Category: CNN Regional

By Angela Rozier

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    MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — The Martin County Fire Rescue is welcoming a new four-legged member to the team as part of an effort to support firefighters’ mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Mango, a Dalmatian and the department’s first therapy dog, is now making the rounds at fire stations to meet crews.

Firefighting is widely known as one of the most stressful professions, and department leaders said Mango’s role is meant to help firefighters process difficult experiences after traumatic calls. “Firefighters are trained to be strong for others, but that doesn’t mean we don’t struggle ourselves,” Chief Chris Kammel said in a statement. “Mango is here to remind our crews that it’s okay to take a moment to breathe and heal.”

Kammel, Mango’s handler, said the dog does more than bring smiles to the station.

“Just being in a room with a dog, your cortisol levels drop, your stress levels come down, and you just become a more open person,” Kammel said. “So, if we’re doing critical incident stress management after a really bad call, just having the dog in the room makes people more willing to open up and discuss things, which decreases stress and helps combat PTSD in the long term.”

According to the International Association for Fire Fighters, 22% of fire service members will meet the criteria for PTSD at some point in their careers, compared with 11% to 30% of military veterans and 6% of the general population. While Dalmatians have long been associated with firehouses, officials said Mango’s role goes far beyond tradition. The dog was gifted to Martin County Fire Rescue by Furry Friends in Jupiter and had been specially trained to provide comfort and emotional support.

Right now, Mango’s handler is bringing him to stations on a routine basis so crews can get to know him. Kammel said Mango will also respond after especially difficult calls, when firefighters may need extra support.

“But also respond if there is a situation in which we have a critical incident that we have to debrief on,” Kammel said. “When we do that, I’ll bring him to the station to have everybody pet the dog beforehand, before they start having conversations, just so they’re more willing to open up and feel more emotionally supported.”

Officials said Mango’s presence is designed to create a safe, calming environment where firefighters feel more comfortable talking about what they’ve been through.

And while Mango may already be winning over crews with his gentle personality, Kammel said he still has a few quirks.

“He does not like lizards. He hates lizards a lot. He loves to chase squirrels,” Kammel said. “Anything that moves, he wants to chase after it. But when it comes to interacting with people, he’s gentle and loving.”

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 Kennedy Mason

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — Fifty-five sloths died in unsuitable conditions at the failed and never-opened Sloth World attraction in Orlando.

Experts and officials are now demanding accountability and changes to how these animals are handled. Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, founder of the Sloth Conservation Foundation, said the animals were kept in conditions they could not survive.

She explained that sloths are biologically adapted to warm environments and diets consisting of greens, but the conditions they faced were far from suitable.

Cliffe said that in 2024, 21 sloths were placed in what she called an unpermitted warehouse with no electricity. Another 10 sloths were brought in and died as well.

Cliffe said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission became aware of the sloth deaths in August 2025 but allowed the facility to continue importing sloths until March 2026.

During that time, another 21 sloths died, bringing the total to 55. Cliffe questioned why FWC claimed there was no evidence of violations.

“Under Florida law, it is a criminal offense to subject animals to unnecessary suffering. Placing highly sensitive animals into a warehouse with no electricity, no heat, and no running water resulted in predictable, visible, and highly preventable [deaths]. I have a hard time understanding how that does constitute a violation,” Cliffe said.

State Attorney Monique Worrell issued a statement, saying, “We will do everything within our power to ensure accountability in this matter.”

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Cliffe said her organization is calling for a ban on the importation of wild sloths into the United States for commercial purposes and private ownership. They are also advocating for a review of how sloths are classified and full transparency when animals die in such facilities.

During a news conference, Rep. Anna Eskamani criticized the people behind the attraction, calling them unqualified.

Necropsy reports obtained by WESH 2 show the sloths suffered from a long list of serious health issues.

The reports also reveal that the animals were fed the wrong kind of food, including brown rice instead of fresh greens.

The CEO of the Central Florida Zoo said, “That kind of diet is not good for sloths.”

The Sloth Conservation Foundation in a second news conference on Wednesday called for a ban on importing sloths into the U.S. for personal or commercial use.

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By Deborah Weiner

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    JESSUP, Maryland (WBAL) — This time of year, it’s a regular occurrence to see proms, spring formals and dances — things that can bring lasting memories.

For one little girl and a Maryland father, that was very much the case in a place where the events are uncommon and earned.

“I’m really excited about this, actually a little overwhelmed,” said Ryan Samuel, an inmate. “Just being able to see her, do what we do, some sense of normalcy.”

The day finally arrived. First, the new shoes with the white bows have to come off. Eva and her Uncle Roger must pass through security.

Eva lives in Virginia Beach, so she only sees her father once or twice a year. She tapped her new shoes together as she waited to see her father

“I’m going to run up and give him a big hug,” Eva Samuel said.

The other children — some younger, some older — wore their best as they embarked on the walk across the Jessup Correctional Institution for a rare father-daughter dance inside the maximum-security prison.

“Because it happened when she was so young, a lot of her current memories of him are of him being in prison,” said Roger Samuel, Eva Samuel’s uncle.

Eva’s father, Ryan Samuel, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault involving police. His 16-year sentence isn’t up until 2032.

“This is not ‘Lock them up and throw away the key,'” said Carolyn Scruggs, secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. “This is, ‘Make them better than they were when they came.'”

Inside the prison gym, where the dance was held, Eva and her uncle found ways to stay busy. Nearby, the dads sported donated suits and ties — there were no prison uniforms for the dance.

There are no physical limits to the visit. It marks a difference compared to a regular visit, where just one hug is permitted.

The fathers at the dance underwent programs like anger management and crisis de-escalation and have had no serious infractions for one year — or even a minor one for half a year.

“I liked to make a lot of excuses when I was first incarcerated,” Ryan Samuel said. “‘This is why it happened,’ when the only excuse was (that) I wasn’t ready to be a member of society, and I needed this time.”

“I’m proud of you, bro, like, I’m really proud of you,” Roger Samuel told Ryan Samuel.

“He’s matured more in four years than his entire life, and that is what I want from a correctional system,” Uncle Roger said.

“Whether they are behind the wall or outside the wall, a father is a father — regardless of their situation,” said Damean Stewart, a warden.

When it came time to dance, maybe a slower dance was just about right.

“Even at the little moments when things are about to overwhelm, I have to remember what I have on the outside,” Ryan Samuel said. “I just want her to always know that she is my motivation.”

The two took their time, made up for time, and made a memory that can be sustained for a lifetime.

More than half of those incarcerated in Maryland prisons will be going back home someday, so the idea is to strengthen the family bond to help with that transition and keep them out of trouble.

Ryan Samuel is getting his college degree in prison through Bowie State. He currently has a 4.0 GPA.

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By Manuelita Beck

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved a key permit Wednesday for a controversial data center project in the West Valley.

Project Baccara would put two data centers and a gas power plant on a 160-acre site in unincorporated Maricopa County off Olive Avenue and Litchfield Road near Luke Air Force Base.

The supervisors voted 4-1 to issue the project a military compatibility permit, which state law requires for development near military bases.

“We’re not here today, really, to discuss … ‘Should this remain vacant land?’” said Supervisor Debbie Lesko, who voted in favor of the permit. “We’re here for this military compatibility permit.”

Supervisor Mark Stewart agreed.

“It’s about whether or not the military is OK with this being next to the Air Force base, and they are,” he said.

Supervisor Steve Gallardo was the lone “no” vote.

“I really do not believe that this is the appropriate location for this project,” he said. “There are so many outstanding questions.”

According to the developer’s presentation to the board, data center buildings will be on 110 acres of the site, with a 32-acre turbine yard and an APS substation on 12 acres.

Ed Bull of Baccara Eagle Land told supervisors they accepted all of the conditions Luke Air Force Base listed in their letter of compatibility.

“It’s a huge investment in the county,” he said. “It is a part of what we need to not only operate as citizens, but operate as a part of our country’s economy and national defense and so on and so forth.”

Supervisors received approximately 440 emails in opposition, and 22 people spoke out against Project Baccara at Wednesday’s meeting.

Beth Mortensen, who lives half a mile away from the site, told supervisors she was concerned the developer had not adequately addressed safety concerns about the storage of propane at the site.

“I’m very disappointed,” she told ABC15 after the vote. “Through this whole process, I have not really felt that we’ve been heard or had an opportunity to say our side of the story.”

April Butler, who lives less than a mile away from the proposed data center, has lived in the area for six generations.

“The health issues that we could get from this one, they’re not only going to affect me, they’re going to affect my whole family,” she told ABC15 after the vote, adding that her father has breathing issues.

Takanock, the project’s out-of-state developer, is here to make money, Butler said, while families like hers could get sick.

“It’s too close to homes. It’s too close to families. It’s too close to communities,” she said, adding that she’s worried steam from the natural-gas turbines could affect visibility for pilots at Luke.

Bull told supervisors the developer had addressed concerns about the propane storage facility and about air quality. He also said the facility is expected to use less water than it has rights to, saying it will use less water than agriculture.

Three people at the meeting spoke in favor of Project Baccara, saying the data center will create jobs and spur economic growth.

“The data center positions are not only well-paying jobs, but they are careers that offer health insurance benefits and retirement benefits,” said Capand Alizadeh of the Arizona Technology Council.

Butler said the West Valley already has plenty of data centers.

“How many do we need?” she said. “There’s like 11 right in that immediate area. There’s three big campuses. They’re everywhere.”

Wednesday’s permit vote was one of the final approvals needed for the project.

The Arizona Corporation Commission unanimously approved a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility in February, and the city of Glendale has taken steps to annex the land.

Opponents say they plan to take their fight to the city next.

“We’re not done,” Butler said. “We’re not done.

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By Bianca Buono

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    HUNTINGTON PARK, California (KABC) — A Huntington Park woman is being rewarded for her kindness after she found a missing 78-year-old woman with dementia who had wandered away from her home.

Security camera footage shows Jeanne Litvin cleaning up a front yard in Huntington Park, a sight that initially appeared unremarkable. But Maggie Castellanos, who lives at the home, sensed something was wrong.

At the time, Castellanos did not know the woman had been missing for more than two days and that a massive search effort was underway.

“I asked her if she was OK, if she was lost. She wasn’t coherent,” Castellanos recalled.

Litvin has primary progressive aphasia, a type of dementia that affects her ability to communicate.

Her husband, Mel Teitelbaum, was concerned when he woke up the morning of April 15 and found her gone.

“I go downstairs looking for her and the door was slightly ajar,” Teitelbaum said.

Teitelbaum teamed up with Hatzolah of Los Angeles, a volunteer emergency response organization. They started combing through their neighborhood near The Grove.

Litvin walked for hours and at some point boarded a bus, ending up nearly 15 miles from home. It remains unclear where she ate or slept during the two days she was missing.

“I cannot imagine what it is to go through something like that,” Castellanos said.

Castellanos called police, and Litvin was taken to a hospital. It took a week to confirm her identity, reuniting her with loved ones after she had been missing for 10 days.

“The longer it took us to find her, the more I felt that she was still with us,” Teitelbaum said.

On Tuesday, Castellanos was recognized for her kindness. Unbeknownst to her, there was a $25,000 reward for bringing Litvin home.

“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Castellanos said.

“It’s our civic duty to help other people,” she added.

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By Kelly Werthmann

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — When Yoshu Ngwa arrived in the United States three years ago, he felt like he was already running behind.

“I always felt like I was running late in a race,” Ngwa said. “My peers were already ahead of me… and I was still tying my shoe.”

Now, the Gateway High School senior is about to graduate near the top of his class, and as one of a select group of students statewide to earn the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship, which covers the full cost of attending a four-year college in Colorado. Ngwa’s journey to that moment spans continents, conflict and years of interrupted education.

Born in Myanmar, Ngwa fled civil war with his family when he was seven years old. They spent years as refugees in Malaysia, where access to consistent schooling was limited. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Ngwa said he had to drop out of school in seventh grade.

“As someone who didn’t have access to proper internet, it was very challenging for me to take online classes,” he said.

In 2023, at age 16, Ngwa and his family legally immigrated to the United States, settling in Aurora. He enrolled at Gateway High School as a sophomore, effectively skipping ninth grade despite missing years of formal education. That meant catching up quickly.

“I had to try really hard to catch up to my peers, and it was a very, very tough journey,” he said. Ngwa took on extra classes and leaned into every opportunity he could find, from tutoring to concurrent enrollment.

“What motivated me the most is the advantages that the United States offers for high school students,” he said. “Access to school, tutoring, even free college classes…I didn’t take any of that for granted.”

His workload quickly grew beyond a typical high school schedule. By the time he graduates this spring, Ngwa will have earned more than 100 college credits through the Community College of Aurora along with three associate degrees in science, biology and general studies.

He is also ranked fifth in his graduating class.

“I just kept working,” he said. “Through hard work and consistency, I was able to catch up.”

That drive extended beyond the classroom. Ngwa also volunteered at UCHealth, where he was introduced to the field of cardiology; an experience that helped define his future.

“Service is a part of me,” he said. “Being in the medical field, especially cardiology, aligns with my dream of serving people. It’s a lifetime commitment.”

This fall, Ngwa will attend the University of Colorado Boulder on a pre-med track. He will be the first in his family to attend college. The Boettcher Scholarship, he said, removes a major barrier.

“I don’t have to worry about financial stress and can focus on my education and the impact I want to make in the future,” he said. Outside his academic work, Ngwa also gives back to the community in Aurora — volunteering as an interpreter and helping families navigate systems he once had to learn himself. For Ngwa, his journey is not just about personal success, but about what is possible.

“I would say, you will eventually make it one day,” he said. “If you have a goal, determination and put in the work.”

From a disrupted education to academic distinction, Ngwa’s path has been anything but traditional.

It’s one he hopes others will see and believe they can follow.

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By WCCO Staff

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    MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (WCCO) — The federal government has turned over evidence in the shooting death of Renee Good, according to attorney Eric Newmark.

The move comes after a district court judge ordered the government to turn over the evidence regarding a case where a man is accused of dragging ICE agent Jonathan Ross with his car in Bloomington, Minnesota, six months before Ross shot and killed Renee Good.

Charges say Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala refused to follow orders to roll down his windows or exit his vehicle during a traffic stop on June 17, 2025. An ICE ERO officer, later identified as Ross, broke a rear window and reached inside the car to unlock the door. At that point, Munoz-Guatemala put the vehicle in drive, dragging the officer approximately 100 yards with his arm inside the car as he accelerated and weaved to try to shake him off.

Newmark, Munoz-Guatemala’s attorney, says a magistrate judge will review the evidence and determine what is relevant to Munoz’s case before turning it over to his attorney. The process could take weeks or months.

The legal team representing Renee Good’s family said they are “cautiously optimistic” that the evidence was turned over, but have “concerns about full compliance.”

“As of this evening, our multiple requests for information and evidence since January have gone without a reply. We maintain our commitment to providing transparency where the government is not, not only for our clients but also for the Minneapolis community and the country,” said attorney Antonio Romanucci, part of the Good family’s legal team.

The shooting happened on Jan. 7 at East 34th Street and Portland Avenue in south Minneapolis. According to court documents, Renee Good was driving the Honda Pilot when she and Rebecca Good, who was also in the vehicle, encountered ICE agents. Renee Good stopped the vehicle and Rebecca left to start filming the agents. Renee Good stayed in the SUV.

Ross walked by the driver’s side window of the Honda and filmed with his cell phone. He later walked in front of the vehicle and Renee Good began to turn the vehicle away from Ross and slowly drove forward.

Ross then drew his gun and fired “at least three times” at Renee Good, court documents say.

Good, who was a U.S. citizen, was a legal observer of federal actions in the city and was not a target for arrest by ICE agents, city leaders said.

Minnesota state and county officials in March sued the federal government, alleging they are being blocked from investigating the shootings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis by federal agents.

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By Briauna Brown

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    DALLAS, Texas (KTVT) — A Dallas basketball team is close to making its dreams of traveling to London come true after a sizeable donation from Mark Cuban.

Cuban donated $30,000 toward the University of Dallas men’s basketball fundraising goal after the team’s trip was abruptly canceled by a travel company that went bankrupt. Their $60,000 deposit for the trip has yet to be refunded.

Last month, CBS News Texas spoke with UTD head basketball coach Matt Grahn, who said the London trip was two years in the making, with help from family and friends.

Grahn said they worked with the company GoPlay Sports. Two months before their travel date, the company notified Grahn via email that it was taking steps to file for bankruptcy and could no longer fulfill the team’s booking.

The trip was also especially significant for senior basketball player Michael Kennedy, who is from London and was excited to show his teammates where he grew up, visit there, and play in front of his parents.

“I was going to show them, like, where I live. I was 100% confident this trip was going to happen; nothing could have gone wrong, but it did. I just, it feels like betrayal a little bit, you know, two years of working with them, but for what?” Kennedy told CBS News Texas.

Federal bankruptcy court records do not show any filings from GoPlay Sports. CBS News Texas has also reached out to the company, but we have not yet heard back.

Following the cancellation, the team took to social media to see if it could raise enough funds to still go to London. Then came Cuban’s large donation.

The team took to social media on Wednesday to thank Cuban and shared that they are still about $17,000 away from fully recovering the amount they lost. Anyone who would like to donate can visit the team’s social media page and click on the link in their bio.

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By Claire Bacarella

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    DEWITT, Michigan (WSYM) — For many high school seniors, finding the right prom dress can feel like part of the perfect night.

“If you feel confident and you like your dress it makes your night so much better,” Bath High School senior Savana Harte said.

Harte says she wanted a dress that made her feel special.

“I felt like a princess,” Harte said.

But for many families, that moment can come with a big price tag.

“The dress she really wanted originally was like $600, and I told her no,” Harte’s mom Felicia Lutz said.

That’s where DeWitt neighbor Lauren Canfield stepped in. This prom season, she started a makeshift dress consignment shop out of her home to help students find secondhand dresses at a lower cost.

“People wanna be able to feel beautiful without having to break the bank. I’d love to be able to help families be able to have that moment,” Canfield said.

Harte found her prom dress through Canfield’s collection, and her family says shopping secondhand made a major difference.

“We saved about $400 compared to what we were gonna spend on a dress,” Lutz said.

Canfield hopes to continue and expand her consignment operation. For Harte’s family, the experience proved you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to make prom memorable.

“It was really nice to have somebody willing to help people and do a little cheaper so we can afford a nice senior prom. You only get one senior prom,” Lutz said.

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

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