Author: CNN Newsource

By Kimber Collins

Click here for updates on this story

    MAUI, Hawaii (KITV) — NOAA is asking Hawaii’s on-water community to keep a close eye out for an entangled humpback whale spotted off Lahaina, Maui.

The roughly 40-foot female humpback was encountered by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary monitoring team on Thursday, January 22. Officials say the whale appears to be in poor to moderate condition, showing signs of emaciation and heavy coverage of red-colored whale lice across much of her body.

Researchers believe the whale may still be entangled and are working to track her movements so trained responders can assess whether intervention is possible. NOAA says public reports are critical in helping teams locate the animal.

Anyone who spots the whale is asked to immediately call the statewide NOAA Marine Animal Emergency Hotline at 888-256-9840. Officials also ask the public to share photos or videos if possible, but to remain at least 100 yards away and not attempt to approach or assist the whale.

Humpback whales are protected under federal law, and approaching them too closely can be dangerous for both the animal and people on the water.

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 Ethan Stein

Click here for updates on this story

    PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida (WPTV) — Five horse manure haulers are accusing two Palm Beach County municipalities of unfairly steering business to a competitor, according to a letter WPTV obtained.

These companies, who work to address an estimated 50,000 tons of horse manure in the area, said recent regulatory actions could cause them to go out of business. Their accusations against the company, Agricultural Blending Company, came after WPTV uncovered records showing Village of Wellington staff helped the company’s owner create the business and lobby on it behalf to circumvent local zoning laws.

“It has come to the attention of manure haulers, agricultural producers, and members of the public that hauling operations serving equestrian facilities are being steered—explicitly or implicitly—toward depositing manure loads at a single private facility commonly referred to as ABC, notwithstanding the existence of multiple agricultural farms that openly and lawfully accept manure as a beneficial agricultural input,” wrote the haulers.

The Village of Wellington said in a written statement that the hauler’s assertion of “steering” haulers to one location is incorrect. The village wrote in an email that it applied regulations uniformly and aren’t designed to advantage or disadvantage any particular business. However, Village Manager Jim Barnes wrote he remained open to discussing regulatory requirements with haulers.

“The Village remains committed to transparency, fair enforcement, and open communication,” he wrote in a written statement. “We are always willing to discuss regulatory requirements with haulers, agricultural operators, and residents to ensure clarity and compliance, but we do not, and will not, interfere with lawful private business choices.”

Justin Hickey, who owns a manure hauling company, said the Village of Wellington no longer allows him to deliver unprocessed material directly to farms. He said he’s being forced to use a list of approved facilities, who can then charge dump fees ranging from $15,000 to $20,000. Hickey said these facilities can then process the material into top soil. He doesn’t understand why his company can’t do the same process or at least deliver the unprocessed material directly to other places like farms.

“What’s the difference between him and us taking it to the farms,” Hickey said to WPTV’s Ethan Stein. “You’re trying to control us and not him.”

Hickey said he doesn’t know why his company is on the list of approved facilities, which also includes the Alymra Company, Agricultural Blending Company and five other companies.

Agricultural Blending Company, according to state records, is owned by Matthew Bellissimo. Matthew’s father, Mark, is a well-known developer in Wellington that owns the land where Agricultural Blending Company operates in Wellington.

Hickey’s complaints come after WPTV uncovered records showing the Village of Wellington sent Agricultural Blending Company a business plan to help dispose of or reuse the horse manure produced in Wellington and decrease illegal dumping. The plan even offered several possible locations, expenses and potential profits. But, village staff said in the plan that zoning regulations could stop any manure transfer plant.

“The Equestrian Overlay Zoning District (EOZD) does not currently allow a manure transfer station,” the plan reads. “If the site selected is located in the EOZD, there would have to be some changes to the EOZD to allow the manure transfer station.”

Emails WPTV village staff worked with the company to get an “agricultural” classification, which would allow it to operate on the property without a rezoning change. Village staff were attached to emails with Matthew Bellissimo, where he was working with FDEP employees to get the agency to classify his business as “agricultural and not industrial.”

“It would be helpful if in the language of the registration that FDEP could include verbiage referencing that our business function is in the eyes of DEP, is ‘Agricultural’ and not ‘Industrial,'” Matthew Bellissimo told FDEP.

“It would be appreciated if FDEP could reiterate in writing, what was already mentioned verbally, that this process could serve as an effective substitute so that we remain a ‘Mixing Station’ and not a ‘Transfer Station’ in the registration letter.”

Bellissimo then forwarded FDEP’s response to village employee Michael Dell in an email dated April 15, 2022.

Hickey and Paulo Santana believe Agricultural Blending Company filed complaints with various local government and government agencies. The company, Agricultural Blending Company, declined to comment on this report.

Paulo Santana, who showed WPTV his facility with mounds of wood chips and manure as tall as seven feet, said his operation has completely stopped after being given a “Stop Work Order” from the town of Loxahatchee Groves. He said the town’s actions have started costing him money and believes the regulations aren’t fair because his operation is just as “agricultural” as Agricultural Blending Company.

“I see everybody being close to bankruptcy,” Santana said. “Between paying diesel, labor, all the taxes and the dump fees: You can not give that price back to the customer. We are literally since the last year paying to work and trust me hauling horseshit isn’t a fun business.”

Francine Ramaglia, who is the Town Manager for Loxahatchee Groves, said it requires haulers to collect waste from out of town within parameters set forth by the health department and the state for protecting the water supply.

“Our goal is simply to support the rural lifestyle we all cherish,” she wrote in an email ‘Because Loxahatchee Groves is such a unique community where virtually all of our homes and farms rely on private wells and septic systems, we have a responsibility to protect our water supply.”

She also said there are no designated sites in the Town.

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 Dave Bohman

Click here for updates on this story

    BOCA RATON, Florida (WPTV) — Two cancer survivors experienced life-changing moments Sunday morning in Boca Raton when they met the stem cell donors who saved their lives during the 15th annual Steps for Life 5K Run and Walk at FAU Stadium.

Roxanne Lockhart and Caitlyn Grewe, both wearing orange shirts, were filled with emotion as they prepared to meet their donors in front of more than 1,000 people gathered for the 5K event celebrating the Gift of Life registry.

“A lot of emotions, nervousness, excitement,” Grewe said before the meeting.

Lockhart described feeling “kind of giddy” about the encounter.

Lockhart, a leukemia survivor, is now in good health thanks to Dr. Kristian von Rickenbach, a sports medicine physician who provided a swab sample while in medical school nearly a decade ago. When von Rickenbach learned she was a match for a stem cell transplant, her response was immediate.

“As soon as I thought about it and realized I could help save someone’s life, I was super excited and ready to come in and do whatever it meant, whatever it would take,” von Rickenbach said.

The timing proved remarkable for von Rickenbach, who had just given birth to a son when she learned she was a stem cell donor match, essentially giving life to two people in the same week.

Minnesota native Grewe found her health restored through a match with donor Brianna Marr, a Jacksonville area firefighter paramedic. Marr was initially surprised by the news.

“When I first found out I was matched, I was pretty shocked and in awe,” Marr said.

Grewe expressed overwhelming gratitude for her donor’s gift.

“Words just don’t even express the gratitude I have for Brianna,” Grewe said.

The emotional meetings highlighted the focus of the event, which brought together roughly 1,000 runners and walkers to celebrate the Gift of Life Registry and the connections between donors and recipients who transform from strangers into lifelong friends.

WPTV investigative reporter Dave Bohman was the master of ceremonies for the event.

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

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 Dean Fioresi

Click here for updates on this story

    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — So-called “graffiti-proof” ivy that was recently installed along the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles was vandalized over the weekend, just hours after it was put in place by Caltrans crews.

The artificial ivy was being installed near the Main Street and Los Angeles Street exits on Sunday morning as part of a pilot program aimed at “removing” graffiti from the busy thoroughfare, according to Caltrans officials. They said that the program began two weeks ago and was expected to be finished later this week.

The graffiti was reported over the weekend and was 90% cleared on Monday, Caltrans reported.

“Due to a mural and related agreements at this location and several walls along U.S. 101 in downtown Los Angeles, Caltrans is not legally allowed to paint over or remove graffiti,” said a statement from Caltrans. “As a temporary measure, to protect the mural artworks, Caltrans has been installing artificial ivy which has aesthetic benefits and acts as a graffiti deterrent and is a more environmentally friendly solution to graffiti removal.”

They said that other artificial ivy previously installed along the 101 in November last year was “successful in mitigating graffiti.” The ivy is installed in 1’x1′ squares, which are easily removable and replaced, Caltrans said. The previous installment only required removal three times, which they said was an “improvement for the region.”

“In the past year, Caltrans spent $336,160 removing 318,793 square feet of graffiti on US 101 in downtown Los Angeles,” said the Caltrans statement. “Across District 7 in the past year, Caltrans spent $4,194,344 removing 3,973,054 square feet of graffiti.”

Caltrans officials also noted that the ivy installation was not a part of the Clean California initiative, a $1.1 billion campaign from Gov. Gavin Newsom, which aims to expand trash removal from state highways and fund local beautification projects.

Before being largely overtaken by graffiti, the walls along the 101 Freeway were previously covered in a series of murals that were commissioned in 1984, the last time the city hosted the Summer Olympics. Los Angeles will host the games for the third time in 2026, and ongoing beautification projects are taking place across the region.

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 Alan Gionet

Click here for updates on this story

    DENVER (KCNC) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife is looking for information on the shooting of a bald eagle in the northern part of the Denver metro area two weeks ago.

It happened at the Croke Reservoir in Northglenn, located off Huron Street near 104th. The bird was spotted in apparent trouble and was captured by city park rangers and animal control officers.

X-rays at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic showed the bird was shot in the wing by a ball bearing. The bird underwent surgery and is recuperating.

Injuring or killing a bald eagle is illegal under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

“There’s a difference between being a licensed waterfowl hunter and being out there and just shooting at any bird that flies across the sky. And we think that this is probably a case of the latter, and we want somebody to really come forward and let us know what happened here,” said CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose.

Bald eagles are a migratory bird in Colorado. They come through mostly in the winter to nest, lay eggs and raise their young. Bald eagles mate for life. Van Hoose says there are 350 known active nests in the state. The numbers have recovered significantly since the suspension of the use of pesticides like DDT in the 1970s. Eagle numbers rose significantly first in the 1990s, then continued to increase.

A ball bearing may have been shot from a firearm or slingshot or some other device.

“That’s crazy. That’s like, who would shoot an eagle?” asked Eric Sanchez, a student at Front Range Community College who was out photographing birds at the Croke Reservoir along with his girlfriend on Monday. “They’re huge!” exclaimed Lindsey Reyes, who has seen eagles at the reservoir.

Van Hoose says they’d like tips to locate the person responsible.

“We want to talk to anybody who has any information, and if you don’t feel comfortable leaving your name or contact info, you can also report these anonymously to us through our Operation Game Thief email and phone number.”

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 DeJanay Booth-Singleton

Click here for updates on this story

    BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WWJ) — Police in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, released bodycam video of one of its K9s helping officers locate a missing teen on Monday.

Police say Rollo, a 17-month-old Belgian Malinois/Shepard mix, is still new to the job but was put to the test. The video showed the dog leading an officer through the snow in a field. The dog was then seen bringing the officer to the side of a road, where police eventually located the teen walking.

Police say that because Rollo is new, “any change in environment can affect a track.” However, they praised the dog for still being able to complete the job, adding that he “powered through it like a beast.”

According to the police department, Rollo joined Bloomfield Township police in November 2025 as an explosive detection patrol dog.

He’s being honored at the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting.

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 Nick Lunemann

Click here for updates on this story

    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Greg Ketter has spent nearly five decades selling comic books and science fiction novels at DreamHaven Books and Comics in Minneapolis. This week, his phone hasn’t stopped ringing.

Ketter said his store has seen a surge of online orders and messages of support after a photo of him at a recent protest circulated widely on social media. The image appears to show Ketter moving through a cloud of tear gas during a demonstration following the killing of Alex Pretti, which happened just minutes away from his store.

Ketter said he went to the protest after learning about Pretti’s death.

“This is personal, being right here in Minneapolis,” Ketter said. “I mean, this is the U.S. government attacking its own people, and that’s what just got to me.”

Ketter, 69, said he did not intend to draw attention to himself and was surprised to learn he had been photographed. “I wasn’t even running,” he said. “I just walked.”

In the days since, customers from across the country — and even internationally — have contacted the store to place orders or express support. Ketter said the volume of traffic temporarily overwhelmed DreamHaven’s website.

“It’s been insane,” he said. “I never pictured anything like this. It’s gone truly global.”

Among those who visited the store in person were Jeff and Rachel McMahon, who said they were moved by the image and wanted to support Ketter and his business.

“When I saw the photo of Greg and looked into who he was in the community, we felt like we had to come down and thank him,” Jeff McMahon said.

Rachel McMahon described Ketter as a hero, a label he rejects.

“I don’t know why I deserved all that,” Ketter said. “People have been amazingly kind.”

Ketter said any donations made through an old GoFundMe page connected to the store will be redirected to local food shelves. He said he hopes the attention leads to positive action within the community.

Despite the attention, Ketter said he plans to keep doing what he has always done — running his store and serving customers.

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 Briauna Brown, Marvin Hurst, Amelia Mugavero, S.E. Jenkins

Click here for updates on this story

    FRISCO, Texas (KTVT) — A North Texas family and community are mourning after a sledding accident left a 16-year-old girl dead and another teen critically injured Sunday.

According to the Frisco Police Department, at about 2:30 p.m., officers were called to the incident in the area of Majestic Gardens Drive and Killian Court. When they arrived, officers found two 16-year-old girls suffering from life-threatening injuries and immediately began life-saving measures.

Police said a 16-year-old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler and pulling the two girls on a sled. Witnesses told officers that the sled struck a curb and hit a tree.

The two girls were transported to the hospital, where one later died of her injuries.

The victim’s parents identified her as Elizabeth Angle. They told CBS News Texas that the other teen who suffered injuries was Angle’s best friend, Grace, who remains on life support.

Angle’s parents said she was their middle child, leaving behind two sisters aged 18 and 12.

They said Angle was loved by everyone, a kind spirit, outgoing and magnetic.

They also shared that she had recently earned her driver’s license and was excited about the future ahead of her.

Angle’s school shared those sentiments. She was a sophomore at Wakeland High School in Frisco, and in a letter to parents, school officials said the teen was a soccer player who was “well-liked by peers and teachers.” School officials said Angle will be honored during the 2nd period when classes resume after being closed due to icy roads following this past weekend’s winter storm. Also, counseling will be available if needed for students and staff.

“Our entire campus community is impacted by this tragedy,” the school said.

Angle’s club soccer coach, Luis Ramos, described her as a natural leader and a source of light for her teammates.

“As a coach, she was just blowing me away,” Ramos said. “She was a natural leader. She was more than a friend to our teammates. She leaves a lot of sisters behind.”

Ramos, who is currently in Puerto Rico, said he planted a tamarind tree in Angle’s honor and is working with the community to establish a soccer scholarship in her name.

Through their grief, the family said they hope their daughter’s death serves as a reminder about the dangers of sledding behind vehicles — even in quiet neighborhoods.

They are urging parents and children to take safety seriously, saying what may seem like harmless winter fun can turn tragic in an instant.

Frisco PD said the investigation into the accident is ongoing with support from the Denton County District Attorney’s Office. Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact the Frisco Police Department at 972-292-6010. No arrests have been made.

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.