Category: CNN Regional

By Ashley Kirklen

Click here for updates on this story

    FALMOUTH, Kentucky (WLWT) — A Pendleton County High School senior was celebrated for achieving the rare milestone of perfect attendance over his entire 13-year school career.

Klaber Wolfe, a senior at Pendleton County High School, did not miss a single day of school in 13 years, an accomplishment his school says is incredibly rare.

Family, friends, and a chauffeur gathered to honor Wolfe’s achievement, which the school says hasn’t been seen in over a decade.

Joe Buerkley, superintendent of Pendleton County Schools, said, “I believe it’s the first time since the 2015-16 school year, we’ve been able to recognize someone that has achieved this feat.”

Wolfe’s dedication to attending school every day, even during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, earned him a VIP experience on his last day of high school.

“As everyone knows, that doesn’t get accomplished that often,” Buerkley said.

The celebration included a limo ride with his best friends, applause from family and staff members, and a red-carpet welcome at Pendleton County High School. Wolfe posed for pictures, laughed and enjoyed the spotlight as his school community honored his achievement.

“We are very excited to see what it’s going to do in the future. We know that he’s set up and ready to do great things. So, we couldn’t be more proud of Klaber this morning, and we’re just really excited to have the opportunity to recognize him and all the things that he’s accomplished,” Buerkley said.

Wednesday marked Wolfe’s last day of high school, and the school superintendent said Wolfe’s work ethic will ensure the limelight continues to follow him wherever he goes.

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 Jacquelyn Quinones

Click here for updates on this story

    CAPITOLA, California (KSBW) — The organization behind a proposed female surfer statue, “Honor,” is moving forward with plans to bring the project to Capitola after months of discussions with the city of Santa Cruz.

The statue is designed to honor women’s contributions to surfing and would serve as a counterpart to the iconic male surfer statue on West Cliff Drive, which has been in place for over 30 years.

“This is only going to be the third female surf statue in the world. There are only 40 male surf statues, so for us to find such a prominent spot in Santa Cruz County to honor her is phenomenal,” said project founder, Kari Lockhead.

The statue, named “Honor,” is not modeled after a specific person but represents all women who find connection to the water.

“She’s a strong, athletic, confident woman,” Lockhead added.

Kaila Pearson, a member of the committee behind the project, said the initiative is personal for her.

“As a female, I was able to see myself in three other females, and that gave me the confidence and the capacity to assert myself in the lineup and go into male-dominated areas in life,” Pearson said.

Pearson also shared that her father, Bob Pearson, who shaped the board for the male surfer statue in Santa Cruz, will shape the board for the female statue if the project is approved.

Capitola Vice Mayor Gerry Jensen expressed his support for the project and its proposed location.

“It was just an opportunity that I thought Capitola should just jump on the opportunity, embrace the statue, and it really symbolizes what the surfer reserve is about,” Jensen said.

“I think this will be a nice resting place for her. I think she’ll be seen all throughout the day. We get tourists year-round, and I think [it will provide] really great visibility for our young gals that do the Junior Guard program,” Jensen added.

A local female surfer also shared her enthusiasm for the project.

“I love the idea. I love it. I feel like it will be inspirational to all the young girls,” she said.

The city of Capitola stated that the next steps involve the organization submitting an application to the Arts and Cultural Commission. The commission will make a recommendation, and the proposal will then go to the city council for a vote.

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 Alicia Alvarez

Click here for updates on this story

    SACRAMENTO, California (KSBW) — California is seeing a resurgence in poisonings linked to picking and consuming poisonous wild mushrooms.

Mushrooms such as Death Caps and Western Destroying Angels are growing in multiple areas across the state, prompting the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to issue a warning.

The CDPH is urging Californians to not pick or eat wild mushrooms. There have been 50 cases of mushroom-related poisonings between November 2025 and May 22. Those cases have included severe liver damage and four deaths. There are less than five reported cases of mushroom poisonings in a typical year.

Nine counties have reported poisonings, including Monterey County.

The CDPH says the outbreak coincides with a widespread bloom of Death Cap and Western Destroying Angel mushrooms across the state. That bloom includes areas where these poisonous mushrooms are not commonly found.

The CDPH recommends that people avoid picking and eating wild mushrooms at this time, to keep pets and children away from mushrooms, to purchase mushrooms from trusted grocery stores and to be aware of symptoms.

Symptoms of wild mushroom poisoning are nausea, abdominal pain, watery diarrhea and dehydration. These symptoms can occur within six to 24 hours after consuming the mushrooms and usually go away within a day. Despite the relief, patients can still develop serious to deadly liver damage.

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 Sanderson

Click here for updates on this story

    HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio (WLWT) — The county coroner, FBI task force and police came together to identify a child homicide victim whose body was found in a field in Springfield Township in 1979.

Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco, along with Springfield Township police, Cincinnati police and the FBI’s Southern Ohio Cold Case Task Force, announced the identification at a news conference.

The child, 18-month-old Velina Jeter, was discovered Feb. 4, 1979, on Eiler Lane.

The case quickly gained attention, with the child being dubbed “Baby Angel.”

Investigators said her body was found in a field on Eiler Lane near Clovernook Country Club and the former Providence Hospital site. She had been badly burned and was not recognizable. An autopsy later determined she died from head trauma and that her death was a homicide.

“Any homicide investigation is very difficult when you don’t even know who your victim is,” Cincinnati Police Specialist Jeff Smallwood, said.

Officials said the case remained unsolved for years until the child’s body was exhumed in 2008 so DNA could be collected and sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. That work helped investigators build a large genealogy tree profile and eventually identify her.

Springfield Township police called the killing a “heinous crime” and said the case remains a reminder for the community to come forward with information. Cincinnati police said they are continuing efforts to solve cold cases through DNA and genetic genealogy.

“We’re talking about an 18 month-old girl at the time that was heinously murdered and killed. We couldn’t even identify this person. We take these cases with great importance and great significance,” Chief Chris Niehaus with the Springfield Township Police Department said.

Smallwood says CPD will start offering DNA test kits that are entirely voluntary for those who choose to be genetic witnesses.

Officials said the child can now be given her name back and they are able to give her a proper headstone, saying that was important to them.

Officials shared the names of the child’s biological parents: Sharon Jeter and Barry Lee Valentine. Sharon died in 2013, Barry died in 2011. The parents were from Columbus, as was the child. It’s unclear who had custody of Velina at the time of her death.

The coroner shared both parents have since died.

Authorities hope now knowing the child’s name will help lead to information about her killer. The next stage now calls on community assistance, finding the child’s possible connection to being found in Cincinnati.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.

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 Matthew Keck

Click here for updates on this story

    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Two men charged with murder in the Russell neighborhood appeared in court Thursday, and it ended up with one of them receiving an additional charge.

Joshua Langlois and Leangelo Sullivan were both arraigned for murder and assault.

Police say the two men shot and killed Quantay Workman and injured another person on May 14 in the 1000 block of Magazine Street.

Langlois was arrested at Dismas Charities on Wednesday, where he was under supervision for a federal drug conviction.

As Sullivan was leaving the courtroom Thursday, he kissed a woman who was arrested along with him in a different case during a traffic stop. This was despite a no-contact order being in place.

The judge called Sullivan back into the courtroom, where he was found in contempt.

“Excuse me! Hey, I don’t know what just happened, but that needs to be addressed immediately,” said Judge Tanisha Hickerson. “Who is this right here? Who is this third young lady right here? Cause this is an issue. I don’t know why you thought you were special that you could do something like that but you cannot. The boldness of it all, that’s going to get you 10 days to serve.”

Both men will be back in court in the murder case next 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 Marcie Cipriani

Click here for updates on this story

    PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Eileen Miller says the upcoming enforcement of a new Pennsylvania law named after her late son is emotional for her, as it fulfills a promise she made to him after his death.

“His legacy is going to save lives,” Miller said.

Paul Miller was 21 years old when his parents received the devastating knock on their door.

“There was no reason, absolutely no reason for my son to die that day,” Eileen Miller said.

Paul Miller lost his life along a Pennsylvania road after a distracted tractor-trailer driver caused a crash. The tragedy filled his mother with grief and determination. For years, Eileen Miller fought to keep cellphones out of drivers’ hands.

Starting next month, Paul Miller’s Law will allow officers to cite drivers who pick up their phones, even at a red light.

“When you’re looking down at that last email, text, whatever it is, it takes your brain 27 seconds to look back up on the road and get your brain back engaged to what you were last doing,” Eileen Miller said.

Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel

Police departments are now working to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

Eileen Miller shared a video created by Hopewell Township police, which they said was designed to grab drivers’ attention.

“We wanted to bring something here, not just to Hopewell Township but to Beaver County, to be shared, to get the message out there. I think not only the kids can relate to it, but the adults can relate to it as well,” Hopewell Township Officer Jared Rogers said.

Reflecting on her 15-year fight, Miller said the journey has been emotional but worthwhile. Sitting in her son’s memory room, she shared how she found the strength to keep pushing for change.

“At Paul’s crash site, when I went, there was this handle there from this car, and I picked it up. It had blood and dirt on it. When my legislation wasn’t going through, I would grab this handle, and I could hear my son at the crash site saying, ‘Mom, you can get a handle on this. You can do this, Mom.’ So a lot of times I come in here at night, and I’ll hold it, and I feel like I’m holding his hand,” Miller said.

Eileen Miller says her motivation to keep fighting for even stricter distracted driving laws remains strong.

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 Taj Simmons

Click here for updates on this story

    ELKHORN, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — Glenn Boyd chose to fight in World War II instead of finishing high school. He would have finally received his diploma this year, but the 101-year-old passed away just days before graduation.

Boyd would have received an honorary diploma from Elkhorn Area High School, where he had talked to students about his WWII experience every Veterans Day.

“He was younger than I am now when he chose to fight for our country, and that was just so incredible to me,” said Elkhorn Area High School senior Genevieve White.

Boyd served in the Army Air Force during WWII, where he primarily carried out cargo missions over China, Burma, and India. In order to serve, he dropped out of high school during his junior year.

Principal Dan Kiel came up with the idea for the honorary degree after Boyd revealed during this school year’s Veterans Day event that he did not graduate high school. Kiel said Boyd knew about the honor and was excited to join the class of 2026.

“When we told him, he thought about it for a second, and we could tell it was something he wanted to do,” Kiel said. “We thought about doing it at the next Veterans Day ceremony, but one of our guys said, ‘Why wait?'”

Boyd died on May 18, just twelve days before he would have received his diploma.

His son Larry Boyd, who followed in his father’s footsteps and served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, traveled up to Elkhorn from Arkansas to honor his father one final time.

“We’re just so proud of him,” Larry Boyd said. “We need to remember the stories that our parents and grandparents tell us. When they’re gone, we won’t have that story anymore. We’ll only have the memory, and we need to hang on to that.”

Boyd will be remembered during Elkhorn Area High School’s graduation with an empty seat covered by an American flag.

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 Mekialaya White

Click here for updates on this story

    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which provides a chance to stand with your community and show that no one struggles alone.

Lifespan Local works to address mental health issues in a group that often gets overlooked: older adults. The Denver-based nonprofit promotes a sense of belonging by creating connections.

Their programs range from yoga to music to hydroponic farming to healing circles.

CBS Colorado visited a recent session offered in both English and Spanish. With each colorful stitch, a group of older adults carefully created art on a canvas.

“We have this program to fight social isolation,” said Giannina Estrada, Health and Wellbeing Director. “They face many changes that affect their mental health. They have less independence. That sometimes brings a sense of frustration, anxiety.”

Carmen Garcia experienced that anxiety firsthand.

“There’s not that fear of being able to talk to people,” she said, along with an English translator. “Coming out of the pandemic, people were scared to be in community with each other.”

That’s why she found comfort having in a space where she could meet new friends and find purpose. One session turned into countless visits.

“They felt part of something. Our community, the Hispanic community and communities of color can feel discriminated. The biggest feedback is that they belong somewhere. The world is changing quickly. They need a place they can relax and feel safe, and we want to provide that place for them. That support system,” said Estrada.

And for that Garcia, support has been invaluable.

“When we hear the word ‘convivir,’ we live together. We co-live together, that’s what we’re learning here. We are taking away the stigma of having fear of living together.”

If you’d like to get involved, community resources can be found here: lifespanlocal.org/resourceslifespanlocal.org/resources

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.