Sanibel eyes lethal removal to curb coyote threat to sea turtle nests

CNN Newsource on February 3, 2026

By Austin Schargorodski

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    SANIBEL, Florida (WFTX) — Sea turtle nests on Sanibel are being wiped out at a fast rate and the city says coyotes are the reason why, so they’re looking for a solution.

Now, city leaders are considering a targeted, lethal removal of coyotes on the island.

One of the hardest parts of a sea turtle’s life is making it from the nest to the water. But, lately on Sanibel, a lot of hatchlings never even get that far.

Graphs from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation show that since 2021, coyotes have caused nearly 20,000 more sea turtle egg losses than hurricanes.

Last year, almost 42 percent of all sea turtle nests on the island were destroyed by coyotes.

Sanibel Conservation Officer Rachel Rainbolt says that number should be closer to 10%.

“Sea turtles have a relatively high mortality rate anyways aside from depredation, so the number of eggs and hatchlings impacted translates into long term conservation risks for sea turtles,” Rainbolt said.

Rainbolt says since 2015, the city has tried non-lethal options, things like cages and sound deterrents, but none of it made a big enough dent.

“So a different management strategy that is being proposed is known as targeted lethal removal where there would be the removal of coyotes that have demonstrated they are proposing a threat to sea turtle conservation by attacking these nests,” Rainbolt said.

If approved, the plan would bring in USDA Wildlife Services, using thermal imaging and suppressed firearms to kill coyotes.

Rainbolt stressed this wouldn’t be a widespread removal.

Some people on the island say it’s time.

“We’d rather have sea turtles than coyotes it’s that simple,” said John Eberhard.

“I don’t mind a few but they’re out of control,” said John Costanza “They’ll overwhelm everything that’s supposed to be here,” added Douglas Cooper.

But not everyone agrees. Bridgit Budd, a wildlife photographer believes the nest attacks are a learned behavior after recent hurricanes wiped out other food sources.

“I’m very sad that it has to happen because it wasn’t their fault,” Budd said.

Sanibel city leaders will vote on whether to approve the plan at their council meeting 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.

A Fortnite quest is helping kids facing heart transplants feel less alone

CNN Newsource on February 3, 2026

By Kaitlyn Ross

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    ATLANTA (WXIA) — Inside one of the most popular video games on the planet, a powerful new story is unfolding, one rooted in empathy, courage, and hope.

During Heart Month this February, Fortnite players around the world can take part in a limited-time, story-driven quest designed to help them understand the journey of children waiting for heart transplants.

The experience lives inside “Super Pet World,” a free-to-play Fortnite island developed by Atlanta-based Ghost Gaming.

The quest, called “Side Quest: Heartbeat on the Wind,” was created in partnership with Enduring Hearts, the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to funding pediatric heart transplant research.

Players are introduced to Alice, a young patient born with a heart that does not function properly. As she waits for a lifesaving transplant, Alice relies on an advanced mechanical heart device inspired by real-world research funded by Enduring Hearts. Players help Alice and her loyal companion, Meep Neep, gather components, build the device, and navigate challenges along the way.

“When we were building this game, it was really important for us to understand what this journey is like for real patients,” said Brian Grayson, head of game development for Ghost Gaming. “We spent time reading real patient stories.”

Unlike traditional media, this experience places the player directly into the story. Every choice matters. Every action is intentional.

“What makes gaming different than any other type of media is that you are the protagonist,” Grayson said. “You are not just passively seeing content. You are leaning in. You are making choices.”

Ghost Gaming CEO Todd Harris says the goal was never to monetize the experience, but to create something meaningful that stays with players long after they log off.

“To be able to be empathetic and understand that this journey is a long one,” Harris said. “Getting the heart is just the first part of the journey.”

For Enduring Hearts CEO Lynda Lee Smith, that message is critical. Children waiting for heart transplants often face years of uncertainty, surgeries, and lifelong care.

“You have that moment where you ask yourself, am I still going to be able to be an adventurer?” Smith said. “And then you realize, of course, you can still pursue your dreams. There are just some steps along the way.”

By placing this story in Fortnite, developers hope that kids facing similar medical challenges will feel seen and understood, and less alone, while helping millions of players build empathy for a journey they may never have known about.

“Games have an incredible ability to tell human stories in deeply personal ways,” Harris said. “Our hope is that players walk away remembering not just the game, but the people behind the story.”

The quest is available globally beginning January 30 and will remain live throughout February in honor of Heart Month. Rewards earned during the experience will stay permanently unlocked for players.

How to play: Players can access “Super Pet World” for free inside Fortnite on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch by searching for the island in the game.

How to help: Players and viewers who want to support pediatric heart transplant research can donate to Enduring Hearts by texting HOPEBEYONDTHESURGERY to 44834.

Enduring Hearts is the only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to funding research that helps transplanted hearts last longer and work better. Since 2013, the organization has awarded more than $11 million in research grants across 43 institutions worldwide.

This is gaming with purpose. And for kids waiting for a second chance at life, it could make all the difference.

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.

After nearly 25 years, the trial for a man accused of killing UGA law student Tara Baker begins

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By John Dodge, Alvieann Chandler

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    ATHENS, Ga. (WXIA) — The trial for a man accused of the brutal killing of a UGA law student in 2001 began Monday with the lead prosecutor warning jurors that the evidence in “a heinous crime” will be difficult for them to hear and watch.

Assistant District Attorney Kris Bolden began to detail for the jury what he called “very grisly evidence” in Tara Baker’s death that will lead them to conclude the defendant Edrick Faust is guilty of her murder.

“Edrick Faust killed Tara Baker. Edrick Faust set her house on fire,” Bolden said.

Bolden told jurors how firefighters responded to a fire at her home on Jan. 19, 2001, opened her bedroom door to extinguish the blaze and discovered her naked body wedged between the footboard and mattress. When police arrived, they found Baker had been stabbed in the neck with a computer printer cord around her neck. They also found the knife used to kill her.

The autopsy was done the next day, which was Baker’s 24th birthday. The medical examiner found the stab wound severed her jugular vein, and that she was strangled and hit on the head. There was also evidence of a sexual assault.

Bolden made several points to rule out Baker’s boyfriend as a suspect, saying Chris Melton’s whereabouts were accounted for in the night before and day of the killing. He added that Melton has cooperated with investigators.

Initially, the rape kit did not find any evidence of semen or other male DNA. However, in 2023, the rape kit was resubmitted, and a few months later, a DNA profile was found to match Faust. The odds that the DNA belongs to another person, Bolden said, were 1 in 800 quadrillion.

Defense attorney Ahmad R. Crews told the jury that prosecutors won’t be able prove how Faust got into the home or how he was able to leave the home without any witnesses seeing him.

“How did Mr. Faust get away without being seen in the middle of the morning?”

Crews also laid out a strategy to raise questions about Baker’s relationship with her boyfriend. He also questioned why the hair around her body was not that of a Black person and that this client’s fingerprints or handprints were never discovered.

Crews showed the jury photos of Melton’s hands, which appeared to be red and bruised, taken a few days after Baker’s death. He suggested to jurors that Baker’s and Melton’s relationship was coming to an end in the days before her death.

23-year-old Baker, a first-year student, was found dead inside her burned apartment off Fawn Drive in Athens, Georgia, just one day before her 24th birthday on January 19, 2001.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Baker was last seen by a friend outside the library at around 7:30 p.m. on January 18, 2001. That same friend received a call from Baker, who said she was planning to leave the library at 10 p.m. This phone was the last time anyone heard her voice.

Athens Police determined that the fire was set on purpose and ruled her death a homicide, but a suspect was never arrested until 2024, when police took Faust into custody.

Until today’s opening statements, authorities have not provided details about the evidence they gathered that led to Faust’s arrest. However, his arrest is the result of the Coleman-Baker Act, which encourages law enforcement agencies to reexamine cold cases and is named in part for Baker.

Opening statements for the trial were delayed on Monday morning as lawyers argued over the admissibility of certain phone records.

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.

Intermountain Health team helps young woman live beyond her diagnosis

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By Emma Benson

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    SOUTH JORDAN (KSL) — For most people, food is fuel. But for ShayLee Hunter, survival comes another way.

“At 6 months old, I had my first surgery and had a third of my large intestine removed,” she said. “By the time I was 2, I got my first feeding tube.”

Hunter was born with a rare digestive disorder called chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a condition where the nerves and muscles of the gut don’t work properly. Food and fluid can’t move through her body as they should.

At age 16, she underwent ostomy surgery. Hunter relies entirely on Total Parenteral Nutrition — liquid nutrition delivered directly into her bloodstream through an IV line.

“My life expectancy was not to surpass 20 years old,” said now-27-year-old Hunter. “I was told I probably would never graduate high school, I probably would never get married or have kids.”

But Hunter refused to accept that prognosis.

“I was like, well, I’m gonna show them that they’re wrong,” she said.

For 25 years, one person has helped make that possible: Paul Wolford, a clinical pharmacist with Intermountain Health Home Services.

“We want them to be home and be as independent as possible and live as normal a life as possible,” Wolford said.

Wolford helps manage Hunter’s complex care — overseeing her customized IV nutrition, adjusting prescriptions and working closely with her doctors.

“We’re always in touch,” Wolford said. “We always work with her providers to try and coordinate care and make sure she’s getting the best care possible.”

To Hunter, that consistency has meant everything.

“He’s always right there, ready to answer any questions and just be there for you and his patients,” she said.

Despite decades of weekly calls and constant coordination, the two had never met in person — until Jan. 27.

“In a lot of ways, they sort of become like a second family,” Wolford said.

Hunter said that support has helped her live far beyond what doctors once predicted. She’s earned a college degree, traveled internationally and even competes in pageants to raise awareness for invisible disabilities. She has also worked as a child advocate for a domestic abuse shelter and is currently a chapter coordinator for a nonprofit that preserves the arts.

“I love that they’re willing to explore those options and help me with my dreams,” she said. “This is my life, and I think I should have that option to live it fully — I don’t think just a medication should hinder me from that.”

Hunter recently nominated Wolford for Intermountain Health’s L.OV.E. Award, recognizing exceptional caregivers. He received the award on the same day the two met face-to-face for the first time.

Intermountain Health Homecare Services includes home infusion therapy, infused specialty pharmacy medications and digestive health IV nutrition therapy. Nutrition therapy helps to deliver essential nutrients when a person cannot consume food orally or absorb nutrients through the digestive system. These therapies ensure that the body receives the necessary vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats needed for energy, growth and healing.

In 2025, Home Services delivered high‑quality care to more than 135,000 patients across eight medical specialty service lines. Nearly 2,000 caregivers, including over 100 providers, traveled 8.5 million miles across five states (Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Montana and Nevada) to meet patients where they are.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­KSL 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.

Deputies union demands action after radio failures during carjacking call

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By Jazmon DeJarnette

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    HOLLISTER, California (KSBW) — The San Benito County Deputy Sheriff’s Association is calling for immediate action after radio communication failures endangered officers during a fast-moving and violent response to a carjacking incident last Tuesday in San Jose.

The union stated that these communication breakdowns “directly affected deputies during the response.”

“Emotions are very high, and this has been an issue with the deputy sheriffs and with our county that’s been going on for over a decade. So I think that they’re at the point where they’re tired of the excuses for this not getting done,” said Eric Taylor, the San Benito County sheriff.

According to the union, some deputies did not hear radio transmissions as a perimeter was being set or receive updates on the suspect’s location.

Although new radios were purchased six months ago, the deployment has been delayed due to staffing shortages and a missing piece of equipment that still requires funding approval.

The sheriff’s office noted that the county owns and maintains the communications system.

“You’re having a bunch of cops trying to run a capital improvement project without any experience or expertise,” said Taylor.

“We do have all of the equipment that we need outside of these consulates that are needed for us to talk to our dispatch center, and so that’s really where the holdup is right now,” Taylor added.

The union emphasized that the issue is not about assigning blame but acknowledging a clear and ongoing safety problem that remains unresolved despite an available solution.

“I will bear the responsibility, along with the county executive officer and county council, to make sure that we need to be pushing a little bit harder to make sure that this happens,” said Taylor.

Moving forward, the union insists that deploying the new radios should be a priority.

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.

‘People’s voices are important’: OKC residents celebrate victory over proposed ICE facility

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By Patrick Talbot

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Dozens of people gathered Sunday at a warehouse in southwest Oklahoma City to celebrate the cancellation of a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that was initially planned for the location.

“People are scared. People are nervous,” said Reagan Burns, who attended the celebration. “This is too close to a school, as well, and some people were nervous about that. So, it was the community that really came, put forth and said, ‘We do not want this here.'”

The gathering followed a city council meeting on Tuesday where more than 60 residents voiced their concerns about the facility, feeling that their voices were heard.

“We don’t need to request that the government follow the special permitting process. We need to insist that it does,” said a speaker at the city council meeting.

On Thursday, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt released a statement announcing that the ICE facility would not be located in the building and commended the owners for agreeing to end conversations surrounding the building.

“People’s voices are important. I know that a lot of people feel like their voices aren’t,” said C.J. Webber-Neal, the organizer of the celebration. “They feel like it really doesn’t matter what they think, because no one’s going to listen to them, but the actions of the mayor in contacting that company to have that discussion, proves that voices count, and I think that this is a victory for Oklahoma City.”

KOCO reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security when the negotiations were first announced. A spokesperson said in part, “It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re doing this—and that ICE is detaining the worst of the worst undocumented people—murderers, gang members and rapists.”

Even though the facility will not be at that location, it does not mean ICE could not pick or use a different location.

DHS is transforming warehouses across the country, but it’s unclear if they are now looking at other properties in the Oklahoma City area.

“One of the things that we’re trying to do right now, that’s very important, is that we want to make sure, number one, that we mobilize, that we organize,” Webber-Neal said. “Most importantly, that we verbalize what it is that we want as citizens here in Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma.”

Those gathered at the warehouse said they hope more people continue to join their cause.

“There is a lot more that unites Oklahomans that what divides us,” Burns said. “This proves that. This proves that Oklahomans are united when it comes to the betterment of their communities.”

But Oklahoma City isn’t the only location in the state that ICE has its eyes on. In Durant, city leaders passed a ban, requiring a permit before a detention facility could be built there. But the federal government still technically has the Supremacy Clause in its favor.

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.

After facing threat of demolition, Fred Astaire’s birth house no longer has code violations

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By Aaron Hegarty

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — In 2021, an Omaha housing inspector came to Fred Astaire’s birth house.

They noted several violations at the home overlooking 10th Street just south of Martha, including household debris, with some areas piled up to three feet high. A bright yellow “Danger – Closed” sign was placed on the home.

Ron Hug, before he was an Omaha City Council member, took notice.

“I used to flip houses,” Hug said. “I got pretty excited. I thought, oh, there’s an opportunity there.”

Hug leads the nonprofit that owns the home.

He said the goal is to prevent it from becoming a rental property again.

The city has no more code violations on the property, according to a city official. The final violations were removed in December, Hug said.

Hug shared the progress with KETV. Built in 1880, the house originally had gas lights, so Hug had the first outlets put in the floors rather than the walls.

“It’s a great thing for Omaha, because there’s one more thing we can draw people’s attention to from around the country, around the world,” said Bruce Crawford, who has hosted classic film tributes in Omaha for 33 years. “He created things that people can’t even touch today and come close to what he did. Anything connected to him in Omaha must be preserved.”

Astaire briefly recalls his time in Omaha in his autobiography, Douglas County Historical Society Executive Director Tom Neal said. But he remembers a home on 19th Street. Omaha World-Herald archives report it was on the 1400 block of North 19th Street.

But it appears that home is long gone. But 2326 S 10th Street, the home he was born in, is still there.

Hug said they’re working to make the birth house look like an average late-1800s, early 1900s home.

At one time, he said the goal was to make it a museum. That’s in flux, he said. It could become an event venue.

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.

Men create carousel on frozen pond

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By Renee Maloney

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — When temperatures get chilly, the winter fun has just begun.

James and Bob Pike spent hours working on their latest cold creation.

An ice carousel!

The pair spent hours carving it into a pond using chainsaws and attached a motor to help it spin.

They were inspired by seeing someone do something similar in a YouTube video. They even invited friends and family over enjoy it together.

According to Bob’s most recent post on Facebook, the fun may have come to an end as the spinning circle of ice cracked in several places. Thankfully, no one fell in.

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.

Father and son rivalry as Super Bowl 60 approaches

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By Yunier Martinez

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    UNDERHILL, Vermont (WPTZ) — For the Rodriguez family in Underhill, Sunday football is a tradition, even if it means cheering for opposing teams.

Dad Gerber Rodriguez has been a Seattle Seahawks fan since his youth in Seattle, where the city’s teams were central to his sports identity.

When his son Sam was born, he introduced him to the Seahawks, dressing him in team gear. But growing up in New England, Sam developed his own loyalty to the New England Patriots, embracing a sports identity distinct from his father.

The experience goes beyond wins and losses, creating a bond between the two. One defining moment occurred during Super Bowl 49, when a goal-line interception became a lasting point of memory for the family. Sam recalls the play vividly and has never allowed his father to forget it.

As Super Bowl 60 approaches, the Seahawks and Patriots will meet again, bringing a renewed sense of excitement to the Rodriguez household.

The game will be marked by friends, food, and spirited debate, but at its center is the connection between father and son, grounded in shared dedication to the sport.

“This is something that brings us closer together,” Sam said. “It’s a time we can spend together watching the game that we both love.”

For Gerber, the most rewarding part has been watching his son develop his own passion for football.

“It’s been remarkable seeing him grow and how much love he has for the game. It’s just great,” he 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.

Man gets life-saving gift from best friend

CNN Newsource on February 2, 2026

By Alanna Flood, Nicole Poitras

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    MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — Adam Soucy and his friend, Lee Card, grew up riding bikes and jumping off decks in Manchester. Now, they’ve shared an experience that gives the term “blood brothers” new meaning.

Earlier this month, Card gave a portion of his liver to Soucy through a living donor transplant.

Following a series of health problems, Soucy was diagnosed with a rare type of liver cancer. He was 40 years old and had just gotten married two months prior, in August 2024.

His medical team first tried to fix the problem with stents.

“And then they said, this isn’t going to work. Let’s put you on the transplant list,” Soucy said.

He was put on the national donor database. That’s when Card asked what it would take to be a donor.

“When Lee stepped up, they were like, ‘Oh my goodness, this is so much easier. We have a living donor who could possibly be a match,'” Soucy said.

After 15 months of testing, the two were cleared and the transplant took place Jan. 20.

The two friends got released from the hospital Jan. 29.

For more information on how to become an organ donor, visit organdonor.gov.

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.