Author: CNN Newsource

By Michael Guise

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    OHIO (KDKA) — Trail cameras in Ohio caught a glimpse of the elusive American badger, sightings of which are rare in the state.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Ohio Division of Wildlife said there have been two recent sightings of American badgers on its trail cameras in Ashland and Sandusky counties.

The Facebook post detailing the sightings included a photo of an American badger with a timestamp of 2:16 a.m. on Dec. 12. The Ohio Division of Wildlife also shared a trail camera video of an American badger with a timestamp of 1:05 a.m. on Oct. 17.

The post went on to say that the animal is known for its “solitary habits and sightings of them are very rare” in the Buckeye State.

If anyone spots an American badger in Ohio, they are asked to report it to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Officials said reports can help them better understand their presence and protect their habitat.

What is an American badger?

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the American badger goes “largely unnoticed in Ohio because of their secretive and nocturnal nature.” The critter, known for its short and stout body, is built to dig to protect itself when alarmed.

“Because of these traits, it is difficult to get an accurate estimation of population size,” officials said.

The badger prefers habitats with short grass, such as fields and pastures. The average adult male weighs about 16 to 24 pounds, while the average adult female weighs about 14 pounds, Ohio officials said.

Earlier this month, a fisher was spotted in Cuyahoga County for the first time since the 1800s. The fisher has had a similar comeback in Pennsylvania.

Also, an “elusive” bobcat was captured on camera at Prairie Oaks Metro Park in November.

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 Ashley Paul

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    ABERDEEN, Maryland (WJZ) — A Maryland man has a fresh new look on life and a holiday to be extra grateful for, thanks to an assist from a kidney donor.

Instead of celebrating the holidays with his wife and children last year, Jeff Deckman was in the hospital, learning that his autoimmune kidney disease, IGA, had progressed, and he was in imminent need of a transplant.

He found a donor after Robin Phelan responded to his wife’s social media plea.

“When you kind of look at that and you think, ‘What could be the immediate future? Could this be the last time that I go to the beach with my children? Is this the last birthday with them?” said Deckman, from Aberdeen, Maryland.

With a transplant list five to seven years long, time wasn’t on his side.

“We spoke with someone who said, ‘Don’t be afraid to ask. Put it out there. People do billboards and t-shirts and social media,'” said Deckman’s wife, Jen. “That kind of ignited it in me because I thought, ‘What’s the alternative?’ I ask for help, which a lot of people don’t like to do, or maybe my husband isn’t here.”

The successful search for a donor

On February 24, 2024, Jen posted a flyer to Facebook, sharing Deckman’s story anywhere she could, including the “This Is Havre De Grace” page.

That’s where Robin Phelan saw it and took action, and found out she was a match for a kidney transplant.

“I opened it, I read it, and I just immediately felt drawn to this family,” Phelan said. “Just Jen’s words of how much she loved her husband, how much he is a family man, I just empathized with that.”

Phelan thought about it for a while, carefully weighing the risks. And, by the time she brought the idea to her husband Kevin, her decision was already made.

“Her comment to me was that this guy needs to see his kids graduate and see all the events in their lives,” Kevin said. “And just that comment sold me on it, and I said, if this is what you want to do, I’m in it all the way.”

They were cleared to proceed after several months of tests, questionnaires, scans, and meetings, along with a few brief messages between Robin and Jen.

“I got a call on a Tuesday in August saying, ‘You have been approved,'” Robin said. “I messaged Jen, and I said, ‘Let’s do this,’ and she said, ‘Please tell me what I think you’re telling me,’ and I said, ‘Yes, we’ve got a date, November 11th.”

Families reunite post-surgery

Seven weeks after the surgery, WJZ was in the Phelans’ living room with the Deckmans, reminiscing about the first time the two families met in person in September 2024 after learning the surgery was approved.

“I was excited. We were meeting for the first time, but at that point we were joined together, and it’s been that way ever since,” Kevin said.

The prognosis is positive for Jeff, for Robin, and for the bond they share.

“I’m physically attached to somebody brand new. I think that bond itself is forever now. It’s hard to describe that feeling that there really is a physical bond to somebody else,” said Jeff.

A new kidney is giving Deckman a future filled with beach days and birthdays he once feared might run out.

And along the way, he was given a new family.

“It feels so crazy,” Phelan said. “It’s a blessing to me. I feel like I got more than I gave quite honestly in all this.”

Both families encourage anyone out there who might be thinking about becoming a living donor, to take the first steps and learn more about it.

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 Marissa Sulek

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — After more than 40 years in the U.S., a 70-year-old Filipino grandmother is being deported this week, and her family fears she could have serious medical issues on the flight from O’Hare International Airport to the Philippines.

Rebecca Pinyerd’s family said she was arrested over 20 years ago on drug charges, and spent 19 years in prison, after which she was told to check in with the Department of Homeland Security once a year.

When she went to her annual DHS check-in with her documents in March, her daughter said she was taken into custody.

“As soon as they grabbed the documents from her, they said that she was going to be detained,” April Lowe said.

Lowe said her mother was rebuilding her life with her husband in North Carolina after being released from prison a few years ago.

“She’s been active in the church, she donates, she gets up at 4 in the morning and takes walks,” Lowe said.

For the last nine months, she’s been transported across the Southeast and is currently being held at a federal facility in Clay County, Indiana.

Her family said she has a slew of medical concerns, including severe kidney disease, thyroid issues, and uncontrolled blood pressure.

On video calls, Pinyerd has told her family she has not been given her medications on a regular basis.

“It was very inconsistent, and this is medication that is really critical for her,” said Louise Macaraniag, with a Filipino migrant organization in Chicago, which is looking at Pinyerd’s case.

Before Pinyerd is deported on Friday, they are demanding she gets a medical exam while not in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They also want her to receive dialysis treatment and other medical needs. With no recent medications, they fear Pinyerd’s flight from Chicago to the Philippines could be dangerous.

“A blood clot can lead to lung damage, a blood clot can lead to even sudden death,” Macaraniag said.

Lowe said she will be on the more than 15-hour flight with her mom on Friday to get her settled. She also said her mom could have fought to appeal her case if she was in a better physical state.

“I think she feels like she’s between a rock and hard place. She can’t do anything from where she is. She has to rely on us, and my mother’s never been that person,” Lowe said.

DHS did not respond to requests for comment on Pinyerd’s case or questions about whether she has received her medications.

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 Dan Raby

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — A Virginia family has filed a lawsuit against Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines after they claim they were bitten by bed bugs while onboard a flight.

In the complaint, which was filed on Dec. 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, the Albuquerque family states that a planned vacation from their Roanoke home to Belgrade, Serbia, ended with them being forced to dispose of their clothes and personal items due to the infestation.

According to the lawsuit, the family of four flew from Virginia to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson on March 21 and then boarded a KLM flight to Amsterdam. While the Dutch airline operated the flight, the ticket had been purchased through Delta’s SkyMiles program.

While sitting in business class, directly behind the first-class cabin, Lisandra Garcia started “feeling like bugs were crawling on her and that she was being bitten,” the lawsuit claims. When the couple alerted the flight attendants, they said that they were told to “keep their voices down to avoid a ‘panic’ on the airplane.”

“Prior to landing in Amsterdam, the flight attendants again urged Dr. Albuquerque and Mrs. Garcia not to tell anyone about the infestation because, if they did so, they would miss their connecting flight to Serbia,” the lawsuit reads. When they got off the flight, the flight attendants allegedly gave the family plastic bags to carry their personal belongings.

The lawsuit includes multiple photos of bugs on Garcia’s sweater, as well as what appears to be bugs on a napkin with the airline’s name on it.

screenshot-2025-12-31-at-12-05-08-pm.png According to the lawsuit, the Virginia family started getting bitten by bed bugs while on a flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam. United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia Roanoke Division Afterwards, the family claims they learned that the flight attendants had filed a grievance with KLM because of the infestation.

After landing at their final destination the next day, the lawsuit claims that the four were left with welts, lesions, and rashes.

“The marks did not begin to fade until after the Albuquerque Family returned to the United States,” the lawsuit reads. “To this day, Mrs. Garcia has scars on her lower back where she was bitten.”

screenshot-2025-12-31-at-12-04-52-pm.png The lawsuit claims that the Albuquerque family was left with welts and rashes that didn’t go away until after they were back from vacation. United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia The Albuquerques are asking the court to award them $200,000 and any other relief deemed just and proper for their injuries, medical expenses, and other damages.

A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines shared a comment about the lawsuit with CBS News Atlanta.

“As this pending litigation eventually states, the allegations at issue relate to flights not operated by Delta Air Lines,” the statement reads. “Delta will review the complaint and respond accordingly in due course.”

CBS News Atlanta has reached out to KLM for a statement and will update the story when they respond.

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 Emily Pofahl

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Milwaukee officials have warned that starting Thursday, drivers with multiple unpaid parking tickets risk having their vehicles towed, whether parked legally or not, as part of a new city ordinance targeting habitual violators.

Alderman Scott Spiker announced the change in October.

“Right now, there’s no consequence for that if you’re parked legally,” Spiker told reporters.

Starting Thursday, Jan. 1, the city will tow cars, parked legally or not, belonging to habitual offenders—drivers with five or more parking tickets that are 60 or more days past due.

Spiker emphasized, “We don’t want to tow your car, we just want you to pay your ticket.”

In November, the city sent out letters warning 28,872 drivers that they were on the tow list. Since then, the Department of Public Works reported that 411 people have paid a total of 1,600 tickets, leaving 28,461 vehicles still in danger of being towed. If all outstanding tickets were paid, the city would collect nearly $9.3 million.

The city offers payment plans. Those signed up for a plan or scheduled to contest their tickets before a judge will not have their vehicles towed. Payments can be made in person at City Hall or police stations.

Payments can also be made online.

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 Brooke Butler

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A woman who suffered severe burns after an attacker threw acid on her while she walked at Forsyth Park has been discharged from the Augusta Burn Center, where she was being treated, according to her son.

The discharge of 46-year-old Ashley Wasielewski comes nearly three weeks after the Dec. 10 attack. She suffered third-degree burns over more than 50% of her body and has undergone multiple surgeries.

“She’s hanging in there,” her son, Westley Wasielewski, told WJCL 22 News. “It’s a combination of mental and physical, and it really ebbs and flows. She has good moments and bad moments.”

Her recovery is expected to be lengthy and demanding. We’re told Wasielewski will remain in the Augusta area to keep receiving treatment, while family members continue commuting from north Georgia to support her.

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us,” her son said. “But there’s not many people that take care of themselves as well as she does. We’re slowly starting to see that lifelong care is really kind of helping out in this situation with her healing and obviously with her spirit as well.”

Family members said the outpouring of community support has been overwhelming. Friends established an online fundraiser to help cover medical and recovery costs, which has raised more than $288,000. In addition, local businesses and the FBI are offering a combined $121,000 in reward money for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

“We are so blessed to have this outreach and this community coming together for her. I think it’s a testament to the people of Savannah as well. A lot of these larger business owners and the community leaders are kind of coming together for this, and it may have some positive initiatives behind it with the park security or cameras or anything along those lines,” Westley Wasielewski said.

Authorities said Ashley Wasielewski was walking along the outer edge of Forsyth Park near Whitaker Street and West Waldburg Street shortly after 8 p.m. when she was attacked from behind. Her son said she had just left a children’s Christmas event at a local church.

According to the FBI, an unknown man wearing dark clothing approached her and poured acid on her before fleeing. Investigators said the substance caused severe burns.

Wasielewski’s son said that at first, his mother thought water had been splashed on her.

“I think shortly after she realized that any liquid was even on her, parts of her coat, her leggings were beginning to disintegrate. Then I think the burning set in shortly after that,” he said.

The FBI and Savannah Police Department said they have received dozens of tips since asking the public on Dec. 19 for security and doorbell camera footage from the area. Investigators are still reviewing tips and continue to seek additional photos or video.

Law enforcement has not reported any suspects at this time.

“Savannah’s such a special place to my mother,” Wasielewski said. “I don’t know if it technically will feel the same if [the attacker] is not caught.”

Wasielewski said he still believes the attack was random. He hopes the person behind this attack will do the right thing and turn themself in. In the meantime, he said he is confident his mother will rebound from her injuries.

“You can try and knock her down, but out of all of the people to possibly pick, Ashley Wasielewski is not going to fall down. She’s going to stand back up, and she is going to grow and learn through this process,” he said.

If you would like to donate to Wasielewski’s GoFundMe, you can click here.

The FBI and Savannah police have established a digital tip line for the public to submit information, including photos and videos, at fbi.gov/forsythparkattack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can also be reported to Savannah Area Crimestoppers at 912-234-2020.

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.