Category: CNN Regional

By Lydia Blackstone

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — When Samantha Covey walked across the stage at graduation this weekend, she wasn’t just celebrating a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She was marking the culmination of years of hard work, family sacrifice and a dream that began with a sewing machine.

Covey was among the members of SCAD’s largest graduating class in school history. Just weeks before commencement, the fashion design graduate showcased her work in the university’s internationally recognized SCAD Fashion Show.

“My husband bought me a sewing machine and said, ‘Let’s chase your dreams together,'” Covey said. “So we did. I learned how to sew, and we packed up a U-Haul and came to Savannah so I could study here.”

Her latest design, featured in the fashion show, was inspired by French fashion house Lanvin and created as part of a project alongside designer Peter Copping.

For the assignment, Covey selected actress Goldie Hawn and her daughter, actress Kate Hudson, as her muses.

“I wanted to pick a modern mother-daughter duo,” she said. “I picked Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson.”

The gown’s vibrant yellow hue drew inspiration from Hudson’s iconic dress in the 2003 romantic comedy “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”

“I don’t want to imitate it,” Covey said. “I just want it to embody the feeling of the color.”

While fashion icons helped shape her creative vision, Covey said some of her greatest inspiration came from her own life.

During her sophomore year at SCAD, she became a mother.

Balancing coursework, fashion design projects and raising a young child proved challenging, she said.

“I said a lot of prayers,” Covey said. “We had a lot of help, but it was really difficult.”

Like many working mothers, she learned to maximize every spare moment.

“When you have to prioritize your time, when it’s nap time, it’s go time,” she said.

That determination is reflected in the details of her work. Some of the handmade floral elements featured in her designs took two to three hours each to create.

After graduation and a successful runway debut, Covey and her family are preparing for another major transition.

The family is packing up a U-Haul once again, this time headed to Philadelphia, where her husband will attend graduate school.

Covey plans to continue building her fashion career through custom eveningwear and bridal design.

“I’ll be doing some custom eveningwear and bridal looks,” she said. “Just continuing to gain experience, keep designing and keep growing.”

For Covey, the move marks the next chapter in a journey fueled by family support, perseverance and a passion for fashion — one stitch at a time.

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 Britt Leoni

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    MOORE HAVEN, Fla. (WBBH) — When it comes to Florida farmland, we typically think sugar or citrus.

On one family farm in Moore Haven, typical is nowhere to be found.

Three years ago, Matt Davis decided to stop selling citrus and start harvesting coffee. He didn’t know if it was possible.

“What can we do in Florida that no one’s doing?” said Matt. “We were like, let’s do coffee. No one is doing coffee. Everyone likes coffee.”

“Old Okeechobee Coffee Company” was born. Matt started planting coffee trees in his greenhouse.

“This is a second harvest,” said Matt. “That’s unheard of, and that’s what we’ve created on accident is a microclimate. This should not be happening right now at all.”

The coffee cherries grown on the farm are then processed and roasted.

Being the first to start and own a coffee farm in Florida hasn’t come without its challenges.

“When Ian came through, I got rain on top of saturated ground,” said Matt. “I lost 400 trees at 20 dollars a pop and had to start over one section.”

But no matter the cost, the Davis family has kept going. Matt’s daughter, Darien, says their mission is bigger than themselves.

“I think our goal is to help save Florida farmers,” said Darien. “To help the farmers not sell their land and help them provide for their families and prove that it can be done. I think that’s amazing if we could just help one farmer and their family.”

The Davis family proves that with determination, anything is possible.

“No matter how many people say you’re crazy, it can never be done; we’re proving that it can be done and we’re doing it,” said Darien.

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 Cindy Fitzgibbon, Phil Tenser

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    NEEDHAM, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Less than two days after a meteor surprised people across Massachusetts, another rare celestial phenomenon danced more gracefully across our skies.

A rare blue micromoon set early Monday morning, but rose Sunday, making it the second full moon of May.

What’s so “micro” about it?

Since the moon’s orbit isn’t a perfect circle, this full moon was farther from Earth than usual at a distance of 252,360 miles (406,135 kilometers), making it seem a bit smaller and dimmer.

It’s the opposite of a supermoon when a full moon comes closer to us than normal. The most recent supermoon, for instance, was just 225,130 miles (362,312 kilometers) away.

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 Ryan Lovell

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    HOMEWOOD, Alabama (WVTM) — A Birmingham man has been arrested after police say he threw five kittens from a moving vehicle on Interstate 65 near Lakeshore Drive.

Homewood police responded to the area around 1 p.m. on May 30 after witnesses reported seeing the animals tossed from the car.

All five kittens were struck and killed by other vehicles.

Officers took Thomas Liccione, 21, into custody. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

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 Caitlyn Scott

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    BETHEL PARK, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Police have temporarily “hired” an “egg-cellent” companion to its team, following what they say was a “hilarious series of events and a short foot pursuit” on Sunday.

Bethel Park police said they were called to the area of Drake Road, where a chicken was found roaming the center lane, blocking traffic and being “indecisive as to whether or not to cross the road.”

“After a hilarious series of events and a short foot pursuit, the chicken was safely detained and transported back to the station. After a brief interrogation, she claimed that she was NOT blocking traffic … but rather directing it,” the department said in a post.

Officials said “Lt. McQuail” is now “supervising” the department’s dispatch center for the time being until she is returned to her original home.

“If you are missing what Google has identified as a Plymouth Rock variety chicken, please give us a call at 412-833-2000. She will be the one answering the phone,” the department 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 Ricardo Tovar

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    SANTA CRUZ, California (KSBW) — Tyler Mitic is biking the entire California coastline, from the northernmost part of the state to the border with Mexico, to raise money for the mental health nonprofit Bring Change to Mind.

Along the way, Mitic is inviting people to join him on his tandem bicycle, aiming to spread kindness, hear their stories, and raise awareness about mental health issues.

“Had a really hard year of mental health. And so, when I struggle, one of the things that’s always brought me back is talking to the people around me. Nature,” Mitic said.

Mitic arrived in Santa Cruz today and will soon head toward Monterey County. He is asking for donations to Bring Change to Mind, which was co-founded by actress and activist Glenn Close. Mitic is also looking for more passengers to join him on his journey.

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 Christina Watkins

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    SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) — Anaya Browne, a 7-year-old student from Wilson Elementary School in Sanford, has been accepted into Mensa, the world’s largest high-IQ society, after scoring higher than 99.9% of students her age on a standardized intelligence test.

Ever since Anaya was a baby, her parents said they knew she carried a very special light.

“This little person you have like dreams and thoughts for who they’re gonna be and like to see them turn out so good is really just this huge blessing, right,” said Tiffany Browne, Anaya’s mother.

Anaya shared her thoughts about the testing process.

“They told me I was going to do. Yeah, I was kind of scared. Or like, what if we don’t do good? And then I ended up doing amazing,” she said.

Her father, Kevis Browne, described his reaction to the results.

“We got the results, and at first we were like, is this a good thing? Or like, what’s going on? And then come to find out, she had scored very highly on the test, testing higher than 99.9% of students in the country at her age group,” he said.

Mensa is open only to individuals who score in the top 2% of a standardized intelligence test. Once accepted, members gain access to resources, networking opportunities, and free educational tools for gifted learners.

Anaya’s first-grade teacher, Patria Slaughter, expressed her pride in her former student.

“She’s got two great parents to help guide her. Lots of support. Lots of people that love her. So, I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of her life and I wish her the best,” Slaughter said.

Anaya also shared an encouraging message for other young students.

“You got this, you can do this!” she 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 Joshua Davis, Rebecca Smith

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    SURRY COUNTY, N.C. (WXII) — The man accused of shooting two Carroll County deputies, killing one, has been arrested.

According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Puckett, 55, was arrested on Skyview Lane in Mount Airy late Sunday night by Surry County law enforcement. He had been wanted since Friday in connection with the killing of Deputy Logan Utt and the shooting of another deputy. The Carroll County Sheriff says the second deputy who was shot is at home in good condition.

On Friday, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said deputies received a call around 9:30 p.m. to conduct a welfare check at a home on Fancy Gap Highway.

When they arrived, two deputies made contact with the suspect, identified as Puckett. Authorities said he opened fire, shooting both deputies and killing Utt. Investigators say other people were in the home at the time. None of the other people inside were injured.

Puckett then fled the scene. Agencies across the Piedmont Triad were alerted and assisted in the search, including the Mount Airy Police Department and the sheriff’s offices in Surry and Rockingham counties.

On Sunday, the search area narrowed down to Greenhill Road in Mount Airy. Deputies say crews used aerial surveillance, finding the suspect outside a property on Skyview Lane. Deputies believe Puckett did not have a connection to the home.

Law enforcement officers described Puckett’s condition as ‘good enough’, saying he responded to verbal commands. He is in custody in Surry County, awaiting extradition back to Carroll County. The Carroll County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office will handle prosecution.

Sheriff Kemp told WXII that he’s grateful for the help his department received from surrounding law enforcement partners and the community. He said his attention is now focused on being there for his officers and the family of fallen deputy Logan Utt. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from federal, state, and local agencies assisted in the search.

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.