Month: March 2026

By Carolyn Gusoff

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Some senior veterans on Long Island are travelling the world again without leaving their nursing home.

Virtual reality is giving them adventures they thought were behind them, while also helping reduce stress and isolation.

Mynd Immersive created the VR, which was specially designed for older adults. Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University was the first in the nation to use it in its therapy, and now it’s the first with a more interactive and realistic upgrade.

“What we like to say is, ‘Where would you like to go today?’ You get to leave the walls of the nursing home,” said Jonathan Spier, deputy executive director at the Long Island State Veterans Home. “We can link six units together, so we can do a trip together … We can go down the streets of Paris, France.”

From his wheelchair, in a facility he hasn’t left in more than two years, Air Force veteran Bill Bornhoeft can skydive. Army veteran Naomi Sawyer can go under the sea with sharks. Vietnam veteran Gene Faber can head back to the lanes, 25 years after his last bowling alley visit.

“It takes me instantly to a different world … an enjoyable world,” Bornhoeft said.

“It was so realistic,” Sawyer said. “It takes you away from what you’re thinking about, if you have something heavy on your mind.”

There are hundreds of experiences to choose from to combat isolation, and stimulate conversation and movement.

“We are able to bring it right to their room and bring that veteran out of that darkness and whatever they are experiencing, and bring them to their happy place,” Spier said.

Vietnam as it is today, lush and peaceful, is also among the possible destinations. Many Vietnam veterans find the journey back therapeutic.

“They may be suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, depression, PTSD, cognitive decline, isolation – any number of those indications, doctors and clinicians can now prescribe Mynd for those veterans, and it’s a major breakthrough,” Mynd Immersive co-founder and CEO Chris Brickler said.

The technology is now in more than 100 state veteran homes and Veterans Affairs medical centers, bringing the world back to those who served around the globe.

At Long Island State Veterans Home, the program is made possible in part thanks to a private grant.

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 Cheryl Fiandaca

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Julie Peterson was the heart of her family. Her daughter, Kristen Forte, said she loved everyone and had the best laugh.

Peterson died of cancer on January 11, 2022. She was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury and was to be laid to rest in the same plot with her younger brother who died when he was a child.

Four years later, on January 11, 2026, Forte visited her mother’s grave and immediately knew something was wrong.

“I walked up and I realized… that her headstone was moved, it wasn’t in the spot. I was shocked. I was really upset,” she told WBZ-TV’s I-Team.

Photos from the burial confirmed exactly where Julie Peterson was buried. Forte later learned that while her mother’s headstone was moved, her body was not. Peterson was left buried in another family’s plot.

“She’s still there where her headstone (was),” said Forte. “The ground was never dug up. You can see the mud on the ground now, so we know she was not moved.”

The family said St. Joseph Cemetery never notified them of the mistake. They discovered it on their own.

“I think the whole situation is terrible,” said Julie Peterson’s sister Susan. “I feel like they tried to cover this up.”

“She’s supposed to be resting in peace. How is that going to happen to now? It’s been four years. We grieve every day. We will be here when she gets moved, but how is she supposed to rest in peace when you’re going to have to move her,” said Forte.

The I-Team reached out to St. Joseph, which is owned by the Holyhood Cemetery Association, a private non-sectarian organization. In a statement the association told WBZ:

Out of deep respect for those interred at our cemetery and for their families, we do not comment publicly on matters regarding any individual burial. Our longstanding policy is to communicate directly and privately with families concerning any issues related to their loved ones.

Julie Peterson was finally moved to her final resting place a few weeks ago. Her family held a private service for the exhumation.

“We want our story to be heard. We don’t want anyone else to have to go through this,” said Susan Peterson.

“We all miss her and this is just bringing up emotions that we’ve had but they’re coming back,” Forte said.

The I-Team also reached out to the Massachusetts Cemetery Association (MCA), a volunteer association of public, private and religious cemeteries across the state that focuses primarily on education and advocacy concerning cemeteries.

MCA is not a regulatory entity, nor does it have any oversight capabilities, and it does not keep data or records regarding consumer complaints. The organization’s spokesman, Guy Glodis, sent this statement to WBZ:

“As the legislative agent for the MCA, I can count on one hand how many plot or cemetery mix ups have occurred over the last decade or two. Cemeteries are not immune from mistakes, like any other industry from Aviation to Healthcare, mistakes are made. However, there is a significant scarcity of mistakes within the cemetery profession. According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) cemeteries have the lowest complaint rate of any industry tracked (less than 1%) and according to the CCSC (Cemetery Consumer Service Council) there is an average of 50 complaints annually, on a national level (average of one per state), with over 70,000 burials in Massachusetts every year, that makes for an outstanding track record.”

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 Logan Hall

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Dozens gathered in front of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square for a weekly rally in support of the war in Iran.

“We could be doing a thousand other things, but we have been waiting for this day for a week,” said Saeid Gholami.

The conflict began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel began a military operation and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has continued with President Trump saying that Iran will be “hit very hard,” and called for the country’s “unconditional surrender.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Trump’s request was “a dream that they should take to their grave.”

Rally-goers said that it was important for them to gather and thank the U.S. for their help, especially after six U.S. service members have been killed in the conflict. The service members were transferred back to the U.S. on Saturday.

“We are here to honor the brave American soldiers,” one woman said.

“I don’t see this as a war. This is a rescue mission of 90 million Iranian people from this terrorist regime,” Mahan Abdollahinajneon said.

Gholami said that his family back home is celebrating despite the ongoing dangers in the country.

“They are grateful to the U.S. army and the U.S. president for helping them,” Gholami said.

People gathered said that they hope to see a free and democratic Iran within the next five years.

“We ask U.S.A., Israel to hear our voice. We want Iran to be free,” Abdollahinajneon said. “Let us have this democratic government and let the people of Iran be free once and for all.”

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.