Author: CNN

WBZ

By Tammy Mutasa, Mike Toole

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    FOXBORO, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A construction worker from Pennsylvania, who was in Massachusetts for a job, lost part of a leg in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 95 in Foxboro. His family said he’s “fighting to survive.”

David Wachinski was working on a construction detail on I-95 north around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Massachusetts State Police said he picked up a sign to start setting up, and that’s when a driver hit him and drove away.

Wachinski, a husband and father of two, was rushed to Boston Medical Center where he’s been struggling through the pain of his injuries and losing part of a leg. His wife, family and sister-in-law came in from their hometown of Donora, just south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to be by his side in Boston.

“It was scary. You don’t know too much, you don’t know what’s going to happen next,” said his sister-in-law, Mina Thompson. “He fought and is still fighting to survive.”

“A lot of people love him. A lot of people appreciate him. He could have just been gone,” Thompson said. “Someone knows something. Whether it’s them who did hit him and they’re scared or they’re having second guesses or they told a family member, you know.”

Troopers have evidence in the case. The driver left behind a passenger-side mirror.

“The Massachusetts State Police offers the victim and his family our deepest sympathy in the aftermath of this senseless crash. Although he is expected to live, the impact of his injuries illustrates the danger of failing to drive with care in and around work zones,” police said in a statement.

“It’s never too late to turn around and be like, ‘Hey I messed up and I want to come forward and that’s what we’re hoping for, just so we can get that closure,” said Thompson. “What gets done in darkness will come out to light, so it will come out.”

Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call Massachusetts State Police at 508-543-8550.

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WBZ

By Matt Schooley

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    FALL RIVER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Police in Fall River, Massachusetts arrested five people after 50-100 people on dirt bikes, ATVs, scooters and motorcycles performed stunts and blocked traffic during a meetup known as a “street takeover.”

Christipher Frias, Dylan Ploude, Aaron Pimental, Yethziel Medina and Jerron Butler are all facing various charges that include negligent operation of a motor vehicle, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct.

Police said that Sunday between 3:15-6 p.m., packs of off-road vehicles congregated on streets throughout the city “disregarding traffic laws while performing reckless stunts, putting not only their lives at risk, but the lives of innocent, law-abiding drivers and pedestrians at risk.”

In video released by police, drivers could be seen performing stunts in the middle of roads while traffic waited to pass.

Fall River police said that past street takeovers have led to crashes, injuries, property damage, and emergency response delays.

Several units from the Fall River Police Department coordinated efforts to stop the latest street takeover. Police described it as “proactive patrols” throughout the city leading to arrests.

Four motorcycles, one ATV and one scooter used in the takeover were towed away by police.

“These unlawful gatherings pose a significant safety concern to the public. These are not merely bikers peacefully enjoying a law-abiding ride through our city. These are chaotic groups that block streets, operate recklessly and hinder the safe travel of those around them,” Fall River police said. “Many of these riders are uninsured and have little to no experience operating these vehicles, often resulting in crashes, personal injury and property damage.”

A recent street takeover in Boston ended with a police cruiser being set on fire.

In October, Gov. Maura Healey announced plans to combat similar incidents.

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WJZ

By Dennis Valera

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The new design for Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is expected to be completed by the end of November. Until then, the final completion date and cost are still up in the air.

However, on Wednesday, a team with the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) assured reporters on a tour of the worksite that everyone involved is working at “breakneck” speed — advancing multiple aspects of the rebuild, on top of finalizing the design — to ensure the fall 2028 goal is met.

MDTA Chief Engineer Jim Harkness said in other cases, some teams could have taken years to get to this point.

Harkness said the design is nearly 70% complete, and it’s expected to be done by the end of the month.

Until then, the completion date and final cost tally cannot be finalized.

“We are still working with our contractor; we’re developing the schedule as well as the estimate on the project,” he said.

The design has the bridge’s roadway about 230 feet above the water. It will have two 12-foot lanes in each direction. There will also be a form of protection for the piers.

“There will be six piers that will have this rigid fender constructed around the base, the foundation of the piers,” Harkness said. “At this time, we do not have dolphins for [protection].”

Crews worked to place large tubes, or piles, carefully into the Patapsco River on Wednesday. It’s all a part of the test pile program to build the necessary support for a strong foundation.

Six piles have been installed so far, driven deep into the river bottom. Once the piles are leveled, the aim is to run load tests on them in a few weeks. These tests will determine if the piles can handle 10 million pounds.

These load tests are done to make sure the piles can handle the weight of the new bridge, as well as ensure the foundation design works in the riverbed.

Brian Wolfe, the MDTA’s director of project development, said the river bottom is the one factor the design can’t account for.

“We know it’s hard. We’ve done testing on it,” Wolfe said. “[The load tests are done] to verify how far down do we need to drive these piles into it in order to get the load we need to carry the bridge. That’ll be [what these tests are] verifying.”

The overall demolition process is halfway done, according to MDTA Deputy Director of project development, Jason Stolicny.

The process started in July, with the removal of deck sections on the north and south portions of the bridge.

Some of the material taken from the bridge will be reutilized in the new bridge.

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KDKA

By Chilekasi Adele

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    WHITEHALL, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A man from Whitehall is going viral on TikTok for starting a food pantry outside his home.

Some of his videos have been getting thousands of views as he looks to help people struggling, and an anonymous person is aiding him in that quest.

“We didn’t have a plan,” AJ Owen, of Whitehall, said. “We spent roughly $150 at Aldi and stocked up on things in that first day.”

Owen and his kids set up a food pantry on their front lawn nine days ago. Not long after that?

“I would say 70% of that food was gone,” Owen said.

It’s a pattern that is continuing. Owen showed KDKA bins on Tuesday morning that were full on Monday night, until people in need took what they needed to.

It shows the need for food with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the month still not in their possession, but Owen says the demand came long before that.

“When we started this, benefits had not been cut off and people were already in need,” he said. “That says everything you need to know.”

Owen says his pantry has exploded with support.

“People have donated totes, people have donated food, people have donated money,” he said.

People like Jenna Mocello and her daughter saw what Owen was doing.

“We gave teething snacks, yogurt bites, pouches, cereal,” Mocello, of Pleasant Hills, said.

One contribution has stood out, though. It was a cash donation dropped in Owen’s mailbox over the weekend.

“I flipped open my mailbox to see a card envelope taped shut,” he said. “I opened it, and there was just thousands of dollars in cash.”

There was a message inside as well.

“It just said, ‘May God prosper and bless your food bank,'” Owen said.

It elicited a lot of emotions for Owen. He had a hard time believing and realizing what he had received. It also spurred more trips to the store. Owen says he and his kids went to Costco and stocked up on diapers for the pantry. They also bought formula, protein drinks, vegetables, noodles, pasta sauce and more.

It’s inspired people like Mocello to teach her kids the value of giving. She had her young daughter pick out some of what they donated on Tuesday.

“By him doing this, I’m able to show mine how to do that as well,” she said.

As for the Owens? They do not plan on stopping any time soon. AJ said they still have a lot of money left and that they’re going to continue using it for good.

“People deserve food, people deserve to be fed,” Owen said. “As long as there’s a need in our community, we will keep this out.”

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WFOR

By Anna McAllister

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    PINECREST, Florida (WFOR) — A cool, calm and collected 61-year-old Silvia Perez didn’t say much as she was released from jail.

“Nothing to say, sorry… the truth will prevail,” said Perez.

Perez’s demeanor on Tuesday was a stark contrast to how she appeared in the now-viral video of the incident.

According to police, Perez was driving a Bentley on Southwest 57th Avenue in Pinecrest on Oct. 18, near the Wayside Food Market, when she encountered a group of kids riding e-bikes in the street.

Investigators say Perez pulled over and began scolding the kids, telling them to get out of the road.

As the argument escalated, police say Perez snatched one of the kids’ phones.

According to the arrest report, Perez then picked the damaged phone off the ground, held it in the air, and threatened to throw it in a canal before tossing it back on the ground.

Police say the juvenile whose phone was taken had an injury on his hand. The report states Perez then left the scene.

Perez turned herself in early Tuesday morning. During her bond hearing, her attorney argued that the kids were creating a safety hazard.

“She’s observing juveniles on motorbikes, electric bikes, popping wheelies, being disruptive kids on the highway,” her attorney said.

The judge also weighed in.

“There’s more to this story. Have you ever driven down a street with folks doing wheelies and going in and out of cars?” said Judge Mindy Glazer.

When Perez walked out of jail, a reporter asked:

“What message do you have to the parents of those kids?”

She responded: “No, I won’t say anything. I can’t.”

Perez is charged with robbery by snatching and battery by touch or strike. She was released on her own recognizance.

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WFOR

By Erika Gonzalez

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — They bought homes with big dreams, and even bigger mortgage payments, hoping to refinance once rates dropped. But with interest rates still hovering near 6%, real relief hasn’t arrived.

When Eddie Capote and Beatriz Lora bought their first home together in Miami in 2023, interest rates were climbing, but so was their dream of finding a place to start a family.

“It was a full rehab project for the both of us, but now I think we’ve little by little we’ve started to make it more beautiful as the months go by,” Lora said.

But fixing up their new home was just part of the challenge. What’s been harder to rebuild is their budget.

“We’ve been waiting for rates to come down for two years,” Capote said. “Obviously, we were expecting that when we purchased they would come down sooner.”

Melinda Payne with The Truth About Lending said she’s hearing that same frustration from many of her clients stuck in refinancing limbo.

“There’s a tremendous amount of demand that is going on right now, even with the slight decreases we’ve seen over the last several months in interest rates,” Payne said.

Payne said for some homeowners who bought when rates peaked around October 2023, refinancing could finally make sense.

“We see that there are clients out there that have interest rates in the high sevens, maybe even in the low eights,” she said. “So right now, with interest rates being in the high fives to the low sixes, it’s a significant savings for them.”

Even as rates inch lower, experts say homeowners need to crunch the numbers before they refinance, factoring in the new rate, closing costs and how long they plan to stay in their home.

Payne said it’s not a one-size-fits-all decision.

“A perfect example is we have a client who owns a house right now that’s at a much higher interest rate, but he’s moving, he’s selling,” she said. “So even though he may have a 7.8% interest rate, the closing costs that he would pay just don’t make sense for him to refinance right now.”

For now, Payne said the best strategy isn’t rushing to refinance, it’s getting ready for when the right moment comes by paying down other debt, keeping your credit score high and building equity.

“What’s that magic number if it were to drop, what do we need to have? What papers do we need to have in place to to be able to refi?” Lora said.

Mortgage rates are determined by several factors, including the 10-year treasury bond yield, federal reserve policy, investment activity and other economic conditions. But this fall, many experts say the jobs market and inflation will be the top influencers on where mortgage rates head next.

As for Capote and Lora, they’re just waiting for rates to hit their goal and they hope it happens soon.

“Like a 5, 5.25%, we’re, gonna pull the trigger. I mean that’d be like $1,000 a month in savings,” Capote said. “Who wouldn’t want to do that?”

One piece of advice Payne gives her clients who are still house hunting: make sure you’re comfortable with the payment at today’s rate, not the rate you hope to get later. Because while refinancing may save you money down the line, it shouldn’t be the only plan keeping that dream home within reach.

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

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KOVR

By Tori Apodaca, Irene Gonzalez

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — November marks Native American Heritage Month — not just a celebration of culture, tradition and history, but a reminder of strength and resilience.

In Sacramento County, one group of young Native girls is living that resilience every week — learning to lead, speak proudly and reclaim their identity.

On a Tuesday night inside a small community room, members of the Native Sisters Circle begin to gather.

Since 2018, the Sacramento-based nonprofit has helped Native American girls find confidence, connection and belonging.

“There are a lot of things that are, families are still healing from, and so to be able to have a space like this, it really makes a difference,” said Leticia Aguilar, the founder of the group.

Aguilar says the idea to form the group came to her after seeing her only daughter struggle, like she did.

“I just needed to just be the one to create something as such, something where girls can go to feel safe,” Aguilar said.

Angelina Hinojosa considers herself a first member.

“I’m my mother’s daughter, so I’m the reason why she started the group. So, I guess you can say I’m one of the first participants,” Hinojosa, Leticia’s daughter, said.

Just like her mom, Angelina helps guide and inspire Native American girls to be their authentic selves and become confident leaders in their own community.

“Every girl walking in here and not knowing what they’re going to do today, but knowing that they’re being who they are, and being comfortable here, and knowing they can say, ‘Hey, this is my safe space,'” Hinojosa said.

This group meeting does more than create a safe space. It allows them to embrace their identity no matter where they go in the world.

On this night, the young girls say a prayer before a meal.

Their energetic laughter is contagious.

After their meal, the group takes part in traditional talking circles — which often serve as mental health support sessions.

“The circle teachings, for us as a tribal community, means that there’s equality. Everyone is equal. We sit in a circle,” Aguilar said. “The more that we can create trust, that’s the goal.”

Aguilar says the program is about changing the way the girls see themselves.

“I’m having to shift the narrative into knowing that they are already powerful. They’re so powerful within their own selves already,” Aguilar said.

Outside these walls, some members are hosting workshops and leading Native youth leadership conferences – using skills they learned at the Native Sisters Circle.

“They get to advocate for things they’re passionate about. And so, for me, that is the most empowering thing,” Aguilar said.

The Native Sisters Circle will take part in the 2nd Annual Native American Heritage Month Parade on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the California State Capitol. For more information about the youth group, head to their website.

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