Author: CNN Newsource

By Faraz Javed, Brandon Speagle

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    Michigan (WXYZ) — A Michigan family has turned their St. Clair Shores home into a haunted walkthrough that rivals professional attractions, proving you don’t need a massive budget to create spine-tingling scares.

Jeffrey Goode, his husband Michael, and their friend Mindy Crabtree have transformed their Masonic Street home into “Mayhem on Masonic,” a Halloween spectacle that’s drawing neighbors and visitors from across the area.

“Each year it’s gotten bigger and bigger. We’ve added a little bit here, a little bit there. It’s been trial and error for the last couple of years,” Jeffrey said.

The trio has been perfecting their fright-fest for nearly four years, with most decorations crafted by hand. This year’s display cost around $120, with pumpkins being the most expensive single purchase.

“The fact that most of it is handmade,” Jeffrey said when asked about the attraction’s unique elements.

Over the years, the group has invested about $5,000 into their spooky collection, with animatronics being their biggest splurge. Their most expensive piece is a $400 dragon that joins other animated creatures purchased during off-season clearance sales.

For the creators, Halloween represents more than just decoration — it’s about nostalgia and community building.

“I have very fond memories growing up and trick-or-treating with my friends and my family. And they don’t do that anymore,” Crabtree said.

The attraction has successfully drawn visitors to a street that typically sees few trick-or-treaters.

“Masonic doesn’t get any trick-or-treaters. We want to bring them,” Crabtree said.

Area residents Hannah Monteith and Bryonna have become regular visitors, appreciating both the local nature of the attraction and its accessibility.

“I love that it’s in the neighborhood and it’s local to us,” Monteith said.

“Especially because most like haunted things or attractions are expensive,” Bryonna added.

The team is already planning next year’s theme — a Nightmare Before Christmas display. Jeffrey has ambitious goals for the attraction’s future.

“My goal is to have a reputation like Tilson Street, like Coleman Street, those things. That’s the reputation that we want,” he said.

Long-term plans include expanding the display across the street and eventually partnering with a charity, with 100% of donations going directly to the chosen organization.

“My overall goal is to move it across the street. Right over there? And be able to use all of that over there. Once we’ve gotten that big and we’re able to do different things and different scenes like that, we’re hoping to pick a charity,” Jeffrey said.

Mayhem on Masonic (23106 Masonic, St Clair Shores, MI 48082) is open to the public day or night and can be found on the Macomb County Haunt map.

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

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By Brett Kast

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    ROYAL OAK, Michigan (WXYZ) — A 13-year-old boy in Royal Oak is back at it this Halloween, bringing the frights and haunts while making a difference in the lives of other local kids.

In 2023, 7 News Detroit brought you the story of then-11-year-old cancer survivor Jackson Amick and his haunted attraction, which raised thousands of dollars for kids fighting cancer at Corewell Health in Royal Oak.

This year, the now-13-year-old has a haunted house that’s bigger and better than ever.

“He has been a Halloween fanatic and has had a huge passion for it since he was 3,” Jackson’s father Thom Amick said.

The front yard of their home has been transformed into a homemade haunted house. Despite the fact it’s made by a 13-year-old and his dad, it’s scarier than you might think.

Thom Amick says the whole display takes them about a month to set up and was first put up in 2019. This year for the third time, it’s also a fundraiser for an important cause.

“We thought a couple years ago, we would combine his passion for Halloween and helping kids with cancer,” Thom Amick said.

Five years ago, Jackson was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent chemotherapy treatment at Corewell Royal Oak. He’s been cancer free since 2022 but has used this haunted display to raise money to buy special chemo shirts for kids at both Corewell and Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

“A chemo shirt pretty much unzips… you can pull the flap down, so you don’t have to disrobe to access your port and get chemo treatment,” Thom Amick said.

Jackson added, “when you take your full shirt off, you feel more uncomfortable than you do just flapping it down and keeping most of it on.”

In 2023, word spread fast helping Jackson raise over 4,000, delivering dozens of shirts himself.

“We had people from Livonia, Brighton, St. Clair Shores who came out to travel through the haunt, buy shirts or simply make a donation, so it was a wonderful result,” Thom Amick said.

This year, the mission is the same but with new additions like a custom-made creature designed by Jackson and his friends that was made just for him as part of his wish from Make-A-Wish.

As screams turn to smiles — both in the tunnel and at the hospital — Jackson’s haunts continues its mission once again.

“It was wonderful to see at that time an 11-year-olds face to see that both his passions can turn into something rewarding for kids going through the same thing he went through,” Thom Amick said.

The spooky tunnel is open this weekend and then Tuesday through Halloween at 405 Mount Vernon in Royal Oak. You can also buy shirts for $30 with all proceeds helping to buy chemo shirts for kids.

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By Chilekasi Adele

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Volunteers came to Catholic Charities in Downtown Pittsburgh to pack dental care kits for those in need on Sunday.

It’s something the 10-27 Healing Partnership did with Catholic Charities. The volunteer event is one of five that took place Sunday morning to honor the 11 people killed at the Tree of Life synagogue seven years ago Monday.

“It’s just a wonderful thing to be a part of,” Jessica Anderson of Whitehall said.

Anderson brought her three kids to Sunday morning’s event: a 14-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 4-year-old.

“On my way to church this morning, we decided that we were going to stop and make sure we got to volunteer,” Anderson said.

They and others got to work and packed dental kits. The goal was to pack 1,000 of them. They’re for the dental patients at Catholic Charities Pittsburgh.

“We serve over 30,000 clients through our six-county footprint at Catholic Charities,” said Angie Zambito Hill, chief development officer at Catholic Charities Pittsburgh.

Zambito Hill said the work done on Sunday will help those clients get daily service.

Service is something Peg Durachko and her first husband, Dr. Rich Gottfried, valued immensely.

“He and I both volunteered as dentists back when Catholic Charities was located on Ninth St.,” Durachko said.

Durachko was referring to Dr. Gottfried. He was killed in the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting on Oct. 27, 2018.

Sunday’s volunteer project is in his memory, as is the dental clinic on the third floor of the Catholic Charities building downtown.

“His legacy relates to the way that we serve our clients with compassion and dignity,” Zambito Hill said.

Durachko said she knows Dr. Gottfried would be honored to have his name connected to the facility, part of an organization the two of them gave years to.

“It’s very heartwarming to provide something that we were trained to do that would help another person,” she said.

Sunday did not require as much training.

“It was just kind of a simple task,” Anderson said.

That simple task continues Dr. Gottfried’s legacy throughout Catholic Charities: one of service, but also one of bringing faiths together. Dr. Gottfried was Jewish and gave so much of his time to a Catholic organization.

“His spirit is still here,” Durachko said.

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By Joshua Sidorowicz

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Yilber Feruku diligently pays the tax bill on his Northeast Philadelphia home early every year and says this time was no different.

“We work hard for our money, and I don’t want to pay any interest on anything,” he said. “We cannot even afford it. I have a daughter that goes to medical school.”

Feruku paid his $4,552 property tax bill in January, two months before it was due.

“We don’t want to have to think about bills when we go to sleep,” he said.

So he was shocked to find a balance on his account that was accruing interest when he checked it several months later.

When he called the city, he said he was told they had no record of his payment.

“I was kind of [like], ‘What the hell is going on?'” Feruku said.

What followed was a months-long runaround that left Feruku feeling hopeless until he contacted In Your Corner.

“I have sent at least 30 emails, I have talked to 30 different people,” he said. “They told me that somebody will reach out to you in two days, and then two days went by, two weeks went by, two months went by, no answer at all.”

Feruku even went to his bank, which confirmed the city had withdrawn the money from his checking account. He provided the statement to the city — still, nothing.

By June, Feruku said he was so frustrated and ready to give up, he gave in and paid his balance again, this time with more than $200 in interest.

“It’s like at some point you just want to give up, but it’s hard-earned money,” he said.

That’s when he contacted In Your Corner.

CBS News Philadelphia reviewed his documentation and contacted the city’s revenue department on Feruku’s behalf.

Within a week, the city confirmed it had, in fact, received the January payment.

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Revenue said, “Thank you for bringing the matter to our attention. Upon review of the account … our research found that the taxpayer used an incorrect Letter ID when making the payment.”

Any letter or notice you get from the Department of Revenue has a 10-digit Letter ID, according to the city. Taxpayers can use their Letter ID to make payments, respond to an inquiry, or provide requested documentation on the Philadelphia Tax Center website. The error caused the payment to be misapplied, according to the city, which confirmed the funds were now properly credited to Feruku’s account.

The spokesperson did not explain why the city didn’t work with Feruku initially to resolve the issue.

“I really appreciate and I cannot thank you enough,” Feruku said.

Feruku was given the option to either leave the second payment on his account to be applied to his next tax bill or get a refund. He opted for the refund.

So far in 2025, In Your Corner has helped recover more than $120,000 in money, goods and services owed to viewers.

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By Naveen Dhaliwal

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A retired NYPD officer is being called a hero after he pulled a mother and her 5-month-old baby from the East River.

The rescue happened on Sunday at a park in Queens, and it showed instinct and training coming together at the right moment.

What was supposed to be a fun day at the Hermon A. MacNeil Park waterfront turned terrifying when retired NYPD Officer Paul Pinsdorf heard the screams, and then saw a woman walking into the river with a baby.

“She’s saying incoherent things, so I couldn’t really make out,” said Pinsdorf, who was volunteering for a local Halloween event but then found himself running toward the water’s edge. “She was crying, holding it, going deeper and deeper in the water.”

Pinsdorf said his police training immediately kicked in, and, without a second thought, he jumped in.

“I had to forcefully pull her in. She did not want to come back,” Pinsdorf said. “Another 30 seconds and the baby would have been under the water.”

His fellow volunteers called 911 as rescue crews rushed in to help pull the mother to shore.

“The woman was stressing over something,” said Brock Weiner, who is also retired NYPD. “She was fighting him, but she wouldn’t let go the baby.”

Police are still unclear why the woman entered the water, but if it wasn’t for Pinsdorf’s quick actions the outcome might have been very different.

“If Paul didn’t get here when he got there, I don’t know what would have been the outcome,” said retired NYPD Officer Kevin O’Donnell.

Pinsdorf may have left the force, but on this day his sense of duty was as strong as ever.

“It was meant to be, you know, and I would have had a happy ending. I go another minute, we would have had a different story to tell,” Pinsdorf said.

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By Logan Hall

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    SALEM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The streets of Salem were packed with witches, goblins, and ghosts this weekend as visitors from around the country flocked to the city for the final weekend before Halloween.

The historic city has seen record crowd sizes so far this year.

“It’s just fun to walk around and see so many people getting into the Halloween spirit as well,” said visitor Mira Lopez.

From elaborate costumes to haunted tours and themed pop-ups, nearly every corner of downtown Salem was alive with Halloween energy.

“People are coming here and they’re already excited to be interacting with someone and get fun photo opportunities, so everyone’s been an absolute delight, mostly large families,” one street performer said.

Despite chilly temperatures, crowds have not let up because visiting Salem in October is an annual tradition for many.

“The fun, outgoing craziness of Salem and the Halloween spirit coming about before the holiday,” said Jen Cook, who comes to the city every year with her friends.

The CEO of Essex Heritage, Annie Harris, said the busy season has been a major boost for Salem businesses, though it also presents challenges for city services.

“Certainly, hotels, restaurants, a lot of businesses do very well,” Harris said. “It’s a bit of a challenge for the city, police, fire, EMT, all that but basically it’s good for business.”

Harris said this has been the busiest Halloween season to date, with steady streams of tourists visiting all month long.

City officials estimate that more than one million people have visited Salem this Halloween season, which is a record turnout that residents say has been felt on every street.

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By Jeramie Bizzle

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    Illinois (WBBM) — The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is praising one of its officers for saving a woman who was choking while driving last month in Ford Heights.

A video shared by the office showed a black SUV that slowed down before coming to a stop on the sidewalk on Ellis Avenue, where the woman got out of the vehicle with her hand on her chest.

That’s when officer Zachary Finn pulled over and attended to the woman and performed the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging the item stuck in her throat.

The office said paramedics later arrived at the scene for further treatment, but the woman declined. She was able to drive away afterwards safely.

“Hats off to Officer Finn for his quick thinking and life-saving actions!” the office said.

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By Jose Fabian

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    SANTA CRUZ, California (KPIX) — The Santa Cruz Fire Department said crews extricated one person and a dog after the vehicle they were in went off the municipal wharf.

Around 9:45 a.m., crews responded to a report of a vehicle driving off the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.

Crews from various agencies, including State Parks and police, were at the scene. Rescue crews were able to extricate one person from the vehicle along with a dog.

The fire department has not said if the person and dog were the only occupants in the vehicle.

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By Nick Lentz

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    Michigan (WWJ) — A 33-year-old man has been accused of stealing an ambulance with a paramedic treating a patient inside and causing a crash in Northville Township, Michigan, on Friday.

Police in Novi, Michigan, said officers responded to a one-vehicle rollover crash at the intersection of Novi and 10 Mile roads, around 3:15 p.m. The driver was brought into the back of a Medstar ambulance for treatment.

A first responder at the scene “yelled out” that a man, later identified by police as Changlin Li of Novi, Michigan, was stealing the ambulance.

According to police, officers then chased Li, who drove over 70 mph at times, traveled through a construction zone with workers and blew a tire. He “disregarded a traffic signal” at the intersection of Eight Mile and Beck roads in Northville Township, causing a motorist in a GMC Yukon to collide with the ambulance, officials said.

A 72-year-old Plymouth, Michigan, man driving the GMC was taken to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs.

Li was taken into custody after trying to run from the scene and attempting to take an officer’s gun from their holster, according to police. Law enforcement found a knife on him and seized it as evidence.

Police said Li was taken to the hospital, where he again attempted to take a gun from an officer’s holster.

According to Novi Police Chief Erick Zinser, Li is charged with one count of carjacking, one count of fleeing and eluding, two counts of assaulting, resisting and obstructing police, two counts of attempting to disarm a police officer and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.

A judge set Li’s bond at $5 million. His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 3.

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