Author: CNN Newsource

By Rob Hughes

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    KANE COUNTY, Illinois (WLS) — It sounds like a gadget straight out of a Batman movie but instead of coming to a theater near you, “The Grappler” is outfitted on a Kane County Sheriff’s squad car.

“First deployment on the street, actually doing this, not in training, is very nerve-wracking, but once you make the decision, you just have to go with it,” Sgt. Ryan Rojkowski said.

The first time for Sgt. Rojkowski was successful as he pursued a suspect in a residential area.

Thanks to the new tool, he safely stopped the car instead of potentially ending the chase in a crash.

“In a real world application the left and right bars would fold out which would then bring the net to about here – which would also pull the net apart,” Sgt. Rojkowski said.

The pursuing officer then gets nearly bumper to bumper with the fleeing vehicle, the net catches the tire, the officer brakes and both vehicles come to a stop.

“If we can stop something very quickly from escalating even more, this is something that, why wouldn’t we look into?” Kane County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Amy Johnson said.

Undersheriff Johnson said the Grappler costs between $5,000 to $8,000 per unit. In addition, it costs about $300 to get the net-repackaged after use.

Still both Johnson and Rojkowski say the money makes sense.

“Just a simple bumper, a headlight. You know, you’re starting to go above $2,000 if it’s only about $300 bucks to get this net replaced, and there’s no damage to the squad car that keeps the squad car in service,” Rojkowski said.

As for the safety of the officers and people involved, the jury is still out.

Reports in other states suggest fleeing suspects have been injured or even killed after the Grappler was deployed.

Undersheriff Johnson admits, just like a pit maneuver or spike strips, there’s an element of risk they train to navigate.

“Are we going at high speeds? Are we not going at high speeds? Is it a populated area? So are there kids involved? High speed traffic, Randall Road, all of these different areas. And is it, you know, a life-or-death situation, let’s say. So those are all of the things that we’re trained, and our policies and procedures mirror,” Johnson said.

The Sheriff’s Office currently has two vehicles outfitted with the Grappler.

They say they hope to add two more, covering all three shifts and one for their special investigations unit.

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 Evelyn Holmes

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    CHICAGO (WLS) — The story of a stolen pet van filled with dogs had a happy ending and plenty of emotional reunions on Tuesday.

The theft happened at about 8:55 a.m. outside at Animal Lovers Pet Salon on North Clybourn, police said.

The dogs were being dropped off after spending time at Markay’s Castle of the Dogs, a dog boarding facility in Tippecanoe, Indiana.

David Cox, the owner of the boarding facility, said he was dropping off the pets in Lincoln Park. He left the vehicle running to keep the animals comfortable.

“I just went in inside with the dogs’ belongings and turned around to come out and get the dogs to take them inside, and the van was gone,” Cox said.

Cox says the thief tossed the cellphone he had left in the van on the street after stealing the vehicle.

With the help of lots of social media posts about the theft, Chicago police tracked down the 2021 blue and black transit van in an alley near Lakewood and Oakdale avenues in Lakeview.

The vehicle’s license plates had been changed by the time it was found by police.

Along with the dogs, the van had some lawn equipment, an air mattress and trash.

All dogs were unharmed and reunited with their owners.

Nicholas Iwaniuk hugged his dog Shadow during what he said has been the longest morning of his life.

“It’s been the worst three hours,” Iwaniuk said. “This is the best news possible that she’s safe. Everybody’s safe that’s all that really matters.”

The 10-year-old Austrian collie mix was one of eight dogs.

Pet owner Monica Bain was there when it happened, she said she was just glad to have her dog Cash back.

“Anybody would be terrified, knowing that our dogs are in a van that we don’t know where it’s going, and we don’t know if we’re going to get them back,” Bain said.

“All I can say is I’m sorry and I am,” Cox said. “This shouldn’t have happened. People trust us, my wife and I are our team to take care of their dogs.”

The pet transport now says they’ll add additional security to try to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Chicago police said a 46-year-old man was taken into custody in the 1200 block of W. Oakdale Avenue. Charges are pending.

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 Craig Wall

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    CHICAGO (WLS) — Gov. JB Pritzker is trying to downplay any concerns about landing a Chicago Bears stadium in Illinois because of delayed action by state lawmakers.

His comments on Tuesday also suggested a possible disconnect with Mayor Brandon Johnson about any chance of keeping the team in Chicago.

Lawmakers don’t return to Springfield for more than two weeks. That means there can be no action until later this month on a bill that would pave the way for state funding for needed infrastructure improvements around the Arlington Heights property where the Bears are considering building a stadium.

“Obviously, as fast as we can get this done through the legislature, and that’s going to be up to the legislators to do it that, you know, we want to get it done for the Bears,” Pritzker said.

The Bears are looking to move on from Soldier Field, either to a domed stadium that they would build as part of a larger development project in Arlington Heights or to a taxpayer-financed stadium near Wolf Lake, in Hammond, Indiana.

The property in Arlington Heights would require state-funded infrastructure improvements around the stadium, something lawmakers in Springfield are still debating.

“I think the most important thing for us, and I think we’ve been very clear with the Bears organization, it’s not just about getting this done, but getting it right,” said state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago.

Mayor Johnson is still holding on to the seemingly unlikely chance that the Bears could stay in the city, suggesting if Chicago had been offered similar infrastructure help as is being debated for Arlington Heights, it might have changed the conversation.

“The Bears have already shown a willingness to work with my administration to keep the Bears in the city of Chicago despite whatever other false information is promulgated,” Johnson said.

“Indeed, if there were a place in the city of Chicago that the Bears said this is where we want to put a stadium, we would be talking about infrastructure for that. That is not what they’ve said. They literally have said, they’ve looked at every site that is available,” Pritzker said.

But negotiations also involve appeasing some 40 state lawmakers representing Chicago.

“I think what’s important for us is to make sure that whatever happens here is something that we are not regretting as a delegation, and that the right things are done. I also want to say, Craig, that this is not a hostage negotiation. This is a conversation about economic development,” Buckner said.

A group named Hoosiers for Responsible Taxation has launched a website with a video opposing a taxpayer-funded stadium for the Bears.

It comes after Gov. Mike Braun signed legislation to approve a stadium authority to pursue the possibility of luring the Bears to Hammond.

Buckner remains confident Illinois will get a deal done to keep the Bears somewhere on this side of the border.

“We need to get to a point where everybody is on the same page, and everybody has gotten at least some piece of what they need in this conversation. And so I think the governor is right. The mayor is right. I think that we got to continue to figure out how to move forward,” Buckner said.

The Bears did not immediately respond to a request for comment on where negotiations are from their standpoint.

Buckner did note that stadium deals involve complicated negotiations, which just take time.

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By Marybel Rodriguez

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A South Florida grandmother is speaking out about the death of her 6-year-old grandson, Mason, who died last week, nearly two months after allegedly being beaten by his mother’s boyfriend.

Elizabeth Garcia, Mason’s maternal grandmother, is now caring for his two younger siblings. She used the tragedy to advocate for greater legal rights for grandparents to intervene in situations involving a child’s safety.

“Mason was a unique soul,” Garcia said of her grandson, who was autistic. “He was a puzzle, but a perfectly beautiful puzzle. A gift that I was able to be honored to call his grandmother.”

Daniel Romero, Mason’s mother’s boyfriend, has been charged with the beating and remains in jail. Authorities are waiting to hear if the charges against him will be upgraded.

Mason’s mother, Cynthia Hernandez, is also facing several charges, including child neglect, and is currently out on bond. Garcia confirmed that Hernandez is “very devastated” and “gets to see the children.”

Garcia said she believes grandparents need more legal standing to protect their grandchildren.

“One of my missions as a grandmother is that grandparents should have the same rights we’re allowed to drop them off and pick them up at school. We’re allowed to take them to the doctor… but I should be allowed to intervene in other situations as well for the safety of the children,” Garcia said.

Mason will be laid to rest on March 14.

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By Leondra Head

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    COBB COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — In Cobb County, special education students across the district came together on Tuesday for a dance to remember.

Parents say the Special Education Dance gives their kids an outlet outside of the classroom. Around 500 students danced the morning away.

Rick and Sonya Petrie say this dance provides a safe space for their nonverbal daughter, Naomi.

“I love it because there’s not very many events that we could do with Naomi because of her disability, so it gets hard for safety reasons,” Sonya Petrie said.

The Petries say this is their first time attending this dance with their eighth grader.

“She is definitely having fun,” Sonya Petrie said.

“It’s amazing they put so much time and effort into this,” Rick Petrie said.

This year’s theme was “Zootopia: Better Together,” which was inspired by the hit Disney movie and the idea that everyone thrives when they work and celebrate as a group. Kennesaw Mountain High School Principal Nathan Stark says this is a way to bring special education students together.

“This is always one of my favorite days of the school year. To bring in all these students from around the county and just be unified,” Stark said.

The dance has been going on for over 20 years at Kennesaw Mountain High School.

“So it’s a tradition here, and it’s a tradition with the county,” Stark said.

Adam Soczweka looks forward to the dance every year.

“It’s amazing. I’ve been to the Special Ed dance for about five years,” Soczweka said.

Students danced one beat at a time.

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By Paul Burton

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    MASSACHUETTS (WBZ) — From giant craters in Newton, to sinkhole size tire busters in Brighton, potholes are popping up in cities and towns across Massachusetts. “It’s pretty bad, just driving back and forth in the neighborhood trying to get around the craters,” said Susan Higgins of Watertown.

Now that temperatures are climbing and the ground is beginning to thaw, potholes have become the bane of almost every driver on the road.

On Norwood Ave in Newton, cars swerved at the last minute to avoid a pothole and some even crossed the double line to protect their cars.

It’s a busy time at Sullivan Tire on North Beacon Street in Watertown.

“Sometimes you’ll get a pothole big enough where you actually blow out both [tires] on the right side of your car,” said David Velazquez of Sullivan Tire.

Velazquez says tire repairs from pothole damage are a common thing this time of season.

“It keeps us busy,” Velazquez said. “A lot of tire repairs, a lot of tire alignments, even rims being cracked because of potholes.”

There are some cases when a city or town might be responsible for paying for damage caused by potholes. It often depends on whether the community was aware of the issue. It’s always best to check to avoid paying for damage to your car.

Ned Moan said his son’s car became the victim of a massive pothole, which is why he’s replacing all of his tires. “My son was driving his car through Watertown Square at Galen Street to get on the Mass Pike and ran into a pothole that was very deep, and the tire just practically exploded,” Moan said.

Susan Higgins says some roads are so bad potholes are almost impossible to miss. “I probably will get a new alignment at the end of the season once they start fixing the roads,” Higgins said.

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 Tara Lynch

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Some Baltimore City residents are saying no to the city’s deer management program. The city says it will begin killing deer with sharpshooters to bring the population down to healthy levels.

City residents said they feel the city should use a less harsh method to solve the overpopulation problem.

Baltimore City Rec and Parks officials say deer are overpopulated in the city.

Starting Monday, March 9, sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be brought into Baltimore’s Leakin Park to reduce the deer population.

“This problem has been going on for decades. We’ve let it go for far too long,” said Shane Boehne, leader of the city’s deer management program.

Three parks will be targeted this month, including Leakin Park and Druid Hill Park in Northwest Baltimore, and Herring Park in East Baltimore.

Baltimore officials said that sharpshooting was chosen as the method because it is cost effective and less disruptive to surrounding communities.

“The whole point of sharp shooting is to kill these deer on impact,” Boehne said. “We don’t want to spook, spook these deer and make them flee the area and go out into residential areas.”

The operation will take place at night, and the parks will be closed off to the public to limit public safety risks The goal is to bring the deer population to 20 per square mile, which means more than 100 deer will be targeted at Leakin Park.

“If you’re able to bring it down to that 20 deer per square mile, and if you basically go hands off for a little while, you’ll have an increase back in the population. So we have to do constant management,” Boehne said.

This project starts Monday when Leakin Park will be closed from 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. This work will continue through March 19.

The project will continue to Herring Park and then Druid Hill Park at the end of the month.

The meat harvested from this operation will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank, and is estimated to create 40,000 meals.

Some neighbors in Northwest Baltimore’s Windsor Hills community said they don’t feel like they were included in the process despite the operation focusing on marginalized communities.

They said they want the city to focus its efforts elsewhere.

“I’m more of one who believes in taking a balanced approach, maybe sharp shooting is a percentage of how we get to the attrition, but maybe there are other modest and milder methods,” said Linda Batts, with the Hanlon Improvement Association.

“When we talk about disadvantaged and marginalized communities, we’re talking about changing the economic mainstream, eliminating the long standing effects of redlining that have some communities impoverished and without their basic needs, while other communities are living their best lives and have access to goods and services and the economics that make them thrive.”

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By Jermont Terry

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A vape shop stocked with lighters that look more like weapons, available for anyone to walk in and buy.

The issue? They’re popping up in multiple neighborhoods, despite being banned years ago. Now, community leaders and law enforcement are warning of the potential risks of possessing one.

Inside the box, it doesn’t look as threatening. Once opened and pulled out of the package, the flame from the novelty torch lighter is the least of its troubles.

“Just think about what that looks like if I have got an all-black 9mm replica that’s a torch lighter and holding it in my hand,” said Councilman Joseph Williams.

Williams is the 7th District council member with the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability—representing Englewood, where one of the torch lighters from a vape shop was purchased for just $30. Multiple gun replica lighters, including long guns, were also for sale.

“It’s more about the concern for the community, the safety of the community, and making sure these type of things aren’t really allowed and sold in our community,” Williams said.

In 2010, Illinois passed a law making it illegal for any businesses to sell novelty gun lighters, but as more vape shops pop up across the city and suburbs, the 16-year-old law doesn’t appear to be enforced.

“Someone could lose their life because of this,” Williams said.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or COPA, is currently recommending that a Chicago police officer be fired for shooting and paralyzing a 13-year-old back in 2022. The officer says they mistook the teen’s cell phone for a weapon and fired.

Robbins Police Chief Terry White said even though we purchased the lighter at a store in Chicago, it could impact any police officer.

“To a child, this is a toy, to an adult, this is maybe impressing someone—either way, it’s a nightmare to any police officer,” Chief White said.

He said even if the person is not pointing the lighter at someone, it puts an officer on the defensive, which can potentially turn into a bad scenario.

“That’s why that’s the biggest issue,” Chief White said.

An issue Williams said he’s seen in other vape shops and will work to ensure those businesses comply.

“We just gotta bring awareness,” he said.

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.