Author: CNN Newsource

By Kilee Thomas

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    WASHINGTON (KOCO) — Magnus Miller, an Oklahoma teen who saved a fellow basketball player’s life during a high school tournament, is now advocating for CPR training and AED availability in schools, taking his mission to Washington, D.C.

“There’s no way you were going to die on that court. I wasn’t going to let you,” Miller said during a reunion with Randy Vitales, the player he saved.

In January, during a high school basketball tournament between Dover and Life Christian Academy, 16-year-old Randy Vitales collapsed, going into full cardiac arrest.

Miller, an opposing player, rushed over to help, using his lifeguard training in CPR and AED to direct school staff until EMS arrived.

This week, Miller, now a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, along with two other Oklahomans, advocated at Capitol Hill to further fund the HEARTS Act, which provides funding for schools to train students and staff in CPR, purchase AEDs, and develop cardiac emergency response plans.

“It was a crazy experience. I got invited by The American Heart’s Association to go and help advocate as one of the Oklahoma advocates for $50 million in funding for the HEARTS Act,” Miller said.

Miller also had the opportunity to speak with state Rep. Kevin Hern during his visit.

“I feel like you can prevent this kind of stuff from happening. Obviously, I was fortunate enough to have this stuff and be there and have those materials like an AED, but a lot of people don’t have those resources, so this is something I wanted to step up and do,” Miller said.

Miller and Vitales recently met some Oklahoma City Thunder players at an open practice because of their remarkable story.

Two other Oklahomans, Deshawn Caldwell of Tulsa and Cheri Shepard, whose husband, Derrick Shepard, a former OU football player and NFL player, died of cardiac arrest in 1999, also advocated on Capitol Hill.

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By Pete Cuddihy

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    COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KETV) — You know what they say, kindness can go a long way.

And the kindness an Iowa man has shown his community is paid back as they help him with a much-needed repair to his house.

The roof on Richard “Boss” Stokes’ house can help explain the man’s character.

It may have some discoloration and missing shingles, but it’s kept his home protected for years.

“I would say, like, it’s 10 years past due. It’s pretty old,” said his grandson Owen Belt.

Stokes’s grandson Owen, lives with him.

“He’s proud, you know. He wants to be able to do things on his own,” said Belt.

And he has—taking care of himself and the people around him.

“He lives across the street from us. He’s kind of always just taken our family under his wing,” said neighbor Carrie Lear.

While he’s helped his neighbors get by, that sometimes meant putting his own needs to the side.

“He’s talked to us about needing a new roof. And, you know, everybody in this economy right now, it’s hard to come up with extra funds for things like that,” said Lear.

To pay it back to the man who is always helping them, his neighbors nominated Stokes to win a free roof repair from White Castle Roofing.

And Wednesday night, he got a surprise visit.

“You are one of the winners for our free Roof Rescue,” said Holly Dreamer with White Castle Roofing.

Which goes to show the importance of being there for one another.

“There ain’t nothing better than friends and family,” said Richard “Boss” Stokes.

White Castle Roofing says this is the third free roof they’ve given out this year, and they say ‘Boss’s’ roof will be replaced over the course of the next week—giving back to a man who always gave back to others.

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By Sean MacKinnon

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    FLORENCE, Kentucky (WLWT) — Florence Police K-9, a five-year-old German Shepard named Ajax, has a new toy even the strongest dog can’t tear apart.

“Bulletproof, stab-proof vest. So just knowing he’s a little bit safer means the world,” K-9 Handler Officer Blake Burkhardt said.

Burkhardt recently got Ajax the vest through a Massachusetts non-profit, given to Florence Police for free.

“I want to put that vest on him and just make sure he’s as safe as possible,” Burkhardt said.

We caught up with Ajax Wednesday who was in work mode and highly motivated, smelling out crack cocaine hidden in cabinets, performing obedience tasks, and biting down on an officer’s protective arm guard during a drill.

In the real world, the vest protects Ajax’s vital organs from any suspect with a knife or a gun.

“Whether we’re going into a track or a building surge or heading into the woods and look for somebody, because a lot of the guys we’re looking for, they’re either violent offenders or there’s a potential for them to be dangerous,” Burkhardt said.

Ask any K-9 handler: their pup is more than their partner.

“It’s the best job in the world. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Burkhardt said. “It changed my life. He lives with me. He comes home with me every single day. I’m with him as much as I’m with any other member of my family.”

Now, all four K-9s with Florence Police have these vests, keeping man’s best friend and an officer’s best asset safe.

“I wouldn’t want to go to some of these calls without my vest on. So I feel like I shouldn’t put him in there without his on either,” Burkhardt said.

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By Stephanie Moore

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    CRAVEN COUNTY, North Carolina (WYFF) — A man is on the run after authorities say he killed his grandmother in her home and then assaulted a deputy inside a Bojangles bathroom.

The Craven County Sheriff’s Office said on Oct. 25 Patricia Lopedote, 72, was found dead in her home on Highway Havelock.

During the investigation Lopedote’s grandson, 24-year-old Dominic Liam Connelly, was identified as a suspect.

Authorities released pictures of Connelly and his grandmother’s vehicle, which was missing from her home.

On Oct. 28, authorities said the grandmother’s vehicle was found, but Connelly was not.

On Oct. 29, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office heard that Connelly may be at the Bojangles in Vanceboro, North Carolina.

When a deputy arrived to investigate, authorities said Connelly was in the bathroom of the business and used a knife to assault a deputy before running away.

Connelly is wanted on multiple warrants, including murder.

Authorities said Connelly was last seen wearing all dark clothing running towards Bailey Lane apartments located behind Bojangles.

If anyone sees Connelly, do not approach and immediately call 911.

If you have any information on this case, contact the Craven County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 636-6620 or Craven County Communications at (252) 633-2357.

The Craven County School District announced Thursday that “due to an emergency situation in the Vanceboro community, Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary, West Craven Middle, and West Craven High School will be closed today for all students and staff.”

They did not explain what that “emergency situation” was.

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By Russ Reed

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    AUBURN, Maine (WMTW) — A Maine man faces multiple charges after he was accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her if she did not steal items from the Walmart in Auburn for him.

Harrison Coleman, 50, of Lewiston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and transported to the Androscoggin County Jail, where police said he would be held without bail until he faced a judge.

The Auburn Police Department said investigators determined Coleman had assaulted his 30-year-old ex-girlfriend, forced her into his vehicle and drove her to the Walmart Supercenter on Mount Auburn Avenue.

According to police, Coleman reportedly told the woman to steal specific items from the store and threatened to kill her if she did not comply.

The woman told Walmart employees inside the store she had been threatened, and one of those employees approached an Auburn police officer who was working a security detail at the store at about 1:30 p.m.

The officer then spoke with the woman, who said she had been forced into a vehicle by Coleman and brought to the Walmart against her will. The woman also told the officer her ex-boyfriend had threatened her if she did not steal from the store for him.

Additional officers responded to the Walmart to assist with the investigation. Coleman was found waiting in a vehicle parked outside the store. Police said the officers were able to corroborate the woman’s account through an additional witness and they took Coleman into custody.

Coleman has been charged with kidnapping, domestic violence assault and domestic violence criminal threatening.

Auburn police said they continue to investigate the incident.

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By Jon Schoenheider

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    KEENE, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A man at the Cheshire County Jail has been charged with plotting to kill a woman he claimed was his wife, along with her husband.

Edward LePore, 45, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder. He was arrested Tuesday after a weeks-long investigation. Police were unable to confirm LePore’s original address.

LePore was in jail for a probation violation when, according to court documents, he asked another inmate if he knew a hitman. He said the targets were a woman in Maine he claimed was his wife, as well as the man he said was her husband, investigators said.

He allegedly suggested that he would be able to pay $50,000 for each killing and fund the plot by selling his house and his mother’s business upon release.

The inmate in question reported the conversations to jail authorities, who notified Keene Police. Court documents say the inmate was recruited to help officers record conversations involving LePore.

Investigators said that when the woman in question was made aware of the plot to kill her, she said she was never married to LePore. According to her account, the two were friends while she was separated but still married and spent time together on multiple occasions.

She told police that she blocked LePore’s number months ago after he was arrested.

Keene police said LePore has a prior arrest record but could not specify the charges or convictions.

LePore will stay in jail on preventative detention until a probable cause hearing scheduled for Nov. 5.

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By Mary Saladna

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    NEWTON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Pine Ridge Rd. in Newton, Massachusetts looks more like a Hollywood stage than a house thanks to 14-year-old Ted Lahey.

His Halloween decorations have put the whole neighborhood on notice.

“It started as a pirate ship last year and just kind of evolved,” he said.

Lahey said his dad had his doubts about the project.

“I mean our front yard us the size of a postage stamp,” Ed Lahey joked. “And I said, ‘Oh bud, I don’t think this is going to fit.’ And it just made it.”

The decor speaks for itself and as a family, they made it work.

“I’m pretty amazed,” mom Kirsten Lahey said. “I could never have imagined he would create something like this as a 14-year-old.”

From the smoking cannons made of pvc pipe and pool noodles, to the treasure chest made of reconstructed palate, the ship has taken the neighborhood by storm.

“What’s really incredible is that none of this is from a kit or Amazon,” Kirsten said. “It all came from Ted’s own imagination and ingenuity.”

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By Kalea Gunderson

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    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — A Cheswick woman is seeking the public’s help in finding a very sentimental necklace.

The necklace Diane Pent never takes off is a gold rope chain carrying her late husband’s wedding band, which she had reshaped into a heart after he died. Fred Pent passed away in April 2024, leaving behind his wife Diane, four children, and seven grandchildren.

That priceless symbol of her husband has gone missing, and she’s asking the public for help.

“It’s the very last piece of us that I have,” Pent said.

Saturday morning, it was gone.

“I looked in the mirror, and I was like…” Pent said as she gasped. “Then I just started looking everywhere for it.”

She immediately posted to social media that morning in an attempt to get the word out and began retracing her steps, which unfortunately was a path stretching across Allegheny County.

“I was everywhere,” Pent said.

Diane believes the necklace and ring may have fallen off between Thursday and Friday as she was running errands. She recounted stopping at several stores: MAC. Bid in Robinson Township, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods at the Waterworks Shopping Plaza in Blawnox, as well as MAC. Bid, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Lowe’s in the Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum.

“I took every part of my house apart. I’ve taken my car apart. I’ve gone through my grass, I’ve gone through everything. I just feel that when I was out somewhere, it must have just maybe grabbed on to something. I don’t know,” Pent said.

Now, all she can do is wait and hope this important symbol of her husband finds its way back to her.

“I would really like to have it back, and it means more to me than anything,” Pent said.

Pent asks anyone who finds it to call Gentilcore Jewelers in Fox Chapel or bring it in. That is the store where she had the ring re-shaped into a heart. She said the jewelers there will be able to confirm that it’s her ring and necklace and get it back to her.

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By Rachael Perry

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) — Video captured the moment both officials and a neighbor rescued a woman found stuck in the mangroves of the St. Lucie River.

Kelly Marie Catrambone was rescued Tuesday night after a nearly 12-hour search for the 37-year-old. Catrambone was last seen on Friday before being officially reported missing on Monday.

WPBF 25 News spoke with both the Port St. Lucie Police Department and Herb Yancy, the neighbor who helped rescue Catrambone.

According to the PSLPD, several of Catrambone’s belongings were found on Tuesday morning near the 700 block of Northeast Emerson Street, along the St. Lucie River.

The police department deployed its dive team, marine unit, canines and more around 10:30 a.m. to begin searching the area. The belief was that Catrambone might have entered the water.

After searching until dark, the search was postponed until morning. However, Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti said a handful of officers stayed on scene.

“About 9 p.m. last night, one of our drone operators was operating the drone and could faintly hear a woman screaming for help. They were having a hard time determining where the scream was coming from. Simultaneously, we also had a citizen call 911 saying the same thing,” Mesiti said.

Officers quickly jumped into action and noticed a boat docked nearby. The boat belongs to Herb Yancy, who had just been watching the news and knew of the search.

“They came around the house and to the front door, didn’t get a chance to knock, I opened up the door, said, ‘Hey guys.’ The first thing they said was, ‘You got a boat?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ So we did, and it was really fast, just like that,” Yancy told WPBF.

The officers got on Yancy’s pontoon, and he drove them around to where they could hear the faint calls for help.

“We could hear a little whimper, and over the course of probably 20-30 minutes, we heard that whimper three or four times, and each time we got a little closer to her. The whole time she was moving closer to the edge of the island, and one of the policemen jumped in the water and all brought her aboard,” Yancy said.

Catrambone was found approximately two to three hundred feet across the river from where officials were originally looking for her. He said the mangroves made it impossible for officers or drones to see her.

“She was stuck within about two feet of water within the mangroves, like deep in the mangroves, and in that muddy, kind of mucky water. She was just weak, dehydrated, and couldn’t move,” he said.

He said it’s still unclear how long she was out there and why she went into the water. Catrambone was brought to shore and taken to the hospital, where she’s recovering.

Mesiti and Yancy said they’re both shocked and thankful she’s OK.

“We were not anticipating a positive outcome. We were prepared for the worst, so it was a relief that she was actually out there still alive,” Mesiti said.

“My thoughts were this isn’t gonna be good, so we were all thrilled to see that she was still alive,” Yancy said.

Yancy noted how dangerous the river can be, specifically because of the alligators.

“We see a lot of gators like a Tarzan movie,” he said.

“She’s very lucky, very lucky. Depending on whether it’s just a day in the water, a few hours in the water — she’s very lucky to be alive,” Mesiti added.

Catrambone’s following sent WPBF 25 News the following statement:

“Our family would like to offer our deepest gratitude to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, including the detectives, search and rescue divers, drone team, and K9 officers, for their quick and extraordinary efforts in locating and rescuing our sister. We are incredibly thankful for their professionalism, teamwork, and compassion during such a frightening time. Thanks to their swift response, our sister is now safe and recovering well. We cannot express how grateful we are for the heroes who worked tirelessly to bring her home.”

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