Category: CNN Regional

By Ricky Sayer

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    NORTH BRADDOCK, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A 15-year-old boy is being hailed a hero after he jumped into action to help a neighbor during a house fire on Thursday in North Braddock.

Xaiveyon McMillan Taylor had just stepped off his school bus on North Avenue when he heard a woman screaming that her house had caught fire. The woman, a longtime school crossing guard in her 80s, is known by neighbors as “Ms. Evelyn.”

“She is everybody’s family, she’s everybody’s grandmother,” said Tallula Thompson, the teen’s mother and the caretaker for Ms. Evelyn’s granddaughter.

She explained that her son ran inside the home to help the woman.

“He’s autistic. He’s very intelligent, but he’s never experienced nothing like this before. So, he tried to put it out, and when he couldn’t, he pulled her out of the house,” Thompson said.

She explained Evelyn, who multiple people say has dementia, had gone back inside the home despite the fire. That’s where the 15-year-old boy jumped into action.

“When I got to the kitchen, I saw the engulfing flames. They were small, and I was like, Oh my God,” he said. “I had to grab her by the hand and had to pull her to get out of the house.”

She re-entered the home multiple times, according to Thompson, who also helped get Evelyn out while her son called 911. The teen described being a bit scared during the ordeal, but he said he felt he had to help.

“Evelyn threw her arms around him and thanked him so graciously for saving her,” neighbor Tracy Musilek said. “Xaiveyon is our hero.”

Asked if he feels like a hero, the 15-year-old said he does because he was helping another person.

The fire itself grew quickly once crews arrived. The home was a total loss, but Evelyn was OK.

“I’m very proud of what he’s done,” Thompson said of her son. “Of course, I am, because who knows, if she didn’t call him up there, she would probably still be in there trying to do it herself, and we might have lost her.”

North Braddock Mayor Cletus Lee said he’s working to make sure Evelyn, a borough employee, has clothes and a place to stay. He’s also looking to see if the borough can recognize the teen boy’s actions.

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WCBS

By Jesse Zanger, Nick Caloway

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    SADDLE RIVER, New Jersey (WCBS) — A man was attacked by a rabid coyote in Saddle River, New Jersey, on Tuesday.

Police said it happened while victim Mike Vincent was working in his yard in the area of Oak Road. He was knocked to the ground and bitten repeatedly, and had to fight his way to safety.

There have been at least four coyote attacks in Bergen County in recent weeks, in Saddle River and Woodcliff Lake.

Vincent said was out trimming trees when the coyote came up behind him.

“I just kind of turned around and went ‘Oh God.’ As I turned around, the rope got wrapped up between him and me. He tried to bite me again and I just hit him. I punched him,” Vincent said.

The brawl didn’t last long, as Vincent managed to beat the animal back.

“It’s only 40 or 50 pounds, so you think you can take care of it. But it’s got teeth and it’s coming at you,” Vincent said.

Saddle River police quickly responded. They found the visibly sick coyote along tree line and euthanized it. The animal later tested positive for rabies, police said.

Vincent made a quick trip to the hospital for treatment, but will have the scars to prove he survived a clash with a coyote.

“I got bit there and I got bit there,” he said, showing his wounds. “[There is] no time to be scared. You have to take care of business.”

Back in September, two people were attacked by coyotes in Saddle River. The coyote in one of those instances also tested positive for rabies.

On Monday afternoon, a woman in Woodcliff Lake was attacked in the backyard of a home while out with the family dog. She was bitten on the back and leg and was treated for her injuries. That attack was caught on surveillance video.

“They’re probably one of the most skittish species that we work with,” said Nancy Warner of Last Resort Wildlife Refuge in West Milford.

Warner is currently nursing a coyote, named Halo, back to health after it was hit by a car. She said most coyotes will run away from humans.

“If it doesn’t, that would indicate that there’s something not quite normal about it. In that case, I would say you should get either inside of a vehicle or inside your house and call the local authorities,” Warner said.

Woodcliff Lake police Capt. Chad Malloy offered some tips on how to keep most coyotes a safe distance away.

“If you live near a wooded area, that’s when you’ve got to be more aware of your surroundings, because obviously they lurk in heavily forested areas. Keep pet food inside, don’t leave it outside, your garbage cans locked. Clear any kind of heavy brush that’s in the area, because they like to hide in that. And bird feeders that knock off seeds attract small animals, which attract coyotes,” Malloy said.

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By Jesse Zanger, Nick Caloway

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    SADDLE RIVER, New Jersey (WCBS) — A man was attacked by a rabid coyote in Saddle River, New Jersey, on Tuesday.

Police said it happened while victim Mike Vincent was working in his yard in the area of Oak Road. He was knocked to the ground and bitten repeatedly, and had to fight his way to safety.

There have been at least four coyote attacks in Bergen County in recent weeks, in Saddle River and Woodcliff Lake.

Vincent said was out trimming trees when the coyote came up behind him.

“I just kind of turned around and went ‘Oh God.’ As I turned around, the rope got wrapped up between him and me. He tried to bite me again and I just hit him. I punched him,” Vincent said.

The brawl didn’t last long, as Vincent managed to beat the animal back.

“It’s only 40 or 50 pounds, so you think you can take care of it. But it’s got teeth and it’s coming at you,” Vincent said.

Saddle River police quickly responded. They found the visibly sick coyote along tree line and euthanized it. The animal later tested positive for rabies, police said.

Vincent made a quick trip to the hospital for treatment, but will have the scars to prove he survived a clash with a coyote.

“I got bit there and I got bit there,” he said, showing his wounds. “[There is] no time to be scared. You have to take care of business.”

Back in September, two people were attacked by coyotes in Saddle River. The coyote in one of those instances also tested positive for rabies.

On Monday afternoon, a woman in Woodcliff Lake was attacked in the backyard of a home while out with the family dog. She was bitten on the back and leg and was treated for her injuries. That attack was caught on surveillance video.

“They’re probably one of the most skittish species that we work with,” said Nancy Warner of Last Resort Wildlife Refuge in West Milford.

Warner is currently nursing a coyote, named Halo, back to health after it was hit by a car. She said most coyotes will run away from humans.

“If it doesn’t, that would indicate that there’s something not quite normal about it. In that case, I would say you should get either inside of a vehicle or inside your house and call the local authorities,” Warner said.

Woodcliff Lake police Capt. Chad Malloy offered some tips on how to keep most coyotes a safe distance away.

“If you live near a wooded area, that’s when you’ve got to be more aware of your surroundings, because obviously they lurk in heavily forested areas. Keep pet food inside, don’t leave it outside, your garbage cans locked. Clear any kind of heavy brush that’s in the area, because they like to hide in that. And bird feeders that knock off seeds attract small animals, which attract coyotes,” Malloy said.

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WCBS

By Naveen Dhaliwal

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A hospital security guard on Long Island is fighting for his life after police say he was brutally attacked by a patient.

Gardy Coriolan, 62, was trying to subdue an unruly patient while working an overnight shift at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre last week, police say.

“I was told that he was hit in the chest and in the face multiple times,” wife Sonya Coriolan said. “And he has remained unconscious ever since.”

The victim’s wife and family are holding onto their faith. They say Gardy Coriolan has been in law enforcement for over 40 years, retiring from the city’s Department of Correction and working at the Uniondale School District.

They say he had expressed concerns about low staffing at Mercy Hospital.

“It’s unacceptable for three officers to be on on a midnight tour when we are dealing with psych patients, when we’re dealing with the amount of individuals that are coming through the emergency room,” Sonya Coriolan said.

In a statement, Mercy Hospital said:

“On October 15, an incident occurred in the Emergency Department at Mercy Hospital involving a patient. Our security team responded quickly and de-escalated the situation. A short time later, one of our security officers experienced a medical emergency. At the time of the incident, the security team was fully staffed and worked together to subdue the patient. We remain focused on ensuring the well-being and safety of everyone in our Emergency Department.”

The Coriolan family isn’t buying it, however.

“Disappointment, anger that he’s in that condition. He doesn’t deserve to be like that,” Sonya Coriolan said.

Police say Eduard Lopez, 28, is now charged with assault.

The Coriolan family says that’s not enough and they want stiffer penalties.

“That he is not only arrested for a simple assault, this is attempted murder. And I would like to see those charges upgraded,” Sonya Coriolan said.

For now, the focus is on Gardy Coriolan, who spent his entire life protecting others and who now needs the saving, as his family prays to get him home alive.

“I’m just hoping he just gets up or wakes up or, I’m just praying for a miracle,” daughter Melanie Adams said.

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By Naveen Dhaliwal

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A hospital security guard on Long Island is fighting for his life after police say he was brutally attacked by a patient.

Gardy Coriolan, 62, was trying to subdue an unruly patient while working an overnight shift at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre last week, police say.

“I was told that he was hit in the chest and in the face multiple times,” wife Sonya Coriolan said. “And he has remained unconscious ever since.”

The victim’s wife and family are holding onto their faith. They say Gardy Coriolan has been in law enforcement for over 40 years, retiring from the city’s Department of Correction and working at the Uniondale School District.

They say he had expressed concerns about low staffing at Mercy Hospital.

“It’s unacceptable for three officers to be on on a midnight tour when we are dealing with psych patients, when we’re dealing with the amount of individuals that are coming through the emergency room,” Sonya Coriolan said.

In a statement, Mercy Hospital said:

“On October 15, an incident occurred in the Emergency Department at Mercy Hospital involving a patient. Our security team responded quickly and de-escalated the situation. A short time later, one of our security officers experienced a medical emergency. At the time of the incident, the security team was fully staffed and worked together to subdue the patient. We remain focused on ensuring the well-being and safety of everyone in our Emergency Department.”

The Coriolan family isn’t buying it, however.

“Disappointment, anger that he’s in that condition. He doesn’t deserve to be like that,” Sonya Coriolan said.

Police say Eduard Lopez, 28, is now charged with assault.

The Coriolan family says that’s not enough and they want stiffer penalties.

“That he is not only arrested for a simple assault, this is attempted murder. And I would like to see those charges upgraded,” Sonya Coriolan said.

For now, the focus is on Gardy Coriolan, who spent his entire life protecting others and who now needs the saving, as his family prays to get him home alive.

“I’m just hoping he just gets up or wakes up or, I’m just praying for a miracle,” daughter Melanie Adams said.

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By Matt Schooley, Jordyn Jagolinzer

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    CAPE COD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A family swam to an island off the coast of Cape Cod and spent two nights there waiting for help after their boat caught fire early this week.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the family of three was rescued Wednesday morning after becoming stranded on Naushon Island. All three were seriously injured.

“Disasters at sea are often pretty terrifying, but to hear one especially like this, right here, we don’t really get that,” said Falmouth resident Eric Frost.

Coast Guard officials said the Sullivan family departed from Eel Pond near Falmouth, Massachusetts Friday on their boat named Third Wave. In a statement from the family, they said they had been asleep early Tuesday morning when the family’s dog started barking, alerting them to a fire. By that time, the boat was engulfed and while the family was able to escape, their dogs tragically died.

Though the boaters were expected to return Tuesday afternoon, they were overdue and a concerned family member reported them missing that night. A search for the boat began soon after, including Coast Guard members, the Falmouth Police Department, Falmouth harbormaster, and volunteers from Naushon Trust.

The Coast Guard received a mayday call from the family Wednesday morning. Nashuon Trust volunteers found the missing boaters and provided first aid.

A Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod crew arrived to Naushon Island and airlifted members of the family to Cape Cod Hospital. The Sullivan family said in a statement that Cici Sullivan remains in the ICU in critical but stable condition and her husband Patrick was taken to Brigham and Women’s for treatment in their burn center. Their son, Tyler, suffered third-degree burns on his arm and smoke inhalation, but is in stable condition.

“The family would like to express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Coast Guard and all emergency personnel who participated in the search and rescue efforts,” said the Sullivan family in a statement.

“It’s awful, I hope everyone turns out OK. It has been very windy lately,” said Mashpee resident Dennis Flaherty.

Located between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, Naushon Island is the largest of the Elizabeth Islands. It is centered between Pasque Island and Nonamesset Island.

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By Mike Hellgren

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    MARYLAND (WJZ) — A software error caused 293 former state workers to receive twice their buyout payments, WJZ Investigates has learned.

Maryland officials are advising those who received the excess funds not to touch the extra money in their accounts, which will be taken back automatically.

The payments will be taken out of the accounts over the next several weeks, and the state promises to put the correct amounts into the accounts by November 19.

Maryland officials said they notified those impacted by email and by phone.

Maryland formally eliminated more than 500 positions in state government on Wednesday, most of them from a voluntary buyout program. The move helps Maryland’s struggling budget.

The state’s spending board approved the cuts without question during its meeting on Wednesday.

Gov. Wes Moore authorized the buyouts for 332 employees. Almost 900 workers applied for the Voluntary Separation Program.

Approximately 170 positions that were already vacant are also being eliminated to save the state tens of millions of dollars.

“None of these choices is easy,” Gov. Moore said at the Board of Public Works meeting. “I do want to ensure the public, including all of our public servants, that we will continue to protect our people.”

The position eliminations are expected to save the state $10.5 million during fiscal year 2026 and $22 million in general funds during fiscal year 2027.

The glitch in the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) was revealed this week. WJZ Investigates found the state mistakenly double-paid 293 of those workers, and they are now working to take the money back.

That includes $40,000, instead of the agreed-upon $20,000 lump sum, plus double the $300 for each year of service.

One of those workers who asked to remain anonymous is outraged at how it was handled.

“It’s sad for our government,” she said. “It’s sad for our state. It’s sad for the employees.”

In an email she received, the state blamed a “software error” and asked those who received the buyout payments to “please retain these funds. The entire amount (correct payment and overpayment) you received will be automatically debited from your account within the next 2 weeks. A new, correct payment will be transmitted to you on November 19th. Apologies for the inconvenience this may cause… .”

“I’m not giving them permission to go to my account and take out money,” the former worker told WJZ Investigates. “Yes, I know it’s not my money, but let’s talk about it. Don’t just send me an email and say, ‘Don’t touch any of that money. We’re taking it back sometime in two weeks when we decide.'”

She continued, “I was alarmed, scared, frustrated, and to think that they can now just go back into my account, really without my authorization, and take the money.”

In a statement to WJZ, Senior Advisor and Communications Director David Turner said once the overpayments went out, there was nothing they could immediately do.

“On October 20, the Department of Budget and Management discovered a file error that resulted in double payments to 293 VSP participants,” Turner wrote. “As the electronic payment process for all state employees was already in progress, there would have been considerable risk in modifying the payment file. Therefore, the state paid all state employees on schedule—providing notice to VSP participants that, due to a software error, the funds they received will be recalled and the correct amount reissued.”

Turner warned that Maryland will take action to get the overpayments back.

“If overpayments are not returned in full, the state may pursue recoupment via employee leave balance payouts, standard collection procedures, or, in the worst cases, tax refund intercepts to recover the funds,” Turner said.

The former worker who discovered the problem said it has shaken her trust in the state government.

“I didn’t go to you and say, ‘Hey, buy me out to fix your deficit.’ You offered that to me,” she said. “We’re publicizing that we want to help federal employees with employment. Well, you’re not paying the employees who have dedicated themselves to you already. I would’ve rather them just not give me anything and to say, ‘Hey, there’s a glitch, you’ll get paid in two weeks.'”

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