Category: CNN Regional

By Allison Petro

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — A man was arrested on Thursday at Disney World in Orlando for his alleged involvement in a deadly fireworks explosion in California.

Kenneth Chee, owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, was among multiple people arrested in connection with a fireworks explosion in Yolo County that killed seven people in July 2025.

Jail records show Chee was arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 351 Studio Drive in Bay Lake, Florida. The address of his arrest matches the location of Hollywood Studios.

The fire broke out following a series of explosions involving commercial fireworks and ammunition. Authorities said neither the company nor the property had the required local permits to store fireworks.

Chee is now facing multiple charges, including seven counts of murder and one count of conspiracy. He is currently being held in the Orange County Jail.

Six other people were also arrested in connection with the investigation. They were identified as:

Samuel Machado Tammy Machado Jack Y. Lee Gary Young Chan Jr. Craig Cutright Ronald Botelho II

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 Raquel Ciampi

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    SOUTH GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — The former chief of a fire department in Westmoreland County allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a cemetery.

Matthew White, former chief of the South Greensburg Fire Department, is already accused of stealing $178,000 from his own department prior to the cemetery allegations.

According to a criminal complaint, White was the superintendent of the St. Clair Cemetery Association and lived on the grounds in Hempfield Township for 10 years.

In addition to living on the grounds for free, White was also able to use a vehicle owned by the cemetery association.

During his time as superintendent, White was in charge of payroll, groundskeeping, meetings with potential clients and would oversee up to six employees.

The complaint said in the beginning of 2026, an audit was performed after over $250,000 in unpaid tax withholdings to the IRS for employer taxes was discovered.

The audit found checks made payable to White that were entered into the system but later deleted, the report states.

Those checks totaled over $138,000.

White also allegedly overpaid himself from 2022-2025. That money was allegedly over $54,000 higher than his salary.

The complaint goes on to say he also paid himself more than $98,000 in commission than he was entitled to receive.

It’s alleged, in total, White stole over $290,000 from the St. Clair Cemetery.

White is already facing charges for allegedly stealing from his own department where he was fire chief.

A criminal complaint said White had purchased “donations” using the station’s bank account. Police said White then transferred those funds to his personal bank account.

The complaint alleges that from 2023 to now, White stole roughly $178,000.

The Westmoreland County district attorney’s office said Matthew White was in custody in South Carolina in February.

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 WTVR CBS 6 Web Staff

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    SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — The stepfather of Katelin Akens, a Virginia teen who disappeared more than 10 years ago on the way to an airport, has been arrested on multiple child sex charges, officials with the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

James Branton faces eight charges stemming from June 2006, including two counts each of child cruelty, indecent exposure of a child, custodial indecent liberties and aggravated sexual battery, according to court records.

One of his victims is believed to be Akens, whose family members previously told WTVR CBS 6 that Branton dropped her off at Springfield Mall to catch a ride to the airport the morning of Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015.

Akens was supposed to be headed to the Franconia-Springfield Metro station and planned to take the Metro to Regan National Airport to catch a flight to Arizona, family members said at the time.

The teen’s luggage was found scattered across the 6600 block of River Road the morning of Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, near the Fredericksburg city limits.

Her roommate’s credit card, which was her only means of financial support, was still inside the luggage, family members said.

Akens’ mom, Lisa Sullivan, told Jon Burkett that her daughter was dropped off at Springfield Mall to catch a ride to the airport.

“She texted and said she made it there, but we don’t know if that’s true,” Sullivan said.

The family later learned that Akens never got on her flight.

“She and I text all day and if she doesn’t hear from me, she’ll blow up my phone if I don’t answer her,” Sullivan said.

Akens had lived in Arizona for more than a year, and Sullivan said she seemed excited to head west again to start a new chapter and go back to school.

The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office previously called Akens’ disappearance suspicious in 2015.

“This investigation remains open and active. We appreciate the continued assistance from our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” deputies said.

The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with additional information about the case to call the office at 800-928-5822 or Spotsylvania Crime Stoppers at 540-582-5822.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team 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 Zoe Blair

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    CULLMAN, Alabama (WVTM) — Mark Griffin won a $70 million verdict against Tyson Farms after wastewater from the company’s Hanceville plant polluted the Black Warrior River, leading to a flesh-eating bacterial infection that changed his life.

Tyson Farms is a part of the Tyson Foods family of businesses.

“I want the people who are responsible for the spill in the river to have to be held accountable for what they’ve done,” Griffin said.

The long recovery He contracted flesh-eating bacteria from the Black Warrior River six years ago after a pipe malfunction at Tyson Farms’ Hanceville plant released hundreds of thousands of gallons of wastewater into the river.

Griffin spent nearly 80 days in the hospital and says he is still dealing with the effects years later. He described ongoing weakness and said it took five or six years to recover.

“It got to be where I would fall a lot because of the weakness of laying up for 80 days, and it doesn’t seem like it would take five, six years to get over it, but it took five or six years to get over this stuff,” Griffin said.

Attorney Josh Vick highlighted Griffin’s resilience throughout the ordeal.

“Seven years later, he’s still dealing with the effects of this illness and will be for the rest of his life. The impact that it had on his life, his illness, but also sort of his resiliency and his refusal to quit was really impressive to us. That makes it easier for us to stick with something like this,” Vick said.

A hard-fought legal battle Griffin’s attorney, Dennis Goldasich, said the case was a difficult one against Tyson Farms, with large legal teams on both sides. Another attorney, Josh Vick, said Griffin’s resilience helped keep the case going.

“At any given point in time, there were teams on both of the defendants that looked like it was 14 to 15 people in the courtroom at any point in time,” Goldasich said. “Our team fought as hard as we could, and it certainly lent itself to a David versus Goliath mentality.”

The verdict The $70 million award is the largest verdict in Walker County history. Griffin said he hopes it helps prevent future pollution and holds those responsible accountable.

“I feel like it will help to stop this from happening anymore and polluting the river any more than it did. Other people as polluters maybe could look at that and say, ‘Maybe I better quit,’ because there are other people that pollute the river as well,” Griffin said.

What happens next Tyson Farms could still appeal the verdict, though no appeal had been filed at last check. Griffin’s lawsuit is one of several tied to the spill, and five other cases are still pending.

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By Lydia Blackstone

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    FORT STEWART, Georgia (WJCL) — A simple innovation developed by soldiers at Fort Stewart could help reduce risk on the battlefield by allowing drone operators to remain inside armored vehicles while conducting missions.

Drones have become a critical tool in modern warfare, used for reconnaissance, targeted strikes and delivering supplies. But operating them has often required soldiers to step outside of protected vehicles to maintain signal connection — exposing them to potential danger.

“At times, we had to get out of the vehicle to maintain communication with the drone,” said Spc. Cesar Pula, a drone operator with the 3rd Infantry Division. “That meant being exposed while trying to observe what’s ahead.”

Soldiers with the division identified the issue and worked on a solution designed to keep operators protected without sacrificing capability.

“We came up with a way to put the antennas outside of the Bradley,” said Sgt. 1st Class Scott Kibby, assigned to the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Using a 3D-printed component created at the Marne Innovation Center, the team mounted drone antennas through a Bradley Fighting Vehicle’s periscope. The modification allows operators to control drones from inside the vehicle while maintaining a strong signal.

The change, while relatively simple, has had an immediate impact.

“Everybody was happy with it,” Kibby said. “The pilot of the drone was actually more excited because he didn’t have to get out as much.”

Pula said operating from inside the vehicle provides a significantly different experience.

“It feels like you’re in your own world,” he said. “You don’t know what’s going on outside, but you’re protected.”

About 30 of the modified systems are currently in use within the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart. While the innovation does not yet have an official name, soldiers say its purpose is clear: keep troops safer while maintaining operational effectiveness.

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By Alex Suckow

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    BARDSTOWN, Kentucky (WLKY) — The body of a Bardstown airman killed in the Iran war returned home on Thursday.

Tech Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, died last month in Iraq supporting Operation Epic Fury. She’s one of the six airmen who died after a refueling tanker crashed.

Her body was returned back to the U.S. on March 18, but just arrived home on Thursday.

The plane came in to Samuels Field Airport via a C-130J Kentucky National Guard plane, which will also be part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show.

From there, it was escorted to Houghlin Greenwell Funeral Home ahead of Friday’s visitation. The procession route was 4.5 miles long, and went through the heart of her hometown.

Hundreds of people lined the streets.

Pruitt’s funeral is Saturday.

More about Pruitt Pruitt was as mother of two.

She graduated from Hardin County High School where she served in the Air Force Junior ROTC Program.

“Ashley was an exceptional student, JROTC cadet, airman, and human being. She was a go-getter who worked hard, always gave her best, and showed a commitment and dedication beyond measure. An impressive young woman, she embodied the Air Force Core Values of Integrity First, Excellence in All We Do, and Service before Self,” Pruitt’s former NCHS AFJROTC instructor Donna Lucchese said.

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