Author: CNN

KTVT

By Amelia Mugavero

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    TEXAS (WWJ) — The holidays can feel especially lonely when you’re still searching for love. But one Dallas woman is proving that when the connection is real, distance doesn’t stand a chance. She boarded a plane and traveled more than 4,000 miles for a first date — and a shot at meeting Mr. Right.

Dallas comedian and actress Theresa Rowley shares much of her life online with thousands of followers. But even with a growing fan base, she says fame hasn’t exactly made finding love any easier.

“It was difficult, and it was quite lonely,” Rowley said. “So I focused on other things, being creative.”

That changed when Sean Rooney, from Longford, Ireland, sent her a direct message.

“He shot me a message, and it was a nice compliment, in that creative Irish way,” Rowley said.

Rooney remembers it the same way.

“I’d see Theresa pop up online and I’d think, ‘This girl is funny,'” Rooney said. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to try.”

After weeks of calls and FaceTimes, the two decided to meet on a first date 4,500 miles away.

“Were you nervous?” Rowley was asked.

“Terrified,” she said.

Asked whether she feared he could be a stalker, Rowley said, “I was! But I felt in my gut it was a safe situation.”

She brought a friend along, just in case, but once the two met, the nerves faded.

“He just seemed to understand me,” she said. “I just knew it was going to be something.”

Rowley began documenting their growing relationship on social media, and the videos quickly went viral — even catching the attention of Ireland’s media and tourism department, which later flew her back at no cost.

A 2025 global study shows she’s not alone: one in six couples now meet online — a 21% increase since 2010.

Rooney says the distance hasn’t stopped their connection. “The difficult part is not being able to reach out and touch that person,” he said. “But it hasn’t prevented us from getting to know each other well.”

He has since visited Texas, sampled Buc-ee’s and brisket, and spent Thanksgiving with Rowley’s family.

“We never saw this coming,” Rowley said.

Now, the couple is taking their relationship one day at a time, hoping their story gives others a little courage — and maybe a bit of Irish luck.

“Don’t give up,” Rooney said. “You just have to believe there’s another connection out there for you.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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WBBM

By Noel Brennan

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A dog is back home with his owner thanks to the actions of a stranger after going missing in the Loop.

The search for Cooper quickly spread across the city of Chicago with the help of social media.

From the beginning, Cooper fit right in with his owner, Rylee Parker.

“Yeah, he’s like I told everybody. He’s always been an on-my-hip dog. He goes everywhere with me,” Parker said.

For two years, they shared all adventures, except one.

On Sunday night, when Parker met up with friends in the Loop, he briefly left Cooper in the car so he could validate parking. When he came back, his vehicle was ransacked and Cooper was gone.

“I lost my mind.” I started running up and down the street,” Parker said.

Rylee walked all over the Loop, asking anyone if they’d seen his dog, but with no luck. He then took to social media to get help in the search.

“It got over 3,000 shares. It was in every community page that we had in Chicago,” Parker said.

The miniature golden doodle practically became a mini celebrity by the time a woman riding the Pink Line spotted the pup in a stranger’s arms.

“I mean, without hesitation, she basically just took him, and that’s when the train doors opened,” Parker said.

One phone call later, and after being separated for 21 hours and 36 minutes, he and Cooper were reunited.

“I offered to give her all the money I had. She didn’t want it. She was just so glad that she was able to find Cooper.”

Like an itch he can’t scratch – Parker has questions for Cooper he knows will never be answered, but they both know, they belong together.

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KPIX

By Amanda Hari

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — The San Francisco General Hospital community came together Sunday night to hold a vigil for a coworker killed on the job.

Alberto Rangel, 51, died Saturday after he was allegedly stabbed by a patient on Thursday afternoon.

“Alberto was there to help and he was failed,” said his coworker Maddy Abule.

Abule worked with Rangel for over two years. He was a social worker and she helped patients with insurance eligibility, but outside of the long-term HIV clinic, they were also friends.

“He was just such a passionate, wonderful person and had so much life to live,” Abule stated.

She went on to explain that he loved fashion, art, and had a great sense of humor. He also loved his job. She says he went above and beyond, even running a support group for those living with HIV and AIDS.

“There are people who are alive today because of him,” Abule said. “For him to lose his life at work when he was there to provide services to patients, it’s not right. It’s not right. It’s a disservice and betrayal.”

Auble was just feet away when Rangel was allegedly stabbed Thursday afternoon. She heard screaming from outside her office.

“I opened my door and Alberto was on the floor,” Abule recalled.

The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office arrested 34-year-old Wilfredo Tortolero-Arriechi for the stabbing. The San Francisco Police Department’s homicide detail will now investigate Rangel’s death

Tortolero-Arriechi was still there when Auble walked out. She recognized him as a patient they had seen many times.

“I saw Wilfredo,” Abule said. “I looked him in the eye. He saw me, too. He probably recognized me. I recognized him. And he just stood there and looked at everything and looked at what he had on and then put his shirt over his head. Perhaps to hide his identity, and then voluntarily put his hands behind his back.”

She says during this time, her coworkers were trying to help keep Rangel alive, telling him they loved him and to stay with them. Despite their efforts, on Saturday, he passed away from his injuries.

UPTE union representative Chey Dean stated they are going to make sure the hospital re-evaluates their safety measures.

“What I know is social workers have been raising the alarm about safety issues for years, to have been met with pretty much radio silence,” said Dean. “What I know is our colleague, and our friend, and our loved one deserves more than our grief, they deserve change and I know that we will not stop until we get that.”

The Department of Public Health said in a statement that they will be making improvements.

“Keeping our staff, patients, and community safe is our highest priority,” said the San Francisco Department of Public Health. “DPH and the hospital have already taken steps like adding more security, limiting access points, and speeding up the installation of weapons detection systems. We are also conducting a full investigation and are committed to making both immediate and long-term safety improvements at all our facilities.”

Auble still worries it won’t be enough, saying they raised concerns about the suspect beforehand, including filing reports, and nothing happened.

“We are furious as a community,” Auble explained. “This is unforgivable. And a lot of us don’t want to come back. A lot of us can’t come back.”

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WBZ

By Paula Ebben

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Saturday marked two years since Waltham Police Officer Paul Tracey and National Grid employee Roderick Jackson were killed after they were hit by a car while on a work detail. The suspect, 55-year-old Peter Simon, was allegedly speeding away from another crash at the time.

“I remember driving to the hospital in the back of the police cruiser and saying ‘Oh my God, I’m a police widow’ and this is the stuff that we get trained on, that we learn about, but never did I ever think that this was going to happen,” Paul’s wife, Kristin Tracey, said. Kristin is also a Waltham Police Officer.

Tracey and her two children were devastated in the days following Paul’s death. After an officer dies in the line of duty, their paychecks stop the very next day. That’s when The 100 Club stepped in, the only nonprofit in Massachusetts that supports the families of fallen first responders.

“The 100 Club has been amazing, immediately coming through for us and then just providing emotional as well as the financial support,” Kristin said.

The 100 Club was founded in Detroit in the 1950s when 100 men asked 100 friends to donate to help fallen officers. The second chapter of the club was opened in Boston in 1959.

“We just want these families to know that their sacrifice is important and we owe them … and they won’t be forgotten, and their loved one won’t be forgotten,” said Tracie Hines, the Executive Director of the club.

The club helps families maintain a sense of normalcy and joy in honor of their loved one, taking them to sporting events, sending them packages for life and hosting parties to meet other families of fallen first responders.

“I don’t want to wallow in the sorrows. I want to live life because then I, I do, I feel like I’m, I’m making him proud and making him happy,” Kristen said.

Kristin makes sure to keep her husband’s memory alive for her family through the club and with their relationship with Jackson’s family.

“We see each other at court for all the trials because we still have a trial coming up,” Kristin said.

The trial for Simon is set to begin in 2026.

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KOVR

By Ashley Sharp

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    ANTELOPE, California (KOVR) — A Sacramento County dog picked up thousands of miles from home after he went missing five years ago was reunited with his family on Wednesday.

“He disappeared from the neighborhood and the owner kept searching for him, but could not find him,” said Cindy with Helping Paws and Claws.

Choco’s family had no idea where he was because he went missing from his home in Antelope in 2021.

He turned up near Detroit, Michigan, tied to a fence. No one knows how he got there, more than 2,000 miles from home.

“He was sheltered at the Lincoln Park Animal Shelter,” Cindy said. “They were kind enough to get him to the vet and get him all of his vaccinations.”

His rescue is all thanks to a microchip and the dedicated California group, Helping Paws and Claws.

“As a retired animal control officer, we have tried to impress upon people how important microchipping your pets are and registering that animal that microchip, and this is proof positive that microchipping works and this is why he’s coming home today,” Cindy said.

It also took a little help from strangers, like Pam, who donated her SkyMiles for the flight.

“I actually contacted Penny before I contacted my husband to see if it was okay to give our miles to fly Penny and the dog,” Pam said.

So Choco hopped aboard a flight and after a short drive home, his new life feels all too familiar.

Choco’s owners in Antelope had nearly given up hope they’d ever see him again.

“The reason why he would get out a lot is because he would get out a lot with his previous family,” Choco’s owner, Patricia, said. “As soon as he arrived, I found out he is an escape artist and after five years of having him, he finally got out and disappeared.”

“Shocked,” Patricia said. “I called the number, ‘You’re talking about Lincoln, California, right? No, Lincoln, Michigan.'”

The question is how in the world Choco became a nomadic traveler.

“Microchip your dogs,” Patricia said. “With the holidays and the extreme cold, a story like mine can be your story next.”

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KCNC

By Olivia Young

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    THORTON, Colorado (KCNC) — A Colorado cow sanctuary needs help, now more than ever.

On Oct. 29, more than $20,000 of equipment was stolen from Pay & Friends Inc. in Thornton.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says it has no leads on who could have done it, leaving the nonprofit to pick up the pieces.

“Babies! Are you ready?” Gwen Buehler calls to her seven cows, who she calls “the babies.”

Every day, Buehler feeds the cows four bales of hay.

“Throw it down, let me cut it, and then we can flake it and toss it in,” said Buehler.

Lately, the work has been harder since Buehler arrived to find an outbuilding door that had been locked, open.

“My heart just dropped, my stomach dropped, and I thought somebody’s been in there. So I opened it up, and sure enough, a lot of our farm tools were stolen that night,” said Buehler.

Thieves took more than $20,000 worth of equipment, including nearly all of the nonprofit’s farm tools and their ATV.

“That’s a huge tool for us to be able to move that grass around,” said Buehler. “We have a lot to do during snow, during summer. Each season has its challenges.”

The loss has made it tough to take care of the cows.

“It takes a lot more manpower, woman power,” Buehler said.

“Just trying to save up, because it’s feed season, they eat more,” she continued. “It’s about $1,600 to $1,800 a month just to keep them fed.”

Palani is the cow who started it all. After becoming vegan in 2017, Buehler rescued him from a dairy farm, where male calves are often killed shortly after birth.

“It was important to me to be able to rescue a bull calf, to save his life,” Buehler said. “Not have him end up in the discard pile.”

Buehler says female cows meet the same fate in the industry once they stop producing milk.

“The mama cows are always pregnant or nursing or lactating, and each time they have a baby, it’s taken from their mom so that they can produce milk for humans,” Buehler said.

From there, she rescued six more cows, and the nonprofit Pay & Friends Inc. was born.

“We really just took all of them from an end-of-life, which would have been the slaughterhouse,” she said.

Now the cows’ lives consist of daily feedings and educational visits from groups like the Denver Rescue Mission youth program.

“They got to take fresh fruits and vegetables home, they were so excited. And then they got to feed cows, and a lot of the kids had never seen a cow before, so that was kind of cool to see,” said Asha Leos, youth and family coordinator at the Denver Rescue Mission. “Then we got to come here and volunteer as well and help Gwen with moving hay bales, breaking down boxes, and the kids kind of turned it into a playground.”

“Homelessness is something a child should never have to experience,” Leos continued. “So getting to just be outside, be in fresh air, and be surrounded by an environment that’s full of love and joy, that’s the best experience you can give a kid.”

Buehler hopes visitors will see the animals in a new light and think about where their food comes from.

“Whether it’s an animal, a human, they’re all alive. They all have souls. They all have feelings. They all have personalities,” she said.

Even the theft won’t stop her from her mission.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office told CBS Colorado the burglary was reported to them, and that “due to the lack of investigative leads at this time, the case status is inactive. If anyone has information related to this burglary, they can contact our dispatch at 303-288-1535 or contact the Sheriff’s Office directly at 720-322-1313.”

Pay & Friends Inc. participates in Colorado Gives Day. The nonprofit is in need of cash donations, volunteers, produce, and basic tools and supplies. To learn more, visit their website.

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WCCO

By John Lauritsen

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    KELLOGG, Minnesota (WCCO) — The holidays are upon us, and in the town of Kellogg, Minnesota, you’ll find a toy store unlike any other: LARK Toys.

“They are getting into everything, but that’s good because it’s a toy store!” said Katelyn Key, a LARK customer shopping with her kids.

And no better place to get into things than a store of such massive size.

“We fill about 20,000-square-feet plus with the best toys that we can find,” said Miranda Gray-Burlingame.

She and her family are the proud owners of LARK Toys. The original owners, the Kreofskys, opened the store in 1983 and named it “Lost Arts Revival by Kreofsky,” or LARK for short.

“‘Lark’ also means a carefree, whimsical adventure,” said Gray-Burlingame.

And that’s what they aim for. Part of this is a museum, and a trip down “Memory Lane” reveals toys that are nearly a century old. There’s even a Gen X Star Wars corner.

“An 8-year-old John Lauritsen would have loved this section right here. These are vintage toys from the ’80s,” Lauritsen said.

“The Rancor is probably the most celebrated, but all of them have been played with for many, many, many hours,” said Gray-Burlingame.

From the toy store to the bookstore, which has a vast selection — but it’s not quite as it seems. One of the book shelves is actually a secret door that leads into a gathering space designed for celebrations.

“It’s for music, for meetings, for dancing,” she said.

What makes LARK truly stand out is its hand-made selection, and that’s where Tim Monson comes into play. He’s been doing this for a long time.

“It’s coming up on 40 years. I do all the maintenance, the woodworking, build all the displays,” said Monson, LARK shop manager.

He creates letter blocks, pull toys and puzzles. Monson is a one-man Santa workshop, and there’s pride in knowing customers buy thousands of his hand-crafted toys each year.

“And that’s a uniqueness you can’t find anymore, so pretty proud of that,” said Monson.

There’s the sound of his bandsaw, and then there’s the sound of a carousel. Every half hour, fish, ostriches and giraffes with monkeys spin around the store.

Just like the hand-carved toys you find at LARK, it also houses a carousel featuring animals hand-carved from basswood. But this ride proves you’re never too old to be a kid.

“For little kids and all the way up to folks who are over 100, we have a wall of photos back there of people who are over 90. When they come, they get a free ride and a certificate that says they’re ‘forever young,'” said Gray-Burlingame.

It’s a different kind of toy story, a place that’s hoping to build happiness one playset at a time.

“We know that everybody loves their kids and wants a better world for them, and watching them enjoy their kids, it’s just great,” said owner Kathy Gray.

“We are really, really lucky to be in the business of playing,” said Gray-Burlingame. “We hope that LARK has a very long, long, fun future.”

LARK also has mini golf when the weather cooperates. They are open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, but are only open on the weekends during January and February.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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