Couple “dumbfounded” after winning $500K on scratch-off lottery ticket

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Joseph Buczek

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    Michigan (WWJ) — A Michigan couple was “dumbfounded” after winning $500,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s Detroit Lions instant ticket game.

The 74-year-old Isabella County man, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought the ticket at GCK Oil Inc., located at 206 Main Street in Blanchard, about 20 miles outside of Mt. Pleasant.

“I went to the store to buy a Powerball ticket, and my wife told me to get a few Detroit Lions tickets while I was there,” said the player in a statement. “I scratched the tickets the next morning and when I saw the $500,000 prize, I said to my wife, ‘Looks like we’re going to Lansing.'”

“When I told her how much we’d won, she thought she was going to pass out! We were both dumbfounded. The shock hasn’t worn off yet, so we still can’t think straight, but what we do know is that this prize is going to be life-changing for us.”

With his winnings, the man plans to donate a portion, set aside some for his grandchildren, and then save the rest.

Since the game first launched in August, the Michigan Lottery says players have won more than $7 million playing the Detroit Lions instant game. Each $5 ticket gives players the chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $500,000. More than $21 million in prizes remain up for grabs, including a pair of $500,000 top prizes.

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Couple found hiding inside of Tractor Supply tent arrested for burglary, police say

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Cameron Burnett

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    PITTSBURG, Kansas (KAKE) — Two people were found hiding inside a storage tent at a local farm supply store before being arrested for burglary, Pittsburg police say.

On Tuesday morning at around 3:30 a.m., officers with the Pittsburg Police Department and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office responded to Tractor Supply Co., located at 115 E. 28th Street, in Pittsburg, in reference to a report of a burglary alarm.

Officers arrived and began checking the outside areas of the store and found a hole cut into the fence on the south side of the business’s property. The officers moved onto the property through the cut fence and began searching the area for suspects.

While searching the exterior areas of the business, the officers located 35-year-old Allen C. Morris, of Pittsburg, hiding in a large storage tent. Morris was taken into custody without incident and was removed from the area, the department said.

Officers continued to search the business property and located a second suspect, 46-year-old Rosanna R. Closs, of Pittsburg, hiding in the same large tent. Closs was also taken into custody without incident.

Several items of merchandise were located outside of the tent, police say, and a representative of the business later advised that those items had been kept inside the tent the previous evening.

Both Morris and Closs were arrested for burglary of a business, attempted theft, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass.

Morris and Closs were transported to the jail at the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office for booking and are currently being held without bond.

This incident is still under investigation. Anyone who has information related to this, or other incidents, is urged to contact the Pittsburg Police Department at (620) 231-1700, or the automated tip line, (620) 231-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous.

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Councilwoman Bree Montoya announces resignation after social media comments

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Jason Burger

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    NORMAN, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Norman City Councilwoman Bree Montoya announced her resignation at the scheduled City Council meeting Tuesday.

This comes after she posted an apology on her official social media pages Sunday night, following a political argument in Facebook comments months ago where she suggested another person end their life. KOCO 5 has chosen not to share screenshots of those comments.

Montoya announced her resignation at the start of the meeting, and she left the building right after.

“I have served the community since 2008, and I am ready to pursue other opportunities. That being said, I am resigning immediate from Council Ward 3. Thank you, Ward 3. It’s been an honor to serve,” Montoya said at the meeting.

The screenshots of the exchange were shared multiple times on social media.

“I want to apologize for comments I made from my personal Facebook account a few months ago. There are no words to express how awful, inappropriate, and unacceptable my comments were. An exchange between an individual and myself got way out of hand, and in a moment of personal distress, I was completely out of line,” she said in a social media post. “I was immediately disgusted with myself and knew I had crossed an unimaginable line. I sent a direct apology soon after.”

Montoya represents Ward 3. She won her reelection bid for her seat earlier this year.

“I know better, but in that moment I failed. I know to reject the ugliness of certain emotions, and instead reach for kindness and compassion. But in that moment, I let personal distress overtake me. Since the incident, I have sought help to heal old wounds, learned from it, and am working daily to become a better person. To those I’ve hurt and are disappointed in me, I am truly sorry. I humbly ask your forgiveness,” she said.

Montoya resigned on her own, and she was not forced to do so by the city. The city sent KOCO 5 a statement.

“City Council members are not considered traditional employees of the city of Norman. As elected officials, they enjoy the same First Amendment protections as any other citizen. Therefore, city staff cannot take disciplinary action against council members for exercising those rights,” the city said.

KOCO 5 reached out to Montoya but did not hear back.

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Hospital’s roof ripped off during severe storms Tuesday

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Jonathan Greco

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    SALLISAW, Oklahoma (KOCO) — An eastern Oklahoma hospital was badly damaged as severe storms moved through the state on Tuesday.

Around 5 p.m., the city of Sallisaw was hit by storms that brought down power lines and tree limbs across the area. The storm also ripped off the roof of the Northeastern Health System Sequoyah Hospital.

“Patients have all been either discharged or in the process of being transferred,” Sallisaw City Manager Brian Heverly told KOCO 5 sister station 40/29 on Tuesday. “Hospital administration already has disaster management and recovery teams coming in. But for right now, the ER is on divert status.”

The city manager added that no one was hurt in the storms.

Pafford Medical Services has set up a mobile field hospital to provide care for displaced patients and ensure continuity of health care services.

The historic log cabins in Sallisaw also saw damage during the storms. The Judge Franklin Faulkner House on East Cherokee Street had damage, and multiple crews, including from the Cherokee Nation, responded to help clean up.

Sallisaw officials said Wednesday that they are still receiving reports of power outages. Crews are working to restore power to all who were affected.

“We truly appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding, it has been a long evening, and we are committed to getting power back on as quickly and safely as possible,” Sallisaw officials said in a Facebook post.

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Docs: Federal charge dismissed against escaped inmate captured in Kentucky

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Fletcher Keel

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLWT) — An inmate who escaped from Brown County Jail and was recaptured outside of Louisville, Kentucky after a week on the run has had a federal charge against him dismissed, according to court documents.

Making his first court appearance since his recapture Wednesday, a motion to dismiss federal charges against Jerry Cooper was filed in the United States District Court in the Western District of Kentucky at Louisville.

Cooper is no longer facing federal charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, which was filed Monday.

In the court filing, the U.S. says it will defer to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and State of Ohio for extradition on Cooper’s outstanding arrest warrant.

Two other people were arrested for assisting Cooper in his evading law enforcement. Marlana and William Strausbaugh were taken into custody and charged with hindering prosecution or apprehension.

Prior to his court appearance Wednesday, Cooper was being held Oldham County.

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Marshalltown’s Oktemberfest to proceed as planned, despite health officials’ warnings about Legionella

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Marcus McIntosh

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — The Marshalltown City Council voted 4-3 to keep Oktemberfest in its planned north-side location despite a recommendation from the Marshall County Public Health department to move the event amid a Legionella outbreak.

Since August, there have been 71 confirmed cases, including two deaths, with cases clustered in northern Marshalltown. Mayor Joel Greer read a letter from the county public health department urging the city to relocate “out of an abundance of caution” while tests continue to determine whether a cooling tower in the city’s downtown area is the outbreak’s source.

Ward 1 council member Mike Ladehoff said recent cleanings likely eliminated the bacteria.

“They have shocked the water in the towers — all 12 of them. They have had them cleaned, had the owners clean them completely, and then they brought in a third party to come in and clean them again. They have high confidence that it’s dead,” Ladehoff said during the meeting.

Officials said testing to confirm the source is still underway. The festival is scheduled to start Thursday.

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Missouri husband, wife charged with murder in 2014 Oklahoma cold case

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Nick Sloan

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    CAMERON, MO (KMBC) — A husband and wife from Missouri have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of an Oklahoma man whose disappearance in 2014 became a cold case.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said James Merritt Larson Jr., 42, and Penny Larson, 40, are accused of killing Dustin Ray Carver, who vanished in May 2014.

Carver was last seen at a residence in Kansas, Oklahoma.

Deputies and OSBI agents later searched the property and discovered human remains in a burn pile, which were transported to the state medical examiner’s office.

The case stalled for years until July 2025, when the Clinton County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office provided new leads from a jail inmate linking the Larsons to Carver’s death.

On Sept. 12, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office issued arrest warrants for both suspects.

Penny Larson was arrested Sept. 17 and booked into the Clinton County Jail.

James Larson, already in custody on unrelated charges, was also charged.

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Driver flees after slamming truck into medical and dental office

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By JoBeth Davis

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is searching for suspects after someone slammed a truck into a medical and dental office overnight.

According to Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins, fire crews were called to a building at 4601 Independence Avenue after a car reportedly struck it around 3:14 a.m.

When firefighters arrived they found a pickup truck had struck a building that housed a dentist office as well as a medical practice.

Authorities said the occupants of the truck ran from the scene.

The crash left a large hole in the front of the building, which will have to be boarded up and inspected for safety.

No injuries have been reported.

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Family searching for answers after child dies following medical emergency at school

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Ubah Ali

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    ST. CLOUD, Minnesota (WCCO) — A 7-year-old’s sudden death at a St. Cloud, Minnesota, school is sparking fear in parents who have kids with autism.

More than 100 Somali parents, autism advocates, educators and community leaders logged into Zoom on Tuesday evening for a powerful and emotional listening session.

It comes just one week after Abdinasir, who was autistic, suffered a medical emergency at school and later died. His death has shaken not only his family but the community.

According to the St. Cloud Police Department, officers were called to Westwood Elementary School on Sept. 16, just before 9:30 a.m., for a report of a child who was not breathing. He was rushed to an area hospital before he was airlifted to HCMC, where he later died.

Investigators say no foul play is suspected, but the investigation is ongoing and will continue to work with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office until a final determination has been made.

The St. Cloud Area School District says it is deeply saddened and cooperating fully with law enforcement officials.

In a statement, the district said, “Following the incident, the district conducted a full review of response and operations. We found that our staff responded immediately, professionally, and appropriately to support the student.”

Yet, the boy’s family and community members say they are still in the dark about what led to the child’s death.

“As of this moment, that’s how confused the family is right now,” Samsam Mohamed, board member with autism advocacy group Maangaar Voices, said. “They don’t have a concrete answer about what happened.”

For families raising children with autism, including Anisa Hagi-Mohamed and Samsam Mohamed, the pain runs deep.

Many joining the virtual room were filled with emotion for that very reason. For about three hours, participants shared personal stories and fears while seeking assurances from licensed providers.

The listening session was led by several organizations, including Maangaar.

“It’s about a community effort to help our community feel a little bit more safe,” Hagi-Mohamed said.

Tuesday’s listening session was for collective healing and a space to get connected to resources.

Advocates say they will continue supporting the family.

The family has now retained a lawyer. WCCO reached out and has not heard back yet.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine the cause of death.

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Restaurants in Chicago area Latino communities see drop in sit-down customers amid ICE crackdown

CNN Newsource on September 24, 2025

By Sabrina Franza

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Mom and pop restaurants who rely on communities that ICE agents have been targeting in the Chicago area said they’re seeing fewer and fewer customers amid the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

One restaurant owner compared what he’s experiencing now to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying foot traffic is the lowest he’s seen since 2020.

The food served at Taqueria La Paz in Belmont Cragin dates back generations.

“Our cooks have been with us 18 years,” said co-owner Nestor Cruz. “There was something about my mom always telling us, ‘Oh, you could always own your own business.’ So that seed got planted in our head.”

Weekday afternoons are normally one of the busiest times of day at Taqueria La Paz. Usually its tables would be full, but on Tuesday they sat empty, something Cruz said is a new trend over the last few weeks as Operation Midway Blitz began and customers started to see federal agents in their communities.

“People are not really going to sit-down places,” he said.

The restaurant’s business model has switched over to mostly mobile orders during their peak hours.

“At the end of the month, it barely makes it,” he said.

One of their customers told Cruz some of their loved ones were detained by ICE, and described how she felt thinking of leaving her house.

“She couldn’t come out. She was trying to get enough money, because now delivery was going to charge her more, but she was afraid to come out. She been a customer for a long time, so I said, ‘No worries, I’ll take your food,'” Cruz said.

Cruz just wants to keep his family’s American dream alive by feeding his community.

“I was raised in this industry. I love how my mom, my grandma and my mom, cook. So my brother and I continue,” he said.

CBS News Chicago has heard of the same trend happening in communities like Little Village and in Pilsen. The long-term effects of this trend are still not clear.

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