Author: CNN Newsource

By Julie Sharp

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Flooding, mud and debris flow continue to worsen on Wednesday afternoon in Wrightwood, as heavy rainfall has led authorities to issue a community-wide “shelter in place” advisory.

Around 1:30 p.m., the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department advised the community of Wrighwood to shelter in place and to avoid unnecessary travel, as the area continues to be hard-hit by Southern California’s winter storm.

Highway 2 leading into Wrightwood is washed out due to flooding, with evacuation and safety warnings in place as crews work to get the situation in the area under control, according to San Bernardino County Fire.

San Bernardino County Public Information Officer Chris Prater commented on a video posted to X showing mud and debris rushing over Highway 2, and said that is just one of many such situations occurring across Wrightwood.

“Right now, Highway 2 is impassible due to multiple debris flows, and there is some heavy flooding in the area,” Prater said.

He said around 7:30 a.m., crews were receiving reports of flooding and debris flow, and there were reports of homes being impacted. He could not confirm at this time if homes were actually impacted, as crews are working to control damage.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has issued an evacuation warning for the town of Wrightwood, everything from Pine Street up to the Los Angeles County line, Prater said.

“We are asking people to stay away from the area,” Prater said, as the priority is life safety, with a focus on protecting the residents.

He said that, with the resources already in place and the request for additional resources, the hope is to get things under control quickly. “This was expected. We have been in the planning stages for this storm for at least a week now with our cooperating agencies at OES and other fire agencies,” he said.

Janice Quick, the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce president and 50-year resident, said she has heard of many people in the community concerned about their homes. One friend of hers has a foot of water inside his home.

“I’ve seen some heavy rain, but I’ve never seen rain last this long, as far as the heaviness and this amount of rain — and of course because of our fire, we’ve got a lot of mud and debris flow,” Quick said. The Bridge Fire ravaged the area in 2024.

She said most people are choosing to shelter in place, as Highway 2 is closed and other roads are impacted by mud and debris.

Fire crews are requesting three additional engines, hand crews, a dozer, and a swift water rescue unit.

Dr. Ariel Cohen, with the National Weather Service, warned that things could get worse in the next couple of hours for the Wrightwood area in the San Gabriel Mountains.

“We are closely monitoring central Los Angeles County, north of downtown over the San Gabriel Mountains, and nearby valleys and westward toward areas around the San Fernando Valley, the Santa Monica Mountains – think of that as an arch around the higher terrain- that corridor is where we will see the greatest amount of wind damage as well as extreme, really high rain fall amounts and flooding, and we expect that to worsen in the next couple of hours,” Cohen said Wednesday morning.

A Care and Reception Center has been established for evacuees at Serrano High School, 9292 Sheep Creek Rd., Phelan.

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 Jason Rantala

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — Jim Bzoskie was more than the pastor at Cornerstone Bible Church in Hastings, Minnesota; he also selflessly donated his time, those close to him said.

The 76-year-old volunteered as a chaplain for 47 years with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office.

“He didn’t do this to pad his pocketbook, he did it because he had a big heart,” Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko said.

“Every Tuesday, typically, he would come into the jail, do a bible study for our inmate population,” Jacob Schak, a program sergeant at the Dakota County jail, said.

Bzoskie lent a helping hand to deputies and families experiencing a lost loved one, by their side during the darkest of times, Leko said.

“Some of the difficult things we’ve gone through with the tragedy in Burnsville, losing three first responders. We’ve had suicides in our own office that we’ve had to maneuver, and to not have Jim next to us, I couldn’t imagine going through those things without him,” Leko said.

The sheriff said Bzoskie’s final moments were spent helping free a motorist who’d spun out in the snow outside his church. It was just after that act of kindness last Friday, Bzoskie died, likely from a heart attack, his daughter, Sarah Lindner, said.

Bzoskie had been inside the church preparing gift bags for inmates in the county jail.

“He was helping people until those very last moments. I had a friend tell me he served right up to the bell, and I was like ‘I love that,’ and he would have wanted that,” Lindner said.

Bzoskie also worked as a chaplain for the Hastings police and fire departments.

He was an avid Wild fan, a season ticket holder for at least two decades, Lindner said, and a Minnesota State Fair fanatic, who never missed a day.

The holidays were his favorite time of year, Lindner said.

“His last words were ‘Merry Christmas,’ and we just see that as such a beautiful thing, knowing that dad loved Christmas and he’s going to have the best Christmas ever,” Lindner 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 Bo Evans

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — Many families are celebrating their first Christmas this year with newborns, making the holiday extra special.

But there’s one family from Georgia that’s holding their new addition extra tight, celebrating a Christmas they never thought would come.

It was only possible because one North Texas hospital did something no other hospital was willing to try.

“We came to Fort Worth hopeful and prayerful that this would be the place,” said Sarah Ellen Beavers.

The Beavers’ family needs a miracle.

Sarah Ellen and her husband Zach Beavers, were expecting a baby girl due last spring when doctors discovered a problem.

“Her OBs had found that the left side of her heart had not developed,” said Dr. Kevin Wilkes, a pediatric and fetal cardiologist at Cook Children’s.

The baby had a rare combination of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Turner syndrome. The only real option was heart surgery.

“If a baby with Turner Syndrome did not get the Norwood surgery, in all likelihood, that baby is not going to survive,” said Dr. Vincent Tam, the Medical Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cook Children’s.

But this particular combination of issues led hospitals in Georgia and around the country to be wary of attempting the surgery.

“About a month prior to her being born, we found out that Georgia was off the table and that we needed to look elsewhere,” said Sarah Ellen Beavers.

“We just felt like we were handed a death sentence and we were like, ‘God’s got something a lot more planned, so we got to go figure out what it is,'” said Zach Beavers.

Turns out, there was a plan involving a North Texas medical student.

“I was shocked, speechless because I wasn’t expecting such a quick turnaround,” Anisha Saripalli, a medical student, UNT Health Fort Worth.

Saripalli’s shock is because in March of this year, she presented her research about positive outcomes at Cook Children’s for newborns undergoing the Norwood surgery to rebuild their hearts.

“If it weren’t for that being published on March 5, then the hospital that had previously said no wouldn’t have known to refer us here,” said Zach Beavers.

The Beavers arrived in Fort Worth on March 14.

But getting here was just half the battle. Just hours after the Beavers welcomed Anna Claire to the world, she was rushed into open-heart surgery.

“We also knew there’s a chance you’re coming to Texas and you go home empty-handed,” said Sarah Ellen Beavers.

But two surgeries and 5 months later, Anna Claire was going home. Today she’s thriving.

“She smiles and giggles, and her smile covers her whole face, and she’s just joyful,” said Sarah Ellen Beavers.

Joyful is an apt word for the family of three celebrating their first Christmas together.

“I continue to just go back to, these are the days we prayed for. Each day, a sleepless night… It’s a joy because it’s a day we didn’t know or think we would have,” said Sarah Ellen Beavers.

Anna Claire will need one more heart surgery as she continues to grow, and one day will need a heart transplant.

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 Elyssa Kaufman

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Burglars left with $10,000 from a mini mart in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood early Thursday morning.

CBS News Chicago crews spoke with the owner of Lucky Mini Mart, at 4103 N. Lincoln Ave., who confirmed an ATM and cash register were stolen during the break-in.

He said the burglars pulled off the security fence to get inside the business. The owner estimates $10,000 was taken.

Video from the scene shows debris and merchandise scattered throughout the entrance.

Chicago police confirmed there was a call for service, but did not provide further details.

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 Rian Stockett

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has begun a new phase of land acquisition for its Asheville I-26 Connector Project. The agency estimates that this will result in about 80 relocations.

“In hearing that, it was really hard for me to continue investing resources in the space when I’m thinking about this big mountain I’m going to have to climb, and what that’s going to take financially and just the longevity of things,” said Veronica Carlson, the owner of Asheville Kava X Coffee.

Carlson said that four months after taking over as owner of Asheville Kava X Coffee, she learned that this location would be affected by the Asheville I-26 Connector Project.

“It was going to be December, and then I heard that was being pushed back, from chatter around the community, to March, and I think there was a release about March. Recently, I heard that the building owner here is closing their contract with the DOT,” Carlson said.

On Monday, Dec. 22, NCDOT announced that they’ve started right-of-way acquisition for the north section of the connector project. They said in a press release that the right-of-way phase covers the area going from Haywood Road, up I-240 East, and across the French Broad River, plus Riverside Drive.

According to the agency, construction is anticipated to begin on the north section early next year.

Carlson, however, says she’s been given no timeline for relocation.

“I haven’t been served a notice, which will be when I can start doing things, because if I’m to act before that notice is served, I forgo the reestablishment benefits that would be paid out by the DOT,” said Carlson.

NCDOT says after an appraiser visits the property and the appraisal is complete, the agent will present a written offer of fair market value, much like a typical real estate transaction. It says that owners and tenants who must relocate will receive relocation assistance information and time to consider their options.

“If I can’t fight the DOT, and I can’t reason and say, ‘I really want to keep this space because people really like it, they hang out here, it’s awesome.’ They’re not going to listen to me. I’ve just got to go with the flow,” said Carlson.

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 former employee of the DeKalb County Jail is facing charges after she was accused of using another employee’s work account to redirect the woman’s paycheck.

Shalanda Williams is charged with felony theft by taking, identity fraud, computer theft, computer invasion of privacy, computer forgery, computer trespass, and violating her oath as a public officer.

According to a DeKalb County police incident report obtained by CBS News Atlanta, officials began their investigation on Oct. 24, when the victim contacted authorities.

The victim told investigators that on Oct. 2, someone accessed her account using her work credentials and “manually changed her banking account and routing information, resulting in her paycheck being redirected to another bank account that did not belong to her,” the report reads.

The victim said that she went to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Human Resources Department after she discovered the change. The department determined that the action was not part of a cyberattack and that the changes were made by someone with access to the account.

The department told her to file a police report.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said that Williams is no longer an employee. The spokesperson did not share any more details about how Williams could have allegedly gotten into the victim’s account.

Jail records show Williams was arrested on Nov. 20 and has been released on bond.

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By Joe Brandt, Julie Hanson

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    Pennsylvania (KDKA) — The emergency response to the Bristol, Pennsylvania, nursing home explosion was the largest the local police chief has ever seen in his career spanning nearly two decades, he told reporters Wednesday. He praised the first responders and described extraordinary acts of heroism after the blast, which killed one resident and one staff member on Tuesday.

Agencies from across Bucks County and even Philadelphia flocked to the scene at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center, previously known as the Silver Lake Nursing Home, after two explosions there, accompanied by the smell of gas. Officials said the incident collapsed the cafeteria and kitchen area and spurred a massive effort to evacuate 120 residents from the facility.

Bristol Township Police Chief Charles Winik said he saw fire crews run into the building that still smelled of natural gas in an effort to evacuate residents.

“I’ve never seen such heroism,” Winik said. “They were still going into the building to recover people that couldn’t walk, they were in wheelchairs, some people couldn’t talk. It just could’ve been a much more serious catastrophe.”

In remarks made at the scene Tuesday night, Gov. Josh Shapiro mentioned one first responder who carried two people on his back out of the building. Winik said that was a Bristol Township police narcotics sergeant, a 20-year veteran of the department.

Winik credited the heroic work of everyone involved, not just law enforcement and firefighters. Staff from the nearby Lower Bucks Hospital, just across a parking lot, sprang into action too.

“It was blessing that we’re next to a hospital. We had hospital staff come over and help us temporarily home [the nursing home residents]… It was a difficult task,” he said.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick commended everyone involved in rescue and response efforts.

“When the moment demanded courage, our community delivered it. Firefighters, police officers, medics, nurses, and emergency personnel from across our region answered the call without hesitation, and because of them, lives were saved,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement Wednesday.

Incident response unprecedented, chief says The massive response was unlike anything the chief or his department had ever seen, he said.

“I’ve talked to several other officers and command staff that have been doing this longer than me, and they’ve never seen anything like it in this area,” Winik added.

While work is still underway to investigate the nursing home site, Bristol officials are grateful that no first responders were injured, and for a community that came together.

“Bristol Township is one of those types of communities where we all come together when we recognize that we have a problem,” said Winik. “We had employees from the building, as well, helping. We had nurses from the hospital, we had people from all over assisting. It was a tremendous effort from everybody in Bucks County.”

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 Mike Toole

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    Massachusetts (WBZ) — A person who came to Boston and Westboro, Massachusetts recently has been diagnosed with measles. Now, the Department of Public Health (DPH) is looking for others who may have been exposed to the virus.

The agency released details of the person’s visit Wednesday because the individual went to several places between Thursday, December 11 and Friday, December 12.

The person, who has not been identified, flew into Boston on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas and stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel off Route 9 in Westboro for one night. The individual went back to Logan Airport the next day and flew to Las Vegas on JetBlue flight 117.

Anyone who was at the following locations at these times should call their doctor and alert DPH at 617-983-6800.

Logan Airport Terminal B, Boston, 2:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m., Thursday 12/11 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westboro, between 3:30 p.m., Thursday 12/11 and 9 p.m., Friday 12/12 Logan Airport Terminal C, Boston, 6 p.m.-11:30 p.m., Friday 12/12 Measles is highly contagious, so if you think you could have been exposed, call your doctor first before going anywhere.

There have been no measles cases in Massachusetts this year. Anyone who had it in the past or has received two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is unlikely to get it, even if exposed, DPH said.

“2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade – nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths,” Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, said in a statement. “Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever – they are safe, effective, and lifesaving.”

For more information on measles, visit their state’s website: mass.gov/info-details/measles

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.