Category: CNN Regional

By Andy Alcock

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KMBC) — The search is on for a driver who hit and killed a bicyclist and then drove away from the crash site.

It happened in the 2200 block of Metropolitan Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas just after 10 Tuesday night.

According to Kansas City, Kansas police, the victim is a 66-year-old man.

Officers found the yet to be identified man dead on the street.

There’s a bike lane on both sides of the street in that part of Metropolitan Avenue.

Signs for them are clearly posted. So is the 30 miles per hour speed limit sign.

The KCK Police Department’s South Patrol Station is on the north side of the street.

Investigators believe the driver hit the bicyclist and left him to die.

“Was the cyclist visible? And that’s clearly something that we encourage,” said Doug Stone, a member of “Cycling Kansas City”.

That group lobbies for bike lanes as part of a mission to promote safety.

The group has a safety video on its website, including instructions for drivers.

“Drivers, please be extra careful around cyclists and give three to six feet when passing,” the video says.

There are also safety instructions for bicyclists.

According to investigators, the victim in Tuesday night’s crash was not wearing a helmet or reflective gear and there were no lights on his bike.

“We want people to ride if they’re going out riding at night with lights front and back and that is paramount for safety if you’re riding at night,” Stone said.

There are cameras in the area where the crash happened.

At this point, investigators aren’t saying if they have any video of the fatal crash.

No information has been released about the involved vehicle either.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Crimestoppers Tips Hotline at (816)474-TIPS.

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 Carson DuRall

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    OMAHA (KETV) — A Wisconsin family is asking for your help in finding what they say are irreplaceable belongings. Their trailer was stolen from Extra Spaces Storage off 148th and West Center last month.

KETV obtained security footage from the Omaha Police Department showing a man using spray paint to spray over security cameras before they stole the trailer.

“They took two trailers, we were told, and they broke into a third, and they took one trailer,” Lisa Kerrigan, the owner of the stolen trailer, said.

Kerrigan said her husband travels for work, so they left their trailer in Omaha for a month while they were moving between houses.

“We basically carry our belongings with us in a trailer, and we go to wherever the next job is,” Kerrigan said.

On Sept. 23 at 3 a.m., security camera footage shows their trailer being stolen, and the Kerrigans got the call that everything was gone.

“I was working on digitizing our family memories, and I had that stuff with me. I had tubs of pictures and photo albums in there. Nobody wants that, nobody cares about that except us,” Kerrigan said.

The trailer held their furniture and other belongings, but more importantly, it held decades’ worth of photos.

“I have two daughters, their baby pictures, their baby albums, their, their wedding was in there. Our wedding album, a lot of black and white pictures from my grandmom and her dad’s,” Kerrigan said.

KETV asked Omaha Police Wednesday for an update on the investigation, and police said there are none at this time.

In the meantime, the Kerrigans asked for your help in tracking down a lifetime’s worth of memories.

“Thank you for even listening and thank you for anything you can do. Anything you might see,” Kerrigan said.

If you have any information on where these bins of photos may be, please call Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, and remember no one will ever know your name.

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 KCCI staff

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Blind and visually impaired veterans in Des Moines received new artificial intelligence glasses today, designed to make everyday tasks easier.

Meta joined the American Council of the Blind to donate the glasses, with at least ten veterans receiving the technology and hands-on training Wednesday.

The voice-controlled glasses can read text, identify objects, and help users navigate their surroundings.

“When we have greater independence and we’re doing more things on our own, the whole community benefits,” said Lori Trujillo-Roush, president of the Iowa Council of the United Blind. “I’d even use these in my job. And so, they’ve helped me in my employment.”

This effort is part of Meta’s plan to provide AI glasses to every legally blind veteran in the United States.

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 Kendra Broddus

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    MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — Three men who pleaded guilty to poaching more than 40 bobcats and exporting them to Canada had ties to New Hampshire law enforcement.

At one point, Randy Inman, Sherwood Dubrey Jr., and Sherwood Dubrey Sr. all worked for the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game Col. Kevin Jordan.

“The thing that bothered me the most, frankly, these were people involved in law enforcement. That disturbed me,” Jordan said.

Jordan said Inman and Sherwood Dubrey Jr. made a competition out of how many animals they could kill by setting out bait piles on their property and state land.

He said the “competition” went on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it wasn’t just bobcats that were killed.

“Any animal that came in, they would shoot it. They would take it,” Jordan said.

Their competition led to self-incrimination in the form of text messages and videos that were sent back and forth.

“We had video surveillance from their scopes that they were using,” Jordan said. “We were able to recover that with search warrants. So, you’re able to see with positive proof who was doing the shooting and what animal was shot.”

Jordan said poaching happens more than people might think in New Hampshire, and not just in the North Country.

“This is happening statewide,” Jordan said. “I’m very happy to say that I think we have a really good handle on it. I think we’re doing a great job hunting it down, prosecuting it and stopping it.”

Jim Morse, president of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation, said cases like such as this one are discouraging, but other sportsmen and women will step up to the task of doing what is right.

“The sportsmen are the eyes out there in the wilderness,” Morse said. “Law enforcement can’t be everywhere, every day, every minute. So, the good sports fans out there will also help fight the battle.”

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 Katherine Worsham

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    MORRO BAY, California (KSBY) — This isn’t something we see every day… A young black bear was spotted at Morro Rock on Wednesday morning.

Officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) say the approximately two-year-old bear was first seen at about 7:50 a.m.

Coleman Drive and the walking path to Morro Rock were closed to the public for a short time, but reopened after the bear made its way onto the nearby power plant property.

The unusual wildlife sighting drew a crowd of onlookers.

“We were going on a little walk with the outdoor group and we heard about the bear, but we didn’t think we were gonna catch a glimpse of it, and we saw this commotion going on, and then we saw all the cops, and then we saw the bear go up by the rock,” Collin Lomelino and Brian Lotzgesell shared.

Fish and Wildlife officials say it’s uncommon to see a bear in that area, although bears sometimes follow wildlife corridors, like creeks, that lead into cities or towns.

CDFW biologists reportedly used hazing techniques to move the bear toward Morro Creek, and they expect that it will follow the creek back to its usual habitat.

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 Jonathan Ayestas, Andres Valle

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    YUBA CITY, California (KCRA) — A 17-year-old Yuba City girl is safe after police said a Texas man groomed her online, traveled to California, and abducted her before leading authorities on a pursuit that ended with a fiery crash off a cliff.

The investigation began about 8:35 a.m. Sept. 27, when officers responded to the 400 block of White Rock Drive following a report that the teenager was missing, according to the Yuba City Police Department.

Police considered the girl at risk because of her age, an underlying medical condition, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Officers learned that the teenager had been communicating with 26-year-old Cameron Childers of Texas, Yuba City police Lt. Michael Bullard said.

“They learned that the juvenile had been in communication with a 26-year-old Texas resident, and there was some suspicious communication that was going on,” Bullard said.

Investigators allege Childers communicated with the teenager through Discord for several weeks or longer. Police said he groomed the girl online before driving from Texas to Yuba City and meeting her the morning she disappeared.

“I do know that it was a matter of weeks, if not longer, that they were communicating through that app,” Bullard said.

Investigators track vehicle to Bakersfield Detectives entered information about Childers’ vehicle into the Flock Safety license plate camera system, police said. Investigators then received information indicating that the vehicle was in the Bakersfield area.

“With the utilization of different investigative techniques like Flock cameras and some other things, they were able to track the 26-year-old Texas resident and learn that he had left Texas and came to Yuba City and was in Yuba City that morning and met up with the juvenile,” Bullard said.

Yuba City detectives alerted the Bakersfield Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the area.

When Bakersfield officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Childers allegedly drove away, beginning a pursuit through the Kern River Canyon toward the Lake Isabella area. The teenager was inside the vehicle, police said.

California Highway Patrol officers deployed spike strips, but the vehicle continued traveling before leaving the roadway and going off a cliff, according to Yuba City police. The vehicle caught fire after the crash.

Officers reached the wreckage and pulled Childers and the teenager from the burning vehicle, police said. Both suffered minor to moderate injuries.

“Law enforcement officers were able to get down to the vehicle and rescue the victim, who was located in the vehicle safely with minor to moderate injuries,” Bullard said. “The suspect was also apprehended and safely taken into custody.”

The teenager was rescued, and Childers was arrested within a day of the initial missing-person report.

Both Childers and the teen suffered minor-to-moderate injuries, police said.

In connection with the crimes related to the missing teen, the Yuba City Police Department said it issued a $100,000 Ramey Warrant for the following charges.

-Aiding or encouraging suicide – 401 PC -Contacting a minor with intent to commit a specified offense – 288.3 PC -Contributing to the delinquency of a minor – 272 PC -Rape by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear – 261(a)(1) PC -Rape of a person prevented from resisting due to an intoxicating, anesthetic, or controlled substance – 261(a)(4) PC -Kidnapping to commit another specified offense – 209(b)(1) PC

Childers now sits in the Kern County Jail on Yuba City police’s warrant. Yuba detectives also worked with the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County District Attorney’s Office for the alleged crimes that happened in their jurisdictions.

Yuba police said it submitted its investigation to the Kern County DA for review and prosecution of the related charges.

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.