Man caught on video beating puppy to death, admits he “went too far,” deputies say

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By Steven Yablonski

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    PUNTA GORDA, Florida (WFOR) — A Florida man is in jail after investigators say he was caught on video repeatedly punching a 6-week-old puppy until it died.

Neil R. Puterbaugh, 53, of Punta Gorda, was arrested Tuesday at his home by Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputies. He now faces felony aggravated animal cruelty charges and a violation of probation.

According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, deputies began to investigate the case on Tuesday when a local news outlet sent a crime tip to investigators that included video showing Puterbaugh forcefully striking the puppy multiple times.

The abuse continued until the animal died, and Puterbaugh then disposed of the puppy’s body, investigators said.

Detectives obtained the video and spent the next two days building their case before arresting Puterbaugh at his home.

“My heart hurts for what this sweet puppy endured,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “There is no excuse for abuse of this kind, and I believe the only word to describe it is ‘evil.'”

After his arrest, Puterbaugh was interviewed where deputies said he admitted to striking the puppy and said he went too far.

Detectives also recovered additional videos from his residence showing further acts of abuse against the puppy.

“Thank you to the person who reported this, and to our media partner who shared it with us to investigate,” Prummell continued. “I wish we could have known sooner so that maybe we could have prevented this terrible outcome. I pray this puppy is now playing free for eternity in a world without pain and fear.”

Puterbaugh is being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond.

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.

‘Let’s be kind and generous’: WWII veteran reflects on going viral after singing ‘God Bless America’ at Brewers game

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By TJ Dysart

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Sverre Vinje, a 102-year-old World War II veteran, sang “God Bless America” at last week’s Brewers game on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, fulfilling a dream he has had for decades.

During an exclusive interview, Vinje shared his lifelong connection to music.

“I can remember I was always the lead tenor in choirs and things like that,” Vinje said. “That’s been the story of my life.”

His love for music began at age 7, when he competed in a singing competition.

“I won the contest at age 7, and I won first prize, which was a quarter,” Vinje said. However, he added with a laugh, “Somebody stole my quarter!”

Vinje’s passion for music continued during his service in the Navy in 1943, when he was just 19 years old.

“I was ready to go after Pearl Harbor,” he said.

Even in the midst of enemy planes and ships, music provided him with an escape.

“We had a little group. I used to sing along with the group,” Vinje said.

One of the songs Vinje sang during those days was “God Bless America,” which he performed again 83 years later at American Family Field in front of more than 41,000 Brewers fans. Reflecting on the experience, Vinje said, “It was wonderful. All the people I had talked to were so friendly. 150 people or more came up and shook my hand. I was there for them.”

Vinje explained why the song holds special meaning for him.

“It expresses our way of life that we should be living,” he said. “Let’s be kind and generous to each other. We don’t need gun butts; we need to shake hands. That’s what we need.”

After 102 years, a war, and a lifetime of music, Vinje remains steadfast in his belief in “friendship and care.”

Although Vinje lives in Rockford, Illinois, he has long dreamed of singing at a major ballpark. The Brewers were the first team to take him up on the offer, and his family shared that the team wants him back for the upcoming postseason.

When Vinje sings “God Bless America,” it’s clear that people hear more than just a song—they hear a lifetime of resilience, kindness, and hope.

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Drunken raccoon found cozied up in Des Moines brewery’s dumpster

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By KCCI Staff

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A raccoon that climbed into a Des Moines brewery’s dumpster apparently overserved himself with discarded drinks and food.

Exile Brewing Co. social media manager Sam Golbuff shared a photo of the drunken raccoon sleeping it off, drawing hundreds of likes and comments on social media. They called him “Trashed panda,” a play on the affectionate nickname “trash panda” given to raccoons, called for Exile to adopt him as their mascot, and said he deserves everything from his own beer release to his own movie script.

Golbuff said Jake Solsma, a member of the brewery’s packaging team, discovered the critter early Monday morning and stuck a wood pallet in the dumpster to give him something to use to climb out.

“He didn’t,” Golbuff said, “(and) when we looked at the guy, he barely moved, only his eyes/paws a little.”

Concerned for the raccoon’s health, Golbuff, Solsma and marketing associate Rocky Mock contacted animal control.

“(They) came and removed him and informed us that they’re glad we called, as raccoons tend to stress themselves out in these situations,” Golbuff said. “He had over eaten/drank!”

Animal control also said the raccoon was healthy, other than being a little intoxicated, and would be released back into the wild.

Exile turned the moment into a business opportunity, offering $1 off the first drink Tuesday and Wednesday for customers who say, “I’ll have what the raccoon had.”

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Dartmouth Health eliminates 124 positions, cancels 303 open jobs

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By Sophia Venturo

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    LEBANON, New Hampshire (WPTZ) — Dartmouth Health has eliminated 124 employee positions and canceled 303 vacant positions as part of an effort to improve the health system’s long-term financial sustainability, according to a Tuesday press release.

The reductions affect Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Southern Region in Nashua. Dartmouth Health said the changes include consolidating and restructuring executive and administrative leadership roles, as well as eliminating several programs.

The announcement follows a June filing in which the hospital reported a $63.5 million loss for the quarter ending in March. At the time, the network cited its reliance on traveling health care workers, inflation and reimbursement rates.

In Tuesday’s release, Dartmouth Health said its operating expenses had increased by 12%, with labor, supply and drug costs rising faster than patient revenues. The health system also cited lower insurance reimbursements and delayed payments.

Programs affected include Tele-ICU and Tele-ED services, which allow specialists at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center to care for patients remotely. Dartmouth Health said the programs were financially unsustainable at their current scale without outside support.

The elimination of the programs could affect Dartmouth Health affiliate hospitals in rural areas of Vermont and New Hampshire, where telehealth services allow patients to receive care closer to home.

“Some have spent many years serving this organization,” Dartmouth Health CEO and President Joanne M. Conroy, MD, said in a statement. “The decision to eliminate a position or program does not diminish the value of the work these colleagues have done.”

The network said it is also reducing costs by limiting travel and conference participation, relying less on traveling health care workers and continuing selected construction and capital projects aimed at expanding patient capacity.

Dartmouth Health said it will continue reviewing staffing and program structures as part of its financial resiliency efforts.

The announcement followed a Tuesday morning notification from the University of Vermont Health Network to its employees that it was eliminating 199 positions across its hospital system.

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Police release body cam footage from mass shooting at downtown apartment complex

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By WCCO Staff

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — New body camera video shows the moments police officers came under fire at a Minneapolis apartment complex earlier this month.

Police officers can be seen climbing the stairs inside Shoreline Plaza to the ninth floor, where they found the gunman after he shot five people. Officers were searching the floor when the shooter came around a corner and ambushed them from just feet away.

Officer Joseph Michnowski was shot twice in the stomach, but he kept moving.

“Shooter’s on the ninth floor. I took some rounds,” he can be heard saying in the video.

An angle from another officer a couple of minutes later shows the final shootout with the gunman, who died.

A cloud of smoke can be seen from a fire extinguisher or a pipe that was hit by bullets.

Another officer, Yahye Ahmed, was shot in the leg.

“(Officers) heroically placed themselves between a violent shooter and those he intended to harm. Their bravery is undeniable and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude,” Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson said after the shooting.

Two of the gunman’s neighbors were killed; three more were shot and survived. The two victims were identified as 61-year-old Muse Afrah and 63-year-old Dale Henry Spry.

Investigators say it started when 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson shot the mother of his child during a custody exchange. He had been facing eviction from the apartment after a string of incidents, including assault and allegedly showing a gun to apartment management, according to court documents.

The Minneapolis Police Department confirmed on Wednesday that Michnowski is now home from the hospital.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the incident.

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Jackson woman says pet cremation error leaves her without closure

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By Brooklyn Joyner

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    JACKSON, Miss. (WAPT) — A Jackson woman says her request for a private cremation for her Chihuahua was not honored, leaving her with no ashes at all.

“I got him when I was pregnant with my son,” Laura Arcuri said. “He was very spunky even at his old age, was very sweet, very friendly.”

Arcuri said she chose Pet Angel Memorial Center for the cremation of her 17-year-old Chihuahua, Neut, but later learned his remains were cremated with those of 19 other pets.

“A manager called and stated that she was so sorry and that my dog had been involved in a situation where several private cremations were supposed to be done and instead, he was cremated with several other pets,” Arcuri said.

She said the discovery has left her feeling misled and regretful.

“I think it’s very misleading, fraudulent, and there’s no changing that now,” she said. “We won’t get his remains back. If we are able to get anything at all, it will be a mix.”

Pet Angel Memorial Center acknowledged the issue in a statement, saying, “Pet Angel recently discovered that two team members did not follow our company’s established protocols. As soon as we became aware of this, we took immediate action, including launching a full investigation.”

Arcuri said the experience has shaken her trust in the business.

“I just think if I knew this would’ve been a possibility, I wouldn’t have chanced it, and it concerns me for the community that has trust in this business,” she said.

Pet Angel said they are committed to providing aftercare services with compassion, but Arcuri said she did not feel that compassion and is left wondering how to say her final goodbyes to Neut.

“He was a good boy, and that was one of the hardest things about this, was just wanting to make sure everything was done right for him,” she said.

When visiting the memorial center, corporate representatives confirmed that the employees who failed to follow protocol have since been fired. Acuri told me she will not be able to receive their pet’s ashes until they get consent from 19 other families whose pets were cremated as well.

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.

Summer heat, drought could impact Minnesota’s fall leaf outlook, DNR says

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By Derek James

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — Fall color season is almost here, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says several factors will determine when the leaves peak and how brilliant they’ll be.

“I look at spring, I look at May temperature, I look at May precipitation,” said Ben Schwingle, Minnesota DNR Forest Health Coordinator.

This year, May brought some good news for the trees. It was dry during leaf-out, which meant less disease pressure on emerging leaves.

But the summer brought a different challenge. Minnesota had the sixth hottest summer since record keeping began over 150 years ago.

The lack of rain can have differing effects on the trees, according to Schwingle. Most species react to drought by a delayed color change. But some species are the opposite, and they’ll actually change color earlier.

Schwingle says the biggest concern is when heat and drought become severe enough to stress the trees.

“What that very extreme heat and drought does is it starts fall color a little earlier and it dampens the kind of the brilliance of like the reds and the purples that we see on like our maples, our cherries, our red oaks,” said Schwingle.

That means the weather over the next few weeks will be especially important.

But so far, the weather is trending in the right direction, with sun, cool nights, sufficient rain, and light frost.

“When you don’t have that early frost, you get really warm temperatures extending into October, what that causes is, it causes this disparity in when certain species drop their leaves, like sugar maples, versus oaks, which will hold onto their leaves longer,” said Schwingle.

Your best bet for vibrant colors will be outside the areas hardest hit by drought.

The DNR’s Fall Color Finder is now live and updated throughout the season to help plan your leaf peeping. No state parks have reached more than 10-25% toward leaf peak yet.

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Counterfeit squishy toys tied to fire hazards, burns, and recalls

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By Sarah Metts

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    LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A month after a fire ripped through two rowhomes in Lancaster City and sent one person to the hospital with minor burns, the fire marshal knows how it started and spread.

Counterfeit toy fueled rowhome fire It happened on August 5 in the 100 block of North Reservoir Street around 3 a.m.

Tom Hoffman, the Lancaster City fire marshal, said a counterfeit squishy dumpling toy a family bought the day before the row home fire acted as a catalyst.

“When these things get an initial source to them, they will heat up, they will burst, and flammable materials go everywhere,” said Hoffman.

On the same day as the fire, coincidentally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) posted a press release about the counterfeit toys and how they oftentimes do not comply with federal safety requirements.

“These warnings were mainly health-related,” said Hoffman. “What was not on there was the flammability range of these things.”

Lab testing finds flammable, toxic chemicals Hoffman said he did some research and contacted a laboratory in Georgia to find out what is inside a fake squishy dumpling. “Some of these chemicals include benzene, toluene, cyclohexene, all of which are very flammable and are very toxic to humans,” said Hoffman.

He notified CPSC about the fake toys’ flammability two days after the fire.

This week, Amazon told our National Consumer Unit it proactively removed some squishy toys from its store following reported safety concerns. Consumer Reports also asked CPSC to investigate the safety risks of all squishy toys, not just counterfeits.

The On Your Side team looked into the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) reports from last year for “squeeze and/or squeaker toys.” In 2025, NEISS estimates 1,806 people were treated in emergency departments for injuries related to these toys. Most of the diagnoses were burn-related.

The report does not disclose the exact toy or whether it was fake.

Fire marshal warns consumers about counterfeits Hoffman says he wants to sound the alarm about the dangers of counterfeits. He says just because you buy from a major retailer, it does not mean your product is not a dupe.

“Keep them away from your children and make sure you only have name-brand products,” said Hoffman. “If you have squishy toys that smell a lot like petroleum or a heavy chemical, those have a possibility of being fake and you want to get rid of them. This includes anything that has any rips or tears, packaging that has no safety warnings on it, packaging that has no manufacturer or stamping on the product itself. Those are indications of fake toys.”

Hoffman suggests double bagging the fake dumplings before throwing them in the trash.

Lancaster schools respond to warning As a result of Hoffman’s warning, the School District of Lancaster says it passed the message on to principals who are discouraging kids from bringing dumplings to school. SDOL says it plans to discuss the matter further at its next safety committee meeting in September.

Regarding accountability for the Lancaster City fire, District Attorney Heather Adams confirmed that no one, including the child playing with the squishy dumpling at the time, will face criminal charges.

Social media trend leads to serious injuries Social media challenges involving squishy toys have also led to injuries. Stewart Mallory, an assistant professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at Penn State, said, “I think something people want to do is put it in the microwave, right? That’s at least what I’ve seen. It’s a trend. And that’s a really dangerous thing to do.”

In Nassau County, New York, two sisters microwaved a Nee-Doh squishy toy, which exploded and caused burns. Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said, “When they removed it from the microwave, it exploded and oozed its gel on them. The 4-year-old suffered burns to her legs, her arms and her face.” A similar incident occurred in Illinois, where a child said, “I didn’t know it was a trend on TikTok. My friend did it before, and she didn’t get hurt.”

Federal database details additional cases The CPSC’s database revealed 10 incident reports last year involving squishy toys, including a case in Missouri where a 7-year-old girl fell into a coma after freezing and microwaving a toy. It remains unclear whether these toys were counterfeit.

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.

Former FCI-Jesup correctional officer sentenced in prison contraband scheme

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By Kendra Smith

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    JESUP, Ga. (WJCL) — A former federal correctional officer has been sentenced to four years in prison for her role in a scheme to smuggle contraband into Federal Correctional Institution-Jesup in Wayne County.

Ashley Brown, 37, of Hinesville, pleaded guilty to 24 counts of accepting a bribe as a public official and 16 counts of money laundering.

Brown was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Investigators say Brown received more than $80,000 According to court documents and testimony, Brown worked as a correctional officer and later as a material handler supervisor at FCI-Jesup between May and September 2022.

Investigators began looking into Brown after receiving a report that she was receiving money from inmates at the Wayne County prison.

Investigators determined inmates used Cash App to send Brown money in exchange for her smuggling contraband into FCI-Jesup.

The contraband included methamphetamine, cell phones, K2 and marijuana.

Brown received more than $80,000 for her role in the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.

Two FCI-Jesup inmates also sentenced Two inmates connected to the scheme have also been sentenced.

Adrian Sims, 53, an inmate at FCI-Jesup, was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing contraband in prison.

Navarus Bryant, 48, another FCI-Jesup inmate, was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Bryant pleaded guilty to 24 counts of paying a bribe to a public official and 24 counts of money laundering.

DOJ investigation The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

U.S. Attorney Margaret E. “Meg” Heap said correctional officers are entrusted with maintaining the safety and integrity of federal prisons.

“Those who trade that public trust for personal profit compromise the security of everyone inside,” Heap said.

Special Agent in Charge Eric Fehlman of the DOJ Office of the Inspector General’s Southeast Region said bringing drugs and cell phones into a prison puts the entire facility at risk.

The case was prosecuted by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan E. Bondura.

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‘They’re lifesavers’: Dog trainer reacts after Boynton Beach man charged with abusing a service dog

CNN Newsource on September 17, 2026

By Ari Hait

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    BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (WPBF) — A Boynton Beach man is facing felony animal cruelty charges after videos recorded him abusing his dog, Rex, on two separate occasions.

Juan Poole was arrested this week.

Police said the first incident occurred on Sept. 9, when Poole lifted Rex and slammed him on the ground twice.

Police said Poole was also recorded the following day lifting Rex off the ground, spinning him, and then dropping him.

“It’s horrific. It’s always hard to see animal cruelty,” said Tibor Feigel, chief training officer at Furry Friends in Jupiter.

Feigel said that to him, the video is even worse than some might believe.

He said that’s because police confirmed that while Rex is not Poole’s service dog, he is a service dog.

“It makes it so much more difficult because we’ve seen that this was actually a service dog. It’s even more heartbreaking,” Feigel said.

Feigel said that’s because service dogs are so much more than just man’s best friend.

He called them lifesavers for their owners.

“The service dogs are medical equipment for that individual. They’re helping them with the day-to-day task, making their lives a lot easier,” he said.

Furry Friends operates a program that trains shelter dogs to become service dogs for veterans, providing them with whatever physical and emotional support they might need.

“It literally gives them freedom, more freedom to be able to move around, go back and connect with our society,” Feigel said.

While it is unclear what Rex is specifically trained to do, Animal Care and Control shared a photo of him and confirmed that he is doing well and is hoping to find a new, safer home.

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