Category: CNN Regional

By Cassandra Garcia

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    LOXAHATCHEE, Florida (WPTV) — A Palm Beach County mother is counting her blessings after her 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter’s drowning scare on Easter. On Saturday, she got the chance to thank the first responders who saved her daughter’s life.

The reunion in Loxahatchee brought together Lennox and the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue crew who treated her after she was found floating in a pool at an Easter family gathering.

“You saved us and I appreciate you,” Lennox’s mother, Chrissy, told the first responders at the reunion.

The last time they met, Lennox was in and out of consciousness, pulled from a pool and fighting for every breath.

“Truly a gift to be able to see her, hear her laugh and to hold her,” Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Lt. Jason Frisbie said.

Chrissy said she thought her daughter was safe with family when things took a dramatic turn.

“It was a fight or flight mode. It just — I don’t know as a mom, you just kind of went in and just kind of took some of the training that I had known in my past and just kind of went full force and started doing CPR on her,” Chrissy said.

Those chest compressions and rescue breaths were the difference between life and death, according to Frisbie.

“It was crucial in her successful recovery. Without that, it might have been a different outcome,” Frisbie said.

Chrissy said she is forever grateful to those who rendered aid.

“They treated my child as if they were their own and that meant the world to me,” Chrissy said.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue used the morning to stress the importance of CPR training, teaching others how to respond in emergencies. The message comes at a critical time, as 2 toddlers drowned in separate incidents just this week: one in Palm Beach Gardens and another in Port St. Lucie, which resulted in death.

Fire rescue officials stressed the importance of vigilance and education as the summer months approach.

“Definitely [take] CPR classes, also swimming classes early for children,” Frisbie said.

Chrissy is now echoing that same message to other parents.

“As a parent, if you’re a new mom or you’re a parent that has two or three kids, get CPR, get some type of knowledge because you never know,” Chrissy said. “If it wasn’t for that, my daughter wouldn’t be here right now,” Chrissy said.

Lennox now serves as living proof that when seconds count, knowledge saves lives.

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

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 Jarvis Robertson

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — One of the biggest moments of Branden Jackson’s life became even more memorable Friday, thanks to a surprise guest at his graduation from Huffman High School.

Just after crossing the stage, he was shocked to see his father, Air Force Master Sgt. Tobias Jackson, who flew home from Japan to attend the ceremony.

Before his name was called, Branden shook an officer’s hand and quietly said, “I made it.”

Moments later, the surprise unfolded as Tobias Jackson greeted his son after he received his diploma. Branden appeared stunned as the two embraced while the crowd applauded and cheered from the audience.

Master Sgt. Jackson, an 18-year Air Force veteran, has been stationed in Japan for the past three years. His son did not know he had arranged leave to return for graduation.

“It’s been very hard to keep it under wraps. He’s grown into such a great young man, and he understands the significance of what we do and how we do it. When he thought I was not going to make it, his response was, ‘I completely understand,'” Master Sgt. Jackson said before the big moment. “It took a lot of planning, but I definitely was not going to miss this. I knew this was a very large milestone, more than what people think.”

Branden said he believed his father would have to watch the ceremony through a social media livestream after being told he could not make the trip from Japan. The surprise had been planned for weeks by both of his parents.

“Just to fly for 36 hours, I’m a little bit jet lagged still … I wasn’t going to miss this for the world,” Jackson said.

Branden said he did not recognize his father at first.

“When I first saw him, I didn’t recognize him…. I saw the face and it was amazing… I don’t even know how to explain it,” he said.

The graduation reunion was not the only surprise waiting for Branden. After the ceremony, his father gifted him a new car. The surprise came one day after Branden received his driver’s license.

Now that Branden is officially a high school graduate, he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a career in the Air Force and focusing on cybersecurity.

Although this reunion is sweet, it will be short. Tobias has to fly back to Japan on Tuesday.

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 Allie Ware

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Archaeologists at the University of Mississippi Medical Center have unearthed 1,070 graves from the site of the former Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum, uncovering artifacts and insights into life at the institution more than a century ago.

The excavation, part of the Asylum Hill Project, began in 2022 and has been hindered by Yazoo clay and poor drainage, which have left little preserved over the past 100 years. A construction crew digging for a road initially came across the caskets in 2013.

“We have a few bone fragments, a few teeth, and the nails from the wooden coffin,” said Jennifer Mack, lead archaeologist.

The team is working under strict legal and ethical protocols, aiming to eventually reunite the remains with their families. However, records from the 18th and 19th centuries are limited, and families who were not nearby often lacked the means to retrieve their loved ones.

“It seems if the family was not contacted in 24 hours, they were buried in the cemetery,” Mack said.

While death certificates from 1912 to 1935 exist, no cemetery map or markers remain to positively identify the remains. Archaeologists noted that the burials appeared to have been conducted respectfully.

“Every single person buried here was in his or her own coffin and in [their] own grave, and they were lined up neatly,” Mack said.

The findings are shedding light on the lives of individuals who lived at a time when mental illness was poorly understood and care for many diagnoses was limited.

“Someone may have depression, but they may have a heart condition, so there were many comorbidities and a lot of elderly people that came here,” said Lida Key, director of the Medical History Museum.

“Most fascinating to me is what demonstrates personal relationships in the asylum,” Mack said.

Artifacts such as coins, jewelry, and makeshift formal clothing have been found in many of the graves, suggesting care and connection.

“That’s not something you do for a random stranger,” Mack said.

“What we have learned is there was good and bad, and we want to learn from that and see what we can learn from mental illness today,” Key said.

UMMC researchers are asking families to share photographs, letters, memories, or stories about loved ones connected to the asylum. With an estimated 7,000 graves on the grounds, much work remains to uncover clues and restore lost names.

Plans are underway to build a mausoleum to house unclaimed remains and showcase possessions found, providing a final resting place and preserving the stories of those buried at the site.

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 Pattrik Perez, Brandon Hogan

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    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A 23-year-old woman who spent 13 days in jail after being wrongfully arrested in connection with a deadly crash on Interstate 4 is speaking out about her ordeal as newly obtained court documents describe the investigation leading to who prosecutors now say was responsible.

Lindsey Isaacs was arrested in April after the Florida Highway Patrol accused her of being behind the wheel of a Dodge Durango that caused a crash on I-4 near mile marker 108 in Volusia County on Oct. 4, 2025. The crash killed three people: motorcyclist Joaquin Deno, Flagler County Deputy Administrator Jorge Salinas, and his wife, Nancy Salinas.

Isaacs faced eight charges, including three counts of leaving the scene of a crash with death, vehicular homicide, and reckless driving causing serious injury, according to the arrest report.

On Friday, more than a month after her arrest, the state attorney’s office in Volusia County dropped all charges against her.

“Being incarcerated, falsely incarcerated, in jail, in G Block, was the worst 13 days in my life,” Isaacs said Saturday at the Volusia County Courthouse.

Her attorney, Patrick McGeehan, said his team used time-distance analysis to prove Isaacs could not have been at the crash scene when the collision occurred.

According to the arrest report, troopers cited a Flock license-plate reader camera that captured Isaacs’ tag traveling eastbound on I-4 at the Seminole/Volusia County line at 9:51 p.m., approximately 3 miles west of the crash scene. The crash occurred at about 9:53 p.m.

“In our investigation, we took that distance, the speed of travel, and we were able to determine that Ms. Isaacs was well past the accident scene when the accident occurred,” McGeehan said.

Troopers also claimed in the arrest report that they “observed what appears to be ‘smudge or rub marks’ in the area(s) where the fresh damage was located on the Durango, appearing that it was attempted to be cleaned or wiped away.” They also stated, “The height of these observed smudges or rub marks are also consistent with the Durango sideswiping a motorcycle.”

But McGeehan said photos of the vehicle in storage disproved those claims.

“This is a 2025 Dodge Durango that is black, and it is absolutely immaculate as it was the day she drove it off the showroom floor. There was absolutely no damage to Lindsay Isaacs’ vehicle,” McGeehan said. “As soon as we did the vehicle inspection in this case, we knew she was innocent. It was just a matter of convincing the state attorney.”

When asked about FHP’s handling of the investigation, McGeehan did not mince words.

“It’s something we’ve seen before. This is probably the worst example I’ve seen,” he said.

Isaacs said she is seeking therapy after the experience and hopes time will heal the pain she suffered.

“I feel there’s really no way of fixing what they did to me. It will always hurt me. My reputation was ruined. I’m still receiving death threats and hate. It’s very hard,” Isaacs said.

FHP told WESH 2 News the investigation is ongoing and that, based on new evidence, another woman has been arrested in connection with the crash.

Alisa Lee Montalvo, 47, of Deltona, was arrested Friday on nine charges, including three counts of vehicular homicide, three counts of leaving the scene of a crash with death, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, reckless driving, and tampering with evidence.

New court documents obtained Saturday by WESH 2 News allege Montalvo was driving a maroon 2021 Dodge Durango that was mistaken for Isaacs’ black vehicle of the same make and model.

Montalvo’s arrest affidavit states Assistant State Attorney Mike Willard contacted FHP ten days after Isaacs was jailed to request crash reconstruction and investigative support, having found discrepancies in the investigation up to that point.

It was learned that a witness who called the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office the night of the crash had reported the suspect vehicle was maroon and provided the first three digits of a license-plate number that was later found to be consistent with Montalvo’s Durango, which was seen in March on community video surveillance to have different shades of red on its driver-side doors than what could be observed in other such images captured before the crash, according to Montalvo’s arrest affidavit.

It was further confirmed that, after the crash, Montalvo had her driver-side doors replaced and filed no insurance claim, as well as that red or maroon paint was found on the damaged areas of the Ford Focus that Isaacs was initially accused of striking with her black Durango, the affidavit states.

“The area of this crash is in a very dark location with no streetlights or ambient lighting in the area. A maroon vehicle can appear to be black in a setting such as this during a high stressful event for an untrained observer. (…) All this evidence supports a maroon Durango and not a black Durango,” the affidavit states. “We have probable cause to believe that the driving actions of Montalvo in a reckless manner caused and contributed to this fatal crash. This facts also support that Montalvo left the scene and did not report the crash to the authorities. By contacting (a mechanic) to repair the damage to her vehicle clearly shows Montalvo not only knew the crash (happened) but tried to conceal and destroy evidence of her crimes.”

Isaacs’ attorney said they are pursuing all legal avenues regarding her wrongful arrest. Isaacs still faces a civil case filed by the families of the victims, but McGeehan expects that will be dropped now that her criminal charges have been dismissed.

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 Nehilah Grand-Pierre

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — A Cape Coral home displaying anti-Trump signs has sparked complaints from neighbors and city code enforcement action, leaving $2,000 in citations, according to the homeowner.

“As long as it doesn’t bother me, why am I calling code?” said Denzil Dunkly, in Cape Coral, reacting to the picture.

The signs included messages such as “RepubliKKKans are dumb” spelled with “KKK” and “Elect a rapist,” according to a neighbor who says they complained to Cape Coral code enforcement.

“A rapist or your President rapes children… That’s right there on that yellow sign that’s laying on the flag right now. Talking about pedophilia, forcing sex change on children, eating cats and dogs, just like, really kind of not the best thing. When you drive in through this neighborhood, it’s just a poor reflection,” neighbor Jessica Hilghman said.

A neighbor who complained said they were placed on the easement, which is technically city property. Cape Coral city code prohibits signs on public rights of way, defined as six feet away from the road.

The homeowner was unavailable for an in-person interview but communicated via text, stating that when code enforcement removed the signs, no measurements were taken beforehand.

The city says it will be able to review the case in the coming days.

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By Tim Nazzaro

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    ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A young child made a heartfelt donation to the Capron Park Zoo in Attleborough, Massachusetts, as they try to overcome financial struggles.

The zoo posted to its Facebook page that a young supporter named Anne Marie dropped off a coffee can full of money, along with a thoughtful note.

The note read in part:

“Dear Capron Park Zoo, I’ve been saving money for months in this jar. I wanted to give it to a good cause, but I had no idea what. When my mom told me you were running out of money, I knew exactly who I wanted to give it to – you. I hope my gift of $101 helps keep you open for years to come. It might not be that much, but I hope it will be enough to help. Good luck with any and all future endeavors and accomplishments.”

The zoo thanked the child for believing in their mission and wanting to make an impact.

“Your kindness means more than words can express, and your gift is helping support the animals, our guests, and the future of the zoo,” the Capron Park Zoo wrote on its Facebook page. “Moments like this remind us just how important community is.”

The financial future of the zoo has been a topic of contention amongst the Attleborough community.

Earlier this year, Mayor Cathleen DeSimone announced plans to close the zoo and turn it into a nature reserve.

The announcement received backlash, and the mayor later said the zoo would remain open for the time being with “free cash” through the 2027 fiscal year.

According to the mayor, the zoo needs around $57 million in capital improvements.

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 Sheldon Ingram

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — Army Cpl. Charles Carroll Jr. was laid to rest Friday next to his mother, Louise, after he was killed in 1950 during the Korean War.

The following is the obituary that chronicles the life of Carroll, a story told by his surviving niece, Liana Gray.

“Rather than finish high school, during the Autumn of 1949, Buddy enlisted in the Army, serving in B Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was eventually sent to Korea. Buddy was a casualty of the retreat from the Chosin Reservoir. On December 2nd, 1950, he was killed, and his body was left behind as the UN forces could only bring out the walking wounded. He was listed as Missing in Action, although by a curious set of circumstances, his family found out he was dead before he was declared Killed in Action at the end of the War in 1953. His death had been witnessed by a friend who wrote to his mother about it (before he himself was killed). She, in turn, sent a sympathy card to Buddy’s family. The two mothers corresponded with one another throughout the years until Louise’s death in 1987, at which time Valerie continued the correspondence until the other mother’s death.

Louise was always hopeful that Buddy’s remains would be located and identified so he could be brought home and buried with her. Valerie promised her mother that this would be done if he were ever identified, and in 1998, she became part of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s DNA project, which was using mitochondrial DNA for identification purposes. Liana contributed her DNA in 2011.

Seven decades passed, and everyone who knew Buddy had died. On Oct. 3, 2025, Liana received the call that Buddy’s remains had been identified. Through several phone calls and a meeting with the Army, she learned that during Operation Glory (1954), North Korea returned remains believed to be those of American service members, including one set designated as Unknown X-15841. These remains, reportedly recovered from the east side of the Chosin Reservoir, were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu (The Punch Bowl). On May 16, 2022, as part of Phase Four of DPAA’s Korean War Disinterment Project, X-15841 was disinterred and accessioned into a DPAA Laboratory for analysis. There, scientists used modern forensic techniques, including the DNA donated by his sister and niece, to identify Buddy, on Aug. 5, 2025.

He is being returned to Pittsburgh for a dignified transfer of his remains on May 14. He will receive full military honors upon arrival at the airport, and his motorcade will include an honor guard to the funeral home. The family will have a public visitation on May 22, from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Edward P Kanai Funeral Home, 500 Greenfield Avenue. 15207. He will receive a military funeral and be buried in the family plot at Calvary Cemetery, with his mother, as she wished. Following the visitation, all are welcome to attend.

The family wants to thank all the scientists, members of the DPAA, Army personnel, and others who made it possible to bring Buddy home. May his mother’s and sister’s hearts now be at peace.”

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By KCCI Staff

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Five-year-old Madi Seivert of Granger celebrated being cancer-free after completing her final chemotherapy treatment at Blank Children’s Hospital.

Madi, diagnosed with leukemia at age 3, spent 806 days undergoing 19 procedures, seven blood transfusions, and countless chemotherapy treatments.

Last year, Madi became one of the first children at Blank Children’s Hospital to receive Blinatumomab, a revolutionary immunotherapy drug that is now part of the standard care for treating leukemia.

“The fact that it happened when we were in the middle of treatment and she got to do that was life-saving,” her mother, Ashley Seivert, said.

According to Blank Children’s Hospital, 35 children have received the drug, and survival rates are now approaching 96 to 97 percent.

Madi’s smile returned as she prepared for the emotional moment, surrounded by family, friends and her medical team.

“Chemo is done, and you get to ring the bell,” the staff sang, as the group serenaded Madi with applause and cheers.

“I am so proud of you! You did so good! You’re done,” her mother said.

Her parents expressed their gratitude and relief.

“Very proud. Relief. Just thankful that her body was able to handle all the treatments,” her father, Marty Seivert, said.

Madi will start kindergarten in the fall, a milestone her parents cherish deeply.

“We got preschool graduation pictures done, and seeing her in a little cap and gown, I was like, we will see her in a cap and gown when she’s older, too,” Ashley said, tearing up.

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By Patrick Talbot

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    ENID, Oklahoma (KOCO) — One month after an EF-4 tornado destroyed the Gray Ridge neighborhood in Enid, a Polish exchange student and her host family are reflecting on the tragedy and the bond it forged between them.

“I just remember us just standing in the ruins of the kitchen. And just in the middle of all that getting rained on, and we just all hugged, and we’re just thankful to be there and thankful to be able to hug each other,” said Zofia Konczalska, a foreign exchange student from Poland.

Zofia rode out the tornado in the basement with her host family, Kurt and Ashlyn Young.

“We thought it was over. I said, ‘Girls, stay here. Let me go up and check.’ And I made it up the stairs, I got into the center part of my house, and I could still hear things hitting the house, so I turned around and raced back downstairs, and in my turning around, I saw something that I didn’t like seeing out the front window… there was nothing,” said Kurt Young, Ashlyn’s father.

Cyndi Young, Ashlyn’s mother, was not home when the tornado struck. She said it took hours before she could reunite with her family.

“I couldn’t get off base. It was locked down. And, you know, the whole nine yards. I didn’t see them until it was almost two in the morning before I actually saw them,” Cyndi said.

Zofia’s parents, who were in Poland at the time, woke up to a call from her at 3 a.m.

“There’s a difference of seven hours between Poland and here. So they got a phone call at 3 a.m., and just from Zofia’s voice, they already knew that something serious happened and something really bad happened,” said Grażyna Konczalska, Zofia’s mother.

Her father, Mariusz Konczalski, shared their limited knowledge of tornadoes.

“It was a very weird feeling because in Poland all we knew about tornadoes was from movies. So it was never something that we really thought that it would touch us since we don’t experience them in Poland,” Mariusz said.

Since the tornado, Zofia and the Youngs have grown closer, forming what she describes as a “real family.”

“I think most of all is just us really staying like a real family. Like, we did everything together. Like we’ve had to live in some temporary houses that we were all really close together, like we weren’t before. And, I mean, I feel like we just made the best out of, like, the worst,” Zofia said.

On Friday, Zofia and Ashlyn graduated from high school, with Zofia’s family traveling to Oklahoma to celebrate the occasion.

“Celebrating it all together here after this situation, it makes us realize what’s really important and just slowed us down a little bit from everyday things. You know, like the fast world that’s going on and just appreciate the time together that we have,” Grażyna said.

Zofia plans to attend college in South Carolina, while Ashlyn will attend the University of Central Oklahoma. Despite the distance, both are determined to maintain their friendship.

“I think we’ve both been dreading this day. Yeah, actually. But I think we’re going to for sure stay in touch forever. Because she’s not only my best friend, but my sister,” Zofia said.

“We’re not going to separate. That’s just not happening because I’ve never met somebody who’s always been there for me. And like, somebody I can always talk to about everything,” Ashlyn 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 Meagan Halbardier Moore

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — An Albuquerque cat café says a delivery mix-up cost it more than $2,600 in donated cat food after packages meant for the business were repeatedly sent to a UPS store across the street and never reached the café.

Catopia Cat Café, near Wyoming Boulevard and Paseo del Norte, rescues cats and helps them find homes. Owner Sandy Dierks said the nonprofit-style business has helped about 2,200 cats get adopted since opening in January 2019.

Dierks said she first learned there was a problem when she went into the UPS Store across the street to mail a package, and an employee recognized her by her phone number.

“He said, ‘Oh, you’re with Catopia?’ And I said, ‘I am,’” Dierks said. “And he said, ‘Well, we’ve been getting your packages, and you’re not picking them up.’ I said, ‘Oh, I didn’t know we had packages.’”

After looking into it, Dierks said she discovered a donor had been sending monthly bags of specialized cat food since November 2022. But the packages were addressed to UPS instead of Catopia’s address, leading the deliveries to the UPS store.

“It’s not a small loss, it’s a huge loss,” Dirks said. “And in rescue, everything counts.”

Dierks said the donor was receiving notifications that the items had been delivered to the “front desk” and believed Catopia had received them.

Instead, Dierks said, the package were treated as unclaimed.

“She had signed up for monthly deliveries of a 16-pound bag of Science Diet cat food that was supposed to come to us,” Dierks said. “That’s three and a half years of monthly packages that we did not get.”

Dierks estimated the total loss at about 41 bags of cat food, at roughly $64 each.

“It was really upsetting to me to learn that it had been going on that long,” she said.

Dierks said the loss has been especially difficult because Catopia relies heavily on donations to keep operating. She said every dollar the café receives goes back into caring for cats.

“We could have done a lot with that food,” Dierks said. “If every dime that comes in here we spend on the cats, we could have done more medical for them if we weren’t having to pay for food.”

In a statement, Casey Sorrell, community and public relations manager, said The UPS Store location is owned and operated by a franchisee and that the store reported receiving “a few packages from an online retailer” for someone who was not affiliated with the store and was not a mailbox customer.

According to the statement, store staff tried calling the business listed on the packages, but got no response or were unable to leave a voicemail.

“The store in question followed its policy regarding unclaimed mail and packages,” the statement said.

Dierks said UPS offered Catopia $300, but she does not believe that is enough.

“I just think, you know, even if they had made a little effort, like if it’s truly a mistake and they’re just overwhelmed and can’t keep up, I get that,” she said. “But this was mistake after mistake for like 41 deliveries.”

Dirks said the address issue has now been corrected and future packages are being sent elsewhere to avoid another mix-up. She is also asking donors to let Catopia know when they send supplies so staff can track the deliveries.

She hopes this story serves as a reminder for people to follow up on donated items, especially when they are sending gifts that the recipient may not know are coming.

For Catopia, she said, every donation matters.

“We just really appreciate them and hope that they know that every little bit helps us,” Dierks said. “It’s really important.”

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.