Florida mother arrested after trying to sell 18-month-old daughter for $500, police say

Jessica Woods, 33, was arrested and booked into jail on charges of child neglect, abandonment, selling or surrendering a minor for property or money and child abuse. (Putnam County Jail)

Palatka, Fla.

A woman in Florida is facing several charges after reportedly trying to sell her baby.

According to the Palatka Police Department, Jessica Woods, 33, was arrested last week after a worker at an area business said Woods left her daughter with them after attempting to sell the child.

Police said the worker notified them about the incident on March 5.

According to authorities, Woods was loitering around the worker’s place of employment before the unidentified worker asked the mother if she or her child needed any help.

Woods reportedly told the worker that she didn’t need anything but offered to sell her daughter for $500. When they refused to purchase the toddler, Woods allegedly walked away and left her daughter behind.

The worker then brought the child to the Palatka Police Department and told them what happened.

Police and the department’s victim advocate program took care of the child until the Department of Children and Families took custody.

Officers said they located Woods on March 7 and took her into custody. She was booked into the Putnam County Jail on charges that included child neglect and abandonment and three counts of child abuse.

Woods’ 18-month-old has since been placed in foster care.

Lottery winner hits $3 million jackpot after checking ticket left in nightstand for weeks

Melena Hill won $3 million in a Mega Millions drawing after realizing she had the winning numbers weeks later. (Virginia Lottery)

Portsmouth, Va.

A Virginia woman recently cashed in her Mega Millions lottery ticket after waiting weeks to check she had indeed the winning numbers.

According to the Virginia Lottery, Melena Hill’s $3 million ticket had been sitting in a nightstand drawer since January.

She reportedly bought the ticket for the Jan. 9 drawing using Easy Pick, allowing the computer to randomly select six numbers for her.

When the winning numbers were drawn, Hill’s ticket matched the first five numbers, missing only the Mega Ball number.

Lottery officials said Hill spent an extra dollar for a Megaplier option when she bought the ticket and ended up tripling her jackpot to the $3 million prize amount.

Upon realizing she’d won big; she said it was an amazing moment.

“I screamed a little bit. My stomach had butterflies,” Hill said.

The lucky winner bought her ticket at Murphy USA, a gas station located at 6261 College Drive in the Suffolk area.

Drawings for Mega Millions are held on Tuesday and Friday nights.

According to lottery officials, the odds of matching the first five numbers are 1 in 12,607,306.

High school girls basketball player collapses, dies during game, reports say

Amari Crite, 14, died while participating in a basketball game this week, reports say. (GoFundMe)

Momence, Ill.

A girls high school basketball player reportedly collapsed and died this week in Illinois.

According to multiple reports, 14-year-old Amari Crite died on Thursday after collapsing on the court while playing a home game at Momence High School.

The Daily Journal reports that Momence School District Superintendent Shannon Anderson issued the following statement that read in part:

“We are deeply saddened to confirm the heartbreaking news of the passing of one of our 9th-grade students on January 25, 2024. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic loss.

“Our primary focus right now is on supporting one another and providing the necessary resources for our community to cope with this loss.”

Amari’s family has created a GoFundMe to help them during this difficult time.

“Our precious baby girl passed away last night January 25 when she collapsed at her basketball game. We are asking for any and everyone to help us give her the proper homegoing she deserves,” organizer Michelle Crite wrote.

According to school officials, grief counselors were at Momence High School on Friday to help students deal with the loss of their classmate.

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office also shared their condolences.

“The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office stands with the Momence School District during this difficult time. Friends, family and classmates are all in our prayers,” the sheriff’s office wrote online.

Trooper thrown from side of vehicle after crash during traffic stop, video shows

Dashcam video shows a crash that sent 3 people, including a trooper, to the hospital. (Oklahoma Highway Patrol)

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma authorities say a crash is under investigation that involved one of their troopers getting hurt during a traffic stop last week.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released dashcam video of the crash that occurred on Jan. 18 on Interstate 40 in Canadian County.

Authorities say the collision sent three people, including Trooper Jesse Gregory, to the hospital.

The video shows Gregory out of his vehicle talking to a driver he had pulled over on the side of the highway near Cimarron Road.

The trooper can be seen on the passenger’s side of the vehicle when a black SUV crashes into the back of the pulled-over vehicle.

The impact throws the trooper into a grassy area off the highway. The black SUV can be seen with major damage, along with the vehicle that was pulled over.

Gregory is heard calling dispatch about the crash as the video ends.

“We show this video as a graphic reminder of the consequences of distracted or impaired driving and the importance of the slow down, move over law,” the department said.

The trooper is expected to be OK, and everyone involved in the crash has since been treated and released, authorities said.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol says the crash remains under investigation as they look into what caused the collision.

Several major US cities are among the worst in the nation for bedbugs, Orkin says

A pest control company is releasing a new report listing the top U.S. cities that have the worst bedbug problems.

Orkin says its list is based on company data where it performed the most bedbug treatments nationally from Dec. 1, 2022, to Nov. 30, 2023.

Chicago is the worst city for bedbugs, according to the report. Orkin reports the Windy City took the No. 1 spot for the fourth year in a row.

New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Los Angeles round out the top five cities that had the most bedbug calls.

Exterminators say bedbugs are small and they do not have wings. The insects are red to dark brown and are mostly nocturnal and survive on blood, biting people who are sleeping.

“Bedbugs are extremely resilient, making them difficult to control,” Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist, said. “While bedbugs are visible to the naked eye, they are excellent at hiding.”

The Orkin team says it is important for travelers to protect themselves as best they can against the insects.

Hottel recommends that travelers survey their hotel room for signs of an infestation and to be on the lookout for tiny, ink-colored stains on mattress seams, in soft furniture, or behind headboards.

Check bedbug hiding spots like the mattress, box spring and other furniture. Put luggage away from the bed and wall and examine bags carefully while repacking and returning home.

Travelers should also place their dryer-safe clothing from their trip in a dryer for at least 30-45 minutes at the highest setting once home as the pests can cling to personal belongings and travel easily from place to place.

“As travel plans ramp up, it’s important that Americans know how to protect themselves through pest identification and proper control,” Hottel said.

More tips on bedbug prevention as well as other cities that made Orkin’s list can viewed online.