Category: CNN Regional

By Kelsey Gibbs

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — Nearly 1,400 graduates crossed the stage at Tennessee State University’s commencement ceremony Saturday night, each carrying their own story of perseverance and hope. But for one member of the Class of 2026, the walk was decades in the making.

Charles Whitman Dabbs, 85, received his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership degree from TSU — fulfilling a dream that began nearly 70 years ago.

“I started when I graduated from high school in 1958,” Dabbs said. “There were no jobs for Black boys. And so I joined the Navy.”

A Los Angeles native, Dabbs enlisted at 17, serving as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy. That discipline carried him through a 50-year career in federal service, with roles at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and two master’s degrees from UCLA, all while working full-time.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dabbs began online classes with TSU. That decision grew into a doctoral program he completed this year, making him one of the oldest doctoral graduates in the university’s history.

“The young people at this school have been so nice to me and so helpful in terms of the technology and where to go when I need something,” Dabbs said.

Despite already earning his degree, he’s not slowing down. Dabbs hopes to teach sociology at an HBCU, mentor young students, and continue giving back.

This year, Dabbs celebrated 63 years of marriage, two accomplished children, and five grandchildren.

“It’s never too late. It’s never too late,” he said. “I have always tried to motivate people.”

Dabbs was not the only graduate inspiring others at the ceremony. Delilah Rhodes walked the stage alongside her two children, Eric Lee and Gabrielle Lee — all three earning their graduate degrees together in the same ceremony.

This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs 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.

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 Christiana Ford

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    ST. CLAIR SHORES, Michigan (WXYZ) — Nearly 50 years after a sailor wrote a letter, it has found its way back to him thanks to a stranger who made it her mission to track him down.

Mark Wilson was 17 years old when he wrote the letter in 1976, beginning his journey with the U.S. Navy.

“I was in boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois and I had just graduated from high school a couple weeks prior,” Wilson said.

The letter was addressed to church friends Gus and Cybil Bouchey, written in cursive on U.S. Navy stationery.

“Dear Boucheys, how have you all been. Sorry I haven’t written before but I’ve been really busy with my studies and the inspections that we have around here,” Wilson wrote.

Another line read “I miss my TV and radio and even the newspaper but you know I miss my family the most and being at church with you all.”

The letter would have remained hidden if not for a leak at Kimberly Neumann’s St. Clair Shores home that led to major construction on her kitchen. Workers discovered the letter behind a cabinet.

“The envelope still had the stamp. It was readable. It was intact. I mean, the edges were a little torn, but the letter inside was on U.S. Navy stationary in perfect condition,” Neumann said.

Neumann made it her mission to find the sailor who wrote it, turning to Facebook for help.

“Hundreds of people commented. Some of them were helpful and kind of did their own investigative work,” Neumann said.

The search was a success. Wilson’s friend visiting Ireland saw the post on social media. His daughters eventually ended up commenting on the post.

Neumann was able to connect with Wilson and return the letter to him.

“It was just nice to hopefully be able to provide a little bit of connection to his past. It was almost kind of like a proud moment,” Neumann said.

For Wilson, getting the letter back carried deep meaning. It reminded him of all those in his community who cared for and supported him over the years. He was eventually assigned to boiler technician for the destroyer USS Jonas Ingram.

Wilson says that role led him to his current job he’s had for over four decades.

“I’m really proud to have had the opportunity to serve this country,” Wilson said.

He’s grateful Neumann took the time to return it.

“It felt very heartwarming to know that somebody cared enough to take their time out and try to track me down and get it delivered back to me, so that I could have that piece of memory to hold on to now forever,” Wilson said.

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

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 Randy Wimbley

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WXYZ) — Body camera footage captured the moment a Detroit firefighter risked his life to pull a woman from a burning SUV on the city’s west side.

The footage shows firefighter Donald Faulkner rescuing 52-year-old Latashia Collins from the burning vehicle. The SUV caught fire after a crash involving a truck on Davison near Petoskey.

When Faulkner arrived, Collins was trapped inside with the door locked.

“Tried to pull the door, that’s when I checked all of them, after that I just found the best route and get her out of there with the least injuries as possible,” Faulkner said.

He said hearing her cries drove him forward.

“I heard her screaming just to help. I’m from here, I look at all these citizens like family members, so … like it’s my own mom in there,” Faulkner said.

Collins suffered multiple fractures, third-degree burns, and internal bleeding — injuries that required several surgeries.

“She really truly has made a tremendous recovery, given everything she’s gone through, the amount of time that she’s had to be in the intensive care unit because of the swell of her injuries. She has worked so hard — she really truly is a miracle,” DMC Detroit Receiving Burn Center surgeon Dr. David Springstead said.

Faulkner and Fire Commissioner Chuck Sims recently visited Collins in the hospital. Her road to recovery is far from over, but her family credits surgeons and medical staff at DMC Detroit Receiving Burn Center — and Faulkner — for saving her life.

“Thank you to the Detroit firefighters. I’m really thankful and grateful for them, and I feel like they deserve more recognition than what they get honestly, because they really are, the firefighters are really the real heroes,” Collins’ daughter Tanisha Morgan said.

Faulkner has since been honored for his heroism. Despite the recognition, he remains humble about his actions.

“I’m just doing my job, man,” Faulkner said.

He said his thoughts remain with Collins and her family.

“I’m just glad she’s doing better. Keep praying for it. I hope she keep healing up and, yeah, just love to her family,” Faulkner said.

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

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 Sara Donchey

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Every artist has a different medium. For Ida Lajevardi, it’s metal, and her canvas is teeth.

“No two designs are the same, especially if you handmake them, which I usually do. So every piece is unique to you,” Lajevardi said.

Born and raised in Tehran, Lajevardi found an interesting and unexpected path to the art of grill making. She stumbled upon a photo of her paternal grandfather and grew curious about the gold teeth in his mouth.

“It really stuck with me, and I was like, ‘ Why are grills not a thing in Iran at all?’ ” she said.

Lajevardi was determined to teach herself how to make grills. Popularized by hip-hop culture, Lajevardi wanted to try her hand at creating a unique and artistic spin on the hardware that adorns teeth.

As it turned out, learning the craft proved difficult.

“The knowledge to make grills is very gatekept. So when I was trying to teach myself to make grills, I was having so much difficulty. I was reaching out to all these people who have been in the industry for a long time, and they’re not willing to teach.”

Lajevardi worked with a dentist and a dental lab technician to learn how to make impressions of teeth and researched how to refine her craft on the internet.

Eventually, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend college and studied industrial design, but grill-making became her full-time focus.

She created Yaaqee Studio in San Francisco, where she teaches workshops in which students can pay to learn to make their own grills.

Her inspiration comes from her homeland of Iran and her cultural identity. During a time of violent government crackdowns on protesters, and now war with the US and a communication blackout, Lajevardi has used her art as a creative outlet.

“It affects how I feel. It affects how I dress. It affects how I talk to people. It affects everything, and obviously, it affects my art, too,” she said.

If you are interested in signing up for a workshop, visit Yaaqee Studio’s website.

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 Da Lin

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A San Francisco tech billionaire is leading an effort to bring back local crab in time for Thanksgiving, arguing the issue is about more than tradition. He said it’s also about supporting struggling fishermen and finding a better balance with marine life protections.

Chris Larsen, co-founder of Ripple and head of the Clean Break Fund, is pushing for changes to the way California manages its commercial Dungeness crab season. In recent years, the season has been delayed from its traditional mid-November start to as late as January in an effort to reduce whale entanglements, cutting into what fishermen say is their most profitable time of year.

For fishermen like Casey Crowl, the shorter season has taken a toll.

“It’s a reduction. It means that you’ve got to just work that much harder,” Crowl said.

What was once a six-to eight-month season is now compressed to about four months, with this year’s season ending on April 30 for fishermen who use conventional equipment. Fishermen can continue crabbing through June 30 by using newly approved, whale-safe pop-up gear.

Missing the holiday demand window has significant financial consequences for the industry. Larsen said the timing of the season is critical not just culturally, but economically.

“They’re missing the critical November, December season, which is also super important for San Franciscans that enjoy that for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Larsen said. “From an economic point of view, that’s 90% of the season, 90% of the revenue. It’s when all the demand is. That’s when the crabs are out there. And we’ve missed that now for six years in a row.”

Larsen has brought the issue to South Bay congressmen Sam Liccardo and Ro Khanna, who are now co-sponsoring a whale protection bill. The proposal would establish a whale monitoring desk at the San Francisco Coast Guard station to provide real-time tracking of migrating whales, allowing fishermen to avoid high-risk areas.

“I think we’ve got to try some of the drone technology. If we can spot… ‘Hey, here’s a whale. Hey crabbers, stay away from this area while these whales are coming by,'” Larsen said.

If the legislation fails, Larsen said he is prepared to fund a legal challenge to current regulations.

“When November 15th comes, we want to see these boats out there. We want to see the whales protected. We can absolutely do both,” he said.

But marine conservation experts caution that the issue is more complex.

“When we had the fishery open in those late fall months in November, December, those years we saw a lot of entanglements happen, and so the closures have been put in place to reduce the entanglements,” said Geoff Shester PhD, Oceana’s senior scientist and fishery innovation director.

State regulators have begun allowing the use of pop-up, or ropeless, fishing gear to help extend the season while reducing risks to whales. But some fishermen said newer pop-up gear is not a viable option for everyone, particularly those with smaller boats or limited crew, leaving them reliant on traditional equipment and vulnerable to ongoing restrictions. Shester said broader collaboration and innovation will be necessary.

“We haven’t gotten a chance to talk with Mr. Larsen yet. I think we, and a number of folks who have been innovating, would be very excited to have a conversation about taking that to the next step, because ultimately, I miss having crab at Thanksgiving too,” he said.

Many fishermen said they support efforts to protect whales but also want to preserve their livelihoods.

“We have to fight back through the legal system. And as independent fishermen, that’s very difficult. It’s hard to get everybody organized. So, we’re happy to get the help,” said John Barnett, president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association.

Larsen echoed that frustration.

“Beyond frustrating. It really was just grossly unfair to some of the least politically powerful people you’ll ever find,” he said.

Crowl said he hopes a compromise can be reached soon.

“We’ve got to keep persevering and moving forward,” 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 Nina Burns

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    CERES, California (KOVR) — The mayor of Ceres is facing backlash after a social media post showing a before-and-after cleanup at a trash-filled site sparked questions about transparency and the use of artificial intelligence.

Mayor Javier Lopez posted images of a dumpster area behind a vacant Rite Aid, appearing to show the site cleaned up. But when residents and city leaders visited the location, they found trash and debris still present.

Lopez said code enforcement did respond to the site and removed large items, including debris surrounding the enclosure. However, he acknowledged using software with artificial intelligence features to edit the image.

“I lightened up the picture. It looks like I came over here and I power-washed the concrete,” Lopez said, adding that the intent was to highlight progress, not mislead the public.

The post drew criticism online, with some residents questioning whether the image accurately reflected conditions at the site.

Ceres City Councilmember Cerina Otero, who represents the district, said she visited the location after seeing the post and was surprised by what she found.

“I was really excited. I thought code enforcement came out to assist us,” Otero said. “But I was shocked to see the mess here still.”

Otero said code enforcement did remove some large items, but noted the area was far from fully cleaned. She also pointed to inconsistencies between the image and reality.

“I did notice that notice there on that wall was not in the photo,” she said. “This isn’t exactly cleaned up like we thought it was. And for me, transparency is key.”

Lopez said he left an AI label on the post and maintains he was upfront about how the image was created.

“I’m being very consistent and straightforward about anything that I’m using to compose any post,” he said.

Both Lopez and Otero said ongoing issues at the site are partly tied to homelessness and a lack of maintenance by the private property owner. Otero said while the city has been in contact with the owner, more consistent upkeep is needed.

“It’s expected that you help the city to maintain your property,” she said.

Lopez said moving forward, he plans to handle posts differently.

“We have to take accountability next time,” he said. “I’ll make sure that I come down here with the power washer to clean the concrete.”

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.

KOVR

By Nina Burns

Click here for updates on this story

    CERES, California (KOVR) — The mayor of Ceres is facing backlash after a social media post showing a before-and-after cleanup at a trash-filled site sparked questions about transparency and the use of artificial intelligence.

Mayor Javier Lopez posted images of a dumpster area behind a vacant Rite Aid, appearing to show the site cleaned up. But when residents and city leaders visited the location, they found trash and debris still present.

Lopez said code enforcement did respond to the site and removed large items, including debris surrounding the enclosure. However, he acknowledged using software with artificial intelligence features to edit the image.

“I lightened up the picture. It looks like I came over here and I power-washed the concrete,” Lopez said, adding that the intent was to highlight progress, not mislead the public.

The post drew criticism online, with some residents questioning whether the image accurately reflected conditions at the site.

Ceres City Councilmember Cerina Otero, who represents the district, said she visited the location after seeing the post and was surprised by what she found.

“I was really excited. I thought code enforcement came out to assist us,” Otero said. “But I was shocked to see the mess here still.”

Otero said code enforcement did remove some large items, but noted the area was far from fully cleaned. She also pointed to inconsistencies between the image and reality.

“I did notice that notice there on that wall was not in the photo,” she said. “This isn’t exactly cleaned up like we thought it was. And for me, transparency is key.”

Lopez said he left an AI label on the post and maintains he was upfront about how the image was created.

“I’m being very consistent and straightforward about anything that I’m using to compose any post,” he said.

Both Lopez and Otero said ongoing issues at the site are partly tied to homelessness and a lack of maintenance by the private property owner. Otero said while the city has been in contact with the owner, more consistent upkeep is needed.

“It’s expected that you help the city to maintain your property,” she said.

Lopez said moving forward, he plans to handle posts differently.

“We have to take accountability next time,” he said. “I’ll make sure that I come down here with the power washer to clean the concrete.”

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 Lauren Pozen

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    LONG BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A Long Beach pizza joint is raffling off an old safe the owners found during a renovation project.

“I honestly don’t think there’s anything in it,” employee Katelyn Sheffield said.

Sheffield is one of the many customers who spotted the safe that’s on display inside Mooney’s Pizza Tavern. Everyone has their own theory about what’s inside.

“I believe there’s personal valuables, notebooks, personal stuff,” employee Lesly Silva said.

The family-owned business opened its doors about a month ago. The spot used to be Huff’s Family Restaurant, a classic diner that was in Long Beach since the 1960s.

Owner Hal Mooney said they found the safe in the back room during the renovations.

“We unearthed this decades-old safe in the back and it was during the demo phase,” Mooney said. “It is too heavy to lift. There are still drill marks that people tried to get into it but were unsuccessful. We have no idea what’s in it.”

Mooney said that the construction crew suggested opening the safe with people watching. He took that idea one step further, selling $5 raffle tickets for whatever’s inside, with all the money going to Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos.

The restaurant has raised over $13,000. The drawing is set for Sunday.

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.