Category: CNN Regional

By Katrina Markel

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    MALVERN, Iowa (KMTV) — Four Mills County friends share a birthday that is hard to top: July 4, 1976 — the day the United States turned 200.

Now, as the country celebrates its 250th birthday — Jenni, Holly, and twins Allan and David Hughes — are marking their own milestone: turning 50.

Jenni arrived first.

“I’m the oldest,” Jenni said.

Holly followed 13 minutes later.

“She’s older,” Holly said, laughing.

The Hughes twins came a few hours after that. Allan edged out David by three minutes.

“Dave was first after that I think in about everything,” Allan said.

The four were among 13 babies born that day at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. According to family stories, Dr. Warden, came in from his farm for one delivery or maybe two.

“And another one kept coming in right after the other,” Holly said.

The story goes, he told some of the mothers he wanted to get back to his cattle.

Growing up in the Glenwood area, the four sometimes celebrated their birthdays together.

“I feel like the four of us will always have a bond,” Jenni said.

Their shared history includes milestones like the year Jenni passed her county fair queen crown to Holly.

“I always told the kids that the fourth of July fireworks were because of my birthday.” Holly said.

“I would say, if you can be born on the 4th of July I would recommend it,” said Allan.

David connects their personal celebration to something larger.

“I think that’s one thing that’s neat about the 4th of July — the country kind of comes together that day,” he said.

In an era when many people leave their hometowns behind, all four have returned to the community that raised them and raised families of their own.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMTV 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 Katrina Markel

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    TREYNOR, Iowa (KMTV) — A Treynor, Iowa, man who faced a demand from the Social Security Administration to repay benefits he received 30 years ago — after losing his only parent at age 17 — has had that debt waived.

Christopher Storm requested the government reconsider the roughly $10,000 it said he owed but did not expect he request to succeed.

“Honestly (I) just settled into the idea that I would just give them permission to just take out tax returns for the next couple of years to get it paid off and didn’t really expect to receive the waiver, honestly,” Storm said.

Then, on Father’s Day, he opened his mail” “And that’s when we received a letter stating that they were granting the waiver.”

The agency determined the overpayment was not his fault and that repaying it would create a hardship.

KMTV first reported on Storm’s case in May. More than half a million people viewed the originaly story and people across the country with similar stories sent messages to the the the station newsroom.

“It seems like every overpayment has a story behind it and a lot of times a heartbreaking story,” Storm said.

Storm received the payments, for a year, a survivor benefits when his dad died from cancer.

“It was hard, it was devastating. My father was a really good man,” he said.

After the first story aired, Storm — who grew up in Texas — said he was contacted by family members he didn’t know.

“I actually was able to reconnect with some family on my father’s side,” he said. “And I actually discovered that I have a family member here in town in the small town of Treynor that I didn’t even know I had.”

Storm said the experience also taught him the importance of advocating for himself. When asked if he had advice for others facing a similar situation, he had a straightforward answer.

“Fill out the paperwork,” Storm said.

Storm said he is grateful to everyone who tried to help and who shared their stories.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMTV 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 Claire Bradshaw

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    BLUE SPRINGS, Missouri (KSHB) — A Blue Springs archivist is sharing the remarkable story of Jeremiah Burnett, a Revolutionary War soldier who helped shape the history of the city through his family’s legacy.

Kay Burris, an archivist with the Blue Springs Historical Society, said Burnett is directly connected to the city’s origins.

“Well, Jeremiah Burnett was the father to Rhoda Harris. Rhoda and William are actually the founders of Blue Springs,” Burris said.

Burnett enlisted as a volunteer soldier in 1777 at Valley Forge alongside his brother.

“You have to remember when Jeremiah signed up as a volunteer, he was 16 years old, no screens, no really formal education, he went out and did what he thought was right with his brother, who was 18, they, they wanted freedom, they wanted to be able to cast their own destiny and give their children a better life, and look what it became,” Burris said.

Burris said the conditions Burnett and other soldiers endured at Valley Forge were brutal.

“The hardship that they had to go through at Valley Forge… As I’ve been reading more and more information about it, and understanding when they went AWOL, this was not uncommon at that time. They had run out of food, they, their clothing was actually tattered, they had no, there was just no supplies,” Burris said.

Burnett went on to build a life as a farmer, raising a large family and outliving 3 wives.

“So, in the harsh reality of life for them, he was a remarkable person,” Burris said.

His daughter Rhoda later made a journey back to Virginia to bring her aging father west to Fort Osage.

“Rhoda decided to take one of her sons, Samuel, back to Virginia to go meet her father, who was 90 years old at the time, and they went over trails to Virginia, picked him up and came back over trails to St. Louis, and at St. Louis they got on a river boat,” Burris said.

The riverboat journey came with its own dramatic chapter.

“One of the stories they talk about is while they’re on the riverboat, they have a wreck. He gets separated from Rhoda. She cannot find him. She goes into a town and finds him singing and dancing a jig at ninety years old, entertaining the townspeople,” Burris said.

As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, Burris said Burnett’s story feels especially close to home.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSHB 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 Ryan Gamboa

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — The Kansas City Royals invited Judy Manning and her family to Tuesday night’s game to honor the legacy of her late husband, Shannon Manning, a Hallmark artist who designed the team’s original crown emblem that’s the inspiration for design of the Kauffman Stadium scoreboard.

KSHB 41 News Reporter Ryan Gamboa first told the Manning’s story back in April after the Royals announced plans for a downtown stadium.

The Royals saw Gamboa’s story and invited Manning to Tuesday night’s game to honor the family.

Shannon Manning, who passed away about four years ago, was recruited by Hallmark in 1967 to work in its package design department.

Shannon’s design was selected after the Kauffman family asked Hallmark designers to create a lasting emblem for the new team.

“They chose Shannon’s over 16 to 20 people who designed emblems, but they chose Shannon’s, which was a wise decision I thought,” Judy Manning said in an April interview.

His design and emblem are still worn and celebrated today. It can be seen in various forms across Kauffman Stadium and on fan apparel.

On Tuesday night, Judy was invited onto the field, where she delivered the game ball to the pitcher’s mound.

“That was easy,” Judy Manning said after delivering the game ball in front of a cheering crowd.

Her daughter, Nancy Manning Smith, called the moment a milestone for the entire family.

“Seeing that his artwork is still recognized after 50 years, he would just be thrilled,” she said. “It’s a full circle moment.”

In the latest renderings for the Royals planned downtown stadium, Manning’s crown design in the scoreboard still sits beyond the outfield wall — a sign that his contribution to the franchise will likely carry forward into the team’s next chapter.

“I am so proud of being his wife,” Judy Manning said. “I watched him grow and produce that beautiful emblem. It brings tears to my eyes. It really does. To see people enjoying the emblem, and I think it’s here to stay… I’m just a real proud lady right now.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSHB 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 Erin Christy

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    BROKEN BOW, Oklahoma (KJRH) — Amanda Hendricks, a former Arby’s manager in McCurtain County, is speaking out after a felony charge and a lawsuit claim she spit in a customer’s food and transmitted herpes.

Hendricks bonded out of jail and spoke exclusively to 2 News Oklahoma.

Broken Bow police say they pulled surveillance footage and saw Hendricks spit in a customer’s food while working the drive-thru at Arby’s. Jennica Church and her family filed a lawsuit claiming Church contracted herpes from the saliva, resulting in extreme anxiety and emotional distress.

Church previously spoke to 2 News Oklahoma about the impact on her life.

“I can’t ‘kiss my daughter’s face off’ anymore. That was my thing. It’s sad,” Church said.

The case went viral.

Now, Hendricks wants to share her side. Both women admit they know each other, but neither will detail any past dispute. Hendricks says she knew it was Church in the drive-thru when the incident occurred.

When asked directly whether she spit in Church’s food, Hendricks did not deny it.

“OK, accountability. Me, wanting to grow. Yes, I did. Low, low; it was disgusting,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks also addressed what she wants the public to know.

“That it was a mistake. It’s the way I conducted myself. It was poorly, but it isn’t who I am. I’m not my mistakes. Should have been handled very differently. It’s like this–because I spit in the food. It’s blown out of proportion on their end, but at the end of the day, we’re here, because of me,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks says she is accountable for her actions, but is adamant she did not give Church herpes. She sent 2 News Oklahoma negative herpes test results purportedly from McCurtain Memorial Hospital, taken on June 22.

2 News Oklahoma cannot independently verify the results, but Hendricks says she handed them over to Broken Bow police.

“My spit’s not poison. It just blew out of proportion. And apparently, me and her both need prayed for. But yeah, it’s embarrassing. Very embarrassing,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks, who has a prior criminal record related to theft and substance abuse, is hoping the test results and a subsequent blood test will help her chances at a reduced charge.

2 News Oklahoma tried to contact the district attorney and the Broken Bow Police Department multiple times about this case and have not heard back. We also reached out to Arby’s and their affiliated restaurant groups, as they are named in the lawsuit.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KJRH 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 CJ Maclin

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    TULSA, Oklahoma (KJRH) — A statewide bell-to-bell cell phone ban in Oklahoma public schools takes effect Wednesday, permanently removing local school boards’ ability to opt out of the policy.

House Bill 1276 affects thousands of students when the upcoming school year begins in August.

The original law required all districts to ban phones during the past school year but was set to give local school boards the option to bring phones back starting in the 2026-2027 school year. That choice is now gone.

The change represents a significant shift in educational authority — the state is now mandating policy that local school boards can no longer override, regardless of what their communities want.

Students in Broken Arrow tested the ban during the past school year. Jacob Potter, a Broken Arrow freshman, said the policy made a difference in his academic performance.

“As a student athlete, it’s important for me to have my assignments and grades up. So having no phones is a big thing and it really helps me excel so I can compete at the higher level. It’s a way better learning environment than with a lot of phones,” Potter said.

Broken Arrow Freshman Academy Principal Malinda Silva said hallways are really loud at passing period — but instead of seeing just the top of students’ heads as they text on the way to their next class, students are more engaged.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KJRH 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 Nicky Zizaza

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — At 104 years old, Doris Hill of Baltimore has a simple message about aging: don’t let a number define you.

“Oh my God, I feel young,” Hill said. “I tell everybody, ‘Forget that 100.’ I feel like a 4-year-old child.”

Her outlook on life is one reason MedStar Health Geriatrician Dr. George Hennawi said Hill’s story is a reminder that healthy aging is about much more than diet and exercise.

A centenarian’s diet Hill doesn’t follow a restrictive diet. In fact, she says she eats whatever she enjoys.

“I eat whatever I want. I have no rules. I eat when I’m ready,” she said.

One of her favorite meals?

“A hamburger,” Hill said with a laugh. “Just put a raw onion because I hear a raw onion is good for you.”

But when asked what has carried her through more than a century of life, Hill points first to her faith.

“God is my first thought, but then after that is my health because my doctor told me it was not my age,” she said.

Personalizing healthy aging Dr. Hennawi said one of the biggest misconceptions about growing older is believing everyone ages the same way.

“I believe that every older person is different than the other person,” Hennawi said. “So, if I’m 92 and my cousin is 92, it doesn’t mean we’re going to age the same way, and it doesn’t mean we have the same needs.”

He said healthy aging should be personalized, taking into account each person’s goals, health conditions, and quality of life.

“I was not happy until I was 100” Doris Hill’s roots in Baltimore run deep.

She and her late husband owned and operated a shoe store on North Gay Street for 50 years, serving generations of customers.

She is also the aunt of the late Reginald F. Lewis, the Baltimore businessman and philanthropist whose legacy lives on through the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.

Over the years, Hill said she watched friends come and go while people increasingly focused on one thing: her age.

“I was not happy until I was 100 years old,” she said. “Even at 90, people would come to me and hug me and say, ‘Mrs. Hill, I understand you’re the oldest person at the center.'”

Eventually, her perspective changed.

“When I realized how many friends I had, how many people loved me, and it wasn’t about my age, then I became happy,” Hill said.

The secret to healthy aging Hennawi said research continues to show that healthy aging isn’t determined by medicine or genetics alone.

Purpose, meaningful relationships, mental stimulation, and finding joy in everyday life can all contribute to well-being as people grow older.

“I get folks that will say, ‘As long as I’m able to eat ice cream and watch the Ravens, I have no problem,'” Hennawi said. “And I have other folks that will say if I’m not able to do everything for myself, I don’t want my life to be prolonged.”

Hill said she’s found peace with whatever comes next.

“Whatever comes up, I’m ready,” she said.

Today, Hill still lives a largely independent life. She cooks for herself, enjoys working on puzzles to keep her mind sharp, and even likes an occasional beer.

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 Veronica Haynes, Mike Beaudet, Ted Wayman

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    ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (WCVB) — An Attleboro, Massachusetts, woman was in court Tuesday in connection with the death of her newborn son more than four decades ago.

Dianne Curry Peck, 59, was indicted Monday and arraigned Tuesday.

“Few cases are more heartbreaking than one involving a newborn baby, allegedly abandoned and left to die in the woods by his mother, deprived of the care, love and protection every child deserves,” said FBI Boston Special Agent-In-Charge Ted Docks. “For 41 years, this child was known simply as Baby Boy Doe. He entered this world with limitless promise, but was denied the most basic right to live.”

Heartbreaking discovery On Jan. 26, 1985, the body of a newborn was discovered near a rock wall in the woods off Fruit Street in Mansfield. A father and son who were hunting saw footprints in the snow. They discovered what they initially thought was a doll, but soon realized it was the body of a newborn baby boy lying naked in the snow.

An autopsy determined the 6-pound boy was alive when he was born and survived for a few hours.

Investigators also said a woman called police the night the baby was born to report a disturbance in the area. Police were unable to locate anything suspicious that night, and the caller was not identified.

“This was a very big case to the community of Mansfield, which is understandable. Any time anybody dies, it’s a loss. But when an infant dies, it has a particular effect on people,” Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said.

Months of police work and media coverage followed, all aimed at locating the child’s mother and finding out what happened.

Cold case reexamined The Baby Boy Doe case went cold until 2022, when it was reexamined with the help of the FBI and State Police Crime Lab.

Docks said investigators used the baby’s DNA to develop a profile. Peck was identified as the baby’s biological mother in 2024 using DNA from a soda bottle in her trash, investigators said.

“We reconstructed family trees, examined historical records while our partners conducted traditional investigative work to corroborate every lead generated through science,” he said. “As this investigation progressed, our partners at Massachusetts State Police and Mansfield Police Department developed information leading to the identification of the baby’s father, who is now deceased.”

“This (DNA) testing, along with the further investigation, which was significant, has led us to the defendant in this case. And the grand jury returned an indictment,” Quinn said.

Peck admitted she was a Mansfield High School senior in 1985 when she gave birth in her boyfriend’s car, investigators said. While she claimed she gave the baby to her boyfriend to put up for adoption, investigators said there is no evidence that is true.

‘Powerful message to victims’ Prosecutors said Peck hid her pregnancy from everyone — family, friends and her ex-boyfriend, who died in 2020.

She was arraigned Tuesday in Fall River Superior Court. She pleaded not guilty, posted $10,000 bail, and surrendered her passport.

“Let me be clear: Today is not a celebration. Nothing can restore the life that was lost. It’s about a newborn who never had a chance to grow up, whose life ended before it truly began,” Docks said. “While today’s announcement cannot erase what happened in those woods four decades ago, it sends a powerful message to victims, to families and to every investigator working an unsolved case. That hope is never misplaced. Justice may be delayed, but it is not beyond our reach.”

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.