Author: CNN Newsource

By Neal Riley

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — The city of Boston has shut down the popular ICON nightclub for now following a patron’s death last weekend.

Police were called at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday to the Warrenton Street venue, where a woman had reportedly collapsed on the dance floor. A report from Boston police said officers found her completely unresponsive, and the decision was made to start administering CPR.

The woman was taken to a hospital, where she later died.

Police said officers were told that the woman had a heart condition, and that she had smoked before going to the club and “had a few drinks” prior to the medical emergency happening.

Police also noted in their report that they had to kick everyone out of the club because the crowd was videotaping the incident and ignoring officers’ demands to give them space for EMTs to work.

ICON management said in a statement that it is fully cooperating with the city and law enforcement.

“We are deeply saddened by the medical emergency that occurred at our club early Sunday morning,” the club said. “Our staff responded immediately and called emergency services while an off-duty EMT rendered first aid.”

The Boston Licensing Board is expected to hold a hearing on the future of ICON’s liquor license in the coming weeks.

“Any loss of life in our community is a horrible tragedy and our condolences go out to the family and loved ones,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement. “This situation remains under an active Boston Police investigation.”

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 Jesse Zanger, Carolyn Gusoff

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    NEW YORK (WCBS, WLNY) — It was practically the plot to “Home Alone.”

A quick-thinking 12-year-old boy on Long Island stopped a burglar who broke into his home on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

“I said, ‘I have to get out the house, the quickest way possible'” Tristen Taylor was inside his home on Eagle Avenue in Medford when he heard glass break in the kitchen and then someone moving around, according to police.

“I said, ‘I have to get out the house, the quickest way possible,'” Taylor said.

So the seventh grader hopped out of his bedroom window. Not long after, he spotted the man inside his home so he hid behind his garage and called police.

“I was on the phone with them, waiting for them to get here,” Taylor said.

Officers responded within three minutes and said they captured the alleged thief, identified as Christian Garcia, a 53-year-old homeless man, red-handed. Police said the suspect broke a kitchen window to get into the home.

Garcia, who now faces burglary and possession of burglary tools charges, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Central Islip on Wednesday.

12-year-old hailed a hero by family, neighbors The boy’s family credited movies he’s seen plus good instincts for the positive outcome.

“We were very proud that he was able to keep his composure and call the police as quickly as he did. Without even thinking about it, he automatically called 911,” said Timothea Taylor, the boy’s grandmother.

Tristen Taylor is also a hero to neighbors.

“I would hope my son would have done the same thing. When someone is breaking into the house, caution is to get out and call the police,” Mike Campanella said. “You just have to be brave and call them.”

Anyone with additional information about the alleged burglary is asked to call Suffolk County police at 631-854-8652.

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 Hannah Kliger

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    NEW YORK (WCBS, WLNY) — A handwritten note on a bike rack during a routine grocery trip caught Brooklyn artist Rusty Zimmerman by surprise.

The note read: “Just a daily reminder that you are amazing and the world is a better place with you in it. Xoxo Charlie.”

Zimmerman said he was struck by the message and its mysterious author.

“I had to leave it for as many people to find as possible,” Zimmerman said of the note, adding, “I’ve never met this Charlie, but I think that Charlie’s right. I think that one good deed does ripple out and it can inspire other people to do the same.”

Around the same time, Jessica Ruth Shepard, a holistic health coach, discovered a similar note along Fifth Avenue in Park Slope.

“I knew it was something intentional. And so I was like, ‘What is that?,'” she recalled. “It was so, so well received…little does anyone really know what anyone’s really, really going through.”

Shepard said the message arrived at a time she needed to hear it most.

“It was a really hard time in my life, so it was so sweet to find that,” she said.

Meet Charlie Simon, ambassador of kindness Over the past several months, hundreds of notes like those have appeared across the city. CBS News New York’s Hannah Kliger set out on a mission to get in touch with the mysterious stranger behind the effort.

The author turned out to be 12-year-old Brooklyn student Charlie Simon.

Armed with tape and stacks of affirmation cards, Simon placed the notes in busy public spaces throughout the city.

“Rockefeller Center, Prospect Park, Central Park, Barclays Center, like the big places that I knew people would find them. So on subways, buses,” Simon said.

Here’s what inspired Charlie to do it The idea began as a school assignment requiring students to create their own TED-style talks about social issues.

“We had to make our own TED talks about one problem or like thing that’s going on in the world,” Simon explained.

Her project focused on loneliness and social media use, and was inspired by a note she once found at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

“I almost started crying because I was so happy and I’m so glad I opened it,” she said.

Simon’s younger sister, Eleanor, who is 9, helped her distribute the cards and watched the project grow.

“I’m really proud of her for doing this. Because that shows that she’s a good person. She wants people to feel good, too,” Eleanor Simon said.

What happened next was unexpected Each card included an email address inviting recipients to share their experiences finding the message. Charlie Simon’s parents said they were unprepared for the response.

“Some were just funny pictures, just saying we saw it and thanks so much. And then there were other ones that were like really personal notes,” Dan Simon. “What it showed is people in the city can be struggling and having a really hard time.”

Charlie Simon’s mother, Erin McElwain, said the messages revealed something deeper about life in New York.

“It reignites how you feel about this city of so many people, and it shows you that we’re actually a small community,” she said.

And next came the ripple effect Charlie Simon said many people chose to leave the notes behind for others to find.

“So many people were like, ‘I’m leaving this here for the next person who needs it.’ And that was really amazing. People who wanted to pass on this kindness,” she said.

The project’s impact extended beyond the streets. Simon was later invited to give her talk to her entire middle school.

“Just the smallest action can create such a big effect,” she said.

What started as a class assignment ultimately showed how a few kind words to a stranger can stop someone in their tracks.

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 Stephanie Stahl, Casey Kuhn

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    Pennsylvania (KYW) — A wish came true for a stroke survivor in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, with a simple thank you to the doctor who saved his life.

It was a reunion 51-year-old John Monaghan has been dreaming about.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for so long, thank you so much,” Monaghan told Penn neurosurgeon Dr. Jan-Karl Burkhardt.

Burkhardt performed emergency brain surgery on Monaghan on Valentine’s Day 2021 to remove a large blood clot in a critically sensitive part of the brain.

“That’s usually an area which is not survivable if you don’t reopen the vessel,” Burkhardt said.

The Downingtown dad returned to Penn almost five years after the stroke.

“I had COVID for a month. It created blood clots, which I didn’t know about,” Monaghan said. “Twelve clots went up into my brain, took me out.”

Thursday marked the first time he saw Burkhardt since the surgery.

“I’m not here without him, it’s that simple,” Monaghan said.

Burkhardt said quick action is what saves stroke patients.

“It’s just amazing to see that our work helps all the patients,” he said.

After the surgery, Monaghan faced a long recovery that started with learning to walk again.

“Look, it was tough, but I was alive,” he said. “So that part made it easy.”

Now fully recovered, he was determined to share his gratitude with the surgeon who made it possible. He said he’s especially grateful during the holiday season when he’s able to spend time with his family, including his three sons.

“This is, without question, the best Christmas present I could have got,” he said. “Just being able to look him in the eye and say thank you is everything.”

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 Michael Wooten

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    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County Medical Center is the first hospital in Western New York and one of just a few across the U.S. to install MMI’s (Medical Microinstruments, Inc.) Symani Surgical System.

According to ECMC, it is a first-of-its-kind robotic technology that uniquely addresses the scale and complexities of microsurgery. It received the 10th Symani Surgical System in the entire country; the Mayo Clinic is getting the 11th and other esteemed hospitals that have this robotic system include Yale, Stanford and the Cleveland Clinic.

Its uses include:

Reattaching limbs or repairing tissue lost during an accident or other type of trauma. Treating lymphedema, a fluid buildup that affects up to 10 million Americans. Breast reconstruction following a mastectomy, using the patient’s own tissue instead of an implant. Delicate nerve and vessel repairs during head and neck cancer reconstruction.

I went inside one of the operating rooms at ECMC and got an inside look at the new technology in action. The surgeon uses a 3D monitor and controllers to direct the world’s smallest wristed instruments, which mimic the movements.

“Microsurgery is a highly specialized technique that involves reconnecting tiny vessels to restore blood flow or redirect fluid during reconstruction or repair,” ECMC said in a release. “The limitations of the human hand, inadequate instrument capabilities, and a shortage of highly skilled specialists have all contributed to patients lacking access to microsurgical treatment for complex conditions. However, through its motion-scaling and tremor filtering technology, combined with the world’s smallest wristed instruments, the Symani Surgical System augments physician capability at the micro-level by adding precision and control for extremely delicate procedures where surgical options may otherwise be limited.”

ECMC said three surgeons – Mark Falco, MD, Michael Y. Nagai, DDS MD and Jordan D. Frey, MD have all trained on the Symani Surgical System and are now using it. Additional ECMC surgeons will also receive training. It will spend more than a million dollars on the system spread over several years. The surgeons I spoke with said it’s money well spent.

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 Penelope Lopez

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    FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — A North Carolina mother’s TikTok video has gone viral after she shared her search for the woman who donated Christmas gifts to her young son through the Angel Tree program. What started as a simple plea for help turned into an unexpected bond between two mothers, united by love, loss, and an act of kindness.

Tanya Estrada, a mother of four, had signed her children up for the Angel Tree program, which helps provide new clothes and toys for children in need during the holiday season. It’s a program that turns Christmas wishes into reality for families who may be struggling.

But one particular donation stood out. When Tanya received the gifts for her 3-year-old son, Adrienne, she discovered a handwritten letter attached to the package. The note was from Andrea Gardner, a grieving mother honoring her late son, Tristan.

“I was shopping for him because I don’t get to shop for him for Christmas or for birthdays,” an emotional Gardner said. “It made me feel good to shop for a 3-year-old little boy.”

Estrada was deeply moved by the letter, which spoke to Gardner’s pain and compassion. “The fact that even in her grieving moment, you went out of your way to bless another child, you don’t even know… it takes a very strong woman to do what you did,” Estrada said, fighting back tears.

Determined to thank the woman behind such a powerful gesture, Estrada turned to TikTok for help, asking her followers to track down Gardner. “So, I need y’all help,” Estrada said in her now-viral video. It quickly gained traction, racking up more than 600,000 views, and soon, Estrada’s plea reached Gardner.

“I knew I had to find her,” Estrada said, explaining how she had tried other avenues before deciding to use social media. “I’ve seen people try to reach out to other people on TikTok. So I said, let me use TikTok for something good.”

When Estrada finally connected with Gardner, it was a moment neither mother would forget. In a heartfelt meeting, the two embraced, sharing tears and gratitude.

“I don’t want to let go,” Estrada said, as she hugged Gardner for the first time.

The connection between the two mothers grew even deeper as they shared their personal stories of love and loss. Gardner explained that donating to Estrada’s son helped her honor Tristan’s memory during a difficult time.

“I wasn’t expecting anything out of this,” Gardner said. “Just his Christmas and helping you … making you feel like someone cares.”

Estrada was so moved by the experience that she now feels inspired to give back next year.

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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    HASTINGS, 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 Kim Hudson

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    MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Families wanting to see themselves reflected in the story of Christmas could find a piece of their culture in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Visitors may have headed to just one place in celebrate Christmas, but inside the Glencairn Museum, they would find touching nativity scenes from around the globe.

“It is from Haiti,” said museum marketing director Jahnna Henderson, as she stood over her favorite scene from the World Nativities Exhibition.

“It is made from steel drums. The artist cut off the top and the bottom of the drum, and they cleaned them out, and then flattened them, and then paint.”

From Venezuela to Egypt, the colors and materials were as unique as the countries of origin. However, one lent to the museum from Chester County native. A.J. DiAntonio was straight from his heart.

“Crocheted with my grandmother,” he said. “So, I was 13 years old, and I gave my grandmother this pattern book, and I said, ‘Can you help me make this?'”

New this year was the make-your-own nativity activity for kids. Mom Aaliyah Gunther, from Huntingdon Valley, said this was perfect for her little ones.

“Well, I’ve got four kids and four kids who love crafts. So, something like this is totally up their alley.”

With 63 scenes from 29 countries, families could learn more about the biblical story of the birth of baby Jesus. In the majestic house of Glencairn’s late owners Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn, their 15-year-old great granddaughter, Tess, was glad her ancestors left their home open to all of us.

“Probably, I would say, ‘Thank you for providing this for everyone and letting people come and see this amazing collection.'”

The museum is closed for the Christmas holiday, but will reopen the day after Christmas and hold the exhibition through January.

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.