Category: CNN Regional

By Cyera Williams

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    MOUNT AIRY, Maryland (WMAR) — For brothers Alan and Charles Harris, getting golfers to the first tee on time is serious business.

After all, some habits from the Army are hard to break.

“In the army, if you’re on time, you’re probably late,” Alan Harris said. “Pretty much all the same thing here if you’re on time. You’re late.”

Today, the brothers are familiar faces at The Links at Challedon, where they work as starters; directing golfers, assigning carts, keeping tee times moving and making sure players know the rules before beginning their rounds.

And once golfers leave the clubhouse, the brothers make one thing clear.

“Once you pay your money and they leave the inside and they come outside, we’re in charge,” said Charles Harris.

That authority comes with plenty of humor, but behind it is a lifetime of leadership and service.

Alan and Charles identify themselves as Vietnam veterans, and both served as officers in the U.S. Army. Charles served from April 1970 to April 1973, while Alan served from June 1972 until January 1979.

Their paths into the military, however, were very different.

Charles was a student at the University of Maryland College Park during the Vietnam-era draft. He recalled watching the draft lottery numbers come down and realizing his low number meant the military would likely come calling.

Rather than wait, Charles decided to pursue a path toward becoming an officer. He went through basic training, advanced individual training and Officer Candidate School, eventually training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

“I figured if I’m gonna get shot at, I’m gonna be giving orders,” he joked while recalling that decision.

Alan knew much earlier that military service was likely in his future. He attended Morgan State University and went through ROTC before becoming a regular Army officer. He initially trained in infantry before moving into ordnance and logistics; work he described as “the thing you need to keep the army and all of the military going.”

That logistics background would later be followed by a career largely in defense contracting.

Decades later, the brothers have traded Army formations for foursomes.

Their job at Challedon involves more than simply pointing golfers toward the first hole. They monitor who has checked in and paid, get players into carts, direct them to the driving range or first tee and explain expectations for pace of play and taking care of the course.

That includes repairing divots, raking bunkers and, when possible, keeping golf balls out of the neighbors’ yards.

The route that brought both brothers to the same golf course also came with a little sibling rivalry.

Alan, an avid golfer, recalled sending his resume to the course while looking for a job after retirement but not hearing back. Then he learned his brother had landed a job there.

“Wait a minute, that ain’t right. That’s my job,” he recalled thinking.

Alan eventually called the pro shop himself, got an interview and was hired too.

“You took my job,” he later told his brother.

“Yeah, he did,” came the response.

The story is even funnier considering just how much golf Alan has played. He told Voice for Veterans reporter Cyera Williams, he has played in every state in the country except “maybe seven or eight,” and had planned another trip through several Midwestern states before family obligations caused him to postpone it.

Charles admits his brother is the bigger golfer.

The two still play together, though, and neither is particularly interested in conceding bragging rights.

Charles acknowledged Alan is the better putter but quickly pointed out that his own strength is playing from the sand and that lately, he has managed to keep his overall score lower.

Alan was quick to note that was a more recent development.

The ribbing is part of a relationship that has lasted through military service, careers, retirement and now another shared chapter.

Although the brothers generally work different days at Challedon, they spend time together away from work playing golf, playing cards and taking part in family activities.

Their impact at the course also extends beyond golfers.

The brothers work alongside younger cart employees, many of them in high school or college. They said the job gives them a chance to watch those employees grow, make sure responsibilities are handled correctly and pass along experiences from lives those younger workers may know little about.

“You know you’re impacting them because you’re telling them stories that, you know, they’ve never heard before,” one brother said, adding that they try to give the younger employees “a nice positive mental attitude.”

There is still military-style accountability. Carts have to arrive on time, they need to be clean, and scorecards and pencils need to be where they belong.

But there is also plenty of room for laughter.

The brothers joke about who works harder, who has the better golf game and who is really in control. They have become known around the course not simply as starters, but as a pair.

“They know us, they know we’re the brothers,” they said while reflecting on their place at Challedon. “It’s kinda neat to know that two of us have that kind of impact on folks around here.”

More than five decades after their military service began, Alan and Charles Harris may no longer be wearing Army uniforms.

But at the first tee, the lessons of showing up, taking responsibility and looking out for the people around them are still very much in play.

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 Mallory Sofastaii

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A Baltimore homeowner is searching for answers after packages addressed to a stranger have been showing up at his door for around 2 years.

Frank McMillian has lived in his home for 26 years. But packages keep arriving addressed to someone named Skylar Baker, a person McMillian says he has never known and who has never lived at his address.

“I do not know them, and never have been a person by that name that lived in this house. I’m the second owner of the house,” McMillian said.

McMillian tried to track down the right address on his own, but came up empty.

“I went down the south Spring Street and maybe they had the north and south mixed up. I ended up by the water and I got frustrated,” McMillian said. “And so that’s why I decided to call Mallory, Channel 2, because I know she will get to the bottom of it.”

McMillian saw a WMAR-2 News report by Mallory Sofastaii last year about a Hampden woman who received over 100 Amazon packages addressed to someone else. Despite repeated calls to customer service, the packages kept coming.

At the time, Amazon said it would work directly with the customer to resolve the issue but did not say whether the deliveries were connected to a brushing scam.

Brushing scams occur when scammers send packages you never ordered, sometimes to make their sales look more legitimate or popular. The FTC issued a new warning in August, saying an unexpected package can also be a sign that scammers have your personal information.

We reached out to Amazon about McMillian’s deliveries. The company says it is actively investigating.

“I never ordered anything from Amazon. Never,” said McMillian. “You’ve never ordered from Amazon?” asked Sofastaii. “Nothing, never,” he replied. “Up in my age, I don’t need much. I got enough to last me till I leave this earth.”

In the meantime, McMillian has been holding onto the packages. He refuses to open or throw them away, even as they clutter his home.

“If my name is not on it, I’m not going to open it up. Now, don’t get me wrong, there would have been a time I would have opened it up, but since I belong to God Almighty, he sees what I’m doing and I’m not doing anything. He keeps me accountable,” McMillian said.

The FTC says if you receive a package you didn’t order, do not scan any QR codes inside, change your shopping passwords, and check your credit report for anything you don’t recognize.

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 Cyera Williams

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A Vietnam veteran first introduced to WMAR viewers in July through a story by Voice for Veterans reporter Cyera Williams is now at the center of an emotional act of kindness.

Carroll “Sonny” Smith, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 1965 to 1969, told Williams in that original story that one of his biggest regrets was destroying his Marine dress blues after returning home from Vietnam.

For Smith, the uniform was part of the reason he wanted to become a Marine in the first place.

“I fell in love with the uniform,” Smith said.

He remembers being about 10 years old, watching Marines march in a parade near Patterson Park, and telling his mother that one day he would have one of those uniforms.

“I always wanted to be a Marine,” Smith said.

Smith did become a Marine, serving four years. But when he came home from Vietnam, he said the country’s treatment of returning service members was painful.

“It made us feel like we had done something wrong by going over there,” Smith said.

At the time, Smith said he put peace signs and stickers on his dress blues before eventually throwing them away. It was a decision he would regret for decades.

“I just wish I hadn’t destroyed my uniform. That’s all,” Smith said.

After seeing WMAR’s story in July, an anonymous Maryland couple reached out. They wanted to replace Smith’s dress blues while keeping their identity private.

When Williams told Smith about the offer, he was overcome with gratitude.

“I don’t know how to thank them,” Smith said.

The anonymous donor later shared this statement:

“My gesture wasn’t about a uniform — it was about honoring a Marine’s service, preserving his story, and reminding him that people care about him and the sacrifices he made.

When I heard his story, how destroying his uniform was one of his biggest regrets, I knew I had the ability to fix that single issue. Too often, people wait for someone else to step forward and help. My message would be that when you can make a difference in someone’s life, no matter how small, you should act.

Real change happens when ordinary people choose to help where they can, when they can, rather than assuming someone else will do it. In this case, it was simply one Marylander helping another, and that’s exactly how it should be.

I am especially grateful to SSgt. Najafabadi, whose ‘can do’ attitude made “this mission” a success. From the moment I reached out, he demonstrated that the Marine Corps values of commitment, service, and brotherhood do not end with a deployment, a retirement, or even a generation. His willingness to go above and beyond reinforced a simple truth:

Once a Marine, always a Marine!

The “esprit de corps” that binds Marines together remains as strong today as it was decades ago.

My hope is that SSgt. Najafabadi’s actions serve as an example of the character and values the Marine Corps instills in its people. I also hope that those considering military service see this story as a reminder of how deeply Americans appreciate the men and women who serve this great nation.”

The Bel Air Marines helped make the moment possible. SSgt. Nima Najafabadi helped secure the uniform, and when there was no belt buckle, he removed his own and gave it so Smith’s dress blues would be complete.

When Smith learned that detail, he became emotional.

“Please do thank them all for me,” Smith 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 Maggie Bryan

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    DENVER (KMGH) — Engines revved, tires squealed, and fireworks lit up the sky as another street takeover disrupted a Denver neighborhood late Sunday night, renewing calls for action to put an end to the dangerous trend.

The latest takeover happened at the intersection of East 10th Avenue and North Broadway around 10:40 p.m. Video shows cars taking over the intersection, doing donuts and lighting fireworks, while other drivers lay on their horns to get through.

Denver Police said officers from the department’s street racing team responded, but said the vehicles left the area as officers arrived. DPD said officers did not make any arrests or cite anyone.

A separate street takeover happened at Broadway and Mississippi earlier this month and another on Federal Boulevard in July.

Micaiah Lambright lives near 10th and Broadway and said he heard the most recent takeover on Sunday night.

“It was about 10:30 when I think the noise just became out of control,” Lambright said. “You could tell that there were people driving at the time that were trapped in it because there was a lot of car honking from various corners.”

Lambright said he and others in the neighborhood had heard of street takeovers happening elsewhere in the city but had not experienced one so close before.

“Just the fact that you know they seem to be coming closer and closer to downtown, it feels like you know they’re they’re sort of taunting the city, because we hear it continue. You know, we hear stories about it from other neighborhoods,” Lambright said. “I think something needs to be done, especially if if the mayor, you know, envisions the downtown metro area as more of a residential area. The streets have to be safe, like a residential neighborhood.”

State Representative Chad Clifford, a Democrat representing Arapahoe County, sponsored a bill during last year’s legislative session to crack down on street takeovers, which he said have become a trend across the state.

Clifford said the events have grown in scale and sophistication, including efforts to evade police. He said existing laws are not equipped to address what is happening on Colorado roads.

“We don’t have a law on the books today that just perfectly articulates what we’re talking about with street takeover events,” Clifford said. “They’re hard to track, hard to deal with, hard to get resources to. And heck, by the time you get cops out to them to engage with them, they’re typically gone, or it’s broken up.”

The bill he sponsored alongside Rep. Chris Richardson, a Republican representing the Eastern Plains, would have created escalating penalties for stunt driving while making it a Class 6 felony to take part in a coordinated street takeover. It also would have included fines, license suspension, and possible vehicle impoundment.

The legislation died in committee over concerns that the definitions were too broad and could end up targeting cultural groups, like lowriders.

“There is nothing in that bill that we found that was particular to that. In fact, most of the people that are prosecuted for street racing are white men over 30,” said Clifford.

He said tougher penalties do not always work, but when it comes to traffic safety, he said the evidence suggests escalating penalties do have an impact. He said to expect a version of the bill to return in the next legislative session.

A spokesperson for DPD said the department’s street racing team is made up of a supervisor and several officers pulled from different districts across the city. DPD said the team does not patrol every night, but instead, schedules operations around the days and times when street racing and takeover activity has historically been the highest.

The spokesperson for the department said during those operations, officers proactively patrol parking lots, roads, and highways where street takeovers and street racing have been reported.

As of the beginning of August, DPD said it had made at least 59 arrests, impounded 44 vehicles and issued 289 citations related to street racing and speed exhibition this year.

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 Mike Castellucci

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    GOLDEN, Colorado (KMGH) — CoorsTek is renovating a six-block stretch of downtown Golden, Colorado, returning the Coors family to the site where its industrial legacy began more than a century ago.

The project centers on a cluster of original brick buildings on Fourth Street, including one where the Coors family made glass bottles starting in 1886, then pottery, porcelain bowls and plates, and ceramics used in scientific equipment. It is also where the aluminum can was invented.

“The invention of the aluminum can happened right here on the Clayworks site to service the beer industry,” said Darden Coors.

For Darden Coors, whose great-great-grandfather Adolph Coors went into business with a nearby brewery just a few years before the Fourth Street building’s story began, walking through the space is personal.

“It’s touching and fun to think back what all happened in this space over the decades,” Darden said.

Melanie Keerins, the Coors family artivist, described the renovation as a homecoming.

“We’re bringing the Coors family back home,” Keerins said.

The renovation has also turned up unexpected discoveries. Before construction began, workers unearthed intact glass bottles buried underground dating back to 1887 — pieces the archive had never held before.

“Before we started construction on this site, we didn’t have a single example of our glass bottles in our archive, and very few existed anywhere,” Keerins said.

“What’s fascinating is you wouldn’t think you’d find a complete intact bottle buried underground that dates back to 1887 — really, really cool,” Keerins said.

The site now holds a room filled with artifacts, including stamped pieces of Coors Thermos Porcelain alongside the newly excavated finds.

The renovation will eventually span six blocks and will include not only original Coors buildings but other historic structures, among them the old Golden High School. Keerins said the surrounding area once included houses, a cobbler, and a sausage maker.

“Who knows what we’re going to find that connect not only to Coors but to Golden,” Keerins said.

Darden said many locals may not fully realize what was created in Buildings 2 and 3 over the decades.

“The locals have driven by this for decades. We revitalized the mural on top. It says Coors USA chemical and scientific porcelain,” Darden said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMGH 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 Dean Fioresi

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    ORANGE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — The Orange County coastline is facing significant erosion with the looming El Niño winter, and already some parts of the shoreline are being impacted by the powerful surf.

On Monday, Laguna Beach city leaders announced that Aliso Beach’s west parking lot was closed due to high surf and wave activity from the weekend, which “pushed a large amount of sand and water” onto the lot near Aliso Beach Park. The water caused erosion and undermining around the edges of the lot and some palm trees in the area.

Laguna Beach city workers then removed electrical lines that were mounted to the palm trees so they could prevent further complications if more parts of the parking lot failed. It’s unclear exactly how long the lot was expected to stay closed as crews removed failed pavement and moved sand to backfill the eroded edges throughout the day on Monday.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the El Niño increases chances that powerful winter storms hit Southern California more frequently than normal, leading to a higher risk of coastal erosion along with flash floods and mudslides.

“I’ve seen it, not quite this bad. This is a little bit unusual,” said Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgil. “As far as just the coast and safety, you know, I have had some conversations regarding our ability to actually close beaches, if necessary.”

It’s just one part of the coastline that has experienced complications from powerful surf in recent months.

In early August, Metrolink temporarily suspended some operations through the LOSSAN Corridor because of high tides, and in June, powerful king tides led to flooding concerns all along the Southern California coast.

Further north in Los Angeles County, some communities like Malibu have pleaded with state officials to address the worsening coastal erosion, particularly along the iconic Pacific Coast Highway.

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 John Lauritsen

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — There are a couple of major milestones at the State Fair this year.

The Tilt-A-Whirl turned 100 years old, and longtime fairgoer Bill Homan is also turning 100.

Monday morning, The World War II veteran and his family drove to the fair from Montevideo, just to go on his favorite ride.

“I think the first time was in 1932,” said Homan.

Since the early 1930s, Homan has been making regular trips to the Great Minnesota Get-Together. But this time, the World War II veteran is on a mission.

“I told my dad I was going to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl. And right away he said, ‘I’m going with you.’ And I said, ‘Really? Okay,'” said Jeanna King, Homan’s daughter.

The county fair didn’t have the Tilt-A-Whirl this year, so the State Fair is Homan’s chance to ride the ride he’s loved since he was a kid. The Tilt-A-Whirl was invented in Faribault in 1926 — the same year Bill was born.

Homan has seven kids, 11 grandkids and 14 great grandkids, and most of them joined him on this quest.

“It’s the highlight of my life. My family,” said Homan.

He wants to show that age is just a number and his only wish is that his wife Barb could join him. The couple was married 80 years before Barb passed away this summer.

A couple minutes of tilting and whirling is exactly what Homan was looking for. And by the time it was done, Homan was ready for more.

Homan said his second favorite ride is the Wild Thing at Valleyfair.

He will celebrate his 100th birthday on Sunday at the Montevideo Veterans Home.

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 Andy Alcock

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KMBC) — An attorney for a boy who claims he was both physically and sexually assaulted in a bathroom at Eisenhower Middle School has filed notice with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Board of Education of a pending $5 million lawsuit.

“He was violently offended by a number of boys against his will, physically restrained while they sexually assaulted him,” said David Smith, the attorney for the boy and his parents.

The notice states the incident happened April 30, and the boy was 11 and in sixth grade at the time.

Smith said a group of three or four eighth-grade boys dragged the sixth grader into a bathroom and then took turns hitting him in the head, stomach, and sexually assaulting him while restraining him.

“He lives in daily fear. And that’s really unfortunate for somebody his age. He’s in counseling,” Smith said.

Smith’s lawsuit notice claims Eisenhower Middle School had shut down several bathrooms due to other incidents before this one.

And the notice claims there was supposed to be an adult monitor outside the bathroom when the boy was assaulted, but there wasn’t one.

“That’s a gross mistake by the school district’s part, because there have been enough things that have happened in the bathrooms at that school that this was foreseeable. And if it’s foreseeable, it’s predictable. And if it’s predictable, it’s preventable. All they needed was to step up and follow their own policies, and they failed,” Smith said.

KCKPS School Board members Valdenia Winn and Vice-chair Wanda Brownlee Paige said administrators didn’t tell them what happened at Eisenhower Middle School after the incident as they should have.

As a result, they were blindsided by the lawsuit notice issued August 18.

“I didn’t know anything because when the gentleman knocked on the door, I said, well, how can I help you? He said, I want to serve you with this. And I said, well, what is it? He said, just read it. And then when I shut the door, I was like, wow, this is unbelievable,” Paige said.

“It’s not fair to the board. We were elected by the people to at least be the caretakers. But if we don’t know, things happen, how can we reassure our parents, our constituents, our staff, the students? There is a serious communication problem with us. If it’s not deliberate and intentional, then do differently,” Winn said.

Smith said to his knowledge, Eisenhower parents with students not involved in the incident weren’t told what happened either.

He said KCKPS police officers ultimately showed up after the assault and referred the boy to Sunflower House to be examined.

But Smith has not yet received a copy of the police report he requested.

“As far as this little boy knows, his violators are still free. His violators are still at school,” Smith said.

He also said the boy is now attending a different school.

KMBC 9 Investigates has learned Maria Castleberry was a KCKPS police officer at Eisenhower Middle until she was fired in January.

Castleberry believes she was forced out for refusing to drop charges against a boy who badly beat up a girl at Eisenhower Middle.

Former KCKPS Deputy Police Chief Sy Colaco wrote a letter to the administration defending Castleberry.

Colaco, who was also later let go, said Castleberry was unfairly fired, “railroaded”.

With Castleberry gone, KMBC 9 Investigates has learned there was no police officer working at Eisenhower Middle the day the boy claims he was assaulted.

KMBC 9 Investigates first raised safety concerns about the KCKPS system in 2023.

Marialexa Sanoja quit her job as a KCKPS police officer at Wyandotte High School in frustration due to guns and drugs on school property, daily fights, and sex in the school frequently going unreported to parents and with little consequences.

“Nobody was hearing what I was saying. Nobody’s hearing the parents,” Sanoja said in 2023.

“Our schools are some of the safest places for our students in the community,” said KCKPS Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield in 2023. “Unfortunately, in the urban core, you may see more fights, unfortunately.”

The school district has thirty days from the August 18 notice to respond to the pending lawsuit.

Administrators declined a request for documents and comment on the boy’s Eisenhower Middle School claims, stating they are exempt under Kansas law.

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.