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By Christine Sloan

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    EDISON, New Jersey (WCBS) — Police rescued more than 100 animals from a home in Edison, New Jersey, on Sunday.

Investigators say dogs, rabbits, pigeons, birds, and more were being kept in horrifying conditions inside a home on Stony Road West, police said.

Bryan added officers were called to the now-condemned house, in which heavy equipment was seen outside, because one of the two men living here was having a medical issue.

“There’s an issue going on. It’s hoarding animals like this that got out of control. It doesn’t look like they were raising animals for profit or using the chickens for eggs,” Bryan said.

Police said one person was charged with third-degree animal cruelty, because animal carcasses were also found in the house.

The rabbits found at the house were like ones one would see at a pet expo.

“They’re English angoras, French angoras, Jersey woolies and lion heads,” Pasukinski said.

Officials said most of the bunnies are free roaming and may be pregnant.

Authorities said all of the chickens — many of them show chickens — are staying at a New Jersey farm.

Authorities said a veterinarian was to examine all of the animals, that they would be be groomed for free, and that some may be available for adoption.

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By Nakell Williams

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — For 17-year-old Hayden Lynch, Friday’s “Dream Flight” wasn’t just a trip — it was the culmination of years of aspiration.

Inside a buzzing gate room at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Hayden stood among more than 100 students, each wearing the same Delta-blue lanyard and the same look of awe.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” Hayden said, smiling as he clutched his boarding pass.

The “Dream Flight” — a partnership between Delta Air Lines and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) — gives students across the country a firsthand look at careers in aviation. This year, the milestone 25th flight took them to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“When I met my first Black pilot, that’s when I realized I could do it too,” said Hayden’s mentor, Justin Mutawassim, now a Delta captain. “Now, I get to show these students — especially Hayden — that they can follow that same path.”

Before takeoff, Hayden’s mother, Lyvette Marsh, reflected on how it all began.

“I first realized my son had a passion for aviation when I bought him his first drone,” she said. “He learned to fly right away — and he’s been focused ever since.”

Minutes later, she watched from the terminal as Hayden boarded the aircraft — Delta Flight 2025 — greeted by cheers and applause from airline staff.

Firefighters at Hartsfield-Jackson marked the occasion with a water salute, a symbolic arc of celebration honoring 25 years of “Dream Flights” and the next generation of trailblazers taking off.

At the helm of the flight was Captain Dana Nelson, Delta’s first Black woman pilot, hired in 2001.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me flying planes,” Nelson said. “Now, when these students see me, they know it’s possible. Representation makes all the difference.”

As the Boeing 757 lifted into the clouds, students pressed their faces to the windows — watching Atlanta shrink beneath them and their futures expand above.

From the jet bridge in Atlanta to the launch pads of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the students’ journey bridged past and future. Their bus driver, affectionately known as Ms. Bev, pointed out landmarks — including the launch sites where history was made.

At the Space Center, students attended a panel discussion featuring Black aerospace professionals and NASA engineers who shared advice on navigating both airspace and life’s turbulence.

“It’s amazing — seeing people who’ve done it and who look like me,” Hayden said. “It makes me believe I can do it too.”

After lunch, students roamed exhibits of rockets, shuttles, and simulators — imagining the flights they might one day command.

“My dream is to become a Delta pilot one day — and inspire others just like they inspired me,” Hayden added.

For Hayden and thousands before him, “Dream Flight” represents far more than a field trip. It’s a launchpad for possibility — a reminder that sometimes the most powerful flight begins with believing you can soar.

Since its inception, Delta’s “Dream Flight” has introduced more than 4,000 students to the aviation industry — many of whom are now pilots, engineers, and mentors themselves.

And as this year’s flight touched down on Florida’s Space Coast, one thing was clear: the future of flight is in very good hands.

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By Lisa Hughes

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Right now, about 92,000 Americans are waiting for a kidney transplant, according to the American Kidney Fund. Until now, one of those names has been Jared Higginbotham, a photojournalist at WBZ-TV who has been living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) for a decade. Now he is getting the most generous gift, from a coworker who secretly went through years of medical testing in hopes of being his match.

There is an unusually tight connection between those who work the night shift at WBZ. It could be the atypical schedule – working from mid-afternoon until almost midnight, the nature of the work, or simply that we genuinely like each other. It’s not unusual to find us socializing away from work or exchanging text messages about new music, old movies, sports, books, restaurants, and more. We celebrate birthdays at work, we bond over our monthly Pizza Club, and rally around anyone on the team who is hurting.

For years we have marveled at the emotional and physical strength of our friend and colleague. Jared is a 44-year-old photojournalist. He covers breaking news, blockbuster legal cases, including Karen Read’s first trial, and Boston’s sports teams. There is nothing Jared can’t do. But living with chronic kidney disease drains his energy and tests his unflappable spirit. He dreams of a future in which he is strong and vital. A future that depends on a kidney donation.

Jared was diagnosed with Stage 2 kidney disease about 10 years ago when he had just started working at WBZ. Jared is diabetic, so the diagnosis didn’t surprise him, but it got his attention. He exercised, lost weight, focused on nutrition, and hoped for the best. But he knew, even at his most disciplined, he might be no match for, what he described in a 2020 Facebook post, as a “silent killer.”

When his kidneys began failing significantly, Jared started home dialysis. He slept hooked up to machines which did the work his kidneys couldn’t. It was uncomfortable, but better than traveling to a clinic for dialysis. Eventually, an infection made it impossible to continue home dialysis and the clinic became the only option. Jared drives to Manchester, New Hampshire three times a week for treatment. He sits, hooked up to dialysis machines, for three and a half hours and then drives to Boston for his night shift at WBZ.

Jared has been waiting on the transplant list for five years.

Those of us who are lucky enough to work with him have shared his hope that someday, someone would come forward to donate a kidney. Periodic health setbacks made Jared ineligible for the surgery at times. But he never gave up hope that eventually he would get a new kidney. What he could not have imagined is who would step up to donate.

In March of 2023, WBZ Assignment Manager Andrea Courtois, also a “nightsider,” was watching the late news at work in tears. She was watching a story about the Essex Tech Superintendent’s donation of a kidney to a beloved teacher. When the superintendent mentioned that having Type O blood was the key to the successful match, a lightbulb went off. Andrea has Type O blood. “I have magic blood,” she said proudly.

Without a word to Jared, she started the testing. Rounds and rounds of testing. Bloodwork, kidney function tests, CT scans, stress tests. She cleared every round. “It’s been remarkably easy,” Andrea said. “MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) is amazing. They’re so nice!”

Andrea had to repeat the testing process in late 2024 after Jared suffered a serious setback that required hospitalization. At that time, she says she was glad that she had not told him they were a match. She feared it would have been devastating for him to know that she was ready to donate when he wasn’t well enough to have the transplant surgery. She kept it quiet, waiting for the right moment to tell him.

Jared also had a surprise for her. He knew she was the donor. During one of his appointments a doctor had let her name slip. Jared was stunned. “I didn’t even know she liked me that much because of the grief I give her when she gives me an assignment,” he said only half-joking.

In September, roughly 18 months after finding out, Jared pulled Andrea into an edit room and told her that he “knew what was going on.” It was a shared moment of relief. Not only were there no longer secrets between them, but they were both healthy enough to have the surgery. They began to plan, together, for the transplant.

“I almost feel like I don’t deserve it,” Jared said shaking his head. Andrea is quick to correct him. “Of course you deserve it.”

Early Tuesday morning, when most of their nightside colleagues are still sleeping, a surgeon will perform the transplant at Mass General Hospital. Jared and Andrea have been counseled, separately, about the possibility that it may not be successful. Jared didn’t need anyone to tell him that.

“I can’t get excited about any of this, really, until I wake up and they say it’s in there and it’s working,” he said. But he is also undeniably thrilled about the prospect of a fuller, healthier life and living without exhaustion. “To be able to take a gallon of water and just chug it—pound a gallon of water and then wait for the process. That’s something I’m really excited for,” he said.

Andrea isn’t worried that the surgery won’t work. “I have 100% confidence that it will work,” she said. She accepts that doctors have to warn patients about every possible outcome, but she channels her late grandmother’s mantra.

“I just felt like, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. And here we are,” she said.

Andrea is also unfazed about living with just one kidney. Her father, Roland, lost one of his kidneys to a tumor more than 15 years ago. She takes his active, healthy life as proof that she has nothing to worry about. In true, selfless “Andrea fashion” she is really just concerned for Jared.

People who know her recognize her willingness to donate one of her kidneys as an extraordinary, awe-inspiring act of generosity. She downplays it as simply “the right thing to do. I have an extra kidney that I don’t need that can save someone’s life. So why wouldn’t you do that?”

“She’s a great person,” Jared said. “She’s giving me a part of her. That’s a tall ask of anyone.”

For those 92,000 Americans on a waiting list for a kidney transplant, Jared hopes to use his second chance to raise awareness about the importance of living donors.

Success rates and a transplanted kidney’s longevity are higher when the organ comes from someone who is alive. The extensive testing that living donors like Andrea undergo ensures that the donor kidney is functioning properly. There is no such guarantee when the donor is deceased. Kidneyregistry.com also cites a reduced risk of rejection and the reduced stress of scheduling the transplant surgery as other factors in a living donor’s favor.

Jared and Andrea anticipate that the surgery will change their relationship in a wonderful way.

“I think we’re going to be linked for life,” Jared reflected.

He jokes that he will send her a Christmas card from now on, which made them both laugh. He imagines that work will be different too.

“It’ll be nice to come in and hear, ‘You’re going on the breaking news story, and you have to run.’ And I can do it! That’s something I’m hoping to do and I’m excited for,” Jared said.

If all goes well, his dreams will finally come true because of Andrea’s generous gift.

“I don’t think thank you is strong enough,” Jared said to Andrea, “But thank you.”

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By KAKE News

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    BUTLER COUNTY, Kansas (KAKE) — A woman has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for killing her 6-year-old adopted daughter, who was found buried in the backyard of a Rose Hill home last year.

Crystina Schroer, the adopted mother of Kennedy Schroer, was sentenced to 215 months in prison in a Butler County courtroom on Monday.

In August, Schroer was found guilty of second-degree murder, child abuse, making a false writing and theft.

In September 2024, law enforcement dug up the backyard of a home in a residential neighborhood. There, they found the remains of Kennedy Schroer, who was born with the name Natalie. Police had initially responded to Schroers’ home after Crystina had threatened to kill herself.

“She buried her. She double-bagged her in trash bags, dug a hole on her own property, and buried her right outside the master bedroom,” said Butler County Attorney Darrin Devinney. “That master bedroom… where they continued to sleep for four years, right next to the corpse of that small child.”

According to a court document, Crystina told police that years before, in December 2020, she found Kennedy in a box with blankets and other objects piled on top. She said she tried to revive Kennedy with CPR and gave her a cold shower. Upon realizing she was dead, Crystina said she wrapped the girl’s body in a sheet and put her in the car.

The document says Crystina didn’t take the girl to the hospital. But, instead, drove around with the body for several hours.

One of Kennedy’s sisters told investigators that Crystina used the box as punishment. The girl said her mother would pile objects onto the box to stop a child inside from moving. She says her mother left with Kennedy’s body and that her sister wasn’t there when Crystina came back.

A report by the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center stated Kennedy died by suffocation and that her death was likely a homicide.

Crystina’s husband, Joseph Schroer, pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated endangering a child and Medicaid fraud. He is set to be sentenced on Dec. 3.

Kennedy was born in Natalie Marie Garcia in July 2014. The Schroers named her Kennedy Jean when they adopted her in 2019.

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By Riley Rourke

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    EVERETT, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A lost Purple Heart has been returned to a Vietnam veteran in Massachusetts, just in time for Veterans Day. It’s one of six that the Unclaimed Property Division found in safe deposit boxes and the second to be returned.

U.S. Army veteran James Mooney of Everett was reunited with his medal by State Treasurer Deb Goldberg.

“Returning this Purple Heart is about more than reuniting someone with a lost possession, it is about honoring the service and sacrifice of one of our nation’s heroes,” Goldberg said in a statement.

Mooney was a large artillery gun shooter in Vietnam from 1968-69. He was awarded several other medals for his service and his marksmanship.

The family of Sgt. Thomas Lynch was given his lost Purple Heart at a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House in early September.

The state is still looking for four other families so they can reunite them with their loved ones’ medals.

-Joseph Arudda of New Bedford, who fought in World War II -Edward McCabe of Worcester and Framingham, who served in World War II -William Bemis of Springfield, who fought in World War II -Robert Boquist of Rutland, who served in the Korean War

Anyone who may know these families is asked to call the Treasurer’s Office at 617-367-0400. People are also welcome to call if they’re looking for other lost military items that may have been in a safe deposit box.

A Purple Heart is the United States’ oldest military medal, created by George Washington in 1782 to boost morale. It was originally called the Badge of Merit. It features a profile of Washington.

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By Caroleina Hassett

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSTU) — Sounds of pointe shoes can always be heard inside the studios of Ballet West, but you would never guess the person wearing those shoes is 23-year-old Jonas Malinka-Thompson.

His ballet journey started when he was just six years old.

“My parents had me on our kindergarten soccer team,” Thompson said, “but I was never really focused on the ball. I was always kind of off to the side, twirling and leaping around.”

When he started dancing, it felt like the right fit, but nearly 17 years later, he was cast in a role that required him to do the unthinkable.

“I had never put my foot in a pointe shoe before I learned I was doing this role,” Thompson said. “It was really just, ‘Here, you’re going to be learning this. You’re going to be doing it, so start practicing.’”

He was cast as the role of Bottom, a character who turns into a donkey during “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which requires the male dancer to go on pointe shoes — something you don’t see too often.

“Men don’t usually get to do this, and we’re usually focusing on big jumps and partnering and a lot of turns,” Thompson said. “For this role, what makes it really fun as well, is that it’s not really supposed to look like perfect ballet technique. It’s supposed to look clumsy. It’s the comedic part of the ballet.”

He started practicing back in June and was not ready for the pain that comes with it.

“The solo in the dream is a lot of just hops on pointe, and it’s not something you really learn in a beginner ballet lesson,” Thompson said. “I think as ballet dancers, we’re used to being in pain a lot and being sore, but this is a completely different feeling with blisters and bruised toenails.”

After a lot of trial and error, however, Malinka-Thompson was able to take his routine from the studio to the stage.

“I love hearing the audience laugh and respond to my acting. It means I’ve done my job. I’m being funny and portraying the story,” Thompson said. “Dancing is my passion. I love doing it, obviously, but I think acting is what really makes it fun.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs at the Capitol Theatre through Nov. 15.

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By Jordan Bontke

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — A Valley father left his six-figure corporate job to help some of the community’s most marginalized residents by giving haircuts.

Richard Agers, 33, traded his management position and steady paycheck to become a traveling barber who provides free haircuts to people experiencing homelessness across the Valley.

“It was a good job for my last corporate job,” Agers said as he smiled about his previous career.

The monotony of the 9-to-5 lifestyle didn’t bring him fulfillment. Instead, he found purpose in the simple act of cutting hair and listening to people’s stories.

“At the end of it, (my barber) gets a thank you every time, a hug, a see you next week that’s meaningful,” Agers said.

The career change came at a pivotal moment. Just as Agers was considering leaving corporate life, his grandfather Jimmy Leonard — a Vietnam veteran — passed away. To honor his grandfather’s memory, Agers decided to serve others, particularly veterans and those in need.

Armed with a suitcase full of scissors and clippers, Agers takes to Valley streets offering free haircuts to anyone experiencing homelessness.

“You want a free haircut? A free haircut? A free haircut!” he calls out to potential clients.

The experience goes beyond just trimming hair. Agers provides a gentle touch and a listening ear to people who often feel invisible in society.

“I’m going out and changing people’s lives in an hour. Hearing their story, how appreciative they are to me. I started posting on TikTok because it’s so viral. You won’t believe the community support,” Agers said.

Much of what’s in his traveling barber case comes from donations. Other community groups have contributed shoes and care packages to complement his haircuts.

Agers hopes to eventually expand his mission nationwide, bringing his mobile barbering services to homeless communities across the country.

The impact of his work became clear after one particular haircut. A man living in a park told Agers how his fresh cut changed his outlook.

“Now I bet I can get a job, you just changed me today, I feel so motivated, you don’t understand what you did. That’s what I want,” the man said.

For Agers, these moments of transformation make leaving his corporate career worthwhile. He’s found that sometimes a cosmetologist who listens can serve as a life coach, providing hope and dignity through something as simple as a haircut.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KNXV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Richard Butler

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    AURORA, Colorado (KMGH) — Inside a room full of wagging tails at Canine Partners of the Rockies, training looks a lot like play. But every command and every treat brings these dogs one step closer to changing someone’s life.

“We are a service dog training organization that raises and trains service dogs for Coloradans living with disabilities,” said Executive Director Kyle Lephart. “We also provide facility dogs at local hospitals, schools and veterans centers to support the community.”

Each puppy at Canine Partners of the Rockies spends about two years in training before being matched with its new partner. During that time, every dog lives in a volunteer home. One of those volunteers is Bridget Domenighini, an Army combat veteran who now serves as both development director and volunteer puppy raiser for the nonprofit.

“When I found this job, it was kind of the perfect combination of getting to work with people and dogs,” Domenighini said. “I gave it a shot, and I love it, best job I’ve ever had.”

Domenighini’s first dog, Parker, recently “graduated” and now works at a counseling center for children in Aspen. She’s now raising her second puppy, Bodhi.

“It’s a big commitment, but it’s also really rewarding,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

At first, she hesitated to volunteer, worried it would be too hard to say goodbye when each dog completed training. But knowing the impact these animals have on veterans, hospitals and schools made that decision easier.

“It’s worth it because it’s what I love,” Domenighini said. “This is my place. These are my people. And I will always be a puppy raiser.”

Her coworkers describe her as the heart of the organization.

“Bridget is someone who is so authentically herself at all times,” said Miki Brewington, client services manager for Canine Partners. “She’s a staple here, someone who gives everything she has to both people and pups.”

“It’s her mentality and her drive to give back and support others that really makes her stand out,” Lephart said. “She’s got a giving nature, she’s always thinking about our clients, our volunteers and our staff, and how she can show her gratitude to them.”

That selfless spirit recently earned Domenighini national recognition from the Veterans of Foreign Wars through its “Still Serving” campaign which honors veterans who continue to make a difference in their communities long after military service.

“Service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off,” said Carol Whitmore, VFW national commander. “The Still Serving campaign reminds us that veterans, to include the collective VFW, not only give back to our local communities, but we stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow veterans, helping them navigate their VA benefits, advocating for enhanced quality of life programs and resources and ensuring no one is left behind. Veterans continue to answer the call, proving every day that the spirit of service lasts a lifetime.”

“I don’t really feel like I do a lot,” she said. “But it’s an honor to be picked, and I’m thankful that they did.”

Domenighini is also pursuing her master’s degree in social work and hopes to expand Canine Partners’ veteran programming, including more therapy dog visits for those recovering from traumatic brain injuries.

For her compassion, leadership and lifelong commitment to service, Denver7 and Levine Law recognized Domenighini as this week’s Denver7 Everyday Hero.

Canine Partners of the Rockies is always seeking volunteer puppy raisers and donors to help train service dogs for Coloradans living with disabilities. Learn more at Canine Partners of the Rockies website.

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