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Louisiana man arrested after driving with deceased woman’s body for a month

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

LAKE CHARLES, La. (WSVN) – A chilling case unfolded as authorities discovered that a man had allegedly driven around with a deceased woman’s body in his SUV for a month. On Sunday, August 20, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana received a report of a missing person, Sheila Ortega, 72, from Lake Charles. Family members informed deputies that they had not been in contact with her for approximately 30 days.During the missing person investigation on Monday, August 21, detectives located Ortega’s SUV in a mall parking lot, and shockingly, her deceased body was found inside. The person of interest, Christopher T. Cater, 41, an acquaintance of Ortega, was discovered nearby at a business.According to officials, Cater admitted to detectives that he had killed Ortega about a month prior. Additionally, he confessed to using Ortega’s information to secure loans after her death.Christopher T. Cater was arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Cen...

Defense questions victim’s memory during 3rd day of trial for ex-Hialeah PD officer accused of beating up homeless man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

Jurors heard more testimony from a victim as the trial of a former Hialeah officer accused of kidnapping and beating up a homeless man entered its third day. On Wednesday morning, the defense spent most of their time questioning the victim, Jose Ortega Gutierrez, on events that he did or did not remember. He took the stand on Tuesday. Gutierrez, during his testimony, told attorneys multiple times “You are not going to confuse me.”The defense’s main focus was whether Gutierrez remembered the events that took place on Dec. 30, 2022. Attorneys asked him about that date because Gutierrez was facing 20 years in prison for two pending drug cases. He received time served for one case. During his testimony, Gutierrez appeared frustrated and often took deep breaths as he answered questions. “Isn’t that your hope, that when you go back to court on this pending drug case that you’re facing 20 years, is it you hope the Attorney’s Office will give you ti...

Officer shoots dog after being bitten in Pembroke Pines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

An officer fired their weapon at a dog after they were bitten.The incident happened in the area of 21610 NW 3rd Place, Wednesday morning. According to police, the officer was serving an injunction at the residence when a dog in the area became aggressive and bit the officer. The dog was shot and killed by the officer. Fire rescue arrived at the scene to treat the officer. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Cargo plane crash kills 2 near central Maine airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating the crash of a twin-engine cargo plane near a small airport in central Maine that killed both people on board.The Beechcraft crashed in a field in the town of Litchfield at around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The agency said the National Transportation Safety Board would lead the investigation.The plane crashed “under unknown circumstances” about half a mile (0.8 kilometers) from Wales Airport, said Sarah Taylor Sulick, a spokesperson for the NTSB. Authorities had not identified the two dead as of Wednesday.Litchfield is a small town close to the state capital of Augusta, and is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Portland, the largest city in Maine.“The investigator will document the accident site, airplane, and gather witness statements and any surveillance video that may have captured any part of the accident flight,” Taylor Sulick said.Wreckage from the crash will be recovered ...

FAA announces millions in airport funding to tackle near collisions, including $44.9 mil for Logan Airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

(CNN) — Safety watchdogs call it a runaway problem on America’s runways that could end in tragedy – the near collisions of commercial aircraft. Now, the federal government is funding millions of dollars in airport construction projects to help address the issue.In an announcement shared first with CNN, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that $121 million from agency grants and from a 2021 infrastructure law will be doled out to eight airports from Florida to Alaska.This comes three months after the FAA announced $100 million in similar funding for a dozen other airports.The largest outlay in the latest round of funding is $44.9 million “to simplify the airport layout” at Boston Logan International Airport, the FAA said.Logan is where a collision was narrowly avoided this year. In February, a JetBlue flight was 30 feet from touching down on the airport’s runway 4 Left when a Learjet operated by a charter company took off in front of ...

India becomes the fourth country ever to land a spacecraft on the moon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

(CNN) — India has landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the moon, becoming only the fourth nation ever to accomplish such a feat.The mission could cement India’s status as a global superpower in space. Previously, only the United States, China and the former Soviet Union have completed soft landings on the lunar surface.Chandrayaan-3’s landing site is also closer to the moon’s south pole than any other spacecraft in history has ventured. The south pole region is considered an area of key scientific and strategic interest for spacefaring nations, as scientists believe the region to be home to water ice deposits.The water, frozen in shadowy craters, could be converted into rocket fuel or even drinking water for future crewed missions.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in South Africa for the BRICS Summit, watched the landing virtually and shared broadcasted remarks on the livestream.“On this joyous occasion…I would like to address all the people of the...

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is back, and it’s celebrating its 20th anniversary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

New York (CNN) — The Pumpkin Spice Latte is coming back, again.Starbucks said Wednesday that the signature drink would return to the fall menu on Thursday, marking its 20th anniversary.The perennial Starbucks favorite has become a reliable hit, making it an autumn(ish) mainstay that has given the coffee chain a seasonal sales boost during this time of year, over the past two decades.In 2020, Starbucks said the pumpkin drinks were the “catalyst” for a record-breaking quarterly performance in the three months ending September 27, 2020. In fall 2022, it reported that the platform had grown 17% year-over-year.In addition to the latte, known fondly as PSL, customers will be able to buy other seasonal beverages, including the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Apple Crisp Oat Milk Macchiato. New on the menu this year are the Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte.On the food menu, the Owl Cake Pop and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin a...

A new Medicare proposal would cover training for family caregivers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

By Judith Graham, KFF Health NewsEven with extensive caregiving experience, Patti LaFleur was unprepared for the crisis that hit in April 2021, when her mother, Linda LaTurner, fell out of a chair and broke her hip.LaTurner, 71, had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia seven years before. For two years, she’d been living with LaFleur, who managed insulin injections for her mother’s Type 1 diabetes, helped her shower and dress, dealt with her incontinence, and made sure she was eating well.In the hospital after her mother’s hip replacement, LaFleur was told her mother would never walk again. When LaTurner came home, two emergency medical technicians brought her on a stretcher into the living room, put her on the bed LaFleur had set up, and wished LaFleur well.That was the extent of help LaFleur received upon her mother’s discharge.She didn’t know how to change her mother’s diapers or dress her since at that point LaTurner could barely move. She didn’t know how to turn her mother,...

Funyuns and flu shots? Gas station company ventures into urgent care

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

By Bram Sable-Smith, KFF Health NewsTULSA, Okla. — When Lou Ellen Horwitz first learned that a gas station company was going to open a chain of urgent care clinics, she was skeptical.As CEO of the Urgent Care Association, Horwitz knows the industry is booming. Its market size has doubled in 10 years, as patients, particularly younger ones, are drawn to the convenience of the same-day appointments and extended hours offered by the walk-in clinics.“Urgent care is harder than it looks,” Horwitz recalled thinking when the Tulsa-based gas station and convenience store company QuikTrip announced an urgent care venture called MedWise in late 2020. “And that’s a whole different ballgame than selling Funyuns.”The MedWise Urgent Care at the corner of Admiral Place and Sheridan Road in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the chain’s 12 locations in the Tulsa area. MedWise is owned by QuikTrip, a Tulsa-based gas station and convenience store chain. (Bram Sable-Smith/KFF Health News/TNS)But Horwitz said ...

Orioles scratch Jack Flaherty from Wednesday’s start vs. Blue Jays, move up Dean Kremer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:10 GMT

Orioles right-hander Jack Flaherty will not start Wednesday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays as expected, with right-hander Dean Kremer moving up a day and Baltimore yet to announce a starter for Thursday’s series finale.The Orioles did not immediately give a reason for the change. Manager Brandon Hyde is expected to address it during his pregame media session Wednesday evening.Baltimore acquired Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals on the cusp of the MLB trade deadline for three top 20 prospects. In three starts with the Orioles, the 27-year-old pending free agent has a 7.07 ERA, though that’s bloated by a three-inning, seven-run outing against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 15, his most recent start.The Orioles have of late used a six-man rotation, giving young starters such as Kremer, Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez extra rest between outings. Thanks to recent days off, they could briefly return to a five-man operation and have veteran Kyle Gibson st...