Author: CNN

WBZ

By Logan Hall

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A historic Baptist church in Boston is undergoing major renovations with help from some former inmates.

Felipe Colon served 21 years in prison for manslaughter, but less than two months after his release, he found himself volunteering at Tremont Temple Baptist Church. He said the restoration work has given his life a new purpose. He is now helping give America’s first integrated church a much-needed makeover.

“We could’ve made a lot of mistakes. We could’ve burned a lot of bridges. But this church burned down, and then 100 years later, it’s being renovated. This is basically an example of what you can do with our own selves,” Colon said.

Inspired by former inmates

Pastor Jamie Owens said seeing crews of volunteers working on the building has been inspiring.

“Just seeing God work through many people, many hands. This particular occasion that we’re able to see a restoration of our main meeting space. It’s just been incredible to see all these different people from all over the city, all over the state,” Owens said.

The church’s balcony chairs had not been replaced since the 1890s. Volunteers are reupholstering and reinstalling the seats, which many described as a painstaking process, but one that volunteers hope will make the sanctuary welcoming once again.

“People do have the ability here in America to reform yourself, and people will be accepting if you are doing the right thing,” Colon said.

The renovations are expected to be finished in October.

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KYW

By Chandler Lutz

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    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Philadelphia is consistently ranked among the poorest large cities in America, and is home to thousands of families struggling to meet even the most basic needs. But tucked away in East Falls, a nonprofit called Cradles to Crayons is rewriting that narrative —one warm coat, one backpack, one outfit at a time.

“We’ve got families in the city and in pockets all over the region who don’t have a pair of shoes that fit,” Michal Smith, executive director of Cradles to Crayons Philadelphia, said. “You don’t want a 14-year-old boy wearing his aunt’s coat.”

That’s where Cradles to Crayons steps in. Serving children from birth to age 18, the organization provides essentials like winter coats, boots, school supplies, diapers, hygiene items and more — everything a child needs to feel safe, confident and ready to learn.

“We make sure they have age-appropriate clothes, clothes they feel proud about wearing,” Smith said.

At the heart of the operation is the Giving Factory, a bustling warehouse powered by volunteers. At the Giving Factory, items are donated, sorted, inspected and packaged into personalized outfit bags.

Elaine Kittredge, a volunteer, shows an outfit bag she put together.

“This is for a girl, size 3T,” Kittredge said. “With two pairs of pants, four shirts, a sweatshirt, and a dress.”

Kittredge and fellow volunteer Carolyn Cummings have been coming twice a week for three years.

“I’m a shopaholic,” Kittredge said with a laugh. “Putting together little outfits just makes my heart melt. I know some little girl is going to look so sweet in that outfit.”

Each bag contains a week’s worth of clothing, carefully curated to mix and match.

“We rely on the entire Greater Philadelphia community to help us do this work,” Smith said. “We are powered by volunteers.”

Once packed, the items are distributed through Cradles to Crayons’ network of over 170 service partners, including the School District of Philadelphia, Project Home and Mom Mobile.

Amika Miller, social service manager at The Family Practice & Counseling Network, picks up orders monthly for families facing clothing insecurity.

“The families are really, really just grateful and happy,” Miller said.

Miller says she sees the emotional difference in a child who is able to receive a new piece of clothing.

And the turnaround is fast.

“Within three to five days, that clothing will be sorted here in our Giving Factory and going out to a kid in need,” Smith said.

Cradles to Crayons is one of the few places in the region where kids can volunteer alongside their families. Children as young as five can help sort and pack donations at the Giving Factory.

Cradles to Crayons hosting winter clothing drive

That extra jacket in your closet? It could become a lifeline for a child in need.

This Saturday, Cradles to Crayons is hosting its biggest event of the year: The Big Give 2025. With 27 collection sites across the region, they’re gathering winter essentials like coats, boots and gloves for families who need them most.

Some locations have been collecting since Sept. 1, and others will only collect on Sept. 27.

Last year, they distributed 25,000 winter coats. This year, they’re aiming even higher. For more information, including where you can send your donations, visit CradlestoCrayons.org.

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WBZ

By Juli McDonald

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    FRANKLIN, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The grass sure is greener when you’ve got the cutest landscaping crew around. “Lambscaping” actually, and this hungry herd is on the job in Franklin, Massachusetts this week.

“I tell people when this is done, an area that was full of thorns and poison ivy, you’ll be able to walk through in your flip flops. And you don’t have to do anything! If it’s a normal area that a normal mower can fit, I’m probably not the cheapest. If it’s like this, rocks and terrain and just really ugly brush, then they do a great job,” said Russ Jennings of Lambscaping RI.

This fun fluffy idea was born during the pandemic – but not as a business. Russ who works in IT had more time at home, and figured he’d get a couple sheep to help maintain his own property.

“I’d always heard the White House used sheep to mow the lawn during the Great Depression. I had all the brush that everyone in New England does, poison ivy and the bittersweet. They would follow me and eat it. And then it was gone. After a while there was no more brush left to feed them!” he said.

He wondered if people would pay for this. The only problem: he drove a Prius! So, Russ found an agricultural hauler and worked the delivery fee into his pricing.

Exciting and successful business

“We spent the first year booked solid and it’s been busy ever since. In that time, I’ve been able to get a truck, a trailer, I’ve expanded. I started with two sheep and two goats. Now I have 10 sheep and five goats,” Jennings said.

Jobs range from a couple of days to a couple of weeks; Jennings sets up fencing, drops them off, then checks daily on their wellbeing and progress. It’s been exciting and successful – a lesson to anyone with an idea and some initiative.

“I’d been an IT guy my whole life,” Jennings said. “Sheep are about the farthest thing from an AI powered supercomputer and that’s what I was messing with. I like having animals. I do miss having horses growing up. I figured let’s just try it. Let’s get two sheep and see what happens!”

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WBZ

By Paul Burton

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Red Sox fans were surprised to arrive at Fenway Park and discover that the tickets they had on the MLB Ballpark app had disappeared and been resold without their permission.

Nancy Morrisroe has been a season ticket holder with her friend since 2007. She said that at this game she had been using her friend’s seat and that the app had her tickets, but when she arrived, the tickets were gone. She immediately called her friend.

“I said, ‘Can you recall them and forward them back to me?’ He said, ‘There is no recall button; it shows I forwarded them to you,'” Morrisroe said. She said that her husband heard other people at the ballpark talking about the same issue.

Red Sox tickets gone from MLB Ballpark app

MLB said it had received several reports of fans arriving at games and saying that their tickets had been resold out from under them. The MLB received widespread reports of significant data breaches on other popular platforms, but there was no evidence of a breach of its systems. They did issue an apology to fans.

“Bad actors then have utilized leaked or stolen credentials from other websites in efforts to access the accounts of MLB fans. We are working tirelessly to address this matter and protect our fans,” the MLB said in a statement.

The MLB recommends that fans reset their passwords to something new and unique to the app, but that’s not enough for fans. Morrisroe said that the app needs two-factor authentication.

“I finally was able to delete the ballpark app, reinstalled it. Created a brand-new password between the Pittsburgh and Yankee game, and I lost my ticket. It’s still gone. It was still gone. It’s not a password issue. There needs to be some sort of safeguard in place,” she said.

Morrisroe says she misses the days of paper tickets.

“Oh my goodness, I loved getting those tickets,” she smiled.

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KPIX

By Loureen Ayyoub

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    SAN FRANCISCO, California (KPIX) — In the still waters of an indoor swamp nestled within the California Academy of Sciences, a ghostly figure glides just beneath the surface. Claude, the museum’s beloved albino alligator, marks a rare and remarkable milestone this week: his 30th birthday.

Born without melanin, Claude’s brilliant white appearance is due to albinism, a genetic condition that renders him both visually striking and highly vulnerable in the wild. In nature, his lack of camouflage and sensitivity to sunlight would make survival nearly impossible. But here in San Francisco, Claude has not only survived, he’s become a local legend.

“Claude has become this massive icon to the San Francisco community,” said biologist Jessica Witherly, one of the Academy’s animal caretakers. “Everyone loves him and his story. He’s got two children’s books. And we get news articles or info from kids across the United States saying how much they love Claude. So he’s kind of become this iconic character.”

The California Academy of Sciences is home to more than 38,000 live animals, but none quite like Claude. Since arriving in 2008, the reptile rescue has become a cornerstone of the Academy’s Steinhart Aquarium. His docile nature and striking appearance draw countless visitors every year.

“All of our animal care biologists take care of different animals here,” Witherly explained. “So, some days, I’m looking at starfish under the microscope and other days I am climbing into this pit and feeding Claude with my other caretakers.”

This week, the Academy hosted a birthday celebration in Claude’s honor—complete with a swamp-themed party, enrichment treats, and plenty of adoring fans. The festivities highlighted not just Claude’s longevity but the dedication of the team that has ensured his continued health and comfort.

“Claude would not survive in the wild as an ambush predator,” Witherly said. “Everyone would be able to see him, they’d unfortunately eat him. And also, he would get sunburned and turn into a very uncomfortable pink alligator.”

Instead, he receives regular checkups, environmental enrichment, and even gentle scrubs to help maintain his scales. His calm demeanor makes him a favorite among staff and visitors alike.

“He’s a very calm guy,” Witherly said. “A lot of people don’t think he’s real because he doesn’t move that much. But I’ve never been scared. Luckily, at the Cal Academy, we train our staff and have tons of opportunities, so we feel very confident and comfortable whenever we’re working with our animals.”

Though Claude may be one of a kind, in the heart of San Francisco, he’s found a home where he’s celebrated just the way he is.

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WCBS

By Katie Houlis

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    NEW YORK CITY, New York (WCBS) — Hundreds of people named “Ryan” gathered in New York City on Saturday in an attempt to break a world record, while raising money for a good cause at the same time.

The second ever “Rytoberfest” was held at Torch and Crown in Union Square. The event was organized by Ryan Meetup, an organization that aims to one day break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people with the same first name.

“It’s crazy seeing this many Ryans in one place, and I don’t know. It’s so unreal … Everyone has the same name as you,” said Ryan Clapham, who traveled from Australia for the event.

All proceeds from the event went to the Ryan Callahan Foundation, which was started by former New York Rangers Captain Ryan Callahan to raise money for pediatric cancer patients and their families.

The first Rytoberfest was held in New York City in October 2023 and was attended by over 200 Ryans.

Ryan Meetup has organized various events across the country. The organization’s website stresses that participants’ first name must be Ryan – no Bryans or people with the last name Ryan – though alternate spellings are acceptable.

The current Guinness World Record holder for the largest gathering of people with the same first name was set in 2017 when over 2,000 people with the first name “Ivan” got together in a town in the Balkans.

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WWJ

By Paula Wethington, Heath Kalb

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    MACOMB COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — At least one person was injured in the aftermath of a house fire on Wednesday morning in Macomb County, Michigan.

The fire was in the 48000 block of Donner Road in New Baltimore. Chesterfield Fire Department responded to the scene, along with assisting agencies.

One person was taken by ambulance to an area hospital because of smoke inhalation and burns, the fire department said.

Footage from Chesterfield Township police body cameras shows the moments as first responders rush to save the life of a 76-year-old man trapped inside the home. When police and firefighters arrived, they observed the back of the house to be fully engulfed in flames. The first responders heard a man gasping for air from the front room of the home.

Authorities crawled into and entered the residence, and were able to save the homeowner and the only person inside the house. The 76-year-old man was transported to a hospital.

Authorities say the man sustained burns to the left side of his body and was listed in critical condition.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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