Month: February 2026

By Jennifer Franciotti

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    ESSEX, Maryland (WBAL) — A dramatic rescue of a cat clinging to life in a 100-foot-tall tree was caught on video after last weekend’s snowstorm.

Warm and safe now, the cat named “Oak” has quite a story.

The little guy wasn’t curled safely in a crate during last weekend’s storm; he was actually stuck at the top of a 100-foot sweetgum tree for more than 24 hours.

Dawn Cannella runs Peninsula Colony Cats, which helped with the rescue, along with neighbors, watched in horror as the cat, who is likely a stray from a nearby apartment building, clung to the tree’s branches.

“Emotionally, horrible. It was awful. I couldn’t sleep. We knew we had to get the cat out of the tree before he died,” Cannella told WBAL-TV 11 News.

All the while, Oak was stuck in the snow, sleet and freezing rain.

“The wind started blowing, and the ice was just starting. It was just awful,” Cannella told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Onlookers became distraught. They first called the Baltimore County Fire Department. When help couldn’t come, they called Patrick Dotson with Healthy Trees Tree Service to save the day.

“I thought God was calling me to rescue the cat, that was the first initial thing,” Dotson told WBAL-TV 11 News. “I’ve done training area rescues for climbers. I’ve never rescued a cat before. I put it on my (business) card just to be ready.”

Dotson described the moment he first attempted the rescue.

“Initially, I thought this was (going to) be an easy climb because Oak was about 20 feet down from where he originally ended up,” Dotson told WBAL-TV 11 News. “I got about 5 feet to him. They sent up cat food; I thought maybe he’ll smell the food, he’ll come down. No, he just kept going up higher and higher.”

Dotson had to turn to plan B, which was to cut the branch and create a bridge to grab Oak.

“We began to cut the branch as it peeled over. I guess he got scared,” Dotson told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Oak then jumped off the tree as the heart-pounding video showed the moment rescuers finally got him.

“He was covered in ice. His eyes were all crusted,” Cannella told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Oak suffered from a broken leg in two spots, but Cannella hopes he’ll recover fully.

“Hopefully, he won’t need surgery. He has some frostbite areas, and other than that, he’s relatively healthy,” Cannella told WBAL-TV 11 News.

All thanks to bravery, teamwork and generosity.

“It’s an amazing job that you do,” Cannella told Dotson.

“We showed up to be a great team,” Dotson said.

“It was wonderful,” Cannella said.

Oak still needs to recover for a few more weeks before he’s ready for adoption. Not surprisingly, he has already had much interest.

For those who would like to follow his story, or see more about some of the cats that are up for adoption, follow Peninsula Colony Cat Rescue on social media.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Emma Benson

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    SOUTH JORDAN, Utah (KSL) — For most people, food is fuel. But for ShayLee Hunter, survival comes another way.

“At 6 months old, I had my first surgery and had a third of my large intestine removed,” she said. “By the time I was 2, I got my first feeding tube.”

Hunter was born with a rare digestive disorder called chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a condition where the nerves and muscles of the gut don’t work properly. Food and fluid can’t move through her body as they should.

At age 16, she underwent ostomy surgery. Hunter relies entirely on Total Parenteral Nutrition — liquid nutrition delivered directly into her bloodstream through an IV line.

“My life expectancy was not to surpass 20 years old,” said now-27-year-old Hunter. “I was told I probably would never graduate high school, I probably would never get married or have kids.”

But Hunter refused to accept that prognosis.

“I was like, well, I’m gonna show them that they’re wrong,” she said.

For 25 years, one person has helped make that possible: Paul Wolford, a clinical pharmacist with Intermountain Health Home Services.

“We want them to be home and be as independent as possible and live as normal a life as possible,” Wolford said.

Wolford helps manage Hunter’s complex care — overseeing her customized IV nutrition, adjusting prescriptions and working closely with her doctors.

“We’re always in touch,” Wolford said. “We always work with her providers to try and coordinate care and make sure she’s getting the best care possible.”

To Hunter, that consistency has meant everything.

“He’s always right there, ready to answer any questions and just be there for you and his patients,” she said.

Despite decades of weekly calls and constant coordination, the two had never met in person — until Jan. 27.

“In a lot of ways, they sort of become like a second family,” Wolford said.

Hunter said that support has helped her live far beyond what doctors once predicted. She’s earned a college degree, traveled internationally and even competes in pageants to raise awareness for invisible disabilities. She has also worked as a child advocate for a domestic abuse shelter and is currently a chapter coordinator for a nonprofit that preserves the arts.

“I love that they’re willing to explore those options and help me with my dreams,” she said. “This is my life, and I think I should have that option to live it fully — I don’t think just a medication should hinder me from that.”

Hunter recently nominated Wolford for Intermountain Health’s L.OV.E. Award, recognizing exceptional caregivers. He received the award on the same day the two met face-to-face for the first time.

Intermountain Health Homecare Services includes home infusion therapy, infused specialty pharmacy medications and digestive health IV nutrition therapy. Nutrition therapy helps to deliver essential nutrients when a person cannot consume food orally or absorb nutrients through the digestive system. These therapies ensure that the body receives the necessary vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats needed for energy, growth and healing.

In 2025, Home Services delivered high‑quality care to more than 135,000 patients across eight medical specialty service lines. Nearly 2,000 caregivers, including over 100 providers, traveled 8.5 million miles across five states (Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Montana and Nevada) to meet patients where they are.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Tori Apodaca

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    ROSEVILLE, California (KOVR) — A man is speaking out after he claims that he was assaulted by a pack of kids on e-bikes on a Roseville trail.

It happened on Friday on the trail near Adam V. Baquera Park at around 9 p.m. when he was on a walk with his 10-year-old daughter and dog.

“The third, the fourth, the fifth, which had two riders, one in all black [and] one in all white. Everybody had masks or bandanas over their face,” said John Cozen who said he was targeted.

Cozen said one kid after the other rode by, pulled down their bandanas and spit on them.

“On my face, all over my clothes,” said Cozen. “I was pretty heated.”

He fears they will not be the last victims of these so-called e-bike gangs, and he posted about the experience online.

“I posted this online, and dozens of people shared similar stories about it,” said Cozen. “Attacks or unsafe behavior about e-bike gangs riding around.”

Amber Riccobuano lives in Placer County and said she has also had her run-ins with kids on e-bikes.

“My daughter actually got into a car accident because two e-bikers cut her off,” said Riccobuano. “And ended up hitting a parked car.”

From kids knocking over an elderly woman in a Folsom Walmart to over a hundred swerving in and out of traffic on a Manteca freeway, law enforcement agencies across the region are looking for ways to respond – starting with education for kids and their parents who buy them the bikes.

“They are doing wheelies in the middle of the road,” said Riccobuano. “They can fall off into traffic.”

Cozen said his daughter is doing fine and thankfully did not feel much of the spit or realize exactly what was happening.

Roseville Police responded to Cozen’s call, but by the time they got out to the trail, there was not an e-biker in sight.

“We are here because of safety,” said Cozen. “So, if that’s in jeopardy at this level, I’d really like us to find a solution.

They pedaled off quickly into the dark with apparently no care or consequence.

“Each one of them just fired off, did their duty and then they were gone,” said Cozen.

Cozen is concerned it will take a child getting seriously hurt before something changes.

“I don’t think anything is going to happen until there is some blood that spills for these rules to be written unfortunately,” said Cozen.

The Roseville Police Department plans to give a presentation about e-bike safety to city council this week.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Dean Fioresi

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    SANTA CLARITA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Just days after they were involved in a multi-vehicle crash on I-70 in Colorado, which left one father dead and several players injured, a youth hockey team from Santa Clarita took home the league title on Sunday.

The tournament was hosted at Edge Ice Arena in Littleton, Colorado, taking place over the weekend to determine the champion of the Western Girls Hockey League.

The Santa Clarita Lady Flyers opted to continue playing in the tournament despite the tragedy, and thanks in large part to the support of other teams, emerged triumphant on Sunday afternoon.

“It wasn’t just about a championship,” said Todd Stelnick, the team’s coach and a father of one of the Lady Flyers. “It was about being with your teammates, being with your family on the ice, sticking together win or lose. They knew they were fighting for each other.”

The girls fought through six games in the three days following the crash after deciding on their own to remain in the tournament, Stelnick said.

“Sprouting out so much tears, us coaches were in tears,” Stelnick said. “It was just fantastic to watch. It was just a great story to tell that they ended with a championship, and I told the girls before the locker room, ‘Girls, I’m just happy to be here with you and it’s your story to tell how this finishes.'”

Hannah Westbrook, the director of hockey operations for the Colorado 14ers club, which also plays in the WGHL, confirmed that most of the Lady Flyers team was flying out of Colorado a few hours after the game, while some were expected to depart on Monday.

The crash happened early Thursday morning as several families and members of the Santa Clarita Lady Flyers 12-and-under team were traveling to the Western Girls Hockey League tournament. They were about 50 miles from Denver near the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 in Clear Creek County when the crash occurred, Colorado State Patrol officers said.

Ten people were inside the Sprinter van transporting some of the team and their families when they were struck by a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow that lost control at approximately 7:50 a.m. Two other passenger vehicles were also involved in the crash, which forced the van down an embankment.

The driver of the van, identified as Manny Lorenzana, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Eight others were hospitalized in the collision: three adults and five juveniles, one of whom was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition.

Other families with the Lady Flyers said that three of the players were hospitalized after the crash and that they were all in attendance at the championship game. One of the players’ mothers remained hospitalized as of Sunday evening, but everyone else had been released.

Stelnick said that the league has planned a championship celebration party for the Lady Flyers, as well as a remembrance for Lorenzana, later this week. Loved ones have created an online fundraiser to help the victim’s family cover funeral expenses. It can be found by searching for the keywords: “In loving memory of Manny Lorenzana.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Sarah Horbacewicz

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    BOULDER, Colorado (KCNC) — This week marks the end of the Sundance Film Festival’s historic stay in Utah, and fans are soaking in their final films. Meanwhile, Boulder officials, filmmakers and educators are seeking opportunities for next year’s festival when it makes its premiere in Colorado.

Visitors at the festival told CBS Colorado how much joy it has brought them through the years.

“It’s meant so much, and it’s always fun to see all the people who come from all over the world,” shared one visitor.

Another shared their love of movies and said they’ve been attending the festival for over 20 years.

“We live in Salt Lake, so this has been such a fun yearly tradition,” another visitor shared.

After more than 40 years in Park City, Sundance is moving to Boulder, Colo. Early in this year’s festival, Sundance Senior Programmer and Director of Strategy John Nein said they’re already getting ready for the move.

“When we approached what the festival would look like in Boulder, there are things that are important to us,” said Nein. “And one of those things, and this is something that is so much a part of this festival, is that people walk up and down the street. There’s, it’s a play, it’s a feeling of community.”

The Colorado community is also getting ready for next year. University of Colorado Boulder journalism professor Ross Taylor came to get a first look. Taylor says the experience has been eye-opening.

“It’s one thing to see it from afar or to think about it in a distance, but when you’re here on the ground, and you see it in person, you just think, ‘Gosh, there’s so many possibilities for all of us,'” Taylor shared.

He’s already planning to bring those possibilities to campus.

“The idea of having the opportunity for students to volunteer at Sundance, to bring filmmakers, directors, cinematographers, into the classroom. It’s such a wonderful opportunity for our students,” said Taylor.

So now, as Park City’s last dance comes to an end, locals hold on to the memories, as Boulder makes way for new ones.

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