Category: CNN Regional

By McKenzy Parsons

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Omaha Public Schools is fighting back after parents and students spoke out against the use of shock gloves in schools.

On Tuesday, OPS wrote a letter to Mayor John Ewing Jr. and Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer, asking that the school resource officers no longer have authority to carry the shock gloves on school grounds.

“Nothing is more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the 52,000 students we serve. We recognize the longstanding relationship between our district and the Omaha Police Department and the valuable role that SROs play in our schools,” said the letter.

OPS called the use of the gloves “counterproductive” to that relationship.

The district requested this change be made immediately.

Following the letter from OPS, Schmaderer released the following statement:

“I’m proud of the work our School Resource Officers have done, and I’m confident the administration and principals feel the same way. Unfortunately, some have made erroneous assumptions about the work we do. We have a great working relationship with Omaha Public Schools, and they are a wonderful partner to the Omaha Police Department. Our School Resource Officers are passionate about the schools where they serve. More importantly, they value the relationships they build with students and staff and experience overwhelmingly positive interactions with them every day. These relationships are at the heart of what our School Resource Officers do, and they are an important part of keeping our schools safe and fostering a positive learning environment.”

OPD also said that the department will adhere to the request to not use the gloves on school grounds, but officers will still carry the standard-issue equipment, which includes tasers, OC spray, batons, and firearms.

Mayor Ewing also responded to the district’s request to opt out of G.L.O.V.E.

“As someone who helped start the School Resource Officer program, I believe in the importance of having Omaha Police Officers in our schools to protect students, faculty and all who enter our school buildings. They have helped deter crime, build positive relationships and provide additional security at a time our schools need it. On Monday, we reached out to all four Omaha public school district superintendents to discuss the use of this technology, noting that officers have a variety of tools and the GLOVE had been the least impactful. OPS was given the option to opt out, and we honored that. We value our relationship with them and will continue to listen and respond to their needs.”

OPS Superintendent Matthew Ray told KETV on Wednesday that Omaha police agreed to remove the shock gloves, while Bellevue police did not.

Ray said that Bellevue SROs oversee both Bryan High and Middle schools.

“The Omaha Police Department gave us the option of the gloves of not having the gloves on the belt. That’s the option. So we chose not to allow the gloves in our schools. They didn’t give the option of anything else on their belt,” Ray said.

The Omaha Police Department previously announced that SROs would have shock gloves in metro area middle and high schools.

OPS confirmed the two schools where the gloves were deployed were the Integrated Learning Program and Omaha South High School.

During Monday night’s OPS Board of Education Meeting, parents and students opposed the use of those shock gloves.

By the end of the meeting, some board members agreed that changes needed to be made.

“As a parent of OPS, and a member of the board with my own opinion, I do not support the use of any use of force or pain compliance with our students, including pepper spray, tasers and electric shock gloves,” OPS School Board member Gini Magnuson said.

OPS is not the only school district where OPD is using the shock gloves. The department has confirmed SROs are using them in Elkhorn, Millard, and Westside public school districts.

In a statement to Omaha’s News Leader and parents, Westside Community Schools stated that “safety and security personnel were made aware of the potential deployment of these tools on March 27, 2025. Our board of education was made aware of them late last week.”

Westside also stated that the gloves have not been used in the district.

Millard Public Schools released a statement on Tuesday:

“Our staff who coordinate with the SRO program were made aware that officers would be trained and start including the gloves in their equipment about a year ago.”

MPS also said the gloves have not been used in its district.

OPS sent the same letter to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, which has SROs within the district. However, DCSO has said publicly that it does not have any gloves.

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 Beau Bowman

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — The hot beef sundae turns 20 this year, and the Iowa State Fair staple is still drawing crowds.

What began as a way to use leftover roast beef trimmings became one of the fair’s most iconic foods, thanks to brainstorming between Michelle Baumhover and John Mortimer, then-manager of Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters.

The dish looks like a sundae, but it’s made with mashed potatoes, gravy, beef and cheese, and topped with a cherry tomato. Baumhover said the idea came after she heard about a “steak parfait” and thought the concept would work better with mashed potatoes and roast beef.

The team expected to sell about 4,000 sundaes in the first year. Instead, it sold 22,000.

“When we first launched in 2006, I got calls from across the country, London, in Japan, The Calgary Stampede,” Baumhover said.

Long lines formed at the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters then, and they still do now.

Wayne Baumhover, Michelle Baumhover’s husband, later took over the Beef Quarters when Mortimer retired, keeping the hot beef sundae in the family.

“It is kind of weird that she was the one that started it and now I’m dealing with it,” Wayne Baumhover joked.

Michelle Baumhover says the dish has endured because it is comforting and nostalgic.

“It’s comforting; it reminds them of home, reminds them of family, so if you look at it in that perspective, yeah, everyone wants that, and they are nostalgic about that kind of food,” she said.

To mark the 20th anniversary, the Beef Quarters is selling Hot Beef Sundae T-shirts online. Fairgoers who wear one to the fair can get a free hot beef sundae.

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 Abigail Kurten

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Ground beef prices have risen 24% since January 2025, prompting President Donald Trump to announce a temporary tariff reduction on imported ground beef to ease costs for American families.

On Friday morning, Trump revealed that 300,000 metric tons of ground beef will be imported with lower tariffs over the next 90 days.

During a visit to the Iowa State Fair, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins explained the decision’s potential impact on consumers.

“We can get a 25% decrease for families. Usually, lower-income families rely on ground beef. He wanted to make that move for the American consumer,” Rollins said.

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association expressed disappointment with the plan.

“Obviously we’re disappointed with that,” CEO Bryan Whaley said. “We talk about supporting our farmers and ranchers. But then you take some of their profitability away right away out of this by inserting a foreign product into our domestic market.”

Iowa farmers are already facing high input costs and low profit margins, compounded by the U.S. beef cattle supply being at a 75-year low. Rollins acknowledged these challenges but defended the move.

“I understand the decision and defend the decision and look forward to continuing to rebuild the herd, but making sure that we can continue to provide,” Rollins said.

While consumers may see lower ground beef prices in the coming months, Whaley warned that supply issues will remain.

“Even after this 90 days, we’re still going to have a short supply. We can’t turn that cowherd around in that short of a time period. And I think that’s one of the things I think people have to realize. It takes two, three years for us to get to that point where we’re going to be able to meet that demand,” Whaley 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 Alexis Crandall

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    BURLINGTON, Vermont (WPTZ) — The city of Burlington is working to create a new committee to address graffiti with assistance from the community.

No matter where you are in the Queen City, it’s easy to spot graffiti.

“The goal is to get some sort of functional hub where the community can be involved in graffiti cleanup efforts and be a part of beautifying the neighborhood that they live in or just the city we call home,” said Ward 7 council member Evan Litwin.

The Graffiti Abatement Committee hasn’t formally formed yet, but there is a blooming partnership with non-profit PaintCare, which collects old paint for recycling.

They are currently creating a form for people to fill out to start covering the graffiti with free paint.

“Folk, if they are interested in helping out with graffiti abatement, through the committee, can get leftover paint,” Agnes Barsalow, the program manager for Vermont, said. “It’s paint that was brought to one of our bins and then Chittenden Solid Waste puts it aside. As folks request it, it can be used for murals or abatement across the city.”

Litwin says right now City Council wants to make sure they’re able to meet the needs of residents and adhere to their budget.

“We want to make sure, especially given the tight budgetary status of the city, that we’re not creating more work for what I would call a skeleton crew in some of these departments that have their work cut out for them, while also giving communities empowerment and agency over addressing the graffiti or the defacement in their community that they see every fay and they’re tired of looking at,” he said.

Litwin hopes someday the community can fully steer the committee.

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 Lisa Crane

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    FAIRFIELD, Alabama (WVTM) — Nearly five years have passed since Brionna Washington watched police place her 4-day-old son back into her arms after he was kidnapped from their Fairfield home.

Her son, Kamarion Taylor, is now a healthy, energetic boy. But Washington still remembers the fear of those hours when she did not know where he was, or whether she would ever see him again.

“I just couldn’t stop crying, like it was just so much running through my head about it,” Washington said. “I just kept thinking I wouldn’t get my baby back. I wasn’t going to see him again. I don’t know where this lady’s at, what she’s doing, none of that.”

Now, Washington says those memories have come rushing back.

The woman charged in Kamarion’s 2021 kidnapping, Lakesha Brown, has been arrested in Atlanta and accused of abducting two more children.

Atlanta police released body camera video Tuesday showing officers recovering two young girls from a hot trailer.

Brown, who had been caring for the girls as a babysitter, is charged with abducting the sisters, ages 4 years and 11 months.

For Washington, the allegations were difficult to comprehend.

“Everybody just kept calling my phone saying, you know she out of jail, you know she took somebody else’s kids,” Washington said. “And I’m like, she took kids? They say she took two. And then I started seeing it on Facebook. I just started seeing it everywhere.”

Brown also faces charges in Jefferson County in connection with Kamarion’s disappearance in 2021.

Brown was a family friend when, according to police, she took Washington’s newborn son from his Fairfield home.

Kamarion was only 4 days old.

For about seven hours, Washington waited, cried and feared the worst as police searched for him.

Officers eventually tracked down Brown and the baby. WVTM 13 video from that day captured Washington’s emotional reunion with her son.

Years later, she says she still does not take that moment — or her son’s safety — for granted.

Washington said the Atlanta girls’ mother has since reached out to her.

The two women have spoken about experiences few parents can fully understand: the terror of not knowing where their children are and the relief of finally getting them back.

“She said when she got them back all she could do was just smile and just watch them sleep,” Washington said.

Washington said their conversations also revealed similarities in how Brown allegedly entered their lives.

She said Brown appeared to gain the trust of both families before being accused of taking their children.

Washington said she did not know Brown had been released on bond in the Jefferson County case until she unexpectedly saw her at a Walmart about a year ago.

She said no one from Jefferson County notified her of Brown’s release.

Now, after the allegations in Atlanta, Washington is questioning why Brown was free while the 2021 kidnapping case remained unresolved.

“This time, they don’t need to let her out,” Washington said. “Because there ain’t no way y’all keep letting her out and she keep doing the same thing. Like it’s going to be a constant, she’s going to keep doing it.”

Washington also said she believes Brown needs mental health treatment.

“I think she needs mental help,” Washington said. “Because ain’t no way you keep taking people’s kids.”

She also questioned how Brown was allegedly able to present herself online as a babysitter, saying someone facing a kidnapping charge should not have been in groups where parents were searching for child care.

Washington said her frustration extends beyond Brown’s release.

She said Jefferson County authorities have not kept her informed about the status of the kidnapping case involving her son, and she still does not understand why it has taken years for the case to reach trial.

Brown’s Jefferson County trial was scheduled to begin in May, but she did not appear in court.

For Washington, the newest accusations are no longer only about what happened to her family five years ago.

They are about another mother who experienced the same fear — and what Washington says must happen before another family goes through it.

She wants Brown kept off the streets while the cases against her move forward.

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 Khamari Haymer

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Faith leaders and community members in Mississippi are urging Commissioner Andy Gipson to remove his social media posts advocating for a ban on Sharia law, following concerns about their impact on religious freedom and safety.

Gipson, who is running for governor, has posted multiple times about stopping Sharia law, which is a religious and moral code for Muslims. The calls for action come after Benoit Municipal Court Judge Assma Ali, who is Muslim, received threats due to her faith.

“These public statements are misleading, inflammatory, and endanger important Mississippi institutions and people,” said Pastor Jimmy Lee Edwards of Rosemont Baptist Church.

Gipson defended his comments, stating they were not directed at Ali and reflect his long-standing views.

“This is something that I have been advocating for a long time, if you go back and look from last November 22nd, I posted one of my plans to ban Sharia law even before this was an issue,” Gipson said.

“I am not backing down from what I said, I said nothing wrong because what I said is right. For people who do not think this is an issue, you better open your eyes and get your head out of the sand,” he added.

Kathleen O’Beirne, who attended the press conference, expressed frustration with Gipson’s stance, urging him to better understand Sharia law before acting on his beliefs.

“It makes me angry and concerned about the ignorance that we see on social media. You can practice any faith that you want to and still do your job to uphold the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Mississippi,” O’Beirne said.

Okolo Rashid, co-founder of the International Museum of Muslim Cultures, emphasized the importance of religious freedom for all Mississippians.

“The Sharia Law is like a law of Moses and the ten commandments, it is just about the laws that governs a just and upright community of people,” Rashid said.

Both organizations are inviting Commissioner Gipson to join them in a conversation about uniting Mississippi across faith traditions.

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 Mike Hanson

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    BREVARD COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A heartbreaking reminder is playing out at Brevard Zoo, where rescuers are treating sea turtles injured by discarded fishing gear.

Loggerhead turtles have been brought to the zoo after swallowing fishing hooks or becoming entangled in fishing line. In some cases, the injuries are too severe for the animals to survive.

Fishing piers can be particularly dangerous for sea turtles because the animals often learn that the areas are reliable sources of food.

“Unfortunately, they do learn that fishing piers are a good source of food, so they will frequent those fishing piers. There’s lots of bait going into the water,” said Shanon Gann of Brevard Zoo.

Gann has worked with the zoo for 10 years and said turtles continue to arrive each year in need of medical care after encountering discarded fishing equipment.

One recent case ended tragically. A loggerhead was found with fishing hooks and line inside its digestive tract. Despite efforts by the zoo’s veterinary and rehabilitation teams, the turtle did not survive.

But other rescues offer hope.

In another case, a medical team removed fishing line that had become wrapped around a turtle’s fin. Zoo staff is optimistic the loggerhead will be healthy enough to return to the ocean soon.

The zoo operates a rehabilitation facility specifically for sea turtles, where staff work to remove hooks, line and other dangerous materials whenever possible.

“You don’t mean it to bring sadness; we want it to bring awareness,” Gann said. “We want to be able to, if we can, remove these items.”

Anglers and beachgoers can help by properly disposing of used fishing line and hooks. Fishing line can be placed in designated recycling tubes located throughout the Space Coast.

Zoo officials say proper disposal can reduce the number of turtles and other wildlife injured by fishing equipment.

The message, Gann said, is simple: By working together, the community can help protect sea turtles and the environment they share with people.

The zoo also accepts donations to support its sea turtle rehabilitation efforts. Visitors can find information about how to help on the Brevard Zoo website.

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 J.D. Miles, Doug Myers, Matthew Ablon

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    Texas (KTVT) — A judge has denied Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial in the murder of Austin Metcalf after his new defense team called for it in the wake of his conviction earlier this summer.

Judge Michael Chitty rendered his decision Saturday after testimony stretched into Friday evening. The decision could have a major impact on how people perceive the justice system in Texas.

Anthony was convicted of murdering 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf after stabbing him during a Frisco ISD track meet in April 2025. A Collin County jury rejected his self‑defense claim and found he intentionally stabbed Metcalf during an altercation.

“We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a statement. “The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing.”

Russell Wilson, one of Anthony’s attorneys, expressed disappointment with Chitty’s decision.

“We respectfully disagree with the ruling and remain firmly committed to protecting our client’s rights,” Wilson said. “We believe the issues raised in our motion are substantial and deserve meaningful appellate review. The denial of our motion does not end this case. We will continue the appeal in the Fifth Court of Appeals and pursue every legal remedy available to our client.

“Our commitment to our client has not changed. We will continue to advocate vigorously on his behalf through every lawful avenue available.”

What happened this week? Friday’s testimony followed a whirlwind day earlier, during which new background information was revealed about both Anthony and Metcalf.

Two attorneys took the witness stand who are best friends in life but on opposite sides of the case. At one point, their exchange actually got heated over whether Anthony received a fair trial.

Anthony returned to the courtroom where he sat beside his defense attorneys, who continued to present their case that his murder trial was so unconventional, the guilty verdict and 35-year sentence should be thrown out.

The witness they used to prove that point was Toby Shook, one of Anthony’s trial attorneys, who told the judge that prosecutors put them in a corner.

Shook says the plan was for Anthony to take the stand in his own defense, but that prosecutors were going to severely limit what he could be asked because of a private gentleman’s agreement not to bring up anything from the backgrounds of the defendant or the victim.

What have we learned now? Both sides made the agreement because Metcalf and Anthony have troubled histories or violent behavior.

Anthony’s background, which CBS News Texas first revealed publicly last night, was read in the courtroom when the state presented its case.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Russell Wilson said a heated argument between prosecutors and Anthony’s lawyers caused Anthony to lose trust in the state, contributing to his decision not to testify.

Prosecutor Bill Wirskye, the state’s only witness, said there was never an agreement preventing Anthony from taking the stand. Wirskye, who is acting as lead counsel in this hearing and also prosecuted Anthony in the murder trial, said the unusual rules were necessary because of threats, intense public pressure, and misinformation about the case. His argument: the restrictions protected the trial.

Wirskye outlined a history of high‑profile trials he says were compromised by threats and outside agitators. He claims that justified a murder trial that relied on private pre‑trial hearings, a tightly controlled courtroom, and a gentleman’s agreement to keep the backgrounds of Anthony and Austin Metcalf out of public view.

But the defense says those measures went too far and that the lack of public access violated federal law.

During Thursday’s opening statements, the gloves came off between the defense and prosecutors as they exposed the violent backgrounds of both Anthony and Austin Metcalf.

The defense said that during the first murder trial against Anthony, the private off-the-record agreements made it impossible for him to have a fair trial.

It was revealed Thursday that there was a private off-record agreement to keep the sordid backgrounds of both Anthony and Austin Metcalf from the jury and the public so that the murder trial would focus solely on what happened under the tent at the Frisco high school track meet last year.

CBS News Texas learned new details about Austin Metcalf and his twin brother Hunter Metcalf’s background from court documents that included a graffiti incident, his use of racial slurs, bullying and assault allegations.

But the never-before-released details of Anthony’s teen years in Louisiana up to the day of his arrest for murder are also disturbing, which include threatening texts, stalking, and assault allegations.

Andrea Lucia and Amelia Mugavero contributed to this report.

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 Jeramie Bizzle

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    Illinois (WBBM) — Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted of murdering Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, died on Sunday.

Attorney Daniel L. Fultz, who served as Grayson’s attorney, confirmed the news on Sunday.

Grayson, 32, had been battling Stage 4 colon cancer, for which he was undergoing treatment.

Grayson was found guilty last October of second-degree murder for the shooting of Sonya Massey and was serving a 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, which was to be followed by two years of mandatory supervised release.

Last month, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board rejected Grayson’s medical release request and ordered him to remain in prison, despite the application citing advanced colon cancer.

CBS News Chicago has reached out to the Department of Corrections, but has yet to hear back.

Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the attorneys for Massey’s family, responded to Grayson’s death in a statement saying, in part, “Grayson’s death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back. We wish his family prayers of peace, as we do for all who grieve a loved one. Sonya’s family knows that pain all too well and will grieve her loss the rest of their days.”

What happened in the Sonya Massey shooting? In July 2024, 36-year-old Massey called police for help for a possible prowler outside her home. Grayson, along with another officer, responded to her home and spoke with her.

While inside the home, Grayson said Massey began acting erratically and saying that she rebuked him “in the name of Jesus” while walking toward a pot of water on her stove.

Bodycam video from Grayson’s partner captured the moment he shot Massey, who died of a gunshot wound.

Grayson’s body camera was not activated for most of the call, only turning on shortly after he pulled his weapon.

In the bodycam video, while Massey is holding the pot of water, Grayson is heard saying: “You’d better f***ing not. I swear to God, I’ll f***ing shoot you right in your f***ing face.”

He then raises his gun and yells at Massey to “drop the f***ing pot!”

Massey apologizes and ducks for cover, at which point Grayson shoots her, according to prosecutors. Three shots are heard in the video.

Grayson’s former partner, Dawson Farley, testified during the trial that he was not afraid of Massey during the call, but instead feared Grayson. Farley told the jury that, while he was confused after Massey said “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” he never perceived that as a threat. He added he only unholstered his gun because Grayson did.

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.