Category: CNN Regional

By Joseph Buczek

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    CANTON TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WWJ) — The Canton Township Clerk’s Office says more than 800 absentee ballots were left out of the township’s unofficial election night reporting totals from the August primary.

Election officials say 823 absentee ballots across 10 precincts were affected by the issue, and that those ballots were properly cast, scanned and tabulated in the Aug. 4 primary.

According to the clerk’s office, the discrepancy was caused by an issue involving the rollers on two high-speed absentee ballot scanners.

Election workers moved additional batches to a second high-speed scanner, but election officials say that system couldn’t accept two batches with identical batch names. As a result, those ballots were tabulated but not included in the election night reporting.

The issue was recently discovered during the Wayne County Board of Canvassers’ review, and all impacted ballots are included in the official results before certification next week, election officials said.

The clerk’s office is preparing equipment and procedural updates ahead of the November 2026 general election, including tabulation methods to prevent a recurrence.

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 DeJanay Booth-Singleton

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — A 13-year-old boy who was wanted by Detroit police for allegedly shooting his father on Tuesday was taken into custody in Ohio hours after fleeing.

DPD says an investigation is ongoing, and they are working with authorities in Ohio to extradite the teen back to Michigan. Police say the family dog, which the teen took with him when he fled, and another individual were also taken into custody.

No injuries were reported.

Cmdr. Dietrich Lever of DPD’s Eighth Precinct says that at about 5 p.m., officers responded to a call in the 18000 block of Bretton. A preliminary investigation revealed that the teen allegedly shot at his father twice, striking him in the back, following an “instance of discipline.”

The father’s current condition is unknown.

Police allege that after shooting his father, the teen took off in the family vehicle, a Rivian SUV, with the family dog, a French mastiff. At the time, police said the teen was last seen traveling southbound on the Southfield Freeway, heading toward Lincoln Park.

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By Jeramie Bizzle

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    CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday confirmed that they have identified 11 of the 56 bodies that were found decomposing inside a Far South Side funeral home last week.

They said that ten of the families have been notified and two of the decedents were released to funeral homes.

The bodies were recovered last Friday from the South Chicago Chapel at the corner of 95th Street and Exchange Avenue. According to the medical examiner’s office, the bodies were improperly stored at the funeral home and were in various states of decomposition at the time.

Neighbors who live near the funeral home said they’ve been smelling a foul odor prior to the discovery. One neighbor said she smelled the odor for a whole year.

Families were left shocked and distraught, leading to questions of whether their loved ones were among the bodies recovered. Some families are also questioning if the ashes they received were those of their loved ones.

According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation records, the state suspended the license of funeral director Johanna Morgan due to a finding that the facility’s “continued practice is a danger to the public safety, interest and welfare.”

Her husband, Clark Morgan, previously owned and operated Heights Crematory in Chicago Heights, which was shut down last year, accused of mishandling the bodies of people who had recently died. The crematory agreed to shut down its operations amid a probe by the Illinois State Comptroller’s office, which regulates the cremation industry.

The medical examiner’s office says the identification process could take days. They said they’re continuing the examination of these remains alongside their regular caseload and are working closely with local and state authorities to identify the decedents.

CBS News Chicago has reached out to both the funeral home and its president, but has not received a response.

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By Tammy Mutasa

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    SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A beloved Springfield, Massachusetts, zoo is closed, after significant damage from a powerful macroburst on Saturday.

Before the gates at The Zoo in Forest Park can reopen, there’s a lot of work to do to make sure it’s safe for the animals and the people who come to see them. The animals are safe, but their home took a direct hit that left parts of the zoo unrecognizable.

“It was overwhelming. It was really overwhelming,” said zoo executive director Sarah Tsitso.

Enclosures were crushed, narrowly missing animals inside. Fifty-year-old oak trees were ripped from the roots, and debris was scattered everywhere from broken tree limbs.

“To know that every single animal here not only survived but was unharmed and that’s just really remarkable,” Tsitso said.

Since Saturday’s storm, the people who care for the animals are still figuring out how to put their home back together. More than 220 rescue and rehab animals find sanctuary at the zoo, and many have been reshuffled to other parts of the zoo.

“At the end of the day, all these animals still live here and no matter what’s happened we still have to feed the animals, clean up after the animals, take care of them and make sure they’re safe and happy and healthy every day,” said Tsitso.

The Zoo in Forest Park is a seasonal nonprofit, relying on admission revenue during its limited season.

“We’re losing out on $35,000 of revenue every week that we’re closed,” said Tsitso. “So, the financial part is daunting.”

The public is already stepping up, reaching out to offer donations and help with cleanup, hoping there’s still a staple for this community to come back to.

“We were really in a bad place when this happened. You never want to see a place you love have something like this happen to it, but the one good part has really been the community rallying around us and showing their love and support for the animals and for the place that so many people come to every year,” said Tsitso.

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By Brandon Truitt, Anna Meiler

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    ACTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Police are searching for a 17-year-old boy after two members of his family were found dead in their Acton, Massachusetts, home Tuesday night.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said an adult woman and a teenage boy were found dead inside a Martha Lane home after a well-being check was requested by another member of the household.

“We have no information at this point as to the cause or the manner of death,” Ryan said at a news conference late Tuesday night.

A third member of the household, 17-year-old Arjun Aravind, is unaccounted for, along with a car owned by the adult woman who was found dead.

Police are actively looking for Arjun, who is believed to be driving that car, a 2014 green Honda Accord with Massachusetts license plate 34P-D94.

Ryan advised, “Any member of the public who either sees Arjun or the vehicle, do not approach either Arjun or the vehicle, and instead immediately call 911.”

Arjun is approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds.

Ryan said Arjun was related to the two people found dead inside the home, but more information is not being released pending family notifications.

The district attorney confirmed that a search conducted in Hudson, Massachusetts, Tuesday evening was connected to the investigation.

Residents of Acton, specifically in the area of Martha Lane, should expect to see an increased police presence as the investigation continues.

“Our thoughts are with the family. Obviously this is a tragedy for everybody involved,” Acton Police Chief Douglas Sturniolo said. “I want to let people know, if you do see something, please call us, say something.”

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By Stephanie Stahl

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    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month with a focus on recruiting more Black organ donors.

Doctors say race doesn’t matter when it comes to organ transplants, but there’s a push to get more Black donors because 70% of patients waiting for transplants in Philadelphia are Black.

One Philadelphia mom who didn’t trust organ donation changed her mind after she watched what happened with her son.

“He was my everything,” Madeline Sargent said of her only child, lovingly known as “Jimmy Jam.” “He was so happy, so jolly, so positive.”

“Jimmy Jam” signed up to be an organ donor when he got his driver’s license.

“I immediately lost it,” Sargent said. “I was like, you know, why did you do that?”

At the time, she explained to her son why she didn’t trust the process.

“If something happens to you and I’m not there, they’re not going to take care of you,” she said. “They just want your organs.”

Research shows that’s a common misconception about becoming an organ donor, especially among people of color.

“Some of it is about the historic mistrust within the medical community.” Christine Radolovic, the chief clinical officer with Gift of Life, said. “The Black community makes up the largest percentage of those that are waiting for life-saving transplants nationally while they are in the greatest need. They are actually of a community that donates least often.”

Sargent is now part of the Gift of Life community because two years ago, Jimmy, at the age of 30, died from a cardiac arrest. His organs saved six people.

“It feels like he’s continuing life. He’s given life,” Sargent said. “It gives me a sense of purpose.”

She’s changed her mind about organ donation. She says her son received the best care possible that wasn’t compromised because he was an organ donor.

She’s an organ donor advocate now committed to building trust and saving lives, which is Jimmy Jam’s legacy.

“It makes me feel like he is serving a purpose,” Sargent said. “He’s my hero.”

Sargent says someday she might want to meet some of the people who Jimmy saved. Each donor can save up to eight people and improve the lives of 100 more.

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By Joe Holden

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    DELAWARE COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — It was a piranha out of water and way out of place. Saturday was no ordinary fishing trip for Seamus Coffey and his dad, Michael. They were at Ridley Park Lake when the young angler reeled in a catch he won’t soon forget.

“I caught two catfish,” Seamus said.

The 8-year-old Seamus says he normally baits his line with string and a hot dog. He was fishing Saturday at Ridley Park Lake with his dad when he felt a tug.

“He thought it was a bass at first because we usually catch little catfish,” Michael Coffey said. “So he’s reeling it, reeling it, reeling it and then when I saw it, what did I say? I said, ‘Slow down, dude, you might lose it.’ This looks like something we haven’t caught before, like a big bluegill or something.”

“I’m reeling it in and I’m thinking it’s a bass,” Seamus said.

“He got it on the ground and I was like, ‘It’s a bluegill, I don’t know what this is,’ and he said it’s a piranha,'” Michael Coffey said.

The Coffeys have fished here for years. Young Seamus seemed to know exactly what he was looking at.

“Because I watch YouTube,” he said.

“Remember, I Google imaged it, and I was like, ‘Dude, it’s a red-bellied piranha,'” Michael Coffey said. “It was pretty crazy.”

Officials with Pennsylvania’s Fish and Boat Commission said this was likely someone’s pet until things got out of control at home. It was also explained that the person likely believed they were doing the right thing by placing a piranha in the lake.

“Some of our folks have determined that this is certainly a species of piranha,” Mike Parker with the Fish and Boat Commission said. “And that person no longer wanted their pet and then unlawfully introduced it into the waterway.”

Coffey said at first he put the native South American fish back in the lake but then thought twice.

“Basically have to get rid of it for the ecosystem,” Coffey said, “so we ended up getting rid of it, humanely, and put it back for the snapping turtle that hangs out over near the rocks over there.”

They estimated the piranha to be about 9 1/2 inches in length, weighing about 2 pounds with all those teeth.

State officials believe this to be an isolated incident.

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By Madeline Bartos

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    PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Two men are facing charges after authorities said they seized about 180 pounds of cocaine as part of a large-scale drug trafficking investigation in the Pittsburgh area.

Darnell Rhinehart and Lamar Lewis were arrested on drug and firearms charges after FBI Pittsburgh said law enforcement seized 80 kilograms of cocaine on Monday night.

The FBI said investigators watched Rhinehart on video surveillance loading multiple brown cardboard boxes from a tractor-trailer into the bed of his vehicle on Monday afternoon, arriving and leaving within just two minutes.

Authorities said they tracked Rhinehart to a Pittsburgh bar several hours later and watched as Lewis parked his pickup truck near Rhinehart’s vehicle and took four brown cardboard boxes. Lewis then placed a heavy bag in Rhinehart’s vehicle before driving away, the FBI said.

A traffic stop on Lewis’ vehicle turned up 50 kilograms of cocaine as well as a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol that was later confirmed as stolen, investigators said.

Authorities continued trailing Rhinehart, who was later seen picking up a red backpack from a home before driving to another Pittsburgh bar. He walked into the bar with the bag and left without it, the FBI said, and when authorities arrested Rhinehart, they found 5 kilograms of cocaine in the backpack.

Several more searches at locations associated with Rhinehart turned up 35 more kilograms of cocaine in cardboard boxes as well as “large sums” of cash and a shotgun, the FBI said.

“Seizing 80 kilos of cocaine means taking away profits and the power that money can buy right out of the hands of international criminal organizations,” FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec said in a news release. “Shipments like this represent money flowing right back to groups that rule through violence and fear. Cocaine trafficking is not a victimless crime, and the FBI and our partners will use every tool at our disposal to keep ridding our communities of these deadly narcotics.”

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