Category: CNN Regional

By Melissa May

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    ROSEVILLE, California (KOVR) — Anyone fighting a serious illness knows the battle can be exhausting and daunting.

For children facing cancer and other serious medical conditions, a hospital stay can be especially difficult. But at hospitals across Northern California, one familiar superhero is helping bring some joy to kids who need it most.

It may not be who you expect to see stepping off an elevator at Kaiser Permanente Roseville.

Not Batman. Not Superman. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Ricky Mena, the man behind the mask, has spent more than a decade visiting children in hospitals and their homes, bringing jokes, encouragement and a little superhero magic to families going through difficult times.

During a recent visit at Kaiser Permanente Roseville, Mena knocked on patients’ doors and greeted them with the same question: “How’s it going? Can I come in?”

One of his patients was teenager Flynn Green, who was quick to test his Spider-Man knowledge.

Mena asked Green to identify which Spider-Man suit he was wearing, narrowing it down by asking which movies he had seen.

Green got it right: Mena was wearing the suit from “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”

For Mena, the superhero visits grew out of a desire to do something meaningful for others.

He said he had a dream that pushed him to do more with his life and help people. He bought a Spider-Man suit and soon realized the character was a natural fit.

“I used to draw him when I was a kid, and I didn’t know why,” Mena said. “I liked all his positions and poses, and it’s been a dream come true to be him in the eyes of so many kids.”

It’s been more than 10 years since Mena began making his visits. Child life specialists at hospitals often reach out to arrange appearances, including at Kaiser Permanente Roseville.

Mena estimates he has met more than 15,000 children. His Spider-Man visits have expanded beyond California to nearly every state and even overseas to England.

No matter where he goes, Mena said the mission is the same: bring some happiness to children and families during a difficult time.

“I have become part of a team here with child life specialists,” Mena said. “There are all kinds of support. I think what I do is more medicine for the soul, so they know they’re not alone, not on an island.”

Doctors and hospital staff say that emotional support can make a meaningful difference for patients and their families.

“It is not fun to be in the hospital, so we try to do lots of things to make it easier,” said Dr. Zoey Goore. “Laughter and ways to improve spirits help improve the healing process. A visit from Spider-Man makes a huge difference.”

For Green, the visit offered a welcome break from the hospital routine.

“I feel like I didn’t get into superheroes until recently,” he said.

Now, Spider-Man has a new fan.

Green hopes to become a chef one day, and Mena encouraged him to keep pursuing that dream.

Mena founded the nonprofit Heart of a Hero, which is supported by donations and has become his full-time job. He now makes visits nearly every day of the week and stays connected with some patients through social media, sometimes returning when families ask for another visit.

Some patients have told him his visit was the best day of their life.

While childhood cancer survival rates have improved significantly over the years, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among children in the United States. More than 40 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each day, according to the American Cancer Society.

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 Dennis Valera

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Reid Wiseman is enjoying his time home.

The Maryland native and commander of the Artemis II mission is back in the Baltimore area to take part in his alma mater’s homecoming festivities. Wiseman attended Dulaney High School in Baltimore County.

Before the celebrations begin, he stopped by TV Hill at WJZ to talk about what it’s like to be home and reflect on his record-breaking mission.

While there’s no place like home for Wiseman, how can you beat outer space?

Wiseman led a four-person crew on a 10-day mission around the moon in April. The crew included pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.

They traveled more than 252,000 miles from Earth, setting a record for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.

“When you’re on the other side of the moon, looking back at Earth, it’s the size of your thumb. It’s tiny. We started calling it ‘Tiny Earth,'” Wiseman said.

Wiseman called the mission an emotional journey that gave him and his crewmates a new perspective on what matters most.

“The thing we all agreed on…at the end of the day, it’s this beautiful planet. It’s family, it’s friends, and we just feel lucky to be a part of this entire thing,” he said.

While Wiseman and the crew received much of the fanfare, he said there are many others who deserve recognition for making the mission possible.

“Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, our launch director, who let that rocket fly,” Wiseman said. “Our engineering teams down in Houston that flew and operated this vehicle, the mission control team, flight controllers. It didn’t really hit me until we got back, but our lives were in their hands. It was deeply impactful for them.”

Last week, Wiseman announced that he is transitioning to NASA emeritus status.

While he is retiring from active flight duty, Wiseman will continue serving as a guide for the next generation of astronauts.

If he could give one piece of advice to anyone, astronaut or not, Wiseman said:

“Just stay curious about the world. Get out there, experience this beautiful planet, and I think you’re gonna live a happy life.”

Wiseman will headline Dulaney High School’s homecoming. He graduated from the school in 1993.

He will take part in the homecoming parade Friday, Sept. 18, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The parade will begin at Pot Spring Elementary School and proceed along Padonia Road to Dulaney High School’s parking lot.

Wiseman will also throw out the first pitch at the Orioles game Saturday, Sept. 19, at 4:05 p.m. The Orioles will face the Milwaukee Brewers.

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 Ellie Nakamoto-White

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — High school students in Southeast Wisconsin who are recovering from substance use disorders now have a new option for their education.

For years, the state only had one established recovery high school, and it is located in Madison.

But on Sept. 1, the doors opened at the School District of Waukesha’s former STEM Saratoga building, where leaders created Crosspoint Academy, which is dedicated to helping students in grades 9-12 in a supportive and substance-free environment.

“The community, we feel like, is 100% behind us and our students, they want to see us succeed,” said Crosspoint Academy Principal Mark Lehnerer. “It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to ask for help and that’s why we’re here, we want students to come to us to be successful.”

According to the state Department of Health Services, in recent years, Wisconsin’s youth opioid overdose rates have more than doubled.

In 2023, one in two Wisconsin high schoolers reported drinking alcohol, while one in 10 teens reported using marijuana.

“The studies will show you that students who return back to their pre-treatment high school, for example, have a rate in the 70th percentile that they’ll start using again eventually,” Lehnerer said. “I think [Crosspoint] helps build that community and it helps students feel understood, because I think if you’re coming out of recovery, perhaps you’ve missed a significant amount of school and you have to come back, and now you have to kind of put this mask on that everything is okay. Here, you don’t have to do that. The mask goes away, you can be who you really are, you can really ask for help and know that there are people here who are committed to that recovery and are committed to helping you.”

The school district secured multiple grants to make the academy come to life.

“We have three layers of support. The first is a low student-to-staff ratio; we also have a dedicated alternative education teacher who can teach all the different subject areas, and we are currently in the process of hiring a dedicated substance use counselor,” Lehnerer said, adding that students will also attend therapeutic support groups.

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, school board members, educators, and state officials gathered for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate.

“Just know that we’re here to support, we’re here to help, and that we want to provide that safe, sober space for students to continue their education so that they don’t have to put their sobriety on hold to return back to school,” Lehnerer said. “They can do both at the same time.”

So far, there is one student at the academy, however enrollment is open on a rolling basis, and you do not have to be a part of the School District of Waukesha.

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 Norah Hogan

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    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — A former Cumberland County sheriff’s deputy is facing criminal charges for allegedly lying about polygraph examinations he conducted.

Regan Goan was arrested last week and charged with unsworn falsification, violation of the Maine Polygraph Examiner’s Act, and four counts of tampering with public records. He spent more than 20 years with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office before leaving to work for the Bridgton Police Department and operate his own company, RJ Goan & Associates, which offers risk management services, including polygraph examinations.

Maine law requires applicants to take a polygraph examination to become law enforcement officers.

“The main goal of the polygraph is to ascertain and confirm that the applicant is a truthful individual, not a perfect human, but one that does not employ deception when asked the hard questions,” said retired chief Noel March, a law enforcement expert who leads the Maine Community Policing Institute at the University of Maine at Augusta.

Goan conducted polygraph examinations for Cumberland County between 2013 and 2021. His company now contracts with more than 70 law enforcement agencies in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

According to court documents, the case began in 2025, after a Cumberland County dispatcher applied for a job as a corrections officer. The county hired RJ Goan & Associates to conduct the applicant’s polygraph examination, which was conducted by Benjamin Sweeney, who was then employed by Goan.

According to court documents, the applicant told Sweeney that during his first polygraph examination, when he was hired as a dispatcher in 2021, Goan allegedly allowed him to leave without taking the test because he was nervous. The applicant received notification the next day that he had passed the polygraph examination.

“If we can’t trust the person that we’re counting on to tell us of an individual’s truthful or deceptive, then certainly the process lacks all the credibility that it is intended to have,” March said.

According to an investigation by the Maine Attorney General’s Office, Goan allegedly lied about conducting polygraph examinations for nine law enforcement officers between 2019 and 2025. That includes every deputy hired by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office in 2021.

One case stemmed from Goan’s work as a contractor. The others allegedly occurred while he was employed by the sheriff’s office.

Court records show that during interviews with investigators, one officer recalled that Goan allegedly told him, “I don’t put full-time officers on the machine.”

Goan was released on $250 cash bail and is scheduled to appear in court in late October.

He resigned from the Bridgton Police Department in August.

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 Ari Hait

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    ROYAL PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Days after law enforcement in Palm Beach County announced they’re searching for a serial cat shooter, a family in Royal Palm Beach is wondering if their cat was a victim of the same man.

Three weeks ago, Ania Powers’ cat, Dixie, was having trouble walking, so Powers took Dixie to the vet.

“The vet was like, ‘That’s weird. We don’t know what happened.’ They did the X-rays, and it appeared like she was shot,” Powers said.

Dixie had been shot in the shoulder by an unknown person.

She required immediate surgery.

“I was pretty much shocked. Like why? What needs to go through your head to do something like this?” Powers said.

Staff at Furry Friends in Jupiter are asking similar questions about Zoe, a cat whose front left leg had to be amputated after being shot.

Investigators released security video Friday from an alley near the Sunshine Flea Market in West Palm Beach.

The video shows a man shooting Zoe.

Authorities believe the same man has shot and killed many other cats, though they are still working to identify him.

Powers wonders if Dixie could be another victim of the same shooter.

Regardless, she wants to know who shot her cat.

“I just would like to look this person in the eye and ask, ‘Dude, what’s in your head? Walk me through what’s in your brain. Why?'” Powers said.

Furry Friends has doubled the reward to $10,000 for information leading to the shooter’s identification. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

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 Kendall Brandt

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    NAPLES, Florida (WBBH) — The dog that was filmed running across the tarmac at Naples Airport has been adopted by a local family after the video gained attention online. Gulf Coast News exclusively met with the pup and his new family Monday.

The video, which circulated widely on social media, showed the stray dog sprinting across the airport grounds. Staff on golf carts can be seen chasing him on the tarmac. Airport workers safely captured him and turned him over to Collier County Domestic Animal Services.

Yvonne Worrel, the dog’s new owner, described her reaction to seeing the clip.

“I was scrolling through Facebook and just happened to see the video of it and didn’t think that it was a stray dog. I thought it was someone’s dog that got out of a crate and just thought it was funny,” Worrel said.

Colton Murray, who recorded the video from his office at First Premier Mortgage, had a clear view of the scene.

“The video cuts off short,” Murray said. “There was actually a pickup truck and another SUV that kind of joined in on the chase.”

The video inspired Yvonne and her husband, Cameron Worrel, to visit Collier County Domestic Animal Services. They didn’t expect to meet the dog from the video but were surprised to learn he was there.

“She goes, ‘No, they found him running around the airport.’ I’m like, ‘oh, that’s the same dog!'” Yvonne said. “‘We just saw this video this morning.’ So, we named him Jet, which we thought was perfect.”

Jonee’ Willette, programs manager at Collier County Domestic Animal Services, shared her thoughts on the adoption.

“It’s truly amazing. It was a really good, feel-good story,” Willette said. “We’re really glad that, you know, we can be here to give these animals these second chances and these chances at loving homes.”

Murray, the man who filmed the viral video, even covered Jet’s adoption fee.

Now, Jet has a new family and a new Naples Airport T-shirt to commemorate his time on the tarmac.

“We’re going to give him such a good home and spoil him rotten that, you know, he’s going to love every second of it,” Yvonne said.

It remains unclear how Jet ended up on the tarmac, but his story has brought joy to many.

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 Ricky Podgorski

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    MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — Many Americans are still set to turn the clocks back this fall, but President Donald Trump is pushing for a permanent switch to daylight saving time, and parents have questions about how such a shift could affect the school day.

Daylight saving time ends Nov. 1, when clocks will be turned back an hour to standard time.

But the Sunshine Protection Act would make daylight saving time permanent. It passed the House in July but still needs Senate approval. Trump said he’s in favor of the change.

If it’s signed into law, New Hampshire schools could have some adjusting to do, with the sun not rising until after 8 a.m. some winter mornings.

“We’re actively monitoring it,” said Manchester Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel. “Either way it goes, it’s going to have an impact.”

If daylight saving time becomes permanent, students might have to wait in the dark to catch a 7 a.m. bus ride. Some parents are asking whether that’s safe, while school leaders are trying to put the mental and physical well-being of their students first.

“We’re really looking at, based on research, what’s in the best interest of students, their circadian rhythms, what do they learn best, and how do we tailor those learning strengths to our bell schedule in the district,” Chmiel said.

Manchester has discussed changing school start times if the bill is passed. But the change could also affect students’ sleep. Specialists say teenagers’ natural sleep schedules shift during puberty.

“We’ve got this kind of perfect storm,” said Dr. Jessica Watrous, chief clinical officer for Modern Health. “Teenagers are starting to shift to be a little bit later. Their schools are starting earlier. If we were to stick with daylight saving time, it’s darker.”

There would be benefits to keeping daylight saving time permanent. It would mean more light after school and no twice-yearly sleep adjustment. The New Hampshire School Administrators Association said there are benefits and challenges either way.

“But I think the fact of the matter is, kids are at bus stops walking to and from school in the dark now. It’s just a question of how many more or less occurrences of that will there be,” said Jerry Frew, associate executive director of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association.

Mark Maclean, the association’s executive director, said schools should be able to adapt.

“School administrators and teachers and parents are all expert decision makers,” he said. “As long as they’re working together, I think they can handle this really well.”

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 Norman Seawright

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    SAINT MATTHEWS, Kentucky (WLKY) — A Louisville mother is pushing for a federal ban on consumer nitrous oxide sales after she says the gas played a role in her son’s death.

Shawnna Boone said she found her son, Christopher, in January 2025 after he died by suicide. She said he had struggled with mental illness and left a letter saying he was in pain.

Boone said she also found 72 nitrous oxide canisters in his home.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises against inhaling nitrous oxide, warning of severe health risks including mental and neurological problems. Boone said Chris was suffering from paranoia near the end of his life.

Kentucky banned retail sales at the beginning of 2026, but nitrous oxide is still not a federally scheduled substance, despite the FDA warning.

Boone recently returned from Washington, D.C., where she pleaded with lawmakers to take stronger action. House Bill 7945, introduced in March, would ban nationwide sales of nitrous oxide to consumers for recreational purposes. The bill was sponsored by California Democratic Rep. Kevin Mullin and co-sponsored by Kentucky Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey.

Boone said she wants to help prevent future deaths—even just one.

“I just want to make sure that these manufacturers are shut down, that it’s gone, that you can’t ship it in from China or wherever,” Boone said. “I’m not political hardly at all. I’d never do anything like that. I don’t like getting up in front of people and doing things, but I said I will do anything to get this to happen, whatever it takes.”

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.