Author: CNN Newsource

By Pavlina Osta

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    MENOMONEE FALLS, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Children’s Wisconsin is in the clear after a recent lawsuit was dismissed.

A Menomonee Falls family sued the hospital after the hospital accidentally threw away their daughter’s brain, meant for research.

“Now all that research from Ashtyn’s brain is all gone. We are just going to have to learn the hard way instead of making life better for other children,” said Arol Fellenz, Ashtyn’s mom.

Ashtyn Fellenz was diagnosed with Canavan disease as a baby. At just 3 years old, she received a revolutionary gene therapy treatment.

“Those genes were still working in her body all her life, and that helped her have better quality,” said Fellenz.

Canavan is a rare disease. Most don’t live past the age of 10; Ashtyn passed away at 24.

Her mom, Arol, says the scientific knowledge gained from her brain could have helped ongoing research to find a cure, and not only for Canavan disease.

“That would also help Alzheimer, Parkinson’s and any of the other diseases related to myelin,” said Fellenz.

The Fellenz family was in court Monday, with Children’s Wisconsin, to determine if they had a valid case.

“It was dismissed because the judge placed the brain as an organ, and his ruling on organs is that we signed a document that once we turned over the organ, that they can do whatever they want with it,” said Fellenz.

Fellenz says there needs to be accountability so no one else has to experience this with organ donation.

“There’s no responsibility. There’s no accountability on the hospital’s part and that’s got to change,” said Fellenz.

Dr. Paola Leone has been working with Canavan patients for nearly three decades.

“The sample is irreplaceable. We will never have the information, unfortunately. The scientific loss is immense,” said Dr. Leone.

She performed Ashtyn’s gene therapy when she was a baby.

“This would have been the only proof of presence or absence or biodistribution of a gene that was administered through gene therapy 21 years ago,” said Dr. Leone.

Fellenz says while the case was dismissed, she’s going to continue to fight.

“I didn’t get any of my answers and I still want my answers. And I’m not going to let them think that this is going away,” said Fellenz.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Jacob Murphy

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    MEQUON, Wisconsin (WDJT) — The Mequon Police Department has connected a recent stretch of around a dozen break-ins in the city to a South American crime ring.

The break-ins started late this summer, with burglars targeting homes in cul-de-sacs, dead-ends, and backyards with woods.

Handbags, cash, and jewelry were the main items taken in the robberies.

“An agency in Florida reached out to us, told us they took some people into custody, and they have a connection to that they were in our area, believed to be committing burglaries,” Mequon Police Captain John Hoell said. “These individuals were connected to a South American crime ring.”

Hoell says the most recent break-in happened on Friday, Nov. 14, and was reported to the department on Monday.

“They’re not going away right now, but we’re doing everything in our power, and other agencies around us, to bring this to a close,” Hoell said.

Krishna Pandey lives in Mequon and says his neighbor’s house was broken into, and he saw the burglars on a neighbor’s camera.

“This is very scary,” Pandey said. “I’ve been living in Mequon for almost 20 years, and I’ve felt very safe all this time.”

Police are urging people to be more aware and to keep an eye on anything suspicious.

“Burglaries are not an uncommon thing, we have burglaries, but not to this extreme that we can connect this many together and connect this many together with other agencies. That’s the concerning part,” Hoell said.

Pandey and others say they are taking extra precautions trying to stay alert.

“We are more vigilant, we try to lock all the doors and everything,” Pandey said.

Hoell says the home break-ins are similar to the celebrity home break-ins throughout the country.

“Their M.O. was the same as ours of how they entered, what they looked like when they entered, how they were dressed, because it’s all in black, only things that are showing are eyes,” Hoell said.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Pavlina Osta

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    GRAFTON, Wisconsin (WDJT) — Two sheep have been causing a stir on social media as they run loose on golf courses, in neighborhoods and along Lake Michigan.

It’s an unexpected sight for many people in the Mequon and Grafton areas.

“Once animals get loose, they tend to just keep going in any need direction they find,” said Bernie Schneider, livestock handler.

Schneider isn’t a rookie when it comes to wrangling animals.

“Cattle bulls and cows, heifers, some sheep and goats, some horses, but they’re easier to catch,” Schneider explained.

Schneider first saw the runaway sheep on social media Friday but says they’ve been on the run since August.

“They just kind of running free now,” said Schneider.

He says he’s worried for their safety come winter.

“It’s getting cold, so it’ll be hard for them to get water. And it’s frozen, and they forage, so soon everything is going to be gone,” said Schneider.

According to the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, the sheep have been all over Mequon but have recently moved north into Grafton.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever seen sheep, so it was quite the sighting.”

Grafton resident Kelly Lucyk says they trotted onto his front lawn over the weekend.

“It’s kind of a shock but it’s a pleasant shock,” said Lucyk.

The sheep returned to munch on some grass again Monday morning.

“They were getting a little bolder. They’re coming closer to the house and that, so I think they’re starting to feel comfortable,” said Lucyk.

The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office sent CBS 58 the following statement regarding the sheep:

“They were first reported in the City of Mequon and have been loose for several weeks, possibly up to a month. It appears they have migrated north along the lakeshore and recently entered the Town of Grafton. The first sighting within the Town of Grafton occurred on Friday, 11-14-25, along the bluff near Lake Shore Road. Since that time, the Sheriff’s Office has received five additional calls reporting the sheep on various properties along Lake Shore Road. The most recent sighting was on Sunday, 11-16-25, in the 1500 block of Lake Shore Road near Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve.

The sheep are very skittish and flee as soon as anyone attempts to approach them. The DNR and Humane Society have been contacted but are unable to assist with capturing them. Two sheep are on the loose, both white in color, and no owner has been identified at this time. Several private organizations and citizens with experience herding sheep have offered assistance; however, the animals remain highly mobile and are typically out of sight before help can be coordinated.

If the sheep are located or observed, it can be reported to the Sheriff’s Office by calling the non-emergency number 262-284-7172.” Schneider says if you see the sheep, give him a heads up on where they’re headed next.

“Call me and I will drop what I’m doing to get them picked up and taken care of safely,” said Schneider.

If you spot the sheep, you can contact Schneider at 920-764-2647.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Steven Yablonski

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A mother in Miami-Dade County is facing a neglect charge after Florida City police say her children were found to be living among dog feces, trash and food containers that littered the floor.

According to police, an officer responded to a 911 call from the woman’s daughter who said her mother was being attacked by her boyfriend on Monday.

When the police officer arrived at the home, they said they made contact with the woman, identified as Amy Angela Alfonso, her three children, and Edwin Rodriguez, who was arrested at the scene for domestic battery.

Alfonso and Rodriguez share the youngest child, and police said the two older children belong to Alfonso.

While inside the home, the police officer said there was a “strong odor of dog feces,” and observed it on the living room floor.

The officer then spoke with the two older children, an 8-year-old and 10-year-old, inside their shared bedroom, and noticed that the floor was covered in trash, clothes, toys and food containers.

Other items were covering most of the floor, which created “hazardous and unsanitary conditions.”

It was also discovered that the two older children hadn’t attended school in over a year.

Police said that based on the discovery of the dog feces, the strong odor, the hazardous and cluttered bedroom and the prolonged school absence, Alfonso was arrested for child neglect.

Police said Alfonso began to vomit while suffering from an apparent panic attack during the arrest, and she was taken to Homestead Hospital. She was then taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County.

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By JT Moodee Lockman

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A loose wire on the ship Dali may have been responsible for the power outages that eventually led to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The board heard from several marine and engineering experts during a hearing in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. They also discussed their final report and voted on the probable cause of the deadly bridge collision and collapse.

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) said it is reviewing the findings from the final report, and maintained that the bridge collapse was the sole fault of the Dali.

“…The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the tragic loss of life were the sole fault of the DALI and the gross negligence of its owners and operators,” MDTA said in a statement Tuesday. “The Key Bridge was approved and permitted by the federal government and complied with those permits.”

During their investigation, the NTSB determined that a loose wire led to Dali’s power failures after it tripped a breaker that supplied power for most of the ship’s equipment.

In their preliminary report, the board detailed that the ship lost power four times in the 12 hours before it collided with the Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. Six construction workers died in the ensuing bridge collapse.

“That connection was likely made 10 years ago during the vessel construction,” said NTSB member Bart Barnum. “So, over the length of those 10 years, that wire, like all the other wires, was exposed to normal vessel conditions.”

According to the board, Dali’s crew discovered the wire issue and acted quickly to resolve it. However, the loss of propulsion “rendered their actions ineffective.”

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the crew did the impossible in locating the loose wire, comparing it to “finding a loose bolt on the Eiffel Tower.”

During their investigation, NTSB officials said they were able to replicate the issue.

“This very small component is what caused the problem,” NTSB member Thomas Chapman said while holding a replica of the cord.

According to engineers, another wire with the same issue may not have had the same detrimental impact.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the board emphasized that the collapse of the Key Bridge was preventable.

“The fact is, we shouldn’t be here today; this tragedy should’ve never occurred,” Chairwoman Homenday said. “Lives should’ve never been lost. As with all accidents we investigate, this was preventable.”

During the hearing, officials pointed out numerous issues, including improper labels on wiring that prevented cables from being securely connected; a lack of redundant safety systems; issues with electrical inspections; and improperly configured electrical systems and generators that made it hard for the crew to recover from power outages.

NTSB leaders also criticized Maryland for failing to conduct a vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge, saying the risk was 30 times higher than acceptable due to the larger-sized vessels in the Patapsco River.

The initial findings shared by the NTSB in March sparked strong reactions from Maryland leaders, including Gov. Wes Moore, who argued that there wasn’t a bridge in the U.S. that could have withstood a strike from the 984-foot-long Dali.

According to the NTSB, the road crew working on the Key Bridge on the night of the collapse was not warned of the impending ship collision, despite providing their cellphone numbers in case of emergencies. The board did not find any fault with the ship’s crew or issues with the ship’s fuel.

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By Renee Anderson and Natalie Duddridge

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is just over a week away. Organizers debuted seven new floats joining this year’s lineup Tuesday, including the very first Labubu float.

The other new floats include: The Land of Glaciers, Wildlife & Wonder by Holland America Line, Brick-tastic Winter Mountain by The LEGO Group, Master Chocolatier Ballroom by Lindt, Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things by Netflix, The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator by Serta, and The Littlest Float from Goldfish.

Organizers previously announced the Friendsgiving in POP CITY float will feature beloved characters, including LABUBU and MOKOKO as 16-foot tall fuzzy inflatables, a first of their kind.

“Our goal at POP MART is to light up passion and bring joy, and Macy’s Parade has been doing that for nearly a century,” Larry Lu, president of POP MART, The Americas, said last month. “Bringing our characters to life at such a storied event represents a significant milestone for us as we kick off our 15th anniversary. It is an honor to represent our team, artist partners, and the global POP MART community during one of the great traditions of the holiday season.”

This year will be the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to march through Manhattan. The new floats will join longtime favorites, like the Sesame Street and Peanuts characters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Tom Turkey.

The holiday tradition kicks off with the balloon inflation celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 26 along Central Park West, followed by the parade Thursday morning down Sixth Avenue.

But first, the parade studio in Moonachie, New Jersey transforms into the North Pole, filled with carpenters, engineers, painters, sculptors and animators all working side-by-side for months.

“We are, basically, in Santa’s workshop right now. We are at the Macy’s parade studio getting ready for the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — which lets you know that the 100th is soon on the way,” explained Brendan Kennedy, director of creative production at Macy’s Studios.

CBS News New York got a sneak peek at the magical preparation behind one of New York City’s biggest holiday traditions, and even got to test drive some floats.

Around every corner is a sweet surprise, like LABABU, the viral collectors’ fan favorite.

“She is the moment, she is the icon LABABU,” Kennedy said. “I would say the LABABU here is about 800 times the size of a regular LABABU.”

While Macy’s isn’t revealing all of its parade surprises just yet, it did tell us this year LABABU will feature the first-ever giant furry balloon.

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By WRAL staff

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    North Carolina (WRAL) — A nurse at Harnett Correctional was charged with possessing cocaine after police said she overdosed on drugs while at the facility.

Lillington officers found that a nurse at the facility had overdosed on Friday, Nov. 14.

Kathy Williams of Fayetteville was taken to Harnett Central Hospital for treatment.

On Saturday, police arrested Williams on charges of possession of cocaine and possession of a controlled substance at a prison.

Williams received a $10,000 secured bond.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.