Category: CNN Regional

By Jason Burger

Click here for updates on this story

    NORMAN, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Norman City Councilwoman Bree Montoya announced her resignation at the scheduled City Council meeting Tuesday.

This comes after she posted an apology on her official social media pages Sunday night, following a political argument in Facebook comments months ago where she suggested another person end their life. KOCO 5 has chosen not to share screenshots of those comments.

Montoya announced her resignation at the start of the meeting, and she left the building right after.

“I have served the community since 2008, and I am ready to pursue other opportunities. That being said, I am resigning immediate from Council Ward 3. Thank you, Ward 3. It’s been an honor to serve,” Montoya said at the meeting.

The screenshots of the exchange were shared multiple times on social media.

“I want to apologize for comments I made from my personal Facebook account a few months ago. There are no words to express how awful, inappropriate, and unacceptable my comments were. An exchange between an individual and myself got way out of hand, and in a moment of personal distress, I was completely out of line,” she said in a social media post. “I was immediately disgusted with myself and knew I had crossed an unimaginable line. I sent a direct apology soon after.”

Montoya represents Ward 3. She won her reelection bid for her seat earlier this year.

“I know better, but in that moment I failed. I know to reject the ugliness of certain emotions, and instead reach for kindness and compassion. But in that moment, I let personal distress overtake me. Since the incident, I have sought help to heal old wounds, learned from it, and am working daily to become a better person. To those I’ve hurt and are disappointed in me, I am truly sorry. I humbly ask your forgiveness,” she said.

Montoya resigned on her own, and she was not forced to do so by the city. The city sent KOCO 5 a statement.

“City Council members are not considered traditional employees of the city of Norman. As elected officials, they enjoy the same First Amendment protections as any other citizen. Therefore, city staff cannot take disciplinary action against council members for exercising those rights,” the city said.

KOCO 5 reached out to Montoya but did not hear back.

Please note: 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 Greco

Click here for updates on this story

    SALLISAW, Oklahoma (KOCO) — An eastern Oklahoma hospital was badly damaged as severe storms moved through the state on Tuesday.

Around 5 p.m., the city of Sallisaw was hit by storms that brought down power lines and tree limbs across the area. The storm also ripped off the roof of the Northeastern Health System Sequoyah Hospital.

“Patients have all been either discharged or in the process of being transferred,” Sallisaw City Manager Brian Heverly told KOCO 5 sister station 40/29 on Tuesday. “Hospital administration already has disaster management and recovery teams coming in. But for right now, the ER is on divert status.”

The city manager added that no one was hurt in the storms.

Pafford Medical Services has set up a mobile field hospital to provide care for displaced patients and ensure continuity of health care services.

The historic log cabins in Sallisaw also saw damage during the storms. The Judge Franklin Faulkner House on East Cherokee Street had damage, and multiple crews, including from the Cherokee Nation, responded to help clean up.

Sallisaw officials said Wednesday that they are still receiving reports of power outages. Crews are working to restore power to all who were affected.

“We truly appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding, it has been a long evening, and we are committed to getting power back on as quickly and safely as possible,” Sallisaw officials said in a Facebook post.

Please note: 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 JoBeth Davis

Click here for updates on this story

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMBC) — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is searching for suspects after someone slammed a truck into a medical and dental office overnight.

According to Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins, fire crews were called to a building at 4601 Independence Avenue after a car reportedly struck it around 3:14 a.m.

When firefighters arrived they found a pickup truck had struck a building that housed a dentist office as well as a medical practice.

Authorities said the occupants of the truck ran from the scene.

The crash left a large hole in the front of the building, which will have to be boarded up and inspected for safety.

No injuries have been reported.

Please note: 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 Ubah Ali

Click here for updates on this story

    ST. CLOUD, Minnesota (WCCO) — A 7-year-old’s sudden death at a St. Cloud, Minnesota, school is sparking fear in parents who have kids with autism.

More than 100 Somali parents, autism advocates, educators and community leaders logged into Zoom on Tuesday evening for a powerful and emotional listening session.

It comes just one week after Abdinasir, who was autistic, suffered a medical emergency at school and later died. His death has shaken not only his family but the community.

According to the St. Cloud Police Department, officers were called to Westwood Elementary School on Sept. 16, just before 9:30 a.m., for a report of a child who was not breathing. He was rushed to an area hospital before he was airlifted to HCMC, where he later died.

Investigators say no foul play is suspected, but the investigation is ongoing and will continue to work with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office until a final determination has been made.

The St. Cloud Area School District says it is deeply saddened and cooperating fully with law enforcement officials.

In a statement, the district said, “Following the incident, the district conducted a full review of response and operations. We found that our staff responded immediately, professionally, and appropriately to support the student.”

Yet, the boy’s family and community members say they are still in the dark about what led to the child’s death.

“As of this moment, that’s how confused the family is right now,” Samsam Mohamed, board member with autism advocacy group Maangaar Voices, said. “They don’t have a concrete answer about what happened.”

For families raising children with autism, including Anisa Hagi-Mohamed and Samsam Mohamed, the pain runs deep.

Many joining the virtual room were filled with emotion for that very reason. For about three hours, participants shared personal stories and fears while seeking assurances from licensed providers.

The listening session was led by several organizations, including Maangaar.

“It’s about a community effort to help our community feel a little bit more safe,” Hagi-Mohamed said.

Tuesday’s listening session was for collective healing and a space to get connected to resources.

Advocates say they will continue supporting the family.

The family has now retained a lawyer. WCCO reached out and has not heard back yet.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine the cause of death.

Please note: 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 Sabrina Franza

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Mom and pop restaurants who rely on communities that ICE agents have been targeting in the Chicago area said they’re seeing fewer and fewer customers amid the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.

One restaurant owner compared what he’s experiencing now to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying foot traffic is the lowest he’s seen since 2020.

The food served at Taqueria La Paz in Belmont Cragin dates back generations.

“Our cooks have been with us 18 years,” said co-owner Nestor Cruz. “There was something about my mom always telling us, ‘Oh, you could always own your own business.’ So that seed got planted in our head.”

Weekday afternoons are normally one of the busiest times of day at Taqueria La Paz. Usually its tables would be full, but on Tuesday they sat empty, something Cruz said is a new trend over the last few weeks as Operation Midway Blitz began and customers started to see federal agents in their communities.

“People are not really going to sit-down places,” he said.

The restaurant’s business model has switched over to mostly mobile orders during their peak hours.

“At the end of the month, it barely makes it,” he said.

One of their customers told Cruz some of their loved ones were detained by ICE, and described how she felt thinking of leaving her house.

“She couldn’t come out. She was trying to get enough money, because now delivery was going to charge her more, but she was afraid to come out. She been a customer for a long time, so I said, ‘No worries, I’ll take your food,'” Cruz said.

Cruz just wants to keep his family’s American dream alive by feeding his community.

“I was raised in this industry. I love how my mom, my grandma and my mom, cook. So my brother and I continue,” he said.

CBS News Chicago has heard of the same trend happening in communities like Little Village and in Pilsen. The long-term effects of this trend are still not clear.

Please note: 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 Alicia Roberts

Click here for updates on this story

    DELAWARE COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Inside Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, the family of PFC Evelyn Preston LeSueuer gathered more than 13 years after her passing to mark a part of her life and our nation’s history that went untold for decades.

LeSueuer, a graduate of West Catholic High School, served in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II in what became known as the Six Triple Eight – the U.S. Army’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – the only all Black, all-female unit to serve overseas, tasked with clearing three years of mail backlog for troops in Europe.

Their mission was honored with a Congressional Gold Medal this past April and made popular by a Netflix movie released last December.

Gamal Preston, LeSueuer’s nephew, said his family first learned of the historical significance of his aunt’s service through the film.

“About a month and a half to two months after the movie came out on Netflix, and she said, you know Aunt Eva was in there,” Preston said.

Now, thanks to the work of the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference, which launched the Unmarked Graves Project, all members of the Six Triple Eight will receive military marked graves and full honors

LeSueuer is the first in the nation with this distinction.

“I think if our family could represent all the other families who have been underrepresented or misrepresented, I think that this means a lot,” Preston said.

Ta-Wanda Preston is LeSueuer’s cousin. For her, this day is a long overdue step in honoring the sacrifice, bravery and resilience of a group of women who forever shaped history.

“It’s so important that we never forget because you know you don’t want your history to be gone,” Ta-Wanda Preston said.

Please note: 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.