Category: CNN Regional

By T.J. Wilham, Jason McNabb

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — A year-long dispute between Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and the city council is costing taxpayers big money, and it’s all about your safety.

Target 7 has learned the argument started nearly a year ago over who decides the number of paramedics on fire trucks. It has resulted in lawsuits, nearly $1 million in legal fees, and the city council president is now calling for an investigation into the city attorney, which could lead to her dismissal.

The argument began when Albuquerque Fire Rescue wanted to put a paramedic on every engine truck, which is the workhorse of most fire departments being, the first unit to arrive on scenes.

The plan would require removing a paramedic from rescue trucks, which look like traditional ambulances and typically carry two paramedics.

Keller and the fire chief supported this plan, but the fire union opposed it, advocating for maintaining two paramedics on transport-capable units while training more paramedics for fire engines.

The city council sided with the union, passing an ordinance to keep two paramedics on rescue trucks, opposing the mayor and fire chief.

“It’s a clash of competing separation of powers issues,” said KOAT Legal expert John Day. “If you’re a lawyer, it is fascinating. If you are a regular citizen, it just sort of highlights government efficiency at some level or inefficiency.”

In an unprecedented move, Keller sued the city council, creating a conflict for City Attorney Lauren Keefe, who represents both parties. Consequently, both sides hired separate legal counsel, each spending $400,000.

“When you have a mayor’s office and city council fighting with each other. Of course, a lot of money is going to go into the lawyer’s pockets,” Day said.

City Council President Brook Bassan, who initially sided with the mayor, sponsored an ordinance for an investigation into Keefe, citing concerns that the city attorney might be assisting the mayor in the lawsuit against the council.

“I believe that we’ve at least spent probably a million dollars of taxpayer money on this lawsuit alone, where the mayor is suing the city council,” Basan said. “We ended up finding some other information that indicated to me and gave me reason to believe that the city attorney is helping the mayor sue the city council.”

Basan’s proposal, if passed, could lead to Keefe’s dismissal.

“I am implying that this is the first step to consider removing the city attorney from the position,” Basan said.

Keefe was offered an opportunity for an interview. Instead, she sent a statement.

“I take my ethical duties very seriously. As soon as this dispute arose, I informed council that I had a conflict and could not represent it. I then ensured that the city hired well-qualified lawyers to represent the interests of all parties, including city council,” the statement read. “While I am not representing any party, I have received updates on the ongoing proceedings. These actions were not only appropriate, but I had a duty to do so in order to ensure the interests of the city were protected.”

AFR has implemented its paramedic plan in five out of 23 stations, with two other stations having paramedics on traditional fire trucks due to the absence of rescue units. Recently, AFR sent 24 firefighters to paramedic training to increase paramedic availability on more trucks.

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 Tanner Kahler

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — If you heard a weird noise in Milwaukee Wednesday night, you weren’t alone.

People took to social media reporting a jet-like sound echoing through neighborhoods.

On Thursday, We Energies took responsibility.

“Late last night, while taking one of our Valley Power Plant units offline for routine operations, a valve lifted due to excess pressure, causing a loud noise,” a spokesperson told WISN 12 News. “We have isolated the issue. This pressure release did not impact the system, which is working properly. We apologize for the disturbance.”

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 Stephanie Moore

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    SPARTANBURG, South Carolina (WYFF) — A Spartanburg, South Carolina, woman is accused of stealing money from a vulnerable adult.

Cher Deneane Cantrell, 58, is charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult and one count of breach of trust with fraudulent intent.

Cantrell was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on Thursday.

Investigators said Cantrell misused her authority as power of attorney for a vulnerable adult.

Specifically, between March 11, 2024, and July 24, 2024, Cantrell is accused of misappropriating approximately $10,292.56 from the victim’s funds, diverting the money for her own personal use and benefit, while allegedly intending to permanently deprive the victim of those resources.

Throughout the entire timeframe of these alleged offenses lived at Magnolia Manor, an assisted living facility located in Inman, South Carolina.

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

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 Jennifer Eagan, John Atwater, Tim Nazzaro

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — The United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley held a press conference Thursday night, revealing new details into the deadly shootings of both two Brown University students on Saturday and MIT nuclear physicist Nuno F.G. Loureiro on Monday in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Authorities identified the shooter as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national from Miami. Officials said he was born in Torres Novas, Santarem, Portugal and was a legal permanent resident of the United States.

Foley revealed that Neves Valente and Loureiro were former classmates at an academic program in Portugal between 1995 and 2000.

It’s not clear if the two men remained in touch.

“We are grateful to all who played a part in identifying and tracking down the suspect in the killing of Prof. Loureiro. Our community continues to mourn and remember Nuno — an incredible scientist, colleague, mentor and friend. Our thoughts are also with the Brown University community, which suffered so much loss this week,” MIT said in a statement.

Neves Valente was a PhD student at Brown University from 2000 until 2001 and only studied physics, according to a university spokesperson. He took a leave of absence from the Ivy League school in April 2001 before officially unenrolling in 2003.

While the motive remains unclear, surveillance video from Loureiro’s Brookline neighborhood allegedly showed the gunman in the area days before the deadly shooting, according to Foley.

On Dec. 15, investigators said video from inside the nuclear physicist’s apartment showed Neves Valente wearing a specific set of clothes before shooting Loureiro in the lobby.

Hours later, surveillance video from a storage unit facility in Salem, New Hampshire showed the gunman wearing the same thing that was caught on the Brookline cameras, according to Foley.

Neves Valente was found dead inside the storage facility on Thursday, Dec. 18. Authorities said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Bruno Soares Goncalves, a friend of Loureiro, said he will be deeply missed.

“He was a very funny guy to be around, very intelligent humor, maybe from the time he lived in England, he developed this kind of humor,” Goncalves said. “He’s someone who enjoyed being near the students, someone that loved to be in front of the blackboard, and drawing equations.”

Loureiro, who was married, grew up in Viseu, in central Portugal, and studied in Lisbon before earning a doctorate in London, according to MIT. He was a researcher at an institute for nuclear fusion in Lisbon before joining MIT, it 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 Muhammad Abdul Qawee

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    PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida (WBBH) — A Port Charlotte woman says it was a miracle her 5-year-old sister survived after falling out of a moving car along Veterans Boulevard Sunday afternoon.

The older sister, who was driving at the time, told Gulf Coast News she feared her sister could have been killed after the girl unbuckled her seat belt, opened the car door and jumped out onto the busy roadway.

The incident happened at the intersection of Atwater Street and Veterans Boulevard.

“I saw the car was still rolling because they were screaming out the car,” the sister said. “So then I started running with her in my arms, and then someone jumped in and stopped the car for us.”

The woman, who did not want to show her face on camera or her name, said the moments after the fall were terrifying.

“I just felt really helpless,” she said. “I was praying the whole time, just in shock, because the day started off like a regular day.”

A newly released 911 call by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office captures a Good Samaritan who stopped to help, while the 5-year-old was hurt.

Video from a nearby gas station shows the older sister rushing to reach the child moments after the fall.

An incident report says that Sheriff Bill Prummell was on the scene assisting with the traffic control. A witness said a white Ford Fusion was turning left onto Veterans Boulevard from Atwater Street when this all happened. There were four people in the car at the time.

The sheriff’s office said the 5-year-old was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

“She’s back home,” the sister said. “She came back the same night. It was like a miracle. Just thanking God.”

The family told Gulf Coast News that it should be a reminder to always use child safety locks when traveling with young children to prevent similar dangerous situations.

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 Rachael Lardani

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    CHESTER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A man who brought guns to a “No Kings” protest in Chester County pleaded guilty after bombs were found in his home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Officials said Kevin Krebs, 32, of Malvern, was arrested on June 14 by the West Chester Police Department for carrying a firearm without a license at a “No Kings” protest.

Two days later, detectives searched his home and found explosive devices, including a pipe bomb and other related materials, in his garage, according to the attorney’s office.

Bomb technicians were called to examine the devices and determined that they contained nails and screws, which officials say are frequently used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Krebs pleaded guilty on Dec. 18 to possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device, the attorney’s office said.

Krebs is scheduled for sentencing on March 31 and could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

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.