Month: November 2025

By Keith Burrell

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    NAMPA, Idaho (KIVI) — City crews cut down a massive evergreen outside Bonnie and Tim Torgerson’s home after the city’s forester noticed it stood within the public right-of-way. The family had already planned to remove the nearly 60-foot tree when the city asked to use it as this year’s Christmas tree.

City Forester Adam Mancini says evergreens aren’t allowed in that space under city code because they can block visibility and overgrow onto sidewalks. But this one had roots long before that rule, and he’d had his eye on it since last year. It took until August to make it official — tree adoptions can take some time.

“Normally, I don’t encourage people to cut down a tree. In this case, the city chose this tree because it was going to be removed. It was in the right-of-way, it was in violation of the city code, and the property owners had intents to remove it,” Mancini said.

For the Torgersons, it was an unexpected knock on the door, but one that came at the perfect time.

“Well, the tree is very tall. It doesn’t offer a shade, and we’re actually getting ready to put a fence up,” Bonnie Torgerson said.

The tree was carefully removed and moved downtown, where it now anchors the city’s holiday celebration ahead of the official lighting on November 29.

“I didn’t realize that they even would want the tree and stuff like that,” Tim Torgerson said.

For the family, the lighting ceremony now carries special meaning.

“My daughter loves Christmas. It’s her favorite holiday. She just had her first baby. And so she’s planning a chili cook-off at her house. And then we’re all going to go to the tree lighting together,” Bonnie Torgerson said.

When the holidays are over, Nampa’s Christmas tree will have one last job as it’s turned into mulch and used throughout the city’s parks.

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

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

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By Ayron Lewallen

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — A Birmingham business owner celebrated her birthday by helping those affected by the government shutdown Tuesday.

Charnita Horton partnered with a dozen food trucks to give out free food. The line was wrapped around the block with more 300 hundred people.

“I remember being in college and I had [SNAP benefits] for ten days,” she said, “but I remember being young and my mom—we used to have WIC. We had to survive.”

With the end of the government shutdown nowhere in sight, more than 700,000 Alabamians like Keyosha Brackens could still be left wondering where their next meal is coming. She’s figured out how to get creative and make her benefits stretch, but the help could still be useful.

“I kind of manage mine in a certain kind of way,” she said. “I shop at some stores for certain things and stuff like that. It kind of takes us through the month and stuff like that, so I’m pretty good with it.”

Jasmine Cleveland told WVTM 13 she works multiple side jobs to make sure she provides for her family, but she knows some families aren’t that lucky. She’s supposed to get her snap benefits on the ninth of every month, but that deposit still isn’t guaranteed yet.

“I’m just hoping for the best,” Cleveland said. “I hope we do, because it’ll make Thanksgiving a whole lot better. I can get a whole lot more. If they do, they do. If they don’t, they don’t. I’ll be fine, I guess.”

Cecilia Lyons said she hopes she and other families will see all their SNAP benefits deposited in their accounts before Thanksgiving rolls around, or it’ll be black-eyed peas and cornbread.

“I grew up in the hard times,” Lyons said. “I’m 73. I grew up in the hard times. I can survive. I remember when they used to give us cheese and butter, a little bit of that, but we made it. We’ll make it. God ain’t gon’ let nothing happen that ain’t supposed to.”

Horton also gave out $25 gift cards at the event to help out. With the shutdown still going, many people hope it comes to an end soon before resources like that dry up.

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By Adam Bartow

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    CONCORD, New Hampshire (WMTW) — A Maine man accused of mixing THC into ice cream at his shop in Newmarket, New Hampshire has been sentenced to probation and community service.

Marc Flores, 45, pleaded guilty in federal court over the summer to tampering with a consumer product.

Several people got sick after eating the ice cream in March 2023.

Investigators said that in 2022, Flores mixed THC into a batch of his shop’s coffee-Oreo ice cream. A catering company took over the shop that same year and unknowingly served the tampered batch to customers a few months later.

That ice cream was then sold at Roots Local Cafe. Over the course of two days in mid-March 2023, several people reported extremely high heart rates, severe dizziness, and weakness. One person was a young child, and another patient was hospitalized.

Tuesday, a federal judge in Concord, New Hampshire, sentenced Flore to two years of probation and 20 hours of community service. He also has to pay an $11,000 fine.

Flores spoke in court, saying he’s very sorry for the harm he caused.

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By KIVI Staff

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    MALHEUR COUNTY, Idaho (KIVI) — In October, a wildlife technician with Idaho Fish & Game was sent into the Owyhees to initiate a “cause of death investigation” regarding a male mule deer that was collared with a GPS tracker.

When the technician arrived at the deceased buck’s location, she encountered an adult mountain lion and two juveniles near the carcass of the deer.

In what is considered best practice for such encounters, the official did not run away or turn her back from the confrontation but instead shouted at the lion while slowly backing away.

Typically, mountain lions scatter when humans approach such kills, and encounters like this are increasingly rare in the wild.

However, according to an Idaho Fish & Game news release, “mountain lion predation is a leading cause of death in both mule deer and California bighorn sheep.”

Idaho Fish & Game recommends taking the following actions if you encounter a mountain lion in the wild:

Do not run Do not turn your back on the lion, crouch down, or try to hide Remain facing the lion and slowly back away. Leave the animal an escape route Try to appear as large as possible Shout, wave your arms, and throw objects if the lion does not back off

The official’s investigation was just a small part of a larger initiative by Fish & Game to better understand the various factors that contribute to buck survival throughout Idaho.

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By Lindsay Clein

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    THOMASVILLE, North Carolina (WXII) — November is National Veterans and Military Families Month — a time to honor the service and sacrifices of all veterans and their families.

We are introducing you to a very special man. Jim Cain is a World War II veteran who is now 99 years old.

Just recently, he was able to take a trip on the Triad Honor Flight.

WXII’s Lindsay Clein sat down with him as he shared many stories from his time in the Navy.

“I am a World War II veteran,” said Cain. “And, you know, I’m 99 years old — and I’m proud of everything I’ve done.”

At nearly 100 years young, Jim Cain is looking back on close to a century of a life well lived.

“It’s been a good life,” Cain said. “I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.”

At just 18 years old, he decided to voluntarily join the Navy.

“And I served in the South Pacific on a mine sweeper,” said Cain.

For two and a half years, he lived on a ship, sweeping mines.

“I enjoyed some of it,” Cain said. “Some of it I didn’t.”

Enjoyable or not, though, he’s proud of his service and dedication to our country.

“I am very proud of it,” he said. “And the Honor Flight I went on was a great honor for me to do that.”

In October, he was one of the many on a flight full of veterans who got to visit our nation’s capital on the Triad Honor Flight.

“It was great,” he said. “I enjoyed every bit of it. It was a long day — but it was well worth it.”

He was one of only three World War II veterans on the flight.

“It was well worth it and it meant a lot to me to see what I had gone through and to see all the World War II memorials and everything,” he said.

He was genuinely moved by the many military memories.

“It was a wonderful day,” said Cain. “Seeing all that stuff that brought back military memories of me, you know.”

Memories like those captured on the wall, hanging in his home.

“It’s been a long time, “he said, pointing to the photos.

One story he tells is about the time he was ordered to go aboard a Japanese ship to deliver a stack of envelopes.

“He said, ‘I want you to take these envelopes and go aboard that Japanese ship,'” Cain said. “He said, ‘You’ll be okay.’ Of course, I was scared– yes.”

He was told the next day what those envelopes contained.

“They were maps of where the Japanese had anchored mines,” Cain said. “And those ships were gonna sweep their own mines.”

Eighty-some years later, his stories of patriotism and pride still resonate.

“We were there fighting for our country,” he said.

Loyalty and allegiance.

“I love this country.”

Jim remains proud of not only his own service, but also the service of others who continue the legacy of fighting for our flag and our freedom.

“This is a wonderful country we’ve got,” said Cain. “And we were willing to fight for it– so we did.”

WXII will continue to feature veterans like Jim every Tuesday during the month of November.

Veterans Day is Tuesday, Nov. 11.

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

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By Ed DiOrio

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    EXPORT, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — A former Allegheny County narcotics detective appeared in court this morning in Export.

State police claim Raymond Bonacci intimidated his son, Anthony, into taking testosterone and Adderall to enhance his performance on a high school football team.

Bonacci retired as an Allegheny County District Attorney narcotics detective in 2023.

In 2022, Anthony Bonacci had a background check run on him during his pursuit to become a state police officer. It was during his polygraph that he told troopers he had previously taken testosterone and Adderall.

Anthony told the court Tuesday morning that during his time playing football for Franklin Regional High School, his father, Raymond, intimidated him into taking the substances.

“I felt that if I didn’t do what he wanted, I’d be cut off from my family and that I’d never speak to my mother again,” Anthony said during proceedings.

Anthony said this happened throughout the 2019 high school season.

“I find it ironic that today, 6-7 years after the fact, he has an incredible memory,” said Michael DeRiso, Raymond Bonacci’s defense attorney.

When DeRiso cross-examined Anthony, the now-23-year-old cadet said he didn’t know for certain the injections were testosterone, and that the Adderall was taken by himself before games.

“What [Anthony] said is irrelevant,” Deriso said. “A trooper who went through the academy admittedly lied to his attorney, the district attorney’s office, and lied to a fellow trooper. It was about certain events he alleged took place so that he could get employed. I’m very confident at trial.”

PSP Trooper Jason Kinger, who ran Anthony’s background check, also testified during the preliminary hearing.

He told the court that after the Polygraph, he went to Raymond’s Murrysville residence for an unrecorded interview.

Kinger claimed that when he brought up Anthony’s accusations about Raymond’s involvement with the testosterone and Adderall, the father admitted guilt.

“His face turned red, and he slumped down,” Kinger said during the hearing. “[Raymond] said, ‘I did it.'”

“As much as cadets often try to shade the truth about their drug use being coerced, parents often try to protect their children,” Deriso said. “You have a cadet who already lied to multiple people and law enforcement, that’s who everyone chooses to believe.”

DeRiso is referring to Anthony claiming the case took place in Elizabeth Township.

Anthony told troopers and attorneys originally that he took the substances in Allegheny County. During testimony on Tuesday, Anthony claimed his father threatened him again if his son didn’t say the actions happened in Allegheny County.

“He made threats over the phone, saying, ‘If you don’t say that this happens in Allegheny County, I’d hate to see what happens to you.'”

“It’ll be a lengthy trial,” DeRiso said. “I feel good coming out. I think the testimony is concerning. It’s very concerning. There are a lot of things that come out in trial that are neither relevant nor admissible at a preliminary hearing.”

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