Category: CNN Regional

By Sydnee Scofield

Click here for updates on this story

    FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) — Two sisters are facing charges after a crash in Fayetteville killed three E.E. Smith High School football players and left one of the sisters critically injured.

The crash happened two weeks ago on Rosehill Road, shortly after football practice. Fayetteville police say 21-year-old Dymond Monroe and her 19-year-old sister Destini Genwright were on their way to their younger brother’s 18th birthday party with several E.E. Smith football players riding with them.

Investigators say Monroe’s Honda Civic ran off the road and crashed, killing three teen passengers, 18-year-old Jai-Hyon Elliot, 17-year-old Nicholas Williams and 17-year-old Trevor Merritt. Monroe was left in critical condition.

Court documents allege Genwright was driving 76 mph in a 45 mph zone. Investigators believe both sisters were racing in separate cars.

Assistant Fayetteville Police Chief Todd Joyce said the tragedy has had a deep emotional impact not just on families, but on first responders as well.

“It affects everyone involved. It affects, you know, everyone from the initial 911 that came in to those telecommunications who are dispatching the officers to the officers who responded, medical personnel, our firefighters, anyone who came to the scene that night,” he said.

In the days after the crash, the Fayetteville community gathered to grieve and honor the teens.

This week, the legal consequences began. On Wednesday morning, Destini Genwright appeared in court for a brief hearing to be formally advised of the charges against her: four misdemeanors related to racing, speeding, reckless driving, and an insurance violation.

Monroe, who remains hospitalized in critical condition, is also facing four misdemeanor charges – along with three felony counts of involuntary manslaughter. She has not yet had a court date set.

Assistant Chief Joyce said this crash highlights the stakes for drivers every time they get behind the wheel.

“I hope that it is an ever-present reminder for the individuals when they’re driving – don’t do something that can result in you being hurt, a friend or a family member being injured, or, unfortunately, what we see when we lost three young lives two weeks ago,” he said.

Genwright is expected back in court in December. Monroe does not have a court date set yet as she remains in the hospital.

Please note: 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 Audra Schroeder , Ethan Stein

Click here for updates on this story

    MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WPTV) — The Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is investigating a rooftop burglary that took place at the Treasure Coast Mall on Tuesday morning, and the thieves reportedly made off with the stolen goods through a hole cut in the roof.

MCSO provided photos of the discarded items on the roof of the mall, showing the damage to the concrete and some boxes of Nike and New Balance sneakers piled up.

They say the thieves got away with thousands of dollars in merch, after dropping into a Champs Sports. The stolen merch was then bagged and thrown off the roof to a getaway vehicle.

Sheriff John Budensiek told WPTV the crime “appears to be right out of ‘Mission Impossible,'” and that the suspects spent a “decent amount of time” between Monday night and Tuesday morning cutting into the concrete and metal on the roof.

He says the suspects stole between 400 to 500 pairs of shoes, though he says the number they actually got away with was roughly 300 to 400 pairs.

They went after the high-dollar shoes,” said Budensiek.

A Champs employee called 911 on Tuesday to report the crime, and documents WPTV obtained show he noted he found the store’s backroom a mess, then looked up and found the hole in the roof. The sheriff said that from the ground, mall security could not see anyone on the roof.

The sheriff’s office estimates it will cost $10,000 to repair the hole.

MCSO asks anyone who has information about the incident to call them at 772-220-7060 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-TIPS.

Please note: 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 Xavier Wherry

Click here for updates on this story

    TOWSON, Maryland (WMAR) — A family-owned Baltimore bagel shop is making waves in the college sports world by offering student-athletes something different than cash: free food and genuine mentorship.

Bagel Works, owned by Samantha Jean Cola and her husband for 26 years, recently signed their first female athlete through a Name, Image and Likeness partnership with Towson University women’s basketball senior India Johnston.

Unlike traditional NIL deals that focus on monetary compensation, Bagel Works took a different approach that reflects their values as a small business.

“We took a different approach because we’re a small business. We don’t have thousands and thousands of dollars to give out in all transparency, but we have a great product, so we were confident in that,” Cola said.

The partnership extends far beyond free meals. Cola emphasized their genuine commitment to helping student-athletes succeed both during and after college.

“The number one reason is because we really genuinely care about these athletes. We’re there to help them, to help them through school, to help them write resumes, the things that they’re going to have to do after college sports,” Cola said.

For Johnston, the partnership represents something more valuable than money.

“Their food is amazing, so I mean you can’t go wrong with that, and then another part, money isn’t everything, you know, like. Another way to my heart is food, to be honest,” Johnston said.

The relationship has proven meaningful for both sides, with the Bagel Works owners regularly attending Johnston’s games to show their support.

“I just like the way they carry themselves and I like, I really like how they, what they value, you know, it’s rare to come across really nice genuine people and not only do they say they support me but they were at home games,” Johnston said.

Johnston and the Tigers women’s basketball team played their first game November 4 against Virginia Tech. Cola says Bagel Works remains excited to partner with more student-athletes throughout the Baltimore community.

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

Please note: 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 Allie Kaiser

Click here for updates on this story

    FORT MYERS, Florida (WFTX) — On weekdays at Sheas West, you can find some of the bar’s regulars, like Kimmie Asher.

“It’s like family,” she said.

Asher says the bar owners, Heather and Obie Herrera, have supported her in the past.

“They helped when I lost my job after 19 years,” Asher said.

So, when the owners, a married couple were recently diagnosed with cancer, returning the favor was something she and the rest of the community wanted to do.

The Herreras were both diagnosed with cancer in the same week last month.

“It was shocking, but we’ve kept a positive attitude,” Obie said.

That positivity has rubbed off on their customers and staff.

“We just wanted to help them back in return,” said Lisa Kraft, manager of Shea’s West Pub and Bar.

The community formed in this bar started raising money for the Herrera’s to help pay for the surgeries and radiation.

“We’ve always tried to help other people and to be on the other end of it is a little overwhelming,” Obie said.

But they’re going through it together and with the people in their bar.

The staff started a GoFundMe and a special event will be held at the bar on Halloween to raise money for the couple.

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

Please note: 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.

KTVT

By Dawn White

Click here for updates on this story

    FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) — The street name “White Settlement Road” has been debated for years in Fort Worth.

On Tuesday, the Fort Worth City Council approved a name change with a 9-2 vote for a one-mile section of the road to be renamed Westside Drive. The change will affect the stretch between University Drive and North Henderson Street.

David Martinez, who is of Apache descent, spoke at the meeting.

“I post on the Northside Facebook page, which has over 50,000 members. I asked them, and not one Native American was for changing the name,” Martinez said. “If you take away the name, it does erase history.”

Flipstone Vintage & Thrift co-owner Dancing Heart Iglesias also opposed the change.

“It was almost like a culture shock that a Native American business would even be on this road,” Iglesias said.

Iglesias, a member of the Lakota tribe, opened the store with her sister on the section of White Settlement Road that will be renamed.

“I think that the street name does provoke a lot of people to ask questions, which I think is a good thing,” she said.

Tarrant County College history instructor Adam Guerrero said the history of White Settlement dates back more than 180 years.

“They are referring to White individuals who are settling amongst Natives at the time,” Guerrero said.

General Edward Tarrant, for whom Tarrant County is named, commanded the Texas militia to attack Native Americans living in seven Indigenous villages beginning in 1841, according to Guerrero.

“This is an extermination,” Guerrero said. “There’s violence that’s enacted against them later as they further push west, so Indigenous populations here, they only had the option of they could stay and assimilate or those who resisted or didn’t want to go into reservations, then they would face the military.”

The name change comes at the request of the developer of the 37-acre Westside Village, a proposed $1.7 billion mixed-use project. Larkspur Capital, the developer, will pay nearly $26,000 to change the street signs.

“They’re not paying the businesses that are having to change all of their stationery and having to update all of their information,” Iglesias said.

Iglesias said she wishes the City Council had asked for input from the Indigenous community on what to rename the road.

“There’s a way to do it that would have created a lot of unity and kind of rebuilt some of those bridges, which Fort Worth has never done,” she said.

The city will begin changing street signs next Tuesday, Oct. 28. The process is expected to take about four weeks.

Please note: 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 Dawn White

Click here for updates on this story

    FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) — The street name “White Settlement Road” has been debated for years in Fort Worth.

On Tuesday, the Fort Worth City Council approved a name change with a 9-2 vote for a one-mile section of the road to be renamed Westside Drive. The change will affect the stretch between University Drive and North Henderson Street.

David Martinez, who is of Apache descent, spoke at the meeting.

“I post on the Northside Facebook page, which has over 50,000 members. I asked them, and not one Native American was for changing the name,” Martinez said. “If you take away the name, it does erase history.”

Flipstone Vintage & Thrift co-owner Dancing Heart Iglesias also opposed the change.

“It was almost like a culture shock that a Native American business would even be on this road,” Iglesias said.

Iglesias, a member of the Lakota tribe, opened the store with her sister on the section of White Settlement Road that will be renamed.

“I think that the street name does provoke a lot of people to ask questions, which I think is a good thing,” she said.

Tarrant County College history instructor Adam Guerrero said the history of White Settlement dates back more than 180 years.

“They are referring to White individuals who are settling amongst Natives at the time,” Guerrero said.

General Edward Tarrant, for whom Tarrant County is named, commanded the Texas militia to attack Native Americans living in seven Indigenous villages beginning in 1841, according to Guerrero.

“This is an extermination,” Guerrero said. “There’s violence that’s enacted against them later as they further push west, so Indigenous populations here, they only had the option of they could stay and assimilate or those who resisted or didn’t want to go into reservations, then they would face the military.”

The name change comes at the request of the developer of the 37-acre Westside Village, a proposed $1.7 billion mixed-use project. Larkspur Capital, the developer, will pay nearly $26,000 to change the street signs.

“They’re not paying the businesses that are having to change all of their stationery and having to update all of their information,” Iglesias said.

Iglesias said she wishes the City Council had asked for input from the Indigenous community on what to rename the road.

“There’s a way to do it that would have created a lot of unity and kind of rebuilt some of those bridges, which Fort Worth has never done,” she said.

The city will begin changing street signs next Tuesday, Oct. 28. The process is expected to take about four weeks.

Please note: 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 Sara Tenenbaum, Sara Machi

Click here for updates on this story

    DOLTON, Illinois (WBBM) — Masked thieves used sledgehammers to break into and steal cash from gaming machines at a bar and lounge in Dolton.

Surveillance video from early Wednesday morning at Lucky Star Entertainment on Sibley Boulevard caught the thieves in action. They were wearing dark clothing and ski masks.

The owner said this is the third time the establishment has been targeted.

“They got one cash box right here,” owner Mike Edmund said. “They took this cash box out, and they couldn’t get this one out but they was right at it. But look at this machine; it was terrible.”

Police think the suspects, either three or four men, used those sledgehammers to shatter the front door of the lounge before tearing up the machines.

Edmund said he’ll likely be closed for several days after this.

“This is the damage that they did. The machines tore up. Look like they are about to try to get into the ATM. I’m not sure but they tore up one, two, three machines,” he said.

Dolton police were notified of the burglar alarm going off. Police said that as their officers arrived, the suspects took off in a black Dodge Challenger that had no visible registration.

There was a brief chase but police said they had to terminate the pursuit because of how fast the suspects were driving.

Edmund shared video of the burglary in hopes someone will recognize the crew. One man wore bright blue pants and white Nikes. He said the thieves hit just hours before their regularly scheduled, twice-weekly pickup.

“Definitely not an accident,” said retired Chicago police deputy superintendent Anthony Riccio. “Definitely not a coincidence.”

Riccio said it’s likely these thieves planned out their attack and knew the inner workings of this business.

“These guys knew that those machines would be loaded with cash. They knew there were several days’ worth of cash inside those machines. The timing is all about what they knew, and they knew that there would be a lot of money. And they knew that that was the night to hit,” he said.

Riccio said thieves hit for two reasons: it’s lucrative and it’s easy. That’s likely why Lucky Star Entertainment has been a repeat target.

Please note: 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 Ricky Sayer

Click here for updates on this story

    NORTH BRADDOCK, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A 15-year-old boy is being hailed a hero after he jumped into action to help a neighbor during a house fire on Thursday in North Braddock.

Xaiveyon McMillan Taylor had just stepped off his school bus on North Avenue when he heard a woman screaming that her house had caught fire. The woman, a longtime school crossing guard in her 80s, is known by neighbors as “Ms. Evelyn.”

“She is everybody’s family, she’s everybody’s grandmother,” said Tallula Thompson, the teen’s mother and the caretaker for Ms. Evelyn’s granddaughter.

She explained that her son ran inside the home to help the woman.

“He’s autistic. He’s very intelligent, but he’s never experienced nothing like this before. So, he tried to put it out, and when he couldn’t, he pulled her out of the house,” Thompson said.

She explained Evelyn, who multiple people say has dementia, had gone back inside the home despite the fire. That’s where the 15-year-old boy jumped into action.

“When I got to the kitchen, I saw the engulfing flames. They were small, and I was like, Oh my God,” he said. “I had to grab her by the hand and had to pull her to get out of the house.”

She re-entered the home multiple times, according to Thompson, who also helped get Evelyn out while her son called 911. The teen described being a bit scared during the ordeal, but he said he felt he had to help.

“Evelyn threw her arms around him and thanked him so graciously for saving her,” neighbor Tracy Musilek said. “Xaiveyon is our hero.”

Asked if he feels like a hero, the 15-year-old said he does because he was helping another person.

The fire itself grew quickly once crews arrived. The home was a total loss, but Evelyn was OK.

“I’m very proud of what he’s done,” Thompson said of her son. “Of course, I am, because who knows, if she didn’t call him up there, she would probably still be in there trying to do it herself, and we might have lost her.”

North Braddock Mayor Cletus Lee said he’s working to make sure Evelyn, a borough employee, has clothes and a place to stay. He’s also looking to see if the borough can recognize the teen boy’s actions.

Please note: 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.