Category: CNN Regional

By Mike Sullivan

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — An East Boston corner grocery store is generating donations after a tongue in cheek sign out front of the store voiced their displeasure for the loss of SNAP benefits and spoke of their support for those impacted. The sign includes a certain, crass four-letter word that serves as both a punchline and a rallying cry.

The sign reads, “Did your SNAP benefits get taken away? We think that is extremely (expletive) up. Please take what you need.”

“Sure does! It has been getting a lot of photos and attention, but that’s my personality right there,” said Alexis Cervasio, owner of EBO & Co Groceries on Meridian Street in East Boston.

Cervasio not only owns the corner spot but leads a secret supper club. Between her store and the club, they started with a $250 run to Market Basket, so they could put the food and sign out in front of her store.

“Then people started to match us. You just have to get it started, and the people make it happen. I knew we could count on our following,” said Cervasio. “We aren’t looking for people to show us their card, but people feel compelled, and I am like, ‘Put it away! Take what you need.'”

Cervasio says even people who receive SNAP benefits have been donating to the cause if they feel like they can get by with what they have.

“I have been in tears all week. It’s been an emotional week here,” said Cervasio. “We had a father come in here yesterday, he’s like, ‘I’m a single father with two kids, I work at the airport. I am not getting paid right now, plus I’m not getting my SNAP benefits.’ He is like ‘so this is awesome.'”

They are still accepting donations of food at EBO but also are accepting monetary donations that they will use to buy food. Her grocery store carries a wide range of items that includes a fresh fruit and vegetable stand, fine wines, oysters, caviar and boutique foods. She has been going to major grocery stores to get more canned goods and non-perishables that her store may not supply.

“I filled up four baskets yesterday at Market Basket, so that was about $1,000, and it was gone by the end of the day,” said Cervasio.

EBO’s fresh fruit and vegetable stand is offering deals like six oranges for $1 or three avocados for $5.

“Our fruit stand is probably one of the most approachable on this side of the harbor,” said Cervasio. “It’s nice that we have a balance for both.”

“It’s a blessing and everyone should be grateful for it,” said Bernice Gordon, a woman who has been without her SNAP benefits and came by to look at the donations. “Everyone is trying to help out because nowadays everyone needs to stick with each other.”

Gordon spoke with WBZ then chose not to take anything from the table, saying off camera, “I only take what I need, and someone may need it more.”

“When I heard, it might get shut down, I started preparing my family. We look out for each other,” said Gordon. “Every day is a good day if you can eat something and wake up.”

Cervasio can be contacted via the store’s Instagram @ebo.grocery.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

WBZ

By Mike Sullivan

Click here for updates on this story

    BOSTON (WBZ) — An East Boston corner grocery store is generating donations after a tongue in cheek sign out front of the store voiced their displeasure for the loss of SNAP benefits and spoke of their support for those impacted. The sign includes a certain, crass four-letter word that serves as both a punchline and a rallying cry.

The sign reads, “Did your SNAP benefits get taken away? We think that is extremely (expletive) up. Please take what you need.”

“Sure does! It has been getting a lot of photos and attention, but that’s my personality right there,” said Alexis Cervasio, owner of EBO & Co Groceries on Meridian Street in East Boston.

Cervasio not only owns the corner spot but leads a secret supper club. Between her store and the club, they started with a $250 run to Market Basket, so they could put the food and sign out in front of her store.

“Then people started to match us. You just have to get it started, and the people make it happen. I knew we could count on our following,” said Cervasio. “We aren’t looking for people to show us their card, but people feel compelled, and I am like, ‘Put it away! Take what you need.'”

Cervasio says even people who receive SNAP benefits have been donating to the cause if they feel like they can get by with what they have.

“I have been in tears all week. It’s been an emotional week here,” said Cervasio. “We had a father come in here yesterday, he’s like, ‘I’m a single father with two kids, I work at the airport. I am not getting paid right now, plus I’m not getting my SNAP benefits.’ He is like ‘so this is awesome.'”

They are still accepting donations of food at EBO but also are accepting monetary donations that they will use to buy food. Her grocery store carries a wide range of items that includes a fresh fruit and vegetable stand, fine wines, oysters, caviar and boutique foods. She has been going to major grocery stores to get more canned goods and non-perishables that her store may not supply.

“I filled up four baskets yesterday at Market Basket, so that was about $1,000, and it was gone by the end of the day,” said Cervasio.

EBO’s fresh fruit and vegetable stand is offering deals like six oranges for $1 or three avocados for $5.

“Our fruit stand is probably one of the most approachable on this side of the harbor,” said Cervasio. “It’s nice that we have a balance for both.”

“It’s a blessing and everyone should be grateful for it,” said Bernice Gordon, a woman who has been without her SNAP benefits and came by to look at the donations. “Everyone is trying to help out because nowadays everyone needs to stick with each other.”

Gordon spoke with WBZ then chose not to take anything from the table, saying off camera, “I only take what I need, and someone may need it more.”

“When I heard, it might get shut down, I started preparing my family. We look out for each other,” said Gordon. “Every day is a good day if you can eat something and wake up.”

Cervasio can be contacted via the store’s Instagram @ebo.grocery.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

By WLS Staff

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    BATAVIA, Ill. (WLS) — A west suburban chiropractor is accused of secretly recording nude videos of over 180 of his patients, ranging from young children to adults, officials said.

David Hanson, the 43-year-old owner of Hanson Family Chiropractic in Batavia, is facing multiple felony charges, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

The suspect was arrested Wednesday night after a warrant search at his home and his chiropractic office, 1928 W. Wilson St. in Batavia, officials said. The investigation was conducted by the Batavia Police Department and the Child Exploitation Unit of the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“Many of the recordings appear to be taken from a red light room used for red light and near-infrared light therapy. Hanson made the video recordings using hidden cameras secretly placed throughout his chiropractic office,” a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office read in part. “Hanson was also found to be possessing and disseminating multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material that were unrelated to his chiropractic practice.”

Hanson is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 10.

The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said Hanson is facing the following charges: Producing Child Pornography, Class X felony (5 counts) Disseminating Child Pornography, Class X felony (3 counts) Possessing Child Pornography, Class 2 felony (6 counts) Unauthorized Video Recording of a Minor Through/Under the Clothes, Class 3 felony (3 counts)

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

By Alyssa Bethencourt

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    HENDERSON, California (KTNV) — A dog found stuffed inside a trash bag in a Henderson neighborhood has died despite rescue efforts, prompting a police investigation into possible animal cruelty.

The disturbing discovery was made Tuesday evening around 6:30 p.m. when a resident was bringing in his recycling bins and noticed one felt unusually heavy. Inside, he found a brown Maltese or poodle mix, estimated to be 10 to 12 years old, struggling to breathe inside a garbage bag.

“I didn’t hear the dog crying or whining, but I did hear a faint breathing sound, and I saw the garbage bag kind of like inflating and deflating,” the man who found the dog said.

The dog was immediately rushed to a nearby animal hospital, but despite medical efforts, it did not survive.

Henderson police detectives canvassed the neighborhood Wednesday morning, going door to door searching for security video or witnesses who might help identify whoever is responsible for the alleged cruelty.

The incident has shaken residents in what neighbors describe as a close-knit community where everyone looks out for one another.

Adrian Gascon, who lives nearby, expressed his heartbreak over the discovery.

“The first thing is why didn’t they put it on my porch? I would’ve kept it,” Gascon said. “That’s heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking. I’m glad I wasn’t the one that found it. If I would’ve seen something like that, I’d probably be in jail.”

The investigation remains ongoing as police work to determine who abandoned the dog and whether criminal charges will be filed.

Animal Protection Services is helping transport the dog to an external facility where a necropsy will be performed. Investigators hope it helps determine what exactly happened and who’s responsible.

If you have any information or video related to this case, you can call the Henderson Police Department at (702) 267-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

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

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.

By Michael Chen

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    OCEANSIDE, California (KGTV) — A surveillance camera captured an extremely rare sight early Wednesday morning in an Oceanside senior community: two mountain lions visiting a front porch, with wildlife experts believing the pair may have been mating.

The unexpected visitors appeared just before 3 a.m. on Salem Court, in a community that borders Camp Pendleton. The family inside slept through the encounter but discovered the footage when they checked their camera alerts in the morning.

“Shock, total shock,” said Kylie Richards, whose grandmother and mother live in the home where the mountain lions were recorded.

The surveillance video shows a mountain lion, possibly a female, entering from the side of the house and lying down on the porch. Less than 20 seconds later, a larger mountain lion appears, approaches and sniffs the first cougar. The smaller mountain lion then makes growling noises that continue for nearly 30 seconds before both animals wander away in the direction they came from.

“It was a ‘Holy Cow’ moment. How lucky are we to see this happening right outside the front door,” Richards said. “There is one mountain lion, and suddenly, there’s another. Wow, we’ve never seen an animal that big on our property.”

Richards said her family is accustomed to seeing wildlife near the home, including birds, bobcats and coyotes, but never mountain lions.

Robin Parks, a longtime volunteer with the Mountain Lion Foundation, reviewed the footage and believes the sounds the smaller cougar was making were likely mating calls. According to Parks, capturing a mating pair on camera, especially on a front doorstep, is extremely rare.

However, Parks noted that mountain lion sightings aren’t unusual in the Camp Pendleton area, which typically serves as home to one or two cougars at a time.

In 2024, a mountain lion was spotted multiple times in Oceanside, including at City Hall and a theater, before a cougar believed to be the same animal was killed by a car. Now, a year and a half later, residents have documented a pair of the elusive cats.

“Cool to see them up close, but it brings more awareness,” Richards said. “Mom said that she’s not going to take the trash out at night. If you have pets, keep them inside. But at the end of the day, we’re in their neighborhood as much as they are in ours.”

Parks explained that while it’s possible the pair were foraging for food, mating pairs typically don’t hunt together.

Richards has filed a report about the sighting with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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.