Men face combined 98 charges for alleged human trafficking, sex offenses

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Erin Hynes

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    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Kentucky (WLKY) — An investigation that began nearly two years ago into possible human trafficking and child sex offenses in Kentucky has led to the arrest of three men.

Kentucky State Police received reports in September 2024 of sexual contact and human trafficking involving three people and a minor.

After investigating, the men were indicted and face nearly 100 charges combined.

Christopher Firkins, 39, of Springfield, was arrested in April and charged with six counts of human trafficking – commercial sexual act (victim under 18), 12 counts of incest, 18 counts of unlawful transaction with a minor, six counts of sodomy, six counts of rape, and six counts of sexual abuse.

Samuel Firkins, 33, of Taylorsville, was arrested in May and charged with human trafficking for commercial sexual acts with a minor and sexual abuse. Court documents indicate that he posted a $10,000 bond on July 27.

Brandy Doyle, 41, of Mt. Washington, was arrested in July and charged with six counts of human trafficking – commercial sexual act (victim under 18), 18 counts of unlawful transaction with a minor, six counts of sodomy, six counts of rape, and six counts of sexual abuse.

All three suspects are set to appear in court on August 19.

KSP says the investigation is still ongoing.

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6-year-old girl, woman, bit by fox, officials say

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Jennifer Eagan and Peter Eliopoulos

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    WORCESTER, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Two people, including a young girl, were bitten by a fox on Thursday in Worcester, Massachusetts, officials said.

A woman said she was attacked by a gray fox around 8:45 a.m. behind a residence on Granite Street while she was playing with her grandchildren.

“I see something out of the corner of my eye and I didn’t have time to run so I just kicked, and it grabbed my foot and I tussled with it for a second to, like, get it off my foot and I just yanked it by the nape of the neck and I threw it across the yard,” Zena Bottom told NewsCenter 5.

She was taken to a local hospital with injuries to her foot and is expected to be OK.

Police said the fox was euthanized, and it will be sent to state officials for rabies testing.

This was not the only fox attack in Worcester.

On Wednesday night, authorities said a Janessa Pagan-Williams, 6, was bitten on the arm, finger, and leg, also on Granite Street.

She told NewsCenter 5 she was nearly dragged away by the fox.

“It growled at me, and then it came charging at my leg and it made me fall off the bike,” Pagan-Williams said. “It was biting my leg a little bit and then it got off my leg and it started biting my arm. After it went on my arm it made the tissue come out because it bit really hard. It went deep, deep, deep, into the tissue.”

Pagan-Williams’s brother saw the commotion and kicked the fox away.

“As soon as it bit my arm, it was trying to drag me,” she said. “I was like, really, really, scared.”

It’s unclear if it was the same fox that bit Bottom on Thursday.

Both Pagan-Williams and Bottom received rabies shots at the hospital.

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Community rolls fire truck into new home after four years of delays

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Raquel Ciampi

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    DORMONT, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — The Dormont Fire Department and residents gathered to ceremoniously push a rescue truck into the fire station garage.

The new truck marks the arrival of equipment the department has needed for years.

“It’s been a labor of love because we ordered it almost four years ago. Throughout COVID slowdowns and product delays, production delays, port delays — It’s been, it’s been a journey. But we finally brought it home today,” Dormont Fire Chief Jeffrey Stakich said.

The chief said the new truck offers more storage and upgraded resources, which will help the department better serve the neighborhood and strengthen its operations.

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A bucket of peppers, two guns and a stolen car: woman sentenced to prison

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Rachael Lardani

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    STRASBURG TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A York County woman was sentenced after she drove a stolen car containing stolen guns to a Lancaster County garden and began picking peppers without permission, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Kimberly Schwartz, 36, of York Township, will serve one and a half to five years in prison. She pleaded guilty on July 20 to the following charges:

– Three counts of receiving stolen property – Two counts of carrying firearms without a license – Burglary – Resisting arrest – Agricultural vandalism – Providing false identification to a law enforcement officer – Driving under the influence – Possessing a controlled substance – Seven other summary offenses

According to the district attorney’s office, the charges stem from an August 2025 incident in the 900 block of Strasburg Pike in Strasburg Township.

Investigators said Schwartz drove a stolen vehicle that was connected to the theft of two semiautomatic handguns.

Schwartz then drove to a residence’s property and took a five-gallon bucket from their garage, according to the district attorney. She then used the bucket to pick peppers from the victim’s garden without permission, officials said.

According to police, the resident told Schwartz that she was welcome to purchase the peppers, but Schwartz left without paying.

Investigators said Schwartz was found about an hour later driving in a parking lot in the area, and initially refused to identify herself before providing a false name. Police noted that Schwartz’s driver’s license was suspended due to a previous DUI conviction.

“Throughout the interaction Schwartz refused to follow troopers’ orders and was argumentative and combative,” the district attorney’s office said. “While being arrested Schwartz continued to pull her hands away while being handcuffed, failed to place her feet in the car and had to be assisted in doing so, unbuckled herself multiple times, refused to walk and ultimately was placed in a caged police vehicle due to safety concerns.”

According to police, troopers found a partially consumed bottle of alcohol and suspected methamphetamine in the stolen car.

Investigators said the stolen firearms were also recovered.

Authorities believe Schwartz was under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance at the time based on her behavior. The district attorney said she also refused to submit to chemical testing.

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City remembers ‘Bird Dog,’ a man whose bark made the whole town smile

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Justice Kennedy

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    HOPKINSVILLE, Kentucky (WTVF) — Hopkinsville is mourning the loss of a man known around town as “Bird Dog,” with friends and family gathering to honor his memory with what one friend described as a “final ride.”

Those who knew him say his outgoing personality, generosity and genuine spirit left a lasting mark on the community.

“He was definitely the kind of person we needed more of in Hoptown,” family friend Alexis Gillingham said.

For many in Hopkinsville, Bird Dog was instantly recognizable.

“Basically everybody in Hoptown knows him,” Alexis Gillingham said.

Zachary Gillingham said Bird Dog’s energy was contagious.

“You ride past that man, he gets to bark and he makes your day, that’s for sure,” Zachary Gillingham said. “So I want to make his day.”

His daughter, Tabitha Clark, said some of her earliest memories of him involved his outgoing personality around town.

“Everywhere we went in town he would be barking at people,” Clark said. “I would just think, ‘Oh my God, what is he doing?'”

Over time, she said she came to understand how much joy he brought to others.

Friends and loved ones say Bird Dog was known not only for making people smile, but also for helping others however he could.

“Even though he may not have much, he was gonna make sure that you had whatever he had,” Clark said. “If he had access to it, you had access to it.”

Denny Chilton said bringing Bird Dog’s ride out for the gathering was a way to pay tribute to him.

“Brought it over here for everybody to see as a final ride for him, I guess, in honor of him,” Chilton said.

Those closest to him say authenticity was one of his defining traits.

“He didn’t try to be somebody who wasn’t,” Clark said.

Stepdaughter Penny Garcia echoed that sentiment.

“He was genuine and he had a personality like no others and he didn’t hide it from anyone,” Garcia said.

Family members also described him as intelligent, compassionate and someone who naturally connected with people.

“We don’t have many people that just go around trying to make people laugh and smile,” Alexis Gillingham said.

Loved ones say while Bird Dog may be gone, the joy he brought to Hopkinsville will not be forgotten.

A Celebration of Life for 75 year old Charles Steven “Bird Dog” Paige of Hopkinsville will be held on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at King’s Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, August 14, 2026 at King’s Funeral Home.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Tenn. executes Anthony Darrell Hines for 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jenkins

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Holly Lehren, Aaron Cantrell and Alex Maxwell

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — Anthony Darrell Hines was executed by lethal injection Thursday morning for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jenkins. He was pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m. CDT.

His final words were: “Tell my son hello.”

Hines was convicted of stabbing Jenkins to death while she was working as a motel maid in Kingston Springs. Jenkins was 54 years old.

Hines was initially sentenced to death in 1986. He later won an appeal that resulted in a new sentencing hearing, but he was sentenced to death again in 1989.

The 66-year-old was executed three months after Tennessee called off the attempted execution of Tony Carruthers because of difficulties establishing an IV line.

Ahead of his own execution, Hines unsuccessfully asked the courts and Gov. Bill Lee to intervene. His attorneys raised concerns about the execution team and argued Hines could also be difficult to establish an IV on because he was thin and had experienced muscular atrophy after suffering two strokes.

During Carruthers’ attempted execution in May, the IV team was able to establish one line but spent more than an hour trying to place a backup. Attempts were made in his arm, hand and foot before the team tried to establish a central line.

Lee ultimately stopped Carruthers’ execution and granted him a one-year reprieve.

The state did not disclose whether the same doctor involved in Carruthers’ attempted execution would oversee Hines’ execution. The Tennessee Supreme Court rejected Hines’ challenge, finding he had not shown the doctor was unqualified and describing the earlier IV problems as an isolated incident.

Following Hines’ execution, his attorney Katherine Dix released a statement saying she grieved both for Jenkins’ family and for Hines:

“I’d like to start by saying that I grieve for the family of Catherine Jean Jenkins. May God be with you.

I also grieve the violence the State of Tennessee inflicted on us all today. On Darrell, of course, who was poisoned to death, just moments ago. On those of us required by our jobs to stand passively and watch Darrell be murdered. On the prison guards and officials whose jobs require them to participate. On Darrell’s son, who met Darrell four days ago for the first time and watched him die this morning. What we witnessed here today is not normal, and I urge us all to not become numb or indifferent to the cruelty.

Darrell’s family and his legal team cared for him deeply. He endured a childhood filled with the worst kinds of poverty and abuse. His family and community failed to make sure that he had enough food to eat and a safe and stable home. Darrell bore the scars of many years of abuse but could still make you laugh. He was a masterful storyteller. He loved fantasy books and the escape those stories provided. He was funny. He was loyal. He lived by a code. He was a child of God.

The leaders of this state repeatedly invoke the sanctity of life, but today the State put to death a man who was blind and paralyzed on his left side, could not walk, and was in constant pain. They lifted his body onto a gurney and wheeled him to the death chamber. May God have mercy on us all.”

Katherine Dix, attorney for Darrell Hines

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Inflation Cools, S&P Hits Record, Retail Sales Ahead

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Juliegrace Brufke | Quincy News Correspondent

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    Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: U.S. stocks rose Thursday after wholesale inflation came in cooler than expected. The Producer Price Index was unchanged in July, further reducing expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike in September. The S&P 500 gained 0.7% to close at a record high, the Nasdaq rose 0.8%, and the Dow edged up 0.1%.

Treasury yields fell following the inflation report, while Brent crude dropped about 2% Thursday. Technology stocks helped lead the market higher, with Sandisk gaining nearly 14% and Micron rising more than 4%.

Today’s Focus: Attention turns to the consumer Friday, with July retail sales due at 8:30 a.m. ET. The report will offer the latest look at how Americans are spending and the strength of consumer demand. Preliminary August consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan will follow at 10 a.m. ET, offering a look at how households view their finances and the broader economy, as well as where they expect prices to go.

ON THE SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2026

-8:30 a.m. ET – July retail sales

-10:00 a.m. ET – University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (preliminary)

-10:00 a.m. ET – June business inventories

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Warm ocean waters bring a surge of stingrays to Orange County beaches

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Michele Gile

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    ORANGE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Orange County beachgoers notice that there’s a lot of stingrays lately, and lifeguards say the warm water, especially in places where the surf is relatively calm, is contributing to a dramatic increase in the number of stingray incidents.

More than 3,100 people have been stung at Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beach so far this year, which is at least double last year’s total.

At Huntington city beach, 80 swimmers and surfers were injured just this week alone.

“Bolsa Chica has slightly a different angle at their beach and they’re not as exposed to that south-facing swell direction that we experience here at main beach, so it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve had an increase in stingray activity,” Huntington Beach Marine Safety Battalion Chief Derek Peters said.

Last Friday, researchers from Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab brought a net to Seal Beach and collected a few hundred stingrays in just one area.

Experts say there’s a marine heatwave off parts of the West Coast. It’s the third time on record that such a large swath of the Pacific Ocean has stayed warm for so long.

Newport Harbor High School students Marigold Kulik and Audrey Lauritzen made it out of the water at Huntington’s main beach without seeing one stingray.

“They’re scary, though. I don’t like them,” Kulik said.

Thermal bags are stored in the toolboxes on Huntington lifeguards’ trucks. Anyone who has felt the sharp barb of a stingray knows that scalding hot water is the treatment. Water poured into the bag for a foot bath brings much-needed relief.

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6 men arrested on suspicion of running child human trafficking operation in Modesto

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Jessica Baltaxe

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    MODESTO, California (KOVR) — Five men and one juvenile were arrested as part of a months-long human trafficking investigation involving minors in Stanislaus County, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said they will not release additional information on the victims due to their ages and California’s confidentiality laws.

The suspects were identified as Adonis Lartigue, 20, from Reno; as well as Haywood Moye, 21; Isaiah Amador, 18; Raginald Williams, 19; Terris Austin, 20; and one juvenile, all from Modesto.

The sheriff’s office said its Human Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force investigated subjects believed to be involved in commercial sex trafficking and rescued several sex trafficking victims over months. With the help of the Stanislaus County Probation Department and the Modesto Police Department, detectives say they connected the alleged operation to a Modesto apartment, where they said the suspects lived with the victims.

The five adult men were booked into the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Detention Center on suspicion of human trafficking of a minor and other sex trafficking-related charges, officials said. The underage suspect was booked into Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall on similar charges. All subjects are being held on different bail amounts based on their charges.

This year, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Human Exploitation and Trafficking detectives said they have rescued nine minor human trafficking victims, resulting in nine arrests.

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Oakland police release video of fatal officer shooting of man swinging homemade spears

CNN Newsource on August 14, 2026

By Carlos E. Castañeda

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    OAKLAND, California (KPIX) — The Oakland Police Department on Thursday released a compilation video of officer body camera footage of the fatal shooting last month of a man wielding two homemade spear-like devices at officers.

The incident happened at 2:12 p.m. on July 13 in a strip mall parking lot at 40th and International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood of East Oakland.

Minutes earlier, officers had responded to a call from California Highway Patrol officers who had encountered a man at a homeless encampment along State Route 185 next to 42nd Avenue and south of San Leandro Street. CHP bodycam video showed the man, identified as 43-year-old Jose Castillo, refusing an officer’s command for him to drop his weapons, which were two large knives each attached to long poles.

“You’re detained right now,” the officer says. “You need to drop those right now.”

The man instead held up the makeshift spears and verbally threatened the CHP officers, prompting the other officer to point his service weapon at Castillo, who then walked away toward SR 185. Oakland police officers then found him in the area of 12th Street and 41st Avenue, and he continued to refuse multiple commands to drop the weapons while threatening officers and quickly walking away from them.

At one point, the video shows a bystander and two young children crouching behind a tree on the sidewalk on 41st Avenue as Castillo walked toward them just before an officer holding a stun gun blocked his path. Other officers also converged at the location along 41st Avenue to follow him as he kept refusing commands to drop the weapons.

“I don’t have to do nothing,” Castillo is heard saying. “Leave me alone! I’m leaving!”

As he approached International Boulevard, Castillo walked into a strip mall parking lot and then turned around to face the officers, at least two of whom shot him with their stun guns.

The video shows Castillo temporarily becoming disabled, but he then takes off the backpack and begins swinging the spears at the officers, who opened fire on him multiple times from about 15 to 20 feet away.

Castillo was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said investigators were seeking the public’s help in finding his next of kin.

On the day of the shooting, Oakland Police Chief James Beere said two officers discharged their firearms. The officers were not identified.

Police said as per protocol, the shooting will be investigated separately by the department’s internal affairs unit and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. The city’s Community Police Review Agency is also investigating the shooting.

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