Category: CNN Regional

By Todd Kazakiewich & Phil Tenser

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    SHREWSBURY, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Police body camera footage obtained by NewsCenter 5 shows officers discovering the chief of a nearby department in an unmarked cruiser with two bottles of vodka last month.

Westborough Police Chief Todd Minardi was placed on leave following the incident in Shrewsbury on Oct. 23. The town also announced that it was taking steps to retain an outside investigator.

A report written by a lieutenant of the Shrewsbury Police Department indicates that Minardi was found sleeping in a vehicle in the area of 507 Boston Turnpike. The report states that Minardi was dressed in street clothes in his unmarked police cruiser.

Body camera footage from Shrewsbury police shows officers approaching the vehicle just before 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 23. Officer Tyler Vlass opened the door and said, “What’s going on?”

Minardi, who was off duty, was holding a bottle of liquor in his right hand.

“We got a call for your well-being. The car’s been here for a while, they said. We want to make sure you’re okay,” Vlass said.

“Yeah,” Minardi replied.

The 911 call that prompted the welfare check came from a man who works nearby.

“It just looks like he’s passed out in the car and I just want somebody to check on him,” the caller said.

When asked by Shrewsbury Officer Kevin Warwick if he had made the call, the man confirmed, saying, “Yeah. I was worried because I saw that car there yesterday. He was here since yesterday.”

A Westborough police lieutenant arrived at the scene, and Minardi repeatedly apologized.

“I’m sorry,” Minardi said.

“What’s that?” Lt. Kevin Caviston asked.

“I’m sorry,” Minardi repeated.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Caviston said.

“I’m sorry to put you in this position,” Minardi added.

An ambulance arrived, and Minardi eventually agreed to go to the hospital.

Minardi was cited for having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. Officers noted they could not charge him with operating under the influence since the car was not on when they arrived.

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 Denzen Cortez

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    COLUSA, California (KCRA) — A plan to remove 43 century-old American elm trees along two streets in Colusa is drawing opposition from residents who question whether all of them pose a safety risk.

The trees, some estimated to be about 120 years old, line portions of Market and 10th streets.

In a July assessment, a Caltrans arborist recommended removing all 43 trees, citing internal decay, structural concerns, root damage and the potential for falling branches. The report also documented 99 emergency callouts associated with trees along the highway corridor since 2019.

Colusa City Manager Jesse Cain said Caltrans, which maintains the trees within the state highway right-of-way, informed the city that the trees were considered hazardous.

Cain expects removal could begin before the end of November.

But some residents are challenging the state’s findings.

Cynthia and Jim White are among those concerned about losing the trees, which provide shade and help define the city’s landscape.

“We were devastated because it came out of nowhere,” Cynthia White said.

Concerned residents hired consulting arborist Gordon Mann to independently inspect the trees.

Mann disputes the recommendation to remove all 43, saying his ground-level inspection found fewer trees requiring removal and that additional inspections could help determine, which could be preserved.

“More trees can be pruned and mitigated without removal,” Mann said.

Caltrans’ assessment, however, concluded pruning would not address the underlying decay and structural problems.

Cain said Caltrans has agreed to purchase replacement trees, with the goal of planting them by spring 2027. The number, species and locations remain undecided.

Caltrans is expected to address residents at a public meeting Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Colusa Scout Cabin.

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 Denise Craig

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A bald eagle found suffering from lead poisoning is now in the care of the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Esteban Salamanca was returning home from a World Series watch party last week when he found the eagle hopping through his neighbor’s yard. He became concerned when the eagle was still there after he got ready for bed.

“Kind of weird to have an eagle there,” Salamanca said. “We have a lot of, I don’t want to say big animals, but animals coming through the yard. So, I’m like I’ve got to get this eagle out of here. Something’s going to happen to it. I’d feel bad if I didn’t. So, I just figured call the humane society and we just did that.”

The WHS sent out two licensed rehabilitators who quickly noticed clear signs of respiratory distress in the bird.

“His lead test results were so high that the machine couldn’t even display a number,” the humane society said in a news release. “This poor bird was suffering from severe lead poisoning.”

According to the humane society, X-rays revealed two or three tiny metallic pieces in the eagle’s stomach, indicating he had consumed fragments of a manufactured object. Although staff members can’t precisely identify the pieces, fishing tackle and ammunition are among the likely culprits.

“It’s a good reminder that leaving spent ammunition or tackle in the environment can have unintended and devastating consequences for wild animals,” the humane society said.

Staff members said they have seen “some promising signs of improvement” over the past few days. While the eagle is slowly getting stronger and more alert, they stressed that he remains in critical condition.

“It’s far too early to tell how he’ll do, and his prognosis is heavily guarded, but we’re doing all we can in hopes of a recovery,” said Alyssa Baumann, a wildlife rehabilitator.

The Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is Milwaukee County’s only licensed facility to care for injured and orphaned native wild animals. They do not receive any government funding and rely on the support of the community to fund their life-saving work. To make a contribution to the Bald Eagle’s medical care, visit the WHS website or call 414-431-6119.

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 Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent

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    Washington (Quincy News) — Technology stocks fell sharply Thursday as investors reassessed the outlook for artificial intelligence infrastructure spending, pushing the Nasdaq Composite into correction territory during intraday trading.

The selloff comes amid concerns that Democratic election victories could bring tougher scrutiny of data-center development and slow construction.

But the market drop reflects deeper structural risks, according to Georgetown finance professor James Angel, who warns that excessive building and borrowing could leave some AI projects unprofitable.

“The U.S. market has been priced to perfection for a long time,” Angel told Quincy News. He noted that he tends to be a “perma-bear” on valuations, adding that current prices assume every AI company and data-center builder succeeds.

Angel, who worked as an engineer at Pacific Gas and Electric before moving into finance, said getting projects powered is a separate hurdle. “The lead times on these things are really long,” he said, pointing to generation, transmission and permitting. Communities resist large industrial facilities, Angel added, and “the permitting process is way too slow.”

Commercial real estate firm CBRE reported in August that vacancy across its eight primary North American data-center markets was a record-low 1.4% in the first half of the year, and that tenants had already committed to 80.4% of the capacity under construction.

Those leasing commitments are only part of the investment calculation. Projects also need power, timely completion and enough revenue to cover their construction and financing costs.

In an Oct. 27 interview with Quincy News, WestCap founder Laurence A. Tosi called high borrowing costs “one of the largest threats to the AI buildout.” He warned that financing pressures could hit multiple participants in the expansion at once, creating interconnected risks as companies seek funding for their projects.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh also challenged the idea that AI investment is insulated from interest rates at his Oct. 28 news conference.

“Interest rates get in the cracks,” Warsh said. He pointed to investors becoming more selective and widening credit spreads for some assets as evidence that rates were affecting investment decisions.

In an October bulletin, researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City wrote that AI firms’ share of investment-grade bond issuance rose from 2% in 2023 to 10% through the second quarter of 2026. Newer financing arrangements have not been stress-tested by a downturn, they wrote, and losses could spread between financially connected companies even if adoption continues steadily.

To Angel, that financial exposure points to an inevitable reckoning.

“Chances are in these kinds of booms, somebody’s going to overexpand, somebody’s going to be overleveraged, and there will be losers as well as winners,” Angel 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 Steven Yablonski, Abby Dodge, Ivan Taylor and Peter D’Oench

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    KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (WFOR) — Two people were injured and one person was killed when a helicopter crashed into Biscayne Bay off Key Biscayne on Wednesday morning.

The Robinson R44 helicopter crashed into the water around after 11 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, the helicopter went down as the occupants, who have only been identified as three adult males, were taking photos of boats near Bill Baggs State Park off Key Biscayne.

As a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said that when MDSO marine units arrived after the crash, they found a Good Samaritan trying to help one of the victims and bring him to shore.

First responders attempted to save his life but were unsuccessful.

“While MDSO was assisting the victim, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations located two injured adult male victims from the helicopter and transported them to the dock at No Name Harbor,” the MDSO said in a news release. “Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) airlifted both victims to a local hospital in critical, but stable condition.”

At this point in the investigation it’s unknown what may have caused the helicopter to crash.

“We don’t have a cause for the crash,” Cordero-Stutz said. “We are working in partnership with the FAA and the NTSB. This is a very tragic event. This is very early on in the investigation, and our hearts go out to the people involved in the tragedy.”

CBS News Miami spoke to a woman outside of Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She said her son was involved in the helicopter crash Wednesday.

“He’s being assessed by the doctors and he’s alive,” the woman said. “We’re thanking the good Lord for that.”

The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board would lead the investigation and provide additional updates. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is also investigating.

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 Jaylon Banks

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — The Brunch Box in downtown Omaha is helping individuals with disabilities gain work experience and stable employment through partnerships with local organizations.

Stephanie Goodrich, the restaurant’s owner, transitioned from teaching special education in Omaha Public Schools for nearly a decade to opening her own restaurant.

“I left teaching. I was determined to create maybe like a consulting company that would help those businesses, which I did, but I still continue to see that gap. So I decided, well, I’ll open up a restaurant myself and start here,” Goodrich said.

For the past three years, The Brunch Box has partnered with local organizations to provide a stable workplace environment for individuals with disabilities.

“When we first started, about 40% of our staff had a disability of some kind. Whether it was ADHD or Down’s syndrome, it might be visible or invisible. And then as it’s progressed on, we’ve done a lot of work experience opportunities for individuals with disabilities,” Goodrich said.

Goodrich emphasized the importance of focusing on strengths rather than limitations.

“Here is their limitations. What we really do is find everybody’s strengths and then what supports they need, disability or not, and create a team environment that supports everyone,” she 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.