Category: CNN Regional

By Kayla James

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Ballet is more than just dance — it’s an art, a discipline, and for 12-year-old Avery Greene, a source of joy and confidence.

Avery has been dancing since she was three, but in the last four years, ballet has become her passion.

“When I do ballet, I feel happy. I feel strong. I feel pretty,” Avery said. “I feel the emotions of the dance.”

The 12-year-old receives ballet instruction from professional dancers with Ballet Des Moines through a nonprofit called SEEDS. The nonprofit’s executive director says the goal is to make sure Black and Brown kids in the Des Moines metro area have access to the fine arts.

“One of the main things that’s important, specifically when it comes to arts is that our kids have the opportunity to be able to have culturally affirming programs that represent them,” said Dontreale Anderson, the executive director of SEEDS.

The nonprofit and the partnership with Ballet Des Moines provide opportunities that are needed across the industry.

“I think that there aren’t enough kiddos with access to ballet or dance classes,” said Blaire Massa, the CEO of Ballet Des Moines. “So when you get to the top of the game, there just aren’t as many people of diverse backgrounds that are able to be hired.”

That access opened a historic door for Avery when she was cast as Clara in “The Nutcracker,” performing alongside professional dancers last December. Clara is one of the main roles in “The Nutcracker.” Each year, Ballet Des Moines holds auditions for young ballerinas in the community for different roles, including Clara.

“The company’s been around since 1965. It’s probably unlikely that there’s ever been a Black Clara,” Massa said.

Originally, Avery auditioned for an entirely different show.

What began with nerves quickly turned into pride as Avery found support from choreographers and her family.

“I just had to give her a little pep talk, and I said to her, ‘If they didn’t want you, they wouldn’t have offered it to you. They see something in you. Let’s see what happens,’” said Lanae Greene, Avery’s mom.

By opening night, Lanae said her daughter’s confidence showed in every moment she made. Now, two months later, there’s not a doubt in Avery’s mind that she belonged on that stage. She wants others to feel the same, no matter what their passion is.

“A lot of people worry that maybe their dreams aren’t going to work out because it doesn’t make enough money or something like that, but whatever makes you happy, I think, is something you should pursue in the future,” Avery said. “I think that if you’re not happy where you’re working or with what you’re doing, there’s no point in doing it.”

You can watch the video above to see Avery’s story unfold and learn how this program is creating opportunities through the power of dance.

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.

WWJ

By Julia Avant, Nick Lentz

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    Detroit (WWJ) — Police and loved ones are looking for a 25-year-old Wyandotte, Michigan, man who, family says, was declared missing on Friday.

Tyler Bojanowski was last seen on Thursday around 2:30 a.m., according to a Facebook post by the Allen Park Police Department.

His mother, Nicole Dillon, says she last saw him on Wednesday and that their texts and calls didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

Dillon added that she’s been caring for Bojanowski after he was involved in a serious car crash that left him with a brain injury.

“He called me and said that he was going to a friend’s house,” she said.

Bojanowski hasn’t returned home since the phone call.

According to police, his truck was found on Enterprise Drive near the Best Western Greenfield Inn in Allen Park, and his family says his passport was found at Dingell Park in Ecorse, Michigan.

Recent security footage of Bojanowski showed him walking alone without a coat, according to Dillon.

“Tyler, if you’re out there, and if you’re watching this, please just call me. Please just come home,” Dillon said on Sunday afternoon. “I don’t care, whatever happened or what you think you did, or anything like that, I do not care about any of that. You know that nothing that you could do would ever make me not love and support you.”

Police said Bojanowski is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds, has blonde hair and blue eyes and wears glasses.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Wyandotte Police Department, which told CBS News Detroit they have an ongoing investigation into his disappearance.

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 Julia Avant, Nick Lentz

Click here for updates on this story

    Detroit (WWJ) — Police and loved ones are looking for a 25-year-old Wyandotte, Michigan, man who, family says, was declared missing on Friday.

Tyler Bojanowski was last seen on Thursday around 2:30 a.m., according to a Facebook post by the Allen Park Police Department.

His mother, Nicole Dillon, says she last saw him on Wednesday and that their texts and calls didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

Dillon added that she’s been caring for Bojanowski after he was involved in a serious car crash that left him with a brain injury.

“He called me and said that he was going to a friend’s house,” she said.

Bojanowski hasn’t returned home since the phone call.

According to police, his truck was found on Enterprise Drive near the Best Western Greenfield Inn in Allen Park, and his family says his passport was found at Dingell Park in Ecorse, Michigan.

Recent security footage of Bojanowski showed him walking alone without a coat, according to Dillon.

“Tyler, if you’re out there, and if you’re watching this, please just call me. Please just come home,” Dillon said on Sunday afternoon. “I don’t care, whatever happened or what you think you did, or anything like that, I do not care about any of that. You know that nothing that you could do would ever make me not love and support you.”

Police said Bojanowski is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds, has blonde hair and blue eyes and wears glasses.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Wyandotte Police Department, which told CBS News Detroit they have an ongoing investigation into his disappearance.

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 Adam Harrington, Marissa Sulek

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A Round Lake Beach woman and her boyfriend appeared in court for the first time on Sunday, both facing first-degree murder and child endangerment charges.

It comes two days after her 8-year-old son was found dead in their home from apparent abuse and malnourishment.

Neighbors with white balloons in hand created a vigil for the child.

“Today we are going down to pay our respects and stuff to the family,” said Sharon Renae Bell with Activities for Kids and Seniors.

They said they were shocked and hurt to hear that a boy who lived in the Cedar Villas rental community was found dead behind the memorial inside the townhouse with the yellow tag on the door.

“I was just like, oh my god, like crying, like this is terrible. I have six children, I have 14 grandkids, I couldn’t even imagine something like that to a child,” said Aneshia Dougherty.

Dougherty says her daughter-in-law moved in a few doors down a couple of months ago.

She said the boy’s mother, 33-year-old Dominique Servant, and her boyfriend, 38-year-old Joey Ruffin, charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment, both kept to themselves.

Dougherty said she does not remember seeing the 8-year-old or his 10-year-old sister outside often, but they were surprised to see police at the complex Friday night.

Another neighbor said she would see the 8-year-old boy struggling to take the trash out. She also said the boy and his sister would take the bus to school, but she had not seen them at the bus stop in the last year.

“I now think of that other sibling, the 10-year-old, who now has to live their life without their sibling, probably in foster care,” said Char Rivette, CEO of Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center.

Rivette said she worries for the 10-year-old sibling who will need therapy and counseling to cope with what she’s dealt with.

The Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center said the sibling also had signs of abuse and malnourishment.

Now the community is wondering if the tragedy could have been prevented.

“Where were these kids in terms of access to community? Did they go to school? Were they actively engaged in school? How long did they live in the place they were living?” Rivette said.

Neighbors said they wish they had known and been more aware of what was going on behind the family’s door.

“We could have talked to them, you know, talked to the children, talked to the parent to see what was going on – can we help in any kind of way and stuff, you know?” Bell said.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement on Sunday:

“This eight-year-old child should still be alive, and this horrific crime was preventable. In light of the ongoing nature of this investigation, the moral mandate that we secure justice, and the need to hold every responsible party accountable, we will be providing limited information prior to a full presentment of charges to the grand jury.

“I will say this: if you see signs of a child being abused or malnourished, report it. If you need help as a parent, get it. If you are abusing your child, stop it now. If you are abusing your child or criminally neglecting their basic needs, and that child dies, you will be prosecuted for murder in Lake County.”

CBS Chicago reached out to the Department of Children and Family Services to see if there was an active case involving this family.

In a statement, they said:

“The death of a child is profoundly heartbreaking, especially when the alleged perpetrators are the ones that are supposed to protect and care for the child. This family was not receiving services from DCFS and the Department is actively working with Round Lake law enforcement to investigate the circumstances around this child’s death. Illinois law restricts the information DCFS can share about child abuse and neglect investigations and we are unable to provide further comment about the specifics of this case at this time.”

Servant and Ruffin have a detention hearing in Lake County on Monday afternoon.

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.

WBBM

By Adam Harrington, Marissa Sulek

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A Round Lake Beach woman and her boyfriend appeared in court for the first time on Sunday, both facing first-degree murder and child endangerment charges.

It comes two days after her 8-year-old son was found dead in their home from apparent abuse and malnourishment.

Neighbors with white balloons in hand created a vigil for the child.

“Today we are going down to pay our respects and stuff to the family,” said Sharon Renae Bell with Activities for Kids and Seniors.

They said they were shocked and hurt to hear that a boy who lived in the Cedar Villas rental community was found dead behind the memorial inside the townhouse with the yellow tag on the door.

“I was just like, oh my god, like crying, like this is terrible. I have six children, I have 14 grandkids, I couldn’t even imagine something like that to a child,” said Aneshia Dougherty.

Dougherty says her daughter-in-law moved in a few doors down a couple of months ago.

She said the boy’s mother, 33-year-old Dominique Servant, and her boyfriend, 38-year-old Joey Ruffin, charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment, both kept to themselves.

Dougherty said she does not remember seeing the 8-year-old or his 10-year-old sister outside often, but they were surprised to see police at the complex Friday night.

Another neighbor said she would see the 8-year-old boy struggling to take the trash out. She also said the boy and his sister would take the bus to school, but she had not seen them at the bus stop in the last year.

“I now think of that other sibling, the 10-year-old, who now has to live their life without their sibling, probably in foster care,” said Char Rivette, CEO of Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center.

Rivette said she worries for the 10-year-old sibling who will need therapy and counseling to cope with what she’s dealt with.

The Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center said the sibling also had signs of abuse and malnourishment.

Now the community is wondering if the tragedy could have been prevented.

“Where were these kids in terms of access to community? Did they go to school? Were they actively engaged in school? How long did they live in the place they were living?” Rivette said.

Neighbors said they wish they had known and been more aware of what was going on behind the family’s door.

“We could have talked to them, you know, talked to the children, talked to the parent to see what was going on – can we help in any kind of way and stuff, you know?” Bell said.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement on Sunday:

“This eight-year-old child should still be alive, and this horrific crime was preventable. In light of the ongoing nature of this investigation, the moral mandate that we secure justice, and the need to hold every responsible party accountable, we will be providing limited information prior to a full presentment of charges to the grand jury.

“I will say this: if you see signs of a child being abused or malnourished, report it. If you need help as a parent, get it. If you are abusing your child, stop it now. If you are abusing your child or criminally neglecting their basic needs, and that child dies, you will be prosecuted for murder in Lake County.”

CBS Chicago reached out to the Department of Children and Family Services to see if there was an active case involving this family.

In a statement, they said:

“The death of a child is profoundly heartbreaking, especially when the alleged perpetrators are the ones that are supposed to protect and care for the child. This family was not receiving services from DCFS and the Department is actively working with Round Lake law enforcement to investigate the circumstances around this child’s death. Illinois law restricts the information DCFS can share about child abuse and neglect investigations and we are unable to provide further comment about the specifics of this case at this time.”

Servant and Ruffin have a detention hearing in Lake County on Monday afternoon.

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 Wakisha Bailey

Click here for updates on this story

    Philadelphia (KYW) — In an age shaped by social media and constant information, many parents struggle with how much of the world children should be exposed to. The nonprofit A Book A Day believes the right book can help children better understand the world around them and themselves.

Step inside founder Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova’s home, and it feels less like a house and more like a living library. Thousands of children’s books line the shelves and fill boxes, each one chosen with intention.

“Books are museums,” Sibylla said. “The types of books we choose have gorgeous illustrations.”

Those books aren’t just meant to spark imagination. They’re meant to preserve history and offer comfort. In 2000, Shekerdjiska-Benatova immigrated to the United States from Soviet-era Bulgaria with just one suitcase.

Inside it were some clothes and about 25 children’s books.

“Books were my comfort blanket,” she said.

Years later, concerned by what she saw in school libraries — outdated collections, offensive titles and a lack of funding — Shekerdjiska-Benatova took action. She created A Book A Day to put new, diverse and meaningful books into the hands of children who might not otherwise have access to them.

“No new books were coming into libraries because there were no funds,” she said. “What was there was very outdated, sometimes even offensive.”

What started with two books delivered to two schools each week has now grown into an operation serving thousands of kids across the region. The goal is simple: to show children what’s possible.

“We wanted to show children that they have the tools,” Shekerdjiska-Benatova said. “That they can do things as well.”

A core part of the mission is representation.

“Children of color need to see themselves and White children need to see children of color,” Shekerdjiska-Benatova said.

The organization also distributes multilingual books, opening doors for children to explore new languages, cultures and experiences. Staff members describe each book as a portal, often to joy and sometimes to wonder.

One story in particular hits close to home for Shekerdjiska-Benatova — a book about a young girl forced to leave her country, navigating a world where she isn’t always welcomed.

“I know what those gestures meant to me,” she said. “Friends who were kind and welcoming.”

Today, A Book A Day serves schools, medical centers and community spaces throughout the region. Now, Shekerdjiska-Benatova is working on something deeply personal: her very own children’s book.

It’s a full-circle moment that underscores the heart of the mission: how one book, placed in the right hands, can change how a child sees the world.

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.

KYW

By Wakisha Bailey

Click here for updates on this story

    Philadelphia (KYW) — In an age shaped by social media and constant information, many parents struggle with how much of the world children should be exposed to. The nonprofit A Book A Day believes the right book can help children better understand the world around them and themselves.

Step inside founder Sibylla Shekerdjiska-Benatova’s home, and it feels less like a house and more like a living library. Thousands of children’s books line the shelves and fill boxes, each one chosen with intention.

“Books are museums,” Sibylla said. “The types of books we choose have gorgeous illustrations.”

Those books aren’t just meant to spark imagination. They’re meant to preserve history and offer comfort. In 2000, Shekerdjiska-Benatova immigrated to the United States from Soviet-era Bulgaria with just one suitcase.

Inside it were some clothes and about 25 children’s books.

“Books were my comfort blanket,” she said.

Years later, concerned by what she saw in school libraries — outdated collections, offensive titles and a lack of funding — Shekerdjiska-Benatova took action. She created A Book A Day to put new, diverse and meaningful books into the hands of children who might not otherwise have access to them.

“No new books were coming into libraries because there were no funds,” she said. “What was there was very outdated, sometimes even offensive.”

What started with two books delivered to two schools each week has now grown into an operation serving thousands of kids across the region. The goal is simple: to show children what’s possible.

“We wanted to show children that they have the tools,” Shekerdjiska-Benatova said. “That they can do things as well.”

A core part of the mission is representation.

“Children of color need to see themselves and White children need to see children of color,” Shekerdjiska-Benatova said.

The organization also distributes multilingual books, opening doors for children to explore new languages, cultures and experiences. Staff members describe each book as a portal, often to joy and sometimes to wonder.

One story in particular hits close to home for Shekerdjiska-Benatova — a book about a young girl forced to leave her country, navigating a world where she isn’t always welcomed.

“I know what those gestures meant to me,” she said. “Friends who were kind and welcoming.”

Today, A Book A Day serves schools, medical centers and community spaces throughout the region. Now, Shekerdjiska-Benatova is working on something deeply personal: her very own children’s book.

It’s a full-circle moment that underscores the heart of the mission: how one book, placed in the right hands, can change how a child sees the world.

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.