Month: November 2025

By Kara Burnett

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — At The Smoothie Garden in Federal Hill, customers are getting a latte to talk about.

“Let’s put the latte inside the pumpkin. The customers love it. They travel 45 minutes to an hour,” said Montana Logan, owner of The Smoothie Garden.

The seasonal favorite, called “Pumpkin Spice Everything Nice,” has become one of the shop’s most popular menu items.

Each drink is made by carving out a small pumpkin, filling it with ice and the shop’s signature pumpkin spice latte, then topping it off with whipped cream and even a mini pie.

“They say it tastes very refreshing,” Logan said. “It’s the best latte they’ve ever had.”

And it’s not just Baltimore getting in on the craze. Data from Nielsen shows Americans spend about half a billion dollars every year on pumpkin spice products.

Videos of creative spins on the drink, from customers bringing their own pumpkins to Starbucks to lines stretching for hours at The Barn in Long Island, have flooded TikTok this season.

Logan says she noticed no one in Baltimore was offering the trend, so she decided to bring it here.

“There wasn’t any place in Baltimore doing it,” she said. “So I thought, let’s do something nobody else is doing. That’s my goal, to be different and stand out.”

It’s not the first time The Smoothie Garden has gone viral. Over the summer, their watermelons and pineapples filled with Italian ice took over social media. Next up, Logan says, she’s offering something for the matcha lovers.

“Matcha in the pumpkins. Yes, matcha in the pumpkins,” she said.

Creative trends like these have helped keep business flowing through the colder months, when sales tend to slow down. Logan is also celebrating just over a year since opening the smoothie shop, though it wasn’t her original plan. Logan was searching for a space to open another daycare center.

“Surprisingly, I was looking for a childcare center and this fell into my lap,” she said. “I love making smoothies, so why not open up a smoothie shop for the community.”

Looks like that leap of faith turned out to be pretty fruitful.

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 Alex Barber

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    FRANKFORT, Kentucky (WLEX) — The frigid temperatures couldn’t keep mourners away from paying their respects to Kentucky’s first female governor.

“I don’t care how cold it is. You couldn’t keep me away,” Linda Bowen said.

People from across the state gathered to reflect on Martha Layne Collins’ political accomplishments and how she broke barriers for women in government.

“Martha Layne really paved the way for individuals such as us to be in government,” Kristen Wheatley said.

Collins served as governor from 1983 to 1987, becoming the first woman to hold the state’s highest office.

Those who knew her personally said Collins had a unique ability to see potential in others and bring out their best qualities.

“She looked at me and said I see something in you that I’m going to bring out. What she brought out was happiness. I used to be a mean, but not a bad guy. She brought out the kindness that she wanted to see,” Jesse Brownlee said.

Brownlee worked on Collins’ staff during her time in office.

Even younger generations have drawn inspiration from Collins’ legacy and hope to continue her work.

“Hopefully this will inspire young Kentuckians and young female Kentuckians to carry on her legacy,” Abigail Stanger said.

Those who knew Collins described her unwavering love for Kentucky and its people.

“Her kind soul and her love for the state and her family. She was strong. You can count on her,” Bowen said.

Collins’ impact continues to influence current political leaders who learned valuable lessons from her approach to public service.

“Don’t take things for granted. That’s the way she was,” Brownlee said.

Stella Pollard, who is running for Kentucky’s 20th District of the State Senate, said Collins’ influence extends beyond her time in office.

“She is still touching lives to this day,” Pollard said.

For those who knew her best, Collins will be remembered for the love she showed others.

“I just loved her,” Bowen said.

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 Chierstin Roth

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    THORNTON, Colorado (KCNC) — A Colorado man returned home from a weekend trip to find that more than 20 bullets had been shot at his townhouse.

Thornton resident Blake Jackson was staying the weekend with family when he received a call that his home had been sprayed with bullets.

“I was just super fortunate that I wasn’t home at the time,” said Blake Jackson. “I live here, I have a dog that lives here. I’m glad we weren’t here when the gunshots were going off.”

Thornton police say a 19-year-old male was quickly taken into custody, but Jackson says he has no idea why anyone would target his home and why only his unit was hit.

“I don’t have any enemies. Like, no one would be shooting at my apartment. So, it was kind of a shock,” he said.

The nearly two dozen bullets entered Jackson’s garage just below his bedroom.

When police came to the house, they had to bust down the front door to make sure nobody was inside. But now, there’s no way to properly secure the front door, another reason he doesn’t feel safe.

“I reached out to my management company. I’ve called them about three or four times today and just let them know, like, hey, the police broke down my door. And I have not received anything from them, other than just super dismissive like, we’ll deal with this when we get to it,” he explained.

Jackson says he’ll be sleeping somewhere else in the meantime, but questions whether it’s safe to return at all. He showed CBS Colorado crews how one bullet traveled through the back of the garage, past his front door, and into a railing. He also pointed out that his cooler in the garage was riddled with bullets, an eerie sight knowing that it could have been him or his dog.

While he waits for answers, Jackson is just happy nobody was hurt.

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 Steve Maugeri

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — CBS News Miami spoke with a pastor who was by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Deputy Devin Jaramillo’s side during his final moments.

When people hear gunshots, they typically run for cover. But when Pastor Damon Phillips heard them right across from his church, he ran toward the danger and found Deputy Jaramillo with multiple gunshot wounds.

“When I got over there, he was on the floor,” Phillips said. “He kept sounding real loud, ‘He got my gun. I don’t have my radio. Please call 911.'”

Pastor Phillips started giving the deputy CPR while consoling him.

“He wasn’t able to talk. He was just lifting his hand in the air — grasping for air,” Phillips said. “I told him, ‘Stay with us, stay with us.’ I told the paramedics, ‘Hurry up.'”

Phillips said he was praying for the deputy, hoping paramedics could make it in time. But Deputy Jaramillo later died at the hospital.

“I was just praying to the Lord, ‘Please save him. Officer, stay with us, Stay with us,” Phillips said. “During that time, the last moments of his life, I spent some time praying for him; that is what happened.”

Even though the deputy didn’t make it, Phillips knows he made every effort he could.

“It was just the right thing to do — to help out and save a life,” Phillips said.

A good Samaritan, in every sense of the word.

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.

WJZ

By Mike Hellgren, Andrew Adeolu

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    TOWSON, Maryland (WJZ) — An assault inside Towson Town Center led to the arrest of four juveniles Saturday night and attempted murder charges against one of the teens, who allegedly used a screwdriver in a stabbing.

Baltimore County police said those arrested are between 14 and 17 years old. Three of the teens were released to their parents, according to police.

Police responded to the mall around 8 p.m. Saturday for a reported stabbing.

According to the dispatch audio WJZ Investigates reviewed, it happened outside a shoe store on Towson Town Center’s second floor.

Officers later arrested four teenagers at Dulaney Valley Road and Fairmount Avenue.

Authorities described the incident as an assault and robbery and said they later recovered stolen items.

The teenager charged with attempted murder is being prosecuted as an adult.

Most shoppers WJZ spoke to said they continue to feel safe at the mall, but expressed dismay and sadness at the violence.

“I think it’s a tragedy that people feel like they have to resort to violence if they have a dispute with somebody,” said one longtime shopper who declined to give her name.

“They just need more stuff to do. I don’t know what you can do to resolve a situation. You don’t have to resort to violence,” said Jeremiah Weddy. “It’s just so crazy. Why would you go into the mall and do that?”

Isabel, who declined to give her last name, called the violence “heartbreaking.”

“All you can do is like pray for the families of everyone and really hope that everyone can turn their lives around from such a violent incident,” she said.

Saturday night’s violence follows other high-profile incidents in recent years involving groups of unruly juveniles.

Last month, a woman was critically injured during a domestic-related stabbing in the parking lot of Towson Town Center.

Towson Town Center has implemented a curfew after 4 pm on Friday and Saturday in the mall — unless those 17 and younger are accompanied by an adult.

You can read more about the mall’s parental guidance policy here.

After a steep increase in 2024, crime is now trending down in Towson, according to police data.

In 2023, there were 515 victims of assault in Towson, with the most cases being reported in December.

In 2024, there were 537 victims of assaults in Towson, and so far in 2025, there have been 379 victims of reported assaults in the 21286 area code.

Theft offenses account for the most reported crimes in Towson, with 729 victims so far in 2025.

However, juvenile crime has been a topic of discussion in the Baltimore area over the last couple of years.

Between 2023 and 2024, juvenile crime arrests increased by 146% in Baltimore, according to State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.

This time last year, Bates stopped by WJZ to discuss his effort to hold young offenders accountable.

“We have more of a checks and balances of what’s going on with DJS,” Bates said. “We are having more communication and dialogue on how to hold young people accountable.”

Last month, in October, three teens were arrested in Baltimore for their role in 14 burglaries across the city.

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 Mike Hellgren, Andrew Adeolu

Click here for updates on this story

    TOWSON, Maryland (WJZ) — An assault inside Towson Town Center led to the arrest of four juveniles Saturday night and attempted murder charges against one of the teens, who allegedly used a screwdriver in a stabbing.

Baltimore County police said those arrested are between 14 and 17 years old. Three of the teens were released to their parents, according to police.

Police responded to the mall around 8 p.m. Saturday for a reported stabbing.

According to the dispatch audio WJZ Investigates reviewed, it happened outside a shoe store on Towson Town Center’s second floor.

Officers later arrested four teenagers at Dulaney Valley Road and Fairmount Avenue.

Authorities described the incident as an assault and robbery and said they later recovered stolen items.

The teenager charged with attempted murder is being prosecuted as an adult.

Most shoppers WJZ spoke to said they continue to feel safe at the mall, but expressed dismay and sadness at the violence.

“I think it’s a tragedy that people feel like they have to resort to violence if they have a dispute with somebody,” said one longtime shopper who declined to give her name.

“They just need more stuff to do. I don’t know what you can do to resolve a situation. You don’t have to resort to violence,” said Jeremiah Weddy. “It’s just so crazy. Why would you go into the mall and do that?”

Isabel, who declined to give her last name, called the violence “heartbreaking.”

“All you can do is like pray for the families of everyone and really hope that everyone can turn their lives around from such a violent incident,” she said.

Saturday night’s violence follows other high-profile incidents in recent years involving groups of unruly juveniles.

Last month, a woman was critically injured during a domestic-related stabbing in the parking lot of Towson Town Center.

Towson Town Center has implemented a curfew after 4 pm on Friday and Saturday in the mall — unless those 17 and younger are accompanied by an adult.

You can read more about the mall’s parental guidance policy here.

After a steep increase in 2024, crime is now trending down in Towson, according to police data.

In 2023, there were 515 victims of assault in Towson, with the most cases being reported in December.

In 2024, there were 537 victims of assaults in Towson, and so far in 2025, there have been 379 victims of reported assaults in the 21286 area code.

Theft offenses account for the most reported crimes in Towson, with 729 victims so far in 2025.

However, juvenile crime has been a topic of discussion in the Baltimore area over the last couple of years.

Between 2023 and 2024, juvenile crime arrests increased by 146% in Baltimore, according to State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.

This time last year, Bates stopped by WJZ to discuss his effort to hold young offenders accountable.

“We have more of a checks and balances of what’s going on with DJS,” Bates said. “We are having more communication and dialogue on how to hold young people accountable.”

Last month, in October, three teens were arrested in Baltimore for their role in 14 burglaries across the city.

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.