Man tased, arrested at the altar during violent disturbance in church

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Anthony Carlo

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    NEW YORK (WABC) — Parishioners came for a peaceful morning mass on Staten Island on Friday – and left with palpitations.

Stunned parishioners watched it all unfold at St. Ann’s in Dongan Hills. Police officers responded to a 911 call for a disorderly man inside the church.

The unruly man dropped on the altar after being tased by police. The priest ducked out of the way – his sermon was over before it even began.

The two officers tried to make the man leave but putting him in handcuffs would prove not to be an easy task. Flowers went flying during the all-out brawl on the altar.

As police tried to wrestle the resisting man out of the church, he yelped repeatedly as they pummeled him in the head and dragged him away, at one point trying to kick out his leg.

Eventually, the man broke free and started fighting back, throwing punches at both officers.

Police were finally able to get the man under control and into custody.

There is no word on prompted the outburst, but Eyewitness News is told he is not a parishioner. His identity has not yet been released.

Charges are pending on the man while he is in the hospital being evaluated.

Two officers are being treated for minor injuries.

The church altar also sustained minor damage.

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21-year-old reunites with NICU nurse for her birthday wish

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By WABC Staff

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    NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WABC) — Last month, Madison Kennedy told her mother her 21st birthday wish was to reunite with her NICU nurse. On Friday, that wish came true.

Kennedy, who spent nearly nine weeks in the unit after being born prematurely on Dec. 5, 2004, asked her mother Christine, who works in the Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in HOPE Tower, if she could meet the nurse who took care of her during that time.

Christine has spoken to Kennedy many times about her NICU nurse, Janine Buggle.

Buggle cared for Kennedy when she was 1 pound, 3 ounces and 12 inches long, born at 22 and a half weeks.

For 30 years, Buggle has been caring for infants in the Jersey Shore’s K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital’s NICU.

On Friday, Kennedy had an emotional reunion with Buggle, who her mother credits with Kennedy’s survival and well-being.

K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital’s NICU is the first in New Jersey to achieve the Gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).

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Man allegedly stole 7 puppies then sold them outside a Maryland mall

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By JT Moodee Lockman

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A Baltimore man is facing charges after he allegedly stole seven puppies from a home in Maryland and sold them outside a mall, according to Aberdeen Police.

Officers said a suspect, later identified as 28-year-old Kahili Hines, stole the puppies during a burglary in the 100 block of North Post Road on Nov. 15, 2025.

The victim told police that seven Shih Tzu/Yorkie puppies had been taken.

On Dec. 16, 2025, Hines was identified and arrested. He told police that he sold the puppies at Arundel Mills Mall while carrying them around in a wagon. Police have not yet confirmed this.

Aberdeen Police are asking for information about the puppies’ whereabouts, but clarified that they do not wish to remove them from their homes.

According to police, the puppies were sold in November or December.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Lightner of the Criminal Investigations Division at 410-272-2121, option 2, or clightner@aberdeenmd.gov.

This is not the first time a dog has been stolen in Maryland.

In September 2025, a Baltimore woman was reunited with her 15-year-old Yorkshire Terrier after the dog was stolen along with her car.

The victim, De Richelieu, said she was in the parking lot of the Columbia Crossing Plaza recharging her car battery when the car was taken with her dog inside. Howard County police found the car and the dog shortly after the reported theft.

In October 2022, three dogs were stolen at gunpoint after the victims attempted to sell the dogs in a parking lot in Laurel.

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Anonymous couple donates $100,000 to Santa Fe Animal Shelter

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Julian Paras

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    SANTA FE, New Mexico (KOAT) — An anonymous couple surprised the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society with a $100,000 donation on Christmas Eve, offering vital support for the shelter’s animal care and community initiatives.

“Some anonymous donors came through our front doors and told us they had a $100,000 check for us,” Lex Gowans said. “It was wild!”

The donation, which is all real, came as a surprise to the shelter, especially during their year-end campaign. Marketing Director and Communications for the shelter, Gowans, expressed the impact of the donation, noting that the average annual cost to care for an animal at the shelter is slightly more than $1,800.

“This gift of $100,000 not only allows us to care for the hurt, sick, and lost pets that come through our front door annually, but it also allows us to keep people with their pets,” Gowans said.

The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, have a personal connection to the shelter, as their family was involved with the original shelter.

“We were a little shelter on Cerrillos Road in 1939 to 2005, and those folks actually had family who were at our original shelter,” Gowans said.

Gowans emphasized the importance of community support, saying, “We are not able to do this work without our community. Time and time again, we are shocked that people show up and care about our animals, and there are no words that can describe how grateful we are.”

People interested in getting involved with the shelter can visit the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society website and look under the ‘Get Involved’ tab.

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A Century of Adventure: Route 66 centennial inspiring others to hit the road

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Julian Paras

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Classic car enthusiasts are traveling along Route 66 to celebrate its centennial, showcasing restored vehicles and encouraging others to explore the historic road. Keith Flickinger, who owns a 1934 Buick Model 61, is among those participating in the journey.

This road trip is thanks to America’s Automotive Trust in an effort to get others on the road and experience Route 66.

Flickinger said his Buick, “took about a little over one year to build…and test it so that we could be here today.”

The caravan, consisting of ten cars from various eras of automobile history, is heading to Chicago, Illinois, and will then be displayed at the Detroit Auto Show. Each vehicle has its own unique story, with Flickinger’s Buick having been transformed from a $1,600 carcass of a car to a well-oiled machine valued between $60,000 and $80,000.

Participants are emphasizing the significance of Route 66’s centennial celebration.

“We are driving different brands, different years, different makes, and not specific to one brand or make or year,” Flickinger said.

The trip is supported by America’s Automotive Trust, with volunteers aiming to unite car enthusiasts and celebrate the drive on Route 66. More than that, they want others to help preserve the history of the legendary Route 66 and the cars that drove on it.

“It’s all about bringing like-minded car organizations together, bringing enthusiasts together, and celebrating the drive and celebrating cars. And there’s no better road to do it on than on Route 66,” AAT Marketing & Communications Director Jake Welk said.

Jason Wenig, who is making his first trip on this drive, described Route 66 as “the Mother Road” and likened it to a Mecca for car lovers. The journey, known as “The Drive Home,” sometimes requires fixing parts and staying on schedule. However, the group hopes to inspire others to embark on their own Route 66 adventures.

“I want everybody in America to hop in a car and drive Route 66,” Wenig said. “Do some business with the local communities, connect these places that are in more rural areas.”

Their journey through the land of enchantment has taken them to iconic sights such as the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, Santa Rosa’s Route 66 Museum, and the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, a town known for its neon signs and one of the last places to maintain garages along Route 66.

“Every time we roll into a big city, small city, little town, ghost town, the people are so excited and welcoming to see us driving Route 66,” Flickinger said.

Flickinger hopes this trip inspires others to explore the historic road too.

“That doesn’t mean you have to lose the passion and the drive for what we’re doing and what we live and what we love,” Flickinger said.

This is the 7th journey for “The Drive Home.” The caravan will arrive in Chicago on Jan. 12 and participate in the Detroit Auto Show Jan. 14.

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Program helps expectant moms overcome opioid use

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Hamilton Kahn

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Of special concern in the epidemic of fentanyl addiction are expectant mothers whose opioid use can be subject to harsh judgment instead of getting the help they need.

As with overcoming all addictions, a prerequisite is the determination to succeed, which cannot be done alone, and a multi-faceted program at the Lovelace Medical Group called GRACE — for Giving Respect and Compassion to the Expectant mom — combines acceptance, compassion and patience with nonjudgmental medical care for the mother and her unborn child.

When the GRACE program began, heroin was the predominant opioid addiction, but when Dr. Mario Pardo-Friedman, an OB-GYN, returned to Albuquerque after a stint in St. Louis, fentanyl had become a much bigger problem and the program needed reinvigoration.

“Managing opioid use disorder in pregnancy has been conclusively shown to significantly improve outcomes not just for the baby but for the mom as well,” Pardo-Friedman said, “and so our approach is, all we can do is offer a helping hand and provide that service to our patients. And when they take us up on it, they’re often pleasantly surprised that they get a lot of support and a lot of compassion just always comes to mind here. You know, they get treated like a decent, normal human being.”

Opioid addiction doesn’t discriminate based on age or class, Pardo-Friedman said. The youngest mothers-to-be are especially vulnerable, but addiction is primarily a mental health disorder for which all ages and socioeconomic classes are susceptible.

From a medical vantage point, use of street drugs poses the greatest risk for overdoses, Pardo-Friedman said.

“They’re much more likely to not get in for prenatal care,” Pardo-Friedman said. “They’re much more likely to be exposed to other substances and other conditions that could lead to fetal harm. That is not reversible. And so that’s one of the biggest goals of treatment during pregnancy, to prevent those knock-on effects that can happen when we don’t take care of those things. The data is clear — when we take care of mom, babies do better.”

Pardo-Friedman said that expectant mothers do have an advantage over many people with addictions, however.

“Many women are motivated because they feel this urgency to protect the unborn child inside, and that helps them,” Pardo-Friedman said. “But often they don’t feel like they have a sense of where to go. We are one of those places, that is We will welcome them with open arms.”

For more information about GRACE or to refer a patient, call 505-727-5000.

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Restaurant beloved by Hollywood stars at risk of closing

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Josh Copitch, Ricardo Tovar

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    PACIFIC GROVE, California (KSBW) — A Pacific Grove restaurant known for its quirky ambience – a fully functioning cannery inside – and a common stop for Hollywood actresses could be forced to shut its doors and find a new home.

Happy Girl Kitchen in Pacific Grove is asking for community support to raise $200,000 in under 60 days to purchase the building it currently occupies, as it has recently been put up for sale.

“We just feel like for this size of a building that we need and for the local community has already been in relationship with, it would be a lot to actually totally uproot ourselves. We feel very rooted here,” the founder, Jordan Champagne, said.

Happy Girl Kitchen describes itself as a family business dedicated to simple, delicious, and farm-driven foods.

Those interested in supporting the cause can make donations online at Happy Girl Kitchen’s website under the fundraisers tab.

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Dad leads community effort against rising airplane noise in neighborhoods

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Kim Rafferty

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    HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — A Hendersonville father is raising concerns about increased aircraft noise in his neighborhood, saying flight pattern changes have disrupted the quiet community life that drew his family to the area.

Warren Hawkins moved to Hendersonville in 2024 from East Nashville, attracted by the schools, safety and peaceful environment. Throughout 2024, he said his family didn’t notice any significant air traffic noise. But in 2025, that changed dramatically.

“We moved here in 2024 from east nashville and we were drawn by the schools the safety and the quiet living. Throughout 2024 we didnt really notice any air traffic noise. Then into 2025 it was a really distinct changes we’ll be out walking in the neighborhood having to pause converstions,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins acknowledges he’s not an aviation expert, but he’s noticed clear changes in his daily life.

“I am not going to pretend to know everything about FAA flight paths and BNA policy and things of that nature but from what I can gather it does look like there are more distinct flight paths over the Indian Lake Peninsula where flight traffic volume has increased the elevation of those flights appears to be lower to the ground making more noise,” Hawkins said.

His concerns appear to resonate with neighbors. Nearly 100 residents have signed a form supporting his efforts to address the issue.

“yea we got just under a 100 participants who signed the form it definitely is resonating with other residents around the community,” Hawkins said.

The noise concerns aren’t coming out of nowhere. The FAA said they changed flight patterns for planes departing Nashville in the spring of 2025, sending aircraft closer to residential areas than before.

Hawkins plans to take his concerns to city leaders, hoping to start conversations about managing noise before it becomes a bigger problem.

“if it continued to increase in volume and frequency that is something that would drive us to move for sure. but first we want to look for a solution,” Hawkins said.

He emphasizes his goal isn’t to stop air traffic at all, but to find realistic ways through community action to manage noise and improve quality of life.

Hawkins said he’ll speak at a City Council meeting this week about his concerns.

In this article, WTVF used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before WTVF published it.

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‘Labor of love’: Dance teacher retires after 55 years

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Grace Rodriguez

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A Savannah dance teacher is closing a 55-year chapter.

Maxine Patterson is the founder of the Maxine Patterson School of Dance in downtown Savannah. More than 3,400 students have walked through the school’s doors since she opened it decades ago.

“We had several African American children, and one of the parents asked me to start a class at the Y, and I did, and that’s how I started in 1969,” Patterson said. “Seeing them succeed so well and be recognized for how good they did it, was that was my favorite thing.”

For some families, the studio served multiple generations.

“I’m the mom of Kennedy Slay, who also danced with Maxine Patterson eons ago — probably about 15 years ago,” Tonya Slay, mother of two former dancers at Maxine Patterson School of Dance, said. “The teachers from Maxine on down have been phenomenal,”

Slay’s daughter, Karis Wilson, grew up at the studio and says her favorite memories with Patterson were when they would travel out of state each year.

“My favorite thing was going to competitions and going out of town with her and having team bonding dinners with her,” Wilson said. “When, like, I’m at recitals or something, she’s always in a front row. So when I’m dancing, I will always see her.”

Even though Patterson taught several students each year, Wilson said she treated everyone like a friend, both inside and outside the studio.

“My favorite part when she was teaching me was when we used to go across the floor, like, turning and stuff,” Wilson said.

“I loved every minute of teaching. I never had a bad day. Never had a bad hour,” Patterson said.

Patterson’s niece, Jessie Morris, helped run the studio. She says growing up there with her cousins was special.

“It was really a labor of love that I love being a part of,” Morris said. “Each one of those students, because they were kids, all of them had at least one adult in their life that, you know, trusted Maxine. She was a second mother figure to so many of them.”

Patterson says she hopes the story will live on.

“I want all of my former students to please continue dancing. Yes, I think most of them are, but I don’t know for a fact,” Patterson said.

A retirement and reunion party will be held for Patterson on Sunday, Jan. 18.

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Mother honors son’s legacy after he was killed days before Christmas

CNN Newsource on January 12, 2026

By Megan Matthews

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — A Louisville mother is honoring the legacy of her son, 20-year-old Milton Ritchie Jr., after he was shot and killed just days before Christmas.

Police said Ritchie was found outside of a car in a ditch near PRP, with multiple gunshot wounds.

Ritchie’s mother, Hortense Madison, said she’s now trying to navigate life without her only child.

“I just can’t stop talking about how good of a person that he was and how his life was taken from us so senselessly,” Madison said. “He is my only child. And so for me not to have my son is hurtful, but I got my friends, my family, people that I don’t even know, just coming out and showing me so much love.”

On Sunday, friends and family gathered at Shawnee Park to celebrate Ritchie’s life and the impact he had on the people around him.

“I mean, the world lost a gem,” Madison said. “He was one of the most caring people out there.”

Madison chose the court where the Dirt Bowl is held, an event Ritchie was passionate about, as the place to remember him and mark what would have been his 21st birthday with the people closest to him.

“He always just loved doing things for people, if he could,” said Barbara Lee, Ritchie’s godmother.

Many in attendance said they are now leaning on their faith as they grieve.

“I hope he knows that I love him, and I’m proud of him,” Ritchie’s friend Jeffery Grace said. “And just thank you, God, for bringing someone like that into my life.”

The tribute included a dove release in Ritchie’s honor, as loved ones vowed to keep his memory alive.

“He’s not here. I’m his voice now,” Madison said.

Organizers also announced that the Dirt Bowl is honoring Ritchie with the Milton Ritchie Jr. Internship Program, which will sponsor a participant to learn the inner workings of the Dirt Bowl.

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