Month: May 2026

By Siafa Lewis

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    BOOTHWYN, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Earlier this year, Boothwyn Elementary School physical education teacher Scott Messick was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of appendix cancer. Following surgery and innovative treatment, however, Messick is on the mend.

On Friday morning, the Philadelphia Phillies surprised and honored the beloved Delaware County teacher during a special event at the school.

“I was told I was coming in to turn a computer in,” Messick said.

That’s how they got Messick at the school for a pep rally, joined by his wife and their two kids. The phys ed teacher was honored ahead of teacher appreciation night at Citizens Bank Park when the Phillies host Colorado.

“Definitely was shocked by this, but just seeing the kids is absolutely amazing. I miss them so much,” Messick said.

The party continued with an appearance by the Phillie Phanatic. Messick was gifted a personalized jersey and a replica Liberty Bell, and his kids got to throw ceremonial first pitches.

“I’ve been to a lot of assemblies here. I can’t think of one that was this loud before, so the support of the students and the teachers here … It’s just been amazing,” Messick said. “We’re lifelong Phillies fans, like I said, Phille Phanatic came to our wedding. I think my first official date with my wife was a Phillies game, actually, probably the first three were Phillies games.”

Messick and his wife, Jackie Messick, could not express their gratitude for the support of the school community.

“It’s just unbelievable what they do for him, I can’t put into words how thankful my family and I are,” Jackie Messick said.

Scott Messick will be one of nine local all-star teachers honored prior to Friday’s Phillies-Rockies game. He hopes to return to teaching and coaching by Sept. 1.

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 Joe Holden

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    CHESTER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Graduation vibes and pomp and circumstance are in the air around West Chester University in Pennsylvania. The university campus is in full bloom. There are the sounds of spring and thoughts of moving along.

This weekend, mother and daughter Jasmine Worrell and Zayla Dutton will be awarded their diplomas together.

This mother-daughter team has been in school together for a while, with mom working at Dutton’s high school while she attended. Then they became a package deal at West Chester, with mom working in admissions.

“I decided to apply for a job here, and then she got accepted,” Worrell said.

Worrell first started working in admissions and then became a student. She will graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, as well as minors in psychology and women and gender studies. Dutton is a double major, having studied biochemistry and chemistry. She hopes to continue her studies and eventually get a doctorate in inorganic chemistry.

This relationship reveals mother and daughter are the best of friends and have a built-in support system.

“There were so many times where I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m going to fail this class, Mom,'” Dutton said. “And she’s like, ‘No, you’re not.'”

“I’m just really proud of you,” Worrell said. “You’re a hard worker.”

While they’ll go different ways from here, these Rams will always have their shared college memories.

“I actually found my family,” Dutton said. “I don’t want to leave, I don’t want to close this door. But unfortunately, we have to grow up.”

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 Madeleine Wright

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    DOWNINGTON, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A Chester County, Pennsylvania, man is back home with his family after spending more than eight months in ICE detention.

Supporters of Carlos Della Valle spent months rallying and writing letters to immigration officials, urging them to release him. Now the Downingtown resident is sharing what it feels like to finally be home and why uncertainty still hangs over his future.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Carlos Della Valle said about being home. “You know, it’s so many months and it just didn’t seem like it was going to happen.”

Supporters lined the street outside his Downingtown home on Wednesday, cheering as he returned from a detention center in Louisiana. The 49-year-old said it still feels surreal to be back in Chester County after 258 days in ICE custody.

Della Valle, whose wife and son are U.S. citizens, has lived in Chester County for nearly 30 years. He said he came to the United States from Guerrero, Mexico, at age 20 after fleeing cartel violence.

“I was afraid for my life,” he said.

At age 21, Della Valle said, he was detained and sent back to the Mexican border, but he was never formally deported.

During a trial in August 2025, a jury acquitted him of illegally re-entering the country. Despite the verdict, he was taken into ICE custody because he does not have legal status in the United States.

Carlos Della Valle was released from ICE custody last week but said he still worries about what comes next.

“They tried to deport me twice, so what’s to stop that from happening again?” he said.

Carlos Della Valle said he now has weekly check-ins with ICE and is working with an attorney to get a work permit so he can return to his job as a plant manager at a small adhesive company.

His wife, Angela Della Valle, said the family’s experience pushed her to become more involved in immigration reform efforts.

“The Dignity Act that’s been authored by Congresswoman Maria Salazar is a very, very powerful piece of legislation,” Angela Della Valle said. “It would allow Carlos to stay since he’s linked to a U.S. citizen wife. It would allow him to work.”

For now, Angela Della Valle said she’s focused on appreciating the moments they missed during his time in detention.

“It’s amazing being together again and even more powerful to be able to come back together home,” Angela Della Valle said.

Since returning home, Carlos Della Valle said he has been reconnecting with friends and recently attended a Phillies game with his family.

“We loved being there,” he said.

Central Presbyterian Church in Downingtown is hosting a “Welcome Home Carlos” open house Saturday night to celebrate Carlos Della Valle’s release.

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 Ross DiMattei, Jim McHugh

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Middle school students lit up the Philadelphia skyline Friday night with video games they designed themselves as part of Philly Tech Week and the America 250 celebration.

Drexel University transformed the Cira Centre into what organizers called the world’s largest playable video game display, projecting student-created games onto the building’s 29-story LED wall overlooking Schuylkill Yards in University City.

The games were developed through the Skyscraper Games project, organized by the nonprofit Young Futures. Students learned coding and game design while creating games for a virtual model of the Cira Centre.

“I think it’s going to be really fun to see how the game I made in a studio would be projected up there,” student designer Jake Lee said.

For many students, the project offered their first experience with coding.

“It was confusing, all the coding and stuff,” student designer Jessie Lee said. “It was my first time getting used to it.”

Drexel University’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio helped transform the students’ creations into fully playable games displayed across the skyscraper-sized screen.

“We get to take the creativity of these wonderful young people and put them up on a gigantic canvas,” said Erin Truesdell, an assistant professor of informatics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. “Today’s really a culmination and a celebration of that. We’ve got four wonderful student games that we’ll be showing tonight, in addition to, of course, the classic skyscraper Tetris.”

Dozens of people gathered in Drexel Square to watch and play the games, including several members of Philadelphia City Council.

Frank Lee, a Drexel University professor of digital media known for creating the original skyscraper-sized Tetris display more than a decade ago, said the project is designed to inspire students to pursue careers in technology and computing.

“This is part motivation for them to become excited to then pursue, hopefully, a computing-related field in college, as well as then move on and go on to a computing field as part of their work,” Lee said.

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 Mike Sullivan

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    BROCKTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Inside Brockton High School, dozens of teens are learning how to offer mental health support to their classmates.

The students are “under a lot of different stressors” in the age of social media, according to Brockton Schools’ director of health and wellness, Dennis Genuich. Whether it be online feuds, arguments, growing expectations, or a mental health diagnosis.

“Conflict is a big thing in high school,” said student Darlie Gregoire.

The group of 40 students, called the “First-Aiders,” is trained in conflict resolution, mediation, and mental health. They even received a certification in March from the mental health education group Pinnacle Partnerships.

Part of the training includes role-playing sessions where they learn how to mediate discussions and approach their peers if they think they may be struggling with self-harm, eating disorders, depression, or bullying. The simulations also include how to deal with inter-peer conflicts, such as disagreements about a crush and betrayal.

Genuich said students are often more aware of the goings-on than they are, and other students feel more comfortable speaking with their peers than with an adult.

“We are connected in a way before the adults can come,” said Gregoire. “It does give us an advantage.”

“Some of the students who seemingly have it all together and you wouldn’t notice that they are having any difficulty. Those are the students reaching out for help, and they reach out primarily to their peers,” Genuich said.

One student, Princess Adedyon, has already put the skills to use, helping a friend in a crisis. She explained that her approach includes an action plan to help students resolve conflicts.

“Instead of me dismissing it, I talked to her, and then we both decided as a collective that it would be good for us to find one of her trusted adults,” Princess explained.

She explained that they don’t directly tell the students how to solve the problem, but they provide pathways for their peers to get help.

“Anyone should never be afraid to reach out to someone,” Adedyon explained.

Sometimes the situations are tense and nerve-wracking, and she has to remind herself she’s trained for them.

“I think I do take a breath and I tell myself that it’s okay. I am trained in this, I know what I am doing,” said Adedyon.

Genuich explained that the goal is to double the number of trained students by expanding the training to all of the health classes next year.

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 Paul Burton

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    PAXTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The 2026 graduating class of Anna Marie College in Paxton said it was bittersweet to cross the stage at commencement on Saturday, knowing they would be the last to receive a degree from the school.

“Feels amazing. A lot of trials and tribulations. A very hard warming journey, but we made it, and we are the last class, so it felt even all the more of an accomplishment,” Jason Feliciano said.

“I’m happy, but at the same time I am sad because this is our home, and if it’s closing, we need to find another place,” graduate Elizabeth Ansah said.

Back in April, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education issued a notice saying that Anna Maria may not have “sufficient resources” to stay open through the next academic year. Then, the private Catholic college announced it would close for good after serving the community for over 80 years, citing financial pressure and declining enrollment.

“It’s sad, it’s a nicer rural community,” parent Christian Manuilow said. “I really think this is a beautiful day to celebrate all that this school has offered for the past 80 years.”

Around 1400 undergraduates will now have to find a new place to go to school. Regis College in Weston has said it will accept students who want to transfer. Regis will also hold all transcripts, degree certificates, and other important academic records for Anna Maria alumni. Feliciano said that students need to overcome the setback and continue their education however they can.

“To be a role model for other youth that no matter what comes your way you just gotta get up and keep going,” he explained.

New graduates feel confident that, despite the school’s closure, the community will remain.

“I think we are still going to be a family. We can still communicate, but we will miss each other,” Ansah said.

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 Mike Hellgren

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore City police are investigating the rape of a developmentally disabled woman, which was not discovered until just weeks before she gave birth in December 2024.

The victim’s family is suing the state along with the operator of the group home where the victim lived at the time.

The victim could not give consent.

She is blind and non-verbal and has the cognitive ability of a toddler, according to the lawsuit, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

The allegations in the lawsuit are shocking: a developmentally disabled woman who received around-the-clock care was raped, and it was not discovered until she was taken to Sinai Hospital in Northwest Baltimore in the fall of 2024 with abdominal swelling and pain.

Doctors there confirmed she was pregnant and contacted Baltimore police.

A police spokesman told WJZ Investigates, “This investigation remains actively open, and we still can’t comment any further.”

No arrests have been made.

The victim later gave birth to a healthy child.

Jessica Gallatin of Cecil County cares for her own developmentally disabled sister and read the family’s detailed account when it was first published in The Washington Post this week.

“I instantly just thought of my sister, and then I cried. It took me a second to get my composure…” said Gallatin, who is a member of the advocacy group Concerned Citizens of Self-Direction Maryland. “It was devastating to hear. It’s definitely a worst fear situation.”

Compounding her fears are state budget cuts that she said are pushing more vulnerable people into group home settings.

“Everyone feels exposed, and this story just kind of validated everyone’s concerns,” Gallatin said.

She still has many questions.

“Wasn’t somebody else around? How did that even happen? I’m just trying to picture it. I don’t know. I was at a loss for words trying to think of how something like that can happen,” Gallatin told WJZ.

Elliott Petty, a lawyer representing Dominion Resource Center, the operator of the home where the victim lived at the time, told WJZ, “Dominion Resource Center denies wrongdoing as to [the victim] but expresses its love and support of [the victim] and her family in this difficult circumstance. DRC has worked and will continue to work and cooperate with Baltimore City Police in their investigation.”

A Dominion executive told The Washington Post that six of her staff members have been cleared of wrongdoing, and the company’s legal representative noted the state did not recommend any corrective action after the incident.

The lawsuit also names state agencies, including the Maryland Department of Health, which told WJZ it “…cannot comment on ongoing litigation.”

But the agency stated, “Investigations of complaints regarding services for Marylanders who participate in DDA waiver programs have been and continue to be a priority for the Moore-Miller Administration. The Maryland Department of Health’s goal is to provide a sustainable, accessible, and effective program of meaningful services for Marylanders with disabilities.”

According to the family’s lawsuit, the fact that the pregnancy was not discovered for months, “…is not only outrageous but inconceivable given [the victim’s] evident vulnerabilities and the comprehensive care she was supposed to receive. This claim seeks to hold the Defendants accountable for their inexcusable failure to protect [the victim], resulting in her profound suffering and the birth of her child under traumatic circumstances.”

The family’s lawyer said they are concerned other vulnerable people could be at risk with the rape suspect or suspects at large.

Gallatin shares those fears.

“It’s just unthinkable [to] me that someone is capable of doing that,” she said. “The fact that he’s still out there I think, is really concerning.”

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 Naomi Ruchim

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A woman is mourning the loss of her brother after he was stabbed to death in a random attack in Times Square late Monday night.

According to New York City police sources, the teenage suspect claimed the attack was part of a TikTok trend.

Police say just before 11:30 p.m. Monday, three people approached Leonidas Baez, 39, on West 43rd Street while he appeared to be sleeping.

Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows the group waking him up before one of the suspects chased him into an alley and stabbed him to death.

Prosecutors say the group ran off, leaving Baez bleeding on the sidewalk.

Jayden Sanchez, 17, was arrested and charged with murder and other offenses, including robbery and assault.

According to police sources, Sanchez told investigators he and his accomplices chose to attack Baez as part of a TikTok trend targeting unhoused individuals or people addicted to drugs.

Police say they are still working to identify his accomplices.

Investigators say Sanchez is also accused of slashing a man near a Midtown newsstand the night before he attacked Baez.

For sister Catalina Baez, the pain is still hard to process.

“I can’t call my brother up. I can’t text my brother,” she said. “I can’t hear my brother’s voice again.”

She described her brother as a free spirit.

“He wasn’t homeless. This is the lifestyle that he wanted to live,” Catalina Baez said. “He was a hippie, you know? He lived a Bob Marley life. Just wanted to be free.”

She said it’s “disgusting” that her brother’s death was allegedly part of a social media trend.

This isn’t the first case of its kind in New York in recent weeks. In late April in Binghamton, five teenagers were charged after police say they beat a man on the street who later died. Investigators in that case say the attack was tied to a similar social media trend.

Catalina Baez saw Sanchez in court Friday and says she’s still trying to understand how someone so young could allegedly do something so violent.

“Obviously, I’m hurt more than anything because why would you take someone who was loved by so many people?” she said.

Catalina Baez said she wants her brother, a father of two, to be remembered for his joy.

“Super happy, really intelligent, loved to study, loved to read,” she said.

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 Nick Caloway

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    JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WCBS) — An iconic New Jersey hot dog stand that’s been in business for nearly 90 years could be getting pushed out for new luxury apartments and a Whole Foods.

The owners of Boulevard Drinks in Jersey City’s Journal Square said new building owners gave them until the end of May to get out, but they’re putting up a fight to avoid closing for good.

The hot dog joint has been an institution for generations of commuters and locals looking for a quick bite in Journal Square Plaza. Some said they’ve been customers for their entire lives.

“I’ll be 80 next year, so that’s how long. It’s been over there since I was a little kid,” a resident named Lorraine said.

“Simple and plain, grilled dogs,” resident Eric Rutledge said. “This is a landmark in Jersey City.”

Developers of the site in Journal Square plan to build a new luxury high-rise, along with around 80 new units of affordable housing and a Whole Foods store, officials said.

Boulevard Drinks’ owners said they have until May 27 to find a new home, even though manager Victor Victoratos said their lease is valid until 2034.

“If it was up to me, we’d stay right where we are. Everybody knows us and they all come to us,” he said.

Boulevard Drinks remains open, for now, and the lines at lunchtime are longer then usual as word gets out about its potential closure.

“They want us out. We’re hoping to get relocated somewhere within the square,” Victoratos said. “We’re gonna fight like hell.”

Mayor James Solomon and Councilman Tom Zuppa said the city is “working with developers and community members to find a path that keeps Boulevard Drinks in the neighborhood.”

“This is bigger than one establishment. As Journal Square continues to grow, this administration is dedicated to ensuring that development deals we negotiate include meaningful protections and opportunities for the local businesses that build this community. Growth should lift the neighborhood — not push out the people and places that define it,” the joint statement said.

Local leaders said they support new development, but not at the expense of neighborhood favorites.

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.