Category: CNN Regional

By Rae Daniel

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    KANSAS CITY (KSHB) — Inside the Washington Chapel CME church, Dr. Cora Douglass Thompson sits down at the piano and begins to play, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’

“My mother insisted that all three of us had piano lessons,” Dr. Thompson said. “All three of us.”

Dr. Cora, and her sisters Lucille H. Douglass and Alcorama Pearl Spencer sat down with me, sharing fond memories, like their mother’s gingerbread.

“You could be outside playing and you get a whiff of that and you knew, mama was making gingerbread,” Dr. Cora said. “She’d make two. One for the church and one for home.”

The sisters were born in the 1940s, during a time when segregation was a shared experience for the Black community.

“There are only three streets that connect to what was the segregated black community,” Ms. Lucille said.

“The white elite, leaders of Parkville told my dad, ‘stop telling these N’s how to vote,” Dr. Cora said. “That’s one of the big things I remember. Everybody came to my dad asking them how to vote, everybody.”

“The meetings that were being held in the Black community, were about getting indoor toilets in our school,” Ms. Alcorama said. “We had to walk over to the hillside, quite a ways.”

Their legacy, intertwined in Parkville’s history, including Banneker Elementary, the historic African American schoolhouse, where their mother taught.

“Cora and I were a part of the last class when they closed the Banneker school,” Ms. Lucille said. She said it closed after Brown V. Board of Education, when the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional.

Ms. Alcorama remembers when school was integrated. She was a freshman at Park Hill High School. She shared that she was frightened a little, but the superintendent had a conversation with her dad before she started. She was grateful for what was said to her father that day. She said while there weren’t any families protesting outside the school that she remembers, she does remember some incidents of bullying and sports teams still being segregated.

They also talked about the historic church they grew up in was Washington Chapel C.M.E., which was built in 1907 by former slaves and college students.

“We stand on their shoulders,” Ms. Lucille said.

Today, these sisters make sure that history is never forgotten, through events, education and conversation.

“We are benefiting from their hard work and the vision God gave them,” Ms. Alcorama said. “And this church on this hill will be, known and people will be worshiping here for another 100 years.”

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 Leo Stallworth

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    ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) — The family of a man fatally shot by Anaheim police in September has filed a claim against the city, alleging officers used unnecessary deadly force while he was suffering a mental health episode.

Attorneys for the family of Rudy Martinez said the Anaheim resident was in clear distress when police encountered him.

“We believe in fact the shooting was murder and we are demanding justice,” Jamal Tooson, an attorney for Martinez’s family, said at a press conference Thursday.

Martinez was armed with a shovel and used it to hit the officer’s patrol vehicle, body-camera footage shows. Police said Martinez advanced toward the officer in an “aggressive and threatening manner” before the shooting.

Tooson said the situation warranted a response from mental health counselors or advocates instead of police.

“They sent the Anaheim Police Department who shot and killed him within seconds of arrival,” Tooson said.

The claim filed is a precursor to a lawsuit.

Attorneys say they’ve viewed body-camera footage of the shooting, and it raises serious questions about how police handled the situation.

Bodycam footage from the responding officer shows Martinez hitting the patrol car with a shovel.

“At this point, the officer didn’t put the patrol car in reverse,” Tooson said when describing what was seen in the video.

“The officer didn’t consider grabbing non-lethal force, but he grabbed his gun,” Tooson added. “When he got out of the car, Rudy walked toward him with the shovel. The officer shot and killed him and left him to die on the street.”

Anaheim officials said the response took place near a school that was in session.

“Our officer responded to a call next to an elementary school in session where, without provocation, he immediately faced a threat to life and safety,” city spokesperson Mike Lyster said. “We recognize the importance of mental health intervention. Sadly, there was no time to bring in resources and to do so without putting the lives of mental health workers at risk.”

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 Marcus McIntosh

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    ATLANTIC, Iowa (KCCI) — A southwest Iowa day care provider entered her plea to involuntary manslaughter for the death of a baby boy and was sentenced on Thursday.

“Guilty,” said Alison Dorsey, saying she unintentionally caused the infant’s death.

Alison Dorsey entered her plea in a packed Cass County courtroom in Atlantic and was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday. She told the court she was caring for 11-week-old Luka Hodges in 2019 when she unintentionally caused his death by rocking him in her arms harder than she should have.

“I was carrying for LH. I picked him up as he was fussy and wouldn’t eat. I rocked him in my arms harder than I should have. I regret it. I unintentionally caused LH’s death,” said Alison Dorsey, pleading guilty.

Cass County Judge Richard Davidson accepted her guilty plea and sentenced her to up to 5 years in prison with credit for time already served.

Dorsey is also required to pay $150,000 in restitution to the boy’s family.

“I don’t believe there is any care or much remorse for what happened. I don’t believe she deserves any forgiveness … and I most certainly … she won’t get any from me,” said Nick Hodges, the infant’s father.

“We ask that the defendant receive a must stay for the max possible sentence. It is the only measure of justice available to us. And the only protection for children and families crossing paths with her,” said Caitlin Hodges, the infant’s mother.

Dorsey was originally charged with the boy’s murder in 2019. Her first trial ended with a hung jury; the second found her guilty of second-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death before it was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court last year.

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 KCCI staff

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    ADAIR COUNTY, Iowa (KCCI) — A man was killed and a house was leveled in an explosion Thursday afternoon in southwest Iowa.

Emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 1:15 p.m. Feb. 26 after the Adair County Communications Center received a report of an explosion at a home located at 2597 Marion Ave. in Adair County, about 3 miles south of Greenfield.

Firefighters from the Fontanelle and Greenfield fire departments, along with Adair County Ambulance and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene.

When first responders arrived, they discovered the body of a 51-year-old man inside the residence. Authorities later identified him as John David Christensen, who was the sole occupant of the home.

The Iowa State Fire Marshal Division has been called in to assist with the investigation. Officials said the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined.

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 Grace Rodriguez

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    HINESVILLE, Georgia (WJCL) — Rescue workers at K9 Battle Buddies took in an 11-pound chihuahua they suspect someone shot, and X-rays show a bullet lodged in the dog’s shoulder.

Rescue staff found the dog, named El Hencho, walking alone with what they first thought was a hit-and-run injury. Veterinarians in Savannah used X-rays and confirmed a bullet remained in his shoulder.

“You know, he was shot and left. Somebody shot him and just let him run off like that, you know? And you see it all the time,” said Patricia Durham, owner of K9 Battle Buddies.

The group posted El Hencho’s story on Facebook with dozens of people commenting to wish the dog well, and several offering to adopt him.

“Without that community support, we would not survive. We wouldn’t be able to help other dogs,” Durham said. “It’s hard when you’re in a rescue, you know, you see the worst of everything. And obviously, we’re passionate people. This isn’t the glorious job, you know?”

WJCL reached out to animal control multiple times, but officials did not confirm the circumstances surrounding El Hencho’s injuries. Hinesville and Liberty County police also said they could not confirm any related police reports.

Durham said El Hencho is not the only dog at the rescue with an abusive past.

“We got another dog, his name is Stubby. He has three legs. Somebody chopped his leg off,” Durham said.

Veterinarians told the rescue that removing the bullet from El Hencho’s shoulder could cause more harm than leaving it in place. For more information on the shelter and how to help, click here.

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.