Woman stabs boyfriend in neck after argument over wedding venue, police say

Kailee Brantner is facing a charge of first-degree reckless injury. (Brookfield Police Department)

Brookfield, Wis.

A Wisconsin woman is accused of stabbing her boyfriend over a wedding venue dispute.

According to the Brookfield Police Department, Kailee Brantner is facing charges of battery and reckless injury.

Brookfield police said the situation started when officers were called to a residence about a reported stabbing and domestic situation on Jan. 29.

When officers arrived at the home, they found a man on the ground holding a towel to the left side of his neck.

Police said Brantner was spotted sitting on a couch in the next room.

One of the officers at the scene said Brantner told him that the ordeal started over a disagreement about using their house as a wedding venue.

According to an arrest report, Brantner and her boyfriend were exchanging messages earlier in the day that involved his mother and the discussion of possible wedding plans.

However, this led to a disagreement between the couple and she returned home from work to continue the conversation when things turned violent, police said.

Officers said Brantner told them that she grabbed a knife because she was getting scared of what was happening and she put her hands up when her boyfriend came towards her and that’s when he was stabbed.

A detective said the boyfriend told him that Brantner was the one who got physical first when the two were talking and that he was trying to remove himself from the situation.

The man said when he noticed Brantner had a knife he tried to get out of the back door of the house and that’s when he felt the stabbing pain, police said.

Brantner told a detective at the scene she remained on the couch after what happened because she did not want to be accused of leaving the scene.

Authorities said Brantner was taken into custody from the evidence and statements given at the scene.

The 22-year-old reportedly made her initial court appearance in Waukesha County on Jan. 31 and is scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 13.

Man, 20, accused of killing 8-month-old baby with his car following argument with passenger

Justin Golden, 20, is accused of hitting and killing a baby with his car. (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

Jacksonville, Fla.

A man in Florida is under arrest following the death of a baby after being involved in an argument over the weekend.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Justin Golden, 20, was driving with a female passenger and an 8-month-old baby Saturday morning when he got into an argument with the woman.

Investigators said he took the child out of the car before leaving the scene and hit the infant with his vehicle.

The baby ended up dying, and Golden was taken into custody on charges that included aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately say if the baby was Golden’s child or what led up the argument that morning.

“We, with our partners at the State Attorney’s Office, will stop at nothing to get justice for the baby,” Jacksonville authorities said.

Officers brave freezing water to rescue 30 cold-stunned sea turtles caught in historic snowstorm

Officers in Florida braved the cold water to rescue 30 sea turtles in Gulf County. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Gulf County, Fla.

Authorities in Florida say officers braved the cold waters to rescue more than two dozen sea turtles that were caught in the freezing temperatures and snow.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, two of its officers were undeterred by the recent historic weather event on the Gulf Coast.

Officials said the officers “braved the freezing water in Gulf County” to rescue 30 sea turtles that were caught in the snow and ice.

The agency said it is working diligently to search and rescue cold-stunned sea turtles across coastlines in the county.

Authorities urged anyone who sees a sea turtle in distress to call their Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.

Coast Guard deploying assets to ‘Gulf of America’ in support of Trump’s executive orders

FILE — The U.S. Coast Guard says it is deploying assets around maritime borders. (U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard says it is deploying assets around maritime borders in support of President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

According to the agency, it will work to detect and deter illegal migration among other objectives in support of Trump’s orders issued this week.

“I have directed my operational commanders to immediately surge assets to increase Coast Guard presence and focus [in] key areas,” Coast Guard Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said.

Some of the key maritime locations mentioned included the southeast U.S. border approaching Florida to prevent mass migration from Haiti or Cuba and the maritime border around Alaska and Hawaii.

Lunday continued, saying specialized forces would also increase their presence on the “maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America” while supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection on maritime portions of the southwest U.S. border.

“The U.S. Coast Guard is the world’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency, vital to protecting America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Lunday said.

The Coast Guard said it would also be targeting the maritime border between the Bahamas and South Florida, and between the U.S. and Mexico in the Pacific Ocean.

On Monday, Trump said in his inaugural address that he would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”

“A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” the president was quoted as saying about the situation. “America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth.”

The Coast Guard’s announcement of deploying more assets regarding maritime security came a day after Trump dismissed U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan.

‘Bright, funny boy’: 9-year-old dies in shooting; stepdad arrested, reports say

Michael Meagher, 9, was reportedly found with gunshot wounds in a Wisconsin neighborhood early Monday morning. (GoFundMe)

Walworth County, Wis.

A young boy has reportedly died in a shooting and his stepfather is under arrest.

According to the Lake Geneva Police Department, officers were called to a reported shooting at a residence on Lincoln Avenue Monday at about 2 a.m.

Authorities said Steven Merkel Jr., 52, was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree reckless homicide after the shooting victim died at the hospital.

WISN reports that the victim was identified as 9-year-old Michael Meagher and Merkel was the boy’s stepdad.

Geneva Police Chief Anthony Miceli shared that it was a difficult and traumatic scene for his officers.

“It’s a hard scene for any officer; you never want to see that,” Miceli was quoted regarding the situation.

Loved ones have since started a GoFundMe to help with the boy’s funeral arrangements.

“Our family is heartbroken. I want to try to help this family in any way that I can,” organizer Katherine Koskinas wrote. “Michael was 9 years old & a bright, funny boy. Please pray for this family during this difficult time.”

WIFR reports Merkel lived at the address where the shooting occurred and he was booked into the Walworth County jail.