Author: CNN Newsource

By Michelle Jarboe

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    BROOKLYN, Ohio (WEWS) — Until last summer, Linda Pietrasz had no clue that Ohio was holding money with her name on it – a life-insurance check that’s been sitting for 35 years, since her husband died.

She found out about the cash after state lawmakers decided to tap unclaimed funds to help pay for pro-sports facilities, starting with a new suburban stadium for the Cleveland Browns. And she’s feeling more urgency as other sports franchises turn to the same well.

Ohio’s budget office solicited grant applications from teams in January, despite an ongoing legal fight over the state’s move to grab unclaimed funds – money the state’s been holding on behalf of individuals, businesses, nonprofits and even public entities.

This week, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Guardians confirmed that they both applied for state grants, with hopes of landing money for repairs at Rocket Arena and Progressive Field. The Cavs are seeking $40 million toward $161 million worth of work. The Guardians want $65 million toward $259 million in projects.

Pietrasz has strong feelings about all of that.

“I think it’s terrible,” she said Friday afternoon. “It’s not their money.”

Linda Pietrasz only found out last summer that she has unclaimed funds – money from a life-insurance policy from her husband, who died in 1991. Gary Abrahamsen/News 5 Linda Pietrasz only found out last summer that she has unclaimed funds – money from a life-insurance policy from her husband, who died in 1991. At 72, she doesn’t have a computer, Internet access or a car. She called News 5 for help submitting documents online to support her claim for that old insurance payout.

“The process, to me, is too complicated,” she said, running through a checklist of documents that the Ohio Division of Unclaimed Funds requires.

“I found out the stuff that I had to get, and it was basically everything,” she said.

Pietrasz didn’t know that her husband, who was only 40 when he died in 1991, had a life insurance policy. She found out in July, when her son searched the state’s unclaimed-funds database and discovered the misplaced money.

She managed to file an initial claim but couldn’t scan and upload any supporting documents. Pietrasz doesn’t have a way to make copies. And she didn’t want to send the original documents to the state by mail, and risk losing them.

“I’ve got my marriage certificate, his autopsy report, date of death,” she said.

Here’s the backstory Records show Ohio has been holding the money since 2011, when John Hancock Life Insurance Company turned it over to the state. It’s part of a roughly $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion bucket of unclaimed funds the state’s been sitting on for a decade or longer.

The General Assembly directed state officials to pull that long-held money out of the unclaimed funds trust and convert it to state property, starting Jan. 1. Lawmakers earmarked $1 billion for grants for sports and cultural facilities, with the first $600 million going to the new $2.4 billion Browns stadium in Brook Park.

And for the first time, lawmakers set a clock on how long people are allowed to file claims. Going forward, the money will become Ohio’s property 10 years after the state accepts the unclaimed funds from the original holders, including banks, insurers and utility companies.

The General Assembly created a grace period to give people whose funds get taken another chance to file claims. That reimbursement window runs through Jan. 1, 2036.

Ohioans with unclaimed funds sued last year. They argue the state’s new approach is an unconstitutional taking of private property. Lawyers for the state, meanwhile, say Ohio is on firm legal ground – and that owners have had ample time to claim their money.

In December, a Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge temporarily blocked the state from taking that first tranche of misplaced money. That temporary restraining order is still in place. The court is considering whether to impose a longer-term hold while the legal battle plays out. A decision on a preliminary injunction is expected soon.

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 McLeod

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    SMYRNA, Georgia (WUPA) — What started with an application to volunteer with Fulton County Animal Services turned into thousands of lives saved.

In 2014, Jennifer Siegel stopped by Fulton County Animal Services to volunteer and ended up leaving as a foster parent.

Bosley, the 3-week-old puppy she fostered, became the inspiration for Bosley’s Place in Smyrna. The nonprofit is an animal rescue that provides bottle feeding and 24-hour care for orphaned or homeless neonatal puppies.

“Usually, their worst day is also their best day because they get to join the rescue when it’s all over, from their happiness forever,” Siegel said.

Three weeks after Bosley was born, he was found abandoned at Grant Park in a trash can.

He ended up at Fulton County Animal Services just before Siegel walked in.

“I just happened to be in the right place, wrong time, wrong place, right time?” Siegel said. “I’m not really sure, but it was also timing for me. Like, everything aligned, and I started this rescue because once I realized that I could save a life, I was like, I think I’m addicted.”

It was that moment, that right place at the right time, that led Siegel to create Bosley’s Place.

The rescue provides puppies with comprehensive medical care, around-the-clock care, and bottle feeding.

“It is very unusual for a rescue to do as much in-house vetting as we do,” Siegel said. “But the truth is, it’s necessary when you know, to vet a single puppy could, you know, from birth till adopted, and that includes surgery, it could be $1,000. I can cover the majority of those costs here in-house. Which helps a great deal.”

Siegel and her team of trained volunteers will also foster the puppies themselves — just like Mateo.

She said Mateo came in as just skin and bones. He had a parasite that made him appear to be blind and deaf.

His foster parent and Bosley’s Place volunteer, Tori Paquin, said that by the first week, he started to look like a different dog.

“His hip bones were starting to disappear, his tail looked like a skeleton, and it started to get some cushioning, his hair started to grow back, and he just started to be interested in all of the puppy things again,” Paquin said.

The puppies are ready for adoption at 8 weeks old, and prospective adopters undergo an in-depth screening process.

In fact, some families will adopt more than one puppy from Bosley’s place.

“We love their mission,” said Kyle Isaacs. “We track their dogs pretty much year-round at this point. And, yeah, we just decided that it was time to add to the family again.”

Tejal Shah and her family are also adopting their second puppy from Bosley’s Place. They stopped by to introduce Bruno to his new “partner-in-crime.”

“I was the most excited to see Bruno’s interaction with the little guy,” Shah said. “And he seems to love him. It’s so cool. Bruno needs a friend.”

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 Ryan Dennis

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    SUWANEE, Georgia (WUPA) — If you think model trains are just child’s play, think again.

A Gwinnett County man has turned a lifelong fascination with locomotives into a global online community, connecting train enthusiasts from Georgia to Brazil through his weekly livestream, “Train Talk Tuesday.”

Benjamin Laremont II, known online as Ben Wayne, is the creator behind All Trains Considered, a social media platform dedicated to the art, engineering and culture of model railroading.

“My fascination with trains probably began at the age of 3,” Laremont said. “I was fascinated by the size and just the sheer power of trains. It just became an addiction.”

What started as a personal passion evolved into something much bigger.

Laremont’s early love of trains helped shape his career path into aerospace engineering. But outside of his professional life, he began sharing his hobby online, eventually launching “Train Talk Tuesday,” a weekly Instagram livestream held at 8 p.m.

“When I first started, it was just me talking to myself about trains,” Laremont said. “Then more people started joining in.”

Now, about 30 to 40 callers regularly tune in from countries including Brazil, Canada, and France to discuss everything from starter sets to advanced model-building techniques.

“We’re talking to people everywhere, you name it,” he said. “I had no idea it would be this big.”

Inside his Suwanee home, Laremont has built an expansive train room featuring detailed landscapes, bridges, and rail yards, all meticulously crafted by hand.

“Everything is made by hand. All the scenery,” he said. “Of course, it took forever to build, but the result is pretty amazing.”

His growing collection includes more than 200 freight cars and 80 engines. Among them is a classic steam engine known as the Hudson.

“A lot of people think model trains are for kids. No. This is serious,” Laremont said.

The layout also includes nods to home, with miniature tributes to Stone Mountain and Gwinnett County.

“This is dedication to Stone Mountain,” Laremont said while showcasing part of the display. “This is dedication to Gwinnett County, a taste of home.”

For Laremont and his wife, Ayesha, the impact of the show extends far beyond the tracks.

“The people, the community that we have built, it’s not just a show, it’s a family,” Ayesha Laremont said. “Some people have said the show has transformed their lives.”

Laremont says younger viewers are increasingly tuning in, curious about how to get started in the hobby.

“We talk about starter sets,” he said. “That allows them to get their feet wet to see if this is something they really want to do, and it almost always is.”

For this Suwanee creator, model trains are more than a pastime. They’re a bridge, connecting generations, countries and communities, one rail at a time.

Train Talk Tuesday streams weekly at 8 p.m. on Instagram.

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 Matt Schooley

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — The Boston University men’s hockey team didn’t let a blizzard stop them from getting to practice on Monday.

With winds whipping and snow piling up, members of the Terriers made their way down the sidewalk on Comm. Ave. for practice while WBZ-TV’s Penny Kmitt was reporting on the blizzard.

“Just headed to practice on a snowy Monday. It’s pretty nice weather out,” said junior defenseman Aiden Celebrini, who was among the group of players in full uniform, hockey sticks in hand headed to practice in the blizzard. “We need to get our time in. So we’re enduring the blizzard that we’ve got going on.”

Celebrini is a Vancouver native who returned to Boston University for a third season. He was drafted by his hometown Canucks in the 2023 NHL entry draft. His older brother, Macklin Celebrini, was a member of Team Canada at the Olympics. That team lost to Team USA in the gold medal game Sunday morning.

The Terriers are 14-15-2 on the season, with a Hockey East record of 10-11-0.

All Boston University campuses were closed Monday in anticipation of the blizzard.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu issued a snow emergency ahead of the storm and canceled Boston Public School classes on Monday as well.

The storm lived up to expectations, slamming the city with more than 15 inches of snow.

Some schools in Massachusetts have already announced that they will be closed on Tuesday as well as cleanup continues.

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 JT Moodee Lockman, Caroline Foreback

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    COLUMBIA, Maryland (WJZ) — A man was arrested Sunday after Howard County police said he fatally stabbed his roommate with a sword during an altercation in Columbia.

Donavan Townsend, 23, faces charges in connection with the murder of 25-year-old Jaelon Minor, officers said. He is being held without bond.

Police responded to the incident around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday at an apartment in the 7600 block of Woodpark Lane. Officers arrived to find Minor, who was pronounced dead inside the apartment.

Jaelon Minor’s mother was at the apartment when her son was stabbed during a dispute with Townsend, according to charging documents obtained by WJZ. The two were longtime acquaintances.

Police said there was an ongoing dispute over finances. The argument escalated after Townsend allegedly disrespected Minor’s mother.

Investigators said Townsend took off after allegedly stabbing Minor with a sword. Townsend was located and was arrested a short time later.

Anyone with information about this fatal stabbing is asked to call police at 410-313-STOP or email HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.

A neighbor told WJZ she woke up around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday to flashing lights outside her Columbia apartment.

Tiffany Clark said cops and ambulances were at the complex.

“It was scary,” Clark said. “People were out here crying.”

A neighbor who did not want to be identified said that Minor was a nice young man who was known for helping others around the apartment complex.

“He was a nice person, he went to school with my daughter, he was always pleasant,” the neighbor said. “One time I had problems with my truck and he came and he helped me. He’s a very helpful, loving person.”

In 2025, Howard County reported a total of 12 homicides, up nearly 9% from 11 cases in 2024, according to data from county police.

In early February, a Howard County man was charged with fatally stabbing his estranged wife. Alexander Stephenson, 53, was charged with murder and assault after he turned himself in.

Police said Alexander Stephenson killed Amethyst Stephenson at a home in the 3400 block of Huntsman Run in Ellicott City. Amethyst Stephenson’s son called the police after he awoke to “a commotion and yelling’ from his mother’s room, according to officials.

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 Pheben Kassahun

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    NIAGARA FALLS, New York (WKBW) — A new hub designed to train and support birth and postpartum doula professionals has launched in Western New York, offering resources to help doulas become credentialed Medicaid providers in New York State.

The Doula Resource Boutique, operated by Calming Nature Doula Center and located in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, is open to both new and experienced doulas, serving families across Western New York and New York State.

The hub offers training, mentorship, professional development and guidance on Medicaid enrollment.

Shannon Jones, CEO of Calming Nature Doula Center, Inc., said the hub was created to fill a gap in support for doula professionals.

“The Doula Resource Boutique is a support system for doulas looking for that support, but also to provide guidance, to be able to help them throughout their career,” Jones said. “So currently, right now, there is no system set up in place for doulas to have that support, to have that resource, so this is one of the reasons why we came up with the doula boutique.”

Jones said the goal is to close gaps in maternal health care and build a stronger, more sustainable doula workforce.

Black mothers who give birth are five times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white mothers who give birth in New York State, according to the New York State Department of Health.

Jones said the boutique works to address those disparities by equipping doulas with evidence-based information and tools to better support expectant mothers.

“Large variety of different things that we support them with is emotional, physical, and informational support,” Jones said. “All of the information that we do provide is evidence-based information, so it’s stuff that has been known through research and studies that say this is actually supportive and helpful to individuals looking to have that type of experience but also have better outcomes.”

Jones said that support extends directly into the labor and delivery experience.

“We do try to push a lot of education and information for those moms to have those resources, but also to have that support that they need and have that education that can aid in the actual labor itself, making labor more comfortable, often times making the length of labor shorter, but also giving them more overall satisfaction with the labor experience themselves,” Jones 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 Forrest Sanders

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — Just days ago, an iconic voice was heard at the Olympics opening ceremony. Monday night, that same voice is performing with local college students at Bridgestone Arena.

The name Andrea Bocelli is pretty big to musicians like Florence Schaumann, violinist in Belmont University’s Symphony Orchestra.

“Of course, he’s a household name,” Schaumann said. “Why he’s so huge with the masses is he includes the classic opera tunes everyone knows and everyone can relate to.”

Bocelli’s also important to the story of Javier Castro. Castro’s part of Belmont’s Chorale.

“My parents actually loved Bocelli.” Castro said. “Super fans. Day one. It was always Bocelli and Barbara Streisand. I grew up listening to him. My dad always promised my mom, one day in the future we will go see Bocelli.”

Castro’s parents got something better than that.

In October, Belmont’s Chorale and Symphony Orchestra got to perform with Bocelli at an event on campus.

“Hey! We’re singing with Andrea Bocelli!” Castro laughed. “Oh my gosh, I was so emotional.”

“This is not a normal experience for college students,” added Schaumann.

It went so well, at the end of the show came a promise.

“He said, ‘I want you guys the next time I come to Nashville,'” Castro said.

Bocelli meant it.

Over the weekend were rehearsals for Belmont’s Chorale and Symphony Orchestra as they practiced for two dates on Bocelli’s world tour. They performed with Bocelli in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday night. The second show is at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Monday night.

“Performing in arenas, that’s kinda scary!” said Castro.

“Never before have we had to learn so much music in such a small amount of time, but I really think we’re going to pull it off,” Schaumann smiled. “Andrea Bocelli obviously wanted that to happen.”

To be able to say that sentence is incredible for Schaumann.

“I have one of the top professionals in the industry on my resume,” Castro said.

“What a blessing it is to be among students who are up to the challenge,” Schaumann continued. “This is such an early point in all of our careers, and I’m just very grateful for 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 Mallory Sofastaii

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    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A Baltimore family is fighting a water bill totaling more than $3,600 for a home where no one has lived since July.

The City says one person uses about 3 cubic feet of water per month, or roughly 2,200 gallons. The vacant Southwest Baltimore home was billed for more than 100 cubic feet or 77,000 gallons. And another 70,000 gallons the following month.

Janeen Sullivan’s family has owned the home for more than 60 years. Her aunt moved out in July due to health issues, and Sullivan has since been checking on the property and paying some of the bills, including water.

“I looked at it, I’m ready to pay it, and it was like $1,000. I’m like, she’s not living here. And then I looked at the usage and it said it was 77,000 gallons of water. I’m like, yeah, that’s a little crazy,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan questioned how that volume of water could go unnoticed at a vacant residential property.

“I think someone would have noticed that kind of water leaking out of a house on the ground down the road. I’m pretty sure the street would have been flooded, pretty sure,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan filed a billing dispute in October. The following month, another $1,700 was added to the balance. She filed another dispute in November.

“They did say they would send someone out to look at the meter, but again, that was October, and we’re in February right now,” Sullivan said.

With the total climbing past $3,600, Sullivan grew concerned the property could end up in tax sale.

“Bill keeps going up. I went online at some point and said just cut off service,” Sullivan said.

After Sullivan contacted WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii, the city scheduled a site visit. A crew arrived the next day, but they were there to address a separate leak at a neighboring property.

A few days later, the city replaced the meter. Crews found no leaks or repairs and recommended Sullivan apply for a bill adjustment. The city could not share specific details about the case, but Sullivan said she was told a running toilet may have caused the spike. She said the sheer volume of water involved should have triggered an earlier response.

Sofastaii asked the city about the process for requesting a water meter inspection. Customers should contact the Department of Public Works Customer Support and Services Division by phone at 410-396-5398, visiting their office at the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 Holliday Street, First Floor, Room 8, Baltimore, MD 21202; or email dpw.billing@baltimorecity.gov. An agen can order a meter investigation if needed. DPW also says most failed meters under-register water use — not over-register it. Click here for more information.

DPW also confirmed that while a billing dispute is active, an account is not eligible for tax sale. As of 2020, a residential property cannot be included in tax sale if the only lien is an unpaid water bill. The city also offers payment plans for water bill balances of $50 or more.

Sullivan has now submitted a bill adjustment request. DPW says reviews typically take about four weeks, and decisions are sent by mail.

“If we decide to get rid of the house, it’s going to be our decision, not the city’s,” Sullivan said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WMAR 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.