Author: CNN Newsource

By Jenna DeAngelis

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A Long Island woman has been charged after officials say more than 100 cats were rescued from deplorable conditions at her West Islip home.

The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called several animal rescue groups for assistance Tuesday after receiving an anonymous tip.

When the groups arrived at the Patricia Avenue home, they found about 100 cats inside the house and in a backyard structure.

“Everywhere you looked, there was just cats,” said Renee Kraft, founder of Save a Stray Rescue. “The smell hits you first before you even get into the house. It was gross.”

“The conditions were absolutely horrific. They were living in their own feces,” said Frankie Floridia, with Strong Island Animal Rescue League. “Just absolute filth.”

“You just seen all these animals, and they were just crying, coming up, like begging us to take them,” said Doreen Simonson, with Last Hope Animal Rescue. “It was like they knew, you know, that here’s help, it’s on the way.”

“This is a horrible situation, and I’m glad that these cats will get a second chance on life,” Floridia said. “And we’ll keep on rescuing on, to keep these animals safe and in good hands.”

Last Hope Animal Rescue is now caring for 32 of the cats.

“Right now, we’re just trying to make them all comfortable to let them know they’re safe,” Simonson said.

Paws Unite People, a rehabilitation facility, took in 22 cats. Eight are currently at its facility, and the rest are in foster care. Save a Stray Rescue currently has six kittens from the home, and North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue took 11 cats, which volunteers are fostering.

The rescue groups said some of the cats have health problems – like respiratory infections, skin and eye conditions, fleas and matting – so the next step is for each cat to see a vet. Once they have been checked out, they should be up for adoption within the next few weeks.

“They will have a happy ending,” Simonson said.

The SPCA said the conditions inside the home were the result of a breeding operation.

“Ultimately, we need to educate people why it’s important to rescue from small rescues and shelters,” said Virginia Scudder, with the North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue. “When we support breeders like this, we’re basically giving them the OK to continue this.”

A neighbor told CBS News New York he had no idea what was happening inside the home.

“Happy someone actually did something about it, that it’s no longer here,” he said.

Grace Etzelsberger, 66, has been charged with animal neglect, and the house has been condemned.

Officials said Etzelsberger also goes by the name Grace Rovtar, and they’re looking into if she was licensed to breed the cats. She’s due in court in February.

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) — Swastikas were found painted all over a playground in Borough Park, Brooklyn, twice this week.

Local officials and community members are condemning the antisemitic vandalism.

On Monday evening, police say about 16 swastikas were found painted in the playground area of Gravesend Park, located at 56th Street and 18th Avenue.

Just over 36 hours later, police say nearly 60 swastikas and other antisemitic language were found painted on a slide, a wall at the handball court, and on the sidewalk.

Crews spent hours washing it all away Wednesday.

There are no cameras in the park, but community board members believe surveillance video from other cameras in the area may show the culprit or culprits.

Police said the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.

In a post on X, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, “I am sickened by this antisemitic vandalism in Borough Park. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish New Yorkers who were targeted. My administration is working closely with the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force as well as our Parks Department, and those responsible will be investigated and held accountable.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote in a post on X, “A depraved act of antisemitism. In a children’s playground where our kids should feel safe and have fun. There is no excuse. There is zero tolerance. I’ve directed the New York State Hate Crimes Task Force to offer assistance to the NYPD in identifying those responsible.”

Community members told CBS News New York they are heartbroken by how common antisemitic incidents have become.

“This is absolutely uncalled for,” one mother said. “Our community is very welcoming, very open to every race, every type, and we are very insulted.”

“My initial reaction is sadness,” said Barry Spitzer, district manager of Community Board 12. “We’re way past being angry, being mad. It’s sadness that it’s come to this, that stuff like this has been normalized.”

“What it feels like is like, here it comes all over again,” Rabbi Edgar Gluck said.

Gluck lost most of his family in the Holocaust. His immediate family fled Nazi Germany in 1938, and he’s lived in Borough Park for 60 years. He said these antisemitic incidents have been extremely painful.

“This happens to be a very Orthodox Jewish area, and they know if they hit here, it will hit the Jewish community all over,” Gluck said.

Members of the Brooklyn community say these incidents will not stop them from coming to the park, as they always have.

“We get up, and we continue with our lives, and we hope and pray that these incidents stop happening,” Spitzer 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 Abby Dodge

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WFOR) — Fort Lauderdale police are searching for a young boy seen on video killing a duck in a resident’s yard this week, an incident investigators are treating as an animal cruelty case.

Neighbors say the area is usually filled with ducks, but the neighborhood has grown noticeably quieter since the attack.

Police released surveillance video showing two children running toward a duck in the 300 block of Southwest 8th Avenue on Sunday. One child chases the duck, catches it, and stomps on it repeatedly. CBS News Miami counted seven stomps in the footage.

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying the child. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

A man who lives nearby said he had not seen the video before and was horrified by what it showed.

“I think the kid maybe has been abused or something. Because of that, they need to look into who the parents are,” said Jett, who lives in the area. “I think that’s the most important thing because, I don’t know, I think maybe he has seen something that has caused a lot of trauma for him to be capable of doing something like that, that’s, I have no words. I don’t even know what to say. That’s terrible.”

Anyone who recognizes the child or the child’s family is asked to contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Animal Cruelty Unit or Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493‑TIPS. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

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 James Taylor, CBS13 Photojournalist

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — A beloved building in north Sacramento is getting some new recognition. The distinctive design catches the eye of thousands of people passing by each day.

It looks right out of the space race, with prominent triangular canopies pointing towards the stars. Now there’s a new effort to preserve an old Orbit gas station.

“It has a futuristic design. That parabolic roof is so unique,” said Sean de Courcy, a preservation director for the City of Sacramento.

The building on Northgate Boulevard near Garden Highway dates back to 1963. It’s one of the few structures still standing in Sacramento with this unusual Googie architectural style.

“It says, ‘Look, here I am. If you need gas, here’s where you get it,’ ” said William Burg, president of Preservation Sacramento.

After the Orbit brand went out of business, the property was used as an auto sales lot, but neighbors say it’s been vacant and fenced off for months.

Many people now want to see it saved.

“To have that go away would be a disservice to our community,” said Marbella Sala, president of the Gardenland Northgate Neighborhood Association.

Now, the city is taking the first steps to list this property as a local historical landmark.

“There is a lot about this building that is worth saving, especially that parabolic roof,” de Courcy said.

The city’s preservation commission has unanimously voted to recommend placing it on the local register of historic resources.

Being listed makes the property eligible for grants and tax breaks and makes it more difficult to be demolished.

Some people in the Gardenland neighborhood hope it’s reopened as a community gathering spot.

“I would like to see a coffee shop where people can sit and eat,” Sala said.

A blast from the past is now on a journey towards a new future.

“I hope that this Orbit station continues to have many more years of usefulness ahead of it,” said Ella Cross, the Sacramento preservation commissioner.

The recommendation now goes to the full city council for a vote. The entrance to the Sacramento Zoo also has a similar architectural design and it’s also listed on Sacramento’s historical register.

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 Monique John

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — A Conyers woman is celebrating her mother’s memory in a special way.

Sham Redmond says “Family Feud” was her late mother’s favorite show. So her family appeared as contestants to celebrate her legacy.

Redmond and her family, the grief is still present. In 2021, her mother, Eva Peele Speller, died from COVID-19. She says doing her mom’s favorite things, like giving away bags of food to help others, eases the pain.

“This is something that my mom always did, and we just wanted to keep the tradition going,” Redmond said.

Another one of her mother’s favorite things was watching “Family Feud.” She always wanted to be on the show, so Redmond and her family appeared in her honor.

“I kind of feel bad that I forgot. And I kind of was like, ‘You really didn’t do this.’ And so last year, I said, ‘I’m going to go back and apply,'” Redmond said.

Kanishia Peele shared a deep bond with her grandmother. She often found her watching the show in her rocking chair.

“Being on her favorite show, it feels like everything is coming full circle,” Peele said.

Another thing keeping the family matriarch’s memory alive is her Bible.

Redmond found a surprise inside when she opened it, a note written just days before Speller died in the hospital.

“Gonna keep on calling His name through sickness and pain because I believe one day…,” Redmond read.

“…He will answer my call,” Peele said, finishing the sentence.

Redmond and her loved ones were already close. The experience, she says, brought them even closer. The family says they can feel Speller watching down on them.

“You may not have talked to her every day, but you knew she loved you. You may not have heard her say ‘I love you’ every day, but you knew she loved you,” Redmond said. “And there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for us, for grandkids, for children. Just for family. For friends, for people. She was just that person.”

You’ll be able to see how the Peele family does on a new episode of “Family Feud” on Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. on CBS Atlanta.

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 Penny Kmitt

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    FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Massachusetts man was reunited with the first responders who saved his life last month when a massive tree slammed onto his car, trapping him inside and leaving him seriously injured.

With his arm in a sling, neck in a brace, and gratitude in his heart, Eric Freeman helped honor those Framingham first responders on Wednesday along with Massachusetts Sen. President Karen Spilka during a small ceremony at the fire station.

“This could have been a very different outcome but we are here surrounded by Framingham’s finest,” Spilka said. “It was a random, freak accident that was just very unfortunate. Because of those that came, the public safety, because of their expertise, their fast action, their compassion, and knowing exactly what to do during this very difficult time helped save Eric.”

The 67-year-old Freeman was driving through Framingham on an early December night when a pine tree suddenly came crashing down. The tree crushed Freeman’s Audi and nearly killed him.

“I was driving along and all of the sudden my head was on the center console of the car, and I was looking out through my moon roof,” he said. “It took a while before I could finally say ‘Help!’ and put some volume into it which was scary.”

Freeman said it was the epitome of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the right people at the right time is what saved his life.

“I just shook his hand. I can’t believe he’s standing,” Brewster paramedic Don Avery said.

Avery was on his way to a different call when he happened to come across the scene.

“I didn’t expect to see anybody alive,” Avery said. “The center part of the tree, we were able to get that off with some bystanders.”

Freeman said he doesn’t remember much. But he does remember the sirens, and people helping.

“It gives me a lot of appreciation for civilization, community,” he said. “It’s a lot of people working together. It’s delightful.”

Though Freeman said his recovery has been slow and frustrating, he added that he feels fortunate to be alive. He has a plate screwed into his skull and a bar that goes down into his spine.

Today, Freeman and his wife Kathleen say they have a new appreciation for life, and the community around them.

“It’s nice to hear the different accounts from the first responders and understanding how this all came together and worked so well,” Kathleen said.

Eric is an avid skier and hiker, two activities now on hold as he still faces a long road to recovery.

“Skiing, going back and letting Wildcat know whose boss,” he said. “I may not be able to do what I did before. But hopefully I’ll still be able to hit the mountains hard.”

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By Laura French

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    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — Nadia Ross remembers her younger brother Princeo Brooks as someone who was “always smiling.”

The 42-year-old loved his music, his family and above all, his 10-year-old son Kendrick.

“His only son, his world, like Kendrick, is his world to him,” Ross said. “All he looked forward to was doing his time and coming home, and all he kept talking about was reuniting with his son and getting on his feet so that he can get his son.”

Brooks was serving time at Greensville Correctional Center for assault and battery, grand larceny and shoplifting.

His family said he was scheduled to be released in 2026. Instead, he was just laid to rest after his 10-year-old son bid the final farewell.

Brooks was found unresponsive November 11 with his cellmate on top of him after an “apparent attack,” according to the Virginia Department of Corrections.

Sources exclusively told CBS 6 that cellmate was Nickolaus Brown, convicted in Southwest Virginia of attempted capital murder, attempted robbery and use of a firearm in those crimes. According to VADOC records Brown is now at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County.

Brown and Brooks were housed in the general population.

Sources said that after the alleged attack, Brown was talking to himself and stated that Brooks “didn’t know he deserved it.”

Sources described the attack as “brutal” and said it may have been prevented had the facility been properly staffed that evening.

According to a State Inspector General report conducted in July 2025, Greensville’s staffing has a vacancy rate of close to 50%.

At the time of Brooks’s death, sources said most security posts were left vacant in the evening because non-security staff were having to assist with rounds and checking on inmates during the day.

“It’s reasonable to understand that there may be situations that happen in prison, like fights or disagreements, that happens in life, that can happen even not in prison, but you don’t expect death,” Ross said through tears. “You don’t expect that.”

University of Virginia Professor Gerard Robinson is a professor of practice in public policy and law at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and School of Law. He teaches a course called “Inside US Prisons.” The former Secretary of Education under Governor Bob McDonnell said the understaffing problem extends beyond Virginia.

“The problem of understaffing in prisons is not endemic to just Virginia. It’s nationwide,” Robinson said. “The largest state agency in Virginia is the Department of Corrections, approximately 11,000 employees. And so for a public institution to have that many employees and the millions of dollars we invest on face value, you would think, well, we should have enough money to pay people.”

Robinson said correctional officers make less than they probably should for the work they do, but noted that money alone isn’t the only issue.

“The suicide rate for American correctional officers is higher than the suicide rate for American police, then we realize we have a correctional problem,” Robinson said. “Professional development, mental and social health and support for correctional officers is needed, because even though they leave prison, they bring that home to their families.”

Brooks’s passing brings the total number of Greensville inmate deaths in the last three years to 68. According to the Inspector General report, about half died at the facility and the other half at local hospitals. Thirty-five percent of those deaths happened last year alone, and in two-thirds of those cases, the cause is still pending.

“You would think that the prison has certain protocols in place to protect the people in there, and they failed him,” Ross said. “They failed him. My next step is making sure this doesn’t happen to another family.”

Robinson suggests focusing on implementing existing laws and regulations rather than creating new ones, talking to formerly incarcerated people about their experiences, and interviewing outgoing leaders who may now be more willing to discuss barriers they faced.

“People do make mistakes in life. I’m not taking away from that. He never took away from that,” Ross said. “However, when a loved one goes to prison and they’re sentenced to a certain amount of time, you expect to see them again. You expect, he was on his way home.”

Brooks’s family said the Virginia Department of Corrections notified them of his passing but would not answer any questions about how he died.

They said they found out it was an alleged attack through media reports.

I reached out to the Virginia Department of Corrections for comment and as of this publication CBS 6 has not received a statement.

The Virginia Department of Corrections provided the following statement on alleged staffing shortages November 12:

“The security of VADOC facilities and the safety of our corrections team and inmate population remains our agency’s top priority. Staffing is a concern not just for the VADOC. Correctional systems and jails across the United States are experiencing staffing shortages. The Department aggressively recruits security and non-security candidates and utilizes new corrections technologies to help ensure safety and security.”

Robinson said there are two things Governor Spanberger can do. The first he said is to signal human dignity in prisons.

“Why the term human dignity? It’s a term that’s used internationally to talk about how we should treat people who are incarcerated. So, she’s at least extending this to a broader national and international conversation. And the number two is to lead by example,” he said.

He said Governor McDonnell did this by visiting inmates in prison because he said he was their governor too.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Cameron Thompson

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    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — The Virginia State Senate is moving forward with legislation aimed at improving the independence of Virginians with visual impairments.

The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill Tuesday to allow a tax credit of up to $50,000 for Virginia-based companies to create a program that could put braille lettering on packages they ship to customers.

18-year-old Tate Jordan proposed the idea to his legislator, Sen. Danica Roem (D-Prince William), last year. He created an example of what a package label looks like to him, and one with braille letters to show the challenges about 184,000 Virginians like him face.

“For many blind people, they can’t independently look at their mail or look at the packages they receive and tell independently what that text says, who it’s addressed to, the address,” Jordan said. “I’ve heard horror stories from blind people who have packages sent to giant shipping rooms in their apartments where they’ll spend hours looking for a package.”

“If you are blind, visually-impaired, you’re online, you can click a little box that says ‘Send the label in braille,’ and then they can print it off and go do that,” Roem said.

The legislation now moves to the full Senate for a vote.

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By Emma Romano

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    STUART, Florida (WPTV) — Two Jacksonville women were arrested Tuesday night after authorities said they stole hundreds of cans of baby formula valued at around $8,000 during a multi-stop theft spree in Martin County.

Summer Bryant, 36, and Andrea Williams, 38, were taken into custody after detectives and road patrol deputies caught them leaving a Walgreens at Salerno Road and Kanner Highway with bags of stolen merchandise, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

The crime spree began in the City of Stuart, where Stuart Police received reports of two suspicious women who suddenly left a retail store without paying for items. That alert was passed along to Martin County deputies, who quickly began searching for the suspects’ vehicle.

Deputies located the car outside the Walgreens. When they approached, detectives spotted Bryant and Williams exiting the store with bags stuffed full of baby formula. A search of their vehicle revealed even more stolen formula, totaling about 160 cans.

Baby formula theft has become an increasingly common offense across Florida and the nation due to the product’s high resale value and strong demand, often leading thieves to target multiple stores across several jurisdictions in a short period of time.

Both Bryant and Williams were arrested, transported to the Martin County Jail, and charged with multiple offenses. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing to determine whether the suspects are tied to other similar thefts in the area.

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