Category: CNN Regional

By Allie Ware

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — James Knowles and Markeeta Coleman, both employed, are facing homelessness in Jackson due to different circumstances, highlighting the struggles of the “working homeless.”

Knowles, who has battled drug addiction for more than half his life, left a home he shared with his sister during his recovery three years ago.

“I understood the pressure I put on her being a single mom trying to put him through school,” Knowles said.

He was introduced to his first homeless encampment and found solace in the freedom it provided.

“One day led to two; led three, and then I put myself up a tent,” he said. “Not that rushed fast-paced 9-5 — to be here at 8 a.m., get off at 4:30 p.m. — and the bills. The car might have gas, might not. Then utilities getting cut off, and might get evicted next month. I don’t have those worries right now.”

Knowles works at a retail store and volunteers when he is not working.

Across town, Coleman found herself homeless after withholding rent at the troubled Blossom Apartments due to unresolved water issues.

“I had just faced homelessness, so it’s not like I don’t want to pay my rent. I want to pay, but I don’t want to not have water,” Coleman said.

She was evicted after facing a judge for not paying rent, and the eviction on her record prevents her from leasing another apartment.

“In an apartment, you are paying rent, lights and maybe Wi-Fi, if you have it, but in a house, it’s rent, lights, gas and water,” she said.

Coleman, who has a job and lives in a house, struggles to pay bills each month while caring for her four children with special medical needs.

“The room to be able to bring my children to do things is never there,” she said. “When I am at work, I’m having a great time because every minute I look at the clock, I know I am one step closer to paying my rent.”

Knowles and Coleman are among the “working homeless,” a group that, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, includes approximately 40–60% of people experiencing homelessness who are employed. And the city of Jackson has the highest number of people experiencing homelessness in Mississippi, according to the Central Mississippi Continuum of Care’s 2023 Point in Time Count report.

The circumstances differ for Knowles and Coleman, but both are working to break stigmas. Knowles challenges perceptions of the homeless population.

“Drug addict, thief, worthless, don’t want to work, want to live off someone else’s paycheck or going to steal their car when they go in the store,” he said. “None of it easy. It’s difficult. Every part of being homeless takes effort: where you are going to eat, hygiene, clothes.”

Coleman has the added struggle of single motherhood.

“A lot of people are embarrassed about asking for help, but I didn’t choose this life for myself,” she said.

Despite their struggles, both Knowles and Coleman express a desire to give back to others in similar situations.

“These guys are my brothers. This is my chosen family,” Knowles said. “Unless I can take them with me, I am right here with them.”

“To me, that would be the peak of success to be able to help other people and not have it affect how my children are going to eat,” Coleman said.

Advocates for homeless individuals say more working families are now more than ever just one unexpected expense away from losing their homes.

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 Zoe Blair

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    TALLADEGA, Alabama (WVTM) — The Talladega High School baseball team is preparing for its first game of the season next Thursday against Gaylesville, despite a recent fire that caused significant damage to the equipment building.

Robert Duncan, the Talladega High School baseball coach, admires his team’s resilience.

“Just the fact that they’re out here and excited about it in the midst of this,” Duncan said. “Adversity is one thing, but how you respond to adversity now is another thing.”

He noted that the team is “having to go around and scrape up baseballs to get work in.”

The building was full of their cleats, uniforms, baseballs, gloves—everything they need to play a game. Some students are practicing in slides and Crocs and the team is uncertain about which field they’ll call home this season.

Talladega City Schools Superintendent Dr. Quentin Lee described the fire as heartbreaking for both the school system and the students.

“It’s a devastating loss. This is home court, especially for the seniors who want to play their last season at home,” he said. “So we’re just trying to figure out where we go next as far as trying to rebuild, what do we need to do just to keep them on the right path. I do know they’ve reached out to a nearby community, and they’re going to allow us to hopefully play a lot of our home games there until we get this kind of figured out. We’re very optimistic.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it is being treated as a potential arson, according to Lee.

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 Scott McDonnell

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    ENFIELD, Maine (WMTW) — “Everything you see in back of us here is new,” said Jason Brochu of Pleasant River Lumber.

Between this mill in Enfield and another in Dover-Foxcroft, Pleasant River Lumber produces about 130 million board feet of lumber each year. The operation employs around 300 Mainers with jobs tied to logging, trucking, cabinet-making and log home businesses.

Reaching that level of production required a major investment.

“Since 2018, we’ve put in about 100 now, probably $80 million on this site alone,” said Chris Brochu of Pleasant River Lumber.

Inside the mill, the results are hard to miss. Advanced technology now drives nearly every step of the process.

“There’s a machine control, there’s computers, there’s cameras that are, that are basically taking visual images,” said Burley Higgins of Pleasant River Lumber.

Every single board is analyzed, measured and mapped down to the last knot.

“Right now, we’re running at approximately 100 boards per minute,” Higgins said.

The mill produces enough lumber to build roughly two houses every hour. Precision is key in an industry where margins matter.

Mills like this are a major driver of Maine’s forest products industry, which contributed $8.3 billion to the state’s economy in 2024, according to the Maine Forest Products Council.

“Sawmills, you know, in particular the way that they feed the forest economy, you know, every part of the forest economy is important, right? From the land all the way to the paper mills and all the different aspects of it,” Jason Brochu said. “Sawmills are right in the middle of it. And the, you know, 100% of the raw material we get comes locally.”

That raw material is plentiful.

“It’s around 22 billion trees that are growing right now,” said Krysta West of the Maine Forest Products Council.

Maine is the most forested state in the nation, with 88% of the state covered by trees.

“Maine has an abundance of wood. We have proximity to some of the wealthiest and most dense populations in the world, and we’ve got a workforce that is used to working,” West said.

Protecting that resource has been a priority.

For nearly two decades in Maine, the number of trees growing has outpaced the number being cut. For every tree harvested, about one and a half trees grow back.

For Pleasant River Lumber, owners say protection comes not just from forest management, but from trade policy.

“Canada produces way more lumber than they need, so they’ve got to dump it somewhere. And we can’t compete with that,” Jason Brochu said.

U.S. producers argue that Canada subsidizes its lumber industry and sells wood at unfairly low prices. Duties and tariffs imposed on Canadian lumber, they say, help level the playing field.

“That one thing gave us the confidence to add the second shift here and put the investment in the over. Yeah, of it’s going to be a $7.5 million investment,” Chris Brochu said.

From the forest floor to finished lumber, investment, innovation and protection are shaping the future of Maine’s forest economy.

“Our goal is to keep logs that are cut in Maine, in Maine, process and get all the economic benefit of them, grow our mills,” Jason Brochu said. “There’s a lot of capacity for Maine to grow.”

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 John Atwater

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    BELMONT, Massachusetts (WCVB) — The quick response of a middle school basketball coach in Belmont, Massachusetts, saved the life of an opposing coach who was having a heart attack during a game last Thursday night.

Belmont Middle School coach Ian Haffer was on the sidelines during a boys basketball game against Waltham’s John F. Kennedy Middle School when coach Ronnie Poirier fell face down about three minutes into the game.

“Everyone was just unsure of what was going on,” Haffer said. “I noticed his lips were purple, he wasn’t breathing, you know, I kind of said, ‘We need an AED, we need to call 911.'”

Haffer’s training as a doctor immediately kicked in as he removed Poirier’s shirt and put the AED pads on Poirier’s chest.

“I was on with the dispatcher and the dispatcher was talking me through it, and goes, ‘Okay, get the AED,'” said Reed Bundy, a parent. “And before I could even tell them to do that, Ian had already done that.”

Officials confirm Poirier had suffered a heart attack and credit Haffer’s quick action for saving the Waltham coach’s life.

Although Poirier is still recovering at the hospital, he said he’s “beyond grateful” for Haffer and the support he’s received.

Poirier told NewsCenter 5 he’s waiting on some more hospital testing before he’s released.

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 Jamy Pombo Sesselman

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    HOLBROOK, Massachusetts (WCVB) — An emergency dispatcher in Massachusetts is being celebrated for helping save the life of a 4-year-old girl.

A 911 call came into the Holbrook Regional Emergency Communications Center on Monday night, reporting the child had stopped breathing.

“We’re going to do CPR, OK?” asked Dispatcher Sophia Zervos. “Are you with your child right now?”

“Yes,” the caller answered.

“I want you to put the heel of your hand in the center of their chest, right between the nipples, and you’re going to push down hard and fast, 2 inches in depth,” Zervos told the caller. “OK? We’re going to start now. I’m going to count with you.”

Zervos counted for the caller as they followed her instructions.

“Ready? Go. One, two, three, four, five, six,” she counted as the girl’s family followed her instructions.

“You’re doing a great job,” Zervos said. “Everyone’s already on the way. How’s she doing? Is she breathing?”

One of the child’s crying family members answered no. Her heart was beating but she still wasn’t breathing.

“Take a second,” said Zervos. “Stop compressions, and see if her chest is rising and falling. OK?”

She still wasn’t breathing. The caller resumed compressions. Zervos again counted out for the family as they performed CPR.

After two rounds of chest compressions, her family noticed the child’s stomach moving. She threw up and started to breathe again. Zervos told them to turn the child on her side so she wouldn’t choke.

“Awesome job,” she told the relieved family.

The child closed her eyes, but she was breathing. Then the young child started to cry.

“Is that her crying?” Zervos asked.

The family confirmed the child was awake and breathing on her own.

“I want you to watch her breathing for me,” Zervos said. “I want you to make sure she’s getting some good deep breaths and she’s breathing on her own.”

Once crews arrived, she was taken to the hospital.

“Sophia Zervos handled this call with absolute professionalism and integrity,” said HRECC Director Steve Hooke. “While every call is handled by a true team of emergency professionals, this particular incident exemplifies our daily mission. I have no doubt that Dispatcher Zervos saved a life yesterday. Our team’s dedication to public safety spans every moment of every day, but this phone call really put us to the test. Dispatcher Zervos and our team passed with flying colors.”

According to the family, the child is doing much better and recovering at a local hospital.

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 Caitlyn Scott

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    SOUTH GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — The chief of a western Pennsylvania fire department is facing charges after officials said he allegedly stole thousands from his own department’s bank account.

The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office said Matthew White was in custody in South Carolina on Wednesday.

A criminal complaint said White, chief of the South Greensburg Fire Department, had purchased “donations” using the station’s bank account. He then allegedly transferred those funds to his personal bank account.

The complaint said that from 2023 to now, White allegedly stole roughly $178,000.

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 has reached out to the department for more information. We have yet to hear back.

An arrest warrant has been issued. Court documents said that White will face theft charges.

An online inmate listing for the Pickens County Detention Center in South Carolina showed that White was arrested Tuesday. A note saying “hold for other agency for out of state agency” is included on the post.

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By Caleb Califano

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    LAKE WORTH BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Last week’s cold snap across the Beaches and Treasure Coast has dramatically reduced the iguana population, according to Steve Kavashansky, owner of Iguana Busters, who estimates a 30% reduction in their numbers.

“Every bit of help that we can get from Mother Nature is going to help us. It’s going to help the environment, it’s going to help the residents of South Florida,” Kavashansky said.

Last week’s cold snap caused iguanas across Florida to become cold-stunned, leading to thousands being brought in by people across Florida. Kavashansky reported picking them up by the hundreds, but this week, the situation has changed.

“We would probably estimate that the cold snap had affected about 30% of the population of iguanas,” Kavashansky said.

He explained that the green reptiles often seen scurrying across backyards have been significantly reduced due to the cold.

“We come out here and it used to be you can see as far as the eye could see down the canal bank, we probably have 30 or 40, 50 iguanas. This morning I only counted seven,” Kavashansky said.

Kavashansky noted that the group of iguanas hit hardest by the cold were the alpha males, the big orange ones, because they usually stay in trees.

“Those big orange ones, those guys are seven, eight, nine, 10. Even older. That’s how old those, those guys were. So they’ve been around for a while. They’ve been around since the last cold front,” he said.

Despite the reduction, Kavashansky cautioned against expecting a significant decrease in the invasive species in the state come spring and summer.

“What we’re seeing is the smaller iguanas and the female iguanas, and they’re still carrying their eggs. So they are very resilient. They are getting acclimated to the cooler weather, and 30% of the population’s a drop in the bucket. A lot of the females survived, and they’re still carrying their eggs, and they’re getting ready to put them in a hole,” he 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 Greg Fox

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — Text messages obtained by WESH 2 from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provide new insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of the investigation into last fall’s death of a Universal Orlando theme park guest.

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala was a theme park lover and roller coaster enthusiast who was thrilled to finally get the chance to ride the new Stardust Racers at Epic Universe. But when the ride rolled to a stop Sept. 17, Zavala, who had a spinal cord condition and several prior back and leg surgeries, was unresponsive.

Zavala’s girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, told deputies that on the first drop, Zavala partially came up out of his seat and hit his head on the metal bar in front of them. As the ride continued, Cruz-Robles said he “continually hit his head on the bar in front of them as the ride descended,” an Orange County Sheriff’s office report says.

An autopsy found Zavala died of multiple blunt impact injuries.

Soon after the emergency was signaled at Epic Universe, the senior management analyst at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the state agency that oversees ride safety, was texting with one of the lead ride inspectors for the agency to put him on the case.

Michelle Faulk, who is also bureau chief for fair rides and inspections, texted central Florida-based ride inspector Mark Gonzalez, “FYI death called in on stardust racer. Appears to be a cardiac episode. Could be one hell of a day tomorrow!”

Gonzalez, a ride safety veteran, also investigated the death of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who fell from the Free Fall ride on International Drive March 24, 2022.

Gonzalez texted back to Faulk, “I volunteer to go out there if needed.”

After Faulk agreed, she added, “I’m not sure if the capital will want someone out there. Not something we normally do, but this is the first for this commissioner, so no idea what his intentions will be.”

Faulk was referencing Agriculture Commissioner and former Senate President Wilton Simpson.

In a later text after gathering more information, Faulk said to Gonzalez, “Larger gentleman was said to have gone limp early on in the ride cycle. G-forces are intense on that ride.”

Stardust Racers was shut down for the investigation, which, according to the text messages, was headed by Universal Orlando’s vice president of technical services, Brandon Bauman.

On Sept. 19, two days after Zavala’s death, Gonzalez texted Faulk, “Their data review was all within parameters. They are going to keep it down pending (manufacturer) input).”

The State team also took issue with an inaccurate statement by Zavala family attorney Ben Crump during his Sept. 24 news conference. He said Zavala was sitting in the front of the coaster.

In a text message to Gonzalez, Faulk asked, “Listening to the press conference, was he (Zavala) in the front seat?” Gonzalez replied, “Front seat of the 5th carrier.”

Regardless of the State messaging following the tragedy, the sheriff’s office closed the case in December, ruling the death accidental.

A ride safety expert who spoke with WESH 2 in December, Bill Kitchen, said there’s no reason for people who meet the physical conditions for boarding to worry about their safety on Stardust Racers.

Kitchen added, “It’s a good product, built by good people. And I don’t see any reason at all to believe there was negligence on the part of Universal.”

A message to the office of Crump was not returned.

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By Tia Greene

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    BENTONVILLE, Arkansas (KHBS, KHOG) — Kitten season is nearing and shelters and rescues are preparing.

Volunteers and shelter workers received hands-on training Tuesday to care for kittens and build foster networks to help move kittens quickly from shelters to loving homes.

Marine Russ, founder of the National Kitten College, said kittens require specialized care.

“When a kitten comes into the shelter that’s not old enough to be sterilized, they require resources that shelters often don’t have because they’re already so stretched,” Marnie Russ said.

Foster families allow kittens to grow to a point where they can be sterilized and placed up for adoption.

“The problem with these neonates is they have no immune system, they’re too little, and so when you’re in a shelter with all of the germs, that is an automatic issue for them,” Russ said.

Laura Smith has worked with Fayetteville Animal Services for two years.

She said their program is limited, but they’re hoping the training will expand their resources.

“We’re learning more about resources that are available to us, such as foster resources, videos they are able to watch so they can learn more and readily go back to,” Laura Smith said.

Smith said the support is urgent.

“Resources to help train our fosters, resources for medicine and food supplements for them,” Smith 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.