Category: CNN Regional

By Rachel Whelan

Click here for updates on this story

    UNION, Ky. (WLWT) — A Northern Kentucky family is safe tonight after a fast-moving house fire destroyed everything they own just days before the holiday season.

Relatives say the Caudill family’s Sycamore Drive home went up in flames around 2 a.m. on Nov. 16. According to Nicole Harkenreader, the homeowner’s sister, the fire may have started from faulty wiring connected to a fish tank in the middle of the home. She said the smoke alarms never went off.

Harkenreader said her brother-in-law, Marine veteran Mike Caudill, woke up the moment he smelled smoke — a reaction she believes stems from PTSD from his service in Iraq.

“He smelled the smoke and woke up and immediately went into action,” she said.

In a matter of minutes, Mike rushed to get their youngest son out of the home. Their oldest, 15-year-old Zander, fought through thick smoke to escape. And their 9-year-old jumped out of a window, where Mike caught him below.

“If the family had not practiced fire escape methods, people would not have survived,” Harkenreader said.

The family ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Moments later, Harkenreader said, “The whole house just went woosh.”

Zander spent four days in the hospital with burns and lung injuries. Crystal, the boys’ mother, was released just two days ago with significant burns to her arm and a scratchy voice from smoke inhalation.

In addition to losing their home, the family also lost nearly all of their pets — including five dogs and two rabbits. They’re holding onto hope that two dogs, a brown and white Pomeranian named Hades and a golden lab named Aria, may have escaped the flames and are still out there.

Despite the devastation, the Union community has stepped forward in a big way.

Harkenreader said she expected “maybe one or two bags of dirty, ripped up clothing.” Instead, donations have poured in from all over Northern Kentucky. A GoFundMe launched for the family has already surpassed $10,000.

“Their end goal is, because the community has been so great and they’ve been warmed by it, once they’re settled and everything’s good, they’re hoping to start a foundation to help other people in need,” Harkenreader said.

How to help The family is asking for non-perishable food items and clothing donations to be dropped off at Gary Williams Martial Arts on Dixie Highway. They plan to share any extra items they don’t need with other fire victims.

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 Kayla James

Click here for updates on this story

    URBANDALE, Iowa (KCCI) — An Urbandale mother is calling for change that she says starts at home. Her 15-year-old son, Miles Phipps, died by suicide earlier this month when she says the “final nail in the coffin” was when a substitute teacher misgendered him and doubled down on the stance after he corrected the teacher.

“If people were more kind, we wouldn’t be here,” said Ashley Campbell, Miles’ mother.

Campbell says kindness might have saved her son.

“Miles was special. He was unique. He was vibrant,” said Campbell. “He had a knack for lighting up a room with his smile.”

He also had a knack for making other people smile and bringing joy to their lives.

Campbell says Miles saved up money to buy 100 fuzzy worm string toys. He would go around and give them to people, passing them out and telling them to name them.

In addition to always showing people kindness himself, Miles loved the arts, music, riding his bike, and so much more.

However, at school, at times it was different.

“Miles endured years of bullying from being different. He was the only girl that didn’t want to shave his legs or wear makeup,” said Campbell. “Then he went nonbinary and then he was picked on for that. Then he told us his name was Miles and wanted to use he/him pronouns. Then he wasn’t boy enough for the boys.”

Campbell says Miles got through it, finding outlets by writing music and joining the Dream Team.

The Dream Team is a program that partners teens and kids with adult mentors. They build relationships, learn life skills, and grow while training and taking part in RAGBRAI all week long.

Miles completed his first RAGBRAI this past summer.

“They gave my kid longer to live and live authentically,” said Campbell.

Campbell tells KCCI that things started to get better. She says her son took a break from some of the friends that didn’t seem healthy for him.

“Then they posted videos online of them destroying his things, mocking a journal he had, and burning the fuzzy earrings he made them,” said Campbell.

Campbell tells KCCI that kids were yelling things at her son in the hallways. She also says the school had its hands tied regarding what could be done.

“A lot of schools are doing everything they can,” said Campbell. “I know that the counselor and the front desk lady and the principal — there was even an officer on campus that we had spoken to about kind of keeping an eye out for him. Kids don’t want to tattle because they’re afraid of the repercussions. He only filed one report. I think he didn’t want to name names. Honestly, the school’s hands were kind of tied in helping.”

On Monday, Nov. 3, while at school, Miles told Campbell that a substitute teacher misgendered him.

“He corrected her, and then the teacher said, ‘I can call you whatever I want, Miles,’” recalled Campbell.

Campbell says she and Miles’ sister helped cheer him up and that they had a good night following the school day.

However, the next day, he died.

“He was picked on consistently and constantly,” said Campbell. “I think the teacher’s comment was the final nail in the coffin because of how he reacted and the way it went.”

The loss of her son left Campbell with a strong purpose: to spread awareness.

Campbell and her family made yard signs, showing a photo of Miles’s smiling face, the words “be kind,” and the suicide and crisis lifeline number on them.

Iowa Safe Schools connected with Campbell and is now getting more signs made for people who want to request them. The organization says as of Monday, 160 signs have been requested statewide, and they will go out the first week of December. People can request signs here.

Campbell tells KCCI that teaching kindness starts at home, as parents are raising their kids.

“I don’t want kids to continue to feel like they — or people — to feel like they don’t belong just for being unique and for being themselves, because that’s not okay,” said Campbell.

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, a week after Miles died, some Urbandale High School students led and held a walkout in support of Phipps. They gathered at Lions Park, which is right across the street from the high school, and focused their support on suicide prevention.

KCCI did reach out to the Urbandale Community School District and received the following statement:

“As our Urbandale High School students, parents, staff, and community continue to process and grieve the loss of a UHS student, Miles Phipps, who died by suicide, we understand the heartache and pain so many of us are experiencing. Our UHS Counselors, Support Staff, and Administrators continue to help students cope with the loss of their friend and classmate. While we cannot comment on personnel-specific or student-specific issues or allegations, we can confirm all reports are thoroughly investigated and disciplinary action is taken when needed. We remain steadfast in our dedication to cultivating a safe, caring, and supportive learning environment for all students and staff. Our thoughts continue to be with Miles’ family and our entire UHS community.”

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 CBS News Atlanta Digital Team

Click here for updates on this story

    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Two best friends battling cancer side by side at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta celebrated a major milestone together, ringing the end-of-treatment bell at the same moment after months of supporting each other through surgeries, chemotherapy, and fear.

John Paul “JP” Thomas was a varsity tennis player at Whitfield Academy in spring 2025 when he was diagnosed with cancer at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

In September, his closest friend, local soccer standout Camilo Henao, learned he, too, had cancer. On the day JP began his final round of chemotherapy, Camilo and his family arrived at the Arthur M. Blank Hospital for Camilo’s surgery. The two families ran into each other in the elevator, unsure whether to take a photo of the moment, wondering, “Is this appropriate?”

Before Camilo’s diagnosis, he regularly visited JP in the hospital. Later, JP made those same trips to be by Camilo’s side. Both teens leaned on each other through what their families described as the unimaginable.

JP’s mother, Tish, said her son was more shaken by Camilo’s diagnosis than his own. When JP’s oncologist, Dr. Ryan Summers, mentioned scheduling JP’s end-of-treatment bell ringing, JP refused to celebrate without his friend.

“I’m waiting for Camilo,” he told his doctor. According to Tish, it wasn’t even a question for him. “It didn’t register to him to consider anything else.”

On Nov. 21, surrounded by dozens of relatives and friends in the Egleston Garden at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, the two young men stood shoulder to shoulder and rang the bell together as best friends.

Both have now returned home to their families, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate 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 Nick Lunemann

Click here for updates on this story

    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — A Minnesota family whose inflatable Grinch was swiped from their front yard is ending the week with a bigger, brighter Grinch and a new story to tell about their local police.

AJ Mansour says his family are “big Grinch people.” They go to the Grinch musical at Children’s Theatre Company each year and have Grinch sweatshirts and stuffed animals, so putting a Grinch inflatable in their Osseo front yard was a natural fit. The decoration had been part of their holiday display for three or four years.

Friday night, the family was upstairs when they heard a loud bang and tires squeal. At first, Mansour’s wife thought there had been a crash in the street. When he went outside to check, the cars were fine, but their Grinch was gone.

Video from the family’s Ring camera showed a white sedan pulling up to the house. A teenager ran into the yard, bear-hugged the inflatable, ripped it from the power cord and stakes, then sprinted back to the car as it sped away.

Osseo police were already in the area on an unrelated call of someone riding on the roof or hood of a vehicle. Lt. Todd Kintzi says officers stopped a white sedan and found four juveniles inside. While they were interviewing the teens, a new call went out about a stolen yard ornament a few blocks away.

Officers soon realized it was the same car. They were able to recover the Grinch from the vehicle, but it had been damaged and deflated. Police contacted the teens’ parents, impounded the vehicle for other violations and issued citations to the driver, but did not pursue theft charges.

Instead, Kintzi says the officers decided to pool their own money and quietly buy the family a replacement.

The next night, while the Mansours were out to dinner, their Ring camera pinged again. This time, it was Osseo officers at the door with a brand new Grinch inflatable for the couple’s two sons.

Mansour calls the new version an upgrade. It stands about a foot taller than the original, lights up at night and includes Max, the Grinch’s dog, as part of the display.

The family says the gesture turned a frustrating moment into a lesson they can share with their kids about grace, consequences and kindness. Mansour likes to point back to the story’s original source material — where the Grinch’s heart “grows three sizes” — and hopes the teens involved and others who see the story take that to heart.

Kintzi says the act fits Osseo’s identity as a small city that still feels like a small town, even in the middle of the metro. The department has 13 sworn officers covering about a square mile and prides itself on knowing many of the residents they serve.

Mansour says Osseo police did not have to replace a damaged lawn ornament, but the fact that they did is what he and his family will remember each Christmas when they plug in their Grinch and watch it rise.

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 Jermont Terry

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Neighbors on Chicago’s West Side said they are frustrated with the conditions inside their Chicago Housing Authority complex, describing the conditions as “deplorable.”

They’ve been fighting housing officials over the issues they’ve been dealing with, from bad plumbing to visible mold, and urging CHA to take action and take them seriously for years.

“I like my place, but it’s just not livable for me,” Javan Clayton said.

Residents of Harrison Courts Apartments are looking for their units to get fixed from what they say are ongoing problems.

“I want to be moved up out here until CHA fix they buildings and I can move back in it,” Clayton said.

Clayton moved into the CHA units on the West Side just over a year ago.

“When I moved in, they painted it up. But as the months was going down, everything was falling apart, and the mold around the bathroom, the tub … windows,” she said

she claims he mold had quickly revealed itself.

“When you look at the buildings and the brick, it looks real nice on the outside.”

Yet Rev. Robin Hood said the conditions on the inside lack basic repairs. He and residents said it goes beyond mold to rats, roaches, and leaking roofs in the majority of 122 units in the seven-story buildings.

“It’s not right, they have to fix this, you can’t allow people to live like this,” Hood said.

Back in May, CHA announced it had plans to place these units up for sale. Harrison Court falls under a special contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and it places restrictions on how cha can use federal housing dollars for repairs and redevelopment. Essentially, CHA said it had limited funds available to fix up the place, but residents are asking what happens until the property is sold.

“CHA, if they sold this property, it will be two to three years. Nobody is crazy who’s going to buy a building like this in these conditions,” Hood said.

“That leaves me stuck in this raggedy apartment still,” Clayton said.

Rev. Hood said residents are falling ill constantly from the deplorable conditions. This week, he’s calling on CHA leaders and Mayor Brandon Johnson to finally step up.

“If we have to get them lawyers, we gonna get them lawyers. If we have to sue and protest for weeks, I don’t mind doing it because this is unacceptable,” Hood said.

CHA said it will listen to the concerns of its residents.

Full statement from the Chicago Housing Authority “We want to assure residents that we are listening to their concerns. This summer we released the first resident survey in recent memory so that we can better understand what’s working and what’s not working for our residents. We will be reviewing the results of this survey soon, as well as discussing with resident leadership. We have also increased staffing in our Property and Asset Management Team to provide better oversight of our third-party property managers.”

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.