Author: CNN Newsource

By Madison Myers

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    WACO, Texas (KXXV) — A Waco Cinemark is under investigation after multiple moviegoers reported mice inside the theater, including one man who says he was bitten during a film.

“As a movie theater they should have that under control, I don’t see how they let that get out of control,” said Waco resident Mark Uvalle.

Last month, 25 News told you about growing concerns from our neighbors regarding a mice issue at the Waco Cinemark.

“We like going to the movies but as soon as we heard that we were like nah we’re not going until it’s cleared up,” said Uvalle.

Since that story aired, many more viewers have reached out to our 25 News reporter Madison Myers directly, sharing their own experiences — including one man who sent us these photos after he claims a mouse bit his arm during a movie Sunday night.

He says he and several others immediately left the theater after the incident.

He also shared his emergency room paperwork, where doctors prescribed antibiotics for the bite.

Now neighbors tell 25 News they’re traveling elsewhere just to watch their favorite films.

“We actually went to AMC in Temple to watch Wicked. I have two daughters and they love Disney movies so we have been bummed out because it’s down the street from our house but we’ll make that drive because we’re not trying to see any rats,” said Uvalle.

You’ve asked for answers on what the theater is doing about it— so we contacted Cinemark. In a statement they said:

“Given nearby construction, we’ve strengthened our protocols and partnered with specialists to maintain high standards of cleanliness. We’re pleased with the progress and remain committed to delivering an outstanding moviegoing experience for every guest.” – Cinemark

But what will it take for our neighbors to return?

“They have to confirm that the rats are completely gone,” said Uvalle.

The City of Waco Health Department is currently investigating the issue, in a statement they said:

“Waco-McLennan County Public Health District Environmental Health continues to conduct an open and ongoing investigation. The department has performed onsite inspections and maintains direct communication with facility management one to three times per week. Cinemark has made significant progress in addressing the pest concerns, and its pest control provider has reported a substantial reduction in sightings over the past two weeks. Cinemark continues to follow routine disinfection protocols and remains actively engaged in pest abatement and elimination efforts.” – Clare Paul, Sr. Public Information & Communication Specialist, Waco-McLennan County Public Health District

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By Fernanda Silva

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    LIBERTY, Missouri (KSHB) — After finishing his full-time job, Phillip Grace could have gone home to relax with his family.

Instead, he spent hours driving through Liberty’s snow-covered roads with a shovel, helping families he barely knows clear their driveways after the winter storm.

One of the people Grace helped is Gail Spotts.

Spotts has an important doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to go because the snow had covered her driveway.

“If the sun was out, I’d probably get out there and try to shovel, but I would hurt the next day,” Spotts said.

Her hope came from someone she doesn’t even know — his name is Phillip Grace.

“With me being in a wheelchair, when I saw him out shoveling my driveway, I just wanted to come out and say thank you so much,” she said.

Phillip doesn’t meet most of the people he helps. They request assistance via Facebook, and most of the time that’s where he hears “thanks.”

“You’re just an angel that flies in, does good, and then flies away,” Gail said.

Her daughter, Emma Spotts, was the one who asked for his help.

“She’s been dealing with a lot. So just knowing this is done will be a relief for her,” Emma said.

After working his full-time job, instead of going home to spend time with his family and kids, Grace helped 13 families he knows very little about.

Grace had to navigate roads in Liberty to get from place to place. He said overall, road conditions were good.

The City of Liberty told me me they did not pretreat for this storm.

Crews put salt down at the start of the storm and spent hours plowing. They also say they’ll treat the roads tonight for possible refreezing.

“Just helping out anyone in the community that I can,” Grace said. “It never hurts to just offer a helping hand.”

“It gives me faith in humanity,” Spotts said.

Phillip wants to be part of something bigger. He wants to encourage other people to help the elderly and those with mobility issues.

“Everyone has a neighbor. So if we’re willing to help our neighbor, then we should all be able to figure everything out and give everyone a helping hand,” Grace said.

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By Samson Tamijani

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    CLAREMORE, Oklahoma (KJRH) — Rogers County District Attorney’s Office hosted its second annual “Tree of Hope” ceremony and vigil Dec. 2, honoring the surviving family and friends of victims killed in acts of violence.

“This is a building that they came to (where) they had to recount some really hard, really difficult things,” District Attorney Matt Ballard said before the event held inside the Rogers County Courthouse. “And now they get to come back and remember some of the good things. So our goal is to give those families hope, to give them something to look forward to.”

“It’s about remembering the sacrifices, the losses that you have, but it’s also about moving forward to something,” Ballard later told a small crowd of surviving family and friends.

“As we walk away from this place tonight, I hope we are able to join that little bit of bond that holds us together,” Sheriff Scott Walton said to the crowd.

“I think anything positive we can do, and even if it means coming to the place where a lot of it stemmed from – that makes it even better,” Billy Jacobson told 2 News.

Jacobson lost his nine-month-old son, also named Billy, to a murder-suicide in Verdigris in 2023.

Jacobson used his grief to advocate for the Three Angels Bill, which went into effect this September. It revises parental visitation, especially if one has a suicide risk.

“And I have heard from almost everyone that I know that’s involved in the legal side of things that it’s been applied to their cases,” Jacobson said. “They’ve seen it already making change, what from what we know it’s saving kids everywhere.”

Dec. 2 was only the second time Rogers County has hosted Tree of Hope, which is now an annual ceremony.

Jacobson, meanwhile, said his advocacy continues, with even a documentary in the works.

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By Will Thomas

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    GRANDY, North Carolina (WTKR) — The Corolla Wild Horse Fund’s farm in Grandy has a new resident nicknamed Topnotch. The wild horse will now spend the rest of his life on the farm with fellow wild horses that have been relocated — a decision the CWHF says is never easy, but at the end of the day, is where he’ll be safe.

“It’s heartbreaking that he did not get to live out all of his days in the wild as he should have, but on the other hand, now he’s safe, he’s cared for,” said Meg Puckett, director of herd management for the organization.

More than 100 wild horses call the northern Outer Banks home. But for Topnotch, that chapter of his more than 30-year life is now over. For the last five years, he’s grown more and more comfortable with human interaction, specifically when it comes to food.

“It’s something that we had been monitoring for about five years or so, we had started to see that kind of behavior begin to escalate. So it’s not something that’s happened overnight. Now it is very clear that he was very purposely fed food, and he knows what it is. Once that kind of habit starts, it’s very hard to stop. And then the more and more he’s fed, the more people he’s going to approach, whether they have food or not,” said Puckett.

Puckett explains that over the years these interactions have become dangerous for Topnotch and people.

“The issue begins to get especially bad when people don’t have food, they don’t have anything to offer him. He was becoming very defensive, and so rather than moving away, he was trying to get you to move away by kicking, biting, striking out,” said Puckett.

This summer, CWHF was already having conversations about Topnotch’s relocation, but those conversations were accelerated by local resident concerns. The CWHF decided to relocate the horse this fall, and a week ago, Topnotch became the newest resident at the farm.

“When you start to have members of the community come to you and express concerns, at that point, we knew that we were dealing with a very serious situation,” said Puckett.

Puckett feels this is an example of why laws are in place prohibiting people from feeding the horses and the importance of everyone following them for the health and survival of the wild herd.

“Humans are really these horses greatest threat, which is sad, but at the same time, we can fix that. We’re asking people to use this as an example of that, because he shouldn’t have ended up here,” said Puckett.

The CWHF staff has a journey ahead with domesticating Topnotch and making him comfortable. Right now, it’s a week-by-week process.

“Our main goal with him is to keep him comfortable, make sure that he feels secure here, that he starts to trust us, he stops seeing us as any kind of a threat or anything like that, and then to feed him. We have now got him on a diet that’s more appropriate for him, that’s appropriate for a horse’s age, and so that, that’s kind of been our main goal this week. From there, we start with domestication and luckily we can take it slow with him. We can kind of go at his own pace, he can be difficult, he’s got that behavior, and it’s never going to change, and so we have to be very careful with him,” said Puckett.

Puckett says that though this will be a process, the farm is the best and safest place for him to be for the rest of his life.

“He will always be food conditioned and aggressive, that’s never going to change. We are very grateful that we have the resources and the experience to keep him happy and healthy here and safe,” said Puckett.

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By Jeff Hager

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    LAUREL, Maryland (WMAR) — Traveling down the secluded Brock Bridge Road in Laurel a little after 1:00 in the morning, the motorist spotted someone crossing the road on crutches directly in his path.

“The vehicle then stops. The victim obviously doesn’t want to strike the individual,” said Justin Mulcahy of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, “At that point, two people apparently come out of the woods. One armed with some kind of long gun or shotgun. They demanded he get out of the vehicle and start tapping on the vehicle and ultimately forcefully remove him from the vehicle and steal his vehicle.”

The idea that criminals would place one of their own in jeopardy just to set up a potential victim seemed so farfetched that detectives even interviewed the victim a second time with an interpreter just to make sure they hadn’t lost something in translation, since English wasn’t his first language.

“In all my years, I haven’t seen anything like this. It’s very much an anomaly, an outlier, very bizarre scenario,” added Mulcahy, “Our crime is down pretty much across the board this year. Carjackings as well. Don’t remember something like this.”

Police say they discovered the victim’s vehicle the following day where it had been abandoned just over the line in Prince George’s County where it also had been crashed.

At this point, police are checking with surrounding jurisdictions to see if the same carjackers may have used the same clutch ploy to pull off similar crimes in the region.

If you have any information, which could help detectives, you can call them at 410-222-4730.

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By Ryan Dickstein

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    ASHLAND, Virginia (WMAR) — An ABC liquor store was ransacked in Ashland, Virginia on Saturday.

But, this wasn’t your typical burglary.

Turns out a mischievous raccoon got inside and rummaged through the shelves.

A Hanover County Animal Protection officer discovered the furry culprit passed out in the store bathroom.

Officials described the bandit as “very intoxicated.”

Officers were able to get the drunken raccoon out of its slumber and into a shelter to sober up.

“After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild,” the agency said in a Facebook post.

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By Megan Mannering

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    GEORGETOWN, Kentucky (WLEX) — Georgetown Community Hospital dedicated a special pediatric exam room to honor the legacy of Dr. Horace Hambrick, a beloved pediatrician who spent nearly four decades caring for children in Scott County before his death in September.

The dedication ceremony fulfilled a hope Dr. Hambrick expressed in an interview just one month before he died from cancer on September 5th. During that July interview, conducted while the state honored him for vaccine advocacy, Dr. Hambrick shared his vision for the future of pediatric care.

“I hope the legacy is, this will be a place we care about kids, that we do so in an inclusive way, that we make kids feel safe here, and I’m hopeful this is an environment where they can grow up to be the best version of themselves,” Hambrick said.

Dr. David Hoddy, a colleague, reflected on Hambrick’s deep connection to the community during the dedication ceremony.

“One thing about Dr. Hambrick, he loved being a pediatrician and he also loved Scott County. He was involved with the college, the board of health, with his church. There aren’t a lot of places in Scott County that don’t have his handprints on them, and the hospital is one of those,” Hoddy said.

After 39 years in medicine, the dedicated exam room serves as a lasting tribute to Hambrick’s compassionate care. The space features flags representing his 19 medical mission trips and artwork celebrating inclusive care for children. Unlike typical clinical spaces, the room feels warm and hopeful.

Tracey Evans, emergency services director at the hospital, emphasized how the room captures Hambrick’s spirit.

“One of things that stood out to me was his smile, his smile warmed your heart, so I hope this will do the same when kiddos come through this room,” Evans said.

Willow Hambrick, the doctor’s wife, attended the dedication with their children. She expressed hope that the room would provide comfort to future young patients.

“I hope it brings calm and solace and I hope they see animals and sunshine and people holding hands and diversity. I hope they feel like there’s hope for them because healing will happen in this room,” Willow said.

For the Hambrick family, now scattered around the world, the dedication provides both comfort during their grief and a permanent connection to Scott County.

“We are being held by all of the tender mercies this whole community has offered us, but I have to say, it’s the most heartwrenching experience we’ve gone through as a family,” Willow said.

Taking in the colorful mural, she added, “It’s a beautiful way to honor the legacy of his healing touch here. His spirit will definitely be in this space.”

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By Joe Brandt

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    Delaware (KYW) — A Delaware man is in custody and facing federal charges after several guns were found in his home, along with apparent plans to attack the University of Delaware Police Department, prosecutors and federal court documents say.

Luqmaan Khan, 25, was charged last Wednesday with illegally possessing a machine gun, Acting U.S. Attorney Julianne Murray announced in a news release.

Khan, a University of Delaware student, allegedly drew up the layout of a UD police station and made comments to investigators about martyrdom, according to Murray and court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington.

Authorities say Khan was stopped by New Castle County police officers late on the night of Monday, Nov. 24. The officers were in Canby Park West when they spotted a white Toyota Tacoma truck and stopped the vehicle.

Khan was inside the truck and did not comply with officers’ orders to exit the truck. He was then taken into custody for resisting arrest, Murray said.

“This is a very shocking stop. This is not a routine stop,” Newcastle County Police Master Cpl. Richard Chambers said. “This is a classic example of ‘what they thought was just a person in the park after dark’, which we deal with a lot, and this so happened to be a possible shooter of some sort.”

Inside the truck, officers found a .357 Glock handgun with a stabilizing brace kit attached, along with more magazines and an armored ballistic plate, and a composition notebook.

In the notebook, there were notes about more weapons and how they could be used to attack the University of Delaware Police Department.

“The notebook referenced a member of the University of Delaware’s Police Department by name, and included a layout of a building with entry and exit points under which the words ‘UD Police Station’ were printed,” Murray said.

Khan also referenced “martyrdom” in the notebook and stated in an interview with police following his arrest that being a martyr is “one of the greatest things you can do,” and was a goal of his, the affidavit alleges.

University of Delaware Interim President Laura Carlson addressed the charges against Khan in a statement to the university community Tuesday.

Carlson identified Khan as an undergraduate student and said he has been temporarily separated from the university and banned from campus until his legal matters are resolved.

“There are no known or immediate threats to the University of Delaware community. However, the press release describes evidence of a plan that targeted the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD). This is frightening to all of us,” Carlson wrote. “The press release contains relevant information about the timeline and the actions of the New Castle County Police, the FBI, the Department of Justice and UDPD. I am incredibly grateful to these teams for their diligent investigation and coordination.”

The FBI and New Castle County police obtained a search warrant and searched Khan’s home in Wilmington on Nov. 25. The search turned up another Glock handgun, which was equipped with a “switch,” also referred to as a “Glock switch.”

This is a modification that can turn a standard semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic one, according to CBS News Philadelphia’s previous reporting. The court documents referred to the Glock with the switch as a “machine gun.”

A rifle was also found in the home, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in court. There are no weapons registered to Khan in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, the document says.

According to the document, Khan is an American citizen who was born in Pakistan. He has no prior convictions on his record.

Khan is being represented by a federal public defender. Court records show he is in custody pending a detention hearing on Dec. 11, at which time a judge could rule whether to release him on certain conditions or keep him incarcerated until the case is resolved.

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to Khan’s public defender. We have not heard back.

Ross DiMattei contributed to this report.

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By Shelley Bortz

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    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Residents of Rankin woke up on Tuesday to the first snow of the season and the news that the borough has one public works employee who is not certified to operate a snowplow.

Residents said the borough handled the weather better than expected despite the challenges.

“They didn’t do too bad,” resident Marcus Clay said. “It’s better than it was last year. It was a little worse than this last year. They’re trying at least.”

KDKA drove across Rankin to see what the road conditions were like and found roads that were plowed and easy to navigate.

“This is just a little bit of adversity that we’re dealing with, and we’re working through it,” borough council member Walter Sewell said. “We subcontracted to some local businesses so that way we’re able to get the snow removal done quickly and appropriately.”

On some streets, neighbors pitched in by shoveling and salting their own blocks. In a post on Facebook, Mayor Joelisa McDonald acknowledged the staffing issue and assured residents that the borough is looking to secure help.

“We are a small community working with limited resources, and every decision being made is rooted in responsibility, safety, and transparency,” McDonald said. “If you have questions, concerns, or need clarity please reach out directly to your elected council person.”

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