Author: CNN Newsource

By Vannia Joseph

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    PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida (WPTV) — A new local effort is turning restaurant leftovers into a powerful tool for cleaner water. Oyster shells from The Breakersand Cod & Capers Seafood are getting a second life — helping restore the Lake Worth Lagoon through a new recycling and restoration program led by the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation.

Foundation executive director Tom Twyford said until recently, Palm Beach County wasn’t part of the oyster restoration movement and that the county is catching up to a growing national trend in oyster restoration.

“We really weren’t recycling oysters in Palm Beach County, and we saw an opportunity to collect them for locally based restoration,” he said. “We’re pretty much late to the party on this one, I got to be honest with you.”

Each week, Twyford collects hundreds of used shells from restaurants and takes them to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, where they cure under the Florida sun. Once sanitized, volunteers string the shells on cables to create vertical oyster gardens, hanging underwater structures that give oyster a place to grow.

“The oysters are strung on a piece of cable and suspended in a water column right at the oyster’s happy spot right between high tide and low tide, the perfect environment to grow,” Twyford explained.

“Oyster shells are far too valuable of a resource to just send to the landfill,” Twyford said, demonstrating how the gardens are lowered into the water.

Each new oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, improving clarity and restoring habitat for marine life. But Twyford said these small projects are about more than recycling — they’re a response to years of damage.

“There’s been a lot of degradation to our water quality over the years, a lot of loss of local habitat like seagrass,” he said.

One of the biggest threats, he explained, is sediment loading — the fine, mucky material that clouds the water and buries seagrass beds after heavy rains or storms.

“Let’s say we get a tropical storm, or let’s say we get a hurricane — you can see what happens to our waterway,” Twyford said.

He said these oysters are much more than sea life — they’re vital to a healthy ecosystem.

“Oysters are a keystone species in the marine system,” Twyford said. “They’re the most cost-effective, environmentally efficient filtration system we could ever want to have.”

But the project is about more than cleaning the water it’s also about connecting the community.

“The other beauty of the program,” Twyford said, “is the community outreach aspect,” noting partnerships with local school groups and volunteers who help build the gardens.

Still, Twyford admits there’s more work ahead.

“We have a problem where, in bodies of water like the Lake Worth Lagoon, the water quality is a really important issue — and it’s one that we’re not winning the war on,” he said.

Since starting, more than 170 vertical oyster gardens have been installed, including right in residents’ backyards in the Village of North Palm Beach, an area leading the charge when it comes to the filtration gardens.

Twyford hopes more coastal communities will join the effort.

“If we can get thousands, tens of thousands of vertical gardens suspended in the waterways of Palm Beach County, we’ll be making some progress toward water quality and clarity,” he said. “It’s not going to solve all the problems, but it’s going to help a lot.”

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By Sam Landstra

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    KENT COUNTY, Michigan (WXMI) — A Michigan man has completed his goal of running a 5K in every county in the state.

On September 26, Michael McCatty drove eight hours to Keweenaw County in the Upper Peninsula, took a four-hour ferry to Isle Royale and journeyed into the remote island’s rough, rugged terrain. He had limited cell service and, searching for a signal, his phone died halfway through the run.

But after jogging past vistas overlooking Lake Superior and rows and rows of pine, McCatty had finished his five-year challenge. One state. Eighty-three counties. Eighty-three runs.

“I would like to say it was a very emotional day,” McCatty said to FOX 17. “To be honest, it was more relief.”

“This challenge — although it’s all about running 5Ks — I soon learned it was mostly about driving and spending money,” he said.

In 2020, McCatty, a marketing manager from Traverse City, sought to find “a simple challenge that was something less than marathon training.”

“Well, everybody runs a 5K. There’s no problem there,” he said. “But I was thinking, what if I ran every county in Michigan?”

McCatty tracked his runs on Strava and took photos of his travels. On weekends, he knock out a couple of counties. On work trips, he’d run during his downtime. All of it wound up on his website.

“What I get out of it, more than anything, is to continuously work at improving where I’m at today,” McCatty said.

In Kent County, McCatty parked at a hotel and ran through downtown Grand Rapids, starting and finishing at Rosa Parks Circle.

In Ottawa County, he passed through residential Grand Haven and ran alongside the Grand River for a short length.

In Muskegon County, he circled Hart Lake, bounding through backwoods and dirt trails.

“Every county is so different,” McCatty said.

The people in Michigan’s counties, though, are not so dissimilar.

“Everybody seemed to be nice. I think that was shocking to me,” McCatty said. To be out of my town of Traverse City and be completely downstate near Ohio, and everybody’s nice.”

The miles ran by McCatty are many. The miles driven are more than he can count. What he can do is say he did it.

“Anybody can do this,” he said. “It’s been a very good experience for me.”

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By Michelle Bandur

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — On the eve of the California special election, a Sacramento voter received two ballots in the mail, raising concerns about the voting process.

“I was going to vote today,” said Robin Baker. She was confused when she realized two ballots arrived in the mail. She explained that she received one ballot mailed on Sept. 27 and another on Oct. 9.

Baker noted that she renewed her driver’s license at the DMV during this period but did not make any changes to her address or political party, nor did she re-register to vote or request a ballot.

Sacramento County Elections officials said voters can request replacement ballots if lost or damaged, and they are automatically generated when changes are made to a voter’s registration. That can happen during a driver’s license renewal, but only if the voter makes changes. Baker said she made zero changes, and she’s concerned about the duplication.

“There’s a confusion for me as a voter, did my vote count, or do I get both of them? And then there’s also how much this is costing the state of California,” Baker said.

Another voter, John, expressed concerns about election integrity.

“If that’s a mistake, I shouldn’t get two ballots,” he said. “Every one of us should try to be conscious and be right in ourselves and doing what is right.”

Election officials said the original ballot is now voided and Baker should use the second ballot. Baker remains concerned about the process.

“I care about our country. I care about elections. I believe in them. I believe in a process. But I’m worried that this isn’t really working very well,” she said.

The Secretary of State’s office assured that, regardless of the situation, only one ballot per person will be counted. However, the DMV could not provide information on what happened with Baker’s driver’s license renewal and why she was re-registered to vote without her knowledge.

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By James Stratton

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A deadly crash at 76th Street and Florist Avenue forever changed the lives of the friends and family of Taylor Poirier and the life of Navarus Campbell.

Campbell didn’t have a driver’s license and had 27 suspension and revocation tickets when he was speeding on West Florist Avenue and hit Poirier and his two kids inside their gold Buick. The crash killed Poirier.

“He was the best dad ever,” said Hannah Marsden, Poirier’s partner and the mother of his children. “I mean, the kids wanted to go anywhere he went.”

Marsden and Poirier’s two kids were hurt, and Marsden was pregnant with twins at the time of the 2023 crash.

“I think they’re coming to terms with the fact that dad being gone is something that’s permanent now,” she said. “You know, there really is no way to explain it to them. They pretty much understand.”

Campbell, ticketed 27 times, shouldn’t have been driving. Yet, continued to rack up ticket after ticket. Judge Michelle Havas sentenced Campbell to 20 years for the deadly crash and for later running from police. Campbell was driving in a legal loophole that 12 News uncovered and investigated for more than two years.

Drivers without a license weren’t paying their first ticket. Then, the state was classifying their non-existent licenses as “suspended.” Police across the state then wrote suspension tickets, instead of charging them for not having a license. The second time they were caught without a license should have been a misdemeanor charge; instead, they were racking up tickets.

After WISN 12 News uncovered the problem, the state changed its classification of drivers like Campbell, effectively closing the loophole. Milwaukee police also changed standard policy after our investigation.

WISN 12 News wrote letters to unlicensed, “loophole” drivers in prison who were the focus of our reporting. Campbell was the only one to respond and agree to an interview. 12 News went to the Racine Correctional Facility, a Department of Corrections prison, where Campbell is serving time.

“It’s not a day that goes past that I don’t think about what happened that day,” he said. “I wish I could have done things differently and would have done things differently.”

Campbell says he was late to work on the day of the crash.

“I do fault myself for speeding,” he said. “Things could have probably been different if I wasn’t speeding.”

Campbell told WISN 12 News he didn’t know he was driving in the legal loophole, but did know he was not going to jail for not having a license. Yet, still drove illegally again and again. He claims the tickets started stacking up when he and his brother were both giving his identity to police. Campbell kept driving to get to work to provide for his seven kids.

“It’s almost like a slap on the wrist,” he said. “So, you get too many slaps on the wrists, it’s like ‘Okay, it shouldn’t get worse than this.’ That’s how I was thinking.”

“You’re telling me that misdemeanor charge might have woken you up to stop driving?” investigative reporter James Stratton asked.

“Yes,” Campbell responded.

Milwaukee police and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office are arresting more drivers after the policy change.

“The reckless driving in Wisconsin, it needs to stop,” Campbell said. “I hope that my story can change people’s lives,” Campbell said.

“Nothing will ever be enough,” Marsden said. “Nothing can compare to what I’ve lost, what my children have lost. There’s no time limit that could make up for that.”

Marsden said she is now taking care of her kids alone. She set up this GoFundMe to raise money for a new vehicle.

“I don’t think I forgave myself,” Campbell said. “Like I say, I took a man away from his family.”

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By Mariana La Roche

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    MUSKEGO, Wisconsin (WISN) — A 77-year-old woman died from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle crash in Muskego on Sunday, around 7 p.m., in the S7100 block of Hillendale Drive.

According to the Muskego Police Department, the 47-year-old man who was driving the car fled the scene before officers arrived, leaving the injured woman passenger behind. Several bystanders stopped to assist the woman before emergency responders arrived.

The woman was transported to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries. Authorities located the man at a nearby residence and took him into custody.

Multiple charges are being referred to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office, including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, operating while intoxicated third offense, hit and run causing death, and resisting an officer.

The Wisconsin State Patrol is conducting a crash reconstruction as part of the investigation.

The Muskego Police Department expressed condolences to the victim’s family and thanked the Tess Corners Fire Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, New Berlin Police Department, and citizens who stopped to help at the crash scene.

No additional information is being released as the investigation remains active.

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By Jake Anderson

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — A jury returned a verdict in the trial of a 17-year-old accused in a fatal southwest Omaha stabbing.

Christopher DeLong Jr. was found guilty of manslaughter and was found not guilty of use of a weapon to commit a felony in the deadly beating and stabbing of Clayton McCue in 2023.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7.

According to court documents, McCue was found badly hurt in the parking lot of the Living Faith United Methodist Church near 182nd and Q streets, blocks from Millard West High School.

McCue died after being on life support, his family told KETV NewsWatch 7.

During a previous court appearance, Omaha police detective Chad Frodyma testified that McCue confronted DeLong over learning of an alleged domestic assault at DeLong’s house. Frodyma said after a neighbor and DeLong’s father intervened, the two teens agreed to meet at a nearby parking lot via Snapchat.

McCue, who had a bat, repeatedly asked DeLong to fight, Frodyma testified.

DeLong allegedly pointed a replica gun at McCue’s head and also threatened to stab McCue during the altercation, according to testimony.

Witnesses told investigators that McCue swung the bat at DeLong first, swinging toward his hand as if he were trying to knock the gun out of his hand, but missed, Frodyma said.

Frodyma testified that DeLong then attempted to run, and McCue followed. DeLong motioned his arm in a back-and-forth movement, and then McCue fell to the ground, according to Frodyma.

McCue was stabbed in the head in front of his right ear, and an autopsy revealed that the knife severed blood vessels going to his brain, Frodyma testified.

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By Matthew Dietz, Rachel Whelan

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A University of Cincinnati medical student has filed a lawsuit against a condominium complex after a balcony collapsed last month, injuring 10 people.

It happened on Oct. 17, when a balcony collapsed at the Stetson Square condo complex on Stetson Street.

According to the lawsuit, Andrew McGovern was celebrating after finishing an exam when the balcony collapsed, sending him and several others 20 feet down to the pavement.

One person suffered life-threatening injuries, five others had “serious” injuries and four people had minor injuries, according to investigators.

The lawsuit claims the owners of the building should have known the balcony wasn’t properly attached and therefore, was unstable.

Officials with the Cincinnati Fire Department said the 8×12 porch collapsed from the weight of too many people on it.

McGovern, who filed the lawsuit, is seeking at least $25,000. His attorneys say he suffered life-altering injuries and needed surgery.

“He had significant internal injuries, a lacerated spleen, a horribly shattered ankle requiring surgery, plates and screws, and the road to recovery is going to be really, really long,” partner with DiCello Levitt law firm, Ken Abbarno, said.

As McGovern recovers, his legal team is focusing on accountability for the incident.

“We have to make sure that the properties that we’re in are safe, no matter who’s there,” Abbarno said. “And might there be situations where not everything is done that should be done? Yes. And the bad things happen most times when people try to cut corners? Yes.”

The lawsuit does have a court date listed yet.

WLWT has reached out to the defendants in the lawsuit but has not heard back yet.

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By Jodi Long

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Millennials make up the largest population in Iowa, but an unsuspecting portion of the population is becoming the fastest-growing.

Iowa ranks among the top 10 states in the country with the most centenarians. Centenarians are people over the age of 100. The most recent 2020 U.S. Census counted 1,032 centenarians living throughout the state. In 2010, there were only 846.

Dr. Peter Martin is a longevity researcher at Iowa State University. His decades-long research of centenarians is looking for the answer to one of life’s most pressing questions: What is the secret to living a long life?

“We keep saying centenarians are unique, right? If they are unique, how can they all be the same? How can there be one secret? You have to find out what your secret is, not the secret,” Martin said.

He says lifestyle, physical health and genetics all play a role in living longer. His research also finds a person’s education level, where they live and their personality type can too.

“It’s really a marvel over how you deal with adversity and how you can adjust in positive ways even under difficult circumstances. Centenarians are not giving up they are trying to make the best of what they still have,” Martin said.

In Iowa, the most centenarians tend to live in larger metropolitan areas, rather than rural areas, with better access to medical care.

“This is our job as gerontologists to see how we can promote healthy longevity,” he said. “What can you do so not only you can get to 100, but you do so in good health.”

Iowa’s oldest living person died at the age of 115 in 2023. Ames native Colleen Larson turned 100 years old this fall, a philanthropist and dedicated Cyclone fan who attended Cyclone sporting events until she was 98.

Velma Chestnut was born in 1925 and is in near-perfect health, not even needing any daily medications. She says her secret to a long life is eating three meals a day.

“Sometimes I think I have more aches and pains than she does,” her granddaughter, Barb Wiedenman, said, laughing.

The 105-year-old is one of several centenarians living at the Suites of Ankeny, an independent living facility in the Des Moines suburb.

“She’s just always been around,” Wiedeman tearfully said. “We celebrate every birthday, don’t we, Grandma? We’re getting ready for the 106th!”

As more of Iowa’s population gets older, there are fewer doctors who specialize in elderly health care. According to the American Geriatrics Society, there are only 50 geriatricians in Iowa. A recent report finds there should be six times that number by 2050 to keep up with the state’s increasingly aging population.

Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw is an internal medicine physician at the Iowa Clinic. He says a lack of geriatricians is forcing him to take on more elderly patients.

“As they grow older, their complexity of care is also increasing,” Kyaw said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about adding life to their years, it’s about adding value to their life.”

Martin says it’s much more difficult to live longer without a social network of friends, family and community. He says people in their 60s, 70s and 80s are the models for the next generation on how to age.

“We need to rethink for ourselves for our families, for our communities, and for our societies what aging really means,” Martin said. “When you are 65 or 70, you can, on average, live another 20 years — a quarter of your life is still in front of you when you retire.”

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