Category: CNN Regional

By Kelly Doty & Gracie Palmer

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    GREENVILLE COUNTY, South Carolina (WLOS) — Three children and one adult who were lost overnight in Caesars Head State Park in South Carolina have been safely located, officials confirmed.

The four hikers will be evaluated by EMS before being reunited with their families. It is still unclear how well-prepared they were for the hike or what conditions they faced overnight, officials said.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office announced via social media that the four hikers, who are a grandmother and three grandchildren, were found safe on the Bill Kimball Trail with no major injuries.

“I know she was talking and very coherent about where she was and what happened, and they didn’t make me aware of any medical issues,” said Sheriff Hobart Lewis about Tonda Michelin, the three children’s grandmother.

Sheriff Lewis said the hikers were found in very rugged terrain, from which they had to be helicoptered out.

“It’s rough. There are some trails there, some for more experienced hikers than others. Hurricane Helene turned over a bunch of trees that were down there and covered a lot of those trails up. So, there’s some signs that are gone,” he added.

Officials with the Cedar Mountain Fire Department, which covers that area, said they often respond to that area for lost hikers.

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By Maria Morales

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    TOWSON, Maryland (WMAR) — A Rodgers Forge man will spend Thanksgiving night on the streets without shelter to draw attention to homelessness in the community.

Robert Williams has been helping homeless individuals in Towson since 2014 through his organization CALM Outreach, which stands for Compassion, Aid, Love and Mercy. On Thanksgiving, he’s taking his advocacy a step further by experiencing homelessness firsthand.

Williams will be on the streets overnight without a tent or sleeping bag. While he has done this before, this marks the first time he’ll spend Thanksgiving night homeless.

“Well, Thanksgiving, twofold because of it being a national homelessness awareness month, and still promote the outreach as well so I can continue to get product in the house and have it readily available before the winter turns much colder,” Williams said.

Williams started his outreach work during the winter of 2014 when a polar vortex hit the area. Since then, he has been caring for people on Towson streets at night through donations from neighbors and friends.

“The first thing is compassion, and then you’re obviously bringing aid to them and showing them love from your heart and just being merciful upon them and listening to what they have to say,” Williams said.

Williams has transformed his dining room into a mini warehouse stocked with winter accessories, blankets and backpacks filled with cold weather essentials including sleeping bags, emergency blankets, knit hats, gloves and hand warmers.

“The last time I was out there, I was heading home when I found the gentleman. And I called up a neighbor and I said, could you grab some stuff for me at the house and everything and he did and he came up and we helped the gentleman out,” Williams said.

Williams is also preparing for Giving Tuesday on December 2. He has started a GoFundMe to raise money to buy items for a day center in Towson where unhoused people gather.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WMAR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Hunter Walterman

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    FORT MYERS, Florida (WFTX) — William Humes walked outside the Luminary Hotel for a cup of coffee. Instead, he found a coyote two stories above the ground.

“We turned and we looked, “Humes said. “And we were in amazement, as a matter of fact.”

So was Fort Myers Police Lieutenant Dominic Zammit.

“I mean, we’ve had bears in trees and stuff like that,” Zammit said. “But never a coyote on the side of a building.”

At first glance, the animal looked like a large dog. Brown fur. Fluffy tail. But it was no household pet on the small strip of concrete. Somehow, a coyote walked onto the second-floor ledge of the hotel parking lot.

Fort Myers Police taped off the building’s Bay Street entrance at Bay Street as officers tried wrangle the animal. Police showed up after someone saw the coyote on side of the building, Zammit said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) also responded to the hotel with a biologist, Zammit said. At least one FWC officer was at the scene with a kennel and catch pole.

As morning turned into afternoon, the crowd grew. Downtown officer workers, tourists, and reporters gawked at the frightened animal as it stood almost frozen.

After a multi-hour standoff, the animal got tired of the attention – and the hot sun. It hopped over the railing and ran back into the garage, prompting excited cheers from the crowd.

Zammit said the coyote escaped out of the hotel and was last seen headed towards McGregor Boulevard.

“They [officers] were unable to capture it, it was super fast,” Zammit said, chuckling.

Within minutes, the crowd disappeared.

“We just had an extra activity going on today,” Humes said.

Christina Anaya teaches biology at Florida Gulf Coast University. Anaya told FOX 4 it’s not uncommon for foxes and coyotes to live in urban and suburban areas. Trash cans, dumpsters, and even small pets provide ample opportunity for food, Anaya said.

“Humans tend to carry around a lot of trash with them,” Anaya said. “So we make food readily available. So for those that do move into urban areas, there isn’t really a reason to leave, because they got everything they need.”

Anaya said coyotes generally do a good job at staying hidden. It’s possible the coyote in Fort Myers went to the hotel garage for shelter, Anaya said, and was startled onto the ledge by cars.

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By Cole Pearson

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    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — When he posted on TikTok that he was giving away leftover brownie tiramisu from his birthday about a month ago, Alex Na expected three or four people to show up. What he found was blossoming friendships that have since grown into community potlucks benefiting local businesses and organizations.

“That was the seed that was kind of like, ‘Oh, people want community. People want to find a sense of belonging,’” Na said. “Especially someone like me who moved here recently and I just don’t know anybody. It was a cool way to meet new people.”

The third official free tiramisu drop was held this past Sunday at Basically Halal on North Arch Road. Hundreds of people showed up and various local bakers brought their own specialty creations to share with the community.

With these growing events, local businesses have helped to cover Na’s tiramisu ingredient costs, and half of the donations received are benefiting local organizations like RVA Community Fridges.

“This is just like a way to give back to the community and support local charities and non-profits in Richmond,” said Na.

To volunteer, donate, or stay updated on future drops, you can find all that information in Na’s TikTok bio: lebronthecat01.

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By Kiley Vaughan , Mary O’Connell

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    CLEARWATER, Florida (WFTS) — The U.S. Coast Guard successfully located four missing boaters who failed to return from a fishing trip on Monday.

Officials said the missing boat capsized about 26 miles offshore, and all four occupants are alive.

The City of Clearwater said the four missing boaters, from Polk County, left from the Seminole Street Boat Ramp at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 24 in a 25-foot green-and-white catamaran called “Money Well Wasted.”

The missing boaters have been identified as 70-year-old Dennis Woods, 90-year-old Clarence Woods, 42-year-old Cris Harding Sr., and 18-year-old Cris Harding Jr.

According to family members, the group usually returns at around 4 p.m., but when they hadn’t returned, relatives contacted the police just before 8:30 p.m. on Monday.

Clearwater police said the boaters reported the boat began taking on water and overturned between noon and 1 p.m. on Nov. 24.

In a video shared by Clearwater Police, boater Dennis Woods described the ordeal.

“The water filled up the one side of the catamaran, and then it made the back of the motor boat go down low, and water started coming over the back of it,” Woods explained.

Woods shared how it all happened so fast, with afternoon soon turning to evening.

“The night was real tough because the waves picked up, and we was having to like try to get up on top of the rigging of it, and with a 90 year old, I spent almost all night holding him up, and then he fell several times,” Woods said.

Woods also shared why there’s more than one reason to celebrate their rescue.

“That’s a great feeling there, especially since my birthday was yesterday,” said Woods. “It was a good birthday now that I’m back on land.”

Officials said the four boaters were taken to Morton Plant Hospital for treatment, after they were brought ashore by Coast Guard boat to the Coast Guard station at Sand Key shortly after 9 a.m. on Nov. 25.

“I think their first words were thank you to all of us,” said Savannah O’Dell with US Coast Guard Station Sand Key.

O’Dell was part of the crew that rescued the boaters. She shared what they saw and more about their quick action.

“They were cold. They had hypothermia for sure. They were shivering,” said O’Dell. “Being out in the water that long, all of that water sucks out the warmth out of your body. I think the older man had some lacerations. My guys on the back deck, they bandaged him up, got him some water, put a lot of warm stuff on him.”

Tampa Bay 28 also spoke with family, outside the emergency room where the boaters were being treated.

“It’s a miracle, I mean for them to be out there, yeah it’s a miracle,” said Teresa Rucker.

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By KAKE Staff

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    SALINA, Kan. (KAKE) — Police in Salina are still searching for suspects after cash was stolen from two ATMs over the weekend.

The first theft happened at around 8 p.m. Saturday at the Bennington State Bank branch at 2130 South Ohio. The second occurred at the Bennington branch at approximately 1 p.m. Sunday. In each theft, the suspect or suspects got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police say the suspect vehicle was a white Lincoln passenger car. It had a Kansas tag, but police say the license plate was stolen between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday from a vehicle in the 100 block of South Phillips.

Authorities believe this incident is connected to a previous “jackpotting” incident in Wamego, Kansas. The Salina Post reports “jackpotting” is a crime in which thieves install malicious software and/or hardware at ATMs that force the machines to spit out cash.

This is an ongoing investigation.

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