Category: CNN Regional

By Pattrik Perez

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    PALM BAY, Florida (WESH) — A Brevard County family is demanding answers after a 120-pound video display board fell on a 5-year-old student at a Palm Bay elementary school Wednesday, killing him.

Brevard Public Schools said the boy, who was identified by his family as Bellamy Dawkins-Morris, was seriously injured after the large display board fell on him at Riviera Elementary School around 11:36 a.m. School staff immediately called 911 and began emergency lifesaving measures before Bellamy was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where he later died.

‘We need answers’ Family members spoke with WESH 2 just hours after Bellamy’s death, saying they are devastated and searching for answers.

“We’re expecting him to be safe. He didn’t return to us,” Bellamy’s great-aunt, Miriam Rodriguez, said. “My emotions, my sadness has subsided, and I am angry. We need answers, and we need them immediately.”

Investigation ongoing Palm Bay Police Deputy Chief Nicholas Szczepanski said the department’s Special Victims Unit and Major Case Unit are investigating.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everybody that was involved in this tragic accident,” Szczepanski said.

Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell said he met with Bellamy’s family shortly after the child’s death.

“We lost a life today, a precious young life. There are no words to describe that loss,” Rendell said. “I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and I really couldn’t find the words to share with them my grief and the grief that all of us have.”

According to Bellamy’s family, his mother was told he was moving the display board back and forth while other students were lining up before it tipped over and fell on him. The family said Bellamy had autism and questioned whether the display board was properly secured and whether enough supervision was provided.

“He’s on the spectrum. When he sees things in motion, he’s gonna keep pushing it to keep it in motion. That’s just something that children on the spectrum do,” Miriam Rodriguez said. “Obviously, the monitor was not secure, and that’s a huge issue. That could have been anybody’s child. (…) There’s no reason that that is not bolted to the wall or however. There is no reason there should be any movement.”

Bellamy’s grandmother, Christy Rodriguez Bruno, said the family believed he should have been safe at school.

“He was supposed to be in a safe place enjoying his little five-year-old self. And now we don’t have him coming home, and my daughter shall never be the same,” she said.

Another great-aunt, Melissa Rodriguez, said the family believes Bellamy’s death could have been prevented.

“I’m angry because it could have been prevented if they were paying attention to him. I’m not saying he doesn’t do things that he shouldn’t do, but this child did not deserve to not be here anymore,” she said.

As investigators work to determine exactly what happened, Bellamy’s family said it is seeking accountability and legal counsel.

“This is not a slap on the wrist. This is not a broken leg. We lost our baby today because of this, and I need everybody to understand the severity of this. He’s not coming back,” Miriam Rodriguez said.

In a statement, Brevard Public Schools said, in part, “We are devastated by this unimaginable loss. Our deepest condolences are with the student’s family, loved ones, classmates, and everyone in our school community who is grieving.”

The district said counseling and additional support services will be available for students and staff in the coming days.

WESH 2 has asked Brevard Public Schools and the Palm Bay Police Department about the family’s questions and concerns, including classroom supervision and the display board involved in the incident, but has not yet received a response.

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 Michael Fuller

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    LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — What was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for Anna and Connor Lasco turned into a medical emergency on their wedding day.

The Lancaster County native couple said Anna began feeling dizzy while getting ready for their Sept. 5 wedding in Rochester, New York. Her symptoms quickly worsened.

“I had this loud buzzing noise in my left ear,” Anna Lasco said. “And suddenly my leg, left leg specifically, like, gave out under me.”

She said her vertigo became severe and her speech was affected.

“It sounded like I was intoxicated,” Anna Lasco said. “People actually asked me if I was intoxicated.”

Connor Lasco said he knew something was wrong when he saw her.

“When I did arrive at that venue and was called in there… Her eyes were very wide,” Connor Lasco said. “And that’s really when I kind of felt something wasn’t normal.”

Couple still gets married, then heads to hospital The couple still got married, but Connor carried Anna to the altar because she could no longer walk reliably. After the ceremony, they went straight to the hospital.

Doctors diagnosed Anna with a left vertebral artery dissection, a tear in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. She was later flown by helicopter to another hospital, where doctors said she had suffered a stroke.

Doctor explains rare condition Dr. Faisal Aziz, chief of vascular surgery at Penn State Health, said a dissection is essentially a tear inside a blood vessel.

He said vertebral artery dissections can be difficult to recognize because symptoms may start with dizziness, nonspecific headaches, vertigo or feeling off balance.

“Usually in the beginning, they may start off as dizziness, nonspecific headaches at the back, vertigo or feeling off balance,” Aziz said. “If the symptoms get worse, they can lead to double vision, blurred vision, sometimes even loss of vision in severe cases. And they can progress to slurred speech or trouble swallowing.”

Aziz said the condition is rare, affecting roughly one to two people out of every 100,000 each year, but it can happen in younger adults.

He said dissections can follow obvious injuries, such as a car crash, fall or sports contact, but they can also happen after sudden or forceful neck movement — and sometimes without a clear cause.

“We have seen it with roller-coaster rides or sometimes with yoga, extreme stretching of the neck during an exercise, sometimes even with severe cough or vomiting—and sometimes without any clear causes,” Aziz said.

He said people should not ignore sudden symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo or eye symptoms.

“It is fortunate that these neck accidents or traumas don’t happen that often,” Aziz said. “But the key thing is that when they happen and symptoms—dizziness, vertigo, eye symptoms—happen, one should not ignore that.”

Recovery and rehabilitation Doctors say many dissections heal with medical care and monitoring.

“The natural history is actually very good,” Aziz said. “Most of them, they heal pretty quick, and most of the symptoms resolve on their own.”

Doctors stress that dizziness or a headache alone does not necessarily mean someone has an artery dissection. But sudden or severe symptoms — especially vision changes, weakness, facial drooping, difficulty speaking or trouble walking — should be treated as an emergency. They say to call 911 rather than drive yourself to the hospital.

Anna spent 18 days in the hospital and is now recovering at home. She said even simple movements now take concentration.

“It takes a lot of mental strength,” Anna Lasco said. “It’s like I actually am trying to walk.”

Connor Lasco said the couple is taking recovery day by day.

“We’re going to get better,” Connor Lasco said. “This is the journey we’re walking together.”

To support the Lascos, visit their GoFundMe page here.

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 Zoe Blair

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    TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (WVTM) — The Georgia-Alabama football game is still set to take place Saturday in Tuscaloosa, but Tropical Storm Isaias has created uncertainty about the weather and its potential impact on the event.

When asked about attending the game, President Donald Trump said, “A hurricane is going in the vicinity of Alabama, that’s not good. Certainly I will let the hurricane determine. I want people to be safe, that’s all.”

In Tuscaloosa, fans expressed mixed feelings about the weather, with many prioritizing their plans to attend the game and College GameDay.

“Rain, storm, or shine, we’re going to be there supporting Alabama,” said Alabama fan Kayla Fields.

“I just got my poncho today, so I’m like fully prepared. We are there,” added Sophie Knotts.

William Schaefer shared his determination, saying, “I will be there no matter what.”

Matthew Diamond acknowledged the weather concerns but remained confident in Alabama’s chances, saying, “Of course I am concerned, but I mean, the weather would only delay the inevitable, you know, Georgia ain’t ready.”

Dylan Hoffman expressed excitement for the matchup, calling it a significant test for the team. “Every year, Georgia’s fun. I think it’s like Mississippi State, they were a good team coming in, but it’s like, kind of our test, and I think it’s the best Alabama team we’ve had in the past 5 or 6 years,” he said.

Despite the enthusiasm, Tropical Storm Isaias remains a concern. “That’s literally what we were just talking about walking this way,” Knotts said. “We’re really worried about it because I know there’s a threat of high winds and stuff, but I’m really hoping it’s going to somehow go off course or hold off for just a little bit.”

As of Wednesday evening, both SEC and university officials stated that the game will proceed as scheduled, though they are closely monitoring the weather.

Saturday also marks College GameDay’s first visit to Tuscaloosa this season, with fans eager to participate in the festivities on the Quad. “College GameDay is coming,” Fields said. Knotts added, “We really want to be there for that. We’re considering sleeping out on the Quad for that. We will be there.”

Hoffman shared his own plans for the event, saying, “I’m going to try to kick a field goal if we’re lucky.”

A representative from College GameDay stated that the show has no current plans to change its typical location at Denny Chimes. The representative noted that only severe weather would move the event indoors and that some of the show’s most memorable moments have occurred on rainy Saturday mornings.

University, SEC, and College GameDay officials continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates if any changes are made to Saturday’s plans.

In a statement, the University said, “The University of Alabama is closely monitoring weather forecasts. Fans should remain weather aware and follow official UA Gameday and UA Safety channels for the latest information regarding game-day operations, traffic, and any weather-related updates. The University is also preparing for a highly attended event and working closely with athletics, public safety, emergency management and security partners to support a safe and enjoyable experience for all fans and visitors at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The latest information will be posted on the UA Gameday and UA safety apps, social media and websites.”

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 Megan De Mar

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    LAKE COUNTY, Indiana (WBBM) — Across the country, 911 call centers are so understaffed that some are turning to artificial intelligence to answer non-emergency calls.

At Lake County 911 in Indiana, an AI call taker named “AVA” has handled more than 35,000 calls within just months.

But how does it work?

Lake County 911 takes calls for 44 different police, fire and EMS agencies across the county. AVA has taken more than 444,000 calls so far this year, but not every call is a true emergency.

“You need to do more with less,” said Mark Swiderski, executive director at Lake County 911.

He explained that emergency communications centers across the country, including his, are facing a critical staffing shortage.

“It’s really challenging to get people to want to apply for this career,” he said.

AVA, which stands for “Automated Voice Assistant,” is helping fill that void—answering more than 35,000 non-emergency calls in the last six months alone.

The goal? Free up human call takers and dispatchers to focus on calls where seconds can make a difference.

“So if they need assistance, but maybe they don’t need a human being to assist them, we can provide them that assistance in a timely manner as well,” Swiderski said.

AVA is a product of a company called Aurelian — founded by University of Chicago graduates Max Keenan and James Liu.

“For the average 911 center, 70% of their calls aren’t even 911 calls,” said Aurelian CEO and co-founder Max Keenan. “We thought this would be a great use of AI to help them focus more of their time and energy on the actual emergencies, and make sure the community gets the best response possible.”

Aurelian currently serves more than 60 agencies across the country, including Lake County 911 — representing more than 15 million residents.

One other advantage AVA has over a human call taker? She can talk to dozens of people at once.

Keenan says that during training, they’ve had AVA handle as many as 300 calls simultaneously.

“I think that AVA is giving us the opportunity to be available for those people when they need us,” Swiderski said.

But with any new AI technology, there is also the question of whether it could eventually replace the people doing the job.

Swiderski says it is not taking dispatch jobs from his location, but pointed out that they still have a staff member checking AVA’s work.

They’re looking into other ways to incorporate AVA into their workflow, because when it comes to answering the call, AVA is proving AI may be ready to pick up the slack.

“If this allows us to answer that call even one more ring sooner, I think it’s doing its job,” Swiderski 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 Olivia Young

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    CASTLE ROCK, Colorado (KCNC) — A nonprofit in Castle Rock supporting thousands of people in need is seeking some support of its own.

Sunday Salmon opened in January 2025, offering free meals on Sunday nights. The restaurant served nearly 20,000 meals in its first year. In 2026, it’s on track to double that.

As Sunday Salmon expands service, the founder says they are struggling to meet the growing need.

“I love feeding people, and I had a vision one day to simply extend the table,” said Mary Grothe, Sunday Salmon founder.

What started as a free weekly meal is now a food source for many in Castle Rock.

“We’re seeing the need increase. We’ve been breaking records consistently on Sunday nights. A couple of times now we’ve had to bust out the folding table and chairs to make room for people who are walking in,” Grothe said. “Right now, we’re doing about 1,000 meals a week between all of our programs.”

In the last year and a half, nonprofit Sunday Salmon has expanded to include a mobile food trailer, daily meals for some local schools and a weekly meal delivery program, Wednesdays Wheels.

“When I realized that we were the food source for so many diners here in Castle Rock, I realized a bridge midweek meal would make a huge difference,” Grothe said. “We have a lot of neighbors who have physical disabilities and transportation barriers, and they cannot get out here on Sundays.”

Since May, more than 200 meals are delivered each Wednesday, arriving via the “Salmini” (Grothe’s Mini Cooper) to low-income apartments, housing for seniors and disabled adults and individuals.

“You can see we all stand in line,” said Wanda Zuehlke, a meal recipient in senior housing. “It’s tasty. It’s good food, all healthy.”

“Mary makes the best food ever. She’s adorable. I love her,” said Buddy, a meal recipient at the Wellspring Community’s Unity on Wolfensberger housing.

The Wednesday deliveries have a waitlist of over 150 seniors and veterans.

“The need continues to grow,” Grothe said.

Grothe says changes to SNAP and Medicaid benefits, a difficult job market and rising costs are driving more people to her Sunday table, and less of them can afford to pitch in.

“We used to have about 50% of our diners donating. Now, it’s less than 10%. This past Sunday night, I don’t even think it was 1% of our diners donating,” Grothe said.

But the nonprofit is feeling those pressures too.

“It’s hard for us to keep up with the growing demand. Our food costs have increased by at least 20%,” Grothe said.

Grothe says she’s absorbing those costs to keep providing meals to a community that now relies on her.

“My paycheck gets deposited directly into the Sunday Salmon bank account, and it’s my commitment to not have an interruption in service to the best of my ability,” Grothe said. “I never understood how much of a lifeline we would be. People think Castle Rock is just full of affluent people. The need here is so hidden.”

Grothe recommends a reservation for Sunday dinners. You can make one on the Sunday Salmon website. That’s also where you can inquire about getting added to the Wednesday meal waitlist, or sign up to donate or volunteer.

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 Anna Alejo

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    DENVER (KCNC) — She has about 320,000 followers across social media platforms and a growing reputation as one of Denver’s most trusted food guides.

You may only know her by her handle @milehighandhungry. To family and friends, she’s Haley Paez. The inspiration for Haley’s work and passion began in her grandmother’s kitchen.

Her father’s mom, Gloria Paez, from Mexico, didn’t speak English but loved to cook.

“That was how she would show us that she cared about us and she loved us,” Paez said.

Paez is proud of both sides of her family, Mexican and Polish, but said it’s her grandmother Gloria’s kitchen that influenced her most. While tamales covered the table at Christmas, Gloria cooked all regional varieties of Mexican cuisine. She hailed from Guadalajara, and her husband Mario from Veracruz.

“She was known for her enchiladas verdes, which is made with tomatillo salsa,” Paez said.

A socially conscious upbringing also shaped her business model. Paez does not take money from the independent restaurants she features. Her income comes from contracts with national brands, including beverage companies, grocery and restaurant chains and sports companies.

Paez met our crew at Tarascos on south Federal Boulevard, and she raved about their mole and other specialties from Michoacán. “If you want good food in Denver, you have to go to Federal,” Paez said.

For Paez, food is about more than sustenance, a view she learned from her grandmother.

“It was something greater that builds community, builds love, and builds connection with the people around you,” she said.

She said that philosophy drives every post, and she doesn’t take her influence lightly.

“I don’t see it as a privilege of ‘oh I have all these followers and all this stuff’; I see it as I hold the responsibility to my community, and that’s what I take the most pride in,” Paez said.

Paez said local business owners feel the impact firsthand.

“Hearing restaurant owners say, ‘We’ve had so many people in our restaurant, we’ve gotten new regulars, we’ve gotten people in the door,’ is so powerful,” she said.

The digital storyteller who learned to love people through food is now feeding that love to all of Denver.

You can follow Paez on multiple platforms via @milehighandhungry

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.