logo
WKYC denies allegations made by former meteorologist Hollie Strano in civil case

WKYC denies allegations made by former meteorologist Hollie Strano in civil case

Yahoo13-02-2025
Cleveland-based television news station WKYC and its affiliates are denying the charges made against it by a former meteorologist.
The defendants in the case filed by Hollie Strano, who was dismissed from the news station in September, include WKYC-TV, Tegna National Sales and Finance, and Micki Byrnes, president and general manager of the television station.
They are asking Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy A. Fuerst to dismiss the case and be awarded costs and attorneys' fees, according to the Feb. 7 court filing.
More: Former WKYC personality Hollie Strano shares her sobriety journey
Strano, who worked for WKYC for more than 22 years, claims in the lawsuit that she was terminated for sharing her story on social media regarding her treatment for alcoholism and for promoting a product on her social media pages. On Nov. 23, 2023, Strano was arrested by Cuyahoga Falls police after her vehicle crashed near a business on Akron-Peninsula Road. She later pleaded guilty to one count of operating a vehicle under the influence, a first-degree misdemeanor, in Cuyahoga Falls Mayor's Court.
UB Greensfelder LLP, the legal firm for WKYC and the other defendants, could not be reached for comment.
Strano's legal representatives could not be reached for comment.
According to a report from WKYC, Byrnes is planning to retire in April.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: WKYC asks that lawsuit filed by Hollie Strano be dismissed
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Woman Renovating New Home Told To Call Cops Over Chilling Find in Basement
Woman Renovating New Home Told To Call Cops Over Chilling Find in Basement

Newsweek

time3 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Woman Renovating New Home Told To Call Cops Over Chilling Find in Basement

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When a Michigan-based woman started DIY on her new home, she wasn't expecting to stumble on something that seemed to be right out of a psychological thriller. Aliana decided to get rid of paneled ceiling board in her new basement after some flooding damage, but things took a sinister turn. "When we removed it, the letters fell to the ground as they were trapped on top of the panel," Aliana, who didn't give a surname, told Newsweek. A number of old letters had come out of the ceiling, leaving the new homeowner stunned. "We do not know where the letters came from, or how long they have been up there," she said. Addressed to a few different people, the letters all had a terrifyingly sinister tone. One read: "Dear Mary Gallagher, Don't come out too late in the day or after dark or you still may have a serious accident - X shadow." Pictures of the unusual letters found in the ceiling of the house. Pictures of the unusual letters found in the ceiling of the house. @ While another said: "You better watch yourself because if you don't you'll find yourself in one of many ditches. And if you do - it won't be my fault (get it?)." Shocked by the unnerving nature of the letters. Aliana did some research on the people they were addressed to: "I tried to research the names in the letters," she said. "Most of the people addressed seem to have passed away peacefully. That reassured me somewhat." "I didn't expect such a strong reaction," Alaina said. "Many urged me to contact police, which I hadn't considered at first." Aliana decided to share the strange discovery on TikTok in a video that has now been viewed over 350,000 times since being posted earlier this month, and it gained a lot of attention. In the caption, she shared another theory: "My boyfriend thinks the kids who used to live here back in the '80s or whenever hid these up there as a prank. regardless, it's still weird." Read more Woman renovates fixer-upper house—then realizes what was in the floor Woman renovates fixer-upper house—then realizes what was in the floor Commenting on the find, one viewer said: "Sending good vibes! This would creep me out too." While another wrote: "Take this to the police please." "To us, they read as a bizarre prank from back in the day due to some of the juvenile terminology included in the letters, such as 'Thank you for your cooperation' and that they are signed 'XXX Shadow,'" Aliana said. As viewers urged caution, Aliana spoke with her real estate agent—who also happens to be a police officer. His conclusion? Likely the musings of an unstable individual from years past. Now less alarmed and more reflective, Alaina sees the letters as relics of the house's strange past. "We plan to frame them and hang them in the basement," she said. "They're part of the home's story." In January 2025, a Talker Research survey of 2,000 American adults for College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving revealed some of the more unusual things people had in their homes. From nearly 100,000 sports cards to collections of fingernail clippings, brewery coasters, oil lamps, gnomes, porcelain pigs, Elvis Presley or Princess Diana memorabilia and even taxidermy displays of tigers, the list was long. Despite a large list of found objects, participants said that 34 percent of items people own were non-functional and are things they don't often use or need. With so many things being kept in homes, perhaps it is no surprise that discoveries like these are common. Alaina joins a long list of people who have shared their creepy house discoveries online. From a New Jersey homeowner who stumbled on a "creepy" hidden room to a woman in England who found a locked door in her cottage that sparked lots of theories.

FBI investigates ‘suspicious' death on board Carnival cruise ship in Texas
FBI investigates ‘suspicious' death on board Carnival cruise ship in Texas

New York Post

time18 hours ago

  • New York Post

FBI investigates ‘suspicious' death on board Carnival cruise ship in Texas

Multiple federal agencies are investigating a death on board a Texas-based Carnival Dream cruise ship, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. An unidentified person died on the Galveston-based Dream on Wednesday, the FBI Houston office confirmed to the Post. The incident is being investigated by an FBI Maritime Liaison Agent based out of the Texas City Resident Agency, the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, authorities said. An unidentified person has died on board the Carnival Dream cruise ship based in Galveston, Texas. KHOU 11 Officials haven't said if the death appeared to be criminal in nature. 'Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, I am not able to provide additional details at this time,' a spokesperson for the FBI's Houston office said in a statement. Passengers aboard the ship, which travels to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, woke up to sirens around 3 a.m. on the day of the incident, News 4 San Antonio reported. One man reportedly heard an announcement requesting medical attention on the Serenity Deck, the outlet said. According to the FBI, multiple federal agencies are investigating the death. KHOU 11 Carnival Cruise Line has since dismissed that there is any investigation regarding a 'suspicious death,' the outlet reported. 'There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream, and it's disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about,' the company said in a statement to the outlet. Carnival Cruise Line did not immediately respond to a request from The Post for comment.

Bondi pledged 'transparency' on Epstein files, but grapples with how much
Bondi pledged 'transparency' on Epstein files, but grapples with how much

USA Today

timea day ago

  • USA Today

Bondi pledged 'transparency' on Epstein files, but grapples with how much

The U.S. attorney general and former top law enforcement official from Florida finds herself at the heart of the debate over whether more information will be disclosed on the alleged sex trafficker. WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pam Bondi is at the center of the Jeffrey Epstein storm. She was among the loudest voices calling for transparency in the Epstein case both before and after becoming the country's top law enforcement officer. But a firestorm of criticism erupted after Bondi's Justice Department issued a statement nearly three weeks ago confirming Epstein died by suicide and saying no further records would be released. Now, Bondi, 59, finds herself at the heart of the debate over whether more information will be disclosed on the alleged sex trafficker. More: 'Terrific guy': The Trump-Epstein party boy friendship lasted a decade, ended badly Despite his death six years ago, Epstein's case continues to haunt the headlines because of rampant speculation about which rich and powerful people might have joined him in sexually abusing minors. Bondi has said there was no client list in Epstein's criminal file. But President Donald Trump's name reportedly appears in the documents, and he was a repeat passenger on Epstein's private jet when the two were friends in the 1990s. Trump has denied wrongdoing or visiting Epstein's private island, where much of the abuse allegedly occurred. 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep," said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, referring to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida. Meanwhile, Bondi served as Florida's state attorney general years after Palm Beach County authorities convicted Epstein on prostitution charges and released him in 2009 after 13 months in detention, which was mostly work release. Federal authorities chose not to prosecute Epstein at all, in what critics called the legal 'deal of the century.' After a Miami Herald investigation of his case, New York-based federal prosecutors charged Epstein in July of 2019 with sex trafficking minors. He died in jail a month after his arrest and long before any criminal trial could happen, in what the New York medical examiner ruled and the Justice Department confirmed was a suicide. Now Bondi has asked federal judges to release grand jury transcripts in the case. One has already turned her down and another asked for more documentation. And federal prosecutors and Bondi's No. 2, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, met July 24 and again on 25 with Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiracy to sexually abuse minors. Here are the highlights of Bondi's involvement in the case. Did Bondi investigate Epstein as Florida attorney general? After years of state-level investigation, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under age 18. During the inquiry, then-Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter disagreed with how Palm Beach state attorney Barry Krischer was handling the case and invited then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, an appointee from the George W. Bush administration, to investigate. But in what critics called the legal "deal of century," Epstein served 13 months on the two state charges under an agreement not to charge him federally. Bondi, a Republican, was elected statewide more than a year after Epstein was released and served as Florida's attorney general for two terms from 2011 to 2019. State attorneys such as Krischer are elected independently and don't report directly to the attorney general. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat who stepped down this year after a dozen years as Palm Beach state attorney, said the Epstein matter never went before Bondi. 'Zero overlap,' said Aronberg, who also served as Florida's state drug czar under Bondi. 'It was long over by the time she got there.' Robert Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said after state and federal prosecutors concluded their case there appeared to be nothing more for Bondi to pursue. 'There was no reason to start a new investigation,' Jarvis said, unless new evidence was brought to Bondi's office. Bondi said Epstein never should have been released Still, with accusations of more than 1,000 victims in the case, Republicans and conspiracy theorists have long argued for the release of additional information because of skepticism Epstein died by suicide and demands for a presumed client list that could lead to more prosecutions. Two days after Epstein died, Bondi told Sean Hannity on Fox News on Aug. 12, 2019, that he should have never been let out of custody. More: Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, awaiting sex trafficking charges, dead of apparent suicide 'Well, he should have never been released when he was in jail serving his jail time. Someone who is accused of sex crimes convicted should never be on work release,' Bondi said. 'So what do we have now? We have a dead, most likely pedophile, coward, and we have very brave victims who wants to face the person that did this to them.' Bondi pledged to release information after becoming attorney general Shortly after her early February confirmation as Trump's second-term U.S. attorney general, Bondi again highlighted the case and began pledging to release files. Fox News host John Roberts asked Bondi on Feb. 21 whether she would release the list of Epstein's clients. 'Will that really happen?' he asked. "It's sitting on my desk right now to review,' Bondi replied. 'That's been a directive by President Trump. I'm reviewing that." Then Bondi told Fox News host Jesse Watters on Feb. 26 more information would be released. "I think tomorrow, Jesse, breaking news right now, you're going to see some Epstein information being released by my office." She then added, "What you're going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information." The Justice Department released documents on Feb. 27 that had previously been leaked, but were never formally released. "The Department remains committed to transparency and intends to release the remaining documents upon review and redaction to protect the identities of Epstein's victims," a department statement said. The lack of revelations in the release disappointed lawmakers and others who expected bombshells from the release. "THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, wrote on social media Feb. 27. "GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!" Bondi made a point of noting in a Feb. 27 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that she had requested "the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein" but learned she received only a fraction of them. She initially received about 200 pages, "which consisted primarily of flight logs, Epstein's list of contacts, and a list of victims' names and phone numbers," she wrote. But the FBI field office in New York notified her that day there were thousands more pages of records, audio and video recordings, and other materials related to Epstein and his clients. "There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access," Bondi wrote Patel. "The Department of Justice will ensure that any public disclosure of these files will be done in a manner to protect the privacy of victims and in accordance with law, as I have done my entire career as a prosecutor." Appearing on Hannity's FOX News program, Bondi on March 3 said that an order she issued in February resulted in a "truckload" of Epstein files being delivered by the FBI. "Thousands of pages of documents. I have the FBI going through them," Bondi said. "We believe in transparency, and America has the right to know." Justice Department release on Epstein sparks criticism Against that backdrop, the Justice Department released a memo July 7 that said a 'systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list'' and confirmed Epstein died by suicide in August 2019. "Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither" to combat child exploitation nor bring justice to victims, according to the memo. "No further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.' More: Family feud: Trump at odds with MAGA movement on multiple fronts The memo set off a firestorm of criticism from inside Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement and calls for the release of more information: The next day at a White House Cabinet meeting, Trump discouraged reporters from asking questions about Epstein. 'Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable,' Trump said as he preferred to talk about legislative victories and recovery efforts for Texas flood damage. 'It just seems like a desecration. But you go ahead.' Two seats to Trump's right at the July 8 Cabinet meeting, Bondi then tried to clarify her remarks from the February interview with John Roberts that she was referring to the entire Epstein file, rather than a specific client list. "I was asked a question about the client list and my response was, 'It's sitting on my desk to be reviewed,' meaning the file, not the client list,' she told reporters. Bondi also said jailhouse video from New York was missing a minute because of a nightly reset for the aged recording system. And she said any of Epstein's videos from the investigation would never 'see the light of day" because they contain child pornography. 'Also, to the tens of thousands of video, they turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein,' Bondi said. 'Child porn is what they were. Never going to be released. Never going to see the light of day.' Lawmakers seek release of Epstein file The Trump administration denials raised suspicions there was something to hide. Democrats piled on with Republicans to demand more information. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, joined Massie on the proposed legislation that aims to force the Justice Department to release all its records related to Epstein. More: Is Trump in the Epstein files? Before Bondi's reported alert, here is where he appeared By mid-July, with the tempest rising, Trump directed Bondi to seek the release of grand jury testimony in the case. Bondi filed three requests July 18. It wasn't enough to help out House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, who suspended House floor action days before the scheduled August recess rather than face a vote on Massie's legislation. Johnson, a close Trump ally, said his decision for lawmakers' early dismissal was to 'give the president space' to resolve questions about the investigation. He added that members of Congress were threading a fine needle trying to secure the release of information about Epstein while protecting his victims. Trump 'wants maximum transparency but he's also very insistent that we do not subject people who have already been victims of unspeakable crimes to further public scrutiny,' Johnson told reporters July 22. 'It would be a very dangerous thing to put those people's names out or do a release of information in a way that is haphazard, where they could be easily unmasked.' More: Republicans still have an Epstein dilemma. Now they have to face voters. "As things are revealed and, I hope will take place quickly, you will see that it is yet another Democrat CON JOB," Trump wrote on social media July 24. "Hopefully, the Grand Jury Files will put an end to this HOAX. Everyone should see what is there, but people who are innocent should not be hurt." Judges review requests to unseal Epstein file One big challenge for Bondi and the Trump administration as they push for more disclosures: Grand jury evidence traditionally remains confidential. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach quickly refused to unseal the documents. The judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama, said the Bondi-led department's request to release grand jury documents from 2005 and 2007 did not meet any of the extraordinary exceptions under federal law that could make them public. Rosenberg said her "hands are tied." U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in New York, another Obama appointee who presided over Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's case, said there are exceptions to the secrecy rules but that Bondi hadn't invoked them. Engelmayer set a July 29 deadline for the government to explain why the disclosure is being sought, what specific information should be disclosed and whether grand jury witnesses are still alive. He also asked for a complete set of transcripts, a redacted version for potential release and a list of other evidence such as exhibits. Maxwell, an associate of Epstein who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiring to sexually abuse minors, has until Aug. 5 to say whether she agrees to disclosure or opposes it. Victims face an Aug. 5 deadline to state their positions. 'The Court intends to resolve this motion expeditiously,' Engelmayer wrote. 'However, the Court cannot rule on the motion without additional submissions.' Federal prosecutors meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche - who previously served as Trump's private lawyer defending him in a series of criminal cases - met July 24 and 25 with Maxwell to find out what more she can say about her dealings with Epstein. 'If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,' Blanche in a statement on social media on July 22 while planning the meeting. But Rep. Dan Goldman, D-New York, argued Blanche's effort was to protect Trump 'by tacitly floating a pardon for Maxwell in return for information that politically benefits President Trump.' "Maxwell's information is only as credible as any corroboration found in the Epstein files, including recordings, witness interviews, electronic communications, and photographs and videos,' said Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who served as lead counsel in Trump's first House impeachment and battled against a presidential defense team that included Bondi. "Do not be fooled: this latest delay tactic is yet another effort to conceal the Epstein files.' The same day as the Justice Department's announcement, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed to subpoena Maxwell for questions from lawmakers. Three days later, as he readied to leave on a trip to Scotland, Trump responded to reporters that he hasn't considered pardoning Maxwell. Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler and Holly Baltz of The Palm Beach Post

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store