Category: CNN Regional

By Olivia Hickey

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    STILLWATER, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Osten Utley, a 14-year-old soccer player from Stillwater, is inspiring his community by participating in a global soccer juggling record attempt after a crash left him paralyzed from the neck down.

“He’s paralyzed from the neck down, but we’re hoping and praying for miracles and medical progress,” said Melissa Williams, Osten’s mom.

Osten, who played midfield growing up, said he misses being out on the field.

At Bethany Children’s Hospital, friends and family have brought the game to him.

“We had a mini soccer ball in my room, and whenever my friends or family or coaches came by, we would just ask them to juggle just for fun,” Osten said.

Williams explained how the juggling turned into a friendly competition.

“It turned into a contest to see, anytime somebody came up, who could juggle the longest. And his dad was very into soccer and was keeping track, keeping a tally, and he reached out to some of his connections,” she said.

That hospital room challenge has now grown into a larger effort to break a world record.

The juggling contest will move from the hospital room to the baseball field at Bethany Children’s this Saturday, where participants will attempt to break a global soccer juggling record.

“You have to have the ball in the air using your feet or your knees, keeping it off the ground for 10 seconds, and it’s the simultaneous breaking of the record,” Williams said.

The event is organized by a global organization called “Where Football Lives,” which aims to involve more than 20,000 people worldwide. Osten will also take part in the record attempt with the help of electric stimulation therapy.

“Yeah, we’re using electric stimulation on my legs, and they’re going to shock my legs, and it’ll go back and forth with the soccer ball,” Osten said. “I think it’ll be cool.”

Williams emphasized the importance of community support during this journey.

“Having a community, having your village, is a game changer,” she said.

The event is set to take place on Saturday at Bethany Children’s Health Center at 10:45 a.m.

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 Angela Williams

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    RANKIN COUNTY, Mississippi (WAPT) — The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department is warning the public about a bond scam targeting families of inmates both in-state and out-of-state.

The scheme involves suspects posing as “bond agents” and promising to secure the release and transfer of inmates to rehabilitation facilities in exchange for money.

“This is a scam,” the department said.

Authorities are urging anyone who receives unsolicited calls from “bond agents” or “bonding companies” asking for payment related to the bond of an incarcerated loved one to hang up immediately.

The department advises contacting the law enforcement agency or the detention facility holding the loved one to verify the situation.

“Remember, do not provide your financial account information to anyone over the phone,” the department said. “Do not provide your personal identity information to anyone over the phone.”

If you or someone you know receives a suspicious phone call or believes they have been scammed, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department encourages reporting the incident to your local law enforcement agency or contacting them directly at 601-825-1480.

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 Lisa Crane

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    MONTGOMERY, Alabama (WVTM) — For the first time ever, medical marijuana was purchased in Alabama.

More than five years ago, Alabama became the 37th state in the U.S. to legalize medicinal cannabis after Gov. Kay Ivey signed the medical marijuana bill into law. But legal disputes created hurdles, making the process of getting medical marijuana to patients a slow one.

The turning point came last December, when the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission voted to issue dispensary licenses to three companies.

The state’s first dispensary, Callie’s Apothecary, held a soft opening in Montgomery Wednesday. It will officially open Thursday at 10 a.m.

The first patient Amanda Taylor has been waiting for this day for years.

She became the first patient in Alabama to receive medical cannabis at Callie’s Apothecary. She has multiple sclerosis. Tremors and nausea are just a few of her symptoms.

“I can stand here all night and list different symptoms of MS. There’s so many, and it changes daily. But cannabis helps every one of those,” Taylor said.

Taylor calls herself a medical refugee. She fled Alabama years ago and went to Arizona just to have legal access to medical cannabis. When lawmakers approved this industry here in Alabama five years ago, she came back. She drove two hours from Cullman to Montgomery for these meds.

John McMillan is the director of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission.

“It’s an historic day,” he said. “This commission has had a long, hard road, and we’re not at the end of it yet, but we have a program that’s up and going in Alabama today.”

McMillan said right now there are almost 70 physicians certified to recommend these medicines to patients, but he feels that number will grow quickly.

“I think, wisely, they’ve sort of held off until they know that a patient can get a recommendation and then get a product,” McMillan said.

Changing the perception Taylor said she wants to lead the charge to change the perception of cannabis. She believes many people aren’t considering this plant as a medical option because of an outdated stigma.

“I see this growing exponentially because once people see the results and see the difference that it makes, and it’s not about getting high, but how you can function and be a productive member of society,” Taylor said. “There’s no shame in that.”

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 Tia Maggio, Graham Cawthon

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    HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WJCL) — Beaufort County authorities say that Thunderbolt Fire Chief Odis Boyles was never taken to jail after his DUI arrest, even though online detention records appeared to show he had been booked and confined at the Beaufort County Detention Center.

The explanation followed questions about why Boyles showed up in jail records days after a Friday crash at a McDonald’s on New Orleans Road on Hilton Head Island.

Boyles, 45, was charged with driving under the influence after Beaufort County sheriff’s deputies responded to the wreck, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office incident report that was heavily redacted.

Arrest record raises questions Online detention records listed Boyles with a booking number, date and time, and indicated he was confined at the jail. But both the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and detention center staff now say that never happened.

Lt. Daniel Allen of the sheriff’s office said Boyles was arrested through a non-custodial process because of medical issues and was taken to a hospital instead of the detention center.

“He was arrested under a non-custodial arrest because, again, he had to be released due to medical issues and being checked into the hospital,” Allen said.

Allen said arrest information was still sent to the jail system, which may have caused the confusion.

“You may be able to say that’s kind of like an error in the system,” Allen said. “It shows non-custodial arrest, but it’s still someone who has been arrested. And so, for whatever reason, it shows on their end that this person has been confined. But again, he was not taken to the jail.”

He added that the discrepancy may have been caused by “a slip of the finger somewhere” or “a wrong button push.”

Detention center says Boyles was not brought there A detention center staff member also said Boyles was never physically taken to the jail.

Asked what “confined” means on the website, the staff member said, “Confinement usually means that they’re here.”

The staff member added, “I don’t know how they put confined unless at a time when they’re doing the arrest is confined. At that time, I’m not sure, but he wasn’t brought here.”

When asked whether detention officials could confirm they did not enter Boyles into their booking record system, the staff member replied, “Yes ma’am.”

Authorities also said the photo attached to the online record was not a new booking photo. Instead, deputies said it was an older image from 2024 and the most recent photo they had on file.

Town still reviewing situation The Town of Thunderbolt said Monday it is still gathering facts and reviewing the matter.

“The Town of Thunderbolt is aware of reports regarding an incident involving Fire Chief Odis Boyles in Beaufort County, South Carolina, over the weekend,” the town said in a statement. “The Town takes all matters involving public trust seriously and will continue to assess the situation as additional verified information becomes available. Due to the ongoing nature of the review, the Town will have no further comment at this time.”

As of Wednesday, town leaders had not said whether Boyles had returned to work. A man who identified himself as a Thunderbolt volunteer firefighter told WJCL 22 News that Boyles was not at the fire department that day.

Employment status remains unclear Boyles was hired as Thunderbolt fire chief in 2025, but it remains unclear whether he is still on the job.

Authorities have not said what specifically caused the discrepancy in the public record or whether any changes will be made to prevent a similar error in the future.

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 Brooke Butler

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    SAVANNAH, GA (WJCL) — More than a dozen Revolutionary War-era cannons recovered from the Savannah River beginning in 2021 have returned to the Hostess City after undergoing years of restoration at Texas A&M University.

Crews on Wednesday carefully unloaded the 17 cannons at the Savannah History Museum, where they will soon go on public display.

The artifacts were discovered during the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project and are believed to have come from British ships sunk in 1779.

“[Historical accounts state] that the British could see the French fleet coming from the mouth of the Savannah River down by Tybee Island and so they wanted to create some underwater obstructions by scuttling or sinking these vessels,” said Andrea Farmer, an archaeologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah.

The cannons had rested at the bottom of the river for more than two centuries before they were recovered. Officials said many of them were still loaded when they were found, offering a glimpse into how quickly the ships may have gone down.

“Many of [the cannons] had multiple cannonballs. Some were double loaded,” Farmer said. “They also found the gunpowder cartridges, which we believe were made of linen. And so they were able to preserve those.”

Museum officials said the original plan was to display only one or two of the cannons, but they pushed to keep the full collection together.

“We said, no, this is an incredible discovery. We would like to partner with you to accept all of these cannons,” said Nora Fleming Lee, CEO of the Coastal Heritage Society.

Each cannon weighs more than 1,000 pounds, which required crews to move them into the museum with special care. For those involved in their preservation, the work was worth it.

“For me to be part of this project, as a historian myself, it’s beyond words to explain how exciting this is,” Lee said.

The Savannah History Museum plans to unveil the cannons to the public during a special event on the evening of July 2. The 17 restored cannons will be displayed alongside two unrestored cannons, offering visitors a side-by-side look at the importance of conservation.

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 Conor McGill

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    LINCOLN, California (KOVR) — For most students, graduation is a milestone years in the making. For Lincoln High School senior Zohra Alokozay, it’s a moment she once thought might never come.

Just two years ago, Alokozay couldn’t speak English. Today, she’s graduating with a 3.5 GPA and preparing to attend Sierra College.

Her path to graduation began thousands of miles away in Afghanistan, where her education was abruptly cut short when the Taliban returned to power.

“I was finishing my final exam,” Alokozay recalled. “My teacher came to class and told me, ‘You’re going to run very fast to home.'”

That day marked the end of her time in school. She never returned to the classroom, never saw many of her friends again, and was forced to leave her country behind.

Her family fled to Pakistan, but the cost of education kept her out of school for years.

“People are free a little bit for boys, not for girls,” she said. “It’s difficult.”

Everything changed in September 2024 when Alokozay and her family arrived in the United States. For the first time in years, she had the opportunity to continue her education. There was just one challenge: she didn’t speak English.

“When she first started with us, she just had words here and there,” said Lincoln High counselor Sherri Sandoval. “She could sometimes put together a sentence, but it was still kind of a struggle.”

But teachers say Alokozay’s determination quickly stood out. Through hard work and persistence, she learned English, excelled academically, and embraced every opportunity she was given.

“Everybody has a story. Everybody has a journey, whether you’re born here or you weren’t born here,” Sandoval said. “Being sensitive to people’s journeys and listening to their stories is so important.”

Now, the student whose education was interrupted by war and displacement is preparing for her next chapter at Sierra College.

She hopes to one day help others who face hardships of their own.

“I really want in the future to help people that really need it,” Alokozay said.

As she prepares to walk across the graduation stage, Alokozay says she never takes the opportunity for education for granted.

Her message to others facing obstacles is simple:

“Just keep going. Everything you want, you do it because no one can stop you in your life,” she said. “Here, people are free. You can do anything you want.”

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 jury has found socialite Rebecca Grossman and former Dodger Scott Erickson liable for the deaths of two boys who were struck and killed in a Westlake Village crosswalk by Grossman’s car as the two were allegedly racing.

The jury awarded $176 million in damages to Nancy Iskander and her husband, Karim, as well as her son, Zachary.

The $176 million damages penalty also applies to Grossman’s husband, Dr. Peter Grossman. He was a defendant in the lawsuit because he owned the car Rebecca Grossman was driving, and the jury found he had given her permission to drive it.

Rebecca Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, is already serving a 15-year-to-life sentence for her 2024 conviction on two counts each of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit-and-run driving.

Eleven-year-old Mark Iskander and his brother, 8-year-old Jacob, were struck by Grossman’s Mercedes-Benz SUV as they were crossing the street with their family in a marked crosswalk in 2020.

Jurors found that Grossman and Erickson both acted with conscious disregard for the boys’ safety and awarded punitive damages in the wrongful death lawsuit.

Prosecutors said that Grossman and her then-boyfriend, Erickson, had been out for drinks and were heading toward her home, racing in separate vehicles, when she struck the boys.

Data from her car showed that she was driving at about 73 mph through the residential neighborhood at the time of the crash, according to the district attorney’s office.

Grossman continued driving after hitting the boys, eventually stopping about a quarter-mile away from the scene when her vehicle automatically shut off. The older boy died at the scene, and his 8-year-old sibling died at a hospital.

The jury also found that Grossman and Erickson acted with malice, potentially triggering a punitive damages phase of trial that could result in further penalties.

It was unclear how the damages would be divided among the three defendants.

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 Tod Palmer

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    KANSAS CITY (KSHB) — Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are living legends and future Hall of Famers, but both pale in comparison to Lionel Messi’s global superstardom.

Messi, of course, will kick off Kansas City’s turn in the FIFA World Cup 26 spotlight when Argentina opens its defense of its 2022 World Cup title June 16 against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium, which is GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium’s name for the next six weeks.

But he and the rest of the Argentinian national team, often affectionately referred to as La Albiceleste, will also call Kansas City home for the next month, give or take, after selecting Sporting Kansas City’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center for their base camp.

Argentina is a team full of star players, but the diminutive Messi stands head and shoulders above the rest of the world’s iconic players.

For instance, Messi’s number adorned the tail fin of Argentina’s plane from Buenos Aires to Kansas City — and he wasn’t even on it. He took a flight from Miami later in the day.

On the corners of the team hotel, where fans will wait hours just to glimpse the team bus, Messi’s face stands four stories high.

An army of grown men in No. 10 replica Messi jerseys is set to invade Kansas City, a cult following similar to the Beatles.

Outside the U.S., soccer is the world’s most popular sport, so Messi’s fame in Europe, Asia and South America dwarfs that of Kansas City’s most celebrated athletes.

“Messi, he just made the game special,” Kansas City resident Thomas Zathang said as he and a couple of friends visited the team hotel Tuesday.

Anahi Fernandez, a Kansas City resident whose father is Argentinian, said Messi’s ability on the pitch is unlike anything else.

“The way he dribbles, his movement, skills — everything about it is just like, ‘Wow, I wish I could do that,'” Fernandez said.

Ricardo Zenaloza traveled from Buenos Aires to Kansas City for the World Cup and said Messi’s appeal goes beyond soccer.

“He’s a very good example about just trying — and, if you fail, try again,” Zenaloza said. “I think that’s what many people can see that makes him special. Sometimes in your life, life is sometimes putting you down, and you just need to get up and be stronger. And I feel Messi is a very good example of that.”

Messi helped Argentina reach the World Cup final in 2014, but the team came up short, and La Albiceleste struggled four years later.

But Messi led a triumph at the 2022 World Cup, cementing his status as an all-time great.

“With that trophy, no one can say anything,” Agustin Novaira, an Argentina fan from Messi’s hometown of Rosario, said. “He is the GOAT. He has everything. He won everything he played. He has Champions League, La Liga, he has the World Cup, Copa America — he has everything, so he’s the GOAT.”

Novaira said his reach is truly worldwide.

“Messi’s known everywhere — every single part of the world, people know who he is,” Novaira said. “… And he always does what he has to do. He’s amazing.”

Even fellow professionals are in awe. Graham Zusi — a former Sporting KC star, MLS Best XI midfielder, 2014 World Cup veteran and KSHB 41 World Cup analyst — said other soccer players marvel at what Messi can do.

“Oh, yeah — no question about it,” Zusi said. “I did have the opportunity to play against Messi, and I felt like I was doing that even during the game. … When he’s playing, the world seems to stop and watch — and for good reason.”

Zusi considers Messi the greatest player in world soccer history.

“He’s the greatest to do it of all time,” Zusi said.

Messi will appear in a record sixth World Cup later this month, tied with rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal for the most in history. His 13 goals are fourth-most in World Cup history, and his eight assists are tied for first.

Messi is a goal-scoring machine, but it’s his influence within the team — with his deft footwork and passing — that takes him to another stratosphere.

“Something that he’s done throughout his career is make other people around him so much better as well,” Zusi said. “He’s like a Michael Jordan of soccer in that sense.”

Perhaps more importantly, Fernandez said Messi’s influence extends well beyond soccer.

“He inspired me to do great in things that I love,” Fernandez 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 Jada Strayer

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    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (KRIS) — A South Side company is taking an innovative approach to a growing problem in the Coastal Bend — creating affordable atmospheric water generation systems that pull drinking water straight from the air.

Leo Hernandez owns Airflow H2O, where he manufactures and sells atmospheric water generators right here in the Coastal Bend.

“What we are offering is a atmospheric water generation system. So what is it? Atmospheric water? It is simply water taken that’s in the air. We’ve developed a system that takes a condensation, converts it into usable water,” Hernandez said.

The water can be used for drinking, household purposes, caring for pets, watering plants, and — in its purest form — for appliances like irons, coffee makers, and CPAP machines.

The process works like an air conditioner. The system pulls in warm, moist air and runs it over coils set at approximately 40 degrees, creating condensation. That water is collected in a storage tank, then pumped through a filter system that remineralizes it before it comes out of a faucet on the unit. Hernandez said the average humidity level in Corpus Christi is over 60%, meaning the air here is well-suited for the technology.

Hernandez said he and his business partners saw a local need for the product.

“With everything going on in Corpus Christi, everyone knows there’s a water crisis. We saw that we had a need and a concern in the community that somehow the water restrictions were going to be a problem for us. We may run out of water. People are afraid that that’s gonna happen,” Hernandez said.

He added that the city has no control over water produced by the generators.

“The city controls the water system. You pay a water bill, it comes out of your pipes. They control that, but this is something that’s off grid. It’s controlled by you,” Hernandez said.

Airflow H2O currently offers 2 models. The Airflow 28 produces over 20 gallons of water per day. A second model produces over 30 gallons per day for customers who need a higher output.

What sets the devices apart, Hernandez said, is affordability and customization. Customers can adjust pH and alkaline levels, add electrolytes, or configure the system to produce distilled water for appliances — all by changing filters based on their needs. As it comes standard, Hernandez said the water quality is comparable to name brands like Dasani or Ozarka.

The basic model starts at $1,995. Customization options may increase the price, but Hernandez said the units are still far less expensive than comparable machines from other companies nationwide, which he said can run as high as $2,400.

“If you’re worried about the quality, the safety and the security of water for yourself, for your family and your household, we’re providing an option for you. That’s the most important part, I think, is that this water, you know you can trust it. You know where it came from. It’s clean, renewable and friendly and it’s also very affordable,” Hernandez said.

For customers who need help with the cost, Hernandez said Airflow H2O offers payment plans and financing options and is open to discussing those with interested buyers.

As concerns about water resources continue to grow, Airflow H2O hopes innovation can be part of the solution.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KRIS 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.