Category: CNN Regional

By Matt Barcaro

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    CARLISLE, Pa. (WGAL) — The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was the first federally funded, off-reservation boarding school for Indigenous children in the United States. From 1879-1918, approximately 7,800 students were enrolled.

The school, in Carlisle, Pa., became a model for Federal Indian boarding schools and was designed to assimilate Indigenous children into white, American culture.

At least 170 students died while enrolled at Carlisle and were buried at the school’s cemetery.

Over the years, a disinterment program has exhumed the children’s remains to return them to their tribes around the country, so they can receive a proper burial.

WGAL continues to cover developments at the Carlisle Indian School and will update this page with new phases of the disinterment program, student identifications, and repatriations to tribes across the country.

Bookmark the page and check back often for the latest updates as work continues.

Oct. 7, 2025: Sixteen more children return home The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in Oklahoma have successfully returned the remains of 16 children from the Carlisle Indian School Cemetery to their tribal lands, following this year’s disinterment program. That story is here.

Sept. 4, 2025: Work begins to repatriate more remains The Office of Army Cemeteries started work at the Carlisle Indian School Cemetery to repatriate the remains of Native American children, with a focus on returning more remains this year than in any previous year. WGAL’s Matt Barcaro was there.

March 3, 2025: More repatriations announced WGAL learned of U.S. Army plans to repatriate more remains from the Carlisle Indian School cemetery in 2025.

Oct. 25, 2024: President Joe Biden apologizes

President Joe Biden formally apologized to Native Americans for the “sin” of the government-run boarding school system that forcibly separated children from their parents.

History of the Carlisle Indian School Taken from their reservations, thousands of Native American children underwent an education experiment at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (1879-1918). Capt. Richard Henry Pratt, the school’s founder, summed up his mission in one thought: “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.”

Native children from across the United States and its territories were forced to wear military-style clothes, cut their hair, and give up sacred items they brought to Carlisle.

The Carlisle model spawned 24 other off-reservation schools, according to the National Park Service.

While at the school, at least 170 children died, most likely from disease. They are buried in a cemetery on the current grounds of the Carlisle Barracks at the U.S. Army War College.

Carlisle Barracks also offers a self-guided walking tour of the historic school grounds and lodging accommodations on site. Carlisle Barracks does not charge admission but a driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance are required to enter.

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By Jake Shindel

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    WASHINGTON (WBAL) — Four Anne Arundel County police officers are recognized for actions that saved a man who was in cardiac arrest at a grocery store.

Cpls. Lauren Pridgen, Christopher Terenyi, James Sears and Patrick Madera are the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s Officers of the Month for September.

“These officers are heroes, and their actions serve to highlight the countless acts of valor which often go unnoticed and without the recognition or fanfare such acts deserve,” William Alexander, the CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, said in a statement.

Pridgen, who had saved someone else’s life just days prior, heard a call for a cardiac arrest and responded with an AED. She administered a crucial shock, at which time she was joined by Terenyi, Sears and Madera.

Their CPR efforts saved the man, restoring his pulse and breathing. By the time he was in the ambulance, he was already conscious and breathing on his own.

Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad sent a statement to WBALTV.com, saying: “I am incredibly proud of Cpl. Pridgen, Cpl. Terenyi, Cpl. Sears and Cpl. Madera. Their swift and decisive life-saving measures are a profound testament to their dedication and training. For Cpl. Pridgen, to help save a second life in just three days is truly remarkable, and all four exemplify the very best of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Kevin Ko

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Damon Butts, who owns and operates East Bay Firearms with his brother, saw his family gun store in Livermore victimized for the third time in two years on Saturday.

“Thieves are the worst type of people, and I want to see them brought to justice,” he said. “If this can happen to us here, in what we believe is a very secure facility, it can happen to your business as well.”

Officers responded to the gun store around 4:30 a.m. and found a car rammed through the glass storefront, according to the Livermore Police Department. More than 30 guns worth about $40,000 were stolen.

The Livermore Police Criminal Investigations Bureau and the ATF are currently investigating the burglary. No arrests have been made.

“It’s not the financial losses for us,” Butts said. “It’s the things that they stole that could be used to hurt the community. I’m never going to be okay with that.

Jeff Harp, a security analyst and former FBI agent, is also the son of a former gun store owner.

“My dad’s guns that were stolen in the ’70s were still entered in NCIC (National Crime Information Center) when I was in the FBI in 1995. That’s kind of the course of action that takes place. All these firearms are entered into NCIC in the event they’re used in a crime and recovered,” he said. “Now, catch-22 – if they’re recovered.”

Harp said stolen guns tend to be used in other crimes, sold on the black market, or never found again.

“ATF monitors these stores very closely: their transactions, and the things they do to make sure it’s all above board and above the books. But it doesn’t prevent the bad guys from conducting any sort of surveillance, then hitting the store when they’re not there,” Harp said. “Certainly, you can have a more robust safe, a robust security system, and all those things. But if somebody rams a car in the front of your building, (it) doesn’t do a whole lot of good.”

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By Tori Apodaca

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — As the federal government shutdown continues, communities are stepping up big to feed their neighbors.

A group of influencers in Sacramento is teaming up to use their platforms to give back, as SNAP benefits or federal food aid benefits will stop on Nov. 1.

Sacramento influencer Ashley Newell said donating cash goes further than donating cans.

“They were never meant to fill the gap of SNAP and they are going to try,” said Newell.

Every $1 donated to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services equals three meals.

“It makes me cry,” said Kari Shipman, who is the program director of All Together Now Sacramento. “It makes me so happy.”

Shipman is rallying the community and is overwhelmed by how they have raised nearly $18,000 in just over 24 hours.

“Not going to sit here and say it’s easy to meet this demand, but we’re committed to doing everything we can,” said director of communications at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services Kevin Buffalino.

Buffalino said that they are serving 330,000 people a month, which is way more than they ever have in their 49 years.

He said there are nearly 270,000 people in Sacramento County on SNAP benefits, known as CalFresh in California.

Buffalino said they are bracing for the number of people they serve to surge.

Shipman created a QR code that she hopes people will post on their front doors as children trick-or-treat this weekend, so people have an opportunity to donate.

“I see the faces and the heartbreak of people who are going without food, and it really is gut-wrenching and makes you want to do more,” Shipman said.

Food banks are worried about the need moving forward because CalFresh provides nine meals for every one meal distributed by food banks.

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By Matthew Rodriguez

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    ORANGE COUNTY (KCAL, KCBS) — The Orange County Sheriff’s Department arrested a deputy for allegedly sexually assaulting a female inmate.

Deputy Leobardo Martinez Garcia, 29, was booked for felony sexual battery and assault under the color of authority. The department placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

“The alleged criminal conduct of this deputy is a violation of the oath to serve and protect our community, particularly those entrusted to our care in the Orange County Jail,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said. “I could not be more disappointed in the actions of Mr. Martinez Garcia.”

The department began its investigation on Oct. 14 after a female inmate told Orange County Jail staff that Martinez Garcia had assaulted her while she was in custody for a separate charge in March 2025. She said she was receiving medical care at a local hospital at the time of the assault.

Investigators served multiple search warrants before arresting Martinez Garcia on Oct. 29.

“I want to assure our community that this is not representative of the professional integrity shown every day by hundreds of deputies and professional staff who serve in custody operations,” Barnes said. “The thorough investigation will continue, and any deputy who fails to uphold the responsibilities of a peace officer will be held accountable through a prompt and impartial process.”

Deputies said they will forward the case to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office or the U.S. Attorney’s Office once their investigation is complete.

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By Shaun Boyd

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — The latest survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows Colorado has lost more farmland than any other state in the country. Between 2017 and 2022, the state lost 1.6 million acres of farmland – a 5% decrease.

Agriculture is the second biggest economic driver in Colorado. It generates $47 billion a year and supports 195,000 jobs. But the industry is shrinking as commodity prices stagnate, costs soar, and the supply of workers plummets.

Many farmers say state policies have only added to the headwinds. Some of them are now turning to artificial intelligence for help. The Fagerberg family farm in Northern Colorado is among them. The Fagerberg family began farming 145 years ago. Today, they have the largest onion farm in the state and one of the more high-tech operations. They have probes that tell how much water a plant needs, sensors to measure humidity and air quality, weather stations, and pesticide sprayers that use artificial intelligence to discern what’s a plant and what’s a weed.

Farm Manager Brian King went before the State Water Quality and Agriculture Committee to explain how the sprayers work, “You can see those nozzles actually turning on and off individually as the camera tells the algorithm what to do. It scans, analyzes, and sprays in under 250 milliseconds.”

King says the Ecorobotix ARA sprayer has reduced the amount of pesticide they need by 91% on the 3,000-acre onion farm. While it’s not cheap – $300,000 for a sprayer and $11,000 a year for licensing of the algorithms – he says it’s a necessity these days.

A shortage of farm workers is forcing many farmers to automate or liquidate. The state lost nearly 3,000 farms between 2017 and 2022, according to the USDA, and that’s before the immigration crackdown and trade war.

King says state policies are hurting farmers even more.

He points to a recent law that requires Colorado farmers to pay overtime after 48 hours, “That was a worker safety concern. What it ended up doing is it’s hurting workers’ pockets.”

He says Fagerberg has paid for workers’ Visas only to have them leave for states with no overtime.

Another misfire, he says, is a new rule requiring a certain square footage of shade per worker. He spent $56,000 on specialized shade trailers, “The workers can’t stand them. I think there are a lot of policies that have been put in place in this Capitol that haven’t been thought all the way through on the farm side.”

King says Colorado’s loss of farms is Mexico’s gain. He says Colorado used to have 30,000 acres of onions and now has just 3,000 acres. Meanwhile, onion farming is growing in Mexico.

State Senator Byron Pelton, a rancher in Morgan County, is pushing to roll back some of the laws, “We’re getting slammed on every single side.”

He says fewer farms means more imported food and higher prices, “This state used to be an agriculture mecca, and it’s getting bashed by this legislature every day.

And it could get worse. The state is now considering limiting emissions from farm equipment and further regulating pesticides.

“Between commodity prices, between pesticide regulations, between labor regulations, I don’t know what else I could put on my worry plate,” says King.

The Colorado Farm Bureau and Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association are also worried about the number of farmers who will soon be retiring. The USDA says the average age of farmers in Colorado is 58, and the average net farm income is about $51,000.

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