Category: CNN Regional

By Mike Moses

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    MADBURY, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A New Hampshire bride is on a heartfelt mission to include her late father in her wedding day by finding his 1937 Ford.

Chelsea Hermann says the car was her father’s final passion project and was last seen more than 20 years ago at his funeral.

“I don’t have my dad. But you know, what happens with the future, specifically at a wedding — all the traditions, the daddy-daughter dance — that became a question right away and something I dreaded for the longest time,” she said.

According to Hermann, the car is bright green with a silver stripe down the side.

With her wedding approaching in October, locating the vehicle would be a meaningful way to feel her father’s presence on her big day.

“I just want to touch it… the last time we saw it was when we had a parade at my dad’s funeral,” Hermann said.

Local mechanics and members of the classic car community are helping with the search, hoping the car is somewhere in New England.

“We think it’s still local,” said Bobby Garland Jr. of Garland’s Garage in Madbury. “Hopefully, we can track it down — if we ask the right questions, we can find out.”

Bobby Garland Sr., who knew Hermann’s father, recalls memories with him in the car.

“We’d go cruisin’ and he’d go with us. That would really be some fun. I’d love to see it happen — I can only imagine how she feels,” he said.

Hermann acknowledges there are no guarantees the car will be found, but if it is, she believes it would be a special sign from her father.

“I think that if it does happen, it’s, you know, a sign from dad,” she said.

Even if the car is never recovered, Hermann says the search and the memories tied to it have already been significant, bringing her closer to her father.

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 Bryce Oselen

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — Jimmy Payne’s social media post, initially intended as a joke about standing in line for passengers during the partial government shutdown, is now being taken seriously, leading him to consider it as a potential business opportunity.

Payne, known for his humor, said, “Most of my friends on Facebook know me as a jokester, so I made it as a joke.” Despite the lighthearted nature of the post, Payne is now contemplating the logistics of offering this service. “They also know me as a hustler,” Payne said.

Payne’s post suggested he would stand in line for passengers, and he is now considering the logistics of such a service.

“It got attention and it made me start thinking like, hey, what if?” Payne said.

He is exploring the idea of scheduling appointments for passengers to meet him at specific times to hold their place in line.

“I’m going to seriously sit down and think about this. Maybe I could take appointment times, I make an appointment with you, you show up at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. or whatever, then you get in line, but I will seriously sit down and try to work this out,” Payne said.

Research into the feasibility of Payne’s idea reveals that while holding spots in line is not illegal, some airports have specific rules. The main risks include potential confrontations with other passengers and security concerns from TSA agents. Passengers could be moved to the back of the line or removed from the airport at an agent’s discretion.

Payne emphasized that his goal is to ease the experience for everyone involved.

“Be patient with the TSA agents that are working for free,” he said.

Efforts to reach airports in Atlanta, Houston, and Birmingham for their policies on standing in line for others have not yet yielded responses.

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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    BEAVER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Two companies allegedly left chemicals at a Western Pennsylvania facility for so long they became hazardous waste.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General has charged One Brewery Place, Inc. and M. Ultra Investment Group, LTD (M. Ultra) with felony’s related to the management of hazardous waste.

According to officials, the companies stored work projects at the Pool Doctor facility (Beaver Alkali Products) on New York Avenue in Rochester, Beaver County for years.

A release from the Attorney General’s Office said the chemicals posed a threat to residents in the area and became a contamination risk for the Ohio River after becoming hazardous waste.

The discovery was made following a tip to the Department of Environmental Protection in 2019. The tip relayed that there was a strong chemical smell coming from the facility.

At the building, investigators found a roof that had partially collapsed, allowing rainwater to mix with the chemicals being stored.

Because the facility was on the Ohio River, officials said there was a concern that run-off could contaminate it.

Cleanup efforts were made, however two separate fires occurred during that time. Those fires forced shelter-in-place orders to be issued in the Borough of Rochester.

Emergency officials urged residents within a 5-mile radius to shelter in place due to chlorine gas leaking into the air.

“There was, like, a huge mushroom in the sky, and the sky started turning black, and you could start smelling the chlorine,” Jennifer Kosior said in 2019.

In total, it cost more than $2.4 million to clean up and safely remove the chemicals.

“For years, these businesses willfully ignored potential dangers associated with the storage of these chemicals, putting a community at risk, and ultimately burdening taxpayers with a mammoth bill related to cleanup efforts,” Attorney General Sunday said

The Attorney General’s Office said both companies did not have the proper permits related to storage or disposal of the materials.

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 Eric Graves, JoBeth Davis, Nick Sloan

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    OLATHE, Kansas (KMBC) — Charging documents are providing a deeper look into a stabbing at a popular public park in Olathe, Kansas.

The victim, a well-known middle school choir teacher, had been sitting at a picnic table at the park when she suddenly felt a hard blow to the side of her head.

Documents state victim Jamie Trumpp told police that she thought she had been hit by a ball until people ran to her screaming, and she looked down and saw a pool of blood on the ground.

Trumpp suffered a 5-inch-long cut to the front of her neck that was approximately half an inch deep. She was rushed to an area hospital where she was admitted, and needed both internal and external stitches to close the wound.

Christi Julius’s daughter was at the park when the attack happened. Her daughter called to tell her she was safe after running from the scene.

“Just that people are yelling and screaming to call the cops, and, that she heard somebody got stabbed and that she was safe,” Julius said.

Suspect Kwan Trezvant was taken into custody and charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection to the incident, which authorities called an unprovoked attack.

The case affidavit shows witnesses expressed concern regarding Trezvant’s actions leading up to the stabbing.

One witness told police he saw a man, later identified as Trezvant, acting “weird,” and he suggested to others that they leave the pavilion area.

Witnesses then said they saw Trezvant approach Trumpp, yell an expletive, swing his arm, and stab Trumpp in the neck.

A witness chased Trezvant who immediately fled the area.

Multiple witnesses told police that Trezvant was acting strange or agitated before the attack.

Police ultimately found Trezvant sitting in a lawn chair behind a nearby home. As he was taken into custody, he reportedly said multiple statements including, “I know I’m stupid. I didn’t mean to bro, she kept on f****** with me bro,” and “I had no choice.”

Documents show Trezvant was taken to the Olathe Police Department for an interview. While he was in the interview room, detectives saw Trezvant yelling or having a conversation with “individuals who were not present.”

Trezvant reportedly made utterances like, “You made me stab her,” and it’s the “police department’s fault” that “I stabbed her.”

Defense attorneys for Trezvant filed a motion Monday requesting a mental evaluation to determine whether he is able to stand trial.

In the filing, Trezvant’s attorney said there is reason to believe he may be suffering from a mental illness or defect that could affect his ability to participate in his defense.

If granted, the request would suspend the case while the evaluation is completed.

Olathe defense attorney Michael Duma, who is not affiliated with the case, said the mental evaluations bring the case to a halt.

“Usually, that takes 30 to 60 days for a local practitioner to go out there, visit with the defendant and make that initial determination of whether or not they’re competent or whether or not they need more restorative treatment,” Duma said.

Duma said the evaluation is essentially a clinical interview, where a licensed professional tries to determine whether or not the defendant can understand the proceedings against them and whether or not they can assist in defending themselves.

“That is a very low burden,” he said. “And so I think simply having mental health disorders does not necessarily mean that you are incompetent to stand trial.”

If the defendant is not deemed competent for trial, Duma said the defendant typically will be sent to a facility where their competency can be restored.

“During that 90 day period, they’re supposed to give a report, as to whether or not that person is reasonably foreseeable to have their competency restored within a reasonable period of time,” Duma said.

Duma said in a majority of cases, the defendant’s competency is restored and they’re able to go to trial.

Court records show Trezvant has prior cases in both Johnson and Douglas counties.

In August 2024, he pleaded guilty in Johnson County to misdemeanor charges of battery against a law enforcement officer and battery against a health care worker.

He was sentenced to 119 days in jail.

Earlier that year, he also entered a no-contest plea in Douglas County to felony reckless endangerment.

In a statement, the Olathe School District said community support for Trumpp, who is a choir teacher at Indian Trail Middle School, has been especially meaningful.

“We are aware of the meals and donation efforts to support the Trumpp family, and it has been wonderful to see so many people, especially our educators, rally around one of our own here in Olathe with such compassion and generosity,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

A meal train for the Trumpp family shows volunteers have signed up to provide dinners for the family of five for a month, and a donation effort has raised more than $35,000 to help.

In addition, community members are rallying to help the family with chores like laundry, grabbing groceries, yard work and more.

The district statement went on to say, “We are grateful for her progress and recovery at home, and our thoughts remain with her and her family.”

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 Danielle Scruggs

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    VERO BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — A suspect is wanted in what police are calling a “targeted marital issue that went terribly wrong,” after he shot and killed his wife and another man early Tuesday morning in the parking lot of the main library in Vero Beach.

Indian River County identified the victims as Danny Ooley, the assistant director of Public Works, and Stacie Mason, a traffic analyst technician.

“The reality of this loss is profound, and there are no words that can fully capture its weight. Danny and Stacie were not just employees, but colleagues and dedicated public servants who supported this community every day,” Chairman Deryl Loar and County Administrator John A. Titkanich Jr. said in a statement. “Their absence is deeply felt across our organization and the community they served.”

The suspect has been identified as 64-year-old Jesse Scott Ellis, Mason’s husband of 13 years. They were separated and conversing about selling their home.

Police located Ellis’s truck at South Beach hours after the victims’ bodies were discovered. They believe it is connected to this double homicide.

“We do have his vehicle and all of the context that’s in it,” police said during the news conference.

Authorities said Ellis obtained “professional services” and was aware of things that took place when asked how he knew the victims were at the library.

Ellis left behind the weapon, an AR-style firearm, and police are actively searching his vehicle.

Community members have been in shock after learning of Tuesday’s double homicide.

Area residents who frequent this beach say that kind of heavy police presence is rare in the Vero Beach community, and the double homicide continues to send shock waves through the area.

Although Ellis was last seen by beachgoers and someone reported seeing a man enter the ocean fully clothed, he is still considered “at large,” and the search for him is ongoing.

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 Hayley Crombleholme, Madilyn Destefano

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    PALM BAY, Florida (WESH) — A jury awarded a West Melbourne woman more than $14 million after she consumed ice cream with a nail and metal fragments in it, according to her attorney.

Court documents allege the woman, Brandy Buckley, purchased the ice cream from Bruster’s Ice Cream on Malabar Road in Palm Bay back in 2018. Buckley told WESH 2 she left the ice cream shop with her son. He wanted some of her butter pecan.

“I got to the light to scoop some of the ice cream out,” she said. “I noticed there was a metal nail in like in the cone, almost embedded, it looked like in the cone.”

She said she had already taken a big bite.

“When I did swallow, I did feel something in my throat that kind of got stuck,” she said. “I thought it was a pecan because it was a butter pecan ice cream that I had purchased,”

But she said she went to a hospital to get an X-ray, just in case.

“Just to be clear, to make sure that’s what it was, a pecan, and it wasn’t,” Buckley said. “It was a nail. So I had swallowed a nail.”

Buckley’s attorney said in a release that doctors later removed one of the nails and multiple pieces of metal during surgery.

The attorney said the medical treatment didn’t stop there. There were complications, including portal vein thrombosis and significant internal bleeding, resulting in another procedure.

Eventually, Buckley said, “I developed a blood clot. I developed a blood clot. After that, that led me into an ablation to where I couldn’t have any more children.”

Something she said she very much wanted after losing a daughter in 2011.

“That was my goal, and my dream was to have more kids,” She said.

In 2019, Buckley’s attorney filed a lawsuit against Malabar Creameries doing business as Bruster’s Ice Cream and the national franchisor, alleging negligence.

In a response filed by their attorneys back in 2020, they denied many of the claims made against them.

In their defense, they accused Buckley of negligence, which caused or contributed to the incident, and said that any product the business allegedly sold and Buckley allegedly consumed “was not defective.”

It was a long legal process.

“It took us eight years to get where we are today,” Buckley said.

On March 24, Buckley’s attorney, Scott Alpizar, said a jury awarded Buckley money for medical bills and pain and suffering totaling more than $14 million.

“It was shocking. I started bawling,” Buckley said.

WESH 2 did reach out to the attorney representing the ice cream shop and the national franchise in this case, but didn’t hear back as of Wednesday evening.

Buckley’s attorney said he expects them to appeal the decision.

It could be years before she sees any money if things end in her favor.

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 Paula Wethington

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    WOODHAVEN, Michigan (WWJ) — A Southeast Michigan judge called out a defendant during a virtual court hearing, saying it looked like she was operating a vehicle while participating in the video conference.

“Am I crazy, or does it not look like you are driving that car?” the judge said.

The hearing took place on Monday in the 33rd District Court in Woodhaven, with Judge Michael K. McNally presiding.

Video conference participation is allowed on a case-by-case basis for court hearings in Michigan. The Zoom video platform shows an array of images of those participating, whether they are in the courtroom or another location.

The case involving the woman in a car was one of multiple cases recorded on the judge’s livestream that day.

When court officials noted on the record that the woman wasn’t signed into the video call at the designated time, McNally issued a declaration by default and began another conversation with the attorney.

A court staffer then interrupted the judge, saying, “I have an iPhone here that I haven’t been able to identify.”

The judge told the person on the iPhone to start the video function on their device and “tell us your name, please.”

The woman stated her name. She said she didn’t know how to virtually enter the hearing room correctly.

McNally again insisted that the woman sign in to the hearing with a video view, which she did. A video conference image shows her seated in a vehicle with a seat belt across her shoulder.

“I just ordered a default judgment,” the judge said as the connection was made.

“You cannot be driving, ma’am,” the judge said, shaking his head, as he looked at the computer screen. “What are you doing? Come on.”

“I am not driving. I’m a passenger in a car,” the woman replied.

The judge insisted he would not be hearing a case during which a participant was driving, or as passengers in cars.”

The woman said she would pull over, then continued to insist she was a passenger.

“I’m sorry. I have an emergency. I’m going out of town for a family member, but I will have my driver pull over. Hang on,” she said.

“What side of the car are you on?” the judge asked.

“I’m on the left-hand side,” she replied.

“How would you be on the left-hand side if you’re a passenger in the front seat? Am I missing something?” McNally asked.

She could be seen looking forward, and also out of the window as the vehicle appeared to be moving, but not directly at the phone screen.

“You know you’re lying to me, right?” the judge said. “Let me see the driver.”

She appeared to sigh. “Hang on one second. … I have to ask their permission.”

“Now,” the judge yelled.

The vehicle stopped. She exited the door as the vehicle appeared to be parked near a business. No one else was shown on her camera.

“You think I’m that stupid?” the judge said. “I’m going to go ahead and enter a default judgment. … You lied to me.”

The judge said his order for a judgment of $1,921.95 will reflect that the defendant was “not available at the time and then was driving a car and telling the court she was not.”

“Have a great day. Thank you,” he said as he ended the hearing.

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.