Jackson County DA pushes back in Nolan Wells death probe as family demands answers

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Chris Oswalt

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    JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WAPT) — Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath is pushing back against criticism from attorneys representing the family of Nolan Wells, saying legal and ethical rules limit what she can publicly disclose about the ongoing investigation into the 18-year-old’s death.

In a statement released Tuesday, McIlrath said prosecutors do not have the same freedom as private individuals to discuss evidence, witness cooperation or other details tied to an active investigation.

McIlrath said she cannot publicly identify which information has been verified or deemed false, and cautioned the public against drawing conclusions based on information shared online.

“The fact that something is said does not necessarily mean it’s actually true,” McIlrath said in the statement.

Her comments come after attorneys representing Wells’ family accused the district attorney’s office of not operating in good faith as the investigation continues.

Part of the dispute centers on a forensic examination of Wells’ cellphone.

Attorneys for the family have said Wells’ parents remain willing to make the phone available for a joint forensic examination and have not refused to cooperate with investigators. The legal team has also said it wants clear procedures in place concerning the examination, chain of custody and handling of any data recovered from the device.

McIlrath said her responsibility is to protect the integrity of the investigation and the grand jury process, even amid growing public pressure for more information.

She said releasing additional details publicly could interfere with the legal process or violate her ethical obligations as a prosecutor.

“My obligation and commitment is to present the Grand Jury with all the evidence collected in this case in order for them to reach a decision based on a thorough investigation, complete evidence presentation, the actual truth, and an understanding of the law,” McIlrath said.

McIlrath also asked the public to allow investigators and prosecutors to complete their work rather than pressuring her office to release information she says cannot legally be disclosed.

She said her office intends to present the grand jury with a “thorough, complete, and fair investigation” into Wells’ death.

Wells disappeared during a July 4 boating trip to Horn Island. His body was found two days later along the shoreline.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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Community rallies after more than 40 animals rescued from Camp Taylor home

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By DeAndria Turner

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    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WLKY) — What began as a heartbreaking animal rescue in Louisville’s Camp Taylor neighborhood quickly turned into a powerful display of community support.

Louisville Metro Animal Services rescued more than 40 animals from a home on Monday after police requested assistance following a wellness check at the property late last week.

From the outside, the home showed signs of neglect. Spray paint covered the windows, and a fading rose bush sat near the front porch. But neighbors said the conditions inside were far worse than anyone could have imagined.

“It’s been bad for years,” neighbor Dom Bosco said.

Bosco said conditions appeared to worsen in recent months.

“It really took a bad turn around June when I smelled the really horrible smell that I knew wasn’t coming from our trash cans alone,” Bosco said. “My theory was that it was a dead animal under her porch.”

A wellness check brought police and firefighters to the home Thursday night. Police then contacted Louisville Metro Animal Services.

By Monday morning, rescue crews began removing dozens of animals, including dogs, cats and birds.

“I would love to say I was shocked, but I’d been hearing for weeks an innumerable amount of barking,” neighbor Cassian Glen said.

Animal services officials said the rescue was physically and emotionally exhausting.

“Our lieutenants were exhausted, and their eyes were just bloodshot from the smell, just covered in feces and everything else,” a Louisville Metro Animal Services spokesperson said. “We were ready to stop at 27, but we could still hear dogs barking, so they went back in.”

Initially, the rescue appeared likely to add even more strain to an already overcrowded shelter that has repeatedly asked the public for help.

Instead, the community responded almost immediately.

By the time Louisville Metro Animal Services returned to the shelter with the rescued animals, staff members said people were already waiting in the lobby to foster.

“They were all waiting for an animal to take home,” a spokesperson said. “Whether it was connected to this case or they simply wanted to foster, they were just coming to help. It was an incredible community response.”

Staff members stayed at the shelter until nearly 10 p.m., spending hours bathing the animals and treating them for fleas.

“Fosters came in and took exactly what we needed and did exactly what the shelter and the community needed,” the spokesperson said. “The response was very, very positive.”

Still, shelter leaders say the rescue also highlights a much larger issue.

“While a number of animals from that house are still potentially needing forever homes, there are so many other animals here that would benefit from families, too,” the spokesperson said.

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6-year-old had loaded gun on South Carolina school bus, deputies say

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Stephanie Moore

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    RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WYFF) — A mother has been arrested after authorities said her 6-year-old brought a loaded gun on a school bus in South Carolina.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said the School Resource Officer for JP Thomas Elementary School was called about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday after the gun was found.

Authorities said it was an AR Pistol with .556 rounds.

The child’s mother, Destar Hall, 35, was called to the school.

Authorities said it was discovered the firearm was not properly secured by Hall at their home, which led to her child gaining possession of the firearm.

Hall was placed under arrest and charged with unlawful conduct towards a child.

She was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

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Storm cleanup continues in Cape Elizabeth, Maine: residents have more time to get rid of debris

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Adam Bartow

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    CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (WMTW) — An intense thunderstorm last week caused a lot of damage in South Portland and Cape Elizabeth.

A 69 mph wind gust was recorded at the Portland International Jetport during the storm, and the airport lost power for hours. A wind gust of 80 mph was recorded in Cape Elizabeth and countless trees came down in that community.

Officials have said that cleanup from the storm will likely take weeks to complete.

With that in mind, Cape Elizabeth is now giving residents until Friday, Aug. 28, to get rid of brush and debris from the storm at the Transfer Station for no cost.

Free brush disposal is also available to South Portland residents only at the South Portland Transfer Station until 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, including brush, branches, logs and small stumps up to 6 inches in diameter. City officials said a resident permit is required for free disposal, and that the transfer station is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

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Student allegedly slaps teacher at Mount Tabor High School; investigation underway, officials say

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Rebecca Smith

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    WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WXII) — School officials are investigating after a student allegedly slapped a teacher at Mount Tabor High School, according to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

District officials told WXII on Monday that they were aware of the incident and that all necessary and appropriate actions would be taken.

Additional details were not immediately available.

WXII contacted the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, which said it is not investigating the incident.

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Farmworkers rally outside California winery festival, demanding $26 an hour and fair recognition

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Crystal Bermudez

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    LOMPOC, California (KSBY) — Farmworkers rallied outside a recent Central Coast wine industry celebration, calling for higher wages and greater recognition for the workers who help produce the region’s wine.

The demonstration took place outside the Wine & Fire event at 10 Ninths Winery Estate in Lompoc on Friday. Wine & Fire, a four-day festival hosted by the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance, celebrated the region’s wineries and the 25th anniversary of the Sta. Rita Hills American Viticultural Area.

Farmworkers joined Alianza Campesina, the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), and the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) for the rally.

Among them was Maria, a farmworker who asked KSBY News not to show her face or disclose her last name because of her immigration status and concerns related to her current employment at a winery in Buellton.

Maria said she earns $18 an hour harvesting grapes. She described harvest season as demanding, with some shifts beginning as early as midnight or 3 a.m. and continuing for eight hours, sometimes in cold overnight conditions.

She said rising everyday expenses have made it difficult to make ends meet on her current wage.

“No, it’s not enough,” Maria said in Spanish. “If we look at how much gas costs, everything keeps going up, but wages don’t.”

Amancio de la Cruz, who said he also works in agriculture, joined Friday’s demonstration. He said workers are pushing for a wage of $26 an hour.

De la Cruz said he believes current agricultural wages are not enough to cover workers’ expenses and that the campaign is intended to improve wages for farmworkers across the industry.

“We’re in this fight to reach the goal we want, a wage of $26 an hour,” de la Cruz said in Spanish.

Organizers said the location and timing of the demonstration were intentional.

Wine & Fire brings together wine producers and consumers for several events across the Sta. Rita Hills. Organizers of the demonstration said they wanted farmworkers’ concerns to be heard while the industry gathered to celebrate its wines and achievements.

Eric Ramirez Zepeda, a policy advocate with CAUSE, said the celebration provided an opportunity to highlight the labor behind the region’s wine industry.

Ramirez Zepeda described Wine & Fire as one of the wine industry’s biggest events of the year and said the industry’s accomplishments would not be possible without farmworker labor.

Fernando Martinez, a community organizer with MICOP in Santa Maria, said farmworkers have organized over the past several years around wages and working conditions in Santa Barbara County.

“We are here to make sure that the voices of those who are behind every bottle of wine are heard,” Martinez said.

Organizers also said the wage issue has been raised with local elected officials and that they want the conversation to continue at the Santa Barbara County level.

For Maria, the demonstration was also about reminding consumers about the people whose labor goes into the wine they drink.

“We work hard to bring you the wine that you’re drinking,” Maria said in Spanish. “We want people to take us into account as people. We’re working, and all we’re asking for is a fair wage.”

KSBY news reached out to the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance requesting a response to the farmworkers’ wage demands but did not receive a response.

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16-year-old girl, father rescued from Red River Gorge after going 34 hours without food or water

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By LEX 18 News

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    WOLFE COUNTY, Kentucky (WLEX) — A 16-year-old girl and her father are safe thanks to the work of Wolfe County Search and Rescue, Powell County Search and Rescue, and the Kentucky State Police.

At 5:31 p.m. on Monday, Wolfe County Search and Rescue began investigating the report of a missing 16-year-old girl and father. The pair had reportedly gone missing in Red River Gorge.

Searchers were only given a description of the pair’s vehicle and checked multiple parking areas.

They later learned the duo had arrived Saturday to camp along Swift Camp Creek, but the heavy rainfall caused water to rise rapidly, surrounding their campsite and sweeping away their gear and food.

The father and daughter became trapped on a piece of high ground, and the father attempted to use a rope to climb higher. Eventually though, he became so exhausted that he passed out.

The daughter allegedly sent a satellite SOS message to her best friend, who relayed the coordinates to relatives.

Upon receiving the information late Monday afternoon, search teams headed to the Rock Bridge Trailhead and found the family’s truck.

They located the father first, proceeding to find the daughter a short time later, weak and disoriented. Rescuers estimate the pair had been without food or water for 34 hours.

Rescuers guided the pair out, where they were treated by Wolfe County Ambulance Service. A Wolfe County Search and Rescue team member and his wife also provided warm, clean clothes to the pair.

Following a short time, medical staff determined the father and daughter could take themselves home.

Wolfe County Search and Rescue went on to thank the team members who assisted in the rescue and for the daughter and her friends and relatives who provided key information in the search.

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Protester escorted out, placed in handcuffs after incident at city meeting to discuss Royals downtown stadium agreement

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By JoBeth Davis

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — Tensions boiled over at the Kansas City Finance Committee Meeting Tuesday as the public met with city officials to discuss public financing of the new Kansas City Royals downtown ballpark.

Members of the public were each given two minutes to speak while the committee discussed an ordinance that, if passed, would authorize the City Manager to execute a lease, non-relocation agreement, community impact partnership agreement, and funding agreement with the Kansas City Royals for the proposed stadium near Crown Center.

During the meeting, individuals with the group Stand Up KC, part of Missouri Workers Power, were seen standing in the committee room in protest of the public financing portion of the agreement.

Video shows one individual in a red shirt shout comments about justice during the meeting. When security intervened and attempted to escort the individual out of the room, a struggle ensued.

That struggle continued into the hallway outside of the city council chamber. KMBC 9 News Reporter Krista Tatschl watched as the individual was wrestled to the ground and placed into handcuffs.

Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas exited the chambers during the struggle. Krista Tatschl caught up with him in the hallway. He told KMBC 9 News that he hoped public comment could continue and that cooler heads could prevail.

This is not the first time tempers have flared at a meeting discussing the new Kansas City Royals stadium. A meeting in July ended early after repeated disruptions.

Less than an hour later, the measure passed out of committee unanimously and will head to the full City Council on September 3.

Missouri Workers Power issued a statement shortly after the passage identifying the individual as Darrell Miller, who works at the stadium but not employed by the Royals.

“Security pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him as he told them he could not breathe. The Council continued its fast-track of an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute a lease, funding, and development agreement for a stadium at Crown Center,” a spokesperson said in the statement.

“Miller came to the hearing today, along with other Missouri Workers Power members, to speak against a deal that would commit $600 million in public money to a billionaire’s stadium while Kansas City cuts transit, schools, and housing. Instead of being heard, he was taken into custody.

“Missouri Workers Power condemns the council’s decision to move forward with public financing for the project without a public vote. When you add state incentives, the total public cost of this stadium could exceed $1.5 billion over 30 years while Kansas City faces a $100 million budget shortfall, underfunded schools, a transit system in crisis, and a housing shortage working families can’t afford.”

The group said the passage of today’s ordinance “ignores the more than 4,500 Kansas Citians who signed a citizens’ initiative petition demanding a public vote,” adding that Miller was one of the individuals who signed that petition.

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Treasury Doubles Long-Term Debt Buybacks as Yields Surge

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Tom LoBianco | Quincy News Correspondent

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    Washington (Quincy News) — The Treasury Department announced Wednesday it was doubling long-term debt buybacks from $2 billion per operation to at least $4 billion, as long-term yields have recently surged to multi-decade highs.

The announcement sent 30-year and 10-year yields lower as the market reacted to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s latest effort to steady the bond market.

Elevated inflation, uncertainty over the economic impact of the Iran war and the possibility of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve have added to upward pressure on long-term Treasury yields. Investors have also focused increasingly on the growing federal deficit and the volume of debt coming to market.

“This increase in buyback operation sizes reflects Treasury’s desire to provide greater liquidity support in longer-dated nominal sectors where there is consistent strong sponsorship from market participants, as evidenced by the significant volume of high-quality offers Treasury routinely receives in longer-dated buyback operations,” the Treasury Department said in a press statement Wednesday.

But economists and analysts tracking the latest move from the Treasury cautioned that it looked less like a structural reform which could begin addressing the nation’s still ballooning debt and deficits and more of a short-term measure to take older debt off the secondary market and increase liquidity.

The move comes as investors have grown more concerned about the size of federal deficits, heavy Treasury issuance, persistent inflation and the economic effects of the Iran war.

Shortly after the announcement, the 10-year Treasury yield fell to around 4.65%, while the 30-year yield dropped to around 5.20%. By early afternoon, the 10-year was only slightly below its pre-announcement level.

Beyond the initial market reaction, the move raised the possibility that the Treasury could more broadly deploy a form of “yield curve control,” wrote Mohamed A. El-Erian, chief economic advisor at Allianz and a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, on X.

But veteran analysts cautioned against characterizing the move as an attempt by the Treasury at quantitative easing.

“It’s just a twist, not money printing,” wrote Doug Kass, president of Seabreeze Partners Management, on X.com.

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Civil rights group calls for investigation into ‘spitting attack’ against UK employee

CNN Newsource on August 19, 2026

By Carlee Hogsten

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    LEXINGTON, Kentucky (WLEX) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling for an investigation after a University of Kentucky social work principal said she was threatened and spat on near UK’s campus last week.

CAIR, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, called on officials to investigate the attack as a hate crime in a release Wednesday.

“These disturbing incidents, which we believe are the result of growing anti-Muslim bigotry nationwide, underscore the need for law enforcement authorities to take anti-Muslim bias seriously and to investigate allegations of hate-motivated violence promptly and thoroughly,” said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor.

Hoda Shalash, who works at UK as a social work principal, wears a hijab and reported that she was walking back to her car on August 11 when a man approached her and threatened to kill her.

Shalash told LEX News on Tuesday that she has filed a police report, and that University of Kentucky Police have confirmed the man’s identity.

Original Strory:

Hoda Shalash, a University of Kentucky social work principal, said a man spat on her face, threatened to kill her and followed her near UK’s campus on Aug. 11 after she left work at UK’s Children’s Hospital.

“All of a sudden I felt spit splattered across my face, and then um what followed was words stating that’s how I feel about people like you,” Shalash said.

Shalash said the man then made what she describes as a threat.

“Saying I’ll kill you and other rhetoric that was honestly drowned out by how shocked I was at what was happening,” Shalash said.

She said she tried to walk away from the man but soon realized he was following her. A nearby construction worker stepped in to help. “He put himself kind of in a place of danger to support me and so that in itself was so uh meaningful to me,” Shalash said.

Shalash reported the incident to UK Police Department and Lexington Police. Lexington Police did not respond to a request for comment. Through a voicemail to Shalash, UKPD said they are actively working on the case.

“Just to let you know, we did confirm and figure out whose identity of this guy,” UKPD Officer Wright said on the voicemail.

In video of the incident, the man is wearing a UK Move-In Team shirt. UKPD told Shalash he is not a university employee, something that concerned her as students returned to campus.

Shalash shared her story on Facebook, where other women reached out with similar experiences.

“To hear about all of the other Muslim women that have been targeted across the country, you know, even here locally, and that that was one of the reasons why I, um, chose to share the story,” Shalash said.

Despite the incident, Shalash says the Lexington community has shown her support.

“I’ve been offered so much support, escorts to my car and things like that,” Shalash said.

UK spokesperson Jay Blanton told LEX News the university is investigating.

Shalash is also looking for the construction worker who intervened to thank him personally.

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