Month: October 2025

WBZ

By Brandon Truitt

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    WATERTOWN, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Thousands of dollars are missing from a Watertown, Massachusetts church after police said someone walked in and stole the donations.

Watertown police said roughly $9,000 in donations was stolen from St. Patrick’s Church on Main Street sometime after 5:30 p.m. on Monday. A call reporting the missing money came in around 8:30 Tuesday morning.

“Anytime a church is broken into people feel bad,” said Father Timothy Kearney of St. Patrick’s.

The reverend went on to say that in these economic times people are already stretching every dollar to continue to make donations to the church.

“In a lot of churches, the people who give often are giving something else up so that they can give,” Father Kearney said. “So, you feel bad about that, but you also feel bad too that you know somebody was desperate enough they had to steal from a church.”

The money was set to cover the basics, the day-to-day operational costs of electricity, heat and other essentials to keep the church up and running.

Watertown police have been tight tight-lipped on the details of how this person got in or what, if any, evidence they have been able to gather. They are asking for the public’s help to turn over surveillance footage and come forward with any information.

“We try to look at it as best we can, the way that we think Jesus would look at it,” said Father Kearney. “He would not want the robbery, but he would also want forgiveness.”

The church says its youth and upcoming Christmas programs should not be impacted.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

By Brandon Truitt

Click here for updates on this story

    WATERTOWN, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Thousands of dollars are missing from a Watertown, Massachusetts church after police said someone walked in and stole the donations.

Watertown police said roughly $9,000 in donations was stolen from St. Patrick’s Church on Main Street sometime after 5:30 p.m. on Monday. A call reporting the missing money came in around 8:30 Tuesday morning.

“Anytime a church is broken into people feel bad,” said Father Timothy Kearney of St. Patrick’s.

The reverend went on to say that in these economic times people are already stretching every dollar to continue to make donations to the church.

“In a lot of churches, the people who give often are giving something else up so that they can give,” Father Kearney said. “So, you feel bad about that, but you also feel bad too that you know somebody was desperate enough they had to steal from a church.”

The money was set to cover the basics, the day-to-day operational costs of electricity, heat and other essentials to keep the church up and running.

Watertown police have been tight tight-lipped on the details of how this person got in or what, if any, evidence they have been able to gather. They are asking for the public’s help to turn over surveillance footage and come forward with any information.

“We try to look at it as best we can, the way that we think Jesus would look at it,” said Father Kearney. “He would not want the robbery, but he would also want forgiveness.”

The church says its youth and upcoming Christmas programs should not be impacted.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

By Carlos Granda

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    LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Halloween is almost here, and the owner of a local party supply store is trying to make sure kids impacted by ongoing immigration enforcement have costumes.

Halloween is the day to dress up. From funny to scary, kids can pretend their fantasies are real.

This year, for some, the fear is all too real.

“They feel insecure about what is happening,” said Oscar Tellez, who owns Magic Dream Party Rentals in East Los Angeles.

He is providing free Halloween costumes to kids whose families have been impacted by immigration enforcement.

“People who really need a costume. Who is passing through economic problems to get a costume, so I decided to give away 25 costumes to people,” says Tellez.

Tellez says there’s no limit. Any child can come in and pick whatever costume they want. He says they can keep it after Halloween.

But will the community come out for Halloween?

Immigration officials showed up and made an arrest over the weekend during a Halloween parade in Chicago. This has people in SoCal worried.

“With the things going on with ICE, it’s pretty scary. That’s another thing; we might not see a lot of kids out this Halloween because of ICE. You just never know when they could just pop up,” says Juan Isidoro from East Los Angeles, who was in the store to buy a costume.

Tellez has been part of the East L.A. community for more than 30 years.

In the past he has gifted costumes to children through community organizations. He’ll still do that, but he wanted to do more.

“I’m going to ask the people to come to my store, and I’m going to give it directly to them. I think it’s going to feel great!” he added.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

By Jericho Saria

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    SAN JOSE, California (KGO) — When Frank Nguyen launched Academic Coffee in downtown San Jose nearly a decade ago, his goal was simple: bring a great neighborhood cafe to a city that didn’t have many. He couldn’t have imagined that nine years later, his small-batch, from-scratch approach would make him a national trendsetter — all thanks to a banana.

Last October, Nguyen and his team at Academic Coffee introduced what would become their signature creation: the Banana Cream Pie Latte. “Originally, we were trying to come up with a different drink for the holidays,” Nguyen recalls. “We did all this testing for it, and we actually gave up on that drink. But we created this base cream, and our head culinary expert said, hey, can I try something? She added banana to our cream base, and the whole team loved it.”

The silky blend of cream, fresh bananas, and a few secret ingredients reminded Nguyen of a banana cream pie, and he suggested a “crust” dusting of Biscoff cookie crumbles. The drink was an immediate hit with Academic’s regulars, who demanded Nguyen keep the drink on the menu past the holidays.

Nguyen says that around the end of December and the beginning of January, he noticed lines suddenly forming out the door. “We were talking to the new customers and they’re like, oh, we saw you on TikTok,” recalls Nguyen. “We had no idea.” He and his team went to Tiktok to see for themselves, and found post after post about their drink, which had amassed tens of thousands of views.

Indeed, the internet had discovered Academic Coffee. TikTokers filmed their first sips, posted reviews, and shared the cafe’s signature look: creamy lattes topped with banana-colored foam and cookie sprinkles. “So good!” one user declared. “They make their own banana cream with fresh bananas, so you don’t get that artificial taste,” narrated another, as she sipped on a banana cream matcha latte (which has become more popular than the original espresso-based drink, Nguyen notes).

In April of 2025, Nguyen’s team, overwhelmed by the demand, halted production of the drink. TikTokers posted sad-song video lamentations and calls-to-action to get the drink before it was gone. “We just couldn’t make enough banana,” Nguyen admits. “People were just getting upset that we were sold out. It was burning out our team. So we took a short break, retrofitted our kitchens to accommodate more bananas, and then brought it back.”

During that pause, the banana latte trend spread, as coffee and beverage shops in California and across the country introduced similar banana cream-based drinks. The ABC News data journalism team tracked the term “banana cream latte” on Google, and while there were some small results through 2023 and 2024-Dutch Bros. Coffee introduced a similar drink a year prior-the viral wave didn’t crest until January 2025, when Academic Coffee’s version took off. “While they can’t claim that they created it,” says ABC News data journalist Frank Esposito, “Academic Coffee is likely the cause of the viral sensation of the banana cream latte.”

Nguyen takes it all in stride. “I even saw it at Disneyland,” he says with a laugh. Tipped off by a customer, Nguyen took his daughter to Disneyland before the start of the school year and went straight for the drink. “I tried it-I thought it was too sweet. But it’s all good. We’re happy to have helped do something big in the Bay Area.”

The sudden visibility of Academic Coffee has led to even more beverage innovation. Collaborating with food influencer Eatsbyrachel, Academic recently introduced the guava matcha latte, a vibrant drink layered with homemade guava jam, matcha latte, guava cream, and a dusting of li hing powder. Nguyen admits the new drink is outselling their banana drink, but notes that it will only be a seasonal offering.

As one year passes for Academic’s banana cream pie latte, Nguyen reflects on the years of maintaining uncompromising quality that has brought him to this moment: “After nine years of working in coffee,” Nguyen says, “it’s rewarding to see that people finally know who we are.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

By Shelby Lofton

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    PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (KSL) — A Hawaiian bakery in Utah County is serving more than just sweet rolls — it’s serving up compassion.

Budda’s Bakery and Grill has become known not only for its buttery Hawaiian rolls, but also for its mission to “spread aloha” by helping those in need. The bakery encourages customers to pay it forward by purchasing meals for strangers.

A sign near the entrance explains the process: customers can buy a meal and receive a ticket, which is then posted on a board. Anyone who is hungry and unable to pay can take a ticket and enjoy a free entrée — no questions asked.

“The feeling of aloha is love, compassion, and caring for each other,” said Jason Astwood, the bakery’s chief financial officer. “Especially with how things are right now in this nation, we want people to feel supported.”

The board notes that taking a ticket and receiving an entrée comes with one request: pay it forward with a good deed.

“It’s a way for people to feel connected to the community and to bless the lives of other people,” Astwood said.

He said the initiative has been embraced by the community since the bakery opened two years ago.

“There’s always tickets all the time,” he said.

He recalled recently seeing two women come in with young children, take tickets from the board, and receive meals, a moment that underscored the impact of the program.

“We just provided the medium,” Astwood said. “Our customers are the ones blessing the lives of other people.”

Budda’s Bakery and Grill has no plans to remove the sign or end the program. Staff say they hope the spirit of giving continues for years to come.

“In the Hawaiian culture, ohana is the word that’s used for family,” Astwood said. “It goes beyond just your immediate family. It’s your neighbors, a stranger. You want people to become part of your family almost automatically because you get adopted into the culture. I have a lot of aunts and uncles now that I’m part of this business. And so that’s the beauty of the Hawaiian culture.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

By Aaron Cantrell

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    BELLEVUE, Tennessee (WTVF) — Many people in the Middle Tennessee community are stepping up to love their neighbors right now, including a farmer in Bellevue who’s using his resources to pay it forward and provide free food to families with the uncertainty of SNAP benefits.

Shaun Daugherty, who runs S.E. Daugherty and Sons Farm said in the farming business, there are plenty of ups and downs, and Daugherty has lived through both.

“We went four or five years without making a penny,” he said. “We’re getting better at our craft and a slow uptick, and with that blessing I think I should help others whenever I can.”

Before the family farm became successful, Daugherty remembers barely getting by.

“I remember working my way through college full time and buying fast food and gas on a credit card just to survive,” he said. But someone once invested in him when he needed it most.

“A gentleman named Tom Bannen, who owned a Chevrolet dealership here in Nashville — gave me $100 one time because he heard I was having a tough time with it,” Daugherty recalled. More than two decades later, after a successful growing season, Daugherty is returning the favor.

His farm will be giving away free fresh food this Sunday to families who about to lose their SNAP benefits.

“I don’t think as a community you wait on people who are in those positions to take care of you,” he said. “I think you take care of each other.”

The farmstand will be stocked with all types off food. “We’ve got greens, sweet potatoes. I’ve called in my apple guy — I’m going to buy extra apples, our bread supplier’s buying extra bread, stuff like that,” he said.

For Daugherty, this isn’t about charity — it’s about community. “The hope is that someday you’re going to be able to do that for somebody else,” he said.

The free food giveaway will take place Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Daugherty family farmstand on Highway 70 and Charlotte Pike in Bellevue.

This story was reported by reporter Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Aaron and WTVF verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.