Author: CNN

KDKA

By Chilekasi Adele

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    MT. LEBANON, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — It’s no secret that we have a lot of pride in our sports teams here in the Pittsburgh area. Some people may have season tickets, others may have party buses or giant setups to watch their teams.

But there’s one neighborhood in Mt. Lebanon that exercises its fandom with some creative expression.

“Ever since we’ve lived here – the logo has been here,” Maity Kirk of Mt. Lebanon said.

Kirk has been in the neighborhood nearly three decades – 26 years to be exact.

A Steelers logo painted in the middle of Jonquil Place piqued her interest when she was looking for a house all those years ago.

“I wanted to know the story behind it and how it started,” Kirk said.

Warren Ashbrook lives right in front of the painted Steelers logo. He’s been in the neighborhood for nearly five decades.

“I believe 96 – 95 or 96 when it – when it started,” Ashbrook said.

Ashbrook said the inspiration came from somewhere else, after neighbors saw something similar on another street.

“Someone came up with the idea – well, let’s paint the street, and no one’s complained,” he said.

It’s something that’s continued annually. The neighbors even take over the street and have a block party.

Ashbrook said they most recently did it this Sunday, after the Steelers played the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland.

“Every year we refresh it, and make it look bright,” Ashbrook said.

And just like people here got the inspiration, there are some nearby copycats. There is a Penguins logo on Broadmoor Ave., along with a Pirates logo on Questend Ave.

Ashbrook said this has helped people know each other better in the neighborhood.

“It gives you an opportunity to meet your neighbors and learn somebody’s name,” he said.

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KCNC

By Karen Morfitt

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    Colorado (KCNC) — After months of fighting, a Colorado family is breathing a sigh of relief after the FDA announced initial approval of an experimental medication helping to keep their son alive.

“Like last night, I had the idea, ‘Oh, I could watch football.’ (laughs) But I didn’t — I was too tired, ” Madison Dryden said.

After nine months of racing the clock, that kind of peace is new for the Drydens.

“I put a countdown on my watch face, and it was counting down to Nov. 4. So, each day, I’d look and say, ‘Okay, one less,'” Andy Dryden said.

They had been counting the days until the FDA decided the fate of a drug their son desperately needed to survive. Gilbert was born with Barth syndrome, a rare and often fatal mitochondrial disease.

Just days old and in heart failure, he was granted emergency access to the drug elamipretide. Without FDA approval, their supply would eventually end.

“Before it was like, ‘Okay, what are we going to do for his next round of medication?'” Andy said.

The remaining vials marked the days of stability the family had left, and the Drydens began their fight, calling lawmakers, posting online, and doing everything they could to save the drug.

“Even with all those concrete actions, it was still a feeling of, ‘Okay, we have this many days. What’s going to happen if they say no again? What’s our plan?'” Madison said, looking back on that time.

One week before the expected decision, Madison received a message.

“It kind of felt like, ‘Is this real? Is this too good to be true?'” she said.

Elamipretide was approved.

“It took a couple of days to sink in, now we are feeling really excited and hopeful about everything,” Madison added.

The approval means Gilbert and other patients in critical need can continue their treatment.

“Emotionally, I think the other thing has been gratitude — just really thankful for everyone that showed up for us,” she said.

With time now on their side, the Drydens are beginning to imagine life without the constant pressure.

“I’m anticipating that I’ll start to have normal thoughts again, and I’m looking forward to that,” Andy said.

Madison believes their case proves one thing clearly: the FDA can move quickly when time matters.

“This shows that it is possible for the FDA to move quickly. It shows that it is possible for the FDA to make decisions that are helpful for the treatment of kids who have very limited options and very limited life expectancy,” she said.

The director of research at the FDA, in a statement following the approval, said: “The FDA remains committed to facilitating the development of effective and safe therapies for rare diseases and will continue to work diligently to help ensure patients with rare diseases have access to innovative treatments.”

The Drydens say while they do plan to try and get some rest, they are turning their attention to advocating for other families still waiting for treatment.

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WBZ

By Mike Sullivan

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    BOYLSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Massachusetts woman who battled ALS is going out in her own words. Linda Murphy has become a posthumous viral sensation for a tongue-in-cheek self-obituary that has been published locally and nationally.

Murphy, who was raised in Framingham and lived in Boylston, not only wrote her own obituary, but she also picked out her own casket, chose the music at her funeral, and planned a dance party in her own honor.

“She was the life of the party. She was the party,” said her daughter, Justine Hastings, with a laugh. “One of my favorite comments was, ‘I just read this, and I just wish I could have had a glass of wine with her.”

Murphy passed away following a battle with Bulbar ALS. She had been unable to speak for about a year. When she first felt symptoms such as slurred speech and trouble swallowing, she went to the doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital with a request.

“(She) said, ‘I have ALS. Prove me wrong.’ And they did every single test, and she diagnosed herself,” said Hastings, “That is the most ‘my mom’ thing she has ever done.”

Murphy was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and survived. The journey not only pushed her daughter to become a nurse, but it also prompted Linda to write a book about her battle. The tongue-in-cheek book, titled “F-Off Cancer,” was written to show that people can still have a fun life while battling cancer. Her obituary carries some of that same humor.

“She starts the obituary, ‘Well, if you are reading this, then it looks like I am dead. Wow. It actually happened. I died of FOMO due to complications of ALS,” Hastings read from the start of her mom’s obituary before skipping down to this part: “I lived my life with two superpowers. My first of which everyone was jealous of, was that I could drink as much as I wanted and never seemed to get hungover. The real wonder is why I didn’t die of liver failure.”

As friends, family and strangers alike read her self-tribute, they began to connect with a woman trapped in her own body, looking to go out on her own terms. Murphy wrote the obituary about six months ago when she could still type with her hands. By the end, she could only sign a few hand signals. She wrote about that trapped feeling in her obituary.

“My stupid Bulbar ALS got me to the sad point of not being able to talk. Never speaking means never being able to say, ‘I love you!’ It means not being able to call my Mr. BoJangles over for a snack, and it means not being able to order at the Dunkin’ drive through,” she wrote. “As far as eating, it totally stinks to sit at the table while people around you are eating juicy burgers hot off the grill, heaping piles of Chinese food, a healthy portion of pasta Alfredo, or Chipotle — and I just have to smile and act like I’m enjoying my bowl of puréed baby mush!”

Though she handled it with humor, Hastings said that feeling of being trapped was a real struggle for her mom.

“The hardest thing up until the end is that people would say she looks so amazing. ‘Oh, you look great! You’re smiling! You’re not sick! You’re okay! But behind closed doors, the struggle was so real,” Hastings said.

In her obituary, Murphy told people to be kind – and not to buy her flowers.

“Please be kind to everyone: the telemarketer, the grocery clerk, the Dunkin’s staff, the tailgater, your family, your friends. Speak nicely and positively. Is there really ever a reason to be negative? I don’t think so…”

“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t waste money on flowers,” she wrote. “Buy a bunch of scratch tickets and give them out to strangers along your way. Make people happy, that is the best way that you can honor my memory.”

It is something she used to do while she was alive and a tradition her family says they will continue in her honor.

Murphy had her brain and spinal cord donated for ALS research.

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WBBM

By Sara Tenenbaum

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    Illinois (WBBM) — A quick response from Arlington Heights police helped catch as slow-moving culprit.

The owners of a 60-pound tortoise initially posted to a Palatine Facebook page that their pet had gone missing Saturday afternoon. The owner said he was last seen near Wilkie and Oakton.

Arlington Heights police posted a day later they had received a report of a large tortoise on the loose. They were able to respond quickly and found the runaway reptile near a peach tree, chowing down on peaches.

After he was done enjoying his snack, the officers captured him and reunited him with his owners.

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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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