Category: CNN Regional

By Darren Cunningham

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    ROMULUS, Michigan (WXYZ) — Spirit Airlines employees who just got the ax are trying to navigate a new reality after the company shut down abruptly this weekend.

Many are in the process of filing for unemployment and wondering what comes next.

The Spirit ticket and check-in counter at Detroit Metro Airport is a ghost town.

Dayneen Daniels and Latasha Green spent their Monday afternoon at Michigan Works in Wayne. They weren’t checking in for a shift. They were filing for unemployment benefits. Both are former Spirit ticket and gate agents.

While the airline has faced financial turbulence before, they said this final descent caught them completely off guard.

“I thought of it as nothing. I’m thinking we’ll be fine. I go to work Friday, Saturday no work,” Daniels said.

They said the realization didn’t come from a manager or a memo, but it came from watching the news.

The pair said they didn’t receive an official notification until just before noon on Saturday, well after the headlines had already broken the news.

“I’m just thinking how am I going to take care of my son. That’s mainly what was on my mind,” Green said.

While their source of income has disappeared, the bills haven’t. Daniels said she’s turned to crowdfunding and started a GoFundMe while she works to land a new job.

“I did start applying for other jobs. Aviation jobs, customer service jobs, secretarial skills job, different jobs like that,” Green explained.

Daniels said, “We actually loved our job. We loved working for Spirit. We loved dealing with all the different customers, people from all walks of life.”

“I loved it. Honestly, I was ready to go to work every morning,” Green added. “And I’m really affected by this. Like that really hurt my heart.”

The heartbreak is shared by those who spent their careers in the cabin. Sherri Mercier was also at Michigan Works trying to navigate a complex unemployment system while processing the loss of a 12-year career.

“We had some of the best passengers. We had some of the most amazing people,” she said. “I had gotten in from working 12 hours, a red-eye and I couldn’t take my uniform off. I cried all day, and it wasn’t until about 8 o’clock that I finally took it off because I knew that was the last time.”

For flight attendants, the “start over” is particularly daunting. Decades of seniority and pay scales effectively evaporated overnight.

“My friends that are now family, they’ve been here 20, 25, 28 years and it’s just, we’re flight attendants and starting over, you start over at the bottom,” Mercier said.

As employees fight to be paid for accrued paid time off, she said they’ve been told they will only receive pay for time worked.

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 WXYZ Web Team

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    ST. CLAIR SHORES, Michigan (WXYZ) — Storms with strong winds and hail caused damage in Southeast Michigan Monday night.

A tree fell onto a home around 8:30 p.m. in St. Clair Shores near 13 Mile Road and Jefferson Avenue, crushing it. The home was vacant at the time.

The exact cause of the tree falling is unclear at this time. First respnders put caution tape around the home.

Martin Ender spoke with 7 News Detroit and said his sister had owned the home before she died. The family was selling the house and an agreement was made with buyers the day before.

The family is figuring out what is next.

“I can’t believe how bad it was. I just thought it was the awning, but it’s way beyond the awning,” Ender said.

Ender said he will fully assess the property in the morning for next steps.

In Roseville, a tree snapped in half and slammed into the roof of a home between 10 Mile Road and Curtis Street. The homeowner told us it was the strongest, fastest wind she’s ever felt. She says she’s thankful for homeowners insurance.

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 Kelly Doty

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    BUNCOMBE COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Five suspects face charges in what the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office called an AT&T wire theft ring that caused widespread outages across the county.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation began in December 2025.

Working in partnership with AT&T personnel, the sheriff’s office said detectives found several burn and wire-stripping sites in Swannanoa and the Leicester community, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cut wire.

The sheriff’s office said Travis Warren Glenn was charged with two counts of felony larceny, two counts of injury to utility wires/fixtures and two counts of injuring property to obtain nonferrous metals and posted a $20,000 bond. He was then charged with two more counts of felony larceny and two counts of injury to utility wires/fixtures and posted a $25,000 bond.

Justin Bryant Banks was arrested and charged with obtaining property by false pretenses, two counts of financial card fraud, attempting to obtain property by false pretenses, felony conspiracy, financial card theft, hit and run/failure to stop with property damage, no liability insurance and driving while license revoked and was issued a $10,000 bond.

The sheriff’s office said Banks also has three active warrants, including injury to utility wires/fixtures, injuring property to obtain nonferrous metals and felony larceny.

Sheron Nicole Nelon was charged with injury to utility wires/fixtures, injuring property to obtain nonferrous metals, felony larceny and felony conspiracy. Authorities said she posted a $50,000 bond.

Joseph Clay Bryant was charged with obtaining property by false pretenses and felony larceny. He was issued a $5,000 bond.

Kevin Michael Fox was charged with injuring property to obtain nonferrous metals, misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen property. He was issued a $5,000 bond.

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 Montse Ricossa

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    FRANKLIN, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Police departments across Wisconsin are warning students to be mindful of the community as many play the nationwide game “Senior Assassin,” or “Paranoia.”

It’s where students are assigned a “target” and have one week to shoot them with a water gun. Nicolet High School Senior Abraham Olson described it as “March Madness but with squirt guns.”

However, the popular game has caused some disruptions across our hometowns. Franklin police responded to two incidents Monday morning, May 4, that were connected to the game called “Paranoia” being played by students at Franklin High School, according to the department.

The first was around 6:40 a.m. for a report of a naked man with a gun in the middle of the street, which led to what was described as a “high-risk traffic stop” that disrupted the morning commute.

“We were very concerned, especially with the morning commute, especially with children on buses and at bus stops in that area,” shared Franklin Police Officer Gary Wallace.

He was one of about a dozen officials who responded to the neighborhood, preparing for the worst. “We ran out of the station, concerned we were responding to a really serious issue. It was in the back of our minds, and even spoken, that this may be a case of the ‘Paranoia’ game,” he shared.

Officers determined the individual and a passenger were participating in the game. The student was arrested and cited for disorderly conduct. The reason for being naked? It’s a loophole, as there’s a rule accepted between students that if you’re without clothes (like when showering), then you cannot be eliminated.

“A lot of people in the community are frustrated about the resources that were being tied up this morning. So we asked again the participants, please keep in mind the effect of what you’re doing has on the community.” — Officer Gary Wallace

A second situation in Franklin involved several shirtless people arguing outside a residence and making threats.

Police departments including Monroe, Columbus, and Twin Lakes put out statements surrounding the game, with warnings for students.

In Germantown on April 16, police responded to a call of armed suspects, matching descriptions for what turned out to be 16 and 18-year-olds playing the “Senior Assassin” game.

“You guys have got to be kidding me — wearing masks and hiding outside an apartment complex playing a stupid game?” said one of the officers. Another officer pointed out that from down the road, where they were looking for the armed suspects, it was hard to tell that the “weapons” were actually water guns. The students can be seen in body camera video apologizing to the officers, asking if they’d get detention. The four students were eventually allowed to go home, after calls to their parents.

Officer Wallace reminds kids to be mindful of how they’re perceived: “You need to be respectful. You need to be aware of the disturbance that you’re creating. Have fun, but be mindful of everyone else around you, too.”

While there are warnings to be safe, Officer Wallace acknowledged the game could be fun if played correctly. That was echoed by Nicolet High School senior Abraham Olson and his mom, Julie Olson.

“I’d say it gets pretty serious. Some people are hiding out in their houses all day long or getting their parents to drive them around places, decoy cars, leaving their phones at home,” said Abraham. About 200 of his classmates play the game, which is set up on an app, assigning everyone their “targets.”

For the Olsons though, it’s a way for the family to get involved and have fun. Julie explained that she and her husband have a “decoy car” so her son could make it to work, as the only “safe zones” are school, home, work, and places of worship.

While Julie acknowledged there may be disruptions in neighborhoods with kids running around, “You have to take it for what it is. It’s seniors celebrating their last days of being kids and having this fun game.”

Franklin police said they must respond to such calls with full precautions, regardless of context, noting similar incidents across the country have had serious outcomes. The department is asking parents and community members to talk to young people about potential consequences.

Franklin High School put out a statement on May 4 that read in part:

“This activity is strictly prohibited on school property. Students and families should be aware that participation that leads to police involvement could carry legal consequences which impact a student’s eligibility for school athletics and activities under the Athletics & Activities Co-Curricular Code of Conduct.

We strongly encourage families to speak with their students about making safe, respectful, and responsible choices. As always, student safety is our top priority, and we appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations. If you have concerns about unsafe behavior in the community, please contact the Franklin Police Department directly. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students.”

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 Meredith Hackler

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    MADISON, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Evie McClenny and her dog Ernie are starting a new life together. Evie adopted Ernie after getting involved in the effort to relocate the Ridglan dogs a month ago. Evie came all the way from Omaha, Nebraska, to advocate for the beagles.

After following the efforts online for a few months, Evie decided to fly to Wisconsin to be a part of the group of advocates who tried to take beagles from Ridglan Farms.

She said, “I believe in science, I do. I think there is a way to do it without having outcomes like this.”

McClenny took part in what the advocates are calling the “open-air rescue,” which led to several people being arrested. While she wasn’t arrested, she says things did get physical with law enforcement.

“Myself and hundreds and hundreds of people included got brutalized by private security, the police. I mean, I was pepper sprayed in point-blank range, teargassed, zip-tied,” McClenny said.

But that didn’t stop her. She came back last week to volunteer to help with the 1,500 dogs that were taken from Ridglan Farms. And while she was doing that, she met Ernie and knew he was her dog.

“I was like, no, I need to come, I need to come back out here and be a part of helping transporting the dogs,” added McClenny. “Luckily, Big Dog Rescue was amazing, and they knew a little bit of my story, and they were like, no, you deserve to take one home.”

When she met Ernie, there was an instant connection. Now, she’s excited to show him the world.

“He is just going to explore the world. Literally, three days ago was his first time he’s ever been outside.”

Evie says she thinks Ernie’s vocal cords have been cut because he hasn’t made a sound since she got him. She will know more once she takes him to her vet back home. In the meantime, she’s looking forward to advocating for the remaining 500 dogs still at Ridglan Farms. She hopes the amount of national attention that Ridglan Farms is getting will lead to changes in the law.

“I’m incredibly happy, excited, and relieved these dogs are finally out,” McClenny said. “I’m also furious that it took hundreds of everyday people from across the country to step in when the legal system didn’t. People showed up, put their lives on hold, and many, including myself, were brutalized by excessive force for simply trying to save these dogs. Yes, we helped save these beagles. But only because the legal system failed them.”

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 Julie Sharp

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A bear meandered through a neighborhood near the Hansen Dam in Pacoima on Monday morning, scaling fences and snooping in backyards before it was tranquilized by wildlife officials and transported back to the Angeles National Forest.

Aerial footage showed the bear in the area of Borden Avenue and Terra Bella Street, surprising neighbors, exciting dogs, and causing a brief lockdown of the Sara Coughlin Elementary School campus.

At one point, the bear was seen eating from dog bowls in the backyard of one home, then continued along its way.

Law enforcement and California Department of Fish and Wildlife representatives monitored the approximate 275-pound bear as it strolled through the neighborhood. Officials say it’s between 3 and 4 years old, and is likely the same bear spotted in the Hansen Dam area just a day earlier, climbing trees and resting nearby.

Efforts to get the bear back home were underway after it was struck with a tranquilizer, leaving it motionless on a fence.

The bear was safely lowered from the fence and moved to a trailer so it could be relocated.

“I think they come looking for food, but in a way, people panic, you know?” Pacoima resident Isidro Mendoza said.

Officials said the bear did not show any aggressive behavior, and it was ear-tagged before returning to its natural habitat.

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.