Students make history: First aircraft built at Wright Brothers site since 1903

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Will Thomas

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    KILL DEVIL HILLS, North Carolina (WTKR) — One hundred twenty-two years ago, the Wright Brothers flew into history with the first flight. History was also made Wednesday, as students and graduates of First Flight High School’s Aviation Program unveiled the aircraft they built over the past two years — becoming the first plane built on the grounds here since the Wright Brothers.

“It’s just really kind of heartwarming that people take enough seriousness about the project, to actually come here,” said Paul Wright Jameson, a great-great nephew of Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Paul Wright Jameson and fellow descendants joined more than 100 people Wednesday in Kill Devil Hills to celebrate the Wright Brothers’ timeless achievement of the first flight 122 years ago.

“We have been coming to Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills for decades and decades because we were immersed in the story of the Wright Brothers,” said Paul Wright Jameson.

History was made here Wednesday for a second time. For the past two years, students and graduates of First Flight High School’s Aviation Program have been building a flyable aircraft in a building on the grounds of the Wright Brothers National Memorial — putting in hundreds of hours of work along with plenty of blood, sweat and tears.

The students and graduates unveiled their plane at the ceremony Wednesday, becoming the first plane built here since the Wright Brothers’ historic achievement.

“The historical meaning behind all of it, considering that 122 years later, we are the first ones to build an aircraft right here since the Wright brothers, that’s wonderful. To do it, is amazing,” said Alexander Sharp, a senior at First Flight High School.

“It’s a very significant point because no one else has built it here, and we’re kind of following in the steps of our forefathers. There’s nothing like it,” said Gavin Dibler, a graduate of First Flight High School.

A message echoed by the program’s aviation instructor — retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Joey “JT” Tynch — who has worked alongside the students for the past two years.

“All these young men and women for the rest of their lives, can say they built the first aircraft on this spot since the Wright Brothers. They embraced that, and they just ran with it so hard. This aircraft you see in front of you has thousands upon thousands of parts, and they began with wooden crates full of these parts, and have assembled the aircraft over time. It’s been phenomenal to watch and to be a part of,” said Tynch.

A special moment for everyone Wednesday, including descendants of the Wright Brothers to see how far aviation has come.

“Wilbur and Orville kind of invented a whole bunch of stuff just to make the airplane work. Now that they have the ability to kind of do that, that you can teach students to do that, that’s what’s great,” said Paul Wright Jameson.

The plane is not just something to look at — the plan is for it to be up in the air in the New Year.

Aviation legend William P. Lear was also inducted into the First Flight Society at the ceremony Wednesday. Lear was instrumental in manufacturing aircraft radio receivers for navigation and founded the Learjet Company.

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.

‘I’m trying to reconcile us’ | Father’s legacy helps sons overcome years of family division

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By De’Jah Gross

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    CINCINNATI (WCPO) — Grief can hit hard during the holidays.

But for brothers Everette Jr. and Jeff, grieving their father is what brought them back together.

Friday, 89-year-old Everette Linton Sr. passed away, months after we first met him at a Mason memory care facility where he was living with dementia. Despite his fading memories, his heart remained focused on seeing his wife, Patricia, who was battling advanced dementia at another facility.

After months apart, the couple was reunited, and Everette got to enjoy something he had done for 30 years one last time — a semi-truck ride to visit Patricia.

“You know who I am, I’m your husband,” Everette said to his wife during their reunion.

The story resonated far beyond the couple’s love story.

Everette’s firstborn son, Everette Jr., said watching his father’s final wish play out on television revealed something to him about family.

“My dad showed me family was important to him because he took care of us when he was growing up, had respect for his wife. He’s a patriot,” Everette Jr. said.

Everette Jr. and his brother Jeff told us the story helped heal a rift between them, bringing the siblings back together during their time of grief.

“That whole process right there was from God,” Everette Jr. told us. “He didn’t tell anybody about it because we had some type of distinction between us all in the family, and news wasn’t getting out how it was supposed to.”

Everette Jr. lives in Boston and is working to get to his father’s funeral in Iowa in hopes of reconnecting with siblings scattered across the country. He said he sees his father’s story as an inspiration for other fractured families to heal.

“I’m trying to reconcile us together, and … apologize if necessary when my time comes, because I know I was probably in the wrong,” Everette Jr. said.

When asked how he plans to carry forward his father’s legacy, Everett Jr. emphasized the importance of family communication and humility.

“I hope that what comes out of this is that maybe some family member might see themselves in the situation that I’m in right now,” Everette Jr. said. “They might want to come from all of that and humble themselves and apologize. And think about everybody else, not just yourself.”

As the holidays approach, Everette Jr. said he hopes to be able to spend extra days with his family. Their father’s memorial is scheduled for January in Des Moines.

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.

Batesville High School opens innovative student wellness center to support teen mental health

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Ally Kraemer

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    BATESVILLE, Indiana (WCPO) — A new student wellness center at Batesville High School is providing students with a dedicated space to manage stress and anxiety during stressful times.

The Student Success Center, which opened after two years of planning and community fundraising, was designed with direct input from students. The goal was to create a safe space to pause, reset and receive guidance.

“It feels like you’re going into a spa because everything about this space was intentional from the color of the walls, to the sounds that would come in, to the color of the fabric, the texture,” said Lisa Tuveson, Wellness Coordinator for Batesville Community Schools.

The center features five distinct areas designed to support student mental health and wellness.

A smart lab allows students to use “Heart Math” technology to see in real-time how breathing exercises can reduce their heart rate and help them re-center themselves.

A community area enables the school to bring in partners from the community to provide specialized programming for students.

The center also houses three school counselor offices.

It also includes a small outdoor area, as research shows nature plays an important role in regulating the nervous system.

Watch what students like the best in the Student Success Center:

Junior Makena Moore spent time with fellow students to develop what students wanted in the space.

“We’ve been researching what could possibly help with anxiety or a lot of stress and we’ve come up with things like NeeDoh, which is a fidget toy, coloring books and an ice machine because we researched it was a reset for your nervous system,” Moore said.

The space was constructed out of two unused classrooms.

“When they were feeling anxious or overwhelmed or stressed, they wanted to find a space where they could find privacy, where they could go be by themselves so we knew it would be really important for them to have a privacy area,” Tuveson said.

“Some of them even expressed that they were hiding in the bathroom or in the media center, and we wanted to provide a space that they could go and have privacy, but also be monitored.”

The Batesville Community Education Foundation raised about $230,000 for the project.

The success of the wellness center has generated interest from other schools in the district, with other buildings now requesting similar spaces for their students.

The timing of the center’s opening aligns with new research from Vanderbilt University highlighting the importance of protecting mental health during the holiday season, particularly for children and teenagers who may feel overwhelmed by seasonal changes and increased stress.

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

‘A uniquely American experience’ | Mason graduate recounts Brown University shooting that killed 2 students

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Alex Null

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    MASON, Ohio (WCPO) — For Mason High School graduate Ramya Rajan, getting into Brown University was a dream come true.

“It was actually a year from Saturday that I got in,” Rajan told us.

Rajan said, despite not knowing anyone else going to the school, she’s managed to make many friends during her freshman year at Brown.

But her first semester at the university took a sudden turn last Saturday.

Around 4 p.m. that day, a gunman went into the Engineering and Physics building on campus and opened fire.

Nine students were injured in the attack and two students were killed. As of Thursday evening, local police and the FBI are still searching for the gunman.

The two students who were killed were 18-year-old Ella Cook and 19-year-old Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov.

“My friend texted me and he was like ‘stay inside, active shooter,'” Rajan said.

Rajan said she sprinted to her dorm room, where she sheltered in place with her roommate for more than 12 hours.

“We barricaded our door, and closed our windows and turned off our lights,” Rajan said.

Rajan told us she felt helpless during that time in her dorm room. She said she was trying to find information on what was happening through social media, but said it was hard with a lot of misinformation being spread around.

“It was just very terrifying and at the same time, I was worried for a lot of my friends,” Rajan said.

Rajan said a freshman study session was happening in the classroom where the shooting took place.

“I had several friends who were in the room and several friends who were in the vicinity,” Rajan told us.

Rajan said she knew Umurzokov and even saw him earlier that day. She described him as kind and compassionate.

“He made an effort to remember my name the first time we met, and I know when college starts, it’s such a blur as to all of the people that you’re meeting,” Rajan said. “He made it a point to say hi to everyone and remember their names.”

She said learning about his death has hit her hard.

“He wanted to be a neurosurgeon since he was 8, and the world lost what would have been an amazing neurosurgeon,” Rajan said.

Rajan told us she’s practiced active shooter training in school since seventh grade, but many of her friends who are international students weren’t prepared for what happened.

“It was a uniquely American experience, I guess, that we had, and it’s something that is such a big thing here that isn’t as prevalent in other places,” Rajan said. “The realization of that, some people had no idea what to do in the situation, it’s just really jarring.”

Despite training for the situation in school, she said the real scenario was still hard to prepare for.

“When it’s right there, and it’s your friends and this new family you have, it’s devastating,” Rajan said.

Rajan is now back home in Mason. She said she caught the first flight she could the day after the shooting to be home with her family.

She plans to return to Brown when the next semester starts in January, but said she anticipates that life on campus won’t be the same.

“It’s going to be hard to start next semester, to know that two of our classmates, they weren’t able to see the first snow and they won’t be able to realize their dreams,” Rajan said. “The whole world is at a deficit because of it.”

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.

Dignity Delayed: Family notified over 3 years after patient died at hospital, remains kept in storage

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Lysée Mitri

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    SACRAMENTO COUNTY, California (KCRA) — More than one year into KCRA 3’s investigation of a backlog of human remains tied to patient deaths at Dignity Health hospitals in the greater Sacramento area, a family is saying that they were just recently notified about a loved one who died 3 1/2 years ago.

“This isn’t something Hollywood could come up with. We are living a daily nightmare,” Nancy Louks said.

She said it was Dec. 1, 2025, when she learned that her brother, Charles Harvey, had died at Mercy San Juan Medical Center back on June 2, 2022.

After getting the news, her daughter started searching for the hospital online.

“Your stories started popping up. All kinds of information,” Louks said. “Devastation almost is not even a strong enough word.”

Harvey is one of dozens of patients over the last four years or so who have died at Dignity Health hospitals, like Mercy San Juan Medical Center, and whose remains were then stored at an off-site morgue without a death certificate for months or even years.

In at least four cases that KCRA 3 Investigates has identified, law enforcement had missing persons investigations open as families searched for their loved ones.

“What happened to these families is unacceptable. We know they were not given timely notification about the death of their loved ones,” Dr. Erica Pan, Director of the California Department of Public Health, said in an emailed statement.

However, Pan also said, “We remain committed to holding facilities accountable when they fail to meet established standards. As evidence of us upholding this commitment, after implementing additional monitoring at the facilities mentioned in your coverage, we can share there have been no additional or ongoing concerns regarding the storage of human remains.”

That statement was made within one week of Charles Harvey’s family reaching out to KCRA 3 Investigates with ongoing concerns.

“The state of California failed us as a family. That hospital failed us,” said Charles Harvey’s son, Jacob.

Harvey died at 67 years old. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, awarded the National Defense Service Medal for his time in the Vietnam War.

“He’s my big brother. I looked up to him,” Louks said.

She said they both lived in California for a long time, but she moved away to Arizona a few years ago.

“I had only moved one year before he passed away,” Louks said.

Harvey’s son, Jacob, lives in Indiana. Louks had to break the news to him.

“I had to make that heartbreaking call,” Louks said. “It was really hard. How do you tell somebody that? Your dad died, and it’s been three years, and he’s just sitting in a warehouse.”

“I never dreamed that I would ever be having this conversation. It just doesn’t seem real,” Jacob Harvey said.

He said his dad was a very private man.

“He was always private. He’s been like that his entire life. So, sometimes he’ll just disappear off the grid, you know, and then pop back up a couple of months later,” Jacob said.

When Jacob’s son did not get a birthday card in the mail from his dad in May of 2022, Jacob said he tried reaching out.

“I couldn’t get a hold of anybody, like he’s had 10 different phone numbers, but I’ve always had his email,” Jacob said. “I’ve always emailed him, and I never got anything back. And now I know why.”

After Harvey’s death at the hospital, he had been left without a death certificate for so long that Dignity Health actually had to go to court to ask for a delayed death registration and to explain the holdup.

“There’s no dignity in this. I don’t even know how they can use that name,” Jacob said.

Harvey’s case was one of at least two dozen that Dignity Health filed in probate court in 2024 and 2025. Each time, Dignity blamed the delay on what began back in 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic created a backlog…” and then, they said, “staffing issues arose” in order to address that backlog.

“Inexcusable,” Louks said, shaking her head.

A probate court ordered the creation of a delayed registration of Harvey’s death on September 6, 2024, but then Dignity Health went back to court to get an amended order in July 2025 to include details that were missing from its original application.

Harvey’s court order delayed registration of death ultimately shows it was not accepted for registration by CDPH Vital Records until August 12, 2025, one year after Dignity Health initially went to court to begin the process.

For weeks, Harvey’s family had trouble even tracking down the official records of his death.

Only after they did could they retrieve his remains from the off-site morgue where he had been kept without their knowledge for years.

“Our family was robbed the opportunities to properly grieve, to give him a decent Christian burial,” Louks said.

Dignity Health is fighting two lawsuits over allegations of failing to notify families and complete death certificates in a timely manner after patient deaths. Harvey’s family has now hired an attorney as well.

In a statement to KCRA 3 Investigates, Dignity Health said, “Our goal is to provide the best care and support possible for patients and their families. Unfortunately, we are unable to comment on pending litigation.”

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.

Albuquerque mayor and city council dispute over paramedic staffing costs taxpayers nearly $1 million

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By T.J. Wilham, Jason McNabb

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — A year-long dispute between Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and the city council is costing taxpayers big money, and it’s all about your safety.

Target 7 has learned the argument started nearly a year ago over who decides the number of paramedics on fire trucks. It has resulted in lawsuits, nearly $1 million in legal fees, and the city council president is now calling for an investigation into the city attorney, which could lead to her dismissal.

The argument began when Albuquerque Fire Rescue wanted to put a paramedic on every engine truck, which is the workhorse of most fire departments being, the first unit to arrive on scenes.

The plan would require removing a paramedic from rescue trucks, which look like traditional ambulances and typically carry two paramedics.

Keller and the fire chief supported this plan, but the fire union opposed it, advocating for maintaining two paramedics on transport-capable units while training more paramedics for fire engines.

The city council sided with the union, passing an ordinance to keep two paramedics on rescue trucks, opposing the mayor and fire chief.

“It’s a clash of competing separation of powers issues,” said KOAT Legal expert John Day. “If you’re a lawyer, it is fascinating. If you are a regular citizen, it just sort of highlights government efficiency at some level or inefficiency.”

In an unprecedented move, Keller sued the city council, creating a conflict for City Attorney Lauren Keefe, who represents both parties. Consequently, both sides hired separate legal counsel, each spending $400,000.

“When you have a mayor’s office and city council fighting with each other. Of course, a lot of money is going to go into the lawyer’s pockets,” Day said.

City Council President Brook Bassan, who initially sided with the mayor, sponsored an ordinance for an investigation into Keefe, citing concerns that the city attorney might be assisting the mayor in the lawsuit against the council.

“I believe that we’ve at least spent probably a million dollars of taxpayer money on this lawsuit alone, where the mayor is suing the city council,” Basan said. “We ended up finding some other information that indicated to me and gave me reason to believe that the city attorney is helping the mayor sue the city council.”

Basan’s proposal, if passed, could lead to Keefe’s dismissal.

“I am implying that this is the first step to consider removing the city attorney from the position,” Basan said.

Keefe was offered an opportunity for an interview. Instead, she sent a statement.

“I take my ethical duties very seriously. As soon as this dispute arose, I informed council that I had a conflict and could not represent it. I then ensured that the city hired well-qualified lawyers to represent the interests of all parties, including city council,” the statement read. “While I am not representing any party, I have received updates on the ongoing proceedings. These actions were not only appropriate, but I had a duty to do so in order to ensure the interests of the city were protected.”

AFR has implemented its paramedic plan in five out of 23 stations, with two other stations having paramedics on traditional fire trucks due to the absence of rescue units. Recently, AFR sent 24 firefighters to paramedic training to increase paramedic availability on more trucks.

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 extradited from Texas to face 16 child sex abuse charges in California

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Ricardo Tovar

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    MARINA, California (KSBW) — Marina police say a man was extradited from Texas to face charges relating to multiple alleged sexual assaults of underage victims.

A complaint was initially filed against 65-year-old Jose Guadalupe Reyes back in October, but police say that Reyes had moved to Texas before an arrest warrant was obtained.

With the help of the U.S. Marshals Service, Reyes was tracked down and taken into custody in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 26.

He was extradited and booked into Monterey County Jail on Tuesday, according to Marina police.

He was charged with 16 felony counts against four female victims, including forcible lewd acts on a child, lewd acts on a child, and aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to the criminal complaint linked below.

The alleged sexual assaults occurred over several years, from 1996 to 2011, according to the criminal complaint.

All the victims were under the age of 18, and some were under the age of 14, per police.

His bail was set at $4,520,000, per the Monterey County Jail log.

Reyes was arraigned on Wednesday and entered a not guilty plea, per Monterey County Superior Court records.

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Did you hear a weird noise in downtown Milwaukee? This is what caused it

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Tanner Kahler

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — If you heard a weird noise in Milwaukee Wednesday night, you weren’t alone.

People took to social media reporting a jet-like sound echoing through neighborhoods.

On Thursday, We Energies took responsibility.

“Late last night, while taking one of our Valley Power Plant units offline for routine operations, a valve lifted due to excess pressure, causing a loud noise,” a spokesperson told WISN 12 News. “We have isolated the issue. This pressure release did not impact the system, which is working properly. We apologize for the disturbance.”

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.

Kansas City-area teacher walks 16 miles for third night in a row to collect coats for children in need

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Chloe Godding

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KMBC) — A Kansas City-area teacher is spending hours on his feet to raise awareness for a cause close to his heart.

By day, JC Van Deventer makes a difference in his classroom in Kansas City, Kansas. By night, his mission doesn’t change, but his method does.

Van Deventer has spent the past two nights walking from his home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to his school in KCK to raise awareness and money for children in need. The trek is more than 16 miles, and he does it in the cold and rain. He’ll do it again Thursday night.

“There are thousands of kids living below the poverty line in the KC metro. Over 8,000 as of 2023,” Van Deventer said. “Kids without coats, hats, gloves, in many cases without proper shoes. How can they learn if they can’t even stay warm in a Kansas City winter?”

Van Deventer did the same all-night walks last year, but this year, he has a much grander goal: $20,000.

“If I make it to a certain number this week, we’ll hopefully keep it going into Christmas,” he said.

Van Deventer is raising money through Avenue of Life, a local nonprofit that focuses on students who are homeless. Monetary donations can be made on Avenue of Life’s website.

To drop off donations of new coats, socks, shoes, pajamas and hygiene items, call Avenue of Life at 816-787-6101.

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South Carolina woman accused of stealing $10,000 from vulnerable adult

CNN Newsource on December 19, 2025

By Stephanie Moore

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    SPARTANBURG, South Carolina (WYFF) — A Spartanburg, South Carolina, woman is accused of stealing money from a vulnerable adult.

Cher Deneane Cantrell, 58, is charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult and one count of breach of trust with fraudulent intent.

Cantrell was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center on Thursday.

Investigators said Cantrell misused her authority as power of attorney for a vulnerable adult.

Specifically, between March 11, 2024, and July 24, 2024, Cantrell is accused of misappropriating approximately $10,292.56 from the victim’s funds, diverting the money for her own personal use and benefit, while allegedly intending to permanently deprive the victim of those resources.

Throughout the entire timeframe of these alleged offenses lived at Magnolia Manor, an assisted living facility located in Inman, South Carolina.

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

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