Category: CNN Regional

By David Jones

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    ST. CLOUD, Florida (WESH) — A St. Cloud veteran is hopeful a potential kidney donor will come forward before he has to begin dialysis.

Retired Army Master Sergeant Owen McCurty served from 1983 to 2003.

An Army brat born in Germany with a father also in the Army, McCurty joined up after graduating high school.

He would go on to serve in various roles as an ammunitions specialist, notably serving a tour in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq as well as two overseas tours in Korea and Germany.

After retiring from military service, McCurty went on to become a veterans employment representative in Washington state, helping fellow veterans land jobs and translate their skills to a corporate setting.

“When service members were transitioning out of the Army, I would help them with their resume, and I would go out and build relationships with the Boeings, the Googles, the Microsoft’s and other companies in the Puget Sound area,” he said.

“When you serve that long, it’s in your blood.”

McCurty, a father of two, moved to Osceola County in 2019.

He’s volunteered with Meals on Wheels and on a sheriff’s community advisory board.

But he said the toughest mission of his life has been finding a kidney donor.

“About 20 years ago, I started having kidney issues. I went, had a physical and the doctor noticed that my creatinine in my kidneys were high,” he said.

“I’m not on dialysis yet, but I’m getting close to it. I’ve been praying very hard lately, and hopefully somebody comes forward to donate a kidney to me.”

A longtime bodybuilder, even at 60 years old, McCurty still stays in shape.

He said his visit to a doctor three weeks ago inspired him to come forward and ask for help.

“[The doctor] told me to tell the story in the community, he said you’re giving back in your community, and by you telling your story in the community, hopefully somebody will step forward to help you because you’re always giving back,” McCurty said.

Initially, he said he was hesitant.

“The person that I am, the human being that I am, when you’re always giving, your state of mind is to give,” he said. “It’s hard and it’s very humbling to ask for something from someone.”

He’s working with an organization called Dove, which in turn works to facilitate kidney transplants for veterans.

“Someone stepping forward to integrate themselves in my journey and giving me something, it would mean the world to me,” McCurty said.

If you’re interested in helping McCurty, you can call 407-303-3626 or visit ahlivingdonor.com.

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By Hamilton Kahn

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    SANTA FE, New Mexico (KOAT) — With the state Legislature poised for another special session beginning Monday, some lawmakers have called for a “truth commission” to get more information on what took place at the Zorro Ranch, a huge estate built on property south of Santa Fe that Jeffrey Epstein bought in 1993.

Epstein, who died in jail in New York after being arrested on sex trafficking charges in 2019, also had a brownstone residence in Manhattan and a private island in the Caribbean, where he was known to have been host to many well-known people whom he entertained with young women, many of whom may have been below the age of legal consent.

Epstein was also a close friend of President Donald Trump, who has said he ended his relationship with Epstein before being elected for his first time as president in 2016.

After he was investigated in March 2005 for molesting a 14-year-old girl, Epstein spent 18 months in jail on a single charge of soliciting a prostitute, under the terms of a plea deal with Florida prosecutors.

His long-time partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, for which she was convicted in 2021.

Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, but the state Attorney General’s office confirmed that it interviewed possible victims who had visited the Zorro Ranch. It was sold in 2023 to pay creditors.

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By Madison Monroe Adams

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    LEE COUNTY, Florida (WBBH) — Joshua Mulnix was arrested on Sanibel after police say he stole a construction worker’s car and attempted to run him over, forcing the victim to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.

The incident began at Blind Pass Beach on Oct. 27, when Mulnix allegedly entered a property and tried to break into a shed.

Conner Easton, a resident, said, “A lot of people in Florida carry. I suggest you hide. Next time you do some stupid like that, you’re going to get shot dead.”

Chip Wolfe, another Sanibel resident, said, “I know the couple that owns the house. Yeah. That I’m not sure they know yet.”

Police reported that when a construction worker told Mulnix to leave, he jumped into the worker’s car and drove off.

“There’s a lot of big houses. Not really much crime you ever see out here going on,” Easton said.

Wolfe said, “Lock your cars. You know, you can never be too, too careful.”

The keys were left in the car, which was unlocked.

Investigators said Mulnix rammed through a gate, causing about $4,000 in damage, before heading toward the end of Sanibel Island near Captiva. Once he reached the end, he got out and went inside a porta-potty. When he realized deputies were waiting outside, he ran out without his pants, grabbed two wooden stakes to hold as a weapon, and started running.

Owen Dierson, another resident, speculated, “I think drugs are involved.”

Lee County deputies used a Taser on Mulnix when they saw him heading toward another car, fearing he might steal that one, too. Mulnix was taken into custody and booked into the Lee County Jail on Monday.

He is facing the following charges:

-Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill -Grand theft auto -Criminal mischief -Leaving the scene of a crash

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By Denzen Cortez

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    PARADISE, California (KCRA) — Seven years after the Camp Fire devastated Paradise, California, the town is slowly rebuilding and honoring the lives lost.

Mayor Steve Crowder said he’s proud of the community’s progress, noting that about 40% of the town’s housing has been restored and the population has grown to more than 11,000, compared to 26,000 before the fire.

“We lost 85 people that day, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about them,” Crowder said.

The Camp Fire remains the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. It burned more than 153,000 acres, destroyed nearly the entire town of Paradise, and killed 85 people. Investigators later determined the fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric.

At a local nursery, new greenery is taking root — a symbol of the town’s ongoing recovery. “This will rebuild the city back to the beauty that it had originally,” one resident said.

Despite the loss and years of rebuilding, Crowder said the town’s spirit has never wavered. “The community is one thing that fire never took,” he said. “It’s the same community it was before the fire.”

Though Paradise hasn’t fully returned to its pre-fire population, the determination to rebuild remains strong.

“A lot of people after the fire said, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t rebuild,’” Crowder said. “Well, I’ll tell you — we’re kind of like the little train that could. Because that’s who we are.”

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By Wakisha Bailey

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Monday marks the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, founded in Philadelphia. On this week’s Spreading the Love, CBS News Philadelphia sat down with Private First Class Michael Grieco Sr., a 99-year-old World War II Marine Corps veteran whose story honors the courage and sacrifice of a generation.

Grieco enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943 when he was just 17 years old. Looking back, Grieco reflected on just how young they all were.

“Later on in life, I realized we were only teenagers — 17, 18, 19-year-old kids,” he said.

As a rifleman in the Pacific, Grieco served in some of the war’s toughest battles — Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa.

At Saipan, he remembered both the chaos and courage of combat.

“They had a banzai attack,” Grieco said. “There must have been a hundred enemy soldiers lying all over the place.”

After regrouping, his unit moved on to Tinian, wading through feet of water, despite one big problem.

“I had water up to my chest — I can’t swim,” he laughed.

Some called it an “easy campaign,” but Grieco said there was nothing easy about it.

“They said it only lasted 10 days,” Grieco said. “Ask those 300 Marines who were killed, plus the ones who were wounded.”

Then came Okinawa — the final and bloodiest battle of the Pacific War.

“Okinawa was something else,” Grieco said quietly.

Grieco was discharged in 1946, but his Marine spirit never left him. Nearly 80 years later, he still honors the men who fought beside him.

“Semper Fi means you’re friends forever,” he said. “That’s why every year Marines cut the birthday cake and share it with the oldest and youngest Marine.”

At 99, Grieco continues to spread the love — traveling with Forever Young Veterans and being recognized by the Philadelphia Phillies as a hometown hero.

On this milestone Marine Corps birthday, CBS Philadelphia salutes Grieco and every Marine who continues to live by the motto: Semper Fidelis.

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By Peyton Headlee

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    MARYSVILLE, California (KCRA) — A man in Yuba County was injured when a frozen water balloon was thrown through his windshield, sending shattered glass into his face and eyes, prompting an investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

The incident occurred Thursday night on Highway 20 near Hallwood Boulevard.

“It came through the window and hit me in the face. Forced a lot of this glass into my face, in my eyes,” the victim, Alex Plant said.

Plant said he was heading home from work around 9:30 p.m. Thursday night, driving about 45 mph on Highway 20 near Hallwood Boulevard, when he said a car traveling in the opposite direction threw something out the window.

“I barely saw it for a quarter of a second before it just came straight through,” he said.

Plant was able to pull off the two-lane highway, but had to ask Siri to call 911, still confused about what had hit him.

“My eyes were already starting to close up, so I couldn’t even look at the phone if I wanted to,” he said.

A piece of white balloon stuck in the shattered glass painted a clear picture of what happened as first responders arrived. Plant was then taken to the hospital, where he said medical staff spent hours removing shards of glass from his face and eyes.

“I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to see my family, to be honest with you. It was really stressful,” Plant said.

Still, he noted that his vision isn’t what it used to be.

“Out of this right eye, if I were to close the left one right now, you know, everything’s a little bit blurry. It’s hard to focus a little bit. And like I said, just the sensitivity to light,” he said.

Plant is left questioning if his eyesight will ever be the same and why someone would commit such a harmful act.

“I was a random victim, but somebody didn’t randomly do this act, right?” he said. “Somebody went through all that trouble to, like, freeze it, tie it off, you know what I mean? And then throw it through the windshield before it defrosted. That’s just crazy. Somebody went through all of that for just a random act of violence.”

California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, but a spokesperson said they have limited information and no witnesses. Officers are working to identify the suspect and the suspect vehicle.

Plant and his family are asking anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to contact the California Highway Patrol.

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By Mike Toole

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    DARTMOUTH, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A librarian is accused of smuggling sheets of paper infused with synthetic marijuana in a drug ring at the Bristol County jail in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

She’s one of five people charged in what the sheriff called the “largest alleged employee drug bust” in the jail’s history.

The investigation began back in March after authorities discovered someone was smuggling synthetic marijuana, also known as K-2 or “spice,” into the jail.

According to the sheriff, 25-year-old inmate Joseph Housley of Rehoboth was selling thousands of dollars’ worth of the drugs to other inmates, and he had help from four people on the outside.

One of them, investigators said, was the jail’s librarian, 46-year-old Ginger Hook of New Bedford. They said she had smuggled the drugs several times in sheets of paper that were infused with synthetic marijuana. Authorities then put her under surveillance in June.

They allegedly caught her delivering 13 pages of drug-laced paper to Housley. It was in a folder disguised as “legal work,” according to Sheriff Paul Heroux.

“It was estimated to be worth approximately $65,000 when sold inside the jail,” Heroux said in a statement Monday announcing the charges.

Hook resigned a month later when she was confronted about the incident. She and Housley were indicted last month along with the three others, 31-year-old Brandin Barbosa-Mayo of New Bedford, 33-year-old Bestlee Vasquez of Somerset and 23-year-old Axel Hazard of Rhode Island.

No other information is available at this point in the investigation. Dartmouth, Massachusetts is about 57 miles south of Boston.

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By Olivia Tyler

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — At Glenwood Place, an assisted living facility in Marshalltown, Shirley Sternola, a long-time educator, read a children’s book to local home-schooled kids 30 years after retiring, thanks to the facility’s Dare to Dream program.

Sternola’s caretaker, Angie Wilson with Iowa River Hospice, comes to Glenwood Place to do life reviews with her. There, Sternola shared that her passion is children’s literature. She once owned a bookstore while living in Colorado called Bo Peep Books, a play off her maiden name, Lamb.

So Wilson got an idea. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with Glenwood with so many different patients through the years, and we just got to thinking about how this would be a great opportunity for one of the wish-granting that they do,” she said.

Glenwood Place threw Sternola a surprise book club party. She got to sign and read a children’s book that an old friend dedicated to her. Her friend even called in via Zoom for the celebration.

Sternola’s family was also in attendance. Her brother, Ken Lamb, says Sternola is “a great human being, and she’s a hard worker, and she’s very exact about what she does.”

Sternola turns 91 next week, but this year her wish came true early. Wilson said, “She will talk about this every single visit moving forward, and the joy that you saw on her face will continue.”

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By Victor Jorges

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    DELRAY BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — A Delray Beach boxer refusing to let disability define him is celebrating a major victory and has a new belt to show for it.

Julian Gonzalez, who was born with one leg and missing a few fingers, has been training in the ring for two and a half years with dreams of becoming a professional boxer.

“All that work, the two and a half years, the weeks leading up to it,” Gonzalez said. “It was phenomenal. Phenomenal.”

WPTV reporter Victor Jorges first met Gonzalez in July when Gonzalez and his gym, The Phoenix Boxing Gym, were raising funds for a new prosthetic leg to help him move faster and train harder.

Last month, Gonzalez faced an able-bodied, more experienced, and heavier opponent — and won.

“Be fast,” is what Gonzalez had to do, he told Jorges. “In my hands, in my speed, in my thinking.”

“As soon as that bell rung and it was just me and him, all that completely washed away,” Gonzalez said. “The feeling of having my hand raised in that ring is like no other.”

Coaches at Phoenix Boxing Gym in Delray Beach say the moment was unforgettable.

“I was chasing him around trying to get his wraps off his hands; he didn’t want to know,” said Michael Hockton, owner of The Phoenix. “I think he sleeps with that belt. It was superb.”

For Gonzalez, this first victory in the ring proved what he’s known all along. He can compete on equal footing.

“I am able to compete level to level with people who are two-legged,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like, with how I move, I move better than most people with two legs. My footwork is pretty decent.”

Now, Gonzalez is looking ahead to 2026, filled with more fights — and more wins.

“It went well, it went well,” he said with a smile.

After WPTV’s first story on Julian aired, the community rallied to support Gonzalez’s $20,000 goal for a new prosthetic leg. So far, they’ve raised more than $2,000.

“Thanks again to Channel 5 and Victor for giving us some exposure,” Hockton said. “We actually raised over $2,000 for his new prosthetic.”

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