Category: CNN Regional

By Erin Lowrey

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    NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — A significant watermain break is still gushing water Friday morning after it was first reported in Uptown New Orleans Thursday afternoon.

The watermain break happened at the intersection of Audubon and Willow Streets.

The 36-inch watermain that broke is suspected to be around 80 years old.

According to Deputy CAO of Infrastructure Steve Nelson, the valve to the watermain break is broken, which is preventing them from being able to turn off the water.

Nelson said the water that is gushing from the street will continue to flow while they scramble to install a temporary valve to shut off the water.

According to an update by New Orleans City Councilwoman Aimee McCarron, the part for the temporary shut-off valve is expected to come in either tonight, or sometime Saturday.

Thursday night, a SWBNO contractor installed two pumps to pump water out of the area.

Crews continue to pump water to discharge at Jeannette and Audubon & at Broadway and Willow intersections.

While crews continue to pump water out of the area, please be aware of the below street closures:

Local traffic access will be limited:

Tulane officials tell WDSU that the water main break will not impact the ongoing Book Festival or the baseball games scheduled for this weekend.

At this time a boil water advisory has not been issued because Nelson said water pressure levels are holding steady.

This comes after a massive watermain was just replaced on Panola Street.

This is the sixth watermain break in Uptown this year.

WDSU has reached out to the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board for information on the leak.

The utility posted on X, that they are aware of the break and have crews “en route.”

McCarron said the leak has been reported for month, and issued the following statement:

“We have reported this to the Sewerage and Water Board and will continue to follow up. My office has been reporting gushing water a block away for months, which was never addressed. This is a clear consequence of ignoring these reports.”

Tracking the leaks: Crews have placed new pipe in the ground on Panola Street as work continues to repair the major water main break that triggered a boil water advisory earlier this week.

While progress is being made there, concerns are growing about other leaks across New Orleans that residents say have been reported for months and sometimes years.

WDSU Investigates has been following several of those locations and reviewing the Sewerage and Water Board’s public work order dashboard to see how widespread the issue may be.

During a recent City Council meeting, members pressed Sewerage and Water Board officials about aging infrastructure and the growing number of leaks reported across the city. Council members asked the agency to provide a comprehensive list of problem areas and a clearer plan for how those issues will be addressed.

Councilmember Lesli Harris told WDSU that the lack of a clear roadmap is why she and Councilmember Jason Hughes are writing a letter to the Sewerage and Water Board demanding both a list of problem locations and a plan for how the agency intends to fix them.

“The fact that they don’t have a comprehensive list and do not have a comprehensive plan is troubling to me,” Harris said.

Sewerage and Water Board officials said leaks reported through the city’s system are inspected and prioritized before a work order is created.

The public work order search database currently shows 1,740 water-related work orders across New Orleans. Residents can search the system to see whether a leak reported in their neighborhood is listed.

According to the dashboard, more than 140 of those reports involve water main leaks, including at least one in Uptown that has remained on the list since April of last year.

WDSU also visited several locations where residents say leaks have persisted.

At Willow and Calhoun, water continues to flow from a hole more than a foot deep. Neighbors told WDSU the problem has been ongoing for months.

At Cartier and Fillmore, residents say water ran down the street for more than two years before crews eventually shut it off following repeated complaints and multiple WDSU Road Patrol reports.

Now the street remains torn open with pipes exposed beneath boards and Sewerage and Water Board cones.

“They did turn off the water. And then the holes began to be just larger and larger,” one resident said. When asked when repairs might be completed, the neighbor replied, “Heaven knows when.”

Frustration from residents has grown as they say calls to report leaks often go unanswered.

“Well, I guess you get on camera with the news and say, ‘Come fix it,'” said one resident.

Meanwhile, crews continue working at the Panola site where the major break occurred earlier this week.

Sewerage and Water Board leaders say they understand the frustration but point to financial limitations as a major challenge.

“Sewerage and Water Board is not satisfied until we’re able to say to you when you say there’s a leak, we’ll be there that afternoon,” said the agency’s director, Randy Hayman. “But because of the financial constraints that we have, we’re not able to do that.”

The director also said the agency maintains a master list of reported leaks through its work order system and that repairs are prioritized based on inspections and available resources. City leaders say they will continue pushing for answers as residents wait to see how quickly repairs move forward across the city.

WDSU will continue following the leaks and reporting on how the city responds to these problem areas.

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 Sloan

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — The Big 12 Conference will finish its men’s basketball tournament on a traditional hardwood court after players and coaches raised concerns about the league’s new glass playing surface during games this week.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark announced the change Thursday following conversations with the coaches of the four semifinal teams – Arizona, Houston, Iowa State and Kansas.

The tournament had been played on a high-tech LED glass court at the T-Mobile Center, a surface designed to display graphics and animations during games.

“After consultation with the coaches of our four Semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the Tournament,” Yormark said in a statement. “We look forward to a great Semifinals and Championship Game.”

The decision comes after several players said the court felt different than traditional hardwood.

“The floor is slippery,” said Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. “I didn’t want to, you know, fully, fully run, but you know, we’ve played on it so I didn’t think about it. … I had to keep getting grip for my shoes, and I don’t really be having grip for my shoes. I don’t really do that.”

“I didn’t notice us slipping as much. I personally didn’t think it was as big a deal,” said Bill Self, Kansas head basketball coach. “But if you study it, and watch the games throughout the day, and maybe even some tonight, it seemed like to me there was a lot of steps that end up sliding 1 or 2 inches that just didn’t look quite as clean.”

Concerns intensified Thursday when Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson slipped late in the Red Raiders’ quarterfinal loss to Iowa State.

Players from multiple teams had mentioned slipping or adjusting footwear during the tournament, though slips can happen on any basketball court surface.

The Big 12 introduced the glass floor with significant fanfare ahead of the tournaments in Kansas City.

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 Zoe Blair

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    ANNISTON, Alabama (WVTM) — An Anniston High School student is facing punishment and possible truancy charges after missing school due to a high-risk pregnancy, despite having doctor’s notes to excuse her absences.

Arinthia Brown, the mother of the student, A’miracle, has a folder full of doctors’ notes excusing her daughter’s absences over the past couple of months as she recovered from her pregnancy. However, the school has marked those days as unexcused.

“I have all the doctor’s notes. Everything that I can tell you I’m having a problem with, I have it here in black and white,” Brown said.

A’miracle, Brown’s 16-year-old daughter, was put on bed rest on Jan. 6 and did not return to school until this week. Brown has doctor’s notes for every day A’miracle missed, but the school has refused to accept them.

“They wouldn’t accept this one, she wrote a note on this one saying she couldn’t accept it and that’s why I say when you go to the office and talk to them about the attendance, that’s the first thing they’ll tell you, ‘well I don’t have a doctor’s note for that, you have to go get one,'” Brown said.

Brown is confused about why the excuses are being rejected, stating, “Alabama state law says they have to have a necessary reason to be out of school. Her at her doctor’s appointments is a necessary reason.”

Attempts to get answers from the Anniston City Schools Board of Education led to Anniston High School Principal Phillip Posey, who said he could not discuss student matters but emphasized that the school follows the established code of conduct for attendance policies. This code outlines what constitutes an excused absence, emphasizing the need for a doctor’s note, which Brown insists her notes meet.

“It has a signature on here which says that you logged her as excused, but if you look at her record it says unexcused absence,” Brown said.

Brown is concerned about the impact on her daughter’s future, saying, “That’s not going to look good. If you’re going to try to get a job and your records say that you missed this many days, I’m not going to be eager to hire you for my job.”

Brown hopes the issue can be resolved so A’miracle can focus on attending school, being a good mother and graduating.

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 Zach Rainey & Chloe McCoy

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    NEWBERRY, South Carolina (WYFF) — A stolen dump truck led to a multi-county pursuit Thursday morning in South Carolina.

Around 9:30 a.m., law enforcement in Laurens County initiated a pursuit near Torrington Road and U.S. Highway 76 after locating a dump truck that had reportedly been stolen out of Anderson County.

The pursuit continued from Laurens County into Newberry County as deputies coordinated across jurisdictions.

Deputies with the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office used tire deflation devices during the pursuit.

According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect deliberately drove the dump truck toward a deputy, who was deploying traffic spikes and subsequently attempted to ram multiple patrol vehicles. The suspect also attempted to strike several civilian vehicles in an effort to evade the law.

The pursuit continued through the city of Newberry, where officers with the Newberry Police Department worked to clear intersections to reduce risk to the public.

Deputies said traffic spikes caused the truck’s front tires to deflate and shred. The suspect then allegedly attempted to use the disintegrating tire material to damage pursuing patrol vehicles and continue fleeing.

The chase finally ended when the truck traveled off the roadway, across the front lawn of Pioneer Frozen Foods, and became stuck. Deputies quickly took control of the scene and detained the suspect.

The suspect, identified as Kevin Michael Riley of Honea Path, was arrested and charged in Newberry County with two counts of attempted murder, failure to stop for law enforcement, malicious injury and possession of a stolen vehicle. Additional charges are pending in Anderson and Laurens counties.

This investigation is ongoing. No other details have been released at this time.

Keep up with what’s happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said, “This incident demonstrates the outstanding coordination and professionalism of our Communications Division and the strong partnership between law enforcement agencies across multiple jurisdictions. Their teamwork helped bring a very dangerous situation to a safe conclusion and prevented serious harm to our community.”

Sheriff Foster said the South Carolina Department of Transportation and Prosperity Fire Department cleaned up the roadway and removed debris to restore safe travel conditions after the chase.

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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 Graham Cawthon

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    HINESVILLE, Georgia (WJCL) — Multiple students are facing charges — including one charged with a felony — after a fight at Bradwell Institute earlier this month that left several students injured, according to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.

WJCL 22 News obtained video from inside the school showing a school resource officer moving toward a fight with a Taser drawn.

Fights broke out during school day The incident happened March 4, when a large crowd of students filled a hallway as multiple fights broke out, deputies said.

According to a newly-released sheriff’s office report, a deputy saw four students fighting in the school’s main common area shortly before 11:30 a.m. The report says the deputy ordered students to back away and attempted several times to fire his Taser, but it did not deploy.

Investigators said the deputy then tried to physically separate two students who were exchanging punches, but dozens of students crowded around, making it difficult to control the situation.

During the commotion, the report says, another fight broke out nearby. After issuing verbal commands to stop fighting, the deputy deployed pepper spray to break up the second fight.

Because of the crowd, multiple nearby students were also exposed to the spray and later received decontamination treatment from EMS and the school nurse, the report said.

Deputies said multiple students were injured during the fights. One student was hospitalized and diagnosed with a concussion after their head was stomped on, according to the report.

Investigators said four students are facing multiple charges. One student is charged with making terroristic threats, a felony, after allegedly making repeated threats while being escorted to the front office, according to the report.

Another student is facing an aggravated assault charge, investigators said.

All four students were referred to the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice as the investigation continues, authorities 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 Beret Leone

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — The hit HBO Max series “The Pitt” is getting buzz for how real it feels, and there’s a Minnesota doctor making sure it stays that way.

Dr. Jacob Lentz is an ER physician at M Health Fairview Lakes in Wyoming, Minnesota.

“They really care to get things right, and so there’s a lot of doctors and nurses in the mix making sure that things are as accurate as possible,” Lentz said.

Lentz is one of them, serving as a technical consultant for the show. That gig is on top of his work as a physician, splitting his time between Southern California and Minnesota.

If you aren’t familiar with the medical drama, it takes place in Pittsburgh and follows an emergency department through a 12-hour shift. It has all the things fans are looking for in a medical drama: high stakes, great characters and medical “realness.”

“I continued to work full-time while consulting a bit. Most of last season or season two, I would like wrap up, like on a Friday, and they’re like, ‘Alright, we’re wrapped,’ and I was I like, ‘Cool, I’m going to go to work now,'” he said.

As a technical consultant, Lentz reviews each script, often writing 20 to 25 pages of detailed medical notes for a 70-page episode.

He outlines everything from what a wound should look like to which staff members would realistically be in the room, what should appear on patient monitors and how a scene should be choreographed. Then he’s on set, answering questions and ensuring accuracy.

“I’m there to sort of make sure that things look realistic and that everyone’s saying the words the right way and people are kind of like reacting the right way,” he said.

It’s no doubt a grind. He jumps from set to an overnight shift in the ER, but it’s a grind that Lentz calls a privilege. Medicine was a career he sought out later in life. He never thought it would bring him back to television.

“I really did not, yeah, so I think it’s been a pleasant surprise,” he said.

After college, the Mahtomedi, Minnesota, native moved to Los Angeles to become a television writer. He worked for shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” until he had the urge to do something different. He went to medical school, started his residency in Minnesota in 2019 and somehow ended up doing both years later.

“I will confess, like I felt, still feel pressure because I don’t, I want to, like, represent our field, and do, you know, make sure we’re doing things the right way and so on,” he said. “So it’s been really gratifying, you know, like to see that they actually did pull it off.”

He credits the show’s makeup, props and wardrobe teams for bringing authenticity to life, even when they’re recreating injuries most people have never seen.

“They’ll say, ‘You wrote that this wound is oozing, what does that mean?'” Lentz said. “They just want to get it right.”

The series is created by Scott Gemmill, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer, and it’s executive produced by former “ER” showrunner John Wells and “The Pitt” star Noah Wyle — who also played Dr. John Carter on “ER.”

Lentz described Wyle as earnest and deeply committed to portraying health care workers accurately.

“He needs very little coaching,” Lentz said. “He’ll ask one question, and then he’s got it. He works really hard.”

The show’s been renewed for a third season. Don’t bother asking Lentz for any spoilers.

“Um, no, because I like having a job,” he said.

While he didn’t want to give away any upcoming show secrets, Lentz did say “The Pitt” fans can expect some really good medical cases, great acting, amazing props and make-up work.

New episodes come out on Thursday nights. The season two finale airs April 16. There’s no word yet on when season three will air.

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 Allison Petro

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    ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Florida (WESH) — Two teenage girls accused of plotting to murder a fellow student at a Seminole County school were heard laughing in the back of a patrol car while being taken into custody.

The suspects, Lois Lippert, 14, and Isabelle Valdez, 15—who is transgender and goes by Jimmy—are best friends from Lake Brantley High School, according to the arrest report.

Officials said the pair believed the boy they were plotting to kill resembled the killer from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The two thought that by killing their classmate, they could somehow bring the shooter back to life. However, the plan failed after another classmate tipped off authorities.

They’re accused of bringing a knife to Lake Brantley High in January, along with flowers, candy, and cigarettes, as part of a ritual to carry out the plot.

In the video released by officials, the two girls are heard discussing their makeup to look good for their mugshots.

They are also heard cheering after finding out they were going to the same jail.

“Are we going to be in the same one?” Isabelle Valdez asked an officer.

“Yeah,” the officer responded.

Valdez replied, “Yay!” followed by laughter.

The other suspect, Lippert, is then heard expressing regret over not visiting a psychiatrist to obtain a diagnosis. In the video, she explains that having a diagnosis would have given her something to “clean up.”

During a court hearing on Wednesday, a judge ruled that the teens be held without bond. Both teens are also being charged as adults.

“I certainly understand that parents want their children home, but this is not the case,” assistant state attorney Domenick Leo 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 Carson Zorn & Edward Franco

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    FORT MYERS, Florida (WBBH) — A Fort Myers father was arrested on Wednesday after he was accused of giving his child acid.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call at around 4:45 a.m. of a disoriented 13-year-old boy found wearing only a T-shirt and underwear lying in a Fort Myers grocery store parking lot near Fiddlesticks Boulevard and Daniels Parkway.

The child was transported to Golisano Children’s Hospital, where they told deputies their father had given them acid.

Deputies began to investigate and spoke to other children who told deputies their father would pressure them into using narcotics and would provide them with drugs, LCSO said.

According to the arrest report, Rivenburg’s other children informed investigators that he advised them to try drugs with him because he “knows what he was doing.”

“I’m just appalled. I just can’t believe that a parent would be that uncaring,” Kimberly Hunnel said.

Deputies located the father, Jeffrey Rivenburgh, 38, at the La Quinta Inn on Marketplace Road. According to LCSO, in the hotel room, deputies discovered fentanyl, LSD, cocaine and marijuana.

Mike Hunnel said, “Oh, it’s a terrible thing to hear anything like that. It’s a tragedy.”

According to LCSO, Rivenburgh was intoxicated when arrested and faces charges of two counts of child neglect without causing great bodily harm, trafficking fentanyl, trafficking LSD, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana.

Deborah Comella, executive director of Drug Free Lee, emphasized the importance of communication between parents and children to prevent drug use, noting that early drug use can severely impact a child’s development.

“In many cases, the part of the brain that’s affected is impulse control. So it’s really important that we draw a firewall between ourselves and drugs and alcohol,” Comella said. “We do that by talking to our kids. We tell them we love them. We tell them what to do in case of an emergency, in case someone offers.”

Deputies say the 13-year-old is expected to recover.

LCSO said Rivenburgh has been booked more than 30 times for a variety of charges, including multiple drug offenses.

Rivenburg was taken to the Lee County Jail.

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.