Author: CNN Newsource

By Izzy Fonfara Drewel

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — A total of 200 identifications were made this year, but it’s barely a dent in Dr. Carrie Brown’s caseload.

“We estimate at any given time we have about a thousand active cases that we’re working through,” Brown said.

Brown managed the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identification lab at Offutt Air Force Base. Her team focuses on naming soldiers from World War II, like the 26 caskets brought to Offutt from Europe this week.

“When we think about one transfer case as one person, that’s not always how it works,” Brown said. “Our anthropologists are worldwide experts in sorting remains that are mixed up.”

Her job also includes giving tours to families looking for answers. Among them, Col. Richard Dean II is hoping to hear about his grandfather, a Korean War soldier.

“My mom was really die-hard on trying to solve the case to find his remains, but that never happened,” Dean said. “So we’re carrying on; the third generation is carrying on the mission.”

Identification requires pieces like DNA samples, dental records, archaeological evidence and records. The team doesn’t stop until they make an identification.

“We keep trying,” Brown said. “We have cases right now that we have been stuck on for a long time and we keep going.”

Dean said it’s been years since he provided a sample, but he’s grateful for the lab’s work. There’s a second DPAA identification lab in Hawaii specializing in the Korean War and other Pacific conflicts.

“There’s no gravestones right now for them to go visit or for family members, and it’s great to see large families come together and actually celebrate the loss of their loved ones in a positive manner,” Dean said.

For Brown, reuniting these soldiers and their families is the ultimate honor.

“One of the comments from a family member last night was, ‘It’s amazing that you love our loved ones as much as we do, and you care for them,'” Brown 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 Zoe Blair

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    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WVTM) — The Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) is reconsidering its plans for a new facility in Birmingham’s Oxmoor Valley neighborhood due to concerns from donors about its proximity to the Nebius data center project.

The organization has already filed a lawsuit against the proposed AI factory, aiming to stop the project from moving forward. Last month, GBHS initiated legal action over the site’s location.

GBHS CEO Allison Black Cornelius said the decision to potentially relocate comes after feedback from some of their largest donors.

“It is only smart of us after hearing back from some of our biggest donors and they’re big ones, to start looking for another location. That’s heartbreaking,” Black Cornelius said.

The organization has spent nearly $10 million on the Oxmoor Valley facility, which has been in development for decades. Cornelius said the AI factory’s construction next door has raised concerns about potential harm to staff and animals.

“Our donors are not comfortable with our staff and our animals being exposed to something that we aren’t sure is going to be harmful. We’re not going to allow our staff and animals to be an experiment and find out ten years from now that they have damages to their hearing or damages to their central nervous system or whatever might happen,” Black Cornelius said.

She added that GBHS would not have chosen the site had they known the AI factory was a possibility.

“There was a master plan in place that the city had approved called the Oxmoor Master Plan Covenant. That covenant assured all these folks who were buying these half-million-dollar homes and up that this area would not return to the type of industrial use it was before,” Cornelius said. “What’s being sold to our community is that a data center is different. Well, an AI factory doesn’t manufacture steel, and it doesn’t manufacture clothing. It manufactures intelligence, but it’s still a factory.”

The decision to potentially relocate comes as GBHS was preparing to break ground on phase two of the project, a teaching hospital dedicated to treating animals. Phase one, which was meant to house animals, is already complete thanks to millions in funding and support from the Jefferson County Commission. However, Cornelius said the building may remain vacant.

“There is no case statement without the county building, so we can’t really move and find a new location and build our buildings without those animals. So the county building, I say this, I’m not afraid to say it, we’d have to rebuild it. I’m not going to expect the county to pay for that or taxpayers to pay for it, but someone’s going to pay for it. If we’re going to try to build this again someplace else, we’ve got to redo it,” Cornelius said.

This is not the first time a data center has disrupted GBHS’s plans. Initially, the organization intended to build in Titusville, but that property is now home to the DC BLOX data center.

While GBHS hopes the lawsuit against the AI factory will allow them to proceed with construction at the Oxmoor Valley site, they are weighing their options as construction on Nebius 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 Charlotte Hancox

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    SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WPTZ) — Vermont’s black bear population has remained above state management goals for the fifth straight year, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

Officials said the state’s black bear population continues to grow, with an estimated 7,500 to 8,900 bears living in Vermont. That is well above the department’s management goal of 3,500 to 5,500 bears.

Wildlife officials said the increase reflects decades of population growth and the species’ expansion across nearly all of the state.

“We’ve seen the population steadily grow over the past few decades. We are at a point now where bears have pretty much recolonized all of Vermont outside of the Islands and Lake Champlain. And we are now living with this very healthy and robust bear population,” said Jaclyn Comeau, black bear project leader for Vermont Fish & Wildlife.

As bear numbers rise, officials said they are also seeing more reports of human-bear conflicts. Common complaints include bears getting into trash, raiding backyard chicken coops and seeking other easily accessible food sources around homes.

For some Vermonters, those encounters have become a regular occurrence.

“I have to get up pretty early for work and every so often, probably two or three nights a week, I’ll see my dumpster tipped over and garbage scattered everywhere from a bear,” said Ben Stapleton, a Williston resident.

Stapleton said the presence of bears often surprises people, but he believes the animals are drawn to the food sources available in populated areas.

“I think there’s a lot, there’s more than people expect just because there’s a lot of food here. There might be a lot of people, but they’ll go where the food is,” said Stapleton.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is encouraging residents to take steps to prevent conflicts by securing garbage, removing bird feeders and following bear-safe composting practices.

“Dealing with kind of the growing pains of dealing with how to share the landscape with an animal that is very food motivated, has a very diverse and flexible diet, and can be very destructive to get those foods at times,” said Comeau.

Officials are also asking Vermonters to report serious human-bear conflicts to the department.

The department is now seeking public input on proposed changes that could help reduce the bear population, including extending Vermont’s bear hunting season. Public comment on those proposals is open through August 27.

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 Adam Bartow, Jim Keithley

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    BATH, Maine (WMTW) — Home prices in Maine are on the rise, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still deals to be had.

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) is selling a historic home in Bath for $1, but you have to move it.

BIW announced on Wednesday that it is selling two residential buildings for $1 each, including the historic Deering House at 606 Washington Street.

The Deering House was built around 1900 and was originally the home of prominent local shipbuilder Gardiner G. Deering, whose former shipyard played a key role in Bath’s maritime history along the Kennebec River.

Whoever buys the buildings has to move them no later than Nov. 20, 2027.

BIW says the buildings are being sold as-is, with no warranties of any kind. Whoever buys the property is responsible for all moving costs, including permits, approvals, transportation, site prep, foundations, utilities and any other associated costs or services.

If the Deering House cannot be sold and moved, the home will be demolished to make way for a new BIW facility.

“It’s important for General Dynamics and Bath Iron Works to continue to be able to grow as a company and employ thousands of Mainers. We’re looking for ways to improve our facilities,” said Jolene Nickerson, director of facilities capital at BIW. “The hope is that there is somebody that has a viable lot to move this to, and that it’s financially feasible for somebody who is interested in the house to relocate it and preserve the historic nature, which the community is very excited about.”

The Bath Historical Society is hoping someone can save the Deering House.

“You would have a one-of-a-kind home and a great story,” said Jack Martin, archivist and special collections librarian at the Patten Free Library. “Not only do you have the history of the house that comes with it, then you also have the story of being the person who moved and saved a historic home — and that’s fascinating.”

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 Raquel Ciampi

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    FAYETTE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAE) — A Fayette County woman has been convicted of killing a 2-year-old stepson in Fayette County.

Brianna Bloyer has been found guilty of third-degree murder in the death of Bentlee Myers.

An investigation was launched when an ambulance was requested for an unconscious toddler at a Springhill Township home in August of 2024.

When emergency responders arrived, Bentlee Myers was in cardiac arrest. He was taken to WVU Medicine Ruby Memorial Hospital.

The person who contacted 911 told police when they went to the home on 1001 Old Lake Lynn Road, Brett Bissett’s girlfriend, Brianna Bloyer, did not answer for a few minutes.

When Bloyer let the person into the home, they were directed to Myers’ bedroom. When the person saw the state the child was in, they contacted 911. Myers was reportedly not breathing and had “noticeable” bruises on his arms.

Bloyer allegedly never contacted emergency services.

Between Aug. 15 and 18, a criminal complaint noted Myers had multiple tests and procedures done before being declared brain dead. Officials say the toddler had bruising to his head, arms, lips and legs.

On Aug. 19, doctors declared the 2-year-old boy dead, and his injuries were determined not to be accidental.

Myers attending doctor noted the brain bleed that partially led to his death was caused by ruptured blood vessels from significant physical trauma.

Authorities noted a search of Bloyer’s Google searches days before the child was taken to the hospital included:

“what better to make bruises fade overnight.” “homemade bruise cream” “In a police interview, she admitted that she picked up and tossed the child and he hit his head hard. She did not call an ambulance. It was at least twenty minutes to an hour before a Head Start teacher arrived in the home and began to treat this child with CPR,” DA Mike Aubele said.

The child’s father, Bissett, allegedly told police he had not seen the child’s bruising until he was at the hospital.

The Fayette County District Attorney’s Office said the state presented additional evidence at Bloyer’s trial that showed Bentlee had various cuts and bruise in different stages of healing.

Bissett has since pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for cooperation against Bloyer.

“This was a very horrible case,” Aubele said. “We wanted her to be found guilty of murder, so we are satisfied with that. We did get justice for Bentlee today.”

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 Allison Petro, Dacia Johnson, Luis Xavier De Peña

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    FLORIDA (WESH) — Earl Grey is a 14-year-old black-bellied whistling duck that suddenly developed weakness in his right leg.

Earl is at ZooTampa at Lowry Park, which is incorporating veterinary acupuncture into treatment plans for animals with complex medical conditions.

The effort is led by staff veterinarian Dr. Alex Mason, who is certified in veterinary acupuncture.

While the practice is well known in human and pet medicine, ZooTampa is applying it to a wide range of wildlife species as a complementary therapy alongside traditional veterinary care.

After three electroacupuncture treatments combined with fluids, vitamins and pain management, veterinarians observed improvements in Earl’s strength, coordination and ability to walk.

“He came up here, acutely presented with the inability to use his leg, just profound weakness,” Dr. Mason said. “And after two sessions of acupuncture was back up and walking. Still had some deficits in that leg but much improved from when he presented.”

Dr. Mason said that being able to utilize the treatment is a first for the zoo, but it has proven to be a welcomed practice. She said that it has allowed for a new approach to care in cases where they had previously exhausted other options.

“In zoo medicine, we have animals that live a very long time. So whenever we’re dealing with conditions of advanced age or osteoarthritis it can be a really helpful adjunct therapy for managing discomfort that comes with that,” Dr. Mason said.

Sloth the Manattee The same therapy used for Earl Grey was also given to a manatee named Sloth.

Sloth came to ZooTampa with significant nerve damage along one side of his face, stopping that side’s use of the nostril and eye. Dr. Mason said through examining Sloth’s injuries that they suspect he was struck by a boat.

After applying the treatments, Dr. Mason said Sloth showed significant improvement in moving his one open nostril and one open eye.

Roseate spoonbill chick A roseate spoonbill chick recovering from a leg injury also regained normal limb function after receiving electroacupuncture in addition to medication and physical therapy.

The zoo is also treating Sloth, a rescued manatee with chronic nerve damage that affects one side of his face.

“At ZooTampa, each animal receives individualized care, and acupuncture gives us another way to support patients when traditional treatment options may be limited,” Mason 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.