Rock band class changes lives for students at Diamond Ridge High School

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Deanie Wimmer and Ray Boone, KSL

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    SANDY, Utah (KSL) — It’s not every day you run into a teacher who wants to chat about the metal band Black Sabbath.

“It’s the greatest band of all time,” said Brandon Lupus, a music teacher at Diamond Ridge High School. “I got to go see Black Sabbath for Ozzy’s last concert in England with my wife. I’ve never been out of the country, and we saved all of our money to go see Black Sabbath, and it was amazing.”

Nor is it every day you run into a teacher who wants to share that experience with an eager group of students.

“They’re all jealous right now, looking at me,” Lupus said. “The day I got back, I was like, ‘Everyone look at my videos! They’re amazing, here’s Ozzy!'”

It’s clear that Lupus fits in here. He knew that before he was even hired.

“I got to my interview, and Amy Boettger, our principal, goes, ‘OK. We want to do a rock band class.’ And that was when I knew I had my dream job,” he said.

The students he teaches aren’t exactly what comes to mind when you think of a traditional high school band, but this isn’t a traditional high school. Instead of trombones or saxophones, they’re playing drums and guitars while working on the solo portion of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Free Bird.”

“I think all these students here are absolutely underdogs,” said Lupus. “They’re coming from schools where some of them have like a 0.2 GPA.”

Diamond Ridge High School is a “school of choice” for students who may want a different type of school experience and environment. Whether it’s because of bullying or struggles with homelessness or simply feeling out of place, the students at Diamond Ridge left their schools and chose to be here.

They chose to give high school a second chance.

“I’m not here just to teach music,” Lupus said. “I’m here to change lives.”

The lives of students like Cash Butler, who transferred from a nearby high school.

“It really wasn’t a good place for me. I just didn’t really like it there,” Butler said. “I didn’t feel like I fit in. I felt like I was kind of invisible in this sea of people.”

Nearly half the student body is taking a music class, and what they’ve found here resonates.

“We’re an alternative school. We have alternative students who listen to alternative music, and it works best here,” Lupus said. “The students who don’t have an opportunity to express themselves otherwise, they get to express themselves in the music that they love, with the people that they love, doing what they love.”

And more than that, it’s given them an escape.

“You can let go of all that stress from life and school and stuff, and just play music,” Butler said.

What’s happening between the walls of Diamond Ridge seems to be striking the right chord. Over the past year, thanks in part to classes like this one, GPAs are up, graduation rates are up.

And, the regular attendance rate has risen a staggering 84%.

“Everyone’s showing up all the time. I don’t have to redo things. It makes the teacher’s job better, it makes the students happier,” Lupus said. “At first they needed to be here, now they want to be here.”

Music has brought these underdogs together, and being here has made them feel like someone believes in them.

If you want to hear the impact, all you have to do is ask Butler, who is graduating as the valedictorian of Diamond Ridge.

“It’s seriously changed my life for the better,” he said of the school. “I’m actually blown away by how much it’s changed my life. It just really put me in a good mental space, and a good positive outlook on my high school years.”

“Everyone’s friends, we know each other really well,” Butler said.

If you ask Lupus, it’s music that’s brought these underdogs together. But if you ask Butler, it’s Lupus himself that’s made the difference.

“He’s the best teacher I’ve ever had in my life,” Butler said. “And I’m not even saying that just because he’s right here. He’s genuinely such a caring guy. There’s been days where it’s just been off, and he literally checks with everyone, makes sure that they’re doing OK.”

Lupus believes the music is what brought the students together, to put in the hard work and accomplish something they hadn’t before, and ultimately created a familial dynamic.

“A lot of people say thank you to me, but they’re the ones putting in the hard work. They’re the ones showing up to class when they didn’t show up to class at their home school,” he said. “I know what music can do for people, and clearly it changes lives.”

Not just the lives of the students, but the life of their teacher, too.

“My brother actually went to this school. And as it kept going, I kind of realized that I found my family, and I found my place, and it’s really, really special what we got here,” Lupus said.

This may not be a traditional high school or a traditional band, but if you ask these musicians, it’s something much more.

“There’s a constant at Diamond Ridge: that there’s always people looking for a home,” Lupus 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.

Emergency street takeover ordinance advances hours after bust near Paycor Stadium

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Emily Sanderson, Nicole Aponte

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — An emergency ordinance on street takeovers has passed out of committee and will now go before Cincinnati city council.

It comes just hours after six people were arrested after a street takeover right by Paycor Stadium early Tuesday.

Cincinnati police say they managed to track down all of the suspects to the parking lot at the stadium after receiving calls throughout the night, including from stadium security.

WLWT’s cameras were rolling as officers loaded the suspects into police vehicles. Officers say they made at least six arrests, two women and four men.

Officers say they were racing, doing burnouts and more.

As for the charges, officers say they’ll differ from person to person, depending on their involvement.

“It’s very jarring to know that people are deciding to do this in communities,” Cincinnati Council member Meeka Owens said on the street takeovers.

Owens said they are taking the street takeovers seriously and working to increase civil penalties.

It’s an emergency ordinance, so Owens said that when passed, it will take effect immediately.

“If you’re going to come here and do this, you’re going to pay a cost,” Owens said.

The ordinance would increase fines and make participation in street takeovers a first-degree misdemeanor.

The measure comes about a month after city council passed a separate ordinance, adding new fines and vehicle impoundment requirements.

City leaders say the goal is to stop dangerous driving that has shut down intersections and put drivers and bystanders at risk.

The six suspects who were arrested will each be in court Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.

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.

Grown safe haven baby shares story as Utah law commemorates 25 years

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Emily Ashcraft, KSL

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — Sam Peterson said he is grateful to be “living proof” that Utah’s newborn safe haven law does what it was designed to do — it protected him when he was an infant.

Now, he is a 24-year-old engineering student at Brigham Young University who loves the outdoors and thanks the safe haven law for each birthday and opportunity.

“I believe this law was a blessing to everyone involved. It was a blessing to my parents, who were finally able to welcome a child into their family, it was a blessing for me because I was raised by parents who love and support me through everything that I do, and while I don’t know my birth mother, I hope it was a blessing to her as well. I hope she found peace knowing that her son is safe, loved, and given every opportunity to be successful,” Peterson said.

He told his story at a Utah Department of Health and Human Services event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Utah’s newborn safe haven law and the many lives it has changed, on Monday — with his being one of the first. A statement said the mission of the law is: “No names, blame, or shame — only love and support.”

Peterson said his parents waited eight years trying to adopt and had decided to stop focusing on trying to adopt right before they got a call about him, and now he feels like he is where he was meant to be.

“I honestly just feel like it was planned, it was perfect, I fit right in,” he said.

To mothers who may take advantage of the law, Peterson said he understands the decision will be hard but encouraged them to have faith in it and to consider the beautiful things that could come from it.

Former Utah Rep. Patrice Arent sponsored the 2001 bill to create a newborn safe haven law and has since served as chair of the Newborn Safe Haven Advisory Board. She had heard about “dumpster babies,” babies left in restrooms or a bedroom drawer to die, and wanted to provide an alternative.

While working on the law, she said she received anonymous calls from mothers who didn’t have the option and told her about the guilt they face, which encouraged her to push to get it passed.

Arent said there was pushback from some people about the law who were worried about creating a drop-off zone for babies, as only a few states had similar laws, but ultimately it passed the first year she proposed it.

She said the state doesn’t have numbers on how many babies the law has saved, in part because officials also provide resources to help mothers find what they need to care for their babies themselves or connect them with adoption agencies. The state has also cared for babies who didn’t fit the infant age limits, which have expanded from 72 hours to around 90 days.

“We don’t know how many babies were saved, because we’ve saved them in so many other ways, and we also don’t know how many babies haven’t been saved,” she said. “We just want the babies to be alive, to end up in these safe, loving homes.”

Now she is “thrilled” that every U.S. state has some version of a safe haven law allowing a mother to anonymously give up custody of an infant.

“This is such a better alternative than what could happen to the baby,” Arent said.

Under Utah’s law, the only legal place to drop an infant off anonymously is a hospital; many states include fire stations, but in Utah, fire stations do not always have someone there, so the law restricts it to hospitals.

Not long after the law passed, Arent said she saw a group celebrating at a courthouse and recognized one of them — Sam Peterson’s grandfather, who told her about his grandson and said, “He is alive because of your law.” She said it didn’t just benefit him and his birth mother, but his extended family.

“Even if only one life had been saved under this law, I see the huge impact from just this one person,” Arent said.

Heather Peterson said they love sharing the story of her son, who she was able to watch grow from a newborn to a man because of an unknown woman’s courageous decision. She said it was “a miracle” when they got a call that there was a baby for them.

“Because somebody knew where to go and that she had a place to turn, and because there was a legal and compassionate option for her, our family was created,” she said.

She said the law did what it was supposed to do, protecting her son and his biological mother — who she said drove from another state to find a hospital that could help.

“I don’t know anything about what it took for you to get to that hospital and to make that decision, but I am so grateful for the courage that you showed. And I want you to know that your son is loved, that he has thrived, that he has been given opportunities in this life, and we are so grateful to you,” Heather Peterson said to the mother.

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.

School employee accused of filming, sharing video of student in restroom

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Emily Sanderson

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    DAYTON, Ohio (WLWT) — A school employee is facing charges, accused of sharing a video of a 12-year-old special needs student while they were partially undressed in a restroom stall.

27-year-old Tyheed Miller is facing charges including endangering children and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.

Miller was working as a behavior technician with Centerville City Schools when the incident took place on April 20.

According to Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Centerville Police were called to the school for a report that a school employee shared video of a student at Watt Middle School while the student was partially undressed.

Miller allegedly sent video of the 12-year-old student, who is autistic and has down syndrome, partially undressed in a restroom stall, through Snapchat.

“This defendant was employed to help and assist special needs children. Instead, he took a video of a special needs child in the restroom and shared it with Snapchat. This defendant should not be working at a school; he should be in prison,” Heck said.

Miller is currently being held at the Montgomery County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

His arraignment is set for June 4.

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.

Defense seeks pretrial release for Virginia husband charged with killing, defiling, hiding missing wife

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Neal Augenstein

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    MANASSAS PARK, Virginia (WTOP) — The public defender representing Naresh Bhatt, the Manassas Park man charged in connection with the disappearance and presumed death of his wife, will ask a judge Wednesday to release him from jail until trial.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen on July 29, 2024 in a video call with her mother.

Naresh Bhatt was charged with first-degree murder and defiling a dead body in December 2024. He had been charged, but not indicted, for concealing a dead body in August 2024.

Naresh Bhatt’s public defender, Laurel Rodewald, requested and was granted a bond hearing for Wednesday. Naresh Bhatt has twice been denied bond.

In August 2024, a judge in Prince William County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court said Naresh Bhatt was a flight risk and a danger to the community.

On September 2024, after the defense raised questions about inconsistencies in the police investigation, bond was denied. After Prince William County prosecutors laid out a timeline, Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Irving said, “The evidence as proffered by the commonwealth is overwhelming — certainly at a probable cause level.”

Naresh Bhatt has remained in the Prince William County Adult Detention Center.

“Mr. Bhatt is neither a flight risk nor a danger to himself or others,” Rodewald wrote in the motion for a bond hearing filed Tuesday. “Counsel will provide further argument regarding his change in circumstances and argument for bond at the hearing on June 3, 2026.”

Rodewald did not immediately return a WTOP request for clarification on the change of circumstances that would merit pretrial release.

Two weeks ago, Prince William County police submitted three human hairs and 13 hair fragments they said was found on a handheld power saw from the Bhatt home after Mamta Bhatt disappeared.

An October 2024 report from Virginia’s Department of Forensic Science indicated blood found on parts of the same reciprocating saw matched a DNA profile created from Mamta Bhatt’s hairbrush. Her body has never been found.

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.

‘I’ve used my experience as propulsion’: Survivor of Boulder Pearl Street firebombing reflects on attack

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Maggie Bryan

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    BOULDER, Colorado (KMGH) — One year after the deadly firebombing on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, survivor Ed Victor is reflecting on the attack and the fight against antisemitism.

Victor said he had joined more than a dozen peaceful demonstrations at Pearl Street with the local chapter of Run For Their Lives, an organization formed to call for the release of hostages held in Gaza. On June 1, 2025, a man targeted the group during their weekly rally, unleashing a makeshift flamethrower and throwing Molotov cocktails at participants.

Witnesses said the man yelled “Free Palestine” before targeting the group. More than a dozen people were hurt and 82-year-old Karen Diamond later died from her injuries in the antisemitic attack.

Victor said the group had lined up in front of the courthouse when the man targeted them.

“Suddenly it felt like glass was broken… and then I felt heat on my leg and then just turned, and a woman was on fire,” Victor said.

He said he and others scrambled to extinguish the flames using the only things within reach: the banners and flags they had been carrying moments before.

“It took too long. It’s horrible. And then my friend at the very end, finally put his body over her to get the last of the flames out,” Victor said. “One person is a tragedy, but his intention was to kill us all. I mean, he had a dozen Molotov cocktails.”

The Department of Justice said authorities found a handwritten document in the vehicle driven by the attacker, which said “Zionism is our enemies until [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land,” and further described Israel as a “cancer entity.”

When asked how he interprets the phrase “Free Palestine” since the attack, Victor said he thinks of it as a call to “kill the Jews.”

“I personally feel threatened when that phrase is being used, wherever it is being used,” Victor said. “Other people might use it as a rallying cry for their own reasons but I think it’s important for them to recognize not everybody’s going to hear a rallying cry.”

Victor also cautioned against conflating the actions of the Israeli government in the Gaza War with the Jewish people as a whole.

“It’s very difficult for me to help parse what happens in Gaza with Israel,” he said. “But the Israeli government is not Israel. The same way the U.S. government, and whoever our leader currently is in power, is not all of America. When people think about Israel, think about the Jewish people and separate that from the Israeli government.”

State Senator Iman Jodeh, who is Palestinian and Colorado’s first Muslim lawmaker, also spoke to Denver7 about the one year mark since the attack.

“What happened in Boulder was absolutely horrific, and my heart continues to be with the victim’s family and those that were injured and understandably shaken,” Jodeh said. “A year ago I was proud of the Muslim community for stepping up and standing with the Jewish community, especially in Boulder, understanding that you know what was happening was incredibly difficult and really wanting to make sure that we recenter what we all wanted to see and that was in fact peace and that his actions did not reflect our faith.”

For Victor, the one year remembrance of the attack is also a moment of personal transformation. He said the incident pushed him to step out of the anonymity he had long maintained as a Jewish man.

“I’ve always been anonymous. I am Ed Victor. You would not know I’m Jewish, and I decided on that day, at that time, at that moment, to put myself out there and to admit that I’m Jewish, and not just to literally hide behind my anonymity,” Victor said.

He said he now finds more power in advocating for Jewish identity and safety, and said his experience has become a source of momentum.

“For me personally, I’ve used my experience, I use it as propulsion. But I see other people still suffering in their grief and loss, and not sure what to do next,” Victor said. “The best way to push back against, I’ll say, Jew hate, demonizing Jews is to recognize when other people are feeling uncomfortable and pushed out of spaces, and to realize that some people are doing that.”

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.

‘Savvy’s Stuffies’: Girl’s ER visit sparks effort to support kids in difficult situations

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Mythili Gubbi

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    OGDEN, Utah (KSTU) — A little girl’s trip to the emergency room a few years ago inspired a family’s mission to help others. The Mack family is trying to help kids in scary situations, one stuffed animal at a time.

“It’s scary for little people; they just don’t know,” said Alex Wilson, the emergency room manager at Ogden Regional Medical Center.

Wilson says kids can be frightened at hospitals if they are hurt or if they see a sick loved one. So having something like a stuffed animal to give them can help calm kids down.

“It’s just that little extra something that helps, that gives them that comfort and makes things better,” said Wilson.

The nonprofit “Savvy’s Stuffies” is helping keep hospital shelves stocked with comfort bears for the staff to give out.

“We are donating stuffies to hospitals to make people smile,” said 7-year-old Savannah Mack. The nonprofit is named after her because of an experience they had a few years ago.

“February of 2022, Savannah fell and we had to take her to the hospital,” said her dad, Stephen Mack. “When she got there, all she wanted was her teddy bear. The medical staff there were so fast, so quick on their feet, they blew up a medical glove and drew a face on it, and gave it to her to comfort her.”

After that, they decided to find a way to help make sure every child gets the support they need.

In May, the Mack family brought almost 100 stuffed teddy bears to MountainStar Healthcare’s Ogden Regional Medical Center.

“We try and make smaller deliveries like this because we know you guys have only so much storage,” Stephen said.

The family says they have given more than 800 bears to different hospitals, foster care organizations and law enforcement agencies to hand out to kids.

“Makes us feel great to know that our teddy bears are going to a great cause and that they’ll help,” Stephen added.

Stephen said what they do is more than just about helping kids but also teaching his daughter valuable lessons.

“It’s not always about receiving; it’s good to think outside of ourselves and give back,” he said.

Hospital staff said what they do is making a difference, whether it’s to comfort kids or help explain to them what care could look like.

“It is so helpful for us to have just that little bit of something else that we know that we have, and that we can get it for them in a moment’s notice. To see those kids’ faces, it just lights up the room when you walk in with a little stuffed animal,” said Wilson.

“We just want to give as many teddy bears out as we can,” Stephen added.

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.

On this day in 1997: Timothy McVeigh was found guilty for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Jeff Stitt

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    Oklahoma (KOCO) — Twenty-nine years ago today, Timothy J. McVeigh was convicted on federal murder charges for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

On April 19, 1995, a bomb exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The blast killed 168 people and injured several hundred others. Among those who died were 19 children.

Referred to by the FBI as “the worst act of homegrown terrorism in the nation’s history,” the OKC Bombing shook the American public’s sense of security. It awakened the country to the dangers of domestic extremism and domestic terrorism.

On June 2, 1997, McVeigh was convicted on 11 counts of murder, conspiracy, and using a weapon of mass destruction. He was later sentenced to death and was executed in 2001.

What happened On the morning of the bombing, McVeigh, a former Army soldier, parked a rented truck filled with explosives in front of the building, according to the FBI.

As McVeigh got out of the truck, locked it, and headed towards a getaway car, he ignited a timed fuse before igniting another. The powerful bomb exploded at 9:02 a.m., FBI records show.

“Within moments, the surrounding area looked like a war zone. A third of the building had been reduced to rubble, with many floors flattened like pancakes. Dozens of cars were incinerated, and more than 300 nearby buildings were damaged or destroyed,” the FBI’s website dedicated to some of its most famous cases states.

Numerous state, local, and federal agencies responded to the scene and determined that the explosion was caused by a bomb. A third of the federal building was destroyed, and more than 300 nearby buildings had some kind of damage.

In addition to McVeigh, Terry L. Nichols, who was also an ex-Army soldier, was convicted in federal court later the same year. Both McVeigh and Nichols were associated with the extreme right-wing and militant Patriot movement. McVeigh said he targeted the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building to avenge the raid on Waco in Texas.

Nichols was convicted on Dec. 23, 1997, on federal charges of conspiracy and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter, and was later sentenced to life in prison. He was also found guilty on state murder charges in May 2004 and was sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

The federal building was razed following the tragedy, and a park and a national memorial were built on the site. This year, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum marks 25 years of remembrance.

CNN and KOCO contributed to this report.

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.

Mamdani repeals bedtime for New York City students during Knicks playoffs

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By WABC News Staff

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    NEW YORK, New York (WABC) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is making sure that New York City schools students can stay up late to watch the Knicks play in the NBA Finals.

The mayor was joined by a group of students Monday morning to sign an executive order that repeals bedtime so the kids can stay up late to watch the Knicks.

“Bedtime is repealed! All of you can watch the Finals,” the mayor declared.

Game 1 of the finals is Wednesday night on ABC 7.

After Mamdani signed the executive order, a group of children crowded around him at City Hall to “sign” it with their handprints.

On Wednesday, ahead of Game 1, Mornings @ 10 will be live from Madison Square Garden. Then at 7:30 p.m., we’ll have the Countdown to Tip-off. That’s followed by NBA Tip-off at 8:00 p.m., and then Game 1 starts at 8:30 p.m.

Plus, Ryan Field, Sam Ryan, and Anthony Johnson will all be on the road in San Antonio. You can watch their reports on Eyewitness News.

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.

Lionel Messi, Argentina turn Kansas City riverfront hotel into World Cup hotspot

CNN Newsource on June 2, 2026

By Eric Graves

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — The Argentina national team is settling in at a place not many would have imagined them being even a year ago.

The Origin Hotel along the Berkley Riverfront in Kansas City, Missouri, is decked out in Argentina colors and has two giant banners on the south side of the hotel featuring Messi’s face.

Most of the defending World Cup champions arrived from Argentina on Sunday morning at Kansas City International Airport.

However, the star of the show didn’t get in until that night. Messi arrived in a private jet from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Kansas City’s downtown airport.

As the team arrived at the Origin Hotel, so did international media and Argentina fans.

Come Monday morning, people living in some of the hundreds of apartments right next door to Argentina’s hotel started to notice something was up.

“I had no idea they were living this close to me,” said Belle Simecka, who was taking a walk along the riverfront with Kayla Ruther.

On their morning stroll, they also happened to see two team personnel in full Argentina apparel walking the same route.

“We were walking around today and we saw the coaches and you’re like, ‘They must be close by,'” said Ruther. “But we didn’t know where.”

More and more locals passed by the Origin Hotel. Some also didn’t realize Argentina would be so close. Others were well aware one of the best soccer players ever is now their new next-door neighbor.

Riverfront visitors Michael Taylor and Mary Brooks drove in from Overland Park to ride the streetcar for the day. They’re hoping Messi and Co. do the same and check out what Kansas City has to offer.

“They need to go to the Kauffman Center, Union Station,” said Brooks. “They need to go and walk the Plaza.”

As the day went on, the crowd outside the Origin Hotel grew. Argentina planned to leave the hotel at 5 p.m. to head to Compass Minerals National Performance Center for the team’s first training session in Kansas City.

Kansas City, Kansas, resident but native Argentine Jose Miguel stopped by for the second time on Monday, hoping to get a glimpse of or a picture with Messi.

“I never thought, you know, Kansas is going to be a place, they’re going to stay here,” Miguel said. “I love this, you know, yesterday we came, and we just tried to see him.”

Right around 5 p.m., players loaded onto a bus on the opposite side of the hotel from where the crowd was waiting.

Despite not seeing Messi board the motorcoach, fans outside still cheered loudly as the players, led by a KCK police escort, headed to their first training session.

Argentina will stay at the Origin Hotel throughout the World Cup, giving locals hope of seeing their new soccer superstar neighbors walking along the riverfront.

“I hope I go grab some coffee at 8 a.m. and I just run into Messi,” Simecka 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.