Category: CNN Regional

By WISN Staff

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    FRANKLIN, Wis. (WISN) — Managers at a Franklin strip club tied to a human trafficking investigation said they were making and had made several changes to the business operation since news of the investigation became public.

Investigators made 4 arrests in the case, but managers said only one suspect, Brian Hopkins, actually worked at On the Border Gentlemen’s Club in Franklin.

In a Facebook post to the Franklin community, Jerry and Mary Hay said they fired Hopkins after learning of the investigation.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court last month, a tipster told investigators staff at the club benefited from commercial sex acts, including ‘sex dates’ in private rooms. The informant also told investigators staff trafficked women to multiple states across the country, the complaint said.

In the Facebook post, managers said they reminded current staff of the zero-tolerance policy on illegal activity. They also said they were implementing programs to detect any similar problems.

“Our most immediate goal is to select a trafficking awareness and prevention program from those available. We are committed to safeguarding our patrons, staff, and community. Our plans also include outreach and relationship-strengthening activities within our community and industry, as well as local, state, and federal agencies.”

Four men, including Hopkins, are charged. He is the only suspect to face a judge. He pled not guilty.

Jimmy Durant, Dantavia Rule, and Maurice Russell have yet to be appointed lawyers.

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 Valerie Zhang

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    GRAVETTE, Ark. (KHBS, KHOG) — A father-son duo based out of Northwest Arkansas is picking up old real Christmas trees to raise money for the Gravette High School baseball team.

Chris Murphy said he and his son, Kyle, take the trees to local lakes where fishermen sink them to build fish habitats.

The contactless pickup project began during COVID-19. Over the past three years, they’ve raised a little more than $5,000 for the Gravette High School baseball team.

“It helps the high school get a lot of cool stuff and helps us get better as a team as well,” said Kyle Murphy, who is a senior baseball player at Gravette High School. He is committed to playing baseball at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

The funds helped upgrade their equipment, including a new pitching machine.

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 Jasmine Franklin

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    NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — It was a somber but reflective service as the community came together to uplift families of the 14 victims killed in the New Year’s Day terror attack, just over one year ago.

Powerful harmonies filled Immaculate Conception Church during an emotional prayer service.

It was a special tribute for the victim’s families, and dozens of survivors were still processing the trauma they felt.

“I just remember being on the ground trying to figure out how to get up,” said Brittany Francois.

Francois said her life quickly flashed before her eyes while celebrating the new year of 2025.

“We were trying to get on the sidewalk we saw the truck coming in our peripheral view. I was standing sideways, and he just came through and ran over the left side of my body,” said Francois.

When a driver plowed through a crowd of people on Bourbon Street, Francois was run over.

She lives with a constant reminder of the terror attack each day, while she still recovers from serious injuries.

“My hip, tibia, my fibula, my ankle, my entire foot, all of my toes, everything to my left side,” said Francois.

Fourteen families’ lives were changed forever, losing their loved ones. A year later, they still feel pain.

“It’s just such an odd feeling because it brings you so far back that you feel like one day hasn’t even passed,” said Brooke Gauthreaux.

Brooke says it still feels surreal living life without her little brother, Hubert Gauthreaux.

“Eventually, someone came in and said I’m sorry your loved one didn’t make it,” said Gauthreaux.

Hubert Gauthreaux from the West Bank was just 21-years-old when his life was taken away.

“He loved everyone, especially his family. He was finally getting to the age where we could have a good relationship, and it was ripped from us, which really sucks,” said Gauthreaux.

After the service, families were met with a small glimmer of joy, as people second-lined in the streets, returning to the place where the innocent lives were lost.

There is a temporary tribute on Bourbon Street honoring the victims; the lights will be on display through Jan. 18.

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 Mark Prussin

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    ELIZABETH, New Jersey (WCBS) — A New Jersey high school student was injured Monday when a driver crashed through the wall of their school, officials said.

The vehicle smashed into an exterior wall of Elizabeth High School’s Dwyer auditorium at around 8 a.m. after it drove over the curb and sidewalk, according to an official with the city of Elizabeth.

The driver was spotted going erratically on Bridge Street and then running a red light on Pearl Street before careening into the brick wall of the school, the official said.

One student reported a minor leg injury and was taken to Beth Israel Hospital as a precaution, police said.

The driver was taken to University Hospital for injuries that also appeared to be minor, officials added. No other people or cars were involved, they said.

There was no immediate word on how the driver lost control, but investigators were looking at surveillance video from inside the school.

Pearl Street was closed for repairs, but the school remained open for the day.

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 Sarah McGrew

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    SAN JOSE, California (KCRA) — Like most high school seniors, Jacob Trentini, from Danville, is focusing on his classes (mostly AP) and getting to graduation. In addition to preparing for the next step into higher education, he’s also working part-time at an artificial intelligence startup in San Jose, developing drone software used by first responders.

“I pretty much wrote all of the AI pipeline,” Trentini said. “Including car detection and actually the algorithm to track the car itself.”

He’s been working part-time at Firebot Labs for over a year now. The company’s CEO, Jonathan Collazo, said the overarching goal is to help first responders better respond to everything from wildfires to car crashes using drone technology.

“If we can cut down the time between a person being injured or a fire happening and services arriving on time, it would mean life to death or paralyzed to not paralyzed. It’s a really big, emotional thing for us,” Collazo said.

What Collazo didn’t expect when starting Firebot Labs was to hire a high schooler.

“I expected, based on what I heard, that he was going to be a smart kid. If not, they wouldn’t be asking me to put him in to work with us, but yeah, he definitely punches above his grade level,” Collazo said. “We learned that he was not just talented, but he was incredibly talented, and now he’s a big part of what Firebot Labs does.”

At the startup, Trentini helped develop an autonomous drone platform to help first responders assess scenes before even arriving.

“The goal really is to have eyes on the scene when the firefighters jump into their truck,” Trentini said.

Luckily, this job is also Trentini’s passion, and it’s something he hopes to pursue long after graduation this spring.

“It’s really satisfying to just see our solution actually making an impact. There’s times where you just build something just to build something, and this is one of those things where you really want to get it right and get it out there quickly because they really need it,” 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 Jacquelyn Quinones

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    SALINAS, California (KSBW) — A Salinas couple is warning others about the dangers of consuming wild mushrooms after a foraging mishap during a hike on November 30 led to severe illness and a life-saving liver transplant for one of them.

Laura Marcelino and her husband, Carlos Diaz, mistook the mushrooms for edible varieties they were familiar with from their hometown in Oaxaca.

“We were out with our kids because being inside all day can get us stressed,” Marcelino said. “As we were going on our walk, we come across these mushrooms.”

Marcelino explained that the mushrooms looked similar to those they would forage in Oaxaca.

“We thought to ourselves, it’s the rainy season, and like back in our town, people pick up the mushrooms. It’s food, but we didn’t think it was poisonous,” she said.

The couple brought the mushrooms home and cooked them. “I cooked it like I would normally, and we didn’t think it was poisonous,” Marcelino said. She and Diaz were the only ones who consumed them.

“We threw up, had diarrhea, and we were like that all day,” Marcelino said. “At first, we thought it was normal, but then it became a lot, and as it started getting later in the day, my husband said let’s call my brother, and he took us to the hospital.”

While being treated at Natividad, the staff informed them they couldn’t eat anything while under observation.

Although Marcelino’s condition improved, Diaz’s health worsened, leading to his transfer to Stanford, where he fell into a coma.

“His body is swelling up, and it could get to his head, and he can die quickly,” Marcelino said. “That is what they were telling me.”

Doctors presented the option of a liver transplant, placing Diaz at the top of the list due to the severity of his condition.

“He’s really sick. It’s life or death is what they told me, and I told them to do what they can to save his life,” Marcelino said.

Diaz eventually received a liver transplant and is now recovering. Speaking from his hospital bed, Diaz expressed gratitude to the donor family.

“I feel for the family that donated the liver. It’s sad losing a family member, but I believe they were good people to be able to donate an organ of their loved one and give it to me,” he said.

Diaz urged the public not to pick up any mushrooms they find.

“If someone sees a mushroom, don’t grab it and don’t use it as food because they are not good for you. They are very poisonous,” he said.

Marcelino called for preventive measures.

“There should be signs in the park so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” she said.

Experts warn that even washing, cooking, and preparing these mushrooms does not neutralize the toxins, and consuming them poses a significant danger.

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.