Author: CNN

WBZ

By Courtney Cole

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    TAUNTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Laughter, not fear, is the goal of “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors,” and the community theater production at the Taunton Performing Arts Center aims to defy expectations.

The unexpected take on the classic horror tale arrives just in time for Halloween.

“This is not scary whatsoever. You may be horrified, but not for the reasons you think,” said actor Brendan Pione.

“It is lovingly based on Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,'” explained actor Fred Halperin, “but it more aligns to campiness and a lot of innuendo and funny situations, funny scenarios.”

The gender-bending play is quick with the jokes.

“It goes in a completely different direction than the original, but still holds certain plot lines to it,” said director Natalie Cabral. “This Dracula is very different. It’s very sexy, very comical, very conceited sort of.”

Christopher Francis is having a blast playing the Count from Transylvania.

“It’s a very funny Dracula. It’s a very sexual Dracula. It’s a very promiscuous kind of guy,” he explained.

Actor Cassandra Gilbert added, “Honestly, this show, we push the envelope, which not a lot of shows do in community theater.”

For the cast, that community aspect is crucial to performing a piece like this.

“There’s a level of freedom to it. There’s a safeness to it. There’s an understanding that when you’re performing, you’re becoming a different person who’s not you,” Halperin said.

“It’s a less intimidating first step to take to say, I want to try this out. I want to try to express myself this way. And I want to do it in a place where I feel supported and there are lower stakes,” said Francis.

Pione added, “Everyone I know who finds out about this place is just surprised they never heard of it, wishes their own town had one.”

In the end, it’s all designed to show the audience a good time.

Cabral said, “It’s both what you love about Dracula and what you love about comedies all in one.”

“What I really hope that they’re talking about is how much fun they had,” said Francis. “I think that’s the overall goal.”

“Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” will be at the Taunton Performing Arts Center on Main Street from October 16 through the 19th.

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KPIX

By Da Lin, Jose Fabian

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A school in San Francisco is changing how students learn by making artificial intelligence central to their education.

For 13-year-old June Rockefeller, her school experience will be different starting this year.

“I love school so much now. I think it’s just really fun,” she said.

Rockefeller is part of the inaugural class at Alpha, a new school in San Francisco that’s using AI and removing bells, grades and even teachers. AI handles the lessons, and adults are called guides and coaches, who are there to help with “motivational and emotional support.”

Students spend just two hours on core subjects, all taught by AI-powered apps, which, according to the school, do not have chat functionality. Instead, the AI uses a “vision model to watch the screen and coach … on how to learn more effectively.”

The rest of the day is used for hands-on life skills and passion projects, the school said. Ethan Wong, 14, was using AI to design an app for molecular gastronomy. On this day, he learned how to pitch his startup to investors.

“I really enjoy spending less time doing academics and spending more time doing things I love,” Wong said.

His dad, James Wong, admits he wasn’t sure about the experiment until he saw it in action.

“I had not seen that smile when he exited school in a very long time,” James said.

Carson Lehmann, Alpha’s lead guide, said education has been slow to change.

“I want them to see that they can create something, they don’t need any other skills, they don’t need a crazy degree in computer science, they are able to create a functioning app,” he said.

“What needs to be made really clear is that some of the consequences of unregulated and currently unstudied AI in education settings could have potentially really impactful and negative effects on our students,” said Cassondra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco.

And then there’s the price, $75,000 a year, more than many Ivy League schools. Alpha claims students at its other campuses score in the top one to two percent nationally across all grade levels.

The school started with just 15 students, but next fall it aims to enroll 75, with scholarships open to some families. And for Rockefeller, there’s no going back.

“It’s high standards, but it doesn’t stress me out,” she said.

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WBZ

By Logan Hall

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    QUINCY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Baseball players gathered for a game in Quincy, Massachusetts Sunday, where they attempted to play 100 innings, all to raise money for ALS research.

The group made it to 53 innings, spread out over two days, before it was called due to the impending nor’easter. The home team defeated the visiting team, 66 to 53.

The game is benefiting the Angel Fund, which was founded by Rich Kennedy. His life has been hit hard by ALS; he was diagnosed in 2016 and his father and brother both died of the disease. Nearly a decade into his diagnosis, he said he’s still fighting.

“I’d get into fights all the time but this is the toughest fight I’ve ever been in,” said Kennedy. “Events like this are unbelievable, it keeps me optimistic.”

Over their 22 years of hosting the special baseball game, they’ve raised nearly $1 million.

“Yesterday, we got a $5,000 check, so many of these people know ALS very well, so it’s unbelievable, tremendous camaraderie, it’s fabulous,” said Kennedy.

The donations are meaningful but often the biggest sense of accomplishment comes for the players on the baseball diamond.

“I’ve learned when you get into a tough fight, lot of friends at your back, you can win,” said Kennedy.

In addition to 100 innings of baseball, the Angel Fund also hosts a golf tournament in Haverhill and a walk in Wakefield. They also participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in Wilmington.

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WJZ

By Tara Lynch

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A settlement in one victim’s case could come as soon as next month — more than a year and a half after the cargo ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

According to court records obtained by WJZ, attorneys for Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, one of the six construction workers killed in the collapse, will meet on November 3 to discuss a deal.

The family’s wrongful death lawsuit was filed last September against Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean, the ship’s owner and operator.

If a deal is reached, this would be the first settlement for any of the families.

WJZ reached out to a spokesperson for the ship’s owner and operator, but has not yet heard back.

An independent legal expert told WJZ he isn’t surprised the family of Castillo Cabrera is settling now before their case gets caught up in a potential appeal process.

This is just one step in a lengthy legal battle following the bridge’s collapse that could span years.

“The personal injury wrongful death claimants typically go to the head of the line when it comes to the apportionment of damages,” said Allen Black, a maritime lawyer and professor of maritime law at the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore. “It makes sense for the personal injury claimants for Mr. Cabrera’s estate to come forward now and try and resolve this matter without waiting for the whole limitation of liability issue to be resolved. That issue’s going to take several years.”

Castillo Cabrera was a Guatemala-native who lived in Dundalk. He was 26 years old at the time of the collapse.

He was one of eight men working on the bridge, filling potholes, the night the ship crashed into the bridge on March 26, 2024.

According to the family’s wrongful death claim, Castillo Cabrera’s life “revolved around working hard and being there for his parents and family”.

Castillo Cabrera’s family and the families of two other victims filed wrongful death lawsuits against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited last September, including the family of Miguel Luna, whose wife spoke with CBS News last fall. She says her husband was a hero.

“The only thing I would love for people to know is that, for me, my husband is a hero, alongside his five co-workers,” Maria del Carmen Castellon, the wife of Miguel Luna Gonzalez, said in Spanish.

There is also a fight by the ship’s owner and operator to limit their liability in this case.

Right now, the liability fund is capped $44 million, but if liability is not limited, billions could be available to any claim with physical damages, including paying for the new key bridge.

“Lawyers should never forecast, but I think it’s an uphill battle for the ship interest,” Black said.

This is just one side of what is a very complex case. The judge will likely decide if limited liability should be granted to the owner and operator of the ship next year.

There is also a pending criminal investigation by the FBI and the Department of Justice.

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KCNC

By Kennedy Cook

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    Colorado (KCNC) — After tragedy struck Evergreen High School, the University of Colorado struck up the band.

“Evergreen, like so many communities, went through a trauma no one should ever have to face,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz.

But just a week later, CU’s leadership began asking how they could help bring a little light, and music, back into the students’ lives.

“About a week after the tragedy, our chancellor reached out to the dean of the College of Music, John Davis, and said, ‘Hey, is there something we can do?'” said Logan Sorey with CU’s band program.

“Within 20 minutes, we emailed back saying, ‘Absolutely. Give us 24 hours and we’ll give you some options,'” said Sorey.

Their favorite option? Inviting Evergreen High’s marching band to take the field at Folsom with their drums, brass, and spirit echoing resilience.

Among them was Maya Hyslop, Evergreen’s drum major.

“I think I’m doing pretty good,” she said with a laugh, surrounded by dozens of new bandmates and with twenty songs to master.

After hours of rehearsal and weeks of anticipation, both bands were ready to share the field and a powerful message of unity.

“I was nothing but impressed with today,” said Sorey. “You never know what headspace people are going to be in. I’ve been talking to my students for two weeks about the excitement for today, and they brought it. They were ready for Evergreen to join us.”

That shared spirit carried through every note, a reminder that music doesn’t just fill stadiums; it heals hearts.

“It’s the same kind of mentality,” Hyslop added. “Take care of your own. And our own, in this case, is the music community.”

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KCBS

By Laurie Perez

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    ALTADENA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — There’s no doubt this will be an emotional holiday season for so many whose last cherished memories are in the Altadena neighborhood, where their homes no longer stand after the Eaton Fire.

With the Ornaments for Altadena collection drive, two women who also lost their homes are hoping to help their neighbors find some joy.

Residents have some of the very last pictures they took of the fires in early January. The snapshots show celebrations of faith and family, festooned with ribbons and wreaths, overflowing with decorations expressing the joy of the season.

“The images of my children in front of the fireplace at our house the night before Christmas were the actual hardest things for me to look at after the fire,” said Ana Medina-Whirledge, an Altadena resident.

Medina-Whirledge and Emily Viglietta’s families were among the more than 6,000 residents who lost their homes during the Eaton Fire, and as the holidays approach, they said there is a renewed sense of loss.

“I’ve got texts from my friends saying all I feel when I think about the holidays this year is dread,” Viglietta said.

For so many, this year, there will be no trimming the tree or lighting the menorah, retelling stories of where each cherished decoration came from. But as they have done so often over the last year, Medina-Whirledge and Viglietta are moving forward and trying to help their neighbors do the same.

A few weeks ago, they started collecting donations of unique, handcrafted, even handmade ornaments, menorahs, and kinaras for fire survivors.

In a short amount of time, they’ve collected a few hundred already, some with sweet, personal notes and stories from one family to another, sharing holiday traditions.

“This one says, ‘I chose this hand crocheted snowflake because it reminded me of my mother who made these for all her family and friends,'” Medina-Whirledge said.

Their dream is to use donations to decorate a path of trees for survivors to enjoy and choose from, helping them to shine this holiday season wherever they’re now living or until they can return and rejoice again in Altadena.

“Even if these, you know, come from other places and they’re not the ones that your mother handed down to you, they still mean something to somebody, and they sent that with that love and with that care,” Medina-Whirledge said.

There are a few ways to donate. The women have a registry where you can buy some ornaments from local artists to donate, you can ship some of your own personal items to them, or drop things off at three local donation sites.

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KCBS

By Kara Finnstrom

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    California (KCAL, KCBS) — With the city of Long Beach set to host 18 events as part of the 2028 Olympic Games and 2029 Paralympic Games, the most for any city other than Los Angeles, local leaders are searching for creative ways to transport spectators and tourists across the vast county.

In May, the LA County Board of Supervisors floated the idea of using a water taxi service between San Pedro and Long Beach to get visitors around while dodging air emissions from cars – and traffic. The service would be emissions-free and quick, making it perfect for a heavy-tourist season like the one that will come during the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“I think it’s time to look at our blue highway and think outside of the box for transit,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn.

This week, members with the county took a ride on some of the vessels that would be used for the proposed service and came away impressed.

“[We want to] put systems in place that not only benefits the experience during 2028 but they can be left in place [after the Olympics],” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

A service currently exists that transports patrons between the pier and the Queen Mary, but service is heavily limited and seasonal. No line between San Pedro and Long Beach exists currently. In addition to transportation for tourists, an alternate route for commuters could be an advantage in battling traffic.

Hahn suggested that the LA Metro could connect to the boats in some way, making for car-free trips throughout the county during the Olympics.

A car-free Olympics is a lofty objective for local leaders as they prepare for the quickly approaching games. The city of LA is making 500 emissions-free LAUSD buses available for transportation purposes, since school will be out for the summer during that time.

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KCNC

By Jesse Sarles

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    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — A competition is underway in Denver to build life-sized structures out of canned food. Architects and designers are currently working on the creations for an exhibit at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

It’s called Canstruction, and it’s being hosted by the group We Don’t Waste. Approximately 15,000 cans of food are being used for six different pieces.

All of the builds are Halloween-themed; they include a witch’s cauldron (1,331 cans) and a sugar skull (3,635 cans).

“It can take months just to figure out the design, rework it. (To find out) what kind of cans they need, what colors, what sizes,” said Jessica Lecortz, Senior Development & Events Manager at We Don’t Waste.

After the Canstruction exhibit ends on Nov. 2, We Don’t Waste will donate the cans to local communities.

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WBZ

By Penny Kmitt

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — A haunting exhibit in South Boston honors the lives of hundreds of people who were killed two years ago during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel at the Nova Music Festival.

Walking into the Nova Exhibition in South Boston, there is a sense of loss represented in every empty tent, destroyed car, and forgotten shoe that is on display.

“This festival had people from all over the world, all religions, all cultures,” survivor Noa Beer said.

Tuesday marked two years since Hamas’ attack on the Nova Music Festival in Israel, where nearly 400 people were killed and dozens were taken hostage.

This new exhibit recreates the festival using actual objects left behind so visitors can see and feel for themselves the tragic events of October 7th and its aftermath.

“I think they carry an energy with them,” Beer said. “It’s not just the sounds and the videos, it’s the energy of the actual things people that a minute earlier were just dancing in in nature and a minute later were running for their lives.”

The DJ booker still remembers getting a drink at the very bar that is on display, laughing with friends, all before 6:29 a.m., the moment the music stood still.

“The moment we forget that this happened it will happen again and it can happen anywhere,” Beer said.

Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss was at the exhibit on Tuesday.

“At a time when hate is on the rise, vitriol is on the rise, when dehumanization becoming political currency, we need to come here and deliberately haunt ourselves to see what the end state of that kind hate and dehumanization is,” he said.

The exhibition is open every weekday until October 21 at the former FW Webb Building on Dorchester Ave.

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