Author: CNN Newsource

By Stephanie Moore

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WYFF) — Asheville police say they are looking for a man who they say robbed a store at gunpoint while wearing a Spider-Man hoodie that said “Friendly Neighborhood Crime Watch.”

Police said the robbery happened Saturday night at a business in the 400 block of Haywood Road.

When police arrived, they said they spoke to the victim and watched surveillance video.

The investigation determined that a man went into the store, appeared to be shopping, and brought several items to the counter.

Police said the suspect then pulled out a handgun and demanded money from the cash register.

If you have information about the suspect’s identity or this incident, call (828) 252-1110.

You can also send an anonymous tip using the TIP2APD smartphone application (search “Asheville PD” in your app store) or by texting TIP2APD to 847411.

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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    WESTBORO, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The Westboro, Massachusetts, police chief remains on administrative leave after a police report alleges that he was “hammered drunk” and found asleep in an unmarked police cruiser outside a Shrewsbury liquor store for more than 24 hours.

A Shrewsbury Police Department report obtained Tuesday by WBZ-TV reveals more details about the incident that led to Westboro Police Chief Todd Minardi being placed on leave over the weekend.

The Westboro Police Department said in a statement that it was aware of an incident in Shrewsbury involving Minardi and had placed him on leave. Police in Westboro did not provide any additional details about the incident.

According to a Shrewsbury police report, the call around noon on Friday came from a person at Star Liquors on Route 9.

A Shrewsbury police lieutenant wrote in his report that as he arrived in the parking lot, one of the responding officers approached him and said “… it’s the Chief of Police for Westborough and he was hammered drunk.”

Minardi was not in uniform and was in his unmarked SUV. The keys to the Ford Explorer were wedged between the cup holder and center console.

Police also said there were two bottles of vodka on the passenger seat of the SUV. One was empty while the second did not have a cap on and appeared to be mostly empty, police said.

According to the report, Minardi’s eyes were red, bloodshot and glassy. In addition, police said his speech was slow, slurred and smelled of alcohol.

While Minardi was about to be transported to UMass Memorial Hospital, his wife called and told the paramedic that Minardi had been missing for two days. She said he had not been eating food and was only drinking vodka.

After reviewing surveillance footage, police determined that Minardi first arrived at the liquor store around 9 a.m. on Thursday and did not leave until Friday when he was taken to the hospital around 12:30 p.m.

Police watched the surveillance footage and determined that after initially arriving in the parking lot, Minardi did not drive the unmarked cruiser. The Shrewsbury Police Department issued Minardi a citation for open container of alcohol.

After learning of the situation, Westboro officials said they began taking steps to retain an outside investigator to gather more information while Minardi is on leave. The deputy police chief is currently leading the department’s day-to-day operations.

The Town of Westboro said it will not be commenting any further because it is a personnel matter.

Minardi has served as Westboro police chief since 2023. He was sworn into the position in June of that year.

Westboro is located in Worcester County in Massachusetts, about 30 miles west of Boston. Shrewsbury is about seven miles east of Westboro.

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 Darren Cunningham

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    LINCOLN PARK, Michigan (WXYZ) — A Halloween decoration meant to bring some spooky fun to the neighborhood is now the center of a police investigation in Lincoln Park.

Someone stole an animatronic Chucky doll right off a woman’s front lawn, and the whole thing was caught on surveillance video.

“I love Michael Myers. I just love, just the fall and just the Halloween atmosphere. I just love it,” Denice Greer told 7 News Detroit.

Greer said someone tried to dampen her Halloween spirit by stealing one of the neighborhood’s favorite attractions around 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

She recalled, “And I heard like a dragging noise. And then I run to the door and I see the person jumping in the big red truck with my animatronic.”

“I’ve been here almost 20 years, and this is the first time I’ve been violated,” she said.

It may sound like child’s play, but Greer filed a police report with Lincoln police for the $300 loss.

She said the display is about more than just Halloween scares. She decorates her lawn every year, and the decorations have become something neighborhood kids look forward to seeing and interacting with.

Greer said, “I do this for the neighborhood because it’s a close-knit neighborhood over here.”

“That’s what gives me the joy. The neighbors that come by and say thank you for putting this out. One of the ladies told me, ‘My autistic son loves it. I have to drive by here everyday.’ The kids that are blind and deaf, they wanna come by and touch and feel. That’s the joy I get out of it,” she explained.

Greer said the thief who tried to steal that joy by stealing the doll was driving a red Dodge RAM pickup truck, and she’s hoping someone recognizes the person or the truck seen in the surveillance video.

“Just bring my Chucky back. It’s not for me. Think about the kids that your’e hurting that come by here every year and enjoy the display,” she pleaded.

Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to contact Lincoln Park police at 313-381-1800.

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 Madelyn Cooper

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    EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Georgia (WJCL) — Effingham County deputies are conducting compliance checks on registered sex offenders as part of Operation Watchful Eye, a statewide initiative to verify addresses and ensure offenders are following registration requirements.

“We’re out here doing an address verifications on our registered sex offenders to make sure they’re living where they’re supposed to be, living,” Deputy Sheriff Kathy Dillard of the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies began their checks early, planning to knock on 114 doors throughout the week.

“Who will be knocking on 114 doors this morning and throughout the week. The very first one we went to, his sister come out and said he has not lived there for several months. So, we’ll be issuing a warrant for his arrest,” Dillard said.

Trunk or Treat List: From Savannah to Port Royal, events bring first responders, pets and family fun Last year, two people out of 123 registered sex offenders in the county were arrested for non-compliance, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies say conducting these checks before Halloween helps ensure children’s safety.

“We have knocked on every door of every sex offender in this county before Halloween,” Dillard said.

Georgia law restricts some registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of places like schools, churches, and other areas where children gather. On Halloween night, offenders on probation must report to the sheriff’s office while children are out trick-or-treating.

“Give everybody a little bit of peace of mind that they’re where they’re supposed to be, and we’re staying on top of them,” Dillard said.

This marks the 11th year the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office has participated in Operation Watchful Eye, which runs through Nov. 2.

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 Matthew Keck & Jamie Mayes

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Louisville Metro Police Department is investigating a crash involving a JCPS bus in the California neighborhood.

LMPD said around 5 p.m., officers pulled up behind a vehicle with a suspect wanted for a “violent offense.” LMPD did not explicitly say what the suspect was wanted for, but said he was a violent felony offender.

“My understanding is that he’s a known suspect, that they were already looking for for the day,” said Major Russell Miller, “They come across them and identified him in the vehicle before they attempted to stop the vehicle.”

When officers attempted to stop the suspect, he sped off along Broadway, heading east.

Police said the suspect hit another vehicle and a JCPS bus as he drove through the intersection of Broadway and 18th Street.

The vehicle the suspect was driving flipped.

WLKY had a crew at the scene, where a car was seen flipped over, a JCPS bus had its front windshield busted, and another vehicle’s front bumper was damaged.

LMPD said seven people were taken to the hospital as a result of the crash.

The suspect and a woman inside the vehicle were taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

Two people inside the vehicle the suspect hit were taken to the hospital to be evaluated, police said. Three children were taken to the hospital out of caution, but police said the children did not report being injured at the scene.

It is unclear which JCPS school the children attend.

LMPD’s Traffic Unit is leading the 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 Laura Terrell

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — One Johnston woman is honoring her late sister by gifting a cashmere wrap to as many women as she can who are going through breast cancer treatment across the state.

JoAnn Manning started MadeKindly, a foundation that has provided these comforting gifts to nearly 500 women.

“We like to think that it gives each patient a little boost, a little boost of joy when they are potentially terrified of what’s coming. There is so much uncertainty with a cancer diagnosis and these are warm, comforting and they can be worn in the treatment room,” said JoAnn Manning.

Manning started MadeKindly in 2022 in honor of her sister, Mary Kay Zumbach-Gillotti, who died from breast cancer in 2019.

“We were living far apart from one another when she was diagnosed, so I couldn’t be there to help her. So I would send her these gifts, and she loved them so much. She said every cancer patient needs one of these,” said Manning.

Manning has distributed the gifts to metro hospitals including John Stoddard Cancer, MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center and Broadlawns Hematology and Oncology Center.

Thanks to generous donors, Manning has been able to expand to more rural areas including Greater Regional Health in Creston and MercyOne Newton Medical Center.

“To serve the underserved or those who are far away from maybe a luxury item like a cashmere wrap was really her (Mary Kay) wish,” said Manning.

The medical staff at each location distributes the gifts to women beginning treatment. John Stoddard Cancer Center Program Coordinator Rachel Fyfe says it is a rewarding experience to watch the joy it brings. Fyfe still remembers one of the first patients she was able to gift a cashmere wrap.

“She put it on, shared the story with the person sitting next to her, and she just felt so special and felt the kindness of that gift,” said Fyfe.

You can donate to MadeKindly on its website. Every dollar that comes in goes to the gifts, and MadeKindly can send a cashmere wrap anywhere in the country to a woman going through treatment.

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.