Author: CNN Newsource

By Rebecca Klopf

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    DELAFIELD, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — A Delafield couple has transformed their empty nest years into a mission to showcase the hidden gems of Wisconsin and the Midwest, building a devoted YouTube following along the way.

Jeff and Debbye Sprang launched their YouTube channel “LoveNesters” almost by accident after their children left for college. What started as a way to reconnect with each other has evolved into a platform that celebrates local attractions and encourages others to explore the region.

“The goal of LoveNesters is to stay married,” Debbye said.

The couple’s journey began when they found themselves with a quiet house and a desire to rediscover their surroundings.

“The house is quiet, and we said, let’s find some fun things to do, and let’s share this with others,” Jeff said.

Two and a half years later, the Sprangs have attracted thousands of viewers and subscribers while maintaining their day jobs. Jeff serves as CEO of Phantom Lake YMCA Camp, while Debbye volunteers there and works elsewhere. The demanding schedule of content creation means sacrificing most of their free time.

“When I was down not working, I had the laptop open. I’m editing videos. When I’m in the car, I’m editing videos,” Debbye Sprang said.

Their adventures have taken them to unexpected places, including a memorable tandem bike ride on Mackinac Island.

“Mackinaw Island is absolutely incredible. We rode around on a tandem bike. They call that the divorce horse, and we survived,” Debbye said.

The couple has discovered that creating content pushes them to explore Wisconsin in ways they never imagined. Their recommendations range from well-known destinations to surprising local attractions.

“My favorite is Epic Systems, for us, when you are our age, you check MyChart more than you check Facebook. This is the place that creates MyChart, and they open it up to the public on weekends and during the week for select hours,” Debbye said.

Jeff highlighted another hidden gem in their backyard.

“Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay. A world-class observatory and the history behind it, it was one of Albert Einstein’s favorite places to go to, and it is right here in our backyard,” Jeff said.

The LoveNesters continue to seek suggestions from their audience about where to explore next, turning their channel into a collaborative celebration of Midwest attractions.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTMJ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Ben Jordan

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    RACINE (WTMJ) — A Racine firefighter is opening up about responding to Wisconsin’s first newborn placed inside a Safe Haven baby box nearly two weeks ago, describing the emotional moment that will stay with him for the rest of his career.

Marco Ostricki was cleaning the workout area at the Racine Fire Station when an alarm rang through the building, signaling that a newborn had been placed inside the department’s baby box. The system comes with a 10-second delay to allow mothers to leave anonymously before first responders are alerted.

“I was just in awe,” Ostricki said.

Standing just feet away, Ostricki witnessed something he thought he would never see.

“Instantly, I came over to see what was in the box, because you never know what’s going to come through, right? So I wanted to verify that there was a real baby in there. And sure enough, there was,” Ostricki said.

“I immediately grabbed the baby out of the temperature-controlled box,” Ostricki said. “I heard them cooing and that was already a good sign there that they were breathing OK,” Ostricki said.

The baby girl was rushed to the hospital in good condition by paramedic Aaron Sanjuan.

“It was kind of wild, never expected to be part of a call like that,” Sanjuan said.

Ostricki said the situation demonstrates the importance of the $15,000 investment in the baby box system.

“I kind of saw the beauty in why this box is here,” Ostricki said.

The baby box serves as a safe, legal and anonymous resource for mothers in crisis. Wisconsin updated its law in 2023 to allow parents to anonymously surrender their unharmed baby up to three days after birth. When asked what he would tell the mother who had the courage to use the system, Ostricki had a heartfelt message.

“God bless you. It takes a lot of strength to go through something like that and God bless you for picking a very safe route and giving us an opportunity to take the baby in,” Ostricki said.

The next step for the baby is being adopted.

The Racine location is one of at least 5 baby boxes across southeast Wisconsin.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTMJ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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

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By Leigh Searcy

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    RICHMOND, Kentucky (WLEX) — A 44-year-old Richmond man died days after being tased approximately 40 times at the Madison County Detention Center, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his family.

Johnathon Mansfield, described as a husband and father with no violent criminal background, suffered cardiac arrest on September 27, 2024, and died on Oct. 10, 2024, several days after the incident at the jail, the lawsuit states.

His family is suing the jail and other county officials for wrongful death, claiming Mansfield’s cardiac arrest and subsequent death was caused by the “actions, inactions, conscious disregard, willful and wanton, and depraved behavior of the defendants.”

The incident began late on Sept. 27, 2024, when Mansfield was arrested for public intoxication. According to the arrest citation, he went to Baptist Health Richmond and stated he smoked methamphetamine. Before he was treated, police say Mansfield ran away toward the Eastern Bypass and was trying to jump on moving vehicles. Officers reported he was a danger to himself and others.

The lawsuit alleges what happened next at the Madison County Detention Center was tragic and avoidable.

The 28 page lawsuit contains still images of jail video that the plaintiff’s attorneys claim show Mansfield handcuffed and placed in a restraint chair after he slowly fell to the floor. The lawsuit claim this was the first of what would be approximately 40 taser and/or G.L.O.V.E. electronic shocks unlawfully administered to Mansfield before he was put in a spit mask without spitting or threatening to do so.

After 55 minutes in the restraint chair, the suit states Mansfield was put in isolation and excessively tased by two deputy jailers, then left alone.

The lawsuit states that despite being compliant and calm, and lying down in his cell, deputy jailers and two Madison County Sheriff’s deputies rushed back into Mansfield’s cell and pounced on top of him with a shield. They then put him in a full body restraint device described as a full body straight jacket.

The plaintiffs claim video surveillance shows Mansfield was having a medical emergency because blood could be seen forming around his mouth. They say he went quiet and completely motionless with his head slumped down.

The lawsuit alleges approximately 10 minutes went by before staff realized Mansfield was in cardiac arrest and began life saving measures.

According to the lawsuit, after being taken to two hospitals, he died several days later on October 10, at UK Hospital.

The suit states the Madison County Sheriff’s Department conducted an investigation and reported that a treating physician at UK Hospital said she and other doctors believed Mansfield’s condition and cardiac arrest was caused by being tased multiple times at the jail.

Kentucky State Police continue to investigate the incident and said they will turn over their findings to the commonwealth’s attorney when their inquiry is complete.

LEX 18 reached out to several defendants in the lawsuit. The current Madison County jailer, who was not in office at the time of the incident, said he could not comment. Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor said he would wait for the county’s attorney to respond to all questions.

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By Maria Morales

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    BEL AIR, Maryland (WMAR) — More than 250 students at The John Carroll School in Bel Air learned powerful lessons about tolerance, understanding and moral courage through an extraordinary story that connects two families across generations.

The remarkable tale began when Steven DiBiagio, president of The John Carroll School, shared the story of his late father Raymond during a school event. Raymond DiBiagio served as a sergeant in the 84th Infantry during World War II.

“They got to the bottom of the hills they were coming up. It looked like a prison camp, except the prisoners were skeletons. So they started dragging these prisoners, these bodies, down into this pit and as they started to pile up, my dad looked down and one of the corpses blinked. And my father, 18 years old, said, my God, these men are alive,” DiBiagio said.

In the audience that day was Steven Salzberg, whose father had been held at the Ahlem concentration camp during the Holocaust.

“My dad grew up in the town of Lodge, Poland. And he was Jewish. He was from a family of eight. Only two of them survived the war,” Salzberg said.

By the end of DiBiagio’s presentation, Salzberg realized something incredible. On April 10, 1945, Sergeant Raymond DiBiagio’s unit liberated the Ahlem camp. Salzberg’s father was one of about 200 lives he saved.

The moment of recognition was captured during the spring 2024 event.

“Your father liberated my father,” Salzberg told DiBiagio.

“Oh my God,” DiBiagio responded.

“Thank you,” Salzberg said, as applause filled the room.

DiBiagio, a devout Catholic, and Salzberg, an observant Jew, call their connection faith and credit the power of the lessons of the Shoah, the Hebrew word for Holocaust.

“In Jewish tradition, the Talmud has an expression that says whoever saves one life, it’s as if they’ve saved an entire world,” DiBiagio said.

Their story has resonated with students like Kiren Allen, a Towson High School senior who witnessed the spring moment.

“Knowing that there’s been friendships built upon it and that they’re so consistent. It just shows how we’re being able to still move forward as a society and show love and to be able to support each other and hold each other up, even in tough situations,” Allen said.

The two men, strangers until a year ago, have formed an unlikely bond thanks to their fathers and what happened more than 80 years ago.

“It’s an unbelievable story. You’ll go through life and you’ll see things that will change what you’re doing and change how you think about yourself, and more importantly, change how you impact others,” DiBiagio said.

Salzberg co-founded Generations of the Shoah International, an organization dedicated to preserving Holocaust education and memory.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Tara Molina

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    Elgin, Illinois (WBBM) — Transportation Security Administration workers and air traffic controllers won’t be receiving paychecks starting Tuesday as a result of the government shutdown.

A local soup kitchen delivered hundreds of meals to O’Hare to feed those who are working and not getting paid.

They make sure you’re safe traveling through our airports, but it’s a job TSA agents in Chicago are officially doing without any pay now due to the shutdown.

It’s why the Elgin’s Holy Trinity Soup Kitchen is making sure those workers are fed on Tuesday.

“With the struggling that’s going on, we just want to give back,” Vee Armer said.

Their generosity means one less worry on the workers’ minds.

“It’s causing people to go get loans and create other credit problems down the line,” Darrell English said.

“Our officers are coming to work. They’re coming to work to get a paycheck, and they’re not getting a paycheck,” Christine Vietel said.

English and Vietel are with the American Federation of Government Employees Local 777 and represent around 1,400 TSA workers.

As workers themselves, they said they, too, are going without pay and are stressed. They said they coordinated lunches, like this one, to try to alleviate that a bit, pointing out that TSA officers are among the lowest-paid in the federal workforce.

Delivering after 200 hot meals to workers at O’Hare, they’ll do this again on Wednesday and could extend into next week.

Their ask from those traveling right now? kindness.

“Our officers are scared,” Vietel said. I have officers who are scared who have to drive an hour to get to work. They’re doing the best they can, but, you know, the morale is bad. Morale is bad, they’ve given up.”

Operations at Chicago airports have not been impacted, but travelers should give themselves more time to get through security for safety.

The church said the food is being paid for by the TSA union and private donors.

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

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By Melea VanOstrand

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    INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — At one Indianapolis Public Schools facility, creativity is on the menu.

An employee at James Whitcomb Riley School 43 is inspiring students to see art in unexpected places. Inside the lunchroom, cafeteria worker Anika Evans is serving up more than food. When she’s not preparing meals, she’s sketching and painting, often using students as her inspiration. For Evans, it’s about showing students that creativity doesn’t need a classroom, it just needs heart.

She says she paints portraits of students so they can love themselves and be reminded of how talented they are. “Art is in food when you’re making your plates; art is in dance; art is basically everything. When you’re doing your homework, it’s a way that they set up their paper, that’s art.”

She’ll ask a student during their 30-minute lunch if she can take their picture. Then, she’ll finish their pictures during her breaks.

According to Evans, teachers say students have started to see their other subjects — math and science, for example — through a more artistic lens.

Some days students even skip recess to stay with Evans and paint. “I want them to love themselves, that’s why I encourage them to show their teeth when they smile. I don’t want them to be self conscious about anything. I want them to be free in creativity.”

Although James Whitcomb Riley School is a performing arts school and has an art class, Evans says, her paintings and sketches encourage kids to think outside of the box and not have to worry about structured learning.

Outside of the classroom, Evans paints and sells her work. She says she wouldn’t be where she is today without the students letting her practice. “You learn from the kids. You think you’ll be the only one teaching, but they can teach you, too.”

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By Duaa Israr

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    WAUWATOSA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — At Wauwatosa’s Firefly Grove Park, a troll statue named Mama Rosa stands at 24 feet tall. Over the weekend, a smaller version of her came to life.

Inside the Lund home, there is a motto you must live by.

“Do something ridiculous, you totally have enough time, you just have to do something and go for it,” said Elliot Lund.

Halloween seemed to be the perfect time to do just that.

“I’ve told my kids I’m an undercover police officer for the last three years and just go in a flannel,” said Lund.

So, Lund got to work, taking an iconic piece of Wauwatosa and bringing her to life.

Mama Rosa the troll, created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, stands as a symbol of sustainability — built from trees and recycled scraps.

“I love the community, I love craftsmanship, like this just kind of brought all of that together,” Lund said.

Lund decided to do the same — building his with items from Goodwill, trees, and even sentimental reminders.

“A lot of sticks from our yard,” said Lund. “An apple tree in our backyard died and this is one of the last pieces we have of it, so the eyebrows are actually really special to me.”

It was accurate down to the smallest details.

“Soon after she was installed, some hornets put an earring in her ear, so we’ve got the wasp nest as well,” said Lund.

Eighty hours later, Lund’s Mama Rosa was ready to hit the town.

“As soon as the paint went on and I stood back, it was like oh, this was so worth it,” said Lund.

For Lund, it’s a labor of love and a reminder that you’re never too old to do something fun.

“To hear people just like start laughing and then to realize I could kind of dance in it, and like it looked ridiculous,” said Lund. “It just felt like a great celebration of Wauwatosa and our city.”

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By Alys Martinez

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    ALTADENA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — After losing nearly everything in the Eaton Fire in January, an Altadena family is rebuilding their business and their lives bit by bit.

The White-Chavez family, who own and operate the mobile petting zoo Experience Fable, had to corral dozens of their farm animals as quickly as they could when the devastating fire broke out on Jan. 7.

“We were able to get every single one, every single chicken, every duck, the fish, the goats — everybody,” said Mia White. “When we left, there was no power, it was dark and the wind was crazy.”

She says that even though they’re beginning to recover, after both their home and farm burned to the ground, things just aren’t the same.

“It’s hard because this used to be idyllic. Now it’s burned out, there’s a lot to do,” White said. “Out of chaos comes opportunity, and I think a lot of us feel that way.”

Over the last several months, the family has gone back and forth from San Diego, with their animals finding refuge in various places across Southern California. White says that keeping their business running was the only thing that kept them going.

“It’s therapeutic, and having that whole job to care for this menagerie has been a gift,” White said.

White’s 8-year-old daughter, Shylo, says that her animals are like family.

“To be separated, it didn’t feel that nice, but then after when we put them here, it was nice, and I could hang out with them and play with them,” Shylo Chavez said.

White says that as they continue to rebuild, along with the rest of Altadena, they’re looking for a location where they can let friends and neighbors come to spend time with their animals.

“That’s the next step, where folks that are close by can come to us on a regular basis,” she said.

While they continue working through the tragedy, White says that caring for her herd has been a blessing in disguise.

“I don’t know what it is about them, but they all have different personalities and they interact with humans in a different way,” she said. “It’s calming, and it reminds you of what’s important — the basic things.”

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By Sarah Horbacewicz

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    LAFAYETTE, Colorado (KCNC) — Last week, one mom in Lafayette believed she heard a stranger’s voice coming from her baby monitor, and now she’s hoping other families will take a second look at their security.

Mom, Jane asked not to share her last name due to privacy concerns. She says she’s been using a Nanit baby monitor for the last 19 months, but heard a strange noise last week.

Jane said she typically checks in on her son’s baby monitor on her phone, which is what she was doing last week.

“I was waking up, he was waking up. I could hear him babbling over my phone,” Jane said, “And then all of a sudden, I just heard this really weird sound.”

Jane says she ran in and unplugged the camera immediately as she believed that her Wi-Fi-enabled monitor may have been hacked.

“It’s been devastating. It has been really hard to just figure out what steps to take, how to protect ourselves,” Jane said.

She reached out to the company Nanit to report the incident. A spokesperson for the company sent CBS Colorado a statement in part:

“We are aware of this reported incident and have been in touch with the customer directly. Our product team conducted an initial assessment and found no indication of compromise. However, out of an abundance of caution, our team is performing a deeper investigation.”

As Nanit continues to look into the claim, Jane says she still feels uneasy, adding, “I think that the words are clear as day. The voice is clear. It doesn’t sound like some audio problem. It sounds like somebody was speaking to my child,” Jane said.

MSU Denver Computer Science Professor Steve Beaty explained that home security cameras, like baby monitors that are connected to Wi-Fi, have varying levels of security against hackers.

“This is among our most sensitive data, if it’s not the most sensitive data, and so we have to be very, very careful around this,” Beaty said, “There’s no question at all that local signals that are not connected to the internet are going to be safer.”

Beaty added that he believes monitor hacks like this are somewhat rare, but anything you can access online and out of the house has the potential to be viewed by others as well, no matter what brand the device is.

“Oftentimes, we will say that security and convenience are at odds with each other. And so, you know, it’d be really nice to never lock our doors, because it would be very convenient to get in and out of our homes, but we lock them to increase the security,” Beaty said.

Beaty added that monitors over a radio frequency can still be hacked into locally, but not as far-reaching. He also recommended people have strong passwords, keep device software updated, and consider investing financially in the quality of the product, as it could indicate a level of more secure software.

Meanwhile, Jane says she is now using a closed-circuit baby monitor and is hoping to feel more secure.

“I don’t know what happened. No one knows what happened. I’m not getting explanations. But if there’s any risk to any of our children, obviously, I want other people to be aware,” Jane said.

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