Category: CNN Regional

By Derrick Shaw & Jackie Guenther

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    FORT MYERS, Florida (WBBH) — Crews are intensifying their search for two men who went missing during a fishing trip. Their boat was found still running, with no one aboard, 70 miles off the coast of Fort Myers on Saturday.

U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies are actively searching for Randy Spivey, 57, and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier, 33, who went missing during the trip that began Friday morning.

Family members reported Spivey and Billmaier were missing after they left from their private dock in Iona early Friday morning and didn’t return before sundown.

The boat, a green 42-foot Freeman catamaran named “Unstoppable,” was found by the Coast Guard on Saturday morning running and drifting about 70 miles offshore from Fort Myers, with no one on board.

Officials emphasize that the operation remains a search-and-rescue effort, not a recovery mission.

The U.S. Coast Guard, leading the search from Miami, is joined by Collier and Lee County fire and law enforcement crews, with firefighters volunteering their time on the water. Volunteer pilots have also joined the search, taking private planes from Naples Airport to assist in locating the missing fishermen.

Randy Spivey’s boat was found by the U.S. Coast Guard 70 miles offshore, running with nobody on board. Search coordinators have renewed hope after learning that they may have been wearing blue and yellow auto-inflate life jackets, which could increase their chances of survival.

Scott Smith, a civilian rescue coordinator for the U.S. Coast Guard, said, “Randy was more likely wearing a life jacket and an auto-inflate life jacket, which gives everybody a little bit more hope that if they’re wearing life jackets.”

Despite more than 48 hours passing, crews continue to search aggressively, holding on to hope that Spivey and Billmaier can still be found and brought home. The search efforts are ongoing, with live updates expected from Fort Myers Beach.

Family members are also part of the Southwest Florida community for a large, coordinated volunteer search, which began early Sunday morning and continues on Monday.

In a message shared online, the family is calling on anyone with a boat capable of a 225-mile range to help.

The Coast Guard issued a new official search grid at 8 a.m., which is distributed to volunteers by text. Boats are departing from ports between Punta Gorda and Marco Island. Volunteers are asked to text message Paul at (239)634-3400 with the following information:

Departure port

Vessel name

Captain and first mate names and cell numbers

Vessel range

“Thank you for your help and prayers. Please pass this on,” the family said, expressing gratitude for the community’s support.

The U.S. Coast Guard says the active search area remains about 70 miles offshore, centered near 25-36N, 083-16W, spanning roughly 35 statute miles and reaching up to 5,000 feet in altitude.

A smaller cutter, multiple aircraft, and surface crews are involved. Air Force assets also assisted.

The Coast Guard advised all aircraft to maintain situational awareness and not to interfere with search-and-rescue crews.

They also urged monitoring of Channel 16 and reporting any important information to the U.S. Coast Guard.

If you have information, you can also contact the U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Pete watchstanders at 866-881-1392.

Watcherstanders maintain a continuous watch and direct coordination with partner agencies to deploy Coast Guard assets at a moment’s notice for emergent search and rescue cases.

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 JoBeth Davis

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    STILWELL, Kansas (KMBC) — More than 4,000 holiday lights surround a home in Stilwell, Kansas.

Owner Tom Barnett is behind the stunning display, and it’s something he has been building on for the past 12 years

Check out the display in the video player above.

“I change it up each year to do something different just so that everybody can smile when they drive by the house,” Barnett said.

His lights have inspired his neighbors, and he has even lent a hand to the Arboretum, but Barnett said he learned this unusual lighting method from a friend.

“I learned from a guy in Mission Hills, a friend of ours,” Barnett said. “And I watched him shoot a potato gun … and I thought, ‘We can do that.'”

However, Barnett’s approach is a little different.

“So, a bow and arrow comes in really handy,” he said.

“I shoot an arrow over a limb with fishing line on it. I’ve weighted the head of the arrow so it drops down … and then I tie that to a rope or a string and pull it back over, so now you have two pieces on either side of the limb, and then you tie one of those pieces on to the lights.”

Barnett said he starts the process in September, putting ropes and lights up. He works through October and into November to get the display together.

“This is really fun,” he said. “I get a lot of joy out of doing this. It’s just something to do to make people smile.”

You can see Barnett’s display for yourself on Metcalf Avenue, just north of 191st Street in Stilwell, Kansas.

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 Justin Schecker & Dacia Johnson

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    ORLANDO (WESH) — The City of Orlando on Monday began to “carefully remove select artifacts” from Pulse nightclub as it works toward creating a permanent memorial at the site of the 2016 massacre that left 49 people dead.

Items being removed include the “chandeliers, bar top, posters and other interior items that have been carefully prepackaged inside of the building,” the city said.

“These items will then be transported to an environmentally controlled warehouse. While we have not finalized if these artifacts will be a part of the permanent memorial, we want to ensure their preservation during the design and construction phase,” the city said in a news release.

Full list:

– Two chandeliers

– Signage and posters

– Ornamental framed mirror

– Bar top

– Track lighting, including track

– Cash register

– Primary section of breach wall

– Portion of the sunburst wall inside the club

– Portion of the “Glitter” wall inside the club

– Wood floor (as much as possible)

– Rectangular ceiling pendent lights

– iPad

– The numbers on the outside of the building

– tiles from the outside patio bar

Additionally, some items that were part of the temporary memorial will be removed and preserved:

– An approximately 4’x8’ piece of the existing memorial fence

– Benches on existing memorial site

– Remembrance items left by family, friends and/or visitors

The city will begin the next phase of construction after the items are removed, which will include the removal of the Pulse sign and clearing the site.

Estimated timeline for construction:

February 2026: 30% design plans

March/April 2026: Site clearing begins

May 2026: 60% design plans

Early fall 2026: start of construction

Late 2027: Construction completed

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 Ben Simmoneau

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — Bonnie O’Connell has a long history of paying her bills on time.

“I tend to do the right thing,” she said. “If I get a bill, I pay it.”

But not this time.

When O’Connell received an $802 invoice for a package she received recently via FedEx, she knew something was wrong.

After all, the bill was for a Barbie doll that cost just $30.

“I just got a pain in the pit of my stomach,” O’Connell said. “I didn’t even know what to do or what to say.”

A veteran bargain shopper, O’Connell was thrilled when she first spotted a Barbie wearing a Professional Women’s Hockey League jersey with a Tim Horton’s logo.

It was a perfect holiday gift for her 4-year-old granddaughter, who just started skating and is enamored with Barbie dolls, so she asked her cousin in Nova Scotia to pick it up and ship it to her.

But with the United States adding a 35% tax — or tariff — on goods from Canada, that means filling out all sorts of new paperwork to ship them.

A clerk at the local FedEx told her cousin they would take care of it.

“They just did it for him,” O’Connell said. “What he didn’t notice — because there was a line behind them — is when they handed him the thing to sign, instead of putting $29.97, they had messed up the decimal point somehow.”

That decimal point had been moved two places to the right, meaning the $30 Barbie was now valued incorrectly at nearly $3,000 Canadian dollars.

“How many Barbies do you know that cost close to $3,000?” O’Connell asked with a laugh.

The exchange rate brought the price to about $2,100 U.S. dollars, but at a 35 percent tariff rate, the entry tax was $742, plus fees, which totaled $802.

FedEx delivered the Barbie first.

The tariff bill arrived weeks later.

“First of all, what are you doing giving me a package where I owe that kind of money to you?” O’Connell said.

“I love my granddaughter dearly, but none of my grandchildren get that kind of money spent! The budget for Christmas isn’t even close.” O’Connell’s ordeal underscores the new reality of gift-giving for cross-border families this holiday season.

The Trump Administration’s tariffs — as well as the elimination of the de minimis exemption, which allowed most products valued less than $800 to enter the country duty-free — mean added costs and complex paperwork.

When O’Connell emailed FedEx, the company told her it could take months to correct. Hoping to wrap up this problem a little quicker, she asked NewsCenter 5 to try working a little Christmas magic.

After we intervened, FedEx reversed course and removed the $802 charge from her account.

It’s a good reminder to look closely at any paperwork you sign.

The Canada Post Office says every package bound for the U.S. — even gifts under $100 in value — must be assessed for tariffs.

The tax is supposed to be paid before the package is sent.

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 A.J. Nwoko

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    HENRICO COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — A 67-year-old collector in Henrico is giving away his late father’s extensive collection of die-cast coin banks after they sat unused in storage for years.

William Birdsong, who describes himself as someone who collects “just about everything,” inherited the miniature metal vehicles from his father, who displayed them throughout his home in the 1990s.

“I just think dad was into the trucks because he always drove a truck,” Birdsong said.

The collection includes dozens of pristine die-cast vehicles in original boxes, featuring various sizes, designs and brand names. Each vehicle functions as a coin bank with a slot on top and a key-operated compartment underneath to retrieve saved money.

“They’re basically just fancy places to put your change,” Birdsong said.

After the collection moved “from one attic to another attic,” Birdsong attempted to sell the items online but found no buyers at any price.

“eBay, I asked my friends on Facebook and nobody seemed to want them at any price,” he said.

Now he’s decided to give them away for free during the holiday season.

“If I can’t give away free toys on Christmas, I’m doing something wrong,” Birdsong said.

His only requirement is that the coin banks go to someone who will appreciate them, whether a charity or an individual child.

“Just trying to get them out to anybody who can enjoy them and maybe give them a good home and puts some pennies in them, God forbid, and save some money,” he said.

The entire collection is available first-come, first-served at no charge.

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

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 Ryan Hill

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    SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A building at Gillespie Airfield is home to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office SWAT and Search & Rescue teams.

But on Thursday, it was home to a reunion between two men that was 50 years in the making.

Lou Shrinkle is visiting the Sheriff’s Office, not because he did anything wrong.

But he was there to meet Ernie Cowan, whom Lou hadn’t seen since 1974.

“I did not thank these guys enough,” Shrinkle said.

“Well, we don’t, we don’t do this for the thanks,” Cowan said.

The thanks are for what happened during January 1974.

“We planned a backpack trip to a place called Sheep Canyon, where I had been multiple times,” Shrinkle said.

Lou and his college buddies are set to head into the mountains in San Diego County.

“They called me up and said the weather’s going to be bad, forget it, we’re out,” Shrinkle said.

Still, Shrinkle braved the weather. He made it to the spring he set out for and set up camp.

“In the middle of the night, all heck broke loose, as you might say. The storm came in full force,” Shrinkle said.

He eventually became stranded in the storm.

Remind you, this is 1974. That means no cell phones, we are so used to having in our pockets at a moment’s notice; no way to let anyone know he needed help. Lou said he was stranded in the storm for he recalled being six days. He burned pages from a book to stay warm.

“I got a mild case of frostbite. My sleeping bag froze up every night, and I would wake up and, you know, rub my feet and take care of as much as I could,” Shrinkle said.

Eventually, the storm broke, and Shrinkle started walking to find a way out.

He told ABC 10News that his friends back at school raised the alarm that he hadn’t returned from the trip.

“When the clear day came, we realized that’s the opportunity for us to launch an all-out search effort,” Cowan said.

Cowan is a longtime volunteer with the Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue team and was a reserve deputy at the time.

He jumped in the helicopter because Cowan knew the search area and had a feeling he could help.

“I pointed in the direction where I wanted to go towards the south, and we headed in that direction, and the pilot slapped me on the arm and said there’s ‘help’ (written) in the snow,” Cowan said.

There was a worry they were too late.

“As we hovered down lower, we saw tracks, and we started following the tracks, and there was Lou, standing on the rock waving at us,” Cowan said.

The rescue may have been how they knew of each other. But it’s not how they met.

“When the pilot landed, I said. He said, ‘There’s another guy who went to get you,’ and I said, ‘Well, let’s wait for him,’ (the pilot said) ‘Well, there’s only two seats,’” Shrinkle said.

Earlier, Cowan had bailed out of the chopper to open the other seat so Shrinkle could get back to safety, and waited to be picked up later.

“When they brought me back to search base as we were landing, he was driving away in a vehicle, so I never got to see him,” Cowan said.

Nearly 52 years have gone by since both men went in different directions, figuratively and literally.

Both Cowan and Shrinkle went on to get married and have families.

Cowan continues to be a member of the Search & Rescue team and served in El Cajon politics as well. Shrinkle became a physicist, business owner, and author with at least 30 patents to his name.

“I always wondered what happened to Lou, and it was pleasing for me to learn, you know, he made good,” Cowan said.

Shrinkle told ABC 10News he kept backpacking after the event and made sure everything he takes is warm and waterproof.

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 Melissa Mecija

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    SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — She was convicted of murdering her husband in 2001, but new DNA evidence led to her conviction being overturned in 2020 after twenty years in prison.

In February 2000, Jane Dorotik reported her husband, Robert, missing after he went out for a jog. His body was found bludgeoned in a wooded area near their Valley Center.

Dorotik was arrested and convicted in 2001 of killing her husband. Prosecutors at the time said she killed him because she would have to pay him 40% of her income in case of a divorce.

After a judge reversed her original conviction, a jury trial was granted, but prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss in 2022.

Now 79, she has settled her lawsuit against San Diego County for $500,000 — far less than the $20 million she had hoped to receive.

“This whole time, you never wavered from your innocence?” ABC 10News anchor Melissa Mecija asked Dorotik during a recent interview after the settlement was finalized.

“Never. Never,” she said.

Dorotik now lives in Florida with her daughter and son-in-law.

“San Diego DA’s office knew about all of these problems they had in their lab, with their so-called blood spatter expert. They let it go forward and they misrepresented a lot of information they withheld other information,” Dorotik said. “Where’s the accountability for them?”

The Loyola Project for the Innocent that took her case in 2015. The lawyers said DNA testing revealed new evidence including another person’s DNA found under Robert Dorotik’s fingernails.

“The level of trust that you lose in prison about many things, stays with me … generally, that all things are right has been most definitely shaken,” Dorotik said.

Dorotik sued the county and ended up settling for about $500,000, which was far less than the $20 million she hoped to receive. She said the original amount she was requested was comparable to others who spent years in prison for wrongful convictions.

“It was my decision to make it end, and I needed to do that for peace of mind and for my health. I’ve had some heart problems that I can’t help but believe are related to all of the stress,” Dorotik said.

She was worried that prosecutors would try to attempt a third criminal trial.

A district attorney spokesperson said they were not a named defendant in the civil lawsuit “and in the county’s settling of the matter, there were absolutely no admissions of wrongdoing by the district attorney.”

The spokesperson said there were no findings of prosecutorial misconduct in the case.

“It is important to emphasize that the allegations contained in that lawsuit are just that — allegations — and should not be reported or interpreted as established facts,” the emailed statement said.

Dorotik said she now helps other women in prison. She also focuses on spending time with her family. One of her sons passed away a few years ago. The other, she doesn’t have a relationship with anymore.

Right now, she said she’s trying to enjoy whatever time she has left.

“I do absolutely treasure every day and treasure the warmth and love I feel from my daughter and son-in-law here in Florida,” Dorotik said.

Both of Dorotik’s sons testified against her during the trial. One of her sons died a few years ago. She does not have a relationship with her other son.

The sheriff’s office told ABC 10News the case will be reviewed by the sheriff’s Homicide Cold Case Unit.

Dorotik said without LMU’s Project for the Innocent, she doesn’t know where she would be. According to its website, it has exonerated 20 people who collectively served 490 years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit.

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

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 Ava Kershner

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    SORRENTO VALLEY, California (KGTV) — A Sorrento Valley family’s beloved dog, Bruno, was poisoned right in his backyard.

“It was pretty small, like maybe the size of the palm of your hand,” described Sabrina Bazzo, Bruno’s owner. “It had string wrapped around it, which I found was also bad for dogs.”

It didn’t seem suspicious at first.

But what Bruno was chewing on, wasn’t a toy.

“I kind of pulled open the meat, and there was this blue, like, some kind of chemical in it,” said Bazzo. “And then I saw these metal-like pieces, metal hooks, and that’s like when I just freaked out.”

The veterinarian said it was most likely rat poison, and had to make Bruno throw it up along with the metal hooks.

Bazzo thinks someone threw the poisoned meat over her fence, but with multiple homes behind her, she hasn’t been able to narrow down who it was.

“For the most part, we have good relations with our neighbors,” said Bazzo. “But the more I think about it, like, I don’t know all of my neighbors as well as I should.”

Its not the first time she’s gotten questionable messages and warnings.

Bazzo received death threats while running for the San Diego Unified School Board during the pandemic.

And just a few months ago, she got a letter that said, “Be a good neighbor and please shut your g**damn dog up with all the barking day and night!!!”

The letter was sent while Bazzo was mourning her late husband, David, who had a brain tumor.

They got Bruno during that battle.

“When he got out of the hospital, my daughters got me Bruno, and he was like an 8-to-10-week puppy,” said Bazzo. “He used to sleep a lot on the couch in the recliner, and Bruno would be like right next to him. He’s been a really a source of like comfort for our family during a very difficult time.”

Now, after losing her husband, Bazzo isn’t about to lose her dog, too.

She’s having security cameras installed facing her fence.

“You hate to think that you have to do those kinds of things but you know when I’m sitting out in my backyard I don’t want to be nervous or scared that someone’s gonna do something,” said Bazzo.

The San Diego Humane Society’s Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.

They sent ABC 10News this statement:

“San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) is currently investigating a recent incident of suspected animal cruelty in the Sorrento Valley area. We are working diligently to investigate all leads.

We urge anyone with concerns about animal welfare or nuisance issues to contact us directly. Intentionally harming an animal is a crime, and there are always humane and legal alternatives to address frustrations.

If you witness suspicious activity involving animals or find dangerous items in your yard, please call San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement dispatch at 619-299-7012, ext. 1. We are available 24/7 to assist the community and ensure the safety of all animals.

For more information on reporting animal cruelty or seeking assistance with animal-related concerns, please visit sdhumane.org/HLE.”

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.