Month: November 2025

By KCCI Staff

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    NEVADA, Iowa (KCCI) — Jaden Grimm’s senior season appeared to be over after Week 5 due to a broken collarbone, but the Nevada Cubs’ continued victories extended the season and offered him a chance to return.

As the team advanced, Grimm received encouraging words, “We’ll get you one more game, one more game.”

Nevada’s dream run continued as they defeated undefeated Solon in the state semifinals. Grimm then received another X-ray and was cleared to practice.

Grimm not only practiced but played in Nevada’s first-ever state championship game. Wearing No. 22, he rushed the passer and recorded a sack, contributing three tackles during the game.

Powerhouse Bishop Heelan was competing in its 15th state championship game, but Nevada, a team of destiny, emerged victorious.

They won 27-6, securing the first title in school history.

It was an incredible moment for everyone, especially Grimm, who never thought he would play again until that same week.

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

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By Austen Erblat

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    Colorado (KCNC) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are investigating the illegal killing of a female mountain lion near the group campsites at Gunnison City Mountain Park in Taylor Canyon north of Gunnison.

CPW responded to the area on Friday to find the lion shot through the chest and then brought its body to some bushes, the agency said. Now they’re seeking information from anyone who may have seen or heard something in that area.

“We are looking for leads or information anyone might have that could assist us with this investigation,” CPW District Wildlife Manager Codi Prior said in a statement on Sunday. “Somebody killed this lion and then dumped its carcass in the place where it was discovered.”

The mountain lion had previously been part of CPW’s mountain lion density study in the Gunnison Basin, which CPW uses to study population size, movement, and make hunting rules and limits, agency officials said.

The lion was killed outside of hunting season, as the carcass was discovered three days before the start of legal mountain lion hunting season in Colorado, according to CPW.

Anyone with information about the killing of the lion is asked to contact Prior at 970-641-7075 or codi.prior@state.co.us. CPW’s Gunnison wildlife office can also be reached at 970-641-7060. To provide information anonymously, you can contact Operation Game Thief by phone at 877-265-6648 or by email at game.thief@state.co.us.

Poaching is a crime that harms wildlife, outdoor enthusiasts, legal and ethical hunters, businesses, and taxpayers, CPW says.

In September, an extensive study done by the Montana-based wildlife conservation organization, the Boone and Crockett Club, found that less than 4% of poaching in the U.S. is discovered by law enforcement or wildlife agencies. That study also found that the financial cost of poaching, between lost fines and replacement costs for animals, is around $1.4 billion each year.

“We have long known that poaching is a major problem in the United States, but we didn’t truly understand the magnitude of the problem until this Poach and Pay research,” Boone and Crockett Club CEO Tony A. Schoonen said of the research at a press conference. “With this defensible assessment of the Dark Figure, we can clearly describe the conservation cost of poaching and prove that poaching is not a victimless crime-not only do we lose individual wildlife, we are also losing a valuable public resource with a high cost.”

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

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By Stephanie Moore

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    JASPER COUNTY, South Carolina (WYFF) — A South Carolina man, who was breeding snakes at the business where he worked, is accused of abandoning the animals when he was fired.

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said on Nov. 19 a deputy seized 52 nonvenomous snakes of various species from a property on Sisters Ferry Road.

The investigation shows that a man had been breeding the snakes at his place of employment.

Deputies say when the man was fired the snakes were abandoned and left confined in boxes with no means of escape.

The individual responsible will be charged with animal abandonment.

The snakes will be safely relocated to a sanctuary pending further investigation.

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

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By Jon Schoenheider

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    MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A Nottingham family is finally resting easy after their 4-year-old dog, Comet, was found nearly a month after going missing.

Jenna Jordan and her husband adopted Comet in December 2020 from Pope Memorial Humane Society in Dover. The Shar Pei mix was part of a litter named after Santa’s reindeer, given their birth month.

“He put his head right in my hands, and we were like, ‘Oh, he’s so sweet!'” Jordan recalled from the first time meeting him.

Comet not only became an important part of the family, but also joined just six months before the birth of their daughter.

The role Comet would play became even greater when their little girl was diagnosed with leukemia in her early years. Now in remission, the two bonded during her time in recovery.

“Our dogs are our family. He’s obviously especially important to us because we’re so bonded to him with everything we’ve been through,” Jordan said.

Close to five years later, on Oct. 20, 2025, Jordan went out to get the mail. Comet followed her outside, but soon went missing from the yard. After a two-hour search, the family notified Granite State Dog Recovery, which began to issue notices for the missing dog.

“It was something that seemed just like a typical moment that isn’t anything that was too crazy, until he didn’t come back,” Jordan said.

The family immediately launched a search, making a concerted effort to spread the word about Comet.

“We wanted everyone in the state to know who he was, and I think we got pretty close,” Jordan said.

Word of Comet’s disappearance spread across New Hampshire, as Jordan posted on community message boards, went door to door to ask neighbors, and spread fliers across communities. It was then that Jordan started to get dozens of tips, word of sightings, and support from people she had never even met.

On Nov. 17, after nearly a month, the family got a call from Granite State Dog Recovery, saying they were able to capture Comet in a dog-friendly cage after following one of the community sighting tips.

“You kind of have that moment where you’re like, ‘Is it actually our dog that’s in the trap?’ asked Jordan. “So when we had that moment when we pulled in and saw him in there, it was just so much relief and happiness.”

Comet was rushed to the hospital, weighing just 32 pounds, less than half his original weight. He also had porcupine quills in his shoulder, causing him to limp.

Veterinarians later discovered damage to his lungs, which is proving to be detrimental to his breathing.

After the long search, everyone is now waiting for word about Comet’s recovery. Much like there was while he was gone, there are already fundraisers underway to cover his medical bills.

“They were in it just as much as we are, and they’re in love with him as much as we are now, too,” said Jordan, reflecting on all the Granite Staters who have come to their family’s aid. “I know everyone’s anxiously awaiting updates, and they want to see him come home.”

Comet remains in the hospital, but the family hopes to bring him back this week.

For other pet owners, Jordan recommends using a GPS tracking collar to prevent similar situations from happening.

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By Caitlyn Scott

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    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Police officers are being hailed as heroes after stopping a “green-furred suspect” who attempted to “end” Christmas and “steal” an ambulance in Allegheny County.

Verona Borough police said the department received several 911 calls reporting a “green-furred male wearing a Santa-style outfit” removing holiday decorations and gifts from residents along Center Avenue and Wildwood Avenue.

Officials said callers reported the suspect dragging a large red sack while mumbling about “ending Christmas.”

When officials arrived on the scene, they said unplugged Christmas lights and overturned yard decorations were found. Missing wreaths were also said to have been reported.

Police also said large footprints resembling oversized slippers were found in the fresh snow that was on the ground at the time.

At 3:15 a.m., officials said, while patrolling the 700 block of Allegheny River Boulevard, the green-furred suspect was seen attempting to load a large red sack onto a makeshift sleigh.

The sleigh was being pulled by a small dog wearing antlers. The dog, later identified by the name “Max,” appeared cooperative but extremely tired.

Upon police arrival, the suspect yelled, “You’ll never stop me from canceling Christmas in Verona!” and attempted to run from officers.

The suspect was later identified as “The Grinch.”

The sleigh, however, did not move, and the Grinch attempted to climb a decorated lamppost and became caught in Borough-issued garlands.

He was taken into custody without further incident.

Officials later searched the sack on the sleigh, which recovered multiple stolen items, including wrapped presents, stockings, cookies, and one deflated inflatable snowman.

According to a release, the Grinch admitted that his motivation was that Verona’s “holiday cheer was too much noise,” but later expressed emotional conflict hearing residents’ caroling.

In addition, a separate post on Facebook by Lower Valley Ambulance EMS said the Grinch stole an ambulance and took a tour of the town. Video from the emergency service showed the Grinch riding around in the ambulance, along with him later being taken into custody for that incident.

The Verona Borough Police Department charged the Grinch with theft by unlawful taking, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.

The Grinch was later released and offered to help keep the holiday peace.

(Disclaimer: No real arrests were made in this incident; all was posted in good holiday fun/spirit)

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

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By Da Lin

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    SEBASTOPOL, California (KPIX) — The city of Sebastopol recently made a surprising administrative mistake: it approved the opening of a Little Caesars pizza restaurant in the downtown core, an area where chain businesses have been banned since 2018, with a few exceptions.

Francesca Malerba-Locke, who owns Attico, a local consignment furniture store, said the error goes beyond pizza. She values Sebastopol for its small shops, local flavors, and a downtown that feels unique.

“Disappointing that a big mistake like this would go through,” Malerba-Locke said. “It doesn’t add to the charm of the [town].”

She added that it could take away the commercial space from a restaurant that would have provided a better food option for locals.

City leaders discovered the mistake only after Little Caesars had already begun building out the space. By that point, officials said they couldn’t legally stop the project.

“It’s an error. The city of Sebastopol has taken ownership and admitted we’ve made an error, an administrative error on approval. But Little Caesars, I guess, took that approval and ran with it and started making improvements. And so they had a vested interest by the time we realized our error. And we had to let them move forward,” said Councilmember Neysa Hinton.

Not all residents are upset. Some younger Sebastopol residents said they welcome the fast, inexpensive option.

“For me specifically, I do like it. Because I’m a big fan of it,” said AJ Mercado, a local worker. “I mainly just like it because it’s cheap. It’s not really the best food, but it’s cheap enough for me.”

Hinton said that ultimately, the decision is up to the customers.

“The consumer now will decide whether they like it or not with their pocketbook. I point out we don’t have a Burger King and we don’t have a McDonald’s in Sebastopol. They both went out of business,” she said.

Others said they will continue supporting local businesses.

“What do I think about Little Caesars? I don’t think it’s necessarily a part of our community here in Sebastopol. There’s a lot better pizza to be had in Sebastopol. So that’s where I’ll be going,” said resident Rick Rocklewitz.

Steve DeCosse, who runs Acre Pizza — the only pizzeria in the downtown core — said the new chain won’t impact his business.

“We’re just building a resilient community, one pizza at a time. It won’t impact us because of the quality of what we do, and we’re really supported by our community, and they understand this,” he said.

For Malerba-Locke, the main takeaway is ensuring that future applications don’t slip through the cracks.

“Original as possible so that people coming to town and they see stores that are unique,” she said.

The city said it has added safeguards to prevent a similar mistake in the future. Little Caesars plans to open to the public sometime in the next week.

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

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