Category: CNN Regional

By Christian Piekos and WLS Digital Team

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    DOLTON, Illinois (WLS) — Sunday marks Pope Leo XIV’s 70th birthday.

The pontiff, born in Chicago and raised in south suburban Dolton, received a special treat as he entered a new decade.

Video on Sunday morning shows a Portillo’s chocolate cake being brought to the pope to commemorate his first birthday as head of the Catholic Church.

It was delivered by the new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. He said it was sent by Portillo’s.

Meanwhile, the village of Dolton hosted a birthday celebration for Pope Leo at his childhood home on 141st Street on Sunday.

The party, which kicked off at 10 a.m., included music and prayers from local clergy.

“Happy blessed birthday Pope Leo, and we’re just so honored to be able to celebrate your life today,” said village of Dolton Minister Deborah White.

Dolton neighbors and community leaders came together on the sunny Sunday morning to sing together and pray together.

“It’s a sense of pride because it was needed. For the community, it’s brought new light, new community awareness, new fellowship,” White said.

Those celebrating released white balloons as one in the pope’s honor. Special Pope Leo cookies were also on hand.

Dolton Village Trustee Tammy Brown says the pope’s home is bringing new light to Dolton.

“You can drive by anytime, you get out of the car and you see people from all over the world,” Brown said. “Look at where we are today. Knowing that the pope once lived here has brought unity to the community.”

Homer Glen’s Bernice Szaflarski just got back from a trip to see the pope in Vatican City.

“It’s always incredible when you see the pope,” Szaflarski said. “This is not our first visit here. We’ve been here before. We were just so proud that he’s the first American pope and he just seems to be so loving. Just his smile is just incredible.”

Dolton Mayor Jason House says the village plans to celebrate the pope’s birthday every year, creating a special annual tradition for this community.

The celebration in Dolton came after family and friends of “Chicago’s pope” gathered in New Lenox to sing happy birthday to the pontiff on Friday.

And his big brother, John Prevost, told ABC7 that his advice to the pope is that he has to be careful going down the stairs, now that he is getting older.

And on Saturday night, there was a big celebration at the Vatican on the eve of the pope’s birthday.

Big name musicians like Chicago native Jennifer Hudson, Andrea Boccelli and Pharrell Williams raised their voices in a concert to celebrate music and human connection.

There was also a spectacular drone show after the concert, lighting up the sky.

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By Amanda Roberts

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    RADNOR LAKE STATE PARK, Tennessee (WTVF) — Peak migration season has arrived for monarch butterflies, and they’re now passing through Tennessee on their journey south. But these iconic black and orange insects face an uncertain future, with declining numbers over the past two decades likely landing them on the endangered species list.

At Radnor Lake State Park, conservationists are working to reverse this troubling trend by creating vital habitat for the migrating monarchs.

Native grasslands now stand tall and proud across the park, but the restoration took 12 years and covered more than 150 acres. The flowering ironweed, thistles and frost weed provide essential resources for the butterflies.

“We are restoring these plants for future generations,” said Park Manager, Steve Ward. “We want you to see wildlife you may not be able to see on a day-to-day basis in other parts of the state.”

The effort has created a beautiful consequence: a welcoming stop for migrating monarch butterflies.

“We’re probably in our third generation who have never seen a monarch, probably only seen them once or twice,” Ward said. “So this absence or void I think has created this urgency from those of us who may have seen a few. We want to be able to see those now and enjoy them.”

If native grasslands continue to disappear from Nashville, so will the pollinators, birds and butterflies, including monarchs.

“We give them a vacation on their trip. We let them stop, take a breather, refuel and go on the rest of their journey,” park ranger Matthew Bowling said. “Their goal is to survive for the next generation.”

The park encourages individual action as well.

“If we all just jump in and do a little bit, it adds up,” Bowling said. “That’s the goal for this to be the start. People can individually contribute in their yard, their gardens.”

The restoration efforts appear to be working. Visitors have noticed increased butterfly activity compared to previous years.

“Is that why we’re seeing a lot more butterflies? I think so because we’ve been seeing a ton of them and I don’t remember seeing as many butterflies last year,” one observer noted.

Some even joke about the monarchs’ color preference.

“I think monarchs are Tennessee fans, but I can’t prove that,” Ward said.

For families looking for an educational outdoor activity, Radnor Lake will host free monarch hikes for the next week, though registration is required. The park also offers native grassland seed packets to help encourage monarchs to visit home gardens.

Are you working on conservation projects in your community or have you spotted monarchs in your area? Share your story with me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com.

This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Trish Hartman and WPVI Digital Staff

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    GALLOWAY TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) — An actor has been charged in a road rage shooting that led to a lockdown at Stockton University on Thursday.

Ernest Wesley Heinz, 46, of Port Republic, has been arrested and charged with attempted homicide, according to police.

According to his profile on IMDB, he has had several minor roles in movies and TV shows, along with the video game series Resident Evil.

Police released one of Heinz’s social media profile photos while announcing his arrest on Friday.

Galloway Township police responded to a 911 call for a shooting on W. Jimmie Leeds Road near the area of Redwood Avenue around 12:52 p.m.

It happened while two cars were at a red light.

“As they approached the light, the male yelled at her, reached his hand out the window and fired a single shot,” said Capt. Mark D’Esposito of the Galloway Twp. Police Dept.

According to court documents, the woman told police she had her turn signal on and was trying to merge when the suspect vehicle cut her off.

When she arrived at the light, she said the suspect cursed at her and threatened to kill her when he pulled out a gun and fired.

When officers arrived, they found the victim with a wound to her upper nose.

“Fortunately, it didn’t look like it caught anything major and she was able to maintain consciousness and speak to our officers. We’re very grateful she’s okay,” said D’Esposito.

She told police the alleged gunman fled north on Vera King Ferris Drive, which is on the campus of Stockton University.

The victim was able to describe her attacker to police, as well as his vehicle, which she said was a white Honda SUV.

Detectives said the investigation led them to Heinz, who was taken into custody later Thursday at a residence in the Blue Herron Pines Development.

Police said they also executed search warrants on three Port Republic residences, another in Galloway Township, as well as two vehicles.

A shelter-in-place order was in effect during that time for the campus as police spent hours searching the area. It was lifted roughly three hours later.

Stockton University President Joe Bertolino put out a statement saying the shelter in place was out of an abundance of caution.

“I recognize how unsettling it can be to receive an alert like that, and I want to commend you for your patience, understanding, and commitment to following the guidance provided,” he wrote.

Heinz is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. We attempted to contact his family or an attorney but so far we haven’t heard back.

Heinz is due to appear in court for a detention hearing this week.

The university resumed normal operations on Friday.

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By Corey Davis

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    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police are searching for a man who shot a store clerk in the face Sunday night. They are also questioning two men accused of picking up money that the robber left behind, instead of helping the victim.

Action News was there the moment officers were patting down the men outside the Bridge Market and Wireless Store.

The store is located at the corner of Bridge St. and Torresdale Ave. in the city’s Frankford section.

The men are not accused of shooting the store employee, but police say officers saw them on surveillance video.

“Several minutes later after that store employee was shot, several other individuals entered the rear of that establishment and began to pick up proceeds from that robbery,” said Capt. Tyrell McCoy, with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Police said this all started when a man entered the store around 11 p.m. Sunday, as the employee was counting money behind bullet proof glass.

Investigators said the suspect was able to put the gun through an opening in the glass and shot the employee in the face.

Officers said the suspect was facing away from the surveillance camera, but they’re working on getting additional angles.

“We just know there was male dressed in all black clothing, pulled out that fire arm, shot one time and then after he was able to pick up as much money as he could he actually fled,” McCoy said.

Investigators said the 27-year-old victim survived and that officers rushed him to the hospital.

Northeast detectives are not sure yet if the others who picked up the cash off the floor were involved in planning any of the robbery or whether they just tried to take advantage of the situation.

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By Allison Petro

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    Florida (WESH) — A Florida woman jumped into action after an alligator dragged her puppy during a walk.

Danie Wright said she took her 4-month-old puppy for a walk along a creek behind her home when a 5-foot alligator bit her dog’s collar and then dragged it underwater.

Wright said she continuously punched the gator’s eye.

“I just punched and punched and punched, and I punched him in the eye enough that he kind of let go, like, he unclamped a little,” Wright said. “But his teeth were like here and just dragged down my arm.”

The gator was able to camouflage itself in floating water moss, which resembled turf. Wright said this was the first time she had seen an alligator in the area.

Trappers and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came and caught the alligator.

Wildlife officials said it’s common for alligators to target dogs.

Wright is now encouraging dog owners to be more alert, especially when walking near water.

“I learned to be more alert,” Wright said. “Leave your phone at home, you know, pay attention.”

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By Allison Petro, Bob Hazen

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    DELTONA, Florida (WESH) — Two boys were arrested after an elementary school in Deltona was vandalized over the weekend, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a fire alarm at Friendship Elementary School, where they discovered a shattered glass door and the media center ransacked.

Surveillance cameras captured two boys believed to be responsible for the vandalism.

Deputies said a 13-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy were later turned in by their mothers.

The boys were accused of breaking into the school during the day and later returning at night to cause more damage.

The body camera footage showed the aftermath of the incident, including overturned tables, scattered books, graffiti on the walls and a shattered glass door.

Deputies stated that the two boys confessed to the incident, which resulted in at least $50,000 in damage to the school’s media center.

They are each charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of trespassing on school grounds, criminal mischief and theft, according to the VSO.

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By Ted Wayman, Imani Clement

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    MILFORD, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Dozens of people gathered at a rally Sunday in Milford after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents briefly detained a 16-year-old student.

Video from traffic surveillance cameras showed Gustavo Oliveira, 16, traveling as a passenger in a white car before he was stopped by two ICE agents in downtown Milford.

Oliveira’s friends said he was detained by the agents and later released.

The traffic stop drew the attention of a large crowd as ICE agents questioned the teenager.

Oliveira’s friends said Gustavo is a student at Milford High School and is originally from Brazil.

Supporters on Sunday said they wanted to offer immigrant families their support.

“This week, another young man was detained by ICE. Gustavo was soon released, but this is the second time a young man on the cusp of adulthood has had to act with courage and grace, as we have to ask ourselves who we are as a community,” one attendee said.

Tina Ryan was among the 75 supporters who showed up at the rally.

“We’ve been delivering food to families who cannot leave home and don’t have transportation,” Ryan said. “We’re here today because we’re saddened and disgusted that ICE keeps destroying families.”

Oliveira’s friends said he is OK but was shaken up by what happened.

“They should not have gotten him because he is under 18, and he started really crying in the car,” one friend said.

In May, another Milford High School student, Marcelo Gomes da Silva, was detained for his undocumented status following a traffic stop while he was on his way to volleyball practice.

Gomes da Silva was released from ICE custody after nearly a week, his story igniting a firestorm surrounding immigration policy in Massachusetts.

On Sunday morning, ICE agents detained another man who was traveling in a minivan while on Concord Street in Sudbury.

The man, whose identity has not been revealed, was eventually taken away by ICE agents, while the female passenger he was with was left behind in their van.

WCVB reached out to ICE for comment on the Milford and Sudbury arrests, but has not heard back.

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