Category: CNN Regional

By Edie Kasten, Irika Sargent

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A look into the pain and the hope of treating rare neurological diseases in children; it’s a difficult, sometimes gut-wrenching process with no guarantees, but a Chicago doctor is determined to extend and save lives.

“When I went into child neurology, I actually went into it because there was so little known about it, and I thought there was just a huge black box of opportunity to treat conditions that we didn’t even understand what caused them,” said Dr. Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, a pediatric neurologist at Rush University Medical Center.

Berry-Kravis ventures deeply into that huge black box every day. Dr. EBK, as her colleagues call her, specializes in rare diseases.

One of her patients, Tessa Jarrin, has TUBB4A leukodystrophy. It’s an inherited disorder that affects her ability to eat, speak, and walk.

“It’s super rare. There’s less than 300 people in the world with this disease. With Tessa’s exact variant, there’s less than 13 people,” said Tessa’s mom, Ashley.

“It’s very lonely at times, because a lot of people can’t relate to what we’re going through,” said Tessa’s dad, Justin.

Ashley and Justin heard about a promising treatment for Tessa’s condition, but couldn’t find a doctor who would administer it.

Desperate, Ashley attended an event to learn more about the procedure.

“We ultimately put together business cards and pins with Tessa’s face on them, just pleading for a doctor to see us, to see my daughter, to help save her,” Ashley said. “There we found Dr. Berry-Kravis, and she’s like, ‘Could you come to Chicago?’ I said, ‘I will be there tomorrow.'”

The Jarrins brought Tessa to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago all the way from their home in Houston.

“Tessa is here to get an investigational; something called an antisense oligonucleotide, which is going to go in there into her brain, and block the damaging mutation,” Berry-Kravis said. “Hopefully that allows us to stop the progression, and maybe even allows Tessa to develop more normally.”

Her colleagues said Dr. EBK is big on hope, and big on not sitting still.

“EBK is amazing. She is just a spitfire, fantastic woman,” research assistant Rachel Stoub said. “She is nonstop. … She lives off of candy and diet sodas.”

A little unorthodox for a diehard marathon runner, who takes the train in from the suburbs, then bikes to Rush and back five days a week. How does she do it all?

“I think I sleep less than most people,” she said.

But she wakes up every day optimistic about the future.

“We’ve discovered more and more and more of the genetic causes of these diseases,” Berry-Kravis said. “We’re really at a cusp right now where these discoveries are happening very rapidly.”

She said, in Tessa’s case, doctors can perform gene therapy to replace disease-causing genes with healthy genes, and in the near future could even turn to gene editing.

“We’ve finally gotten to the point where we can do what I really went into the field to try to discover how to do,” she said. “It’s just very exciting. … We have the potential to change the courses of these diseases and thereby change the lives of these kids.”

Berry-Kravis also is known for uncovering molecular clues in fragile X syndrome, or Martin-Bell syndrome, another genetic disorder that leads to intellectual and developmental disabilities.

To learn more about her work and the challenge of fighting rare diseases, visit rush.edu.

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By Aaron Parseghian

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    BROOKLINE, Massachusetts (WBZ) — What started as a bored teenager’s online experiment during the pandemic has turned into a real-life change on MBTA bus routes in the Boston area.

Brendan Libby, now a senior at Brookline High School, said he often passed a small, unnamed road tucked behind a Chestnut Hill apartment complex. In 2021, while bored during the pandemic, the then-14-year-old discovered he could submit edits or suggest names through Google Maps.

“Without thinking, I went in, tried to change it to something,” he said.

A history and baseball buff, Libby decided to give that unnamed street a name, Maranville Street, after Walter “Rabbit” Maranville, the Springfield-born Baseball Hall of Famer who helped the Boston Braves win the 1914 World Series.

“He was kind of an unknown local celebrity for the Boston Braves, and I thought his name was kind of cool. So that’s pretty much why I chose it,” he explained.

To his surprise a few days later, Google approved the street name.

At that point, it was nothing more than just an inside family joke, for those that knew if they were on the app. That was until Libby was riding the Route 51 bus to a physical therapy appointment one day, when he heard the onboard announcement.

The bus speaker announced “at Maranville Street” as it approached the nearby stop.

“The AI thing pronounced it, and I kind of got jump-scared,” Libby laughed. “The bus name had actually been changed.”

The MBTA told WBZ-TV, “Our Service and Planning team does occasionally consult Google Maps to update bus stop names, so this appears to be plausible. This particular stop and the one across the street had their names updated to include the Maranville Street moniker during the summer 2022 service changes.”

“I was pretty shocked,” Libby said.

Maranville Street sign He kept the story mostly to himself until posting about it on Reddit, where it quickly took off and drew praise.

“I wasn’t intending to get famous by this at any point. I just thought it would be a cool story to share,” he said. “But now that people took it kind of seriously, I’ve kind of been leaning into that.”

With an online community now cheering him on, Libby’s next goal is convincing the city of Boston to install an actual Maranville Street sign.

“If we could get one address changed to Maranville Street, that’s the goal,” he said.

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By Daniel Wilkerson

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Three Atlanta high school seniors got the surprise of a lifetime when they went to school on Friday.

They were accepted on the spot into the Georgia Institute of Technology.

It’s a moment that, for one family, was decades in the making, and CBS News Atlanta was there to capture all the excitement.

At Mays High School, Justin Allen, Ralph Long IV, and Bethany Momon got the news that they had been accepted early into Georgia Tech.

“I was totally surprised,” Momon said. “I saw my parents walk in and said, ‘Oh, this one’s going to be big for me.’ I don’t think I’m fully there. I’m kind of out of my mind.”

“This is amazing. Georgia Tech has been my number one for so long,” Allen said. “The rigor, the honor of saying I got accepted — it’s unmatched. All the effort I’ve put in it paid off. I got accepted into Georgia Tech.”

“It feels good. It was shocking. I was really nervous about being accepted,” Long said. “I want to pursue cybersecurity, and I can’t think of any other school bigger in cybersecurity or computer engineering than Georgia Tech.”

For Long, the moment runs deeper than the acceptance. His grandfather was one of the first Black engineers in the Southeast, and graduated from the university.

“It’s like he paved the path for me, so now I can walk easier, along his footsteps, and pick up along the road he set for me,” Long said.

“This is a great moment in our family history, having my grandson admitted to Georgia Tech and following in the footsteps of his grandparents,” grandfather Ralph Long Jr. said. “I applied in 1960, so this is a great opportunity for him.”

All three students’ parents helped them celebrate the big announcement.

“Oh, I’m so overjoyed right now. I’m fighting back tears as I speak to you, because this moment is huge for us. It’s huge for Bethany,” mom Tiffany Momon said. “Whe’s challenged herself in ways I could never imagine.”

For these high school seniors, there are generations of sacrifice and years of hard work culminating when they walk onto Georgia Tech’s campus next year.

The Georgia Tech admissions team surprised students at eight high schools across Georgia, including Mays.

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By Molly McCrea, Anne Makovec, Carlos E. Castañeda

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — In a recent survey, the vast majority of surfers feel a personal responsibility for the health of the ocean. Now, a Santa Cruz company hopes to provide them with one way to surf in a more eco-friendly manner.

Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz is one of the most iconic California surf spots. It has consistent, powerful waves as well as incredible scenic coastal views, drawing surfing aficionados from around the world.

“The ocean is so powerful. It holds such a good place in my heart,” said surfer Tyler James. “When you’re out there, it’s just you and the ocean, and there’s something so special about it.”

It was even more special recently when James tried something new: a high-performance surfboard that was custom-made for him. While most surfboards are carved out of blocks of petroleum-based foam, Tyler’s board is 3D printed, using a biodegradable plant-based plastic.

“This is the future, I think, of surfing,” James said, as he examined his new board.

By one estimate, 40% of foam cut away from a board is thrown into a landfill. But the boards like the one held in Tyler’s hands are foam-free. They’re created at Swellcycle with just enough bioplastic filament called polylactic acid.

“Which is compostable under very specific conditions, said Swellcycle sustainability and operations manager Dr Liesbeth Van Hassel. “Basically, made mostly from corn or sugar cane. Anything that can be turned into sugar.”

The material is industrially compostable with controlled temperatures, humidity, oxygen, and microorganisms.

“In our process we keep all the waste that we generate, which is pretty low, but we keep them, and this material is completely recyclable,” added Van Hassel.

The startup works with board shapers, including Spina, Iconoclast, and Tigre Bona. Swellcycle told CBS News Bay Area that more shapers are on the way.

The shapers provide design files to Swellcycle, which brings the board to life using a 3D printer and the renewable thermoplastics. The company can also scan a physical board and create the digital files.

After the boards are printed, Swellcycle laminates them, which makes them not only waterproof but stronger. Van Hassel explained how their cores hardly ever get pressure dings, while the epoxy resin used by Swellcycle is 30% biobased.

In addition, the 3D printers and Swellcycle’s entire Santa Cruz headquarters are powered by solar energy.

“We’re developing tools to make manufacturing more sustainable,” said co-founder and CEO Patricio Guerrero. “We’re looking at different processes and seeing how we can take advantage of waste reduction opportunities thru 3d printing and additive manufacturing, where you’re actually laying down the material you need rather than subtracting it from a big block of foam.”

Swellcycle hosts demo days when surfers can try out the boards. Recently, a handful of surfers tried out some of the boards at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz.

“They’re really fast, they’re really fun,” said surfer Keaton Mayo, who tested a Tigre Bona-shaped board. “They’re not your traditional board. It was a blast.”

“I thought it was sensational,” said surfer Sam Bartosik-Velez, who tried a Spina.

The surfboard industry is not very sustainable. Most of the tens of millions of boards made each year are not environmentally friendly. But Swellcycle hopes to make a difference.

“They feel like a regular surfboard, and they’re sustainable,” said Bartoski-Velez.

“If the surf culture doesn’t kind of make changes towards sustainable surfboards, it’s going to be a problem,” added Mayo.

James is now an ambassador for Swellcycle.

“It’s so important for surfers to understand that if we want to keep surfing, that we got to care about our oceans, we got to care about the process that’s making our boards,” he said.

The next two demo days will be scheduled soon for December. Van Hassel recommends keeping an eye on their website or Instagram.

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By Aaron Hegarty

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — An anonymous witness told KETV NewsWatch 7 that her brief encounter with a gunman helped police identify and confront the man who then went on to shoot multiple officers.

The officers shot Wednesday near 32nd and L are recovering Thursday night.

The gunman has been identified as 28-year-old Juan Melgar-Ayala. Officers shot and killed him inside the QuikTrip.

The witness said she was in her car at the Phil’s Cash Saver when she heard five gunshots, then five more.

After hearing shots, a witness who does not want to be identified said she saw a man in a ski mask drive away quickly.

“He got his keys and started the car. And as he was taking off, he seen me looking at him cause we had eye contact, and I started ducking. I felt in my gut that he had to be the gunman,” she said. “It was too many shots. So I knew in my heart somebody had been shot.”

She said she found the victim, identified as 61-year-old Michael Kasper, struck several times. He asked that witness to call his wife. And she did.

The search for the suspect led officers to the QuikTrip — across the street is Donahue’s Pub.

Pub owner Mike Donahue was in his apartment above the pub when he heard a loud noise. He didn’t think much of it at first.

“When you live right on L Street, it’s not that unusual to hear noise,” Donahue said.

Donahue looked out the window when he heard the sirens.

“Just saw the chaos that was ensuing,” Donahue said.

His security camera captured what appears to be officers sprinting out of a car with guns drawn.

The pub owner then saw an injured officer being carried out in an upright position.

“The amount of cars that rolled in was impressive. And they all seemed to know what they were doing. Everybody looked like they had a place to go, and they knew that’s where they were supposed to be. A certain number of them went straight in, and other ones kind of took control of the outside,” Donahue said.

The witness at Phil’s Cash Saver said she and others described what they saw to police.

“It’s just sad all the way around. And that’s why I say I’m not a hero. God just had me in the right place at the right time to come comfort that man as he was getting ready to die or not, and make sure that the word got to his wife like he wanted,” she said.

The witness of the shooting said she got the victim’s phone for him, who then dialed his wife.

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By Todd Magel

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    WAPELLO COUNTY, Iowa (KCCI) — Doug Doug, a two-year-old collie, was rescued from an icy pond at his rural Ottumwa home earlier this week after falling through the ice covering a 20-foot deep pond.

Deputy Sheriff Marty Wonderlin described the scene, saying, “It’s just hard to see it struggle, and stay up on the ice.”

Wapello County Volunteer Fire Chief Loren McIntosh, along with Wonderlin, sprang into action to save the dog on Tuesday afternoon. Doug Doug’s owners provided a rope and a kayak, while Wonderlin gave McIntosh his life preserver. McIntosh then carefully moved out onto the ice.

“I just went for it and thought if I flip the kayak, it won’t be the first time I get in the water, but it’s going to be cold,” McIntosh said.

Doug Doug was freezing and growing weaker, and even the seasoned sheriff’s deputy was concerned about the outcome.

“As an animal lover, it’s hard to see when you get there, the center of the pond was broken and open and the dog has its front paws up on the ice but the body, shoulders are down under water, submerged,” Wonderlin said.

McIntosh recounted the critical moment of the rescue: “I grabbed him and his head went down below the water and I said you’re not going down again and I pulled him up.”

Minutes later, Doug Doug was safely on shore, shivering and in shock but alive. His rescuers were relieved to have saved a life.

“He’s lucky, he could have drowned. Just like a person, it don’t take long for hypothermia to set in, especially with the cold weather we have right now,” McIntosh said.

Reflecting on the rescue, Wonderlin added, “You don’t get the opportunity to have those feel-good endings where you really have helped someone or something deserving and get that warm fuzzy feeling in this job as much as you might think, so that made it good.”

Doug Doug’s owner reported that his health is great despite the accident, but noted that he is now avoiding the pond.

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By Brooklyn Joyner

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    VICKSBURG, Alabama (WVTM) — A Vicksburg family is calling their 5-year-old boy a hero after he alerted them to a dangerous house fire that destroyed their home just two days after Thanksgiving.

Ranajai Hill may be shy — often hiding behind his hair and speaking softly to strangers — but when it mattered most, he acted with extraordinary bravery.

Ranajai was sitting on the couch watching TV early Saturday morning while most of his family slept. That’s when he noticed heat coming from nearby flames.

“He said he just saw the fire come up, and he went and got his grandmother,” said Jennifer Smith, his Gigi.

In the home at the time were Ranajai’s grandmother, his little sister, two uncles, and Ranajai himself. Thanks to his quick warning, all five escaped safely, wearing only the clothes they had on.

The Vicksburg Fire Department says the fire started from a gas space heater and declared the home a total loss.

“To me, it was very devastating losing everything that you have, that you’ve worked hard for,” Smith said.

But through the devastation, Smith says she’s overwhelmingly grateful — especially when she considers how differently the morning could have ended.

“I’m so proud of him,” she said. “Without him being the brave hero he was, it could have been worse. I don’t even want to explain.”

Although Ranajai is a boy of few words, his Gigi says his compassion for others is what makes him shine — and what helped save his family.

Ranajai’s family has created a GoFundMe to help replace essentials and clothing lost in the fire as they work to rebuild.

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By Adam Bartow

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    FALMOUTH, Maine (WMTW) — Maine Operation Game Thief is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in a major theft from an oyster farm in Falmouth.

Maine Marine Patrol says, on Nov. 22, Michael Scafuro of Portland went to check his aquaculture site near The Brothers Islands in Casco Bay when he discovered 14 aquaculture cages and 40,000 oysters, many of which were ready for sale, were missing. The cages and oysters are worth nearly $20,000.

Marine Patrol searched the area at the time to determine if the gear could have broken free of the anchors that hold it in place, but none of the gear was found. Marine Patrol says the rope, anchors and buoys that hold the gear in place were still on the site, but the cages in which the oysters are held during cultivation and the oysters in them were missing.

“This is a devastating situation for a small businessman like Mr. Scafuro, especially as we head into the holidays,” said Marine Patrol Sgt. Matthew Sinclair. “It can take years to grow oysters to market size, so he has lost that investment of time and money in addition to his valuable equipment and the income from the sale of these oysters.”

You can submit an anonymous tip either online at maineogt.org/report-a-violation, or by phone at 800-ALERT-US (800-253-7887).

The penalty for theft of property valued over $10,000 in Maine is a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

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By Alyse Jones

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — A memorial has been established in Oklahoma City to honor 6-year-old Adrian Salgado, who was tragically hit and killed by a school bus while walking home from Fillmore Elementary School.

The accident occurred at a stop sign on Southwest 51st Street, where Salgado attempted to run across the street and was struck by the side of the bus, according to police.

His friends remained on the sidewalk during the incident.

The community has been deeply affected by the loss, with people leaving flowers, toys, and notes at the memorial site. A note from Salgado’s best friend reads, “Fly high Adrian.”

Oklahoma City Public Schools expressed their condolences, stating, “Our thoughts are with the student’s family, loved ones, the first responders, and the entire Fillmore community.”

The district has provided dedicated counselors at the school to support students and staff.

Lea Campbell, director of clinical services at The Behavioral Health Center at Porter Health Village, spoke of the importance of allowing children to express their emotions and ask questions following such tragedies.

“You want to normalize a wide range of emotions. Grief is not linear; it looks different for every person,” she said.

Campbell advised using age-appropriate honesty to help children understand and reassured them that trauma often stems from uncontrollable events.

“It’s important to remember that trauma comes from things we have no control over, so allowing a child to lead that conversation means they don’t get more information than what they need,” Campbell said.

For those who witnessed the tragedy, Campbell noted, “There’s a lot of survival grief that can come along with that and can impact overall well-being.”

She encouraged families to maintain open communication, saying, “Reassure the child that I’m here for you, we work through things as a family, we can talk about these things, leave that open door policy.”

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Counseling services remain available on-site through Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Police have cleared the bus driver of any wrongdoing in the incident at this point.

A family friend has created a GoFundMe.

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