closed since Feb. 9, 2024, after a slide closed the area. Caltrans said that a reopening date will be announced in mid-September.

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