Category: CNN Regional

By Dean Fioresi

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    California (KCAL, KCBS) — Six people were arrested over the weekend for allegedly trying to fly a banner from the Hollywood Sign, police said.

In a post on Instagram, Los Angeles Police Department officers from the Hollywood station said that the suspects “trespassed all the way up to the Hollywood Sign,” where they tried to hang a banner from the second “O.”

It’s unclear exactly what message the banner was attempting to portray.

Police, working with L.A. City Park Rangers arrived at the area and took all six of the suspects into custody without further incident. They didn’t note what charges they may face.

The social media post showed an image taken from an aerial angle, with the suspects gathered around the base of the sign as they tried to hang the banner. More images also showed the suspects kneeling as they were placed in handcuffs, with the Hollywood Sign in the background.

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By Joan Murray

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    WILTON MANORS, Florida (WFOR) — A trained MMA fighter said he relied on his skills — and faith — when a stranger broke into his family’s South Florida home last week.

It happened last Saturday, Sept. 27, in Wilton Manors, just north of Fort Lauderdale.

“I’m prepared. It’s not my first time; I don’t feel pain,” said Henny, the mixed martial artist who subdued the intruder.

Henny said his nephew woke him frantically that morning, warning that a man was inside their living room.

“I don’t have guns; I wasn’t looking for a knife — just God and my hands, that’s it,” he said.

The accused intruder, identified as Austin Carasani, appeared before a judge just hours later with visible injuries. Carasani’s face was black and blue from the encounter.

Carasani told Wilton Manors police he had been drinking at a local club and “was attempting to go to his friend Paul’s house who resides in the area.”

Henny’s sister, Patrizia Rojas, and her husband were in Miami when they got a panicked call from their teenage son about the break-in.

“He was screaming, ‘Mom, call police, someone has broken into the house,'” Rojas recalled.

Neighbor Andreas Gomez described what he saw: “The guy was freezing and they started punching him in the face.”

As of Tuesday, Carasani remained in Broward jail on a $20,000 bond. No one answered at his Deerfield Beach address.

Henny said he has no regrets about how he handled the situation.

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By Kayla Moeller

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    YUBA COUNTY, California (KMAX, KOVR) — The Yuba County District Attorney’s Office held an emotional and tense press conference on Tuesday, sharing body cam footage from the moments leading up to Marysville Police Officer Osmar Rodarte’s death six months ago.

Rodarte was shot and killed on Kestrel Court in Olivehurst during a transnational drug trafficking bust in March. He was the first Marysville officer killed in the line of duty in more than a hundred years.

“Osmar is a hero. His last act was doing the right thing, protecting his buddy,” Marysville Mayor Chris Branscum said.

In the body cam footage, you can hear Rodarte calling out to his fellow officer as he goes to cover an open area of the room where they found drug trafficker Rick Oliver hiding out. Moments later, gunfire erupted.

“I got your back” was one of the last things Rodarte said before he was killed.

“Officer Rodarte spun around right where he was. Sgt. Trumm stepped to the left and Sgt. Trumm, when he was interviewed, said he saw the flash from Oliver’s firearm before he fired,” District Attorney Clint Curry said.

Oliver’s autopsy report shows that at the time of the incident, he was extremely high on methamphetamine. So high, Curry said Oliver initially thought it was a typo when he read the numbers.

“More than I’ve ever seen in my career on someone that’s not already dead from methamphetamine intoxication,” Curry said.

The investigation found that 10 shots were fired between the two officers. Oliver was struck seven times and died within seconds.

Curry said that Oliver fired a single round, which hit just below Rodarte’s vest, ultimately killing him.

“Osmar had a wife, two little boys, 7 and 6,” Curry said. “Obviously, he had more family than that and a law enforcement family, and there are a lot of people struggling with the should of and the could of.”

The investigation found the officers couldn’t see Oliver holding the revolver when they entered the room because he was standing behind stacked storage bins.

“The biggest takeaway [is that] Sgt. Trumm, Osmar Rodarte and their team, they did what we trained them to do that day,” Curry said. “They’re heroes.”

The investigation determined that Rodarte and Trumm acted in self-defense.

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KCNC

By Karen Morfitt

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    Colorado (KCNC) — After months of fighting, a Colorado family is breathing a sigh of relief after the FDA announced initial approval of an experimental medication helping to keep their son alive.

“Like last night, I had the idea, ‘Oh, I could watch football.’ (laughs) But I didn’t — I was too tired, ” Madison Dryden said.

After nine months of racing the clock, that kind of peace is new for the Drydens.

“I put a countdown on my watch face, and it was counting down to Nov. 4. So, each day, I’d look and say, ‘Okay, one less,'” Andy Dryden said.

They had been counting the days until the FDA decided the fate of a drug their son desperately needed to survive. Gilbert was born with Barth syndrome, a rare and often fatal mitochondrial disease.

Just days old and in heart failure, he was granted emergency access to the drug elamipretide. Without FDA approval, their supply would eventually end.

“Before it was like, ‘Okay, what are we going to do for his next round of medication?'” Andy said.

The remaining vials marked the days of stability the family had left, and the Drydens began their fight, calling lawmakers, posting online, and doing everything they could to save the drug.

“Even with all those concrete actions, it was still a feeling of, ‘Okay, we have this many days. What’s going to happen if they say no again? What’s our plan?'” Madison said, looking back on that time.

One week before the expected decision, Madison received a message.

“It kind of felt like, ‘Is this real? Is this too good to be true?'” she said.

Elamipretide was approved.

“It took a couple of days to sink in, now we are feeling really excited and hopeful about everything,” Madison added.

The approval means Gilbert and other patients in critical need can continue their treatment.

“Emotionally, I think the other thing has been gratitude — just really thankful for everyone that showed up for us,” she said.

With time now on their side, the Drydens are beginning to imagine life without the constant pressure.

“I’m anticipating that I’ll start to have normal thoughts again, and I’m looking forward to that,” Andy said.

Madison believes their case proves one thing clearly: the FDA can move quickly when time matters.

“This shows that it is possible for the FDA to move quickly. It shows that it is possible for the FDA to make decisions that are helpful for the treatment of kids who have very limited options and very limited life expectancy,” she said.

The director of research at the FDA, in a statement following the approval, said: “The FDA remains committed to facilitating the development of effective and safe therapies for rare diseases and will continue to work diligently to help ensure patients with rare diseases have access to innovative treatments.”

The Drydens say while they do plan to try and get some rest, they are turning their attention to advocating for other families still waiting for treatment.

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By Karen Morfitt

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    Colorado (KCNC) — After months of fighting, a Colorado family is breathing a sigh of relief after the FDA announced initial approval of an experimental medication helping to keep their son alive.

“Like last night, I had the idea, ‘Oh, I could watch football.’ (laughs) But I didn’t — I was too tired, ” Madison Dryden said.

After nine months of racing the clock, that kind of peace is new for the Drydens.

“I put a countdown on my watch face, and it was counting down to Nov. 4. So, each day, I’d look and say, ‘Okay, one less,'” Andy Dryden said.

They had been counting the days until the FDA decided the fate of a drug their son desperately needed to survive. Gilbert was born with Barth syndrome, a rare and often fatal mitochondrial disease.

Just days old and in heart failure, he was granted emergency access to the drug elamipretide. Without FDA approval, their supply would eventually end.

“Before it was like, ‘Okay, what are we going to do for his next round of medication?'” Andy said.

The remaining vials marked the days of stability the family had left, and the Drydens began their fight, calling lawmakers, posting online, and doing everything they could to save the drug.

“Even with all those concrete actions, it was still a feeling of, ‘Okay, we have this many days. What’s going to happen if they say no again? What’s our plan?'” Madison said, looking back on that time.

One week before the expected decision, Madison received a message.

“It kind of felt like, ‘Is this real? Is this too good to be true?'” she said.

Elamipretide was approved.

“It took a couple of days to sink in, now we are feeling really excited and hopeful about everything,” Madison added.

The approval means Gilbert and other patients in critical need can continue their treatment.

“Emotionally, I think the other thing has been gratitude — just really thankful for everyone that showed up for us,” she said.

With time now on their side, the Drydens are beginning to imagine life without the constant pressure.

“I’m anticipating that I’ll start to have normal thoughts again, and I’m looking forward to that,” Andy said.

Madison believes their case proves one thing clearly: the FDA can move quickly when time matters.

“This shows that it is possible for the FDA to move quickly. It shows that it is possible for the FDA to make decisions that are helpful for the treatment of kids who have very limited options and very limited life expectancy,” she said.

The director of research at the FDA, in a statement following the approval, said: “The FDA remains committed to facilitating the development of effective and safe therapies for rare diseases and will continue to work diligently to help ensure patients with rare diseases have access to innovative treatments.”

The Drydens say while they do plan to try and get some rest, they are turning their attention to advocating for other families still waiting for treatment.

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By Chris Davis

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    DICKSON, Tennessee (WTVF) — We’ve heard from so many of you about the struggles of addiction. According to recent estimates, at least 48 million Americans deal with addiction in some form.

That’s why we wanted to highlight a unique program in Dickson County — one forged by an unlikely friendship that turned into an equally unexpected partnership aimed at helping others.

Our story begins Shawn Baker never thought he’d make this walk again — into the Dickson County Jail to stand in his old jail cell.

We asked if Baker would be willing to revisit a painful chapter of his story, in the hope it might inspire others.

“It’s kind of hard to believe, it’s been 20 years,” Baker said. “Kinda sad, thinking about everybody that was in here. Some of them aren’t alive, some of them are doing life in prison.”

Back then, Baker said he was a much different person: constantly on the wrong side of the law, fueled by a debilitating drug and alcohol addiction.

“I was in bad shape. I was trouble from the word ‘go,'” Baker told us.

But it was an interaction with the Chief Jailer at the time, Tim Eads, that changed everything.

“There was a fight in the trustee room,” explained Eads. “[Baker] was minding his own business, I think he was reading a book, or at least it looked like what it was doing. This guy came over and just nailed him and Shawn got back up and just defended himself.”

Baker assumed he was about to be blamed for a fight he didn’t start and didn’t have a lot of faith in law enforcement believing his story. But much to his surprise, Eads called him into his office and told him, he believed his account of the events. “He just touched my heart,” said Eads.

“Instead of him looking at my history, he followed his instincts and followed his heart,” recounted Baker.

That really was a turning point for Baker.

He was eventually released from jail, got into treatment, started working towards sobriety and even got a job.

But to keep that job, Baker would need another favor from the Chief Jailer.

“The big ask was for Shawn to get his driver’s license reinstated,” said Eads.

“I thought about him and I said ‘He’s helped me once before, maybe he’ll do it again,'” said Baker.

Despite any reservations, Eads advocated for Baker’s license being reinstated in front of a judge.

“[The judge] kind of took a swipe at me and said, ‘If this kid fails, I’m putting you in jail, Eads,’ That’s what he said. I think he was tongue and cheeky, but knowing the judge at the time, I wouldn’t put it past him,” said Eads.

Baker then had a new beginning, a new opportunity, and quickly realized how he wanted to use it — to help others find sobriety too.

“I immediately identified a need for housing for people who were leaving treatment, that didn’t have a safe place to go,” said Baker.

There was just one problem. Baker was back living with his mother which meant he had to ask her quite the question.

“‘Can I start bringing people in here to help them get sober that are getting out of treatment for sobriety?’ And she said yes. So literally, they were there with me and my mom,” said Baker. “Yeah, that was a big ask.”

Eventually, Baker moved the operation out of his mother’s home and into a home he purchased on Freeman Avenue in Dickson.

That street name is what gave Freeman Recovery Group their official name.

Alongside his wife Tabatha, they’ve created a full service recovery system.

“We’re doing outpatient, we’re doing inpatient, we’re doing detox, we’ve opened a clinic,” explained Baker.

Freeman offers in-house counseling, group sessions and drug testing.

They also have their own crisis and consultation call center.

Baker and his team are also working to add dozens of inpatient and sober living beds throughout the Dickson County community.

“That we’ve been able to affect change in the way that we have and provide opportunity in the way that we have,” said Baker. “There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.”

Perhaps the program Baker is most excited about brings him back to his now friend Tim Eads.

Eads is now the Dickson County Sheriff and the two are partnering together to bring more addiction recovery resources inside the jail.

“If these folks can get their life back and become law abiding citizens again, then you have a safer and healthier community,” said Eads.

Baker and Eads have a vision of eventually establishing a program where inmates at the jail help build sober living and transitional housing for those after their incarceration, and those inmates could receive paychecks for their hard work.

Both men also hope to eventually hire a full time case worker, that will identify inmates ready for addiction recovery services.

The idea is, as soon as those inmates are released from incarceration, they can immediately begin their treatment services.

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By Jennifer McRae

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    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (KCNC) — A small plane crash landed in Colorado Springs early Wednesday, but everyone on board was able to walk away unharmed. According to the Colorado Springs Fire Department, the single-engine aircraft landed on Powers Boulevard just after 4 a.m.

Fire crews said all three on board were uninjured. Fuel was leaking from the plane and crews worked to stop the leak.

Traffic was impacted on Powers Boulevard and drivers were urged to take an alternate route.

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By Peyton Headlee

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    CAMERON PARK, California (KCRA) — A Cameron Park family says they are grateful for their neighbor, a firefighter, who helped them after their house caught on fire.

The fire broke out on Monday morning in the garage of Cohl Weissmann’s Cameron Park home. Weissmann said he and his brother were asleep when the fire alarm went off.

“It started smoking, like going through the hallway. I started coughing. I yelled at my brother. He got up, started running,” Wiessmann said. “We ran out and we were half awake, so we were kind of like panicking.”

But, he said, they made it outside safely with their cat. That’s when help found them.

“Luckily, there is a guy off duty that was on his way to work. He came in to, like, kind of guide us,” Weissmann said. “He was like, grab your hose. My brother ran and grabbed the hose.”

Their neighbor, Jamesley Giblin, a firefighter with Cal Fire AEU’s Ponderosa Fire Crew, was on his way to work when he noticed the smoke.

“I just saw smoke in the middle of the morning and it just kept getting thicker and thicker,” Giblin said. “I was worried about the people inside. So, I wanted to go in and check them out and make sure they’re all good.”

Giblin made sure everyone was out safely and then used the garden hose to put out the flames.

“I’m glad that hose worked and knocked it out,” he said.

Shortly after Giblin put the flames out, more crews arrived.

“It only takes about five minutes to have the full garage be covered in smoke, where you can’t see anything in the fire to move quickly. So, if he wouldn’t have knocked it down by the time the engine got there, it could have been extended into the house or could have gotten everything inside the garage,” Ty Day, Captain of the Ponderosa Fire Center, said.

The family expressed their gratitude for Giblin’s quick actions.

“God bless him. Yeah, he was a hero that day.” Weissmann said. “I’m beyond blessed.”

While the fire was contained to the garage, the family says a lot of the house has smoke damage. It’s still unclear what caused the fire.

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