Category: CNN Regional

By Amelia Mugavero

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    TEXAS (WWJ) — The holidays can feel especially lonely when you’re still searching for love. But one Dallas woman is proving that when the connection is real, distance doesn’t stand a chance. She boarded a plane and traveled more than 4,000 miles for a first date — and a shot at meeting Mr. Right.

Dallas comedian and actress Theresa Rowley shares much of her life online with thousands of followers. But even with a growing fan base, she says fame hasn’t exactly made finding love any easier.

“It was difficult, and it was quite lonely,” Rowley said. “So I focused on other things, being creative.”

That changed when Sean Rooney, from Longford, Ireland, sent her a direct message.

“He shot me a message, and it was a nice compliment, in that creative Irish way,” Rowley said.

Rooney remembers it the same way.

“I’d see Theresa pop up online and I’d think, ‘This girl is funny,'” Rooney said. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to try.”

After weeks of calls and FaceTimes, the two decided to meet on a first date 4,500 miles away.

“Were you nervous?” Rowley was asked.

“Terrified,” she said.

Asked whether she feared he could be a stalker, Rowley said, “I was! But I felt in my gut it was a safe situation.”

She brought a friend along, just in case, but once the two met, the nerves faded.

“He just seemed to understand me,” she said. “I just knew it was going to be something.”

Rowley began documenting their growing relationship on social media, and the videos quickly went viral — even catching the attention of Ireland’s media and tourism department, which later flew her back at no cost.

A 2025 global study shows she’s not alone: one in six couples now meet online — a 21% increase since 2010.

Rooney says the distance hasn’t stopped their connection. “The difficult part is not being able to reach out and touch that person,” he said. “But it hasn’t prevented us from getting to know each other well.”

He has since visited Texas, sampled Buc-ee’s and brisket, and spent Thanksgiving with Rowley’s family.

“We never saw this coming,” Rowley said.

Now, the couple is taking their relationship one day at a time, hoping their story gives others a little courage — and maybe a bit of Irish luck.

“Don’t give up,” Rooney said. “You just have to believe there’s another connection out there for you.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

WBBM

By Noel Brennan

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A dog is back home with his owner thanks to the actions of a stranger after going missing in the Loop.

The search for Cooper quickly spread across the city of Chicago with the help of social media.

From the beginning, Cooper fit right in with his owner, Rylee Parker.

“Yeah, he’s like I told everybody. He’s always been an on-my-hip dog. He goes everywhere with me,” Parker said.

For two years, they shared all adventures, except one.

On Sunday night, when Parker met up with friends in the Loop, he briefly left Cooper in the car so he could validate parking. When he came back, his vehicle was ransacked and Cooper was gone.

“I lost my mind.” I started running up and down the street,” Parker said.

Rylee walked all over the Loop, asking anyone if they’d seen his dog, but with no luck. He then took to social media to get help in the search.

“It got over 3,000 shares. It was in every community page that we had in Chicago,” Parker said.

The miniature golden doodle practically became a mini celebrity by the time a woman riding the Pink Line spotted the pup in a stranger’s arms.

“I mean, without hesitation, she basically just took him, and that’s when the train doors opened,” Parker said.

One phone call later, and after being separated for 21 hours and 36 minutes, he and Cooper were reunited.

“I offered to give her all the money I had. She didn’t want it. She was just so glad that she was able to find Cooper.”

Like an itch he can’t scratch – Parker has questions for Cooper he knows will never be answered, but they both know, they belong together.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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 Noel Brennan

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A dog is back home with his owner thanks to the actions of a stranger after going missing in the Loop.

The search for Cooper quickly spread across the city of Chicago with the help of social media.

From the beginning, Cooper fit right in with his owner, Rylee Parker.

“Yeah, he’s like I told everybody. He’s always been an on-my-hip dog. He goes everywhere with me,” Parker said.

For two years, they shared all adventures, except one.

On Sunday night, when Parker met up with friends in the Loop, he briefly left Cooper in the car so he could validate parking. When he came back, his vehicle was ransacked and Cooper was gone.

“I lost my mind.” I started running up and down the street,” Parker said.

Rylee walked all over the Loop, asking anyone if they’d seen his dog, but with no luck. He then took to social media to get help in the search.

“It got over 3,000 shares. It was in every community page that we had in Chicago,” Parker said.

The miniature golden doodle practically became a mini celebrity by the time a woman riding the Pink Line spotted the pup in a stranger’s arms.

“I mean, without hesitation, she basically just took him, and that’s when the train doors opened,” Parker said.

One phone call later, and after being separated for 21 hours and 36 minutes, he and Cooper were reunited.

“I offered to give her all the money I had. She didn’t want it. She was just so glad that she was able to find Cooper.”

Like an itch he can’t scratch – Parker has questions for Cooper he knows will never be answered, but they both know, they belong together.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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 Jesse Zanger

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    New York (WCBS) — A human skull was found in Coney Island, police say.

The gruesome discovery was made Tuesday afternoon.

Police said they got a 911 call at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday from a man who had been walking on the Boardwalk. He spotted the skull in the scrub at the base of the Boardwalk between West 33rd and 34th Street.

No other body parts were found.

A forensic anthropologist the medical examiner’s office confirmed it was indeed a human skull. The anthropologist is working on dating the skull to develop a possible age and potential reconstruction.

Area residents were alarmed by the discovery.

“Well, that this neighborhood is not as safe as I thought it was,” Coney Island resident Ed Opper said. “I walk this boardwalk all hours, sometimes one, two in the morning, and I really always felt safe here. But now I’m gonna have second thoughts.”

“I don’t know what to think of it,” another person said. “That’s really unsettling.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Dennis Valera

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    Baltimore (WJZ) — Security and law enforcement will be ramped up in Baltimore this weekend for the prestigious military football rivalry between Army and Navy, which will be played at M&T Bank Stadium.

President Trump announced recently that he plans to attend the game, just as he did in 2024 in Landover, Maryland.

The 126th version of the Army-Navy game will be played at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, in downtown Baltimore. The game will be televised on WJZ.

The last time Baltimore hosted the Army-Navy Game was in 2016, which ended in a 21-17 Army.

The military football rivalry started in 1890, and the academies have played 125 times. Navy holds a 63-55-7 all-time series lead.

In an email, police confirmed to WJZ that enhanced enforcement will include state and federal law enforcement partners as well.

That extra enforcement and the extra foot traffic are going to keep Federal Hill resident Allison Christian home.

“We like to walk down [to Cross Street Market] and get a coffee or something like that on a Saturday. We probably won’t do that this weekend just because of the craziness,” Christian said. “People drinking, we have a baby, we’re just trying to avoid all of that.”

Damien Gero, who lives in Prince George’s County, says he often feels safe when he comes to Baltimore for a Ravens game.

“I mean, it can get rowdy, it’s a game,” Gero said. “But essentially, people re just out to have fun, enjoy themselves, and kind of just be in the spirit.”

Businesses prepare for game day There’s a lot of excitement in the air for the return of the Army-Navy game, with businesses trying to capitalize on the big event.

Liv’s Tavern in Federal Hill plans to have its patio fully open, with some specials on tap all day.

“Having an extra game that is very comparable to a home game is really where we get that excitement,” said Nick Riley, Liv’s Tavern’s events director. “Staff gets energized. There are a lot of people here. You can feel the energy in the building.”

Restrictions for Army-Navy game Drones won’t be allowed to fly near or around M&T Bank Stadium for most of Saturday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the FBI – Baltimore Field Office announced Wednesday that there will be a Temporary Flight Restriction in place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Parking Authority of Baltimore City is encouraging those with parking permits to have them updated or renewed ahead of Saturday.

Stadium event restricted parking will be enforced, which includes towing cars found to be illegally parked.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Chris Reed

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    MOAB, Utah (KSTU) — A seasoned hiker’s worst nightmare became reality Sunday morning when he found himself trapped knee-deep in quicksand during a solo trek through Arches National Park.

“Before this trip, I honestly thought quicksand was more of a folklore or a legend,” Austin Dirks said.

The experienced desert hiker, who has logged thousands of miles on trails, was navigating the upper end of Courthouse Wash around an hour before sunrise when his left leg broke through what appeared to be solid ground.

“I was able to pull it out, and then I shifted all my weight to my right foot. And I sunk up to the knee,” Dirks said. “It felt like I had stepped into concrete, and then it hardened around my leg. I couldn’t even move it a millimeter.”

Contrary to cartoon depictions, Dirks discovered the reality of quicksand differs dramatically from Hollywood portrayals.

“How it’s depicted on TV is nothing like it is in real life,” he explained. “The human body is more buoyant than the quicksand, so you’ll never sink to above your head.”

Real quicksand is more like thick, slimy mud than a sand trap. While online hiking experts often recommend leaning back to distribute weight, Dirks faced an additional threat: hypothermia in the slot canyon’s frigid conditions with temperatures in the 20s.

“It’s cold at night, and to spend it in cold water for a long period of time, that has serious consequences,” said Scott Sollee with Grand County Search and Rescue.

Quicksand rescues are extremely rare, according to Sollee, although hiker rescues represent their most common calls. He recalls only one other quicksand incident — a woman trapped for 13 hours in July 2014 on the same trail.

Jacob Paul, with the Washington County Search and Rescue team, told FOX 13 News that he doesn’t recollect ever dealing with a quicksand rescue there. In February 2019, a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter team and rangers in Zion National Park assisted a man stuck in quicksand there.

Dirks endured a two-hour ordeal stuck at a 45-degree angle, which he compared to bending forward in a ski boot. His preparation proved crucial: a GPS satellite messenger allowed him to alert authorities with his exact location.

“I realized that that’s the closest I’ve ever come to dying. I owe them my life,” he said.

The rescue highlighted the importance of proper emergency communication devices. Sollee emphasized that hikers should use their satellite devices immediately rather than attempting to relocate for cell service.

“We’ve had some people have those in-reach devices and not use them, and then go somewhere to call 911 and then leave that area. If you need to call 911, hit the SOS button on your satellite device if you have it, because that will tell us exactly where you’re at,” Sollee said.

Both Sollee and Dirks noted the rarity of such incidents makes prevention advice limited, though they recommend awareness when traversing areas with visible ground moisture.

The best preparation involves having backup plans: hiking with companions, informing others of your route, and carrying location devices for emergencies.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By DeAndria Turner

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    LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WLKY) — A Louisville mother accused in a decades-old abduction case is back in Kentucky and facing new charges, and the child at the center of the case, missing since 1983, has finally been found.

What was once a cold case has become a warm reunion.

A story of reuniting, forgiveness, and moving forward.

For 43 years, Joe Newton waited for the moment he feared would never come.

“She’s always been in my heart,” Newton said. “I can’t explain that moment of that woman walking in and getting to put my arms back around my daughter.”

He last saw Michelle when she was just 3 years old.

The last time WLKY spoke to Newton was in 1986. At that point, he had spent three years searching for his daughter.

In 1983, Joe and his wife, Deborah Lee Newton, were preparing to move to Georgia. Deborah left early with their daughter. When Joe arrived, they were gone.

For more than four decades, no one in the Newton family had answers.

“I’ve missed them so much. I didn’t even know she was alive,” said Michelle’s aunt.

In 2005, Michelle was removed from the national missing-child database. The case was re-examined in 2015 at a family member’s request, and a grand jury re-indicted Deborah Newton the following year.

According to investigators, the case finally cracked open this year after a Crime Stoppers tip in Florida.

Newton is now charged with custodial interference. Investigators noted that felony custodial kidnapping carries no statute of limitations.

She appeared in court on Monday.

Chief Deputy Steve Healey said one person’s courage made the difference:

“For an individual to have the courage to come up and say, ‘I saw this. I believe this is who you’re looking for,’ you’re helping a victim and a victim’s family so much,” Healey said.

Two weeks ago, Michelle came home from work to find police at her door.

“You’re not who you think you are. You’re a missing person. You’re Michelle Marie Newton,” she was told.

In one moment, her entire identity shifted.

In the next, she learned she had a family who never stopped searching, and a father who never stopped loving her.

When she finally met Joe again, he was waiting for her on the porch.

“I wouldn’t trade that moment,” Joe said. “It was just like seeing her when she was first born. It was like an angel.”

Michelle said their focus now is healing.

“My intention is to support them both through this and trying to navigate and help them both just wrap it up so that we can all heal and hopefully, you know, there’s just apologies and start healing,” she said.

“It’s still hard to believe we actually got her back in our lives again,” her aunt said. “And it’s a sweet ending.”

Joe said he has had two miracles this year. First, a heart transplant is the reason why he’s still here. Then, getting to reunite with his daughter.

Deborah is expected back in court Jan. 23.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.