Category: CNN Regional

By Katija Stjepovic

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    KAYSVILLE, Utah (KSTU) — A Utah family is sharing their story after a 14-year-old’s full-face helmet saved his life during an e-bike crash in July 2025.

Ledger Christensen was riding his e-bike with friends near Davis High School when the crash happened. He remembers little of the incident.

“I was just with my friends hanging out. We went down to the gas station by Davis High School. And we were just hanging out there and that’s all I can remember,” Ledger said.

His mother, Brooke Christensen, got the call shortly after. “I just remember hearing Quinn say, you know, yelling, Brooke, Ledger’s been in an accident,” Brooke said.

Ledger was found laying in the middle of 200. When Brooke reached him, he was conscious — but barely.

“I remember him opening his eyes and looking at me and he goes, Mom, something’s wrong. And then he passed out,” Brooke said.

At the hospital, his condition worsened. Scans revealed a brain bleed in the lower part of his brain. Doctors called it a miracle he survived. “He just wasn’t responding,” Brooke said.

Facing the possibility of losing her son, Brooke turned to prayer. “I just said a prayer like, please, please, please. And at that point my husband looked at me and said, I think we need to call the kids,” Brooke said.

Ledger began to turn a corner when his older brother arrived at the hospital. “When his oldest brother got there is when he started to turn. You could immediately see it,” Brooke said.

According to the Christensens, doctors credited the full-face helmet Ledger was wearing with limiting the trauma to his brain.

“All the doctors said if I was wearing a half-faced, I would have died,” Ledger said.

Katherine Stokes, a registered nurse at Intermountain Health, explained why full-face helmets are so critical in e-bike crashes. “So that full face helmet is really crucial because you could end up with facial fractures, orbital fractures, which then transfers trauma into your brain,” Stokes said.

Under Utah law, e-bike riders under 21 years old are required to wear a DOT-approved motorcycle helmet. However, there is no requirement that the helmet be a full-face model.

Brooke said wearing a full-face helmet was a condition of buying the bikes in the first place. “I remember the deal when we bought the bikes was, there’s no question you’ll wear a full face helmet, and if I ever see you not with a helmet on, they’re gone,” Brooke said.

On the day of the crash, Brooke wasn’t there to enforce that rule — but Ledger followed it anyway. “I wasn’t there to remind him. So he did that on his own, and I’m grateful that he did,” Brooke said.

Ledger now keeps his damaged helmet as a reminder of how close he came to losing his life.

“I kept it to remember how lucky I am,” Ledger said. “Without this, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.

The experience left a lasting impression on the teenager, who hopes other young riders will make the same choice he did. “Makes you realize how lucky you are. That some kids didn’t make the choice to wear the helmet and it turned out really bad for them,” Ledger said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSTU 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 Sahana Patel

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    MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (KIVI) — Mental health resources are limited in rural communities like Mountain Home, but one counselor is offering therapy far from a traditional office.

Alexandra Yewcic, a former Air Force member, opened Healing Hearts in April after struggling to find the kind of care she needed herself.

Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare reports that every county in the state is facing a shortage of mental health professionals. Yewcic hopes to offer a more personal approach, particularly for Mountain Home’s military community.

“I was being seen, and it just did not feel personal at all,” Yewcic said. “I did not like how I was treated.”

The equine therapy practice partners with her horse rescue, Chasing Chances Rescue. Clients can step outside to spend time with horses, allowing them to relax and open up in a different environment.

“Letting them know that horses have gone through traumatic stuff as well and they’ve learned to re-trust people again, so that people can learn to re-trust some people,” Yewcic said.

Sisters Kaidyn and Khilynne Uelman said they never felt comfortable with traditional therapy. For Kaidyn, the outdoor setting made a difference.

“It just feels more open, being like out here and talking about things instead of being closed off,” Kaidyn Uelman said.

“I don’t like talking to people, but with Alex, I like talking to her. She’s open and actually listens,” Khilynne Uelman said.

Yewcic said horses are incredibly intuitive, often responding to a person’s body language, facial expressions, and emotions.

“Horses are just amazing, they just know how we feel before we even realize that’s how we’re feeling,” Yewcic said.

For Kaidyn, that connection is what makes equine therapy so meaningful.

“Most of them are shy, and kind of don’t like people, and I’m like that,” Kaidyn said.

Yewcic said Healing Hearts accepts several of the insurance plans most commonly used in Mountain Home, including Medicaid, Tricare and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, 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 Micah Smith

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    DENVER (KMGH) — As Denver prepares to host one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the U.S., food vendors will be a big part of the weekend festivities.

Juneteenth is a celebration of June 19, 1865, the day Union Army troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed enslaved African Americans that they were finally free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

“Enslaved people had heard about the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War. The big factor is that the Union army arrived and could enforce their freedom,” said Adrian Miller, a culinary historian popularly known as The Soul Food Scholar. “Some people did escape, and they managed to make it past Union lines, but most people were still stuck on those plantations, and so it was a cause of jubilation. And right after that, you know, people gravitated to cities and celebrated.”

Miller said these celebrations were called emancipation celebrations.

“Juneteenth is one of those. So, the early celebrations were a mix of reverence, usually hosted by a church, so there would be sermons, there would be prominent citizens brought in,” Miller said. “There was a time for enslaved people in that community to actually talk about what they went through, so people would never forget. And then you got to the party, so the parties would have certain foods. It’s a mix of their West African heritage, European influences, and also the Indigenous culture, all coming together. So, you see this playing out through food.”

He said barbecue was especially important.

“Juneteenth is a summer holiday in Texas. So, what are people going to be eating in Texas in June? And so, over time, a Juneteenth trinity does emerge. So, you’ve got barbecue, usually pork spare ribs, brisket, chicken, and then sausages. In the Black community, we have a coarsely ground spicy sausage, we call hot links,” Miller said.

He said traditional foods associated with Juneteenth share one quality: the color red.

“The belief was that the color red symbolizes the blood shed by enslaved Africans, and so that becomes the symbolic food of Juneteenth,” Miller said. “But over time, people have started embracing other red foods. So, red velvet cake is now a popular dessert on Juneteenth.”

Miller said through his research he uncovered newspaper stories and oral histories repeatedly mentioning red foods.

Even though Denver’s Juneteenth festival has grown tremendously through the decades, Miller said the city’s emancipation celebration was initially recognized on a different date.

“We actually celebrated emancipation on Sept. 22 and the reason why we did that is that’s the anniversary of when President Abraham Lincoln gave the nation a heads up that the Emancipation Proclamation was coming, so it was, like, a 90-day heads up,” he explained. “In Colorado, we were celebrating that — that was our emancipation tradition,” Miller said. “It started shifting in the 1960s or so, and it’s because all these Texans started showing up in Colorado, and I have to say, Texans are the biggest cheerleaders for their culture. And so they got here, and they said ‘Hey, y’all don’t have Juneteenth. Well, we’re going to start it.’ So, 1950s (and) 60s, Juneteenth starts to gain momentum here.”

Miller said Denver’s Juneteenth celebration remains strong because of what it represents.

“When I do a presentation on Juneteenth, I just say it’s the latest word on freedom, because we’re not fully free yet, so it’s reminder that freedom is fleeting, and we have to continue to work on it to make sure we have the freedoms that are guaranteed under the Constitution, politically, socially, economically, and then also that we feel that we’re part of this nation, truly part of this nation,” Miller said.

Denver’s 2026 Juneteenth celebration will be held Friday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21 along Denver’s Welton Street corridor.

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 Paul Drewes

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — More than just big surf has been hitting our shores, so have contaminants from raw sewage.

At the beach, you may pay attention to the conditions on the water like the surf or the wind, but do you think about the conditions in the water?

“I don’t see pollution. I know Hawaii is really good about being environmentally respectful and conscious. So we don’t see any garbage in the water at all,” said Dreeny Chen, who is visiting from Texas.

But what you can’t see, can be a problem.

“What we look for is Enterococcus, which is a fecal indicator bacteria,” said Arleen Velasco, the Co-coordinator for Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force.

If enterococcus is found, that is an indication that dangerous, disease-causing pathogens are also present in the water from raw sewage.

Which is why the state and the Surfrider Foundation routinely test various beaches.

Many routinely have high levels of the bacteria.

“Levels over 130 are considered bad. We tested two beaches this last time and the test said over 24,000,” added Velasco.

Those two beaches on East Oahu, were just some of the 7 out of 14 sites that failed to meet recreational health standards during testing this weekend.

Waterways carry down this raw sewage to the ocean, so proximity to river mouths make a difference in levels.

The area around the Ala Moana canoe ramp tested high, but just offshore at Ala Moana Bowls, the levels were low at the surf break.

“Winds affect the currents. So if you have strong winds, you can have stronger currents, and that just allows for better flush of bacteria,” stated Velasco.

Big surf, can also mix up the higher levels of contaminants in the water.

“It also tends to churn up more with those big swells. So yesterday, the surfers called it a little bit more itchy, but today seems to be a lot better,” said Haleiwa resident Lindsay McGill.

She spends a lot of time at the ocean, including watching her son surf and pays attention to water conditions — including cleanliness of the ocean.

“I know a lot of people in my community are definitely concerned about it,” added McGill.

That is also the case for Chen, who is visiting from Dallas with her family. Her daughters love spending time at beaches.

“So I kind of do my research before we go out. I try to look at the beach bacteria content. My kids, I’ve done that since they were little, because they had eczema. And I know that you can get bacterial infections if you have open wounds,” added Chen.

But for those who do not look ahead of time, signs are not posted at Oahu beaches when they are contaminated, and people are not kept out of the water.

While the Surfrider website shows the seven beaches that failed this weekend’s testing, the state’s Clean Water Branch only listed a Brown Water Advisory on Oahu’s North Shore.

“Honestly, the sites are kind of all over the place. I’m just being honest. For Oahu, in general, there was just maybe a few places that were monitored,” added Chen.

Some feel the state should do more testing and notification, so everyone knows about the conditions of our waters.

“It should be a high priority. It’s our tourism industry, it’s our health, it’s the health of this island for our future generations, it’s a big deal,” added Velasco.

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 Jacob Murphy

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — An investigation is underway after a fight inside Milwaukee’s popular Walgreens on Brady Street.

Police say it happened early Saturday, June 13.

A video posted on Facebook shows multiple individuals crowded inside the Walgreens, appearing to be fighting and throwing items on the shelves. Two individuals wearing security vests were also inside the store at the time and were seen in the video attempting to separate those fighting.

Warsame Youb works across the street and says fights like this have become a common theme at the Walgreens.

“It’s fights almost every single day,” Youb said. “Never go there, it’s not even safe for people, especially when you close, when people close the bars.”

According to police, a 25-year-old woman was taken into custody. Officials say the circumstances that led up to the incident are under investigation.

Potential charges will be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

Natalie Esparza lives a block away from the Walgreens and sometimes can’t avoid it due to a lack of parking.

“It is one where you are just a little bit more on your toes, and there’s always something happening because it’s on a corner,” Esparza said. “I haven’t had the best experiences there as a woman.”

Esparza says the Walgreens has gained a reputation, and fights like this one happen often.

“Based on the fact that there’s altercations there and there’s a lot of things that raise tension over there, I think it would be nice to have some security there just on a consistent basis so everyone can go there that wants to go there,” Esparza 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 Meredith Hackler

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    MADISON Wisconsin (WDJT) — Inside the Wisconsin state capitol, the entire month of June, there will be photos of Wisconsin children lost to gun violence.

It serves as a powerful reminder of the human toll. The senator who began displaying these pictures in the Capitol rotunda State Sen. LaTonya Johnson started doing so in 2023. The state senator from Milwaukee says each year the memorial grows, despite her efforts to pass gun reform which she feels will solve the issues of gun violence across the state.

According to the Wisconsin Anti Violence Effort, 87% of Wisconsinites including 83% of republicans support universal background checks. Senator Johnson says the legislation she keeps bringing forward continues to fail in the legislature.

“If we are not going to do legislation to prevent their deaths then we are going to make it uncomfortable for people to walk past these children and not acknowledge the fact that they were here and they mattered,” Johnson said.

Wisconsin law currently allows private gun sales without background checks, which gun safety advocates say is leading to gun getting the wrong hands.

“Gun violence is the leading cause of death for kids and teens in this country and in this state,” Nick Matuszewski the executive director of the WAVE Educational Fund said.

Another concern for this organization and others is the planned closure of the State Office of Violence Prevention.

The office was created by executive action in January 2025 and is expected to shut down when its funding runs out at the end of this year. A closure that these advocates worry will make gun violence worse in the state.

“These are programs where you work with individuals that are most at risk of being both perpetrators and victims of gun violence and ensure that they are given everything they need to break out of these cycles of violence that they have been trapped in,” Matuszewski said.

As the names and faces of the display and the capitol grow year over year leadership at the capitol is set to change too. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is retiring, and Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu is not seeking re-election.

Democrats are hopeful they can gain the majority in the senate and potentially the assembly. If they do, they are hopefully that new leadership can mean a change in the way the legislature handles its response to gun safety.

“Making sure that people have legal purchases only protects everyone involved because no one wants to lose a life due to senseless gun violence,” Senator Johnson said.

Another law these advocates would like passed is an Extreme risk law. According to WAVE, extreme risk laws allow families and law enforcement officers to ask a judge for an extreme risk protection order (ERPO). An ERPO can temporarily prohibit someone from purchasing or possessing a gun, if they are at imminent risk of harming themselves or others.

A Marquette Law School poll from March of 2025 found 85% of Wisconsinites want extreme risk laws, including 79% of Republicans and 98% of Democrats.

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 Gant

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — Kansas City, Missouri police searched a home Thursday morning in the area of 16th Street and Kensington in connection with a man wanted in a string of shootings across Kansas City.

Police have issued a regional manhunt for Oscar Sanchez-Munoz. They believe he shot at several eastbound vehicles between 6 and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

One person died and four others survived.

The violence stretched from Interstate 670 near Wyoming Street to Interstate 70 near The Paseo and Prospect Avenue, then ended near Truman Road and Hardesty Avenue.

According to police, one victim crashed near Truman Road and Bennington Avenue after being shot and later died at the hospital.

Police said they have a warrant to search the home at the home at 16th and Kensington. They said they used extreme caution in case Sanchez-Munoz was hiding inside. Officers also closed roads in the area around that house as an added safety precaution while they searched.

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas spoke at a press conference on Wednesday night.

“We are hot on the trail of the subject and want to make sure he’s taken into custody as soon as possible,” Graves said Wednesday evening.

Local, state, and federal agencies have joined the search. Graves said investigators believe Sanchez-Munoz is likely hiding and urged the public to help locate him.

Authorities traced the investigation to a house in the 700 block of Brookside Avenue in Independence, where police stayed throughout Wednesday.

A standoff that started Tuesday night turned into a large crime scene.

Police surrounded the house after linking it to the case. Hours later, a fire started inside. Firefighters arrived around 12:44 a.m. Wednesday and put out the fire.

By Wednesday afternoon, detectives were still gathering evidence. Investigators carried bags from the house while officers kept the street closed.

Police said Sanchez-Munoz is considered armed and dangerous.

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 Krista Tatschl

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KMBC) — Katie Nold-McKinney gently twists a black wedding band in tiny circles on a silver chain that drapes down her neck.

“This is Dustin’s wedding band. It was with his things that we were able to get back from the drop zone,” she says.

Her love of over 25 years, 44-year-old Dustin McKinney of Stilwell, Kansas, perished in Sunday’s plane crash in Butler, Missouri.

She says, “I was sharing with others that I didn’t always wear a wedding ring, and he’d say, ‘See? I love you the most.'”

Katie and Dustin have two children, ages 9 and 11, who are trying to navigate their new reality without their dad.

Nold-McKinney says, “There’s a lot of processing going on. My son, he’s a very sensitive soul. He’s just so much like his dad. He just pleaded that, ‘Let him just be in the hospital. Let it not be true. Let it be a lie.’ He’s coming to terms with it, but it was really horrific to see.”

McKinney, a drummer and tech aficionado, was passionate about everything. He was a true student of life.

His wife offers, “Skydiving became his way of staying on that path of sobriety to just embrace it, and he did. He didn’t have any support groups. It was just his skydiving community. He was a part of skydiver supporting sobriety and had a lot of other friends that he found that had also found sobriety and skydiving.”

“He would say, ‘I just need an air bath.'”

He was the videographer for SkyDive KC at the time of his death. Filming the jumps was why he was on the fated flight that crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 12 on board.

“I’ve had folks say, ‘Dustin died doing what he loved.’ For me, as his wife and mother of his kids, he loved skydiving and he loved his friends, but he loved his family at a level that is just indescribable,” she says.

In the coming days, Nold-McKinney says she will take her healing moment by moment, buoyed by the love of her family and closest friends.

“I got up and took a shower and put on some makeup today,” she says.

“Just trying to take care of myself. I just want to look nice for my husband.”

A GoFundMe has been set up for the 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.