Category: CNN Regional

By Michael Chen

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    CHULA VISTA, California (KGTV) — Some two decades before Jason Myers kicked a record-setting five field goals in Super Bowl 60, he was perfecting his craft on the field at Mater Dei Catholic in Chula Vista.

John Joyner, who coached Myers during his junior and senior years, admits he was a bundle of nerves watching the game.

“After the first one went in—the first one I was pretty nervous—but he was perfect all night,” Joyner said. “I started rooting for New England to stop Seattle in field goal range.”

Joyner remembers when he first met Myers as a young athlete.

“When I first met Jason, he barely came up to my waist,” Joyner said. “He was a little guy, but he kind of matured quickly.”

Myers was actually a better soccer player at the time. As a midfielder, he helped lead his team to a regional championship.

“Jason was always intense, always serious,” Joyner said. “Very serious about his craft and being an athlete.”

But it was on the football field where Myers’ special talent became apparent.

“When he got on the football field, and he kicked the football, it sounded different than the rest of the other kickers,” Joyner said. “So we knew right there, this guy has got to be pretty special.”

Myers’ achievements are displayed on the Mater Dei Hall of Fame wall, including being named South Bay kicker of the year as a junior and being part of a league championship team.

Joyner’s favorite memory of Myers came during a crucial moment against Bonita Vista High on Halloween.

“I remember my favorite moment was he kicked a 42-yard field goal to win the game against Bonita Vista with little time remaining,” Joyner said. “It was a big upset for us. Right then, I realized he has ice in his veins.”

Myers’ Super Bowl performance has generated online chatter suggesting he was robbed of the MVP award.

“Yes, I’m biased, but he should have been noted MVP,” Joyner said.

After the game, Joyner reached out to congratulate his former player.

“I sent him a text to congratulate him,” Joyner said. “I told him I hope he’s getting some rest. He said he had just gotten done with a national talk show. Hopefully he’s getting some rest now.”

The Super Bowl performance adds to Myers’ already impressive legacy, and he maintains strong ties to his high school.

“He’s a top-notch guy,” Joyner said. “He always comes back and kicks with our kickers.”

For Joyner and the Mater Dei community, seeing one of their own succeed on the biggest stage is deeply meaningful.

“You see one of our own on the biggest stage. he has love for us, and we have love for him,” Joyner said. “It’s kind of surreal. He’s earned everything. We’re so proud of him.”

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

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    SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A Chula Vista mother was released from ICE custody Monday evening after nearly two weeks of detention, on what happened to be her youngest child’s fourth birthday.

Kris Estefany Pineda-Torregrosa walked out of the Otay Mesa Detention Center just before 7 p.m., fitted with an ankle monitor after ICE granted her parole request. However, she says her release was bittersweet as her husband, Reinaldo, remains in custody.

Pineda-Torregrosa spoke through tears, describing her mixed emotions about being freed without her husband.

The mother from Colombia and her Venezuelan husband were detained by ICE in late January in Chula Vista, leaving their sons, ages 4 and 12, without a legal guardian. Family friend Itzel Jimenez stepped in to care for the children when no other family members lived nearby.

“It was either they were going to go to CPS because no one was going to pick them up, or they’re going to come with somebody that they knew, so I decided to just take them,” Jimenez said.

Immigration attorney Nerea Woods took on the case through the county’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program after learning about the family’s situation on ABC 10News. Woods argued that ICE violated its own policy regarding the detention and removal of parents with minor children by detaining both parents simultaneously.

“It’s heartbreaking that we ever had to get to this point,” Woods said.

The case also drew community support. ABC 10News viewer Julie Rieth stepped forward to adopt the family’s dog, Bella, after Jimenez had to surrender the pet to a shelter due to her son’s allergies.

After more than a week of requests for information, ICE confirmed Friday that both parents lack lawful status to remain in the country, but did not explain why both were detained, leaving the children without a legal guardian.

Woods says she’ll continue to fight for Reinaldo’s release, hoping to work on their removal case without requiring continued custody.

“It was very clear to me that legally it should have never happened. I think that when we made it publicly known that it shouldn’t have happened, I hope that really pushed ICE to do the right thing,” Woods said.

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

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    HOUSTON (KTRK) — An operator was rescued Tuesday morning after the backhoe they were in became entangled in power lines, according to video footage.

The incident happened along Second Street and Saturn Lane in the Clear Lake area.

SkyEye flew over the scene, where footage showed a backhoe caught up with a power line and a downed wooden power pole.

According to CenterPoint Energy, this involved a third-party contractor not affiliated with them. They said the contractor hit an electric infrastructure near the 17400 block of Saturn Lane, causing an outage that impacted nearly 1,300 customers in the area. As of 9 a.m., the majority of customers impacted had been restored.

The Space Center Intermediate School was among those impacted, and parents were notified not to drop off students.

CenterPoint also sent the following statement in response to the situation:

“CenterPoint crews are onsite and working closely with first responders and emergency services to safely secure the area and restore power as safely and as quickly as possible.

Safety is CenterPoint’s top priority, and we urge customers, contractors and workers to be mindful when working around electric infrastructure and stay at least 10 feet away from power lines and at least 35 feet away from downed power lines or fallen wires.

We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to make the necessary repairs and restore power to those affected by this incident.”

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 Cody Alcorn

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    ATLANTA (WXIA) — Eighteen billboards bearing the face of Adriana Smith are going up across the Atlanta area.

It’s been one year since the 30-year-old registered nurse was rushed to the hospital while pregnant, a case that drew national and international attention and ignited debate over how Georgia’s abortion law intersects with rare, devastating medical emergencies.

“You know, we want people to remember our daughter. She was a good person,” her mother, April Newkirk, said.

Newkirk spoke with 11Alive on Monday and described how the crisis began Feb. 9, 2025.

Smith had been dealing with severe headaches, and her family has said she sought medical help before her condition rapidly worsened.

Newkirk said Smith sought treatment at Northside Hospital but was released after being given medication.

“They gave her some medication, but they didn’t do any tests. No CT scan,” Newkirk said. “If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. It could have been prevented.”

The next morning, Newkirk said Smith’s boyfriend woke to her gasping for air in her sleep — gargling sounds he believes were caused by internal bleeding.

“Today is the day that everything happened. And our life will never be the same, never be the same,” Newkirk said.

She said after being rushed to the hospital unconscious, through scans, doctors discovered blood cots.

Smith was declared brain dead ten days later while pregnant, a detail that became central to the legal and ethical storm that followed.

Her family has said doctors kept Smith on life support for months because the pregnancy had cardiac activity and Georgia’s abortion restrictions shaped what medical options were available — and what the family believed they could choose.

“We didn’t have a choice,” Newkirk said.

She added, “The baby was being treated as the patient. So we didn’t know much. So, we respected that’s Georgia law.

The case spurred a broader public debate over Georgia’s 2019 abortion law, often called the “heartbeat” law, and whether it clearly accounts for medical decision-making when a pregnant patient is declared brain dead — including questions raised by state officials and lawmakers about how the law should be applied.

Newkirk said her family felt powerless as the months went on.

“You have no power and it’s just not right,” she said.

As Smith remained on life support, Newkirk said watching her daughter’s appearance and condition change was agonizing.

“She looked like herself at the beginning, then she started deteriorating, her face, the color, the youth and stuff, she was housing the baby, you know, feeding baby through an IV…” she said.

Smith’s baby — Chance — was delivered by emergency C-section on June 13, 2025, and was born extremely premature, weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces, 11Alive previously reported.

Smith was removed from life support days later.

Nearly eight months later, Chance is still receiving care and therapy at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Newkirk said, adding that his weight is now about 17 pounds.

“He’s coming along. He has occupational therapy, and physical therapy,” she said.

Newkirk said the baby’s resemblance to his mother is striking.

“He looks like my daughter, a lot, a lot,” she said.

As the family marks a year since Smith was rushed to the hospital, Newkirk also addressed online claims about Chance’s father and custody, saying misinformation has compounded the family’s grief.

A judge later awarded Chance’s father sole legal and physical custody, 11Alive reported in December.

“There was no custody battle between me and the child’s father,” Newkirk said.

“I will treat him as if he’s my child and I will help him in every way that I can with Chance,” she said.

Newkirk and Smith’s father are helping raise Smith’s older son, Chase, who is now 7, she said. She emphasized that the family’s focus is unity — and the wellbeing of both children.

“I don’t want us to be divided, I want us to be one. So, I just want to set the record straight with that,” she said.

Newkirk said the billboards are meant to keep Smith’s name and face in the public eye and as her family continues pushing lawmakers to take a closer look at how Georgia law handles cases involving pregnancy, consent and catastrophic medical outcomes.

“I want my face to be seen, I want my voice to be heard, I want to advocate for my daughter, she was special to me,” she said.

She said the past year has left her family grieving while still trying to move forward.

“Any mother and father should not have to go through this but we’re here now and we’re trying to put the pieces back together,” Newkirk 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 Reeves Jackson

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    GAINESVILLE, Georgia (WXIA) — A single-engine plane made an emergency landing on a busy Gainesville road on Monday afternoon, striking several vehicles but leaving only minor injuries, authorities said.

The crash happened shortly after noon on Browns Bridge Road near the intersection of Pearl Nix Parkway, according to police.

Newly obtained audio from inside the aircraft captured the pilot in the final moments before the plane touched down, with a message to other pilots over the common traffic advisory frequency, in case he didn’t make it.

“We’re not gonna make it. Please tell my wife, Molly, I love her … and my parents. I love them so much,” the pilot said.

Police said the Hawker Beechcraft BE-36 hit multiple vehicles as it came down in the roadway. Despite the dramatic landing, officials reported only minor injuries.

The Gainesville airport manager said there were two people on board — the pilot and one passenger. She said she later spoke briefly with the pilot, shook his hand and congratulated him on what she described as a good landing given the circumstances.

Authorities believe engine trouble may have led to the emergency landing. The incident remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.

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 Cameron Polom

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    ELOY, Arizona (KNXV) — Most people celebrate their 90th with cake, candles, and a comfy chair.

However, one Valley grandma is trading dessert for a parachute.

Instead of a quiet birthday dinner, she’ll be soaring over Skydive Arizona on Friday, cheered on by a huge group of friends, family and husband of 68 years.

Laura Belle Sullivan has always been open to adventure. She’s gone skydiving for her birthdays when she turned 70 and 80.

Just a few months ago, she took a mother-daughter trip through Southern California wine country on a World War 2 Motorcycle.

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 Cameron Polom

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — Seventeen years ago, Paul “Woody” Woodward’s young son spent two grueling years battling childhood cancer. While enduring difficult treatments, he received unexpected toys and gifts from strangers that helped him smile on the toughest days.

That experience changed Woody’s life, inspiring him to start hosting toy drives year-round and personally delivering thousands of gifts to children’s hospitals, first in Iowa City, where his son was treated, and now to Phoenix Children’s hospital.

Through his nonprofit, Woody’s Toys, he has brought comfort and happiness to tens of thousands of kids facing cancer, reminding all of us how one person’s compassion can ripple outward and make our community stronger and kinder. Through his hard work, they’ve been able to donate over 55,000 toys to those in need!

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 Lillian Donahue

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    GILBERT, Arizona (KNXV) — Glenn Polyak thought he was out of options when his Stage 4 melanoma spread to his brain, until he became only the second Banner Health patient to receive an innovative new cell therapy treatment.

The Eastern Arizona man had been battling cancer for years, and doctors told him his dangerous melanoma mutation made his condition nearly untreatable.

In 2024, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy emerged. It’s the first and only FDA-approved treatment for metastatic melanoma tumors which are non-responsive to other treatments or cannot be taken out.

“There is no other treatment that can work for him,” Dr. Yazan Samhouri said. “It’s lifesaving.”

The therapy involves harvesting immune cells within the tumor, then sending them to a lab before re-injecting them back into the tumor later.

“We grow them and we activate them. The process takes around three to four weeks, and then we put them in a small bag, which is billions of cells, and we give them back to the patients intravenously,” Samhouri said. “And now they are smarter than the tumor, so they know how to go, track, back to the tumor and kill the tumor cells, which was something they could not do before.”

Polyak has been living in his RV with his wife behind the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center since October while he received the therapy.

“I honestly didn’t think I was going to live long enough to be able to have the procedure done,” Polyak said. “I’m pretty much back. I really am. I don’t have the energy still, but it’s coming.”

While currently only approved for metastatic melanoma, doctors hope to expand the therapy’s use to other cancers in the future.

“We rely on the durability of this kind of therapy to cure cancers. So that’s really the hope,” Samhouri said.

The couple, who love to travel and camp, are looking forward to resuming their adventures. Polyak’s wife, Bonni, said his 100-day scan this month will determine his next steps, but they’re optimistic about the future.

“We’ll see what it looks like. But then the next day we’re out of here, we’re going camping,” Bonni Polyak said.

Glenn Polyak said his family’s support and his strong faith kept him rooted in a journey he describes as nothing short of miraculous.

“Grace of God. I am a miracle, and I believe it,” Polyak said.

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