Month: December 2025

By KITV Web Staff

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A remarkable World War II love story is now becoming part of Pearl Harbor history.

Alice Beck Darrow, a 106-year-old former Navy nurse, has donated the bullet that once threatened her future husband’s life to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

During the attack on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, fire controlman Dean Darrow survived torpedoes, gunfire and burning waters before doctors later discovered a bullet lodged in his heart. Alice cared for him as surgeons removed it, and the two fell in love.

The couple eventually got married and raised four children. Surrounded by family and service members, Alice said it was finally time for the bullet to belong to the public.

“All these years I’ve been thinking I’ve gotta put that bullet in a museum because it isn’t fair just to have it in the family, it needs to be somewhere everyone can see it,” Alice shared.

Alice said the donation is bittersweet, but she hopes the bullet will stand as a symbol of survival, sacrifice and the lasting bonds born from war.

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

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By Jeramie Bizzle

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    WILL COUNTY, Illinois (WBBM) — Sensitive content warning: Information about alleged child abuse in this story may be difficult for some readers.

A man and a woman were charged after authorities said they buried an infant child at a home in Will County last year.

Nicole Pokrzywa, 36, and William Cosmen, 38, were charged on Saturday with one count of desecration of a corpse.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday said it received information on an infant that was possibly buried in the 1900 block of Roberts Road in Wilmington, Illinois.

Detectives learned that in October of 2024, Pokrzywa had given birth to a child, and the remains of the infant were buried on the Roberts Road property. She was believed to be six to eight months pregnant at the time of the birth, the office said.

According to the office, detectives learned that the infant’s remains were marked with a large rock on top of the burial site. Following the investigation, a search warrant for the residential property was obtained, and Pokrzywa and Cosmen, both from Manhattan, Illinois, were placed into custody and detained on Friday morning.

Detectives and crime scene investigators found the area where the infant was reportedly buried. Investigators dug about 3 feet and found an Old-Style Beer box with the infant’s remains inside, wrapped in a plastic bag and cloth, the office said.

Pokrzywa and Cosmen were both interviewed by detectives and made incriminating statements about the infant’s death.

Both said that Pokryzwa gave birth to the infant at a residence in the 400 Block of North Street in Manhattan, Illinois.

They said the child was born in a toilet, and that Cosmen attempted to dispose of the infant’s body by forcing the body down the toilet drain with a plunger, the office said.

After realizing that the infant’s body would not fit down the drain, they left the deceased infant inside the toilet overnight. The infant was later removed and wrapped in a plastic bag and a green shirt and taken to the Roberts Road residence.

The pair said they dug a hole that was 3 feet wide by 4 feet deep, and buried the child.

The infant was described as weighing 5-7 pounds at the time of delivery. An autopsy was performed and concluded that the age of the female infant child was between 22-27 weeks old, the office said.

Additional testing of biological materials removed from the female infant is needed due to the level of decomposition.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said it will continue to work with the State’s Attorney’s office on additional charges once further testing of the remains is completed.

On Saturday, Pokrzywa and Cosmen were taken to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.

No official court date was released.

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By Adam Duxter

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — Minnesotans lined up for a chance to give back Saturday morning — as Bridging worked to collect new and gently used blankets ahead of the winter season during its annual “Bring a Blanket for Bridging” event.

At four Original Mattress Factories, volunteers worked to bag and save the blankets — which will eventually go to support thousands of families across the Twin Cities metro and beyond.

The non-profit, which works to provide household items to families in transitional housing, says they have a need for over 15,000 blankets annually.

“When this snow comes, and the cold comes, our donors and our community go, oh, that’s right – you need blankets,” said Diana Dalsin of Bridging. “If you have a small batch of funds in your hands, are going to pay rent, buy food, and buy a new blanket. This is the gift.”

Sarah Pederson and Lexi Rimer were the first two cars in line at the Maplewood drop-off site. The paid said they showed up hours ahead of time – looking to give back.

“It’s honestly such a big thing – especially being in Minnesota, being warm and having basic necessity like a blanket shouldn’t be a concern,” Pederson said. “Knowing that I had these extra blankets, why not take an opportunity to help others and help ease whatever they’re going through?”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate 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.