Category: CNN Regional

By James Stratton

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A deadly crash at 76th Street and Florist Avenue forever changed the lives of the friends and family of Taylor Poirier and the life of Navarus Campbell.

Campbell didn’t have a driver’s license and had 27 suspension and revocation tickets when he was speeding on West Florist Avenue and hit Poirier and his two kids inside their gold Buick. The crash killed Poirier.

“He was the best dad ever,” said Hannah Marsden, Poirier’s partner and the mother of his children. “I mean, the kids wanted to go anywhere he went.”

Marsden and Poirier’s two kids were hurt, and Marsden was pregnant with twins at the time of the 2023 crash.

“I think they’re coming to terms with the fact that dad being gone is something that’s permanent now,” she said. “You know, there really is no way to explain it to them. They pretty much understand.”

Campbell, ticketed 27 times, shouldn’t have been driving. Yet, continued to rack up ticket after ticket. Judge Michelle Havas sentenced Campbell to 20 years for the deadly crash and for later running from police. Campbell was driving in a legal loophole that 12 News uncovered and investigated for more than two years.

Drivers without a license weren’t paying their first ticket. Then, the state was classifying their non-existent licenses as “suspended.” Police across the state then wrote suspension tickets, instead of charging them for not having a license. The second time they were caught without a license should have been a misdemeanor charge; instead, they were racking up tickets.

After WISN 12 News uncovered the problem, the state changed its classification of drivers like Campbell, effectively closing the loophole. Milwaukee police also changed standard policy after our investigation.

WISN 12 News wrote letters to unlicensed, “loophole” drivers in prison who were the focus of our reporting. Campbell was the only one to respond and agree to an interview. 12 News went to the Racine Correctional Facility, a Department of Corrections prison, where Campbell is serving time.

“It’s not a day that goes past that I don’t think about what happened that day,” he said. “I wish I could have done things differently and would have done things differently.”

Campbell says he was late to work on the day of the crash.

“I do fault myself for speeding,” he said. “Things could have probably been different if I wasn’t speeding.”

Campbell told WISN 12 News he didn’t know he was driving in the legal loophole, but did know he was not going to jail for not having a license. Yet, still drove illegally again and again. He claims the tickets started stacking up when he and his brother were both giving his identity to police. Campbell kept driving to get to work to provide for his seven kids.

“It’s almost like a slap on the wrist,” he said. “So, you get too many slaps on the wrists, it’s like ‘Okay, it shouldn’t get worse than this.’ That’s how I was thinking.”

“You’re telling me that misdemeanor charge might have woken you up to stop driving?” investigative reporter James Stratton asked.

“Yes,” Campbell responded.

Milwaukee police and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office are arresting more drivers after the policy change.

“The reckless driving in Wisconsin, it needs to stop,” Campbell said. “I hope that my story can change people’s lives,” Campbell said.

“Nothing will ever be enough,” Marsden said. “Nothing can compare to what I’ve lost, what my children have lost. There’s no time limit that could make up for that.”

Marsden said she is now taking care of her kids alone. She set up this GoFundMe to raise money for a new vehicle.

“I don’t think I forgave myself,” Campbell said. “Like I say, I took a man away from his family.”

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By Mariana La Roche

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    MUSKEGO, Wisconsin (WISN) — A 77-year-old woman died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash in Muskego on Sunday, around 7 p.m., in the S7100 block of Hillendale Drive.

According to the Muskego Police Department, the 47-year-old man who was driving the car fled the scene before officers arrived, leaving the injured woman passenger behind. Several bystanders stopped to assist the woman before emergency responders arrived.

The woman was transported to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries. Authorities located the man at a nearby residence and took him into custody.

Multiple charges are being referred to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office, including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, operating while intoxicated third offense, hit and run causing death, and resisting an officer.

The Wisconsin State Patrol is conducting a crash reconstruction as part of the investigation.

The Muskego Police Department expressed condolences to the victim’s family and thanked the Tess Corners Fire Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, New Berlin Police Department, and citizens who stopped to help at the crash scene.

No additional information is being released as the investigation remains active.

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By Jake Anderson

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — A jury returned a verdict in the trial of a 17-year-old accused in a fatal southwest Omaha stabbing.

Christopher DeLong Jr. was found guilty of manslaughter and was found not guilty of use of a weapon to commit a felony in the deadly beating and stabbing of Clayton McCue in 2023.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7.

According to court documents, McCue was found badly hurt in the parking lot of the Living Faith United Methodist Church near 182nd and Q streets, blocks from Millard West High School.

McCue died after being on life support, his family told KETV NewsWatch 7.

During a previous court appearance, Omaha police detective Chad Frodyma testified that McCue confronted DeLong over learning of an alleged domestic assault at DeLong’s house. Frodyma said after a neighbor and DeLong’s father intervened, the two teens agreed to meet at a nearby parking lot via Snapchat.

McCue, who had a bat, repeatedly asked DeLong to fight, Frodyma testified.

DeLong allegedly pointed a replica gun at McCue’s head and also threatened to stab McCue during the altercation, according to testimony.

Witnesses told investigators that McCue swung the bat at DeLong first, swinging toward his hand as if he were trying to knock the gun out of his hand, but missed, Frodyma said.

Frodyma testified that DeLong then attempted to run, and McCue followed. DeLong motioned his arm in a back-and-forth movement, and then McCue fell to the ground, according to Frodyma.

McCue was stabbed in the head in front of his right ear, and an autopsy revealed that the knife severed blood vessels going to his brain, Frodyma testified.

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By Matthew Dietz, Rachel Whelan

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A University of Cincinnati medical student has filed a lawsuit against a condominium complex after a balcony collapsed last month, injuring 10 people.

It happened on Oct. 17, when a balcony collapsed at the Stetson Square condo complex on Stetson Street.

According to the lawsuit, Andrew McGovern was celebrating after finishing an exam when the balcony collapsed, sending him and several others 20 feet down to the pavement.

One person suffered life-threatening injuries, five others had “serious” injuries and four people had minor injuries, according to investigators.

The lawsuit claims the owners of the building should have known the balcony wasn’t properly attached and therefore, was unstable.

Officials with the Cincinnati Fire Department said the 8×12 porch collapsed from the weight of too many people on it.

McGovern, who filed the lawsuit, is seeking at least $25,000. His attorneys say he suffered life-altering injuries and needed surgery.

“He had significant internal injuries, a lacerated spleen, a horribly shattered ankle requiring surgery, plates and screws, and the road to recovery is going to be really, really long,” partner with DiCello Levitt law firm, Ken Abbarno, said.

As McGovern recovers, his legal team is focusing on accountability for the incident.

“We have to make sure that the properties that we’re in are safe, no matter who’s there,” Abbarno said. “And might there be situations where not everything is done that should be done? Yes. And the bad things happen most times when people try to cut corners? Yes.”

The lawsuit does have a court date listed yet.

WLWT has reached out to the defendants in the lawsuit but has not heard back yet.

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By Jodi Long

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Millennials make up the largest population in Iowa, but an unsuspecting portion of the population is becoming the fastest-growing.

Iowa ranks among the top 10 states in the country with the most centenarians. Centenarians are people over the age of 100. The most recent 2020 U.S. Census counted 1,032 centenarians living throughout the state. In 2010, there were only 846.

Dr. Peter Martin is a longevity researcher at Iowa State University. His decades-long research of centenarians is looking for the answer to one of life’s most pressing questions: What is the secret to living a long life?

“We keep saying centenarians are unique, right? If they are unique, how can they all be the same? How can there be one secret? You have to find out what your secret is, not the secret,” Martin said.

He says lifestyle, physical health and genetics all play a role in living longer. His research also finds a person’s education level, where they live and their personality type can too.

“It’s really a marvel over how you deal with adversity and how you can adjust in positive ways even under difficult circumstances. Centenarians are not giving up they are trying to make the best of what they still have,” Martin said.

In Iowa, the most centenarians tend to live in larger metropolitan areas, rather than rural areas, with better access to medical care.

“This is our job as gerontologists to see how we can promote healthy longevity,” he said. “What can you do so not only you can get to 100, but you do so in good health.”

Iowa’s oldest living person died at the age of 115 in 2023. Ames native Colleen Larson turned 100 years old this fall, a philanthropist and dedicated Cyclone fan who attended Cyclone sporting events until she was 98.

Velma Chestnut was born in 1925 and is in near-perfect health, not even needing any daily medications. She says her secret to a long life is eating three meals a day.

“Sometimes I think I have more aches and pains than she does,” her granddaughter, Barb Wiedenman, said, laughing.

The 105-year-old is one of several centenarians living at the Suites of Ankeny, an independent living facility in the Des Moines suburb.

“She’s just always been around,” Wiedeman tearfully said. “We celebrate every birthday, don’t we, Grandma? We’re getting ready for the 106th!”

As more of Iowa’s population gets older, there are fewer doctors who specialize in elderly health care. According to the American Geriatrics Society, there are only 50 geriatricians in Iowa. A recent report finds there should be six times that number by 2050 to keep up with the state’s increasingly aging population.

Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw is an internal medicine physician at the Iowa Clinic. He says a lack of geriatricians is forcing him to take on more elderly patients.

“As they grow older, their complexity of care is also increasing,” Kyaw said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about adding life to their years, it’s about adding value to their life.”

Martin says it’s much more difficult to live longer without a social network of friends, family and community. He says people in their 60s, 70s and 80s are the models for the next generation on how to age.

“We need to rethink for ourselves for our families, for our communities, and for our societies what aging really means,” Martin said. “When you are 65 or 70, you can, on average, live another 20 years — a quarter of your life is still in front of you when you retire.”

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By JD Franklin III

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    FORSYTH COUNTY, North Carolina (WXII) — A woman has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of child abuse, according to officials with the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office.

A 16-month-old child was taken to Brenner’s Children’s Hospital with 3rd-degree burns to her right foot and ankle and a 2nd-degree burn to her left foot on April 15, 2021. Officials said the child also had severe bruising on the lower half of her body.

A doctor with Atrium Health testified that the child’s burns were consistent with an immersion burn and were the result of a scalding injury. Due to the severity of the burns, the child had to undergo skin grafting and several follow-up procedures.

The doctor also said that the injuries would result in permanent scarring.

Another doctor with Atrium Health testified that the burns were caused by the child’s foot being held down in scalding hot water, while the bruising came from the child being hit with an object repeatedly.

On Oct. 31, Kenisah Crockett, 47, was found guilty of one count of:

Felony Child Abuse Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury Felony Child Abuse Inflicting Serious Physical Injury Felony Child Abuse by Reckless Act or Grossly Negligent Omission Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

Crockett was sentenced to a minimum of 41 years in prison and a maximum of 52 years in prison.

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By Zach Rainey

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    CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (WYFF) — A federal investigation in North Carolina led to the seizure of nearly 75 kilograms of narcotics and more than $375,000 in cash.

In February, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office began investigating several suspected drug traffickers operating in the Catawba Valley region of North Carolina. As the investigation progressed a county investigator who also serves as a task force officer with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made several controlled purchases. This prompted the ATF to adopt this investigation federally.

On Oct. 23, ATF agents and TFO’s executed a federal search warrant at a home on Rocky Mount Road in Granite Falls. Catawba County investigators were also present and arrested 40-year-old Kenneth Travis.

The search led authorities to seize the following:

60.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at $454,500 12.7 kilograms of cocaine, valued at $429,100 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, valued at $39,000 $377,981 in U.S. Currency

Travis was charged with the following:

Conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine Seven counts of trafficking in methamphetamine Two counts of maintaining a dwelling/vehicle for the purpose of manufacturing, selling or delivering controlled substances

Deputies said Travis was booked into the Catawba County Detention Facility under a $1.2 million bond.

A 48-year-old resident of Hickory, identified as Oderia Dante Glaspy, has also been arrested in connection with this investigation. Glaspy was charged with the following:

Conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine Two counts of trafficking methamphetamine Maintaining a dwelling/vehicle for the purpose of manufacturing, selling or delivering controlled substances

Glaspy is being held in the Catawba County Detention Facility under a $450,000 bond.

Authorities said additional state charges and federal indictments are pending.

The following agencies participated in the investigation:

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) Burke County Sheriff’s Office Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office Hickory Police Department Maiden Police Department Newton Police Department

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