Category: CNN Regional

By Olivia Hickey

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    EL RENO, Oklahoma (KOCO) — A damaged private water line at a data center in El Reno caused more than 3 million gallons of water to be wasted this week, prompting the city to issue emergency abatement and public nuisance notices.

The water line, connected to a fire hydrant on private property, was responsible for the massive leak, according to city officials. The business involved, Athlon BT, specializes in mobile data centers for AI storage and Bitcoin mining, which are equipped with air- and water-cooling technology.

“In this day and age, that’s not acceptable,” said Shellie Seale, a local resident.

“It’s just concerning how much water we lost so quickly,” said Jim Waggoner, another resident.

City officials discovered multiple violations at the property, including a failed water line, lack of maintenance and access, drainage issues, expired building permits, and the absence of a final certificate of occupancy. The structures were also flagged as dangerous.

When reporters visited the site, a man was seen on the property but declined to comment on camera.

“People have to start thinking long-term about the water, what they’re gonna use,” Seale said.

“Being an old guy, I don’t think we need it,” Waggoner said.

Athlon BT has not responded to requests for comment. The company has 10 days to address the public nuisance conditions, or the city may take further action.

An administrative hearing on the property is scheduled for late September.

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 Madison Perales, Jake Anderson

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Omaha police are investigating after a person found a newborn baby and brought it to a fire station on Friday morning.

Around 7:45 a.m., officers responded to the fire station near 34th and Q streets for a child welfare check, officials said.

Omaha Fire Department personnel told officers that the infant was found in an alley near 44th and I streets and was brought to the station, according to Omaha police.

Investigators said two people brought the baby girl wrapped in a towel, with no diaper, to the station. The infant still had the full umbilical cord attached, officials said.

The newborn was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center and “at this time, did not have any clear injuries,” officials said.

Omaha police said the infant is undergoing an examination.

Officials said the little girl is under state custody at this time, but DHHS and Project Harmony are working to find placement for the child.

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 Camden Morris

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — Jamie Causey, a University of Alabama graduate, said she relied on scholarships, grants, and prayers to pursue her education, hoping to make her grandparents and her city proud.

Causey recalled a conversation with her grandmother where she expressed doubts about continuing her studies. “I don’t want to disappoint you, but I don’t know if it’s going to happen,” she said. Her plan was to take time off from college and work.

That plan changed when Grammy-winning singer Olivia Rodrigo sent her a private message offering to pay for her tuition. Initially, Causey thought the message was from a fake account.

“And I don’t know if anybody out there relates, but you get the messages on Facebook and your great-grandmother calls you and goes, ‘Tom Hanks messaged me,’ and you go, ‘No, no he didn’t, Grandma,'” Causey said.

Rodrigo’s generosity played a pivotal role in Causey graduating with a degree in public relations.

“The amount she gave me fully paid for my semester. When I hit pay on that bill page and saw that amount go away, I started to cry because she had changed my life. I knew once I could graduate, my future was set,” Causey said.

Causey said she went from feeling alone to knowing she had an outpouring of support from the community.

“The kindness people showed. People wanted me to do a wish list. I didn’t want people to think I wanted attention; I just wanted to be real,” Causey said.

She added that she is taking a step back from social media but is grateful for the platform it has given her to impact others.

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 Kelly O’Brien

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    PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A 78-year-old man who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with the deaths of several turtles found near his home was fined $620.

Charles Puccio pleaded guilty last week to charges of cruelty to wild animals, becoming the first person to be convicted of the crime since its 2022 inception.

“It’s very rare,” said Fish and Game Maj. David Welch. “In fact, I can only think of one or two cases in the last 10 years.”

In June, calls started coming in from residents on Bog Road in Hillsborough after 15 turtles were found dead in the span of a week. Witnesses said they believed the deaths were intentional after seeing Puccio using an off-road vehicle to hit the turtles and, in one case, stomping on one.

A conservation officer with the Fish and Game Department went to the area and used a decoy turtle with surveillance and caught Puccio in the act, leading to an arrest on a charge of cruelty to wild animals.

“It’s rare,” Welch said. “It doesn’t affect anything to do with legal take of hunting. But this was the first time, I believe, that we were able to apply that law in such a manner. It carries a misdemeanor penalty and is a criminal act, and the defendant will have a criminal record.”

Puccio’s $620 fine is suspended pending good behavior, so he won’t have to pay it if he is not charged with another crime or violation in the next year.

“What’s interesting is that there is a felony-level provision for that,” said legal analyst Patricia LaFrance of Black, LaFrance and Bollinger. “The difference is only in the intent.”

LaFrance said charges can stem from the evidence on hand, and prosecutors must prove the crime beyond reasonable doubt.

“I don’t know what the evidence is, what his state of mind was at the time,” she said. “There could have been a lot of different factors that went into this plea deal that maybe we don’t know about.”

The turtle that was stomped on survived the attack. She is in the care of New Hampshire Turtle Rescue and is expected to be released in the spring.

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 Nazzaro, Arielle Mitropoulos

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    KINGSTON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A Kingston, Massachusetts, daycare owner accused of assaulting toddlers in her care has turned herself into authorities after a warrant was sought for her arrest, according to the Kingston Police Department.

Karen Rezendes, 51, of Kingston, is facing various criminal offenses, including felony assault and battery on young children, and felony assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to police.

She was arraigned in Plymouth District Court on Friday and a plea of “not guilty” was entered on her behalf.

Rezendes was held on bail and will return to court on Sept. 4 for a pretrial hearing.

She has run an in-home daycare center called “Oh Nana’s Daycare” for several years in town.

That daycare is no longer licensed following an investigation by both the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families as well as the Department of Early Education and Care.

According to police, in recent years, Rezendes abused several of the children who attended the daycare. The incidents of abuse allegedly included violently shoving a child to the ground, hitting a child with kitchen accessories, slamming a child against a counter and locking a child in the attic, among other offenses.

Police said the children were generally toddlers, and their ages ranged between 1 and 4 years old.

Rezendes’s arrest warrant comes after a multi-week investigation by Kingston detectives, which included several witness interviews and reviews of video evidence.

When officers attempted to serve the warrant at Rezendes’s residence earlier this week, she was not home.

Neighbors said they have raised concerns about Rezendes’s alleged aggressive behavior for years.

“When I called the state, her words to me were, the state needs daycare workers,” one neighbor said. “Like, what is with these people that they think they can do this to children and that it’s okay? It’s not okay.”

Police were searching for Rezendes but said she turned herself in to Plymouth District Court on Friday afternoon.

Additionally, if your child attended “Oh Nana’s Daycare” in recent years and you suspect they may have been abused, you are asked to contact Detective Zachary Francis at 781-585-0523.

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 Nazzaro, Ted Wayman

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — With Tuesday’s primary approaching, the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race is shaping up as a contest between longtime experience and a call for new leadership.

Incumbent Sen. Ed Markey held a rally in Dorchester on Saturday, billed as a “Power to the People” party.

The event, held at the IBEW Hall, featured prominent Democratic leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

“Let’s get Ed Markey reelected to the U.S. Senate,” Sanders said.

On the North Shore, Rep. Seth Moulton joined supporters for his uphill battle to unseat Markey.

“People are ready for a change,” Moulton said.

The big difference could be age. Moulton is 47, a U.S. Marine veteran with combat experience, and has been in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015.

Markey is 80 years old and has spent the last 50 years in Washington, D.C.

The race now heads for Tuesday’s primary. Some polls open as early as 5:45 a.m., but most of the state is voting between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

As long as you are in line by 8 p.m., you will be able to cast a vote.

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 Madilyn Destefano, Pattrik Perez

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    SANFORD, Florida (WESH) — A South Florida HVAC worker has been fired and arrested after Sanford police say he kicked a homeowner’s dog, knocking it unconscious.

Police say Richardson Noel, 43, of Broward County, turned himself in Thursday. He is charged with aggravated animal cruelty.

A camera inside the home captured what happened, and police used that video to help build their case.

Ryan Menzies was at work when his girlfriend sent him the video, recorded on their Furbo pet camera, showing what happened to their 12-year-old Chihuahua, Boomer, on Monday morning.

“I was standing in the parking garage at work, and I said out loud, ‘Oh, my God,’ and almost started crying,” Menzies said. “And then anger took over, because I knew I had to get home.”

According to an arrest report, Noel was at the home on a service call for ElDante HVAC Services LLC when Boomer approached him while barking. Investigators say that as the dog retreated, Noel walked toward him and kicked him in the head with his work boot, sending him sliding across the floor and immediately knocking him unconscious.

“He gave a 100-pound kick to an animal that’s 5 pounds,” Menzies said. “So [Boomer] flipped over, slid along the floor, and was unconscious for over a minute, after which he woke up and had a seizure for five minutes.”

Within the 65-second video, Noel can be seen returning twice, first moving Boomer’s head around with his boot and then turning him over. Boomer remained limp for the remainder of the recording.

“If you had literally done it in any other spot, I would have no idea, no indication, no nothing,” Menzies said. “But you decided to do it right in front of the only camera that’s on the inside of the house.”

Boomer is doing OK now, according to Menzies. A veterinarian told him nothing broke, but he may have internal bruising.

Boomer and the couple’s other dog, also a Chihuahua, were secured in another room, Menzies said, but it’s unclear how Boomer got out. Moving forward, he said he and his girlfriend will take more precautions, and he recommends other pet owners do, too.

“Either be home when the maintenance guy is going to be there, if it’s an hour or two, whatever it is, or keep them in a closed-door room,” Menzies said. “Don’t rely on any makeshift barriers.”

Noel’s bond was set at $8,000. He bonded out of jail Thursday night, according to jail records, hours after turning himself in.

WESH 2 reached out to ElDante HVAC Services LLC to find out if it will be paying Boomer’s vet bills but has not heard back. The company posted the following statement on its website, confirming Noel’s termination:

“First and foremost, we offer our deepest and most sincere apologies for the incident involving one of our technicians. As pet parents ourselves, we fully understand the emotional gravity of witnessing a beloved dog being subjected to physical harm. We are truly sorry for the distress and pain this incident has caused.

While the technician has shared that he has had negative experiences with dogs in the past, his actions are absolutely not justified. The behavior he displayed was completely unacceptable and does not reflect the values, standards, principles, or professionalism that we hold our company and our team to.

We have taken this matter extremely seriously. The technician’s employment was terminated immediately after we reviewed the circumstances and the available evidence. Criminal charges have also been pursued, and we are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities regarding this matter.

When we first became aware of the incident, we immediately questioned the technician about what had occurred. In his initial account, he stated that the dog had attempted to bite him twice. After reviewing the recorded evidence later that same day, we determined that his account did not accurately reflect what had occurred. This further confirmed our decision to terminate his employment that same evening.

We also want to emphasize that we have a strict company policy that no technician is permitted to enter a property when unattended pets or minors are present. In this situation, the technician failed to follow our established safety protocol and proceeded on his own rather than contacting his supervisor for guidance. This was a serious violation of our company policy.

We have personally extended our sincerest apologies to the tenants and offered our assistance in any way we can during this difficult time. We sincerely hope their beloved dog makes a full and speedy recovery.

May God watch over their sweet fur baby and bring healing and comfort to their family. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them during this difficult time.”

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By Bob Hazen

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — An Orange County judge granted bond for suspended Palm Beach County Clerk Michael Caruso on Friday, as doubts about the case against him were raised during a court hearing.

Caruso, a former state lawmaker, is accused of repeatedly molesting a young child, including an incident in November 2024 and another on a cruise ship a year ago.

The child’s family lives in Orange County, and it was revealed in court that the child would have been about 3 years old during the first alleged instance.

During the hearing, an FDLE agent testified about allegations from other individuals connected to Caruso’s family that reportedly date back years.

“This child victim, did he call that particular instance any sort of name?” the agent was asked. “I believe it was Ticklemonster, I believe,” the agent said.

Prosecutors also raised prior allegations of similar conduct against Caruso. However, Caruso’s lawyer challenged the credibility of those claims, getting the agent to confirm that there was no proof the incidents ever occurred.

“Were they reported anywhere?” the lawyer asked.

“I believe there were some DCF reports that were unfounded,” the agent said.

“Unfounded,” the lawyer reiterated.

Caruso’s lawyer also questioned the timeline of the alleged abuse, pointing out that more than a year had passed between the last alleged incident and when law enforcement was contacted.

Caruso was present at the hearing, which determined that he could post bond and be released from jail.

The judge set Caruso’s bond at $160,000 with several conditions, including no contact with the victim, surrendering his passport and not returning to Orange County except for court appearances.

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.