Month: November 2025

By Wakisha Bailey

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Monday marks the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, founded in Philadelphia. On this week’s Spreading the Love, CBS News Philadelphia sat down with Private First Class Michael Grieco Sr., a 99-year-old World War II Marine Corps veteran whose story honors the courage and sacrifice of a generation.

Grieco enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943 when he was just 17 years old. Looking back, Grieco reflected on just how young they all were.

“Later on in life, I realized we were only teenagers — 17, 18, 19-year-old kids,” he said.

As a rifleman in the Pacific, Grieco served in some of the war’s toughest battles — Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa.

At Saipan, he remembered both the chaos and courage of combat.

“They had a banzai attack,” Grieco said. “There must have been a hundred enemy soldiers lying all over the place.”

After regrouping, his unit moved on to Tinian, wading through feet of water, despite one big problem.

“I had water up to my chest — I can’t swim,” he laughed.

Some called it an “easy campaign,” but Grieco said there was nothing easy about it.

“They said it only lasted 10 days,” Grieco said. “Ask those 300 Marines who were killed, plus the ones who were wounded.”

Then came Okinawa — the final and bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.

“Okinawa was something else,” Grieco said quietly.

Grieco was discharged in 1946, but his Marine spirit never left him. Nearly 80 years later, he still honors the men who fought beside him.

“Semper Fi means you’re friends forever,” he said. “That’s why every year Marines cut the birthday cake and share it with the oldest and youngest Marine.”

At 99, Grieco continues to spread the love — traveling with Forever Young Veterans and being recognized by the Philadelphia Phillies as a hometown hero.

On this milestone Marine Corps birthday, CBS Philadelphia salutes Grieco and every Marine who continues to live by the motto: Semper Fidelis.

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By Peyton Headlee

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    MARYSVILLE, California (KCRA) — A man in Yuba County was injured when a frozen water balloon was thrown through his windshield, sending shattered glass into his face and eyes, prompting an investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

The incident occurred Thursday night on Highway 20 near Hallwood Boulevard.

“It came through the window and hit me in the face. Forced a lot of this glass into my face, in my eyes,” the victim, Alex Plant said.

Plant said he was heading home from work around 9:30 p.m. Thursday night, driving about 45 mph on Highway 20 near Hallwood Boulevard, when he said a car traveling in the opposite direction threw something out the window.

“I barely saw it for a quarter of a second before it just came straight through,” he said.

Plant was able to pull off the two-lane highway, but had to ask Siri to call 911, still confused about what had hit him.

“My eyes were already starting to close up, so I couldn’t even look at the phone if I wanted to,” he said.

A piece of white balloon stuck in the shattered glass painted a clear picture of what happened as first responders arrived. Plant was then taken to the hospital, where he said medical staff spent hours removing shards of glass from his face and eyes.

“I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to see my family, to be honest with you. It was really stressful,” Plant said.

Still, he noted that his vision isn’t what it used to be.

“Out of this right eye, if I were to close the left one right now, you know, everything’s a little bit blurry. It’s hard to focus a little bit. And like I said, just the sensitivity to light,” he said.

Plant is left questioning if his eyesight will ever be the same and why someone would commit such a harmful act.

“I was a random victim, but somebody didn’t randomly do this act, right?” he said. “Somebody went through all that trouble to, like, freeze it, tie it off, you know what I mean? And then throw it through the windshield before it defrosted. That’s just crazy. Somebody went through all of that for just a random act of violence.”

California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, but a spokesperson said they have limited information and no witnesses. Officers are working to identify the suspect and the suspect vehicle.

Plant and his family are asking anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to contact the California Highway Patrol.

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By Mike Toole

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    DARTMOUTH, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A librarian is accused of smuggling sheets of paper infused with synthetic marijuana in a drug ring at the Bristol County jail in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

She’s one of five people charged in what the sheriff called the “largest alleged employee drug bust” in the jail’s history.

The investigation began back in March after authorities discovered someone was smuggling synthetic marijuana, also known as K-2 or “spice,” into the jail.

According to the sheriff, 25-year-old inmate Joseph Housley of Rehoboth was selling thousands of dollars’ worth of the drugs to other inmates, and he had help from four people on the outside.

One of them, investigators said, was the jail’s librarian, 46-year-old Ginger Hook of New Bedford. They said she had smuggled the drugs several times in sheets of paper that were infused with synthetic marijuana. Authorities then put her under surveillance in June.

They allegedly caught her delivering 13 pages of drug-laced paper to Housley. It was in a folder disguised as “legal work,” according to Sheriff Paul Heroux.

“It was estimated to be worth approximately $65,000 when sold inside the jail,” Heroux said in a statement Monday announcing the charges.

Hook resigned a month later when she was confronted about the incident. She and Housley were indicted last month along with the three others, 31-year-old Brandin Barbosa-Mayo of New Bedford, 33-year-old Bestlee Vasquez of Somerset and 23-year-old Axel Hazard of Rhode Island.

No other information is available at this point in the investigation. Dartmouth, Massachusetts is about 57 miles south of Boston.

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By Olivia Tyler

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — At Glenwood Place, an assisted living facility in Marshalltown, Shirley Sternola, a long-time educator, read a children’s book to local home-schooled kids 30 years after retiring, thanks to the facility’s Dare to Dream program.

Sternola’s caretaker, Angie Wilson with Iowa River Hospice, comes to Glenwood Place to do life reviews with her. There, Sternola shared that her passion is children’s literature. She once owned a bookstore while living in Colorado called Bo Peep Books, a play off her maiden name, Lamb.

So Wilson got an idea. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with Glenwood with so many different patients through the years, and we just got to thinking about how this would be a great opportunity for one of the wish-granting that they do,” she said.

Glenwood Place threw Sternola a surprise book club party. She got to sign and read a children’s book that an old friend dedicated to her. Her friend even called in via Zoom for the celebration.

Sternola’s family was also in attendance. Her brother, Ken Lamb, says Sternola is “a great human being, and she’s a hard worker, and she’s very exact about what she does.”

Sternola turns 91 next week, but this year her wish came true early. Wilson said, “She will talk about this every single visit moving forward, and the joy that you saw on her face will continue.”

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By Victor Jorges

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    DELRAY BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — A Delray Beach boxer refusing to let disability define him is celebrating a major victory and has a new belt to show for it.

Julian Gonzalez, who was born with one leg and missing a few fingers, has been training in the ring for two and a half years with dreams of becoming a professional boxer.

“All that work, the two and a half years, the weeks leading up to it,” Gonzalez said. “It was phenomenal. Phenomenal.”

WPTV reporter Victor Jorges first met Gonzalez in July when Gonzalez and his gym, The Phoenix Boxing Gym, were raising funds for a new prosthetic leg to help him move faster and train harder.

Last month, Gonzalez faced an able-bodied, more experienced, and heavier opponent — and won.

“Be fast,” is what Gonzalez had to do, he told Jorges. “In my hands, in my speed, in my thinking.”

“As soon as that bell rung and it was just me and him, all that completely washed away,” Gonzalez said. “The feeling of having my hand raised in that ring is like no other.”

Coaches at Phoenix Boxing Gym in Delray Beach say the moment was unforgettable.

“I was chasing him around trying to get his wraps off his hands; he didn’t want to know,” said Michael Hockton, owner of The Phoenix. “I think he sleeps with that belt. It was superb.”

For Gonzalez, this first victory in the ring proved what he’s known all along. He can compete on equal footing.

“I am able to compete level to level with people who are two-legged,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like, with how I move, I move better than most people with two legs. My footwork is pretty decent.”

Now, Gonzalez is looking ahead to 2026, filled with more fights — and more wins.

“It went well, it went well,” he said with a smile.

After WPTV’s first story on Julian aired, the community rallied to support Gonzalez’s $20,000 goal for a new prosthetic leg. So far, they’ve raised more than $2,000.

“Thanks again to Channel 5 and Victor for giving us some exposure,” Hockton said. “We actually raised over $2,000 for his new prosthetic.”

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By Jolie Sherman

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    CARLETON, Michigan (WXYZ) — A 15-year-old Carleton high school football player is recovering from a rare, life-threatening kidney injury after a tackle during a game last month, and it was the opposing team’s athletic trainer who likely saved his life.

The injury occurred when Brayden McClish, a running back for Airport High School’s JV football team, came down on the ball, and another player landed on top of him, causing internal bleeding during a game on October 23.

“I just remember I was hyped going into the game…and I remember I was running the ball over and over and over. I had so much adrenaline,” McClish said. “I just remember seeing him grab my jersey, seeing the ground, and me not getting back up.”

Landon Lalonde, Avondale High School’s athletic trainer, quickly recognized the severity of McClish’s condition and took immediate action.

“So he kind of had two people’s weight come down on top of the ball, and he was having pain in his abdomen and ribs on the left side,” Lalonde said.

Lalonde evaluated McClish and immediately identified signs of internal bleeding, rushing him to get medical attention.

“We got Brayden onto the cart, took him around to the visitor’s side, and told his mom, ‘He has to go to the hospital right now, it cannot wait,'” Lalonde said.

The quick response proved crucial. Medical professionals told McClish that arriving 20 minutes later could have been fatal.

According to his kidney doctor, the injury is extremely rare. Out of thousands of children across the county, doctors typically see only about five similar cases per year.

“It was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever been through in my whole entire life. Thinking that your child could possibly not be here,” said Ashley McClish, Brayden’s mother.

Currently, one of McClish’s kidneys is functioning normally while the other is operating at 25% capacity. His parents say the community’s support has been overwhelming during this difficult time.

“We would be able to get through it without them. The phone calls, the texts, the messages, the all of it, the visits. They’ve just been so supportive. I mean, people that we aren’t even close to, reaching out to say, ‘If you need anything, we’re here.’ It’s just very touching,” said Jeff McClish, Brayden’s father.

Despite the severity of his injury, the young athlete remains determined to return to the sport he loves.

“Oh yes, I see myself playing again. Give me that year to recover, and I’ll be back on that field,” McClish said.

Football continues to provide comfort during his recovery.

“And I’ve been falling asleep with my football…It’s like my little teddy bear. It’s my little teddy bear, I just hold it,” McClish said.

After two weeks in the hospital, McClish is expected to return home this weekend. His parents say a full recovery could take up to a year, but they’re grateful he’s healing and heading home.

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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Holly Lehren

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    WILSON COUNTY, Tennessee (WTVF) — Vanderbilt University Medical Center has confirmed that one crew member was killed and two others were seriously injured after a LifeFlight helicopter crashed Saturday afternoon in Wilson County.

The helicopter, LifeFlight 1, went down in an unpopulated area near the 7100 block of Cairo Bend Road around 2 p.m. Officials said the aircraft had taken off from the Wilson County Emergency Operations Center at 1:33 p.m. and was not carrying a patient at the time.

In a statement, Vanderbilt Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer Dr. Jane Freedman said Flight Nurse/Paramedic Allan Williams did not survive. Critical Care Flight Paramedic Andrew “Andy” Sikes and the pilot, whose family requested privacy, were seriously injured and remain hospitalized.

“For 41 years, through more than 80,000 flights and 40,000 ground transports, the remarkable members of the Vanderbilt LifeFlight team have saved countless lives,” Dr. Freedman said. “Despite the inherent risk of this work, these dedicated individuals feel called to serve patients in their most vulnerable moments.”

Dr. Freedman asked the community to “join me in support of [Allan’s] family, as well as Andy, the pilot, and their families” as the organization grieves this loss.

The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.

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By Amanda Roberts

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — Residents at a local townhouse community are being forced to pay hundreds of dollars in additional fees during the holiday season after their property management company allegedly mismanaged their homeowner association funds.

Carol Hancock moved into her Provincetown townhouse expecting to save money by downsizing and getting help with property upkeep. Instead, she and her neighbors are now facing a $900 special assessment that triples their monthly HOA dues.

“I thought it was a great idea, but at this point, I don’t think so,” Hancock said.

The financial burden stems from problems with Gasser Property Management, a company that had been managing the community’s finances. In August, critical insurance policies for Provincetown lapsed, leading to the discovery that Gasser Property Management wasn’t licensed for business and wasn’t paying to keep insurance policies current.

The HOA board fired Gasser and hired a new management company, Ghertner. In a letter to homeowners, the board revealed that money residents thought existed in Gasser accounts was actually missing.

“They said it was because the funds we had in HOA are no longer there,” Hancock said.

The special assessment requires homeowners to pay an additional $300 per month for three months, on top of their regular dues. For Hancock, who has lived in the community for five years and always paid her dues on time, the timing couldn’t be worse.

“I cannot afford to pay that and I have a new grandbaby. He’ll be here next month,” Hancock said.

Hancock questions why residents are being penalized for alleged mismanagement they had no control over.

“I don’t know why we’re the ones having to pay for this and I think it’s unfair,” she said. “Do you feel like you were stolen from? I do, I do, so unfair.”

The Provincetown HOA board did not respond to requests for comment. Ghertner also did not respond to calls or emails. Calls and texts to Gasser Property Management have gone unanswered.

In their letter to homeowners, the Provincetown board indicated they are working with an attorney to explore filing a lawsuit.

For Hancock, the situation has turned what was supposed to be a smart financial move into a source of stress and uncertainty.

“I don’t think it’s fair at all, it’s not fair at all,” she said.

Have you experienced issues with your HOA or property management company? I want to hear from you. Email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com with your story, documents, or concerns. Your tip could help uncover problems affecting other homeowners in our community.

This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF’s editorial team 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.