Category: CNN Regional

By Rachael Perry

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    WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Palm Beach County’s oldest hospital will soon be knocked down as a brand-new one is built.

Good Samaritan Medical Center announced Thursday plans for a new hospital and a campus to include housing, commercial space, and more. Construction for the new hospital will begin shortly on the land where the CVS currently sits.

Maggie Gill with Tenet Healthcare runs Palm Beach Health Network.

“The first thing we’ll be doing is building a brand-new hospital. So right behind where Good Sam sits today, we’ll be building a brand-new, state-of-the-art, expanded-capacity hospital that will be built and designed to serve this community for the next hundred years,” Gill told WPBF.

The hospital will include a cancer center, advanced cardiac care, office space for doctors, and a walking path for patients.

“We see the growth in the West Palm community. We hear what the community is asking for in terms of health care, more advanced cardiac services, access to pediatric care, things like that,” Gill said.

The hospital’s history dates back to 1914, when a five-bed cottage known as “Emergency Hospital” opened on land donated by Henry Flagler. It was the first organized hospital in the region.

As the population continued to expand, the Good Samaritan Hospital opened its doors in 1920 with 35 beds. It would become the county’s first modern medical facility.

“We have definitely spent a lot of capital maintaining Good Sam, but I do think that it is time to build something that is more modern, more efficient,” Gill said.

She said as the area grows, they want to grow with it.

“West Palm today is not what it was five years ago, much less 106 years ago, and as we think about what’s happening, the growth here and the needs of the community and what we’ve heard, we have a unique opportunity to build that,” she said.

Once the new hospital is built, the current building will be knocked down. Gill said it will be replaced by a campus centered around wellness.

“Through our partners at Easton Street Capital and Frisbee Group, we’ll be building additional workforce housing, other types of housing, condo, commercial space, etc. So, it’s an entire ecosystem anchored by health and wellness,” she said.

That could even include a hotel.

“We do see that the future of Good Sam looks like destination care, and we want to give people a place to be able to stay, convenient to the resources that are here,” she told WPBF.

Gill said it’s about creating a space where health and wellness are a priority while also factoring in work and play.

“Multi-generational care. Live, work, and play in one area where we have it all. We can take care of you; you can work here, and you can live here. We can take care of your kids, we can take care of your grandparents, and we can do it all in one site,” she said.

As for the timeline, Gill said they will be starting construction on the new hospital very soon, and that should take roughly three years.

Operations at the current hospital will continue until care can be transferred to the new building.

Once that’s complete, the current hospital will be knocked down and replaced with a longevity and wellness center, workforce and market-rate housing, community wellness amenities, and a walkable, pedestrian-focused environment.

Easton Street Capital and Palm Beach Health Network are finalizing plans before submitting a development application for City review in the coming weeks.

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 Allison Petro

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    ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Florida (WESH) — Police arrested a man on Tuesday after he allegedly pulled a gun on people inside a gym in Altamonte Springs.

The Altamonte Springs Police Department said the incident happened at a Crunch Fitness on State Road 434 in Altamonte Springs. They were called to the scene for reports of a disturbance involving a firearm.

The incident started because the suspect, Winston Medley, allegedly got into an argument with a couple of men over the amount of weight they were working out with, calling them weak, according to police.

The group separated, but Medley approached them again minutes later and pulled out a gun.

Multiple witnesses in the gym said it looked like he was trying to fire the gun, but was fiddling with it as if it were jammed. He ran away but was caught near 417 and State Road 400.

When police asked him about the gun, he initially claimed it was a “king-size Snickers bar.”

Medley then told officers it was fake and that he only pulled it out to scare others.

Medley declined to reveal the gun’s location, and authorities were unable to recover it.

He has been charged with attempted homicide, possession of a weapon by a state felon, and tampering with evidence, according to police.

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 Emma Burch

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    TULSA, Okla. (KJRH) — A rescue dog who endured five litters in five years has found her calling as a therapy dog at a Tulsa private school, bringing comfort and second chances to students with learning challenges.

Sterling, a certified therapy dog at Town and Country School, was rescued from a breeder after years of difficult conditions. When Kathy Roark and her husband saw Sterling’s photo, they knew she was meant for them.

“She was rescued from a breeder…five litters in five years,” Roark said.

What started as a simple request to bring Sterling to school for a few days turned into something extraordinary. On her very first day, Sterling demonstrated her natural ability to connect with students.

“A student with high anxiety was sitting on the floor…she lay down next to him, didn’t move…and 10 minutes later, he was ready to go back to class,” Roark said.

That moment cemented Sterling’s role at the school, where she now serves as a certified therapy dog for children with learning challenges.

“Anytime she walks into the room…the kids just automatically change their focus,” Roark said.

Executive Director Shevaun Etier says Sterling has transformed the learning environment for students who might struggle in traditional classroom settings.

“Sterling has given students opportunities they wouldn’t have had in a traditional classroom,” Etier said.

Sterling’s days are spent roaming the halls and checking on students, though Roark notes that “most of the time, she’s asleep on my office floor.”

Beyond providing comfort, Sterling shares a powerful message of resilience with the students. Her story of overcoming a difficult past resonates with children facing their own challenges.

“They hear her story…she came from a poor life and still gives love…and they know they can get that second chance too,” Roark said.

Sterling has become so beloved at the school that she even made it into the yearbook. The students are more than happy to shower her with attention and treats.

“Sterling deserves to be spoiled the rest of her life…and the students are happy to help me do that,” Roark said.

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 Allison Petro & Pamela Comme

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    DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (WESH) — The Daytona Beach Police Department has launched an internal review of its investigation into Jermaine Long.

That man is now facing several charges for two reported attacks.

Jermaine Long, the man police said slashed a 13-year-old’s throat in Daytona Beach, had two more run-ins with law enforcement earlier that day.

Police say the violence began around 8 a.m., when Long was trespassed from a home in Daytona Beach. Joanne Payne said her husband, who is friends with Long, had kicked him out the night before. But she said he returned the next morning.

“My neighbor called 911. She said he came back with a sledgehammer and was hollering that he was going to make some noise,” Payne said.

A few hours later, police say Long struck a man with a sledgehammer near a 7-Eleven on State Road A1A. Officers responded to the scene, but Long was not arrested at that time.

According to booking records, he was not arrested at the time, but this week, police charged him after the slashing incident that left a 13-year-old injured.

The teenager needed 13 stitches after the attack. However, the doctor explained that if the wound had been even one millimeter deeper, the consequences could have been far more serious.

We also reached out to the Daytona Beach police department on why Long was arrested for the 711 sledgehammer incident, and they said, “Officers investigated and spoke with both parties. However, because the alleged victim did not fully cooperate and there was not enough evidence to legally justify an immediate arrest, Mr. Long was not taken into custody. The store clerk requested that law enforcement trespass Mr. Long from the establishment due to prior retail theft. It should be noted that the victim of this incident did not have any major injuries.”

Long’s attorney said his client maintains his innocence.

“My client has indicated that he’s innocent, and that’s what we’re going to believe, that he’s innocent,” the attorney said.

Long is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail without bond.

He has entered a not guilty plea in both cases.

WESH 2 also discovered that Long is a registered sex offender with a criminal history involving drugs and battery.

His most recent arrest before this one was for a case in January. He was accused of chasing two men with a wooden pole and cutting one in the face with a knife. The State Attorney’s Office declined to pursue charges in that case, and he was released. We reached out to SAO on what they decided to drop the charges. They responded and let us know they are reviewing the case.

Below is the full statement from the Daytona Beach police department on all three cases involving long on Valentine’s Day.

“On February 14 at approximately 7:58 a.m., officers with the Daytona Beach Police Department encountered Jermaine Long at a property where the owner asked that he be removed. Officers issued a trespass warning, where he was formally notified, he could not return to the property. At that time, there was not enough evidence to arrest him, so he was released.

Around 11:30 a.m. that same day, officers responded to a disturbance at the 7-Eleven at 35 South Atlantic Avenue. Mr. Long was accused of hitting someone in the head with a hammer earlier in the day, after an argument. Officers investigated and spoke with both parties. However, because the alleged victim did not fully cooperate and there was not enough evidence to legally justify an immediate arrest, Mr. Long was not taken into custody. The store clerk requested that law enforcement trespass Mr. Long from the establishment due to prior retail theft. It should be noted that the victim of this incident did not have any major injuries.

Later, on February 14, officers responded to 18 South Ocean Avenue after receiving reports of a stabbing. This time, witnesses provided statements, the victim fully cooperated, and officers observed physical evidence at the scene. Based on that information, police had sufficient legal grounds to make an arrest. Mr. Long was located and arrested for Aggravated Battery.

After further review of the prior incident, involving the hammer, investigators worked with the State Attorney’s Office and determined there was enough overall evidence to file an additional Aggravated Battery charge, even without the victim’s cooperation. As a result of the added charge, Mr. Long is now being held without bond. Initially, bond had been set at $50,000 in connection with the stabbing case.

The department will not release body-worn camera footage at this time. Under Florida Statutes 119.01(3), 119.071(2)(c), and 119.011(3)(d), information related to active criminal investigations and pending prosecutions is exempt from public disclosure.

The department has also begun an internal review of the investigation. This type of review is standard practice with complex investigations. No additional details will be released until the review is complete.”

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 LeeAnn Huntoon & Gail Paschall-Brown

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    OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A 16-year-old was shot and killed during a shoplifting confrontation at a Walmart in Poinciana on Thursday evening, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

An off-duty deputy at the store at 904 Cypress Parkway was notified by a loss prevention officer of three men concealing merchandise in their clothing.

One suspect was holding a gun as he fled. The deputy shot the suspect, who was later confirmed dead, according to Sheriff Chris Blackmon. He was identified as a 16-year-old living in Poinciana.

“Our deputy fired downrange at the suspect and took him out,” Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon said.

In an update on Friday, OCSO said the two additional suspects have been “identified and accounted for.”

One is a juvenile and the other is an adult in his 20s, OCSO said.

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 Bradley Shimel

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    FORT MYERS, Florida (WBBH) — At X3 Performance and Physical Therapy, there are some big boys moving some big things.

These athletes are training hard, and for good reason, as they prepare for the upcoming NFL Combine.

NFL Draft prospect Gennings Dunker said, “You basically just show up and get to work. That’s kind of the best part about being here, and there’s great coaching and great fundamental work, and you’re getting stronger and faster every day.”

X3 founder and co-owner Jordan Luallen said, “To trust us with kind of that segway into their professional careers is really just an honor.”

Since 2017, X3 has trained hundreds of NFL hopefuls, but this year comes with an interesting twist!

For the first time, the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program has come to X3!

Philadelphia Eagles OT and International Player Pathway Program alum Jordan Mailata said, “It’s amazing. What a beautiful experience that these guys get to have, coming from never playing the sport before, to now being in a professional facility with guys that have played this sport for a long time. This facility is beautiful, state-of-the-art, it’s got everything you need, one-stop shop, and I’m pretty happy that it’s here at X3.”

International Player Pathway Program athlete Joshua Weru said, “I’m the only Kenyan, but there’s Nigerians, Australians, guys from New Zealand, Germans. I think all of us understand how far we’ve come to actually be here, so we’re just really supportive of each other, and we have a lot of fun.”

There are some world-class athletes training here, and they’re also incredible people.

X3 Director of Operations Nicholas Book said, “They clean up after themselves, they’re kind, they say hi to everybody. It doesn’t matter if it’s the front desk or an intern; they have a high level of character, and on top of that, you see them come in and work.”

It all leads up to the NFL Combine, which begins on Feb. 23, and the NFL Draft, which takes place April 23-25.

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 Greg Ng, Rachel Duncan, Tori Yorgey

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Baltimore police arrested three teenagers days after an officer was struck by a fleeing stolen car.

City police said Officer William Cole responded around 12:05 a.m. Sunday to an attempted break-in call.

Police released Cole’s body-worn camera video that showed the officer arriving at the location on West Lombard Street, where multiple people were in a Kia sedan that backed up and struck a parked vehicle.

When the officer ordered the driver to stop, the driver backed up again and struck him, the video showed.

Police said Cole fired his gun once at the car as he fell, but the driver fled, hitting another vehicle and the officer’s patrol car, police said.

At that point, an injured man approached the officer from across the street and collapsed.

Cole is heard on the video, yelling on his radio: “I need a medic. You good, bro? I got you. What’s wrong, bro, you OK?”

Cole rendered aid to the man, who police said was assaulted by multiple people before the officer’s arrival. Police told WBAL-TV 11 News that the man, who is a 21-year-old, was treated at the scene and was not taken to a hospital. Cole injured his ankle and was treated and released from a hospital.

A short time later, police said officers found the Kia abandoned on South Arlington Avenue and that it was evident that it struck another parked vehicle. Police said the Kia was reported stolen on Saturday from East Chase Street.

Police said detectives were able to identify two of the Kia’s occupants as two 14-year-old boys who have prior charges of robbery and auto theft and were on electronic monitoring as a result. Detectives arrested the boys Monday on aggravated assault and auto theft charges. They remain detained at Juvenile Booking.

Police said detectives later identified the driver of the Kia as a 14-year-old girl. During her arrest on Tuesday, police said officers learned the girl had been treated at a hospital on Sunday for a wound to her right wrist. The girl’s mother told detectives that the injury may be a gunshot graze wound; police said further investigation is needed to determine the cause of the injury. The girl was taken to Juvenile Booking, where she was charged with aggravated assault and stolen auto. She was later released on electronic monitoring.

The video includes what appeared to sound like a second gunshot, but police told WBAL-TV 11 News that a review of the officer’s gun indicated there was only one bullet discharged and they’re unsure of the origin of the other sound.

The Baltimore Police Department’s Special Investigations Response Team continues to investigate.

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 Elijah Skipper

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    NORTH CAROLINA (WLOS) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said Friday he spoke directly with President Donald Trump at the White House, urging him to support an additional $13.5 billion in federal funding to help western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene.

Stein’s face-to-face with Trump came one day after the National Governors Association pulled out of facilitating its annual White House meeting following Trump’s refusal to invite two Democratic governors, including Jared Polis and Wes Moore.

Despite the controversy, Stein attended Friday’s meeting with a bipartisan group of governors and said he used the opportunity to press federal leaders on Helene recovery.

“I just left the White House with a bipartisan group of governors,” Stein said in an interview. He said he met with cabinet officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation — agencies central to rebuilding efforts in Western North Carolina.

Stein said he thanked Trump for what he called renewed federal focus on debris removal, noting that more than 16 million cubic yards of storm debris have already been cleared.

“It’s just an incredible amount,” Stein said. “But once you’ve kind of cleaned the site, you now have to rebuild.”

The governor said he told Trump that thousands of homes, businesses and private roads across western North Carolina still need repairs.

“I said, North Carolina needs more help,” Stein said. “Honestly, Mr. President, we need another 13 and a half billion dollars.”

Stein said Trump assured him the administration would “take a hard look” at the request.

Hurricane Helene caused an estimated $60 billion in damage across western North Carolina, according to state officials. Stein said the scale of destruction far exceeds what residents or the state can cover alone.

“The people of Western North Carolina can’t afford that,” Stein said. “The state of North Carolina, even though there’s more we can do, we can’t afford all of it. That’s why we need our federal government partners.”

Stein said securing direct access to the president has been a priority as recovery continues nearly a year after the storm.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, and western North Carolina is not going to recover in a day,” he said. “I’m going to keep pressing the case until we get the job done.” When asked whether Trump appeared receptive, Stein said the president’s previous visits to the region helped convey the severity of the disaster.

“President Trump has been to Western North Carolina at least twice since the storm,” Stein said. “He actually has laid eyes on it.”

Stein said Trump described the unique scale of damage to other governors in the room.

“He was explaining just how broad it was and how devastating it was because he’s seen it,” Stein said. “I think he now understands that there’s a lot more work to get done.”

The meeting unfolded amid broader tensions between the White House and state leaders, after the National Governors Association withdrew from organizing the event over Trump’s exclusion of Polis and Moore.

Still, Stein said Friday’s discussions remained focused on recovery needs, emphasizing that debris removal marks only the first phase of rebuilding.

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 Alex Orenczuk

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    LEE COUNTY, Florida (WFTX) — Florida Fish and Wildlife said 18 manatees were removed from Manatee Park in Fort Myers on Thursday. Those manatees were part of the 25 total deaths reported in Lee County from Feb. 13-18.

All known manatee carcasses have now been recovered, according to FWC. The agency said necropsies were performed on some animals, and all carcasses have been disposed of.

“Initial observations suggest cold stress may be a contributing factor,” FWC said.

Manatee Park in Fort Myers was used as a staging site for recovery operations, removing the carcasses reported in the Orange River and surrounding areas of Fort Myers, according to wildlife officials.

This is a developing story.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

Multiple manatees were found dead Thursday morning at Manatee Park in Fort Myers, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The park was closed Thursday morning as crews removed the manatees from the water, and the park reopened Thursday afternoon.

FWC said it has seen an increase in reports of dead manatees in the Orange River and surrounding areas. A spokesperson told Fox 4 that between Feb. 13 and Feb. 18, approximately 25 manatee deaths were reported in Lee County.

FWC said initial observations suggest cold stress may be a contributing factor, but the investigation is ongoing.

According to numbers posted earlier this week by FWC, 18 manatees had died in Lee County since January 1 of this year.

There have been 85 deaths in the state of Florida this year.

In 2025 there were 632 manatee deaths reported, a large majority of those were not necropsied, but 33 of those were from cold stress.

FWC asks anyone who sees an injured, distressed, or deceased manatee to report it to the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) so trained responders can assist.

Behavioral Zoologist ‘Ranger’ Rob Howell said the number of dead manatees is “off the charts.” He said recent cold snaps could have played a role.

“If these animals got cold, they’re very susceptible to cold stress. Even thought they look big and round they only have an inch of fat over their entire body,” Howell said. “And water under 70’s to 68 degrees can kill them, very quickly in fact.”

Pollution in the Caloosahatchee River has forced manatees to travel far away for food, Howell said. Manatees in the Orange River sometimes go through Matlacha Pass to the barrier islands for sea grass, Howell said. That journey can take more than a day.

Recently, starvation has been the leading killer of manatees, Howell said. Nonprofits and education groups have partnered to monitor the health of Southwest Florida’s sea grass, which has dropped significantly in places like Charlotte Harbor.

Manatees need to eat 10% of their body weight in vegetation every day, Howell said.

“If they’re not getting that, they’re not going to survive,” Howell said.

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.