Category: CNN Regional

By Zachary Hammack

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    Nebraska (Lincoln Journal Star) — A little brown bat captured in eastern Nebraska is one big discovery for researchers.

Last month, Nebraska Game and Parks biologists and University of Nebraska researchers confirmed the first sighting of a live little brown bat in eastern Nebraska since 2016.

On May 24, the rare cave-dwelling bat was captured in a mist net over Decker Creek at Platte River State Park in Cass County during a spring migration survey. Researchers believe the bat likely lives locally and did not migrate from another state.

The little brown bat, one of 13 known bat species in the state, is considered a Tier I species, a designation for the state’s most at-risk creatures that are vulnerable to extinction.

Brett Andersen, wildlife diversity program manager for Nebraska Game and Parks, said the little brown bat has always been rare in eastern Nebraska.

“In the Panhandle, we would catch 50 to 100 a night in some places, but in eastern Nebraska, I think I had only ever caught one since I started netting in 2014,” Anderson said in a Monday news release.

But cave bats have become increasingly difficult to find in Nebraska following the emergence of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that affects hibernating bats.

The disease, which has decimated bat populations across the eastern U.S., was first spotted in Nebraska in 2017 when a team of biologists discovered several dead bats during a survey of an inactive limestone mine in Cass County.

The disease doesn’t pose a threat to humans, pets or livestock, but is highly fatal in bats. Researchers believe “cave bats have all but disappeared in eastern Nebraska,” the release said.

Unlike its more common relative, the big brown bat, which lives in houses, barns and attics, little brown bats are more selective, according to Game and Parks. In the winter, they hibernate in hard-to-find caves and mines.

Andersen said the chances of catching the bats in mist nets — which are commonly used to capture small birds and other creatures for tagging purposes — are low. But researchers will continue to conduct cave and mine surveys.

Other efforts to track the bats include the Motus migration project, a global initiative that uses signals to track the movement of small flying animals.

The network has not detected the bat researchers tagged. Andersen said that’s likely because the bat has already moved out of the area and is roosting somewhere the signal can’t reach.

“Unfortunately, because we only know of a few mines in eastern Nebraska, it is difficult to determine whether there are any more (bats) left,” Andersen 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 Forrest Sanders

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    FAIRVIEW, Tennessee (WTVF) — It was a foggy morning on the Fairview High track that brought out a whole bunch of driven people. It was the Tennessee Senior Olympics.

The crew competing in one event just leapt out to me. There was newer athlete Sara Dutton.

“I was 71 when I did my first marathon!” she said.

There was in-it-to-win-it competitor Terry Coulter.

“What do I think about that?” Coulter laughed. “Well, yeah!”

Annette Fenech was motivated by her runner granddaughter.

“Is grandma a fast runner?” I asked Fenech’s granddaughter.

“Oh yeah! Lightning McQueen fast!”

Then, there was competitor Eleanor Pendergraft.

“I’m the only 90-year-old woman out here!” she laughed.

They were all the one-mile power walkers.

“You have to keep one foot on the ground at all times,” Coulter explained.

“You move your arms and your hips!” Dutton added.

What was striking about this group was the stories they shared.

Fenech has lived through back surgery. Coulter’s lived through knee surgery.

“That’s when I began a journey of strength training,” Coulter said. “I got into weight lifting, which led me into body building, body building competitions.”

Then, there’s Pendergraft’s story.

Pendergraft wasn’t always sure she she could do something like this. For a while, she was spending a lot of time in her apartment.

“I started falling and dropping things,” she remembered. “They finally determined I had MS. I gradually got worse and worse.”

It was getting hard for Pendergraft to move. She was told she couldn’t drive. Pendergraft joined a gym and got stronger.

“When a friend suggested I enter the Senior Olympics, I laughed at her,” Pendergraft remembered. “I said, ‘you’ve gotta be kidding. I haven’t been athletic my entire life!’ It was the best thing I’d ever done.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to start our competition!” a voice announced.

“Building new friendships, I’m a richer person for it,” Coulter said.

“Yeah, you get to meet people, hear their stories,” said Fenech.

“I can do it, so I do it!” Dutton laughed.

“It’s the friendships with all of these people, that’s the main thing,” said Pendergraft.

The power walking competition began. The group took off with Coulter in the lead. What’d I tell you? Coulter was in-it-to-win-it.

“I’ve trained so hard,” she said. “I’m telling myself, ‘Terry, you’ve worked hard. Just go do what you’ve been doing!'”

Pendergraft continued a strong stride around the track.

“When my doctor said my MS was getting worse, wasn’t getting better, it hit that stubborn streak,” Pendergraft said. “I determined he was wrong.”

Medals went out to all different age divisions with gold medalists for the one-mile power walk including Coulter, Dutton, and Pendergraft.

“Never done one before!” Dutton said of the power walking competition. “Shows what you can do. God is good.”

“That’s so exciting you can get older and still get better,” Coulter added. “What a great thing.”

“I don’t know what I’ll be able to do when I’m 100, but we’ll see!” Pendergraft 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 Kate Malongowski

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    BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma (KHBS, KHOG) — Fireworks erupted at an Oklahoma fireworks stand on Saturday night, with video showing the flames and fireworks shooting into the sky.

Broken Arrow Fire Department responded to the call around 8:50 p.m. Saturday, “with fireworks actively detonating.”

“Firefighters were able to quickly control the scene and extinguish the fire in about 20 minutes,” the fire department said in a Facebook post. “There are no reported injuries.”

The incident comes after a truck carrying fireworks shut down a major highway in Tennessee earlier this month after fireworks began to detonate on it. That incident was also captured on video.

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 Nick Bohr

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    DELAFIELD, Wisconsin (WISN) — A 25-year-old man from Delafield is under arrest after admitting to shooting his father three times during an argument on Father’s Day.

Gunfire broke out Sunday afternoon on the front porch of a home near McDowell and Hickory Hill in the Town of Delafield. The incident remains under investigation, and authorities are still working to determine a motive.

The case began when the son called 911, reporting that he had shot his father three times in the abdomen during an argument. Dispatch audio revealed that the caller, identified as the shooter, was performing bleeding control on his father while awaiting emergency responders.

“Units enroute to the gunshot wound victim; we do have the caller who was the shooter doing bleeding control on his father,” a dispatcher said.

Neighbors were stunned by the incident. Sandy Martens, who lives nearby, said her husband initially heard the gunshots.

“He said he heard a gunshot,” Martens said. “He said it’s not fireworks, it was a gunshot.”

Martens expressed disbelief over the shooting, saying, “Never. Never. Nothing ever like that in this neighborhood. It just, it breaks my heart to have something like that happen here. It hits home right next door. It’s shocking.”

The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that the 52-year-old father remains hospitalized but is expected to survive.

According to the 911 call, the son said he was “relaxing with his gun” when an argument with his father escalated into violence.

Authorities have not released the name of the 25-year-old man, as he has not yet been formally charged. He remains in custody as the investigation continues.

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 Vincent Rodriguez

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — An arrest warrant has been issued for country music artist Bailey Zimmerman in New Mexico following the cancellation of his Albuquerque concert in May.

According to court documents filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, Zimmerman was scheduled to perform a concert at Sandia Resort and Casino on May 27.

During the visit, court documents say, several incidents happened prior to the concert and the eventual cancellation.

Court documents say following a golf game, Zimmerman and his personal security were escorted to a hotel room on the fifth floor. After an hour, Zimmerman and his group then left the room and went to Sandia Amphitheater. Sandia security noted that Zimmerman was angry with his band and his manager. It was noted by security that Zimmerman appeared to be intoxicated at the time.

Court documents say once Zimmerman arrived to the amphitheater, he went to the stage. He then took a guitar from one of his personnel and swung it before tripping and falling backwards. Court documents again noted it appeared Zimmerman was intoxicated.

During sound check, court documents say Zimmerman took cymbals from the drummer, threw them onto the stage and pushed a set of drums. He then tried to sit down and then fell backward.

According to court documents, Zimmerman then threw a microphone to the ground when it then rolled off the stage. He then went to the sound tent and back to the stage, where he took another microphone. Court documents noted Zimmerman tried singing into it while stumbling and swaying on stage.

Court documents say Zimmerman then went to a guitarist and took their microphone and also threw it on stage. Several other incidents involving instruments continued to occur.

Court documents say members of the band tried to talk to Zimmerman, with him yelling at the band in response. Zimmerman then left the stage, hitting a light box, and kicking another black box in an aggressive manner.

According to court documents, Zimmerman then went back to an SUV, threw a water bottle down a set of stairs, drank from another and spit toward a security officer. Zimmerman, his manager and a member of his security then went back to the hotel, where it was noted that he was stumbling at different moments.

Court documents say the concert was then canceled for that night.

Those documents also say that following the cancellation, Zimmerman and his staff needed to leave the property due to his behavior. Documents note that Zimmerman refused to leave in vehicles provided by Sandia to transport him to the airport. Zimmerman then became disorderly and Sandia police were called, after which he became cooperative.

The following day, on May 28, court documents say Sandia police were again called to the room that was occupied by Zimmerman. Security and housekeeping staff found damage to the room after it was vacated.

Court documents note that officers found damage to a TV, a broken phone, damage to a coffee table and two chairs, two missing chairs. A hole in the wall, damage to other walls in the room and the carpet were also found.

Court documents say the total amount of damage to the room totaled $16,000, along with a $400 alcohol bill that was charged to the room and never paid.

According to court documents, Sandia staff and Sandia police attempted to contact Zimmerman about the incident with no answers from him or his staff.

Zimmerman has been charged with criminal damage to property and falsely obtaining services. A warrant has also been issued for his arrest related to the charges.

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 Sasha Lenninger

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    NEW MEXICO (KOAT) — Five years after Ella Mae Begay disappeared from the Navajo Nation, her family is devastated by the early release of Preston Tolth, the man convicted of robbing her and the last known person to see her alive.

Tolth, who told investigators he beat Begay, stole her truck, and left her on the side of the road, was released from federal prison on Monday, June 15. In May, a judge sentenced him to five years in federal prison, giving him credit for time already served. With good-conduct credits, Tolth became eligible for early release.

“We were hoping it was a mistake or a glitch of some sort,” Begay’s family said, describing the news as a painful reminder that five years after her disappearance, their mother is still missing.

“I should have been notified,” said Gerald Begay, Ella Mae’s oldest son. “For this to happen, it’s almost like a surprise attack on myself.”

The family learned of Tolth’s release not from the court or the government but through a text message from their attorney.

“She texted us saying, asking us if we knew, you know, that person was released, and we didn’t know,” Gerald said.

For years, Begay’s family has waited for answers, and now they are left processing the fact that the man connected to their mother’s final known hours is free.

“It’s horrible, and I want to bring her home,” Gerald said.

The family feels blindsided by a system they say has forgotten about them.

“It could happen anywhere. It’s not just the reservation. It’s not just our issues. I want people to be aware and just, to protect their families and themselves,” Gerald said.

Five years after Ella Mae Begay disappeared, her family is still searching for answers and waiting to bring her home. They say her case may no longer be in the headlines, but they refuse to let their mother be forgotten.

Until they learn what happened to Ella Mae Begay, they vow to keep speaking her name.

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.