Category: CNN Regional

By Samantha Chaney

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Milton residents are voicing safety concerns in the Blue Hills Reservation after Massachusetts State Police say a man stabbed a dog that allegedly attacked him.

“It doesn’t feel great to know that a dog was harmed or that someone has a potentially dangerous weapon in a place where children, families, and other dogs and people congregate,” said resident Alison Lowitz.

The incident happened Monday morning on Blue Hill River Road near Houghton’s Pond.

“I don’t think it’s ever an easy situation or black and white of who did what wrong. Everyone is just trying to protect themselves,” added another resident Sophie Boucher.

While Lowitz questioned the man’s response, saying, “People react in all different ways, but I don’t think pulling a knife is the correct way to respond to that.”

Boucher, emphasized human safety saying, “Humans have to be the first concern because at the end of the day, an animal is an animal, and a human is a human.”

Although signs throughout the reservation prohibit unleashed dogs, State Police say the dog was off leash at the time of the incident, and visitors say it’s common.

“Well, it depends if the dog is aggressive or not,” said Gabbi Rios.

“Sometimes I let my dog run around, but after hearing that story, I probably won’t be doing that anymore,” added her father, Simon.

For some, the incident highlights broader safety concerns around the park.

“It’s definitely concerning that dogs are off leash and that owners either can’t maintain well enough to keep them in control and right next to their bodies,” Boucher said.

“If somebody had to pull a knife out and hurt the dog, it’s another reminder why we should be using leashes,” Simon added.

According to Massachusetts State Police, both the man and the dog are expected to be OK. The dog was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for treatment.

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.

WBZ

By Samantha Chaney

Click here for updates on this story

    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Milton residents are voicing safety concerns in the Blue Hills Reservation after Massachusetts State Police say a man stabbed a dog that allegedly attacked him.

“It doesn’t feel great to know that a dog was harmed or that someone has a potentially dangerous weapon in a place where children, families, and other dogs and people congregate,” said resident Alison Lowitz.

The incident happened Monday morning on Blue Hill River Road near Houghton’s Pond.

“I don’t think it’s ever an easy situation or black and white of who did what wrong. Everyone is just trying to protect themselves,” added another resident Sophie Boucher.

While Lowitz questioned the man’s response, saying, “People react in all different ways, but I don’t think pulling a knife is the correct way to respond to that.”

Boucher, emphasized human safety saying, “Humans have to be the first concern because at the end of the day, an animal is an animal, and a human is a human.”

Although signs throughout the reservation prohibit unleashed dogs, State Police say the dog was off leash at the time of the incident, and visitors say it’s common.

“Well, it depends if the dog is aggressive or not,” said Gabbi Rios.

“Sometimes I let my dog run around, but after hearing that story, I probably won’t be doing that anymore,” added her father, Simon.

For some, the incident highlights broader safety concerns around the park.

“It’s definitely concerning that dogs are off leash and that owners either can’t maintain well enough to keep them in control and right next to their bodies,” Boucher said.

“If somebody had to pull a knife out and hurt the dog, it’s another reminder why we should be using leashes,” Simon added.

According to Massachusetts State Police, both the man and the dog are expected to be OK. The dog was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for treatment.

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 Kaitlyn Ross

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    BUFORD, Georgia (WXIA) — What started as a peaceful day on Lake Lanier turned into a rescue that’s now getting national recognition.

For Marvin Winston, the water has always been a place to slow down.

“Anything or anywhere on the water for me is just calming, soothing,” he said. “I’ve always viewed fishing as my sort of therapy.”

He’s spent years building that routine, launching from spots like Clarks Bridge Boat Ramp, cameras rolling as he shares his time on the lake with others.

“I like recording any catches I come across,” Winston said. “For some people who can’t go out and fish, they catch fish through my videos.”

But on Feb. 19, that sense of calm shifted before he even cast a line.

“I am going out, and before I even start fishing, I hear what sounds like a faint call for help,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if it was a human, animal, or something, but I knew I had to check it out.”

What started as uncertainty quickly became urgency.

“This feeling overcame me that I couldn’t fish; I had to figure this out before I could continue on,” he said.

As he moved closer to shore, he realized what he was hearing.

“As I got closer to shore, I could actually see what looked like a person lying down,” Winston said. “I went to shore, got out of my kayak, and I was calling, hello, hello? And I could hear a woman who was crying.”

The woman was hurt, struggling to breathe, and alone.

Winston didn’t hesitate.

“It was just instinct,” he said. “To hear someone calling out for help the way this woman was in distress, something had to be done.”

He stayed with her, called 911, helped direct first responders, and did everything he could to keep her calm.

“I did my best to comfort her, to figure out what was going on with her, to help her as best I could until we got on scene,” he said. “I jumped into action, took action, and just stayed with her until professionals got on scene.”

That steady presence made all the difference.

“What Marvin did is exceptional,” said Flotilla Commander Richard Adams with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Lake Lanier. “He was able to redirect a 911 operator to get first responders on the scene.”

Adams says it’s the kind of response they don’t see often.

“So often now, people look the other way, and they don’t go out of their way to try to help people in distress,” he said. “It’s rare because people don’t usually do this type of thing. Oftentimes, we are lucky if people even call first responders.”

Because of his actions, Winston was given a Coast Guard commendation, an honor Adams says is not handed out lightly.

“It’s rare for the Coast Guard to give such honors because it’s rare for people to do what Marvin did,” he said. “We are grateful for Marvin, and we wish there were more Marvins out there.”

For Winston, the recognition is meaningful, but not the reason he stepped in.

“I just think, in my heart, it’s something that any good-natured human would’ve done,” he said.

He hopes the moment serves as a reminder.

“In a world where it feels like humanity is lacking, hopefully this shows that there are good people in this world,” Winston said. “We just need to act.”

He says in that moment, nothing else mattered.

“None of us knew each other, but we came together,” he said. “It’s what we all should be doing.”

The woman was treated and released from the hospital.

And for Winston, a day that started with the promise of peace ended with something even more powerful–being there when someone needed it most.

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 Sam Hartle

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — A Wyandotte County District Court judge released new details Monday in a slew of charges filed last month against a former Bonner Springs Police Department detective.

In March, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree filed 18 charges against Kyle Rector, 39, including child sexual exploitation, stalking and breach of privacy.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the charges, a captain in the Bonner Springs Police Department contacted a special agent at the Kansas Bureau of Investigations on Jan. 28, 2026, following an internal investigation into Rector. The captain told the KBI agent their investigation revealed that Rector “had used law enforcement technology and equipment to stalk his wife” and “persons [Rector] believed her to be intimately involved,” identified in court documents as two men.

Court documents reveal that Rector used license plate readers (LPR), such as Flock cameras, to track his wife and the two men. As part of their investigation, KBI agents requested Rector’s cell phone data.

Agents believed that Rector used LPR data close to where one of the two men lived. Agents then received cell phone data from Rector, which showed him in the area of one of the men.

Agents also detailed how Rector used department access to the Accurint Virtual Crime Center data to track his wife and the other two men more than 20 times in late December.

Court records reveal Rector’s wife filed for a protection order, which was granted and served on Jan. 19. Rector used the crime center data to make three more searches even after being served the protection order.

Court documents indicate that Rector would use the department resources, including his department-issued Ford Explorer SUV, to track and surveil the three victims while he was both on and off duty.

As KBI agents continued their investigation, they spoke with Rector’s spouse, who told them she had separated from Rector in November 2025. The woman told KBI agents that she found a computer program on her laptop that allowed remote access.

The woman also recalled an incident on Jan. 13 when she noticed the light switch in her bedroom looked different. She contacted Kansas City, Kansas, police, who disassembled the light switch and discovered a hand-made video recording device with a micro disk attached.

Agents also received a warrant to search several pieces of equipment belonging to Rector, one of which was a USB hard drive that contained child sexual abuse material. The USB also contained images and video that Rector had taken that captured his wife and one of the two male victims.

In one instance on Nov. 15, 2025, Rector’s wife was with one of the two male victims at a Planet Fitness in Olathe when Rector, who was watching nearby from his police vehicle, confronted the pair. The male victim told police he and Rector’s spouse drove off, with Rector following them in his police vehicle through parking lots in the area. Rector stopped following the pair once they got onto a nearby highway.

After completing their investigation, police in Bonner Springs terminated Rector on Jan. 26.

Rector was arrested and booked into the Wyandotte County Detention Center on March 18 on a $150,000 bond. Online jail records reveal that Rector posted bond.

Rector made his first appearance before a judge on March 31. The judge set a hearing for 9 a.m. on May 19.

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 Eric Henderson

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    WESTLAND, Michigan (WWJ) — What started out as an attempted April Fools’ Day joke by a Detroit-area bakery ended up backfiring, in a sense, when customers enthusiastically embraced the design of an intentionally ugly “Easter lamb” cake.

Last week, Homestead Kitchen Artisan Cakery’s Instagram account posted a photo of a disturbed-appearing lamb confection in the “cake fail” style of the TV show “Nailed It!”

The cake depicted in the photo featured googly eyes, misshapen buck teeth, nondescript grey frosting piled haphazardly and appearing to be melting, and a light dusting of coconut shavings to suggest wool.

“Where’s the knife, I need to put it out of its misery,” one commenter mused.

The post received nearly 4,000 comments on Instagram. The success of the post spurred the bakery to offer replicas of the ugly lamb depicted in the post, though they quickly sold out due to the unexpected demand.

The bakery reported, “What started as an April Fool’s joke, turned into an international sensation, with over 4 million views, a sell-out weekend, and endless laughs.”

The bakery — which also offered a more traditional lamb cake option — said the success of the April Fools’ stunt has inspired them to offer the ugly lamb next Easter, as well.

While many commenters indicated they were in on the joke, a few took issue with the satirical take resulting from the convergence of April Fools’ and Easter Sunday. In the Christian faith, the lamb is symbolic of innocence and the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for his followers.

“While the lamb CAKE is a longstanding Easter tradition here in the States and is not a biblical representation of Jesus Christ, I can see why some might confuse this cake post with an attack on Christianity,” the bakery posted the day after the prank. “As a Bible believing follower of Christ, I pray that my whimsy does not stand in your way of experiencing the life changing power of the cross this 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 Emily McLeod

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — An Emergency Room Nurse with Emory University Hospital is making an impact with her YouTube Channel, “Mini Med School with Nurse Dolly.”

Emari Etta-Tawo is using her experience as an ER nurse and mom of two to educate kids about health and wellness.

After having her two children, she saw a need for kid-friendly health and wellness content on platforms like YouTube.

“I noticed there was a lot of things about alphabets, about colors, about shapes, which are all important but there wasn’t anything that promotes health and wellness for children, which I believed was very, very, very important, so I created Mini Med School with Nurse Dolly,” Etta-Tawo said.

Etta-Tawo said “Mini Med School” has changed her perspective on nursing.

“I feel like now I’m able to make more of an impact beyond the bedside and hospital and reach more people,” Etta-Tawo said. “Thousands of kids have watched my channel, and I’m just so grateful for that.”

She started “Mini Med School” in July 2025 and already has nearly 23,000 subscribers.

“So, I always thought that was a great idea, but I didn’t expect for it to be this big so soon,” Etta-Tawo said. “I started in July of 2025. It’s been about eight months, and it’s been growing very rapidly. I’m so grateful for the growth.”

Etta-Tawo covers a variety of topics on her channel, including handwashing, exercise, and the five food groups.

Right now, Etta-Tawo said she’s working on a series called “My Body is Amazing.”

“That’s kind of what I’m focusing on right now, is teaching kids all about their body, how amazing it is and all the things that it can do,” Etta-Tawo said. “I do take recommendations from people that were my early watchers. They have left some recommendations like, ‘Hey, you know, we would love to see a video about the heart. We would love to see a video about brushing teeth or hand hygiene.’ So, I’ve kind of been listening to what the parents want and kind of giving them that, that content.”

She said the feedback to her channel has been overwhelming: “I’ve been getting messages from parents saying, you know, ‘We had a doctor’s visit today and after watching ‘Mini Med School,’ they did so much better than they did the last time.’ And that type of feedback really keeps me going as well.”

Etta-Tawo said she is grateful when parents let her know they trust her and the content is resonating with their children.

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 Barclay Idsal

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — Talk about rolling out the retirement red carpet!

A hardworking Domino’s pizza delivery driver on the cusp of retiring will soon become the beneficiary of a GoFundMe that’s raised over $75,000 in donations. The stunning fundraising effort comes after the driver went the extra mile to fulfill a delivery as ordered.

It all happened on a recent Friday night when a Treasure Valley customer ordered dinner and a Diet Coke from a nearby Domino’s. After placing the order, the delivery driver, Dan, notified the customer that their Domino’s location was out of Diet Coke. Dan let the customer know about the inconvenience and offered to get them something else.

The customer tried calling the store back, but by that time, Dan had already left. At that point, the customer figured they’d take “whatever substitution came with the order.”

However, when Dan arrived, he had pizza and a Diet Coke in tow.

Turns out, Dan took it upon himself to stop at a store along the way and fulfill the drink request— on a busy Friday evening, no less.

“We were honestly blown away. That level of care and kindness is rare these days,” reported the customer on the GoFundMe page. “We wanted to tip him more, but didn’t have cash on hand. We told him we’d call the store to leave a glowing review and come back with a cash tip.”

During their conversation, Dan revealed that he was just a few weeks away from retirement after delivering for Domino’s for nearly 14 years.

After the customer’s TikTok post about the delivery went viral, TikTok suggested putting together a GoFundMe to help boost Dan’s retirement savings.

“Let’s help him step into retirement feeling appreciated, supported, and celebrated,” concludes the GoFundMe page.

The GoFundMe is scheduled to remain active until April 30, which is Dan’s final day of work.

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.