Family of Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapse victim to talk settlement with Dali ship owners

CNN on October 14, 2025


WJZ

By Tara Lynch

Click here for updates on this story

    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A settlement in one victim’s case could come as soon as next month — more than a year and a half after the cargo ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

According to court records obtained by WJZ, attorneys for Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, one of the six construction workers killed in the collapse, will meet on November 3 to discuss a deal.

The family’s wrongful death lawsuit was filed last September against Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean, the ship’s owner and operator.

If a deal is reached, this would be the first settlement for any of the families.

WJZ reached out to a spokesperson for the ship’s owner and operator, but has not yet heard back.

An independent legal expert told WJZ he isn’t surprised the family of Castillo Cabrera is settling now before their case gets caught up in a potential appeal process.

This is just one step in a lengthy legal battle following the bridge’s collapse that could span years.

“The personal injury wrongful death claimants typically go to the head of the line when it comes to the apportionment of damages,” said Allen Black, a maritime lawyer and professor of maritime law at the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore. “It makes sense for the personal injury claimants for Mr. Cabrera’s estate to come forward now and try and resolve this matter without waiting for the whole limitation of liability issue to be resolved. That issue’s going to take several years.”

Castillo Cabrera was a Guatemala-native who lived in Dundalk. He was 26 years old at the time of the collapse.

He was one of eight men working on the bridge, filling potholes, the night the ship crashed into the bridge on March 26, 2024.

According to the family’s wrongful death claim, Castillo Cabrera’s life “revolved around working hard and being there for his parents and family”.

Castillo Cabrera’s family and the families of two other victims filed wrongful death lawsuits against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited last September, including the family of Miguel Luna, whose wife spoke with CBS News last fall. She says her husband was a hero.

“The only thing I would love for people to know is that, for me, my husband is a hero, alongside his five co-workers,” Maria del Carmen Castellon, the wife of Miguel Luna Gonzalez, said in Spanish.

There is also a fight by the ship’s owner and operator to limit their liability in this case.

Right now, the liability fund is capped $44 million, but if liability is not limited, billions could be available to any claim with physical damages, including paying for the new key bridge.

“Lawyers should never forecast, but I think it’s an uphill battle for the ship interest,” Black said.

This is just one side of what is a very complex case. The judge will likely decide if limited liability should be granted to the owner and operator of the ship next year.

There is also a pending criminal investigation by the FBI and the Department of Justice.

Please note: 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.

University of Colorado helps students through music following school shooting

CNN on October 12, 2025


KCNC

By Kennedy Cook

Click here for updates on this story

    Colorado (KCNC) — After tragedy struck Evergreen High School, the University of Colorado struck up the band.

“Evergreen, like so many communities, went through a trauma no one should ever have to face,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz.

But just a week later, CU’s leadership began asking how they could help bring a little light, and music, back into the students’ lives.

“About a week after the tragedy, our chancellor reached out to the dean of the College of Music, John Davis, and said, ‘Hey, is there something we can do?'” said Logan Sorey with CU’s band program.

“Within 20 minutes, we emailed back saying, ‘Absolutely. Give us 24 hours and we’ll give you some options,'” said Sorey.

Their favorite option? Inviting Evergreen High’s marching band to take the field at Folsom with their drums, brass, and spirit echoing resilience.

Among them was Maya Hyslop, Evergreen’s drum major.

“I think I’m doing pretty good,” she said with a laugh, surrounded by dozens of new bandmates and with twenty songs to master.

After hours of rehearsal and weeks of anticipation, both bands were ready to share the field and a powerful message of unity.

“I was nothing but impressed with today,” said Sorey. “You never know what headspace people are going to be in. I’ve been talking to my students for two weeks about the excitement for today, and they brought it. They were ready for Evergreen to join us.”

That shared spirit carried through every note, a reminder that music doesn’t just fill stadiums; it heals hearts.

“It’s the same kind of mentality,” Hyslop added. “Take care of your own. And our own, in this case, is the music community.”

Please note: 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.

Religious leaders offering communion to detainees turned away at Broadview ICE facility

CNN on October 12, 2025


WBBM

By Marissa Sulek

Click here for updates on this story

    Illinois (WBBM) — Dozens took part in a movement as religious leaders attempted to give detainees inside the Broadview ICE processing facility holy communion.

At Saint Eulalia Catholic Church in Maywood, local and state leaders preached that peace is needed on a day like Saturday.

The nearly 200 people in yellow shirts gathered before bringing their offerings to others a few blocks away. Their mission is a different approach, some have seen outside the Broadview processing facility.

The group with the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership walked about a mile to the ICE facility, in hopes of giving those inside holy communion. But to get in was a major hurdle.

Saturday’s gathering remained peaceful as priests and religious leaders spoke with Illinois State troopers. The troopers were the ones who called someone inside the detention facility to see if they could give communion.

A few priests had a calm conversation with the Illinois State troopers. However, they were denied entry.

“I respect the state police with what they can do and all that. But that’s basically it, they are working through a middle man, they refuse to even talk to us,” Father Larry Dowling said.

“We now know that they have been taken away from the eucharistic table, and ICE said no, we cannot enter,” one speaker said.

As for the dozens who made their way.

“A lot of reflection. A lot of prayer. We are going to mass tonight and will hopefully be enveloped in that faith that is so important to everyone,” Jennifer Schweizer said.

They prayed, sang, and had their own communion in solidarity.

“I’m sure they heard us singing, I’m sure they heard us talking, so hopefully they get strength from our presence,” Father Dan Hartnett said.

Please note: 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.

Altadena residents collect ornaments hoping to bring joy to community following Eaton Fire

CNN on October 10, 2025


KCBS

By Laurie Perez

Click here for updates on this story

    ALTADENA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — There’s no doubt this will be an emotional holiday season for so many whose last cherished memories are in the Altadena neighborhood, where their homes no longer stand after the Eaton Fire.

With the Ornaments for Altadena collection drive, two women who also lost their homes are hoping to help their neighbors find some joy.

Residents have some of the very last pictures they took of the fires in early January. The snapshots show celebrations of faith and family, festooned with ribbons and wreaths, overflowing with decorations expressing the joy of the season.

“The images of my children in front of the fireplace at our house the night before Christmas were the actual hardest things for me to look at after the fire,” said Ana Medina-Whirledge, an Altadena resident.

Medina-Whirledge and Emily Viglietta’s families were among the more than 6,000 residents who lost their homes during the Eaton Fire, and as the holidays approach, they said there is a renewed sense of loss.

“I’ve got texts from my friends saying all I feel when I think about the holidays this year is dread,” Viglietta said.

For so many, this year, there will be no trimming the tree or lighting the menorah, retelling stories of where each cherished decoration came from. But as they have done so often over the last year, Medina-Whirledge and Viglietta are moving forward and trying to help their neighbors do the same.

A few weeks ago, they started collecting donations of unique, handcrafted, even handmade ornaments, menorahs, and kinaras for fire survivors.

In a short amount of time, they’ve collected a few hundred already, some with sweet, personal notes and stories from one family to another, sharing holiday traditions.

“This one says, ‘I chose this hand crocheted snowflake because it reminded me of my mother who made these for all her family and friends,'” Medina-Whirledge said.

Their dream is to use donations to decorate a path of trees for survivors to enjoy and choose from, helping them to shine this holiday season wherever they’re now living or until they can return and rejoice again in Altadena.

“Even if these, you know, come from other places and they’re not the ones that your mother handed down to you, they still mean something to somebody, and they sent that with that love and with that care,” Medina-Whirledge said.

There are a few ways to donate. The women have a registry where you can buy some ornaments from local artists to donate, you can ship some of your own personal items to them, or drop things off at three local donation sites.

Please note: 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.

How some Utah hunters can get $800 gift card — and save a rare species

CNN Newsource on October 9, 2025

By Carter Williams

Click here for updates on this story

    KANAB, Utah (KSL) — Utah’s hunting season is in full swing, and those looking to bag wildlife in southwest Utah could also walk away with an $800 gift card for outdoor equipment while also helping some of the region’s most endangered species.

Zion Unit hunters who show the lead-free ammunition they are using for hunting or provide proof that they removed all the remains of the animal they harvested from the field at a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources check station this month can enter to win the prize, which was donated to the agency by The Peregrine Fund.

State wildlife officials plan to set up their station at the intersection of Yellowjacket Road and Hancock Road, approximately 3 miles north of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park near Kanab, on several occasions this month. It will be open from 9 a.m. to dusk this Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as Oct. 18-20 and Oct. 25-26. The unit includes a large portion of Iron, Kane and Washington counties.

“Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death for free-flying condors in Utah and Arizona. We are very grateful for all the hunters who are taking steps to prevent secondary impacts to scavenging wildlife, including eagles and California condors,” said Danielle Finlayson, a conservation biologist for the division’s southern region, in a statement.

Utah has offered incentives for Zion Unit hunters to switch to lead-free ammunition since 2011, primarily to protect the California condor and other scavengers like hawks and eagles that can become sick or die from eating the remains of wildlife shot with lead ammunition.

It’s considered one of the factors contributing to the California condor’s population decline, which pushed the species to the brink of extinction only a few decades ago. Only 22 condors were living in the wild globally by 1982, before researchers embarked on a captive breeding program that has helped the species rebound to over 500 birds globally today.

The program celebrated its 1,000th condor chick to hatch in 2019, with 1K, a male that hatched at Zion National Park. However, 1K died last year from what was ultimately determined to be lead poisoning. Wildlife officials noted that he became one of over 50 condors from the Utah-Arizona flock to die of lead poisoning since 1996.

An outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, along with a pair of recent poaching cases, also impacted the Utah-Arizona flock, reducing its overall count from 116 in 2022 to 87 at the latest count.

The recent setback put Utah’s lead-free ammunition program back into the spotlight. On top of a potential $800 gift card, Utah wildlife officials offer coupons to all any-legal-weapon big game permit holders within the Zion Unit for free or discounted lead-free ammunition since the unit overlaps with the flock’s habitat.

“The Hunters Helping Condors collaborative effort demonstrates one of the ways that hunters are at the forefront of wildlife conservation,” Finlayson added.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by KSL’s editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

Please note: 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.

Father accused of using cattle prod on sons as ‘discipline’

CNN Newsource on October 9, 2025

By Pat Reavy

Click here for updates on this story

    MT. PLEASANT, Sanpete County, Utah (KSL) — A Sanpete County man was recently charged for allegedly using a cattle prod on his two young sons.

The 48-year-old Mt. Pleasant man was charged Sept. 22 in 6th District Court with two counts of aggravated child abuse, a third-degree felony. KSL.com is not naming the man at this time to protect the identities of any victims.

On Sept. 18, investigators interviewed the man’s 7-year-old son, who stated that “on more than 10 occasions over the past year, and as recently as September, his father had used a yellow and green electronic cattle prod upon him as a means of discipline. The juvenile further alleged that his older brother, who is 9 years old, was also subjected to the same treatment,” according to a police booking affidavit.

The 7-year-old boy told investigators “his father applied the cattle prod to his arms, legs, stomach and chest through his clothing, and on one occasion, directly to his right forearm, causing an injury. The juvenile stated that when the cattle prod is applied to his body, it causes extreme pain and ‘feels like being cut in half,'” the affidavit states.

When the boy’s brother was interviewed, he corroborated what his brother had said, according to police.

“Both brothers provided a detailed description of the location where their father keeps the cattle prod inside the residence, and both boys stated that the application of the cattle prod to their bodies was conducted at their father’s and grandfather’s residence,” the affidavit states.

Sanpete County sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant on the property and seized a “Springer Magrath 200PP cattle prod,” according to court documents.

The father’s next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5.

Please note: 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.

Naked man chases Walmart workers, found “agitated and paranoid” in woods, police say

CNN Newsource on October 9, 2025

By Sergio Candido

Click here for updates on this story

    LAKE CITY, Florida (WFOR) — A man was arrested early Wednesday after police say he was found naked and behaving erratically outside a Walmart in North Florida.

According to the Lake City Police Department, officers responded to the store at about 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday after receiving reports of a suspicious person in the parking lot. Police dispatch advised that a nude male had been chasing Walmart employees and fled toward a wooded area north of the store, police said in a press release.

Lake City is located about 60 miles southwest of Jacksonville. The store is located at 2767 West U.S. Highway 90, on the west end of the city.

Officers canvassed the area and found the man on his hands and knees in the woods, appearing “agitated and paranoid,” Lake City Chief of Police Gerald Butler said in the release.

Police said he was largely nonverbal and incoherent. Concerned for his safety, officers called Emergency Medical Services and placed the man in hand restraints.

He was taken from the woods to a patrol car and then transported by EMS to HCA Florida Lake City Hospital for evaluation. While at the hospital, authorities said the man could not provide identifying information but later said his name was “Raheem.” After several unsuccessful attempts to confirm his identity, he was medically cleared and taken to the Columbia County Detention Facility.

A fingerprint scan at the jail later identified the man as Rakime Johnson. He was booked into county jail without further incident.

Johnson faces charges of indecent exposure and resisting an officer without violence, according to local television station WCJB.

Please note: 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.

Skydiver dies after mid-air collision

CNN Newsource on October 9, 2025

By Neal Riley

Click here for updates on this story

    ORANGE, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A skydiver has died three days after colliding with another skydiver mid-air over Orange, Massachusetts.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon after the man jumped from a Jumptown Skydiving plane, Orange Fire Chief James Young said. The Northwestern District Attorney’s office identified the victim as 62-year-old Robert Szabo of Connecticut.

The other skydiver involved in the collision was not injured, Young said.

Szabo was taken by ambulance to a Worcester hospital, where he died Tuesday evening. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.

“On the afternoon of October 4, there was a midair collision between two experienced skydivers.” Jumptown said in a statement to WBZ-TV. “The injured jumper landed on airport property under a fully functioning parachute.”

The district attorney’s office said the cause of the accident is still being investigated by local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Szabo is listed as a staff member at Connecticut Parachutists, a skydiving club in Ellington, Connecticut. According to the organization’s website, he has been a passionate skydiver since 2000 and was a coordinator for the “Accelerated Freefall” program.

“Rob’s accumulated skydiving knowledge has made him an asset to jumpers of all experience levels,” the website states.

In 2022, a skydiver with Jumptown was injured after his parachute got tangled and he made a hard landing on the roof of a building.

First responders in Orange train with Jumptown to prepare for possible skydiving accidents.

“We don’t have emergencies at Jumptown very often, in fact they run a very safe operation, but like any extracurricular activity, there are risks,” the fire department said at the time.

The Greenfield Recorder reported that this is the second skydiving death at Jumptown in less than a decade. In 2018, 27-year-old Alexis Zayas of New York, died after veering off course and hitting a barn.

Orange is more than 70 miles west of Boston and about 10 miles from the New Hampshire border.

Please note: 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.

James Willingham
470-603-1211

Meet the man who salvages roadkill off of busy Highway 55

CNN Newsource on October 9, 2025

By Don Nelson

Click here for updates on this story

    EAGLE, Idaho (KIVI) — It’s that time of year to be on the lookout for wildlife crossing the highway as animals migrate from higher elevations into the valleys. So, what should you do if you come across roadkill?

If you’re an enterprising outdoorsman, you may consider “salvaging” the animal for its meat.

Close to Shadow Valley Golf Course, our crew noticed someone had just hit and killed a deer on Highway 55.

“My buddy makes dog treats out of roadkill,” said a driver who stopped at the site to salvage the deer carcass. He says that he regularly harvests roadkill.

This gentleman was not the one who hit the deer, but under Idaho State Law, he is legally within his rights to claim the carcass.

“I have carried deer bigger than this out of the woods myself,” he recounted.

Rick Ward, Fish and Game’s state wildlife manager, says if you happen to be involved in a roadkill accident, here’s what you do. “If everybody’s OK, pull off [to] the side of the road. Check to make sure everything is okay,” said Ward. “If that animal is dead and in the middle of the road, that’s creating another safety hazard.”

An Ada County Sheriff’s deputy stopped by to ensure the deer was completely off the road, which it was. The officer told us that drivers who hit wildlife on the road should call non-emergency dispatch immediately if the carcass is still in the roadway, so someone can come and pull it off to the side.

If you’re interested in salvaging the roadkill, you must fill out a salvage report with Idaho Fish and Game.

The man we met, who was salvaging the roadkill, followed all the right steps. “Me personally, I filled out a salvage report off IDFG’s website, which is Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and I just filled out the salvage report with the sex and time of day and everything like that, and I’m allowed to come out here and collect it.”

Another driver stopped and helped him load the roadkill into his jeep.

With deer season opening this weekend, Ward says Fish and Game will have check stations throughout the state for hunters to identify C.W.D. Chronic Wasting Disease in their harvested wildlife. “It’s great to get CWD samples from roadkill animals because we know CWD animals are more susceptible to roadkill just because of the condition they’re in.”

Please note: 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.

Former daycare volunteer speaks out about pastor accused of sex trafficking

CNN Newsource on October 9, 2025

By Sahana Patel

Click here for updates on this story

    MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho (KIVI) — A former volunteer at NXT Dream Center in Mountain Home is sharing her experience working alongside Pastor Gregory Wayne Jones, who faces human sex trafficking and sexual assault charges.

Whitney Owens dedicated 20 hours a week at NXT Dream Center and attended Liberty Christian Fellowship Church in Mountain Home, both organizations run by Jones and his family. Jones is currently out on a $1 million bond awaiting trial.

Court records obtained by Idaho News 6 through a public records request state that Jones used his position in the church to sexually abuse women, claiming it was part of spiritual healing. The documents also said one of the victims was 17 at the time of the alleged offense.

“He was given a gift to lead in the church, and yet he used it to take advantage of many people,” Owens said.

Owens tells me she volunteered with children alongside Jones for about a year, and looking back, she says there were red flags.

“He never asked me to get a background check. I worked with these children for 20 hours a week. And I never had a background check. And I realized how many people were working with my child at this place who never had a background check,” Owens said.

She also recalls moments during church services that didn’t sit right with her. Owens said Jones would rebuke people during sermons, including a person she believed was the main victim in the case.

“He knew that somebody was watching on the video platform,” Owens said. “He said something along the lines of, ‘How dare you criticize your spiritual father’.”

In August, Idaho News 6 spoke exclusively with a group of survivors outside the Elmore County Courthouse, where we first met Owens, who was there to show her support.

“The victims that have come forward, I am so grateful [for them] because I could see that the road that I was going down with him, opening myself up, being so vulnerable, allowing myself to be there so much of the time, not asking questions about the red flags that were there, that it could have happened to me,” Owens said.

I reached out to both the defense and the prosecutor’s office for comment, but have yet to hear back.

Jones initially pleaded not guilty and in August, tried to strike a plea deal, which the judge denied.

When asked what she would like to say to Jones on behalf of the community and for herself, Owens responded: “How dare you? You stole so many good things from all of us. And you betrayed us. And you lied to us.”

Owens said she’s moving forward one day at a time but feels this case leaves a deep wound in the entire Mountain Home neighborhood.

“I do hope that our community can come back from this and we can find a way to support our children again and provide those things for them. Our kids deserve that,” Owens said.

Jones is set to appear in Elmore County Court on December 5th.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KIVI’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: 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.