Category: CNN Regional

By Renee Aldana

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    MADISON, Wisconsin (WKOW) — A three-foot steel brace fell from the Monona Terrace parking ramp and crashed through a woman’s car roof while she was driving underneath.

Joyce Robertson-Hoyt said driving south on John Nolen Drive, getting ready to merge and exit the tunnel when the impact shook her car. She pulled over and saw the beam sticking out of her roof.

“It wasn’t until I got actually back in the car that I looked in the passenger ceiling and saw that it was actually sticking about eight inches into the passenger side of the cabin,” Robertson Hoyt said.

Monona Terrace officials said they cannot comment on how the ramp was built or maintained because the state owns the structure.

Madison City Engineering said they are working closely with the Department of Administration to do a full safety inspection. Both the center and city said they are glad no one was hurt.

Robertson-Hoyt said even though she was not physically hit, the experience was traumatizing.

“I’ll probably need some days, maybe, of not driving the car, not that I’m driving this car anyway, but you know, just a little bit of time to kind of calm down from everything,” Robertson-Hoyt said. “We’ll have to try to, you know, figure out how to get a new vehicle and move forward.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Administration said they plan to do an in-depth safety inspection Tuesday, which could result in lane adjustments to safely allow those inspections to take place. Those adjustments are up to the city of Madison.

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 Elizabeth Klinge

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    INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (KWWL) — A woman was rescued after a large rock shifted and pinned her legs on Overland Boulevard Monday.

The Independence Fire Department was called to the 3000 block of Overland Boulevard around 3:03 p.m. after reports of someone trapped by a falling rock. Crews arrived to find a massive stone had shifted and spun, trapping the woman’s legs underneath.

Firefighters used specialized rescue equipment to free her. She was then flown by Air Care Helicopter to a regional trauma center for treatment.

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 Maricela De La Cruz

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    DAVIS, California (KCRA) — A massive tree fell onto a Davis home during Sunday’s high winds, leaving a homeowner along Beech Lane shaken and her property damaged.

Cynthia Kellogg, the homeowner, said she immediately realized what had happened.

“I immediately saw the branches in the window and then I knew. I had heard a tree fall before when I lived in another town, so I immediately put it together and I started crying because I knew it was the tree, so I ran out like, ‘oh, it’s a tree and yes, indeed it was across the driveway,'” Kellogg said.

The loss of the 60-year-old tree brought mixed emotions for Kellogg, especially after it tore through other plants on her property.

“It’s hard to feel lucky right now, I think given what could happen absolutely,” Kellogg said. “You know what else I feel? I feel afraid of trees now. There was a woman killed by a tree in Davis about two years ago and every time I look at the trees, I go ‘I need to walk away.”

Monday afternoon, crews worked to clear up the tree from the driveway.

While there was no major damage, Kellogg said she will need to repair the gutters and fix the holes punched through her roof by the fallen tree.

The city of Davis reported receiving more than 100 calls related to the high winds.

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 Felix Cortez

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    DAVENPORT, California (KSBW) — One man died after the car he was driving veered off the road in the Davenport area and plunged more than 400 feet down a steep cliff onto a beach below, where it was pounded by heavy surf.

“The initial call was for a single vehicle reported over the bank,” said CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Cameron McFadden.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash happened at about 12:48 p.m. on May 18, 2026.

A 58-year-old Santa Rosa man was driving a black 2017 Honda Pilot southbound on SR-1 at an unknown speed when the vehicle traveled off the west edge of the roadway, struck a call box, continued through vegetation and went over the cliff.

“Right where the patient drove off, it’s a very steep cliff there. There’s very little access to make it directly down to where the patient is,” McFadden said.

It is unknown what caused the driver to veer off the road and over the cliff.

There was no easy way down for first responders, who had to stage up the road at Greyhound Rock County Park, where lifeguards had to run and swim for nearly a mile before reaching the driver, who had been ejected from the car into the water.

“The two lifeguards, marine safety officers, that were first on scene did pull the victim out of the water and perform CPR until the victim was long-lined, or hoisted, off the beach and up on the cliff, where resuscitation efforts were continued,” said Santa Cruz Marine Safety Capt. David Bodine.

Despite lifesaving efforts, the adult male was pronounced dead a short while later. An autopsy may help determine whether drugs, alcohol or a medical emergency played a role in the crash.

The rescue was the second water rescue in less than 24 hours involving many of the same agencies: CAL FIRE, State Parks, CHP and lifeguards. Sunday night, they responded to eight people trapped in a cave near Panther Beach after high tide came in. All were safely rescued.

“Our agencies all work together quite a bit on the North Coast. I feel like we work well together, and it’s a team effort,” Bodine said.

Efforts are now being planned to remove the car from the beach just south of Greyhound Rock County Park.

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 Aziza Shuler, Lisa Rozner

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    NEW YORK CITY (WCBS, WLNY) — A New York City woman is dead after plunging into an uncovered manhole.

It happened around 11:19 p.m. Monday night at 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

The woman, 56, had just stepped out of a car and fell into the open manhole, police say. Officers found her unconscious and unresponsive. She was rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

It’s not clear how or why the manhole was uncovered.

Video from the scene shows a Mercedes parked on the street. A manhole, now covered and cordoned off, appears to be just a foot or two from the driver’s side door.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole. We are actively investigating how this occurred. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority,” Con Edison said in a statement.

The woman’s family visited the scene Tuesday morning, trying to understand how this unthinkable tragedy occurred. They could be seen hugging and consoling each other.

Her daughter-in-law told CBS News New York there were no cones, warning signs, or barriers around the manhole. The daughter-in-law was visibly shaken as she spoke, saying the family is still trying to take in the incident.

City rules require manholes to be covered or clearly blocked off to prevent exactly this kind of tragedy and public hazard. So the big question now is how did this one end up uncovered in one of the busiest areas of New York City?

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 Jerry Olenyn

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    OROVILLE, California (KHSL) — A new monument unveiled Monday at the Butte County Veterans Memorial Park is honoring a different kind of American hero — the military working dogs credited with saving thousands of U.S. service members’ lives in combat zones and on military installations.

The life-size half-bronze German Shepherd statue recognizes the role military working dogs have played in every major U.S. conflict since World War II, serving alongside troops in patrol operations, bomb detection and base security.

The memorial now stands among the tributes dedicated to American service members who died while serving on active duty.

Military officials from Beale Air Force Base attended the unveiling ceremony, joined by several active-duty military working dogs.

Chief Master Sgt. Vanessa Perkins, who oversees the military canine program at the base, said the dogs serve as a critical line of defense for military personnel.

“They can detect — that’s the biggest thing,” Perkins said. “They do patrol work. They check for bombs and explosives. That is the biggest asset they provide to us.”

Perkins said the dogs are trained to identify suspicious activity and help secure military installations from potential threats.

“They help us defend our installation,” she said. “They’re a tremendous asset.”

Military working dogs are specially selected and trained for traits such as responsiveness, drive and focus, according to Tech Sgt. William Mongeon.

“When we’re looking at purchasing dogs, we’re looking at specific behaviors that dogs show at a young age,” Mongeon said. “They show that drive to chase and to bite. They show a good responsiveness to how we interact with them.”

While German Shepherds are commonly associated with military service, officials said multiple breeds are used depending on mission requirements.

There is no single official Pentagon total for the number of lives saved by military working dogs, but the U.S. Army has estimated that each dog saves an average of 150 lives during its service lifetime.

Based on that estimate, military working dogs are believed to have saved more than 15,000 American lives throughout U.S. military history.

Organizers said the Oroville monument is only the fourth public military working dog monument in California and the first of its kind in Northern California.

The state’s other military working dog memorials are all located in Southern California.

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By Eli Kuhn

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    EUGENE, Oregon (KEZI) — Community members are voicing outrage after released body camera footage showed a Eugene police officer making racist and offensive remarks.

Activists held a community press conference Friday at Scobert Gardens Park in Eugene, calling for Eugene Police Chief Skinner’s resignation. The press conference comes after a released body cam video showed Officer Martin Siller using racist and misogynistic remarks, as well as joking about domestic violence.

“The racist, misogynist, and violent remarks made by Officer Martin Siller are devastating, and Chief Skinner’s poor response to the incident is infuriating,” one activist who identified herself as “Jane” said.

Siller had served on EPD for seven years and resigned within hours of the video going public. Despite calls from activists on Friday, representatives from EPD say that Chief Skinner has no intention of resigning.

“There’s probably nothing I can do in the short term to repair this. We understand the fragility of trust with our community and understand that trust is earned, and we would continue to try and build that trust within our community,” Skinner said.

“I, as a leader, will continue to set the tone of what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable in this organization,” Skinner said.

Chief Skinner also said he hopes the reputation of the department isn’t determined by one person, but he understands the public outrage. “I’ll be honest with you. They’re pissed off. Yeah, I mean, don’t blame them,” Skinner said.

Community members at the press conference expressed stronger demands. “Skinner resigning? I want him removed. I specifically want him removed. I don’t want him to get a pension,” said Blair Hickok, an activist who spoke at Friday’s event.

“Chief Skinner saying that Siller’s a bad apple, that’s a joke. Truthfully, I think the bad apple is Skinner. I think the bad apple is the system,” Hickok 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 Erin Miller

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    NORFOLK, Virginia (WTKR) — Two stroke program coordinators at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital are using costumes, coffee, and treats to teach their colleagues how to recognize the signs of a stroke.

Mary Stern and Karolina Lethueur De Jacquant call their initiative “Clots and Coffee.” The pair dress in unconventional costumes and roll a cart through the hospital, handing out coffee and treats while engaging staff, and sometimes visitors, across all units.

“She showed up [dressed in a red sweatsuit with balls, acting as ‘platelets’ and yarn acting as ‘thrombin]. She was like, ‘we’re going to walk around, and we’re going to hand out coffee and treats and we’re going to get [people] engaged,’” Lethueur De Jacquant said.

The costumes are part of the story they’ve built around their message.

Because every unit in the hospital treats stroke patients, Lethueur De Jacquant and Stern say recognizing the signs is the critical first step.

Stern said the approach is intentional.

“We have processes in place in the hospital where we need staff to be able to recognize the signs of a stroke, and studies have shown you’re more likely to remember something if you had fun while you were learning it,” Stern said.

The two teach the “BE FAST” method — a framework for identifying stroke symptoms.

“It stands for balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, and time,” Stern said.

Stern said time is brain health. A stroke happens when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain, and the person experiencing it often doesn’t realize what is happening.

“Your brain doesn’t know that it’s broken, so we need other people to be able to recognize it and to be able to signal for help,” Stern said.

Stern said too many people dismiss symptoms like one-sided weakness as simply being tired. According to the Sentara team, high blood pressure is the number one cause of strokes, followed by diabetes and high cholesterol.

“With every minute that passes you lose more of your ability to function, live, and take care of yourself,” Stern said.

According to the American Stroke Association, “stroke is a leading cause of long-term serious disability, and up to 80% of clot-related strokes are preventable.”

Stern and Lethueur De Jacquant also do community outreach beyond the hospital. They shared a story about a 7-year-old who remembered “BE FAST,” and called 911. His grandmother was transported to the hospital in time to be treated for a stroke.

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.