Wildlife rehabilitation center treats record high number of patients

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Chierstin Roth

Click here for updates on this story

    Colorado (KCNC) — A wildlife rehabilitation center in Boulder County has set a record for patients this year. They’ve cared for more animals in 2025 than in any other year in their 43-year history.

“I really do feel that every little being has their own place in this world,” said Mysti Tatro, the community relations manager at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Her passion for her work is evident through the squirrel sweater and acorn earrings she was wearing.

“I feel that humans have a bit of a duty to care for the animals that we’ve impacted so badly in some cases,” said Tatro.

She’s worked at Greenwood for seven years. During that time, their mission to provide care to wildlife for release back into their natural habitats has grown tremendously.

“We’re seeing more animals that come in contact with humans because of urbanization,” said Tatro. “We’re kind of expanding into their home territories, so we’re going to be in contact with them more, and we’re going to find those injured animals.”

Greenwood has just calmed down after its busiest season in its nearly 45 years of existence, with more than 5,000 wildlife patients in 2025.

“We are at 5,141, so to give you an idea of how monumental that is for us, last year we took in 4,300 patients,” said Mysti, who quoted a number from November 12th. “So, it’s quite the jump.”

Tatro says the center continues to expand to create more room for more patients, but they can’t expand quickly enough and have had to establish an at-home program where licensed staff take animals home to help with capacity constraints.

Michelle Johnson is one of those caretakers. She’s dedicated an incredible amount of time to rehabilitating squirrels from her home.

“I ended up with between summer and fall, about 50 squirrels,” said Johnson. “When you are at home, it is you 24/7, they eat four to five times a day at regular intervals.”

Johnson does this all while working a full-time job and knows firsthand how great their need is for more resources and volunteers.

“There aren’t enough of us, I know that,” said Johnson. “To be able to have a group of people who are willing to take care of them at home, it enables Greenwood to save more animals. And from what I’ve been told, it really was a lifesaver this year.”

And while there are opportunities for people to live more harmoniously with these animals, Greenwood is focused on making sure as many as possible get a second chance.

“I think everybody deserves a chance,” said Johnson.

The Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is part of Colorado Gives. You can support them and many other organizations by donating anytime through December 9th.

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Man charged in 2004 shooting death

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Todd Feurer

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A man has been charged in the shooting death of a 40-year-old man more than 20 years ago inside his apartment on the Near North Side of Chicago.

David Barklow, 68, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 40-year-old Kent Projansky on Dec. 18, 2004.

Police said Projansky was shot and killed inside his apartment in the 1100 block of North Dearborn Street.

Days after his death, police found a duffel bag full of bloody clothes and a gun in a garbage can on the Northwest Side. The gun was later linked to ballistic evidence from the crime scene.

Detectives weren’t able to identify a suspect for more than a decade, until 2017, when a retired detective took a new look at the case, and resubmitted all latent evidence from the case to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab, which had recently modernized their latent examination technology, police said.

That evidence helped identify Barklow as a suspect, and detectives learned he lived across the street from Projansky at the time of the murder.

The U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Barklow in October 2019, but he was released without charges as detectives waited for an examination of his fingerprints and a DNA sample.

Although the Illinois State Police Crime lab was later able to link Barklow to the gun and clothing found in the duffel bag, and a blood sample from the duffel bag matched Projansky, police said Barklow fled the country in December 2019, moving to Ecuador.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Barklow, and in April 2025, detectives learned he had moved from Ecuador to Peru, and police were able to coordinate an arrest with INTERPOL, the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Embassy in Peru.

Barklow was extradited back to Chicago on Friday, and was due to make his first court appearance on Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

“This investigation highlights the relentless work of CPD’s homicide detectives. No matter how many years passed, detectives continued to work the case until this offender was in custody,” police said in a statement. “They were determined to pursue justice for Projansky and bring a small measure of closure to his family, who for more than two decades, grieved knowing the offender responsible for the murder of their loved one was living freely.”

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

New federal hemp THC limits would “eliminate” industry; Minnesota businesses hope Congress will repeal

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Caroline Cummings

Click here for updates on this story

    Minnesota (WCCO) — Congress this week, as part of a deal to reopen the government, passed a provision that would restrict hemp-derived THC products, a move Minnesota producers say would be a major blow to their business.

An agriculture spending package removed products with more than 0.4 milligrams of THC in them from the definition of hemp, which effectively puts a federal ban on the drinks and edibles available for purchase.

Most of what is on store shelves in Minnesota has 5 milligrams per serving. A hemp-derived drink can have as much as 10 milligrams per container.

“This law, as it’s written currently, would eliminate the hemp industry,” said Jason Dayton, cofounder of Minneapolis Cider Company, which sells its Trail Magic THC drinks in 24 states.

Coming out of the pandemic, his cidery — like many breweries — got into the hemp THC business after a 2022 Minnesota law explicitly legalized the products with certain regulations. Four years prior, the 2018 federal Farm Bill removed hemp from the list of controlled substances, creating an opening for THC and CBD products across the country.

Dayton said hemp drinks have been transformative. They sold 3 million cans last year.

“We never imagined the success that would come from THC beverages, and it has really propelled this business from being a small local operation to a national beverage company,” Dayton said.

Supporters of the new language in the shutdown deal have described that as a loophole being exploited and said that it needed to be fixed.

That distinction — legal at the federal level — makes it easier for businesses to operate compared to still-restricted marijuana. There are barriers for the latter because of banking and insurance limitations, and steep federal tax penalties.

Hemp can also be transferred across state lines, too. Making products illegal would mean prohibiting sales beyond Minnesota’s borders.

Since Minnesota has its own laws legalizing low-dose hemp THC products, businesses like Trail Magic could still sell here. But Dayton believes the drinks would no longer be available in liquor stores, tap rooms or restaurants. Instead, customers would have to go to a licensed cannabis dispensary.

It would be possible for Trail Magic to operate in other states with their own laws similar to Minnesota’s, but Dayton said that would be unsustainable because it would require manufacturing in each of those places.

Half of his sales are outside of the state.

“Hemp has been a way to expose the cannabis market to traditional retail. Imagine if General Mills had to produce Cheerios in every single state. Your Cheerios would be a lot more expensive on the shelf, same with beer, same with wine, same with any other product,” Dayton told WCCO on Friday. “That’s why we have centralized manufacturing in brewing, in consumer packaged goods, and that’s what hemp has allowed us to do in cannabis.”

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management in a statement said the hemp-derived THC products can stay on store shelves for now as it evaluates the impact of the federal change, which won’t take effect until next year.

“We are preparing to host a discussion soon with participants of the hemp industry, state officials and policy makers to discuss the impacts of this new law and how Minnesota will chart a path forward,” a spokesperson with the state agency said.

Minnesota has collected nearly $40 million in revenue from more than $350 million in retail sales in the last three years, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

Leili Fatehi, owner of Crested River Cannabis Company, said most of her customers are in Minnesota. But her business bottles cans for national companies, which means the new law would still be a hit to her bottom line.

Fatehi also mentioned tax and banking implications as a concern. But for now, she isn’t changing course on her business plans.

“Our immediate posture is to not panic or make drastic decisions on the basis of this change that came out of nowhere and largely lacks support,” Fatehi explained in an interview. “We’re really taking a lot of our cues from national distribution partners and retail partners, who themselves seem to be staying the course and remaining optimistic that a change will come.”

Dayton, too, expressed confidence that Congress will repeal the law before it actually takes effect.

“We think there is hope for this industry once people start to realize the impact that this is going to have on jobs all across the state and at thousands of breweries across the country,” he said.

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Man injured in shooting at Benihana; no arrests, police say

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Nick Lentz, WCCO Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    MAPLE GROVE, Minnesota (WCCO) — A man is in the hospital and police are looking for another after a shooting at the Japanese restaurant Benihana on Friday afternoon.

According to police, officers responded to the incident on the 11800 block of Fountains Drive around 4:30 p.m. The suspected shooter, identified as a man, and the man who was shot both left the scene in separate vehicles.

According to police, the two men involved knew each other and were involved in an altercation before the shooting.

The 33-year-old man who was shot drove himself to a local hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the groin, per police. The shooter fled the scene and has not been located.

No arrests have been made. Police said the shooting doesn’t appear to be random and there is no threat to the public.

One woman told WCCO she was having lunch with her 97-year-old father when the shooting happened.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Maple Grove Police Department at 763-494-6100.

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office issues statement amid ICE, Border Patrol, concerns

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Deanna Sipe

Click here for updates on this story

    BUNCOMBE COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Amid concerns of Asheville being a target city of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office has released a statement to News 13.

The statement says BCSO has not received any official note from CBP about planned activity in Buncombe County; however, they also have not contacted border control regarding the operation being reported in Charlotte.

BCSO says they enforce North Carolina law and that Immigration matters fall under federal jurisdiction, and that federal agencies make their own decisions on where they operate.

“While we will follow state and federal law as required, our resources will remain dedicated to protecting the public safety of Buncombe County, as they have always been. We cannot and will not use county resources to subsidize the enforcement of civil immigration violations,” BCSO said in a statement.

BCSO says they will continue to share information and offer guidance on what residents should expect if they encounter ICE or Border Patrol.

“Our focus is on keeping the community safe, supporting transparency, and making sure people understand the limits of our authority in these situations,” BCSO said in a statement.

The statement echoes a previous statement Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller made in February, saying in part, “I have repeatedly spoken out against cooperation with ICE, saying federal immigration law is not the responsibility of local officers and damages law enforcement’s trust within the immigrant community.”

The statement from BCSO comes after Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer released a statement saying that Asheville ‘may be a targeted city’.

Manheimer’s statement on ICE and Border Patrol referenced Governor Josh Stein’s statement talking about the possibility of ICE and Border Patrol agents coming to North Carolina, saying in part, “As this situation develops, I will continue to stay in touch with local and state officials to keep people safe, respect the rule of law, and support our people.”

Read the full statement from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office below:

“The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office has not received any official notice from U.S. Customs and Border Protection about planned activity in Buncombe County. We have also not contacted Border Patrol regarding the operation reported out of Charlotte. The Sheriff’s Office enforces North Carolina law. Immigration matters fall under federal jurisdiction, and federal agencies make their own decisions about where they operate. While we will follow state and federal law as required, our resources will remain dedicated to protecting the public safety of Buncombe County, as they have always been. We cannot and will not use county resources to subsidize the enforcement of civil immigration violations.

We know that federal immigration activity can have a real impact on families in our community. Because of that, we will continue to share accurate information and offer guidance on what residents should expect if they encounter ICE or Border Patrol. Our focus is on keeping the community safe, supporting transparency, and making sure people understand the limits of our authority in these situations.”

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Hateful flyers found in multiple communities; police investigating

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Ricky Sayer

Click here for updates on this story

    Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Disturbing flyers have been found littering the ground in areas of multiple western Pennsylvania towns.

In Tarentum and Brackenridge, police are asking the public to turn over doorbell or camera footage that may capture the individuals who left “hateful” flyers in the community.

In Indiana Borough, a mother said a dozen KKK flyers were left on the front lawn of her home overnight.

Julie, who did not want to be identified with a last name, is white. Her husband and three children are all Black, she said.

“We’re pretty much the only people of color on this block,” she said.

The KKK flyers advertise a neighborhood watch, saying people can “sleep soundly because the Klan is awake.”

One of her sons initially found the flyers.

“It’s heartbreaking, because if these are being put everywhere, it’s making people it’s to make people afraid, it’s to intimidate,” Julie said. “I am trying not to feel afraid because I know that’s what they want. I have to be strong for my kids and for people who don’t have a voice; I have to use my voice.”

She reported it all to the police. She told her oldest son he does not need to feel less than because of people who may try to intimidate him.

“I hope they can realize that they’re not going to scare people, and people aren’t going to back down and live in fear because that’s what they want,” Julie said. “It’s going to take everybody to stand up and say that they’re not going to stand for it.”

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

2 dead, 9 displaced in house fire, police said

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Frederick Sutton Sinclair, Ryan Hughes

Click here for updates on this story

    TRENTON, New Jersey (KYW) — A fire claimed the lives of two people and damaged two homes in Trenton, New Jersey, on Saturday, police said.

Takeeta DeLee says it has been an emotional two days for her family. Her great aunt recently died, and a day after her funeral they lost her brother, their great uncle.

“He loved his family, friends, he was a loving caring person,” DeLee said. “We grew up with our uncles as dads, they always cared for us.”

DeLee says her great uncle, who she identified as William Laster, lived in the home on the 100 block of South Cook Street in Trenton for more than 20 years.

Investigators say it was around 11:45 a.m. Saturday when a fire started, and by the time firefighters arrived the home was fully engulfed in flames.

“They encountered heavy fire, knocked the fire down, then they proceeded to go inside the building,” said Chief Anthony Ross, Trenton Fire Department.

Once inside, police say they found Laster and his long-time female partner dead on the first floor.

Trenton’s Mayor, Reed Gusciora, was on scene and says an aide in his office is Laster’s nephew.

“It’s really sad just to hear the stories of their upbringing here and what kind of neighborhood it was, and it’s a really close family,” Gusciora said.

Investigators say a young woman, who was also home at the time, was able to escape the flames by jumping from a third-floor window onto a second story roof, and then she jumped to the ground. She was taken to a hospital after sustaining minor injuries, and released a short time later.

DeLee and her cousin, Nibree Laster, say loved ones were already in town after burying Laster’s sister on Friday. Now, they’re trying to come to grips with this latest tragedy.

“We’re trying to put the pieces together, we don’t know what happened, but we want to know we want to know,” Nibree Laster said. “It’s unfortunate that we got to be here a day later after burying my aunt and this again, back at square one.”

Investigators say Laster’s dog also died in the fire.

According to Trenton Police, the American Red Cross is assisting nine people after smoke and flames spread to the twin home next door.

The fire was placed under control at approximately 12:42 p.m. The cause and origin of the fire remains under investigation.

Authorities ask if anyone has any information about the fire to please contact the Trenton Police Department at 609-989-415.

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Brown pelican sightings in NYC could mean the southern birds are here to stay, according to scientists

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By John Dias

Click here for updates on this story

    NEW YORK CITY (WCBS, WLNY) — Scientists in New York City are watching closely dozens of brown pelicans that were spotted in Jamaica Bay.

The rare sightings of the southern birds this far north raise the possibility that they may start calling the city home.

“It’s stunning to have them here” Conservation specialist and photographer Benjamin Forbes trekked down to the shorelines at Breezy Point, Queens, on a windy Friday morning in November.

Forbes, with NYC Plover Project, checks on the habitat most weeks, but lately something has been standing out: pelicans, which most people associate with warmer climates.

“It’s stunning to have them here,” he said. “There were a whole bunch of them in groups, fishing, diving in the water. At least 45 pelicans. It was quite incredible.”

Right away, Forbes started snapping photos and videos of the birds.

Experts said the visuals were unlike anything they’ve seen while working with coastal and avian life around New York City. They said the pelicans should have migrated south already and that they’ve never documented this many so late in the season.

“These kinds of numbers, it was very exceptional,” Forbes said.

Experts say you may see pelicans in Southern New Jersey this time of year and into the winter, but even 100 miles makes a big difference for these birds.

“The concern is when they start to displace other species” While the pelican sightings may be a wonderful find, they could serve as a warning about what’s been going on with the environment.

Jose Ramirez-Garofalo, an ecologist at Rutgers University, says the surge in pelicans sends a mixed signal.

“Climate change is here and, unfortunately, climate change is here to stay,” Ramirez-Garofalo said.

While climate change is pushing the southern species further north, it’s also a sign that decades of cleaner water made New York’s coastline healthier. The same improvement is bringing back whales and seals.

“It’s definitely one of the main drivers of these species being able to come here and not only adapt, but to thrive,” Ramirez-Garofalo said.

Ramirez-Garofalo also predicts it could mean some birds won’t migrate at all.

“The concern is when they start to displace other species, and so it’s something we have to prepare for,” he said.

For now, this flock of pelicans remains an unexpected snapshot of New York’s changing ecosystem.

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Video shows man being run over by ocean rescue worker at Miami Beach in 2024, department reveals

CNN Newsource on November 16, 2025

By Alyssa Dzikowski

Click here for updates on this story

    MIAMI (WFOR) — The Miami Beach Police Department has released footage of a 2024 incident that left a man seriously injured after he was run over by a truck on the beach.

According to the police department, the incident happened on the beach near 4th Street in November 2024.

In a newly released video, a 59-year-old man is seen lying on the beach when a truck driven by an ocean rescue worker runs him over. The man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries; however, police said, he was released later that same day.

CBS News Miami is working to gather information on what happened to the ocean rescue worker involved in the incident and if there are any pending charges.

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Video shows man being run over by ocean rescue worker at Miami Beach in 2024, department reveals

CNN on November 16, 2025


WFOR

By Alyssa Dzikowski

Click here for updates on this story

    MIAMI (WFOR) — The Miami Beach Police Department has released footage of a 2024 incident that left a man seriously injured after he was run over by a truck on the beach.

According to the police department, the incident happened on the beach near 4th Street in November 2024.

In a newly released video, a 59-year-old man is seen lying on the beach when a truck driven by an ocean rescue worker runs him over. The man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries; however, police said, he was released later that same day.

CBS News Miami is working to gather information on what happened to the ocean rescue worker involved in the incident and if there are any pending charges.

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

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.