Category: CNN Regional

By Travers Mackel

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    NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — A recently passed Louisiana bill, HB 211, could make sleeping on public streets and sidewalks a misdemeanor statewide if signed into law by the governor.

The legislation, authored by Metairie state Rep. Debbie Villio, allows for the arrest of individuals sleeping on public streets and sidewalks. Those arrested would be required to undergo treatment, including drug rehabilitation, alcohol abuse counseling, mental health care, and other services.

Many reportedly refuse such treatment.

Sarah Parks, who runs the nonprofit homeless assistance group Grace at the Green Light, criticized the bill.

“I think it’s an awful idea that will only hurt the community,” Parks said.

“I think it’s discriminatory and can be used in ways to target individuals,” she added.

Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley expressed support for the bill, citing concerns about violence among the homeless population.

“We are going to enforce it as I’m glad to see Rep. Villio put in the bill the assessments for drug abuse and mental illness so we can get help for these individuals,” Conley said.

Lawmakers are divided on the legislation.

“It’s really more an idea of getting them on a path to get the help they need. The vast majority of homeless people have mental health issues and need that attention,” said State Sen. Kirk Talbot, a Republican from River Ridge.

“You can’t solve the issue of homelessness by arresting people. It’s a lazy approach and flawed method,” said State Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat from New Orleans.

The New Orleans Police Department has not indicated whether it will enforce the law, but Louisiana State Police are expected to do so.

“This is just further creating challenges for individuals,” said Parks.

The bill would ban sleeping on public streets and sidewalks statewide, not just in the New Orleans area, and the arrest for this offense would be classified as a misdemeanor.

Villio says in 2024, on average, over 3,400 people across the state were homeless on a nightly basis. Over 1,900 were in emergency shelters, and the other 1,500 were on the streets.

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 Adam Roberts, DMM

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    FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (KHBS, KHOG) — A federal judge ruled that former reality TV star Josh Duggar filed his motion too late in his attempt to have his child sexual abuse material conviction overturned.

The judge wrote in his order that the Clerk of Court did not receive Duggar’s envelope containing the motion until 55 days after the deadline. Duggar claimed he had put it in the mail on time, but the judge found that wasn’t likely.

In December 2021, Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.

Duggar claims he was denied a fair trial because his attorneys weren’t allowed to present evidence that one of his employees was the one who downloaded the videos onto the computer.

The legal motion also claimed that a prosecution witness manipulated forensic data and lied when he testified that the computer was offline when he examined it.

“He intentionally modified the cloned forensic image of the computer during government analysis, overwriting system data. He then falsely claimed under oath that he made no changes,” the motion claimed. “This perjured testimony misled the jury, obstructed the defense’s ability to challenge the evidence, and violated Joshua Duggar’s Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights.”

He has made a similar appeal in the past.

Duggar became famous from the show “19 Kids and Counting” that he starred in with his family.

He later served as executive director of the Family Research Council and led rallies against LGBTQ rights.

He was sent to a low-security prison in Dallas County, Texas, in 2022.

Joseph Duggar, one of Josh Duggar’s brothers, faces charges in Florida in the sexual abuse of a young girl and charges in Arkansas of false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor.

Kendra Duggar, who is married to Joseph, is facing those same Arkansas charges.

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 Zoie Henry

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — A nonprofit organization gave 5-year-old Alice Endres, a kindergartener battling cancer, a dream room makeover, creating a joyful moment for her family.

Alice, who was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer that spread to her lungs, returned home to a grand reveal of her new bedroom.

“There’s a lot of bed making, there’s a lot of hanging of art,” said Colleen Cowan, a director with the nonprofit Special Spaces. “There’s creative decisions that are made by the volunteers.”

Alice’s mother, Julianne, shared the moment they realized something was wrong.

“So it was Alice’s fifth birthday party that we decided she needed to go in. Something wasn’t right. She didn’t want to play at her birthday party. And we got her in for bloodwork,” Julianne said.

During Alice’s 42 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation, Julianne discovered Special Spaces, which creates dream bedrooms for children battling life-threatening illnesses.

“Alice was so sweet. She is. She has got a really sweet, warm soul. She wanted. And mom and dad wanted a really great place for her just to be able to rest and relax. Have good night sleep,” Cowan said.

“This is super important because you’re taking a family who have just been given their worst news ever, and you’re just saying, OK, you know what? You’re really busy. We’d like to give you a space that is what you’re looking for,” Cowan added.

The transformation took just one day, culminating in an emotional reveal.

“Alice, knock on the door three times,” Cowan said.

“They said, ‘Come on in, Alice,'” Lillian, Alice’s older sister said.

“Open it, open it, open it!” Julianne said.

Alice’s new lavender, floral, artist-themed getaway brought her joy.

“My very own mirror,” Alice said.

Special Spaces also surprised Alice’s big sister, Lily, with a room makeover of her own.

“Let’s face it, the siblings go through a lot when the child is in treatment. And, you know, sometimes the siblings sort of have to maybe go on the back burner for a few minutes. So we wanted to be able to do something for Lily, too,” Cowan said.

Reflecting on the support they’ve received, Julianne expressed her gratitude.

“We are very, very fortunate to have so many people throw happiness around like confetti. And they show up when they had absolutely no reason to show up for, for our small little family,” Julianne said.

Alice, who has now completed treatment, is set to ring the “end of treatment” bell next week.

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 Erin Heft

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — A transition in Sacramento’s Step Up on Second shelter and transitional housing program has left about 20 to 25 families displaced in the last 24 hours, forcing some to sleep on the street, in parking lots, or inside their cars.

Among those displaced is 11-year-old Keith Smith, who is now living in a car with his sister, their disabled mother, and all of their belongings. Keith described the conditions they faced overnight and the toll the situation has taken on his mother.

“I mean you don’t have to worry about heating, close that door, close the door, it heats up like an oven,” Keith said. He also said his mother has a leg injury and uses a walker.

Isaac Wright, whose family of four has lived at a Motel 6 for the last two years, said the sudden displacement has been devastating.

“It’s like y’all kicked us out and it’s now just like I don’t like, you know, we keep dropping like we’re going below rock bottom,” Wright said.

He said families believed they would be guaranteed vouchers and replacement rooms, but that did not happen.

“Well, at first we didn’t know we were supposed to, you know, leave because they guarantee everybody vouchers, and everybody rooms, so they just kicked us out like… We were waiting in the parking lot for four hours just to say leave,” Wright said.

The city of Sacramento said about 150 families were part of the housing program that is being replaced by a new voucher-based system.

According to the city, most families made the transition successfully, but around 25 families were displaced.

The Sacramento Homeless Union said it has been working to support those affected and warned that the disruption has hit some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

The city said families unable to secure a room at participating motels would be offered space at the city’s Outreach and Engagement Center.

Officials also noted that some motel owners refused to honor vouchers for a small number of families because of previous issues.

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 Ricardo Tovar

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    SALINAS, California (KSBW) — Students at Kammann Elementary School in Salinas participated in the Horse Powered Reading program today, which uses horses to help improve literacy skills.

The program, run by the nonprofit Hope, Horses and Kids, uses the unique bond between humans and horses to help students improve their reading skills.

The nonprofit said, “By integrating horses into the learning process, kids stay focused and are more likely to retain information.”

The program is free to students, and organizers hope to bring it to more schools 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 Jacqueline Aguilar

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    TUCSON, Arizona (KGUN) — Several people broke into Showtime Cards on the Eastside and stole an estimated $100,000 worth of sports trading cards, including rare collectibles the owner had accumulated over years.

Surveillance video shows a group of people breaking into the store and smashing a display case before taking off with some of the shop’s most valuable sports cards.

The break-in happened around 3:45 a.m. Monday morning.

“I looked at our cameras and there’s someone inside the shop, and you could see them with duffel bags, grabbing boxes and stuff, breaking glass showcases,” owner George Mares said.

Mares says the people used a sledgehammer to get inside the shop and moved quickly before taking off.

“They had everything planned out. I think they had a timer on the phone. You could see them arguing if you watch the footage. They set their phone down. They’re talking about like, hey, watch the phone, you know, the time and stuff. So, they did everything in and out in one minute and two seconds,” Mares said.

He says the people targeted high-end sports card boxes and cases worth thousands of dollars each.

“They knocked the glass down with his leg. He kicks it down. He steals three boxes of national treasures going back to 2020. That first pile of cards was $20,000 right there–it was $21,000,” Mares said.

Mares tell me some boxes carry steep price tags.

“Just one box of cards is $1,300, that’s a single box, $1,000 for a single hobby box. And they’re just kind of pulling, lifting boxes down the shelves,” Mares said.

Some of the stolen items had been in the store for years and had grown in value over time, according to Mares.

“It’s our baby, blood, sweat, and tears, everything we have into this,” Mares said.

Mares has owned Showtime Cards for 28 years and says the growing popularity of sports card collecting has also attracted criminals.

“It’s unfortunate these values go up and people look for ways to steal,” Mares said.

He says similar break-ins have been reported at card shops in other Arizona cities, and the methods appear to be the same.

“They’re using these sledgehammers, the same type of mask, gloves. They’re stealing the same types of products,” Mares said.

Despite the loss, Mares says support from Tucson’s card collecting community has helped him stay optimistic.

“We can definitely bounce back from this. But yeah, I mean, it hurts,” Mares said.

Mares is hoping the public can help identify the people involved. He is offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest and is encouraging anyone who recognizes the individuals in the surveillance video to call police.

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

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    KANSAS CITY (KSHB) — Three friends completed an almost 11,000-mile bike journey from Argentina to Kansas City, arriving after nine and a half months on the road.

Miguel Silio, Yamundu Martínez, and Vicente Conculini pedaled through 17 countries, carrying everything they needed to survive — from winter gear to summer gear — to make it to KC for the World Cup.

Silio struggled to find the words to describe the moment.

“The journey is hard. You go through cold, heat, and rain. And to find this reward at the end, honestly, it makes it all worthwhile — every single moment,” he said in an interview in his native Spanish.

For their final miles, the trio was joined by dozens of Kansas Citians.

Steven Seck, who lives in the Kansas City area, said he wanted to be part of the moment.

“We wanted to be a small part of something much, much bigger than all of us,” Seck said.

Seck said he learned about the journey through our social media post.

Carlos Hernandez, also from the KC area, found out through our stories on the trio.

“I learned about it from you — Channel 41,” Hernandez said.

Javier Terrada, another KC-area resident who came out to welcome the cyclists on his truck with loud Argentine music, called it a monumental undertaking.

“It’s all for soccer,” he said.

In the final miles, the riders reflected on everything they had been through.

“It’s a dream,” Martínez said.

Conculini said he had not even had time to think — and that it will be a while before he can fully process what happened.

“There are no words to describe it,” he said.

Their finish line was the hotel where the Argentine national team is staying in Kansas City. Silio called the moment very special.

The three cyclists plan to stay in Kansas City until after the Argentine national team plays in the city on June 16, though they do not have tickets to the match.

For the next two nights, they are staying at a local hotel, and they have not yet decided where they are headed next.

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

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    VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (WTKR) — A 22-year-old female sailor was shot and killed by a 22-year-old male sailor, who then tried to kill himself, on Magnolia Chase Way in Virginia Beach early Sunday following the death of their infant child the day before, authorities say.

NCIS confirmed Tuesday the affiliation of Petty Officer 3rd Class Natasha Forbes, a culinary specialist, and and Petty Officer 3rd Class Quentell Lawrence, an aviation ordnanceman.

Around 9 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to reports of a domestic assault in the 5000 Block of Magnolia Chase Way and heard gunfire when they arrived.

Forbes was found dead, and Lawrence had a life-threatening, self-inflicted gunshot wound, NCIS says. News 3 has not been able to confirm the direct relationship between Forbes and Lawrence, but NCIS did confirm the child who had died the day was theirs.

The baby’s cause of death has not yet been shared.

Virginia Beach police believe Lawrence shot Forbes before turning the gun on himself.

Lawrence faces a second-degree murder and gun charge. His status is not known as of Tuesday afternoon.

“NCIS is deeply saddened by this horrific loss of life and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones affected,” said Emily Schmid special agent in charge of the NCIS Norfolk Field Office.

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By Kendall Brandt

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    PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WBBH) — Dead anchovies have been washing ashore at Laishley Park Marina in Punta Gorda, creating a strong odor and raising concerns among visitors.

The small dead fish were seen floating on the surface of the water, drawing lots of birds to the marina along the Peace River. Visitors told Gulf Coast News they noticed the smell associated with the fish kill.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say the fish kill was reported to the agency Sunday. FWC crews took a water sample to test for toxic algal blooms. Officials are still awaiting the results of the test.

Boaters said they have seen similar occurrences during past rainy seasons.

“We get a lot of runoff from land, and that fresh water mixes with the saltwater, and depending on what’s all in that runoff, it messes with our water quality down here and especially in the summertime,” said Mike Mante.

However, boaters like Mante hope the issue doesn’t stem from something harmful.

“I don’t want to see any green algae,” Mante said. “I don’t want to see any red tide.”

Read FWC’s full statement below:

We received a report of this fish kill on Sunday, May 31st. FWC staff responding to the report observed dead anchovies and collected a water sample for harmful algal bloom (HAB) analysis.

At this time, we are awaiting the results of that analysis. We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.

For more information about the most common causes of fish kills in Florida, visit myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-kills-hotline/causes

We encourage the public to report fish kills to the FWC Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511 or online at MyFWC.com/ReportFishKill

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