Category: CNN Regional

By Derek James

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    WYOMING, Minnesota (WCCO) — The truck parked inside Fire Station 7 in St. Paul was built just up the road in Wyoming, Minnesota, by a company working to make the vehicles safer for crews.

“We build safety equipment. Our goal is to make sure the firefighters get to the scene safe and get home from the scene safely,” said Joe Lichtscheidl, of Rosenbauer America.

The modern fire truck apparatus now incorporates camera systems, improved visibility, ergonomic designs and digital tools. Much of it is aimed at navigating tight city streets and reducing traffic collisions while responding to emergencies.

“When we complete [the vehicles], they’re equipped with a technology that alerts a driver running certain GPS programs that there’s a vehicle approaching a cross street,” Lichtscheidl said, as an example of the new tech.

Each of the trucks is hand built by welders, electricians, engineers and skilled crafts people. Rosenbauer says it employs more than 450 people at its Wyoming campus.

For the St. Paul fire crews, the local connection means they’re able to provide feedback and suggest how the trucks could evolve in the future.

“The big thing for us is firefighter safety. So for us to be able to operate in a safe way and do our job both fast but also in a safe way, not only keeps us safe but it helps us get to our residents and those in need faster and more efficiently,” said Jamie Smith, deputy chief with the St. Paul Fire Department.

As Minnesota manufacturers compete for talent with other states, a strong economy, training and long-term growth opportunities have become just as important as the technology. For the crews who depend on them, the innovations are about making every response safer.

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

By Brian Maass

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    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — A man who stayed at a downtown Denver hotel last summer says he woke up to bats flying around his room — and that one of them bit him. He has now filed a lawsuit against the hotel.

The incident happened in August 2025 in a room on the 22nd floor of the Sheraton Denver Hotel Downtown, 1550 Court Place, the largest hotel in Denver with more than 1,200 rooms.

The guest, a commercial airline pilot, asked that his name not be used for fear of job repercussions. His attorney, Ed Lomena, said his client was asleep when the disturbance began.

“(He) was sleeping and he woke up to a commotion, and he woke up and said there were bats flying around his room,” Lomena said.

Lomena said it was the middle of the night. Hotel maintenance was called to remove the bats but missed at least one. The lawsuit alleges hotel workers never plugged a hole under the air conditioner where the bats are believed to have entered, and that the hotel did not move the pilot to another room.

The next morning, Lomena said, the pilot discovered another bat still in the room.

“So the next morning he gets up, and that’s when he sees, hanging from the curtain rod, a bat hanging upside down,” Lomena said.

The pilot recorded a short video clip of the bat. According to records, Denver Animal Control was called to remove the animal and take it for rabies testing. The pilot also took photos of what he says was a bite on his foot.

Lomena said his client feared for his life.

“He was bit by a bat,” Lomena said. “He was scared he was going to die and leave his family without a father.”

The incident occurred about a month after Denver Animal Protection had warned of two rabid bats being found in Denver in July 2025. Rabies can be deadly to humans if not treated promptly.

The Sheraton and its parent company, Marriott, did not respond to multiple CBS Colorado emails seeking comment about the incident. The hotel’s general manager also did not respond to an email request for comment.

Medical bills show the pilot was billed nearly $100,000 for rabies vaccines and treatment, which was paid for by his insurance.

Lomena said the pilot later tested negative for rabies, but said that doesn’t minimize the lasting impact of the encounter. He said the pilot, who travels frequently for work, now checks hotel rooms for openings before he can relax.

“He’s always staying in hotels because of his job, so now anytime he goes to a hotel he’s constantly searching around the room, looking for openings, looking for ways wildlife can get into his room,” Lomena said. “(It’s) hard for him to sleep.”

The lawsuit was first noted by BusinessDen, a digital publication.

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

By Mike Toole, Brandon Truitt, Mike Sullivan, Kristina Rex

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    WELLESLEY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A young man accused of stabbing his father 20 times and killing him at a Wellesley, Massachusetts park was ordered held without bail Friday.

James Floyd Bennett III, 24, of Wellesley, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder at his arraignment in Dedham District Court as horrific details in the case were revealed.

Bennett went to Phillips Park on Maugus Avenue with his father, 58-year-old Jamey Bennett, shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday. Witnesses told police the two were playing soccer and talking about the World Cup when Bennett suddenly attacked his father with a knife.

“A witness heard the victim screaming for help. He screamed, ‘He’s stabbing me. He’s killing me,'” prosecutor Anne Yas told the court.

Three people called 911. Officers found the father bleeding profusely in the head and said he had trouble speaking.

“When the officer asked him who stabbed him, he said, ‘My son,’ before he lost consciousness,” Yas said.

Bennett was rushed to Newton-Wellesley Hospital where he died.

“Doctors told the troopers that there were approximately 20 stab wounds. The stab wounds were to the face, the back of the neck, the leg and significantly in the stomach, but probably most significantly, the victim’s arm was almost cut through, almost severed,” Yas told the court.

The son ran to the home where he lived with his mother, showered, changed clothes and put the knife in a bag, according to the prosecutor.

“He said he also took a picture of himself when he was bloody on his cell phone,” Yas said.

Bennett then walked to the police station and admitted to the stabbing at the park, the prosecutor said. Yas said Bennett told officers he left the bloody clothes and the knife in a bag at his home.

She did not mention a motive in court. Bennett’s attorney Bill Crowe said his client has a “significant mental health history.”

“The family has asked me for a little respect of their privacy at this point. Obviously, they’re going through a very tragic event. They’ve lost two family members. The family loves the fellow that was just charged in there, James III, also known as Tripp. They’re fully supportive of him. They feel terrible about what’s happened, and they will be continuing to support him,” Crowe told reporters outside court. “There will be more to be said at a later time.”

According to court records, Bennett’s parents divorced back in 2016. They had four children together.

The next hearing in the case was scheduled for July 10.

Crime scene tape surrounded the playground and picnic tables Thursday evening as police combed through the mulch and grass. There were bloody cloths and sheets near a slide.

People who live in the neighborhood were stunned this could happen at a popular playground.

“It’s very unusual. Very unusual,” said Christine Myer, who lives nearby and said police came to ask her questions.

“It’s usually all the kids, you know the kids play at the playground and they will have after school events and it’s lovely to walk and it’s a treasured part of the community for sure,” Myer said.

Wellesley, Massachusetts is 14 miles west of Boston.

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

By Kathryn Merck

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Members of the Milwaukee Brewers and community group Forward Latino are teaming up to help those affected by the deadly earthquakes that recently hit Venezuela.

Venezuelan Milwaukee Brewers All-Star catcher William Contreras, outfielder Jackson Chourio, and coach Nestor Corredor joined the nonprofit to launch the “United for Venezuela” emergency relief effort following two earthquakes that claimed more than 2,000 lives.

The community-wide initiative will help provide lifesaving emergency supplies to those in need.

People gathered at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church Monday, June 29, to pack up donated items.

Requested donations include non-perishable food, cases of bottled water, new sleeping bags and blankets, new tents, new backpacks and suitcases, new work gloves and boots, and new shovels.

“A lot of people believe in us,” said Nestor Corredor, Major League field coordinator for the Brewers. “A lot of people think we can help. We can’t do it without you guys.”

“Behind each one of these numbers is a human story,” said Darryl Morin, national president of Forward Latino. “A mother searching for a child, a father who’s lost everything, a family sleeping outdoors, a young child wandering the streets, wondering if he’s going to see his father or mother again.”

The campaign shows a team effort will help those in need.

“For us to come together and help one another, we are raising our voices for human dignity, and we all should be proud of it,” Rev. Norberto Sandoval said, associate pastor at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

Leaders with Forward Latino say they’ll accept donations through next Wednesday, July 1.

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

By Taj Simmons

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    DELAVAN, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — Delavan’s Civil War soldiers lined up to fight under the Muster Tree, which stood tall for generations before it died in 2023. Justin Howland reshaped the tree’s trunk to honor its Civil War history.

Howland was commissioned by the Delavan Historical Society to carve the oak tree into a Civil War soldier and nurse for America’s 250th.

“The tree is over 200 years old, so it would have been a shame to just see it go away,” Howland said.

The Delavan Historical Society believes the tree was 270 years old before it was cut down. It stood near the town’s former train station and soldiers arranged under it before boarding their train to battle.

Longtime Delavan resident Bob Dahl said he and others in the city are relieved to see the tree saved after it stopped growing leaves.

“It was uncertain whether the tree could be preserved and what condition it was in,” Dahl said. “Now, the people who mustered at that tree to go serve our country now have the tree preserved in their memory.”

Howland spent most of June shaping the tree before finishing it in time for Delavan’s ten-day America 250 celebration.

“I hope the people who see this think I did a good job,” Howland said.

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

By Megan Lee

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    NORTHVILLE, Michigan (WXYZ) — The Hofner family recently sent their decades-old flag to American Flags Express in Butler, Wisconsin, for repairs ahead of the July 4 holiday.

The flag was recently sent back to the metro Detroit family and they are happy with the repairs.

“Look at it. Do you guys remember the big rips at the bottom?” a family member said.

“Oh yeah, it’s all gone,” Lance Hofner responded.

The 48-star flag carries American history and a family legacy.

“There’s a whole lot more behind that flag than just the flag,” Hofner said.

The flag dates back to the 1950s, when the family’s uncle received it as Nash-Kelvinator — a home appliance company — merged with American Motors Corporation. But the flag’s history stretches back even further to World War II.

“They make refrigerators. But we didn’t realize that at war time, they converted things to make war time material,” Hofner said.

Detroit played a central role in the war effort during the early 1940s.

“Detroit and the Detroit area was such a huge part of World War II’s effort and being the arsenal of democracy, which is what FDR called it. This was part of it,” Kurt Hofner said.

According to the family’s uncle, the flag flew atop the Nash-Kelvinator building for years — during the same period four of the Hofner brothers’ uncles were serving in the military. One of those brothers did not come home.

“They laid down everything just to go to protect everybody,” Kurt Hofner said.

Lance and Kurt Hofner grew up watching their father hang the flag each year.

“And so for years, he would hang it in Dearborn Heights. And he would hang it at one point from the tree in front of our house to the next-door neighbor’s tree,” Lance Hofner said.

The flag eventually made its way to the family’s lake house in Irish Hills.

“It just means so much more now that it was part of the U.S. history,” Lance Hofner said.

The family hopes the flag will be passed down for generations to come.

“If you can pass that to the next generation to how much America means to everybody, and to us and to them. And they will have kids, and then someday they will go my old man got this flag restored and passed it down to me,” Kurt Hofner said.

American Flags Express included a note with the returned flag.

“Dear Hofner Family, it was a delight and honor to restore this piece of history,” the note said. “As you hang this flag, we hope our restoration reflect the historical sentiments and value of this heirloom.”

The restored flag will be displayed at the family’s lake house in Irish Hills this Fourth of July weekend.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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

By Cassandra Alonso

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    ADA TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXMI) — Nearly 1,500 people are dead and thousands more are injured as of Monday after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela. While recovery efforts are underway, one Ada teenager is using his eight 3D printers to help from thousands of miles away.

Brady Ashcroft, 16, has turned his 3D printing business into a medical supply operation, creating lightweight splints for earthquake victims in Venezuela.

What began as a hobby with one printer has grown into eight machines that typically produce fidget toys, and custom keychains for his online store. Brady started his 3D printing business nearly two years ago. It has grown from one printer to eight over the past two years.

But after seeing the devastation from the earthquakes on Reddit and Discord groups from the 3D printing community, those printers took on a different purpose.

“They don’t deserve this in Venezuela, and they should get all the help they can get. And I want to have more to do with my 3D printer, instead of just making toys,” Ashcroft said. “I want it to be more helpful than just making money.”

The designs for the medical splints came from a 3D printing company in Venezuela, which shared files online as hospitals faced an increasing need for orthopedic supplies. Brady is now part of a global network of volunteers using their printers to help coordinate through social media platforms.

“We made 100 now, and it depends on how much we’re going to make until we feel like we need to send them out, because there’s not much time left,” he said, noting that splints won’t be useful after a few days.

The teenager has paused customer orders to focus on the medical kits, printing, sorting and packaging each splint before shipping them to a collection center in Miami, Florida. From there, they’ll reach doctors in Venezuela. Each package includes instructions and a toy from Brady’s collection.

His mother, Lori Ashcroft, said she’s not surprised by her son’s willingness to help. Brady has previously donated items to Toys for Tots, printing octopuses from approved files, and has given a percentage of his sales to the Humane Society.

“I’m not really surprised at all that he’s interested in helping out for this cause too,” she said.

The family has turned the effort into a team operation, with Brady’s parents helping with printing overnight and his sister managing social media for their business.

Each splint takes about an hour and a half to print. The material softens in warm water, allowing the splint to mold to a patient’s arm before firming back up.

“It doesn’t cost us much to do it. It’s printing time on the printers, which we’ve got the capacity, he’s got the capacity,” Lori Ashcroft said.

“Makes me feel really good that could play a part in this, and the 3D printing community has come together to help the people in Venezuela,” Brady Ashcroft said.

The teenager said this won’t be the last time he uses his 3D printers to help others. He plans to monitor social media groups for future disasters where his equipment could make a difference.

“Whatever comes up, anything that comes up, if I find any more subreddits and Discords that need help, I’ll definitely start printing more stuff, because I have eight 3D printers, and I can print anything,” he said.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXMI verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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

By Charlie Keegan

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    BUTLER, Missouri (KSHB) — Lacy Reynolds was on the ground in Butler, Missouri, when a skydiving plane crashed shortly after takeoff on June 14, killing 12 people — 10 of whom she knew personally.

Hours later, she went skydiving again.

Reynolds said the friendships she has built through the sport are the reason she keeps jumping.

“Those friendships I’ve made, they’ve become my family,” Reynolds said.

She had jumped in Butler on the flight before the one that crashed shortly after takeoff.

“It was a very helpless feeling,” Reynolds said of running toward the crash to help.

In the two weeks since the crash, Reynolds said the question she has heard most is: Why keep skydiving?

“For those two to three minutes, you’re just focused on what’s going on in that exact second. The outside world is silent,” Reynolds said.

She said returning to the sky that night was a deliberate choice.

“The longer I sit on the ground, the more I may talk myself out of ever skydiving again,” Reynolds said.

According to 2025 data from the United States Parachute Association, 16 people died in 3.5 million jumps.

The National Transportation Safety Board made recommendations five years ago to add regulations to skydiving planes. Those recommendations have not gone into effect.

NTSB Vice Chairman Michael Graham addressed the agency’s unacted-upon recommendations in June.

“It’s always frustrating when we see things that maybe the FAA hasn’t acted on with some of our recommendations,” Graham said.

The NTSB says a preliminary report into the cause of the crash should be ready next month.

Reynolds said she is not looking to place blame. The happy memories of friends she lost are why she will continue to skydive and encourage others.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSHB verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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