Category: CNN Regional

By Charlie De Mar

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A food delivery robot in Chicago is going viral, but not for fast service, but for a crash landing.

The pint-sized courier smashed straight through the glass of a West Town CTA bus shelter. While it led to plenty of laughs, it also raised some serious questions about the future of the pilot program.

“I actually felt bad for the guy a little bit,” said Bayard Elfvin, CEO and founder of Centre Construction Group.

The video shows the small, wheeled robot designed to bring takeout to your door brought a mess instead.

“I mean, I never thought a little robot running into a bus stop would cause such a buzz,” Elfvin said.

The guilty driver, Nasir, smashed through the glass at the CTA bus shelter at Grand and Racine just outside of the Centre Construction Group. Elfvin said he was surprised how easily the glass at the shelter broke.

“I was surprised, the thing could hit it that hard, and it went right through it,” he said.

Serve Robotics said in a statement that while they figure out how this happened, they will cover the cost of the already-repaired glass, calling the crash landing extremely rare.

Our robot made impact with the glass. Our local team proceeded to clean up the area as soon as we learned about the incident and immediately started an investigation into how this happened. Incidents like this are extremely rare, with our robots completing hundreds of thousands of deliveries since 2025 without a single serious incident. We are in touch with the relevant parties and will cover the cost of the repair.

CBS News Chicago cameras caught a robot from a different company successfully navigating the same stretch of busy Grand Avenue.

Although nobody was injured at the bus stop, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) said that before making any determination on whether or not this pilot program moves forward, it will really depend on the safety of the robots.

“We are in contact with the company. We are stressing the importance of public safety and consistent monitoring of these robots to prevent harm to people, infrastructure, and property. We have been informed that the company is in talks with the bus shelter provider, and both parties will look to have it repaired as soon as possible. We are glad that no one was hurt. We will continue to listen to feedback from 27th Ward residents and local businesses as we monitor these robotic companies during this pilot period. We will consider their performance in complying with safety protocols before making a determination on their presence in the ward following the pilot,” Burnett said.

Meanwhile, there is a grassroots effort to put the brakes on these delivery robots. Josh Robertson started a petition to end robot deliveries.

“This pilot program has been more disruptive to everyday Chicagoans than a pilot should be,” he said.

The petition, according to Robertson, has over 3,700 signatures from people who see red flags in the pilot program that rolls on through May 2027.

“This incident created quite the spectacle, but it’s one more in a long line of hundreds of incidents that we’ve received through the petition,” he said. “The robots continue to cause safety and accessibility issues for Chicagoans.”

Burnett has not yet taken a position on the delivery robots. However, Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said the program will not be expanding after a survey showed most residents opposed it.

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 Tim Fang

Click here for updates on this story

    SAN MATEO COUNTY, California (KPIX) — An unlicensed cosmetologist from Florida has been found guilty in a California court for providing an injection that killed a model who was known as a Kim Kardashian lookalike, prosecutors said.

According to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, 53-year-old Vivian Alexandra Gomez of Royal Palm Beach was convicted Monday in the 2023 death of Christina Gourkani. Following a 15-day trial and three hours of deliberations, jurors found Gomez guilty of felony involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license.

Prosecutors said Gourkani, a model who resembled the reality TV star and who had hundreds of thousands of social media followers, hired Gomez to perform an illegal gluteal silicon injection.

On April 19, 2023, Gomez flew to San Francisco International Airport and met Gourkani and her fiancée at the Burlingame Mariott hotel to perform the procedure. After receiving the injections, prosecutors said the victim quickly fell very ill and her fiancée called 911.

Gourkani was transported to Mills Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame, where she died of respiratory failure and a pulmonary embolism the following day.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, injectable silicon injections for body contouring have not been approved and can cause serious injuries, disfigurement and even death.

Gomez was arrested after she returned to Florida. She waived extradition and was brought back to San Mateo County to face charges.

Following Monday’s verdict, Gomez was remanded into custody and is being held without bail ahead of sentencing. She had previously been out of custody on $200,000 bond.

Gomez faces up to seven years in state prison, prosecutors said. Sentencing is scheduled for May 5.

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 Steve Large

Click here for updates on this story

    SACREMENTO, California (KOVR) — Artwork depicting Cesar Chavez’s leadership in the farmworker movement is now being reconsidered in public and private places.

Chicano artist and muralist Carlos Lopez marched with Chavez as a child. He said he was shocked to hear the recent sexual assault allegations that have the late labor leader’s legacy under scrutiny.

Lopez, a member of the Chicano Royal Air Force collective, says any work showing Chavez’s face should be replaced, “and I painted Cesar Chavez’s face several times.”

“When I hear that Chavez had done these atrocities to these ladies, it was like a sucker gut punch,” Lopez said.

In Sacramento, the Crocker Art Museum’s current exhibit, “Rebels with La Causa,” features a showcase of Chicano Royal Air Force artwork, including a 1972 work by Jose Montoya depicting Chavez that has been removed.

“After discussion with the show’s curator and the artist’s family, we have removed the piece and replaced with another by the same artist,” Crocker Art Museum said in a statement.

Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) Union with Chavez, has accused him of raping her twice. A New York Times investigation also found he sexually assaulted girls while he was the president of the UFW.

“I would have never guessed this, you know?” Lopez said. “I would have never thought this would be part of his legacy.”

Lopez not only marched as a child in the Delano Grape Strike in 1970, but he also lived with Huerta’s daughter.

“One of her daughters lived at our place, our family home, when we were growing up for a while,” Lopez said.

Now this artist, who is devoted to depicting the Chicano struggle, says removing Chavez from artwork may be the only choice.

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 Lesley Marin

Click here for updates on this story

    HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — After years of legal battles, dozens of Huntington Beach neighbors lost their backyards so sanitation crews could access an aging pipeline.

Roughly two years ago, the Orange County Sanitation District notified more than two dozen homeowners that they would need to access a massive, vital underground sewage pipe running through properties along Rhone Lane. To do so, the district would need to dig up residents’ backyards. Homeowners would also need to remove any structures and improvements, including pools and patios.

Over the last two years, some of the 29 homeowners, such as Ted Beresford, have agreed to the district’s terms.

“It’s been total, unmitigated chaos,” Beresford said when construction began in March 2026. “Unnecessary destruction. They’ve taken out the pool. They have destroyed the yard for no reason.

Beresford said that when he agreed to the terms allowing crews to access the sewer easement, which was built in the 1950s, he didn’t expect the district to take one-third of his backyard.

“I know there was an easement; however, an easement is not ownership,” Beresford said. “An easement is access. OC Sanitation interpreted this as an ownership.”

Other homeowners, such as Phillip Rizzo, did not agree to having their yards dug up and are now in legal limbo with the district.

“If there was an emergency, it likely wouldn’t impact 29 homes,” Rizzo said. “They are taking value out of 29 families and causing anxiety, unnecessarily.”

It will be up to a judge in May to determine if Rizzo will have to get rid of the above-ground pool he built to accommodate his disabled son, AJ.

“We knew the easement was there, but all the improvements we made, we made with the ability to remove off the easement if needed,” Rizzo said.

A district spokesperson said they had been in contact with homeowners on Rhone Lane for decades. They said they must take action now before the pipe is even more at risk.

Homeowners, including Beresford, whose yard has already been destroyed, questioned why nothing had been done over the last 65 years and why it needs to happen now.

“Make sure everybody understands the gravity of what’s back here, but what’s right is to leave it alone until there’s a problem,” Beresford 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 Gabriela Vidal

Click here for updates on this story

    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — It was supposed to be the start of a long-awaited family cruise for Denver TSA employee 37-year-old Eduardo Morales and his wife, Mehgan. They had booked a five-day vacation in the Bahamas. Instead, the family is dealing with what they are calling the biggest tragedy they have ever experienced.

“We’d really been working hard to get to it and have our time off, have time together and have time with family. It was just supposed to be a really fun time,” said Mehgan.

She says Eddie was beloved by his colleagues and anyone who met him along the way.

“He was kind of the glue that held a lot of things together for a lot of people,” she said. “He was important to me. He held me together.”

Everything changed, however, when Mehgan and Eddie left for the airport in a rideshare car early Saturday morning.

“We took Illif to get up to the I-225 exit. I was uncomfortable with the driving,” said Mehgan, “but we got on to I-225 north and just within a minute or two, ‘Bam!’ we were hit.”

Aurora police say a Chevy Silverado truck was speeding and driving erratically when it rear-ended the rideshare car, a Toyota Corolla, causing the car to flip with Eddie, Meghan, and the rideshare driver inside. They were less than 18 miles from Denver International Airport.

“I woke up a couple of seconds later, and my husband was in my arms, and I asked him if he was okay, and he said ‘no,’ and then he was gone,” said Mehgan.

Eddie died at the scene of the crash, and Mehgan and the rideshare driver were taken to the hospital.

“I felt like I got pushed forward. I felt my face get hit. I closed my eyes, and I could just feel burning and pain on my face,” said Mehgan. “I have a neck injury and a hip injury, obviously some facial injuries, but it pales in comparison to what I feel inside.”

Instead of a holiday away with family, Mehgan and Eddie’s parents and sisters are now staying at a hotel directly across from the crash site, dealing with the shock.

“We’ve had so many people reach out to us telling us just how amazing he was and how funny he was and how sweet he was,” said Vanessa Morales, Eddie’s sister.

They’re now raising money to help support Mehgan through the loss. At the same time, they’re pleading for answers from police and the public.

“We just want to know who did it,” said Jessica Morales, Eddie’s sister, “for ruining so many lives.”

Aurora police say two people got out of the truck when the crash happened and ran away from the scene. Investigators said they’re working to find out why and are asking the public for help with any information about these individuals and what may have happened.

“To contact the police and give them a lead or something so we can follow up and give us a kind of closure,” said Roberto Morales, Eddie’s father.

Aurora police say part of the reconstruction of the incident will include “obtaining estimated speeds for both vehicles involved, as well as any other contributing factors.”

They say if they believe the rideshare car was involved in any misconduct, they could also be cited.

CBS Colorado reached out to Lyft about the incident, the rideshare company Mehgan and Eddie used to get to the airport, and is waiting for a response back.

“Just to find some answers is all we want right now… justice to be done for Eddie,” said Mirta Morales, Eddie’s mother.

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 Lorien Nettleton

Click here for updates on this story

    BURLEY, Idaho (KIVI) — A 77-year-old retired veteran in Burley is fighting to keep his home after a cash-for-homes company filed a lawsuit against him over an electronic contract he says he never understood.

Ron Paget, who has lived in his Burley house since 2013, has until this Thursday, March 26, to formally reply to the lawsuit in court. He is currently trying to raise enough money to hire a lawyer.

“To me, it’s been a whole scam all the way through,” Paget said.

In January of this year, Paget received an estimate for roof repairs that would cost him about $100,000. He commented to the roofer that it would make more sense to sell the house.

“And he says, ‘I’ll give you $350,000 for it,’ and I says ‘Well, fine, I’ll give you a week to come up with it,'” Paget said.

After a week had passed, Paget called the roofer as a courtesy to tell him he was going to list the house with a realtor. The roofer told him he had a realtor friend who could help sell his house.

That is when Paget started getting documents in his email asking for signatures. He said he did not realize he was signing off on the agreement simply by clicking through each page.

“It would only take you through the little places where you’re supposed to sign in, so you push on that and sign it, and then when that’s done, it all disappears. That’s the stuff I couldn’t even read,” Paget said.

Paget changed his mind about selling altogether because of the hassle and sought to cancel the agreement. He then started receiving emails from someone named Char Hiaring.

“I never opened any of his emails because I figured I didn’t even know who he is. Why would I open his e-mails if I don’t know who he is?” Paget said.

Hiaring describes himself on social media as a multi-millionaire real estate investor and influencer. He is also listed on the Secretary of State’s website as the principal contact for Sell My House Idaho, LLC. Both Hiaring and the company are named in the lawsuit filed against Paget on March 6.

Teresa Loya, who has 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, said there are a variety of red flags in how this sale progressed.

“Typically, you know, in a real estate transaction, the seller and buyer are both aware of who each other are,” Loya said.

“Pressure to sign quickly, pressure to sign in a manner that you’re not comfortable with, if that’s a lot of times, that can be an electronic signature situation,” Loya said.

A GoFundMe fundraiser is hoping to help the fixed-income veteran cover costs for an attorney.

Neighborhood Reporter Lorien Nettleton has tried to call and email Hiaring and his businesses to understand their side of the deal, but has yet to hear back.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI 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 Christie Ileto

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The Easter Bunny may travel the world every spring, but the holiday hare’s American roots can be traced right back to Pennsylvania.

German settlers brought the tradition with them centuries ago, and the first known depiction of the Easter Bunny in the United States was painted by Johann Conrad Gilbert. His artwork is housed at the Winterthur Museum and Library in Delaware.

“What he’s known for is his Fraktur artwork, and he did the earliest known renditions or drawings of the Easter Bunny in the United States,” said Donna Gerber, Gilbert’s fifth great-granddaughter.

Gilbert emigrated from Germany and brought with him the folklore of the holiday hare.

“It’s something that has a lot of Pennsylvania roots. Easter and our idea of the Easter Bunny really got started in the 1680s with Germans, who then brought their traditions over to Pennsylvania,” said Andrew Greene, the director of sales with the East Broad Top Railroad.

Today, industrial heritage sites like the East Broad Top Railroad are helping keep those traditions alive.

At the nation’s oldest continuously operating railroad, visitors learn about the Pennsylvania origins of the Easter Bunny while enjoying a scenic train ride and participating in an Easter egg hunt.

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 Elizabeth Worthington

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A Center City couple says their car was towed after a tree service contractor moved it to a no-parking zone without their knowledge, setting off a two-week effort to figure out what happened.

“The car was gone. Just missing,” Taylor said.

Relatively new to the city, Annie Taylor and her husband heard the horror stories of cars vanishing due to the city’s courtesy towing system.

They decided to put an AirTag tracker in their vehicle, which, on March 7, led them to an impound lot where it had been towed by the PPA. Once there, Taylor’s husband was told their car was parked illegally on the 1000 block of Clinton Street.

“They showed him a photo, and his car was actually parked on this side of the street instead of the correct side, which made no sense because we did not move it to this side of the street,” Taylor said.

After reviewing neighborhood camera footage and making calls, the couple learned that Jimmy’s Tree and Landscape Contractors had been cutting down a tree on the block the day before, on March 6.

Images from neighborhood cameras show workers using dollies to push the car across the street into a no-parking zone. The company’s owner told Action News they sometimes move cars themselves to avoid calling the PPA to tow vehicles out of their way.

In this case, Taylor and her husband did not realize the car had been moved, and it was towed from the illegal spot.

The owner told Action News that temporary no-parking signs had been posted 48 hours in advance. Taylor’s husband said he checked for signs on March 5, the day before the work was done, and did not see any.

The company agreed to pay the couple’s $175 impound fee.

“So, honestly, all things considered… the company was actually the most helpful people of them all, and it’s great that they were able to do that, and I don’t intend to push anything else with them,” Taylor said.

The couple says their car was damaged at some point. They plan to file a claim with the PPA.

“The bottom of the car, like on the passenger side, the plastic piece that covers all the wires and near the tire cover was just ripped off and dragging on the ground,” Taylor said.

The PPA declined to comment. The city, including the Parks and Recreation Department, has not yet responded to requests for comment.

A federal lawsuit settlement may soon change how courtesy towing is handled in Philadelphia. Under the agreement, contractors would be required to place stickers on vehicles moved into illegal spots so PPA agents know not to ticket or tow them. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval before it takes effect.

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 Itinease McMiller

Click here for updates on this story

    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Opening up about life after the military isn’t always easy. For one local veteran, the battle didn’t end overseas, but through support and a new passion, he’s finding a way forward.

“A lot of people don’t realize what veterans go through,” said Fonda Bias, Greg Bias’s wife, as he stifled a scream sitting in their home.

For Greg Bias, moments like that aren’t random; they’re flashbacks.

“We feel like it was a flashback from Iraq, and we’ve been dealing with this type of stuff for seven years now,” Fonda said.

Greg served eight years in the military, including time in California with the Marine Corps and deployments overseas in Kuwait and Iraq during the Second Gulf War.

“I’m right here,” said Bias, pointing to a photo of himself and his fellow Marines.

When he returned to civilian life, things seemed fine on the surface. But everything changed after a car crash seven years ago. Though he wasn’t physically injured, doctors believe past trauma triggered PTSD and conversion disorder.

“He had the full body seizures in the beginning. He had between 200 and 400 a day, but those have since stopped with therapy,” Fonda said, adding that the VA Medical Center in Asheville has been a lifeline. “They redid our bathroom. He was in a wheelchair for a while.”

Greg has also found strength in a different kind of support system, fellow veterans. At Disabled American Veterans in Hendersonville, Greg serves as a board member and regularly connects with others who understand.

“They go to Capitol Hill and fight for our veterans. They’re a really good organization to be with,” said Fonda.

But Greg’s healing doesn’t stop there.

“This is at the Biltmore Estate. I take pictures there,” Greg said.

Photography has become both his outlet and his purpose.

“These are best in show, and this was at the VA. What’s crazy is I got fourth place for this picture, but when went to the state fair and got first place,” Greg said.

Now, he’s aiming even higher, with a national competition in sight.

“With this new camera, it’s a different story. Better watch out,” Greg said with a laugh.

His sense of humor helps him through the hardest days.

“Sometimes I have to separate myself,” he said.

That includes moments like when he suffered a full-body seizure during his daughter’s graduation. Still, he has no regrets about serving his country.

“He wanted to always serve his country when he was a kid. That was his dream,” Fonda said.

Now, through his lens, he continues that service differently.

“For those who can’t go out in nature, I try to bring nature to you so you can enjoy yourself,” Greg said,

Each photo captures a moment of peace.

“I love to share and donate my pictures that I can to people and organizations,” he said.

And each one is a step toward healing.

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.