Category: CNN Regional

By Jessica Guay

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    BEAVER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Local photographers are heartbroken after a young eagle was hit and killed by a train in Beaver County earlier this month.

Two adult eagles, known as Rocky and Adrian, have had a nest at Big Rock Park in New Brighton for several years. They had three eaglets this year, all of which recently fledged the nest. The birds bring joy to many people who spend time photographing them, including Stephen Novoselac.

“I would start talking, and it would cock its head listening to me. I might have been probably one of the first humans ever heard a human voice that close,” Novoselac told KDKA-TV.

Just days later, it’s suspected that same young eagle was fatally hit by a train. It was spotted struggling in the Beaver River and made its way to shore, but couldn’t use its legs. Novoselac said he and Pennsylvania Game Commission Warden Sgt. Matt Kramer came up with a plan to try to rescue the eagle.

“We had to drive around to the Beaver Falls side of the river, and then go down a steep embankment, a grade with no footing at all. We got down there; it was about a 50-foot drop, pretty steep. And got to the eagle and it started flopping around a little bit with its wings, and then he went and picked it up,” Novoselac said.

Novoselac got stuck on the way up and was eventually pulled to safety. But first, he made sure the eagle got to the right people. The bird was taken to Tamarack Wildlife Center to be examined. Carol Holmgren, the center’s executive director, said the eagle had “catastrophic injuries.”

“He did have, unfortunately, catastrophic injuries. And it showed evidence of severe spinal trauma that did not have a prognosis indicating potential for recovery. So, we’re in this business to help wildlife get healthy and go free, but sometimes the release that we can give is release from suffering. And so, he was given compassionate peace,” Holmgren said.

Novoselac is devastated that the eagle couldn’t be saved.

“At least we tried. That’s our main concern at the time. We tried, we were hoping for the best, but sometimes things like that just don’t turn out that way,” Novoselac said.

The team effort to give the majestic bird a chance means a lot and shows how loved the bald eagles of Big Rock Park are.

“We can take comfort that he got the best possible care and got a very compassionate response,” Holmgren said. “We all did our best, and his spirit is flying free.”

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 Jennifer Borrasso

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    MCKEESPORT, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — More than a week after two dogs killed a family’s pet emu in McKeesport, the owner of the dogs was cited.

The two dogs chased the emu, named Barb, down Ravine Street on July 21 and mauled the 160-pound, 6-foot-tall animal to death. The frantic chase was captured on cellphone video.

The Allegheny County dog warden filed eight summary charges this week against Amber Alexander, the owner of the dogs. Her house is next door to where the emus lived. Constance Alexander, Amber Alexander’s daughter, said on Wednesday that her mom plans to plead not guilty to all of the charges.

Once Amber Alexander receives the citations, she will need to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty for each offense. Then a judge will decide if the dogs are dangerous. If the dogs are declared dangerous, the owner has a right to appeal.

If no appeal is filed, the owner has two options: have the dogs humanely euthanized or jump through hoops to keep the dogs, including leashing and muzzling them and posting clear warning signs.

The emus owners previously told KDKA-TV that last week’s incident was not the first time the dogs have attacked animals. Carly Stroman said the dogs came into her yard last year and killed chickens. She claims police did not do anything.

At last check, the McKeesport Police Department said it and other animal regulating authorities continue to review the attack on the emu. The mayor, Tom Maglicco, said the case is being investigated.

Stroman or other family members weren’t available for an on-camera interview on Wednesday. She did give KDKA-TV a statement, saying, “We are just hopeful that the judge takes into consideration the level of brutality the dogs put our poor bird through.”

The remaining emus have been moved to a new location. The dogs remain at Amber Alexander’s home, her daughter 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 Joe Brandt, Laura Fay, Ross DiMattei, Sean Tallant

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    CHELTENHAM, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Ten people are facing charges after a 15-year-old Cheltenham High School student was assaulted twice in the locker room last year, Montgomery County officials announced Wednesday.

Four coaches — Terence Tolbert, 55, of Elkins Park; associate head coach Darian “DJ” McFadden, 42, of Roslyn, Pennsylvania; assistant coach Benjamin Johnson III, 45, of Cheltenham; and volunteer coach Ralph Burnley, 60, of Elkins Park — are charged with endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy to do so for trying to cover up the assault, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said.

Two football players who were 18 years old at the time of the assaults are also charged. Isaiah Simpson, of Cheltenham, is charged with simple assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other counts, according to the DA. Josiah Peeler, of Cheltenham, is charged with false swearing for allegedly lying to law enforcement.

Four other players who were under 18 at the time of the incidents also face charges in the juvenile system, so they will not be named publicly.

On Thursday, an adult charged in the case turned themselves in. Their identity has not been publicly released at this time and we’re working to learn more.

The charges come after a lengthy investigation by the Montgomery County Investigating Grand Jury that included testimony from more than 25 witnesses.

“This was mishandled on a lot of different levels, and it took the Montgomery County Grand Jury a long period of time to get this to where we knew [what] the facts in this case are,” Steele said.

The grand jury found that multiple players were in the locker room at the time of both assaults, and the incidents came amid ongoing issues between the victim and other players.

Two of the players facing charges in juvenile court allegedly recorded the first assault on Aug. 15, 2025, and shared the video with others, then deleted it, the DA said. The videos showed multiple players restraining the 15-year-old victim while another of the juvenile suspects poked him with a broomstick.

The second incident happened on Sept. 3, 2025. On that day, Simpson and other players are accused of kicking and stomping the victim and again poking him with a broomstick. Investigators have not found video of this second assault.

No coaches were in the locker room during either incident, the DA said.

After the second attack, Steele said, the victim told Burnley, who was giving him a ride home, that he had been “jumped” in the locker room and had an injury to his genital area. Cellphone records show Burnley told the other coaches right away, and McFadden and Tolbert told the victim not to tell his mother about the incidents, the DA said during a press conference. The coaches also did not contact school administrators, he said.

Evidence shows the coaches discussed concerns that the assault would jeopardize the season and wanted to handle it internally.

“The assaults on this victim were not the typical goofing around by teammates or horseplay, as some of the coaches in this case called it. They were crimes,” Steele said.

The victim was taken to urgent care on Sept. 8, 2025, and was diagnosed with a contusion to his penis.

The victim’s mother learned of the second incident a few days after it happened from a family member who heard about it from other parents, and school administrators learned about it on Sept. 18 through an anonymous report on the Safe2Say app.

Cheltenham officials then contacted police and suspended the season on Oct. 17. They canceled the remainder of the 2025 season on Oct. 19, citing hazing allegations.

The school also canceled the 2026 football season because of the investigation. It will field a ninth-grade team this year, officials said.

In a letter to the community, Cheltenham Superintendent of Schools Brian W. Scriven said district officials appreciate that “those responsible are being held accountable through the criminal justice system.” The district has cut ties with every member of the football coaching staff in light of the investigation, Scriven said.

District officials will continue to review and strengthen safety procedures ahead of the new school year.

The grand jury also issued a report recommending state legislators change the law to make hazing an offense that mandated reporters must report. In the letter to families, Scriven said the district supports this recommendation and believes legislators could go even farther, as not all student-on-student assaults are considered hazing.

Officials have informed the 10 suspects that they are facing charges, and many of them are making arrangements to turn themselves in.

Parents have previously told CBS News Philadelphia they were frustrated by the investigation, saying their children were being viewed with suspicion by college recruiters despite not being involved in the assault.

In a message to parents in January, Scriven said about 19 students witnessed the Sept. 3, 2025, assault and made no attempts to stop it.

You can watch Steele’s full news conference about the investigation on CBS Philadelphia’s YouTube channel.

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 Carolyn Gusoff

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A school music teacher allegedly raped and strangled his sister-in-law in a “planned, twisted attack” last month on Long Island, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Joseph Horner, 27, practiced carrying out the attack by performing a chokehold on a stuffed animal, with the practice session caught on video, according to prosecutors.

What’s more, he even took a call from his wife while attacking her sister, prosecutors said.

Horner faces life in prison if convicted on first-degree murder and rape charges.

Horner is accused of raping and killing Victoria Castle, 25. The two lived in a two-family home in North Massapequa – Horner and his wife upstairs, Castle downstairs.

On social media, Castle once called Horner “one of the most wonderful people in the world,” prosecutors said.

In court Wednesday, prosecutors claimed Horner harbored a deadly fixation on Castle, and on June 29, when his wife was away, he asked Castle to help him move a keyboard piano.

“It was cover for the defendant to finally act on his decade-long, chilling lust for his sister-in-law,” Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said.

He then put her in a chokehold until her body went limp, and then raped and strangled her, prosecutors said in court.

His practice session on the stuffed animal was recorded on his own surveillance camera, according to prosecutors.

“Practicing a chokehold on a stuffed animal 15 minutes before he carried out the vile act against his sister-in-law, which used the same method of a chokehold,” Donnelly said.

Horner took a FaceTime call from his wife during the crime, according to prosecutors.

“During that call, the defendant acted as if nothing was wrong, as if he hadn’t just violently attacked her sister,” Donnelly said. “He’s a cold, calculated, vicious killer.”

After the attack, Horner allegedly called 911 and calmly waited for police outside the house and confessed to a decade-long obsession, including sneaking into Castle’s apartment in search of explicit photos of her.

“A truly twisted, sickening behavior pattern,” Donnelly said.

The unfathomable crime is made even worse because Horner worked for years as a choral teacher in an Oceanside elementary school, Donnelly said.

“As a parent, I am horrified that this person had access to children, someone who could commit such a vile and monstrous act,” she said.

The school district is terminating Horner, and called the allegations deeply disturbing.

Horner pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday. His wife sobbed. His attorney declined to comment, as did other relatives who attended court.

He’s due back in court Aug. 19.

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 Noelle Lilley

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — More than 130 people who overcame homelessness in New York City were celebrated at a special graduation ceremony Wednesday.

The Doe Fund hosted the ceremony through its Ready, Willing, and Able program to recognize people who transitioned to long-term housing.

The program helps people experiencing homelessness find housing, jobs or both.

Graduate Imani Abdus-Sabir once struggled with addiction and was incarcerated, but everything changed when he learned about The Doe Fund.

“There’s no other program that offers people the opportunity to be employed while living in a shelter,” he said.

Many of the people the organization serves are formerly incarcerated, a community that faces barriers to securing employment despite a desire to work. Formerly incarcerated people are nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public, according to The Prison Policy Initiative.

The Doe Fund helps make this transition easier, from dressing for a job interview to finding supportive housing.

Graduate Ricky Willis was once living in a shelter but is now employed as a driver, living in Brooklyn.

“When I came out, and I see all the things that I accomplished, it feels good when I look back on it,” he said.

The organization was founded by George T. McDonald, who, in the 1980s, began distributing food to unhoused people on the floor of Grand Central Terminal for 700 consecutive nights.

There he built a connection with a woman known to the community as “Mama,” but on a freezing Christmas Eve night in 1985, transit police evicted Mama from the terminal. By the next morning, she had died on a bench from pneumonia and would later be nicknamed “Mama Doe.”

This inspired McDonald to create The Doe Fund, an organization that would not only provide for those in need but would also empower people to rebuild and achieve stability after homelessness or incarceration.

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 Manuel Bojorquez

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    HOLLYWOOD, Florida (WFOR) — A South Florida family is mourning the loss of their 4-year-old French bulldog and demanding answers after the dog died while in the care of a sitter booked through the app Rover.

Kaylynn Ackeret said she had previously used the platform to find care for her two dogs, including her French bulldog, Prince. “I did use the app previously in Las Vegas, and it was great. I didn’t have any issues then,” Ackeret said.

Last Friday, Ackeret brought the dogs to the home of a sitter in Hollywood. The following day, she received a message asking her to call.

“I called her, and I was just thinking, ‘Oh gosh, did Prince bite a dog?’ You know, what happened?” she recalled.

Ackeret described the conversation as cold. “She just pretty much said flat out, ‘Oh, Prince died overnight.’ No remorse. Very rude. ‘Oh, you know these dogs overheat. That’s what they are known to do,'” Ackeret said.

Ackeret believes the dogs were left outside overnight, which she says was not the arrangement she agreed to. “I haven’t been in my car since dropping him off to the sitter. His hair is everywhere. Like, it’s just sad,” she said through tears.

The Hollywood Police Department stated on social media that it is investigating the case. CBS News Miami went to the pet sitter’s home for comment, but no one answered the door.

Following the incident, the company issued the following statement:

“Most of us at Rover are pet parents ourselves, and we can only imagine the heartbreak and stress Prince’s family is experiencing.

Upon learning of this incident, our 24/7 Trust & Safety team launched a thorough investigation. The account of the sitter involved has been deactivated without the option to appeal, meaning they cannot communicate or book new stays with pet parents via Rover. We have also refunded Ms. Ackeret’s stay and offered to reimburse all eligible veterinary and aftercare costs through the Rover Guarantee.

Safety incidents on our platform are extremely rare—over half a million stays have been booked by pet parents in the Miami area, with more than 98% of reviewed stays receiving five stars. Prince’s death is truly heartbreaking, and it’s one we’re handling with the seriousness it deserves.”

“I don’t want this to happen to any other dog,” Ackeret said. “People shouldn’t go through this.”

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 Chelsea Jones

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A 21-year-old bartender is speaking out after she was allegedly attacked by a customer while working at the Hard Rock Café at Bayside Marketplace in Miami.

Surveillance video obtained by CBS News Miami shows the Sunday encounter inside the restaurant, including the moment the woman appears to be shoved to the ground. CBS News Miami is not identifying the bartender.

The woman told CBS News Miami that the confrontation began when she noticed a man reaching over the bar to eat fruit from the restaurant’s garnish station.

“I came up to him and was like, ‘Hey sir, I can’t really have you standing over here,'” the woman said. “And I noticed that you’re eating our fruit, our garnishes. These go in people’s drinks. You can’t be grabbing it directly from the garnish stand.”

According to the bartender, the man replied, “What do you want me to do, spit it out?”

The man then returned to a table where his wife and four other guests were seated. The bartender said she was later told by a server that the man was “aggressively glaring” at her and “beating his leg” for the next 30 minutes.

The situation escalated when the man allegedly blindsided the bartender.

“I remember I look up, and he had this face of like pure anger, and I see him get into this position and shove me from this part,” she said, gesturing toward her chest.

Surveillance video appears to show the woman falling to the floor. The bartender said the incident has taken a significant emotional toll, noting her frustration that others in the restaurant did not appear to intervene.

Following the fall, the woman attempted to take photos of the man she says attacked her. She told CBS News Miami that police detectives reviewed the surveillance footage and indicated it captured a second physical altercation.

“He smacked the phone out of my hand, and the pillar was blocking this part, but he seems to have gone for my face with a closed fist,” she said.

The bartender expressed disappointment in how her employer handled the aftermath.

“I feel really failed by my employers,” she said. “The party was still there, his wife was still there, and they could have questioned the wife, and they could’ve gotten information about her because he committed a violent crime.”

The Hard Rock Café did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The woman spent part of the night at Miami Police Department headquarters speaking with detectives. She confirmed she plans to press charges.

The Miami Police Department is still working to identify the man in the videos and is continuing to investigate the incident.

The bartender stated she will not return to the job, citing concerns for her safety.

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By Kaley Fedko

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    DUBLIN, Georgia (WUPA) — A milestone at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is also the story of an extraordinary gift.

On June 3, the hospital’s 2,000th organ transplant went to 2-year-old John Miller of Dublin, Georgia.

Long before the toddler took his first steps, his parents, Greer and Chris, knew he would some day likely need a new kidney.

John was born with Hydronephrosis, a condition where urine travels back up into one or both kidneys, causing them to swell.

He was just four weeks old when he was taken by helicopter to Children’s with stage five kidney failure.

“They told us at the Macon hospital that if we would’ve waited any longer, then he probably would’ve gone into cardiac arrest,” Greer Miller told CBS News Atlanta.

Mrs. Miller told us there were over 100 potential candidates on John’s donor list, but the perfect match turned out to be someone close to the family.

“Lance, my cousin, unexpectedly had a motorcycle accident and ended up passing, and it was during the time of his passing when the hospital he was at was asking the immediate family: what do you want to do?” said Chris Miller, “and they elected to let him be an organ donor. My aunt kind of reminded them that John needed a kidney.”

Lance Miller passed away May 31.

His family made a decision that would save John’s life.

“They lost a son, a father, a husband, you know, everything, and in the worst time of their life they thought of us. They thought of saving our son John,” Mr. Miller said.

Then, another hurdle arose. The match was perfect, but the size was not.

Lance Miller’s adult kidney had to fit inside a 2-year-old’s body.

The surgery was led by Children’s pediatric surgeons Dr. Bhargava Mullapudi and Dr. Richard Hendrickson, who told us they have developed a technique to fit adult organs into the bodies of some of their smallest patients.

“We talked about this with the family and the pre-op evaluation,” Dr. Hendrickson said. “The kidney transplant evaluation told them this may be a little too big for him, but Dr. Mullapudi and I have figured out ways in order to mobilize the inside of the retroperitoneal space to make these bigger kidneys fit without having any issues.”

He said he plans to present the size analytics at an international panel next year.

“No matter what size the child is, we like to have kidneys a certain size,” Dr. Hendrickson said. “We look at the scan or the imaging from the donor, and then we try to assess if we can get that kidney to fit in the young children.”

John’s surgery marked the milestone of the 2,000th organ transplant at Children’s.

For the Miller family, that number comes second to the man who made it possible –– Lance Miller.

“John being the 2,000th organ on top of it, like how it all happened. I mean, it just makes me want to sit here and tell people how amazing Children’s is and just and how important it is to donate your organs if you can,” said Greer Miller.

John’s parents told us he is doing great post-operation.

“He doesn’t know what to do with all this energy,” Mrs. Miller said. “We’re able to see him talking more. Since he’s gotten his kidney, he’s just I mean, he’s a new kid.”

His parents said John will continue intensive follow-up care for the next year before those appointments become less frequent.

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 Nakell Williams

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    FAYETTEVILLE, Georgia (WUPA) — For nearly a decade, Fun Spot America has given residents of Fayetteville, Georgia and visitors from around the world moments that have kept them coming back for more. Now fans of the park and its unique roller coaster are saying goodbye before it shuts down for good.

The amusement park, which opened in 2017, is known as an affordable place where families can have fun and make memories that will last a lifetime. It had previous been a Fun Junction USA park from the 90s until its acquisition by the Fun Spot company.

In June, the company shared the bad news that its final day of operation would be Aug. 2. Faithful parkgoers told CBS News Atlanta that they’re disappointed about the closure.

Courtney Ray and her family traveled from Houston, Texas for one last visit to the park.

“That’s why we made an emergency trip out here to say goodbye to one of our favorite roller coasters. We came to ride ArieForce One,” Courtney Ray said.

She was one of the many from across the country to ride the park’s signature coaster. Known as one of the best in the country and built by Rocky Mountain Construction, the steel roller coaster has a top speed of 64 miles per hour, a 146-foot drop at an 83-degree angle, and four inversions.

Ethan Clark and Hannah Right drove hours from their hometown of Boone, North Carolina to pay their respects and ride ArieForce One.

“They built an incredible coaster at a very odd location,” Clark said. “I honestly kind of love the little charm they have at the theme park itself. The arcade and everything – it is nostalgic when I was I kid they don’t look like this anymore.”

Throughout the theme park, there were signs of Fun Spot America’s imminent closure – empty booths, shuttered food stands, and a few visitors on the park’s other rides.

A manager at the park said he was saddened by the leader’s decision to shut down the Fayetteville location, but said he’s extremely grateful he will not have to deal with unemployment. The company is working with current employees to secure placements at other locations, including in Florida.

In a statement, Fun Spot America CEO John Arie Jr. thanked the Fayetteville community for its dedication and support.

“Our Atlanta team has poured their hearts into serving our guests and creating a place where families could have fun together,” Arie said.

The park will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Aug. 2. Unlimited ride passes are less than $40.

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 Aaron Parseghian

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    PEABODY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A family farm in Peabody, Massachusetts, is calling for the public to help stop an ongoing problem: dozens of roosters being abandoned on their property.

Every day, Madison Wood cares for dozens of animals at her farm, including cows, emus, goats and alpacas. It’s been in the family since the early 2000s.

But while many of the animals arrive through planned rescues, Wood said roosters continue showing up unexpectedly after being dumped over the farm’s fencing.

“It’s a shame, and I know I’m not the only farm that deals with this,” Wood said. “I know it’s quite a common phenomenon for people to dump them in. It just so happens that we are easily accessible, next to the road.”

Wood said the farm has dealt with nearly 30 abandoned roosters since she took over operations in 2021, with the most recent case happening last week.

She said each new arrival requires time, space and resources to ensure the birds do not pose a risk to the rest of the animals.

“I will go get my net and I will catch them and I will quarantine them in the barn for two weeks just so I can have a closer eye on them, make sure they don’t have anything [disease or illness],” Wood explained.

Wood believes the issue stems from the growing popularity of backyard flocks, leading some owners to abandon roosters after realizing they are male chickens. Or simply because it’s too much work to care for them.

Instead, she urges prospective animal owners to carefully consider the responsibility before bringing one home and if you have second thoughts, find a willing adopter for the animal. Don’t just leave them at any farm you drive by.

“Just do your proper research when buying any animal,” Wood said. “I love all animals, so it is a shame to call them a burden, but at that point when I have so many it does become kind of a burden.”

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.