Category: CNN Regional

By Laura Terrell

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    INDIANOLA, Iowa (KCCI) — For more than a decade, Daniel Defenbaugh spent his days protecting others as an Indianola police officer. What people did not know was that he could hardly protect himself.

“I was addicted to hydrocodone pills. I am addicted to alcohol. I don’t feel worthy to be a dad. I don’t feel worthy to be a husband. I don’t feel worthy to be a first responder,” said Defenbaugh.

Defenbaugh says he developed post-traumatic stress disorder from the things he saw and experienced as an officer.

“I would feel my emotions, and one of the first things I would try to do is numb them,” said Defenbaugh. “I got to a point in 2020, my life had gotten so much a mess that I decided it was time to end my life.”

Defenbaugh says he went to Lake Ahquabi with a plan to end his life, but an emotional prayer pleading to God changed everything.

“I wanted to end it. It was because of Jesus I am still here today. So when I get up out of bed every day, I get to hop out of bed with hope and joy. I didn’t used to do that,” said Defenbaugh.

Now medically retired from his law enforcement career, Defenbaugh has created a faith-based nonprofit called 10-42 Project. The term 10-42 in law enforcement means off duty or the end of a shift.

“When I get on the radio and say 10-42, that’s the time all the emotions would come flooding back,” said Defenbaugh.

The 10-42 Project is a confidential peer support group for first responders and their families. So far, the organization has helped 75 first responders across the state. Many have called Defenbaugh while they are in crisis.

“My story is not unique. I am just talking about it. I went through all that. We have first responders all throughout central Iowa that are going through that every day,” said Defenbaugh.

Jake Belay is a former police officer who worked for the Iowa City Police Department and then the West Des Moines Police Department. He credits the 10-42 Project for saving his life.

“By the time I met Dan, I had been really struggling about what to do about PTSD for a period of about a year and a half to two years,” said Belay. “I was very adamantly opposed to entertaining any type of faith-based remedy or giving anything to God for help. What I found is that’s not the only piece, but it’s a very large, big piece — a very important piece.”

Belay says the 10-42 Project, in addition to therapy, has helped him heal so he can be the husband and father he wants to be.

“If you’re a first responder and you’re not OK, you’re not alone. A lot of first responders are not OK. You cannot figure it out alone. You need a team of people around you. You need people who understand because they’ve been through it,” said Belay.

Defenbaugh says the 10-42 Project works because it’s a relational support group. Praying together, going fishing and getting out in nature are activities Defenbaugh uses to bring people together. He says the power of just showing up can save lives.

“I think the organization works the way it does because we are all equals. There is no rank, there is no file, and there is no stigma of ‘I am walking into a therapist’s office, who is going to see me?'” said former EMT Sam Hoper.

Defenbaugh wants first responders in Iowa to know there is help available. He and his wife, Christina, record a podcast to share the organization’s message.

“Our organization is come as you are. I don’t care if you’re broken. If you’re an alcoholic, I don’t care. Come as you are. There is no guilt and no shame in our organization because we understand that things can get messy. We are all humans. These uniforms mean nothing from protecting us from trauma,” said Defenbaugh.

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By Michaela Springer

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    MERRILLVILLE, Indiana (WISH) — A Merrillville woman faces battery charges after police say she stabbed a hair stylist twice after learning her daughter’s hair appointment had been canceled.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Merrillville Police Department officers just before 5 p.m. Thursday responded to a battery incident at a hair salon in the 5400 block of Broadway.

There, they spoke with three stylists, one of which said she had been stabbed by a client, 36-year-old Takary Sims, during an argument over a canceled appointment and $20 deposit.

Stylist canceled after Sims ran late In conversations with detectives, the victim said Sims had reached out to her over Facebook to schedule an appointment to get her daughter’s hair braided. She said she had never met Sims before the booking.

On the day of the appointment, Sims reached out through text asking for the address to the salon, and the stylist said she instructed Sims to look at the booking email. Sims reportedly replied with a threat, telling the stylist “(expletive) don’t play with me.”

The victim says Sims was late to the appointment, prompting her to cancel. After messaging about the cancellation, the victim said Sims responded with additional threats.

Then, Sims showed up at the salon with her daughter in tow. A verbal argument broke out between Sims and stylist, which then turned into a fight. Other employees quickly intervened.

At some point, Sims reached into her purse and pulled out a knife, stabbing the stylist in the left forearm twice.

Sims and her daughter then fled the scene. Another stylist later mentioned to police she feared Sims had a gun, and called out for her to stop when she reached into her bag.

The victim later told detectives Sims threatened to come back and shoot up the salon.

Sims claims stabbing was in self-defense Almost twenty minutes after the hair salon stabbing, Sims actually called 911, reporting that she “stabbed a girl up” in self-defense after the stylist “ran up on her” and started punching her in the back of the head.

Police say when speaking with investigators, Sims confirmed that she scheduled an appointment with the stylist who get her daughter’s hair braided. When she reached out trying to get more information, Sims says her attempts garnered “negative results.”

Sims added that she had already paid a $20 deposit for the appointment, but couldn’t get the stylist to confirm where her salon was.

She eventually found the shop online, but when she and her daughter arrived, she learned the stylist actually worked at a different location a few blocks away. Only then did the hair stylist text Sims the address, advising Sims that she was late.

Sims told police she became angry knowing she was going to lose her deposit, so she went to the second location to try and get her money back. After learning the deposit was nonrefundable, the women began to fight.

Sims claimed as she was walking away, it was the hair stylist who threw the first punch. Not wanting to fight in front of her daughter, Sims told detectives she pulled a knife from her bag to defend her and her daughter. After stabbing the stylist, she says she “picked up her child and left the scene.”

When asked about the other threats, the affidavit says Sims did threaten to shoot her, but she doesn’t own a firearm. “She was just angry,” Sims said.

Brawl caught on CCTV cameras During the investigation, detectives reviewed the salon’s CCTV footage, which caught Sims and her daughter entering the salon. Sims and stylist’s argument can be heard, but not seen.

Eventually, Sims exits the stylist’s private booth and enters the hallway, dragging her daughter behind. The cameras hear Sims threaten to hurt the stylist.

The stylist follows behind Sims, saying, “Do it right now, (expletive).”

Sims turns, and the women are seen hitting each other in the face. Another stylist appears, pulling Sims’ daughter out of the way of danger and trying to intervene. The second stylist then restrains the first to stop her, and Sims is seen reaching into her bag for her knife.

The second stylist is heard yelling, “No, no, no!” Sims then slashes at the stylist, striking her twice.

When she stops swinging the knife, she gathers the things that fell out of her bag, then calmly tells her daughter, “Come on, baby.” The pair then walk out of the salon.

—

It was unclear if Sims sustained any injuries; police wrote in the affidavit that the hair stylist received stitches for the two cuts on her arm.

Sims was booked into the Lake County jail Thursday evening and released Saturday after posting bond.

Court records show she faces charges of battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, and two counts of intimidation.

She’s due in court for a hearing Sept. 24.

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By KTBS Web Staff

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    LIVINGSTON, Louisiana (KTBS) — A 67-year-old Walker man will spend 99 years in prison and was ordered to be physically castrated after he pled guilty to 120 combined counts of aggravated crimes against nature, second-degree rape and felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

District Attorney Scott Perrilloux reported that on Wednesday, Sept. 3, Judge Brenda Bedsole Ricks sentenced Marc Rager Sr. to 99 years in prison for sex offenses committed by Rager upon a juvenile under the age of 13.

The case stems from a July 2024 investigation by Walker Police Department concerning allegations of sexual misconduct by Rager. The overwhelming amount of evidence gathered, which included DNA, video, and recorded statements, showed that Rager had been sexually abusing the juvenile for nearly two years prior to the complaint, according to a DA’s press release.

As a condition of the defendant’s plea, Assistant District Attorney Greg Stahlnecker Jr., who prosecuted the case for the state, asked that Rager be ordered to by physically castrated after he delineated on the record the crimes Rager had committed.

Perrilloux applauded the work of ADA Stahlnecker.

“This plea was taken after consideration for the victim. She will never be able to get back what Mr. Rager took from her; however, with this plea, she can begin the road to recovery without having to go through a trial and relive the nearly two years of abuse that she suffered from the defendant,” Stahlnecker said. “These were heinous acts committed by a monster. The sentence of 99 years all but ensures that he will spend the remainder of his life in prison, where he can no longer harm the victim or anyone else. That is justice.”

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By Sean Daly

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — For 33 years, “Math Homework Hotline” has been solving problems for kindergarteners and high school seniors alike.

“It is all about the kids,” says the TV show’s host Maggie Mixon. “It is all about getting the math out there and doing the math. Making math fun for kids.”

Produced by Hillsborough County Public Schools, the long-running show — the only one of its kind in the country — airs Thursday nights on both Spectrum and Frontier cable systems, plus live streams online.

The show is fast, funny, upbeat, broadcast from a bustling, buzzing studio at the Instructional Service Center in Tampa.

There are challenge questions and cool prizes and a general feeling that math is hard, we’re all in this tiogether.

Next to the studio is a room filled with teachers and volunteers taking dozens of calls from students who are stumped by math problems.

Select callers will be patched into the live show, where the hosts will help students live on air.

Yes the show has helped a lot of kids frustrated by their homework. Math, like life, can be hard.

But the message is a cheerful one:

You are not alone.

“The kids that care, that say they want to do this, we’re here for you,” says Maggie.

Tampa Bay 28 reporter Sean Daly shares hidden gems, best bites and fun things-to-do that he’s found across Tampa Bay.

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By Robert Boyd

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — Just because a player retires from the NFL doesn’t mean they retire from the community. In many cases, former players go on to have even a bigger impact off the field than on it. That’s the case of the NFL Alumni Association Tampa Bay.

The organization, consisting of retired players and cheerleaders, visited the Jackson Heights NFL Youth Education Town Center this month to kick off the season.

They say the best part about being part of this group is the opportunity to go out into the community and meet the Bucs’ youngest fans

“We want to mentor, we want to help strengthen, we want to be there for the support, we have 35 chapters throughout the country,” said President Walter Carter.

The YET Center says many of its students grow up in low-income situations. An encounter with a former player will be something they remember forever.

“Some of them have never been to a game, some of them only see their heroes on TV, so guess what, their heroes can come to them,” said Jamal Jefferson, with the YET center.

The former Bucs included Carter, Martin, Gramatica and Jeff George. They even had a former Packer, Mike Butler. When it comes to NFL Alumni, everyone is on the same team.

“Just to put a smile on a kid’s face and let them know with hard work anything is possible and that’s what we want to preach to them, like make sure you study, make sure you take care of your education,” said Gramatica.

They say the bond between player and fan is one of the best parts of the NFL experience.

“And not only did the fans support me, but the whole community supported me, so I feel it’s my responsibility to give back,” said George.

Former Bucs’ cheerleader Lynn Murray was on the sidelines during the team’s inaugural season. She is proud to still be connecting with fans a half a century later.

“For me, I’m a former schoolteacher, so when I cheered, I was also teaching sixth grade, so to see the kids now and to be able to give back to the community, it’s just fantastic,” said Murray.

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By Austen Erblat

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    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — Firefighters responded to a house fire that started in a garage southwest of Denver on Monday. All of the home’s residents safely evacuated the house and firefighters rescued two cats and administered oxygen. Two other cats were unaccounted for as of about 10:45 a.m.

The fire was reported around 9:45 a.m. in the 6800 block of South Allison Way, near West Coal Mine Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard.

Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire, but they found that it did not extend from the garage to the home.

Around 10:15 a.m., South Metro Fire Rescue reported that firefighters had rescued one cat and were administering oxygen.

About 10 minutes later, the agency said a second cat was rescued and was administered oxygen too, before being returned to the homeowner.

After 11 a.m., South Metro Fire Rescue said the last two cats were located and were safe.

Fire crews were ventilating smoke from the garage and will continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

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By WTVR News Staff

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    SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — Police are looking for masked thieves who crashed a car into a Virginia pawn shop and stole multiple guns.

Security video from the Pawn King on Plank Road in Spotsylvania County captured the entire crime, which took about a minute to commit.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said at about 3 a.m. on Monday, September 15, the thieves crashed a stolen Hyundai into the business.

Moments later the video shows at least four people climb over the car, through the damaged door and into the business.

Once inside, the group grabbed multiple firearms and ran off.

“Detectives continue to review video footage and collect evidence as the investigation remains active,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.

A pawn shop worker told CBS 6 it appears the thieves stole more than 20 weapons.

Anyone with information can call in a tip at 1-800-928-5822 or 1-540-582-5822.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.

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By Caleb Barnes

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    SHELBY CO., Kentucky (WLEX) — A Kentucky man took his stone skipping skill to an international setting this September, bringing a piece of history – and a record – back to the Bluegrass.

“When people hear I’m a professional stone skipper, there’s like one of two responses I always get,” Jon Jennings, champion stone skipper said. “Either people are like, ‘whoa, that’s so cool, I never knew that was a thing,’ or they’re like, ‘I bet I could skip further than you.’”

The activity has been a cornerstone for Jennings since he was little.

“I spent most of my days just playing in the creek, throwing rocks in the water and I can’t remember ever not being able to skip a stone,” Jennings said. “My uncle, when I was younger, he was like, ‘Jon, you got a gift in stone skipping.’ He was like, ‘there’s competitions out there, you need to find those competitions because you are going to win.’”

Once Jennings found those competitions, the trophies were – literally – just a stone’s throw away.

“I currently am the reigning Great Southern Stone Skipping Champion, and also the World Stone Skimming champion as well,” Jennings said.

The world championship is the most recent addition to Jennings’ trophy case. He took the title on Sept. 6 at Easdale Island in Scotland.

“I’m the first American to ever win the world championship,” Jennings said of the event, which has been happening annually since 1997. “Not only did I end up winning it, but my official cumulative score ended up being 177 meters, which is the record for that contest as well now.”

With the new record – and new hardware – Jennings hopes to keep growing the stone skipping scene back here in Kentucky.

“People will send me fliers and so I’ll post them on our social media and try to just get the word out about competitive stone skipping,” he said.

Jennings helped create the Kentucky Stone Skipping Invitational. Coming up in a few weeks, he’s also leading the charge in the Kentucky Waterways Alliance Stone Skipping Competition coming up on Sept. 27. You can find out more about the event on Facebook.

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By Laurie Perez, Matthew Rodriguez

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    California (KCAL, KCBS) — After 13 months of isolation, a baby from Los Angeles County received the potentially life-saving implant that could kick-start her immune system and allow her to live a semi-regular life.

Since the birth of their daughter, Syanne, the Landrons have quarantined themselves inside their Santa Clarita home to protect their baby, who was born without a thymus gland. Lacking an essential part of her immune system, any exposure to germs or infections could be deadly for Syanne.

The diagnosis changed the way they lived. They’ve celebrated holidays and birthdays from afar while family and friends drop off deliveries of food and supplies.

“We don’t see anybody,” mother Marilyn Landron said. “There is no six feet apart. You don’t go near anybody. We wear a mask anywhere and everywhere. Even if we’re going to the trash, we put a mask on … We don’t go to stores. We couldn’t even do our own laundry for a good minute at our old apartment.”

Most children without a thymus gland don’t survive past their first birthday, according to Duke University. However, in 2021, doctors from the university’s medical center received FDA approval to begin their pioneering thymus implant procedure. In August, doctors from Duke invited the Landrons to visit North Carolina so Syanne could be the 52nd person to receive the potentially life-saving operation.

For their trip to North Carolina, the Landrons took special precautions to prevent exposure, including ambulances and a private medical jet.

“I handed her over, and I think that was probably the hardest part. I cried,” Marilyn Landron said.

After the medical team took their daughter into their care, the family waited in anxious excitement as surgeons implanted tissue from another baby into Syanne. Friends and family rejoiced when doctors told them they had successfully completed the procedure.

“Since getting the call, since coming out here, and her getting her surgery, there’s finally a light at the end,” father Alex Landron said.

The Landrons said that the $3 million procedure has a 70% success rate, which increases over time. When they return home, they will still have to isolate themselves for at least six months as Syanne’s immune system develops. After that, Syanne will still be immunocompromised and experience more severe symptoms from the common cold compared to others, but in the end, she’ll have a better chance at surviving.

“Her immune system will always be a little weaker than everyone else’s,” Alex Landron said. “Sicknesses will hit her harder than regular people, but she’ll live.”

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