Category: CNN Regional

By Jason Rantala

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    EDINA, Minnesota (WCCO) — John Meehan was checking the surveillance cameras outside his Edina, Minnesota home Sunday morning. Little did he know what he would find.

“Showed the video to my wife and she said ‘no way, that must be a dog or something.’ I was like . . . that’s definitely a bear,” said Meehan.

The footage from just after 5:30 a.m. Saturday shows a black bear walking through Meehan’s backyard, not far from the Minneapolis border.

Another neighbor had a similar sighting, capturing a backyard bear on camera in Edina’s Country Club neighborhood just after midnight Sunday.

Elise Grennan and her dad Doug Grennan had their sighting near Lake Pamela Saturday night.

“I was kind of just in the kitchen and I heard my aunt scream ‘oh my God, is there a black bear in our backyard,'” said Elise Grennan.

“She had to cross through quite a bit of urban places,” said Doug Grennan.

“I’m not too alarmed because I’ve seen bears up at the cabin and stuff like that, so I know they’re generally not going to harm too many things,” said Meehan.

The Minnesota DNR said black bears are expanding outside their typical range. They’re working to better understand it and they invite people who’ve spotted them to submit that info online.

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 Reg Chapman

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    MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (WCCO) — A Minneapolis Fire truck was parked outside the Uptown VFW on Saturday, not to put out a fire but to take part in a community event.

Firefighters teamed up with Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 246 to replace a worn-out flagpole and replace the old stars and stripes.

“We have a flagpole on top of our building that needed a little fixing, so we used an extension ladder. We didn’t think it was a safe idea,” said Eric Swenson, Commander of the Hames Ballentine VFW Post #246.

So members of the Minneapolis Fire Department came with their big ladder rig to lend a helping hand.

Firefighters worked to get the ladder in place. Then they helped a group of Veterans walk across to the roof, where they hoisted a U.S. Flag and a flag that honors prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action.

“Anytime we can be out in [the] community and help them out, whether it’s a large project, a small project, something as just raising a ladder or just helping them on their worst day, we are willing to step in and help out,” said Nate Jensen, a Minneapolis Firefighter and Marine Corps veteran.

Jenson, who is also a current member of the Naval Reserve, said he was honored to help.

“All those guys who have given a lot and sacrificed a lot for us each and every day, you know, just being here and watching the flag being raised gives you that sense of pride and makes you really remember there are people every day that walk these streets [who] are willing to sacrifice everything,” said Jenson.

Community came out not only to see a fire truck and firefighters in action, they also came out to support a blood drive.

“Veterans of Foreign Wars is a civic-minded organization, and the state of Minnesota is currently in a blood emergency so we figured team up with Memorial Blood Centers and have a blood drive here,” said Jason Cole, the Junior Vice Commander at the James Ballentine VFW Post #246.

106 years and counting. James Ballentine VFW is committed to helping others, and they are grateful for the helping hand they get from local heroes.

“Every day we are out here helping out again, it just reinforces that the Minneapolis fire department and the crews that come in show up every day, we are committed to making this place a better environment for everyone that is walking through the city,” said Jensen.

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 Nick Lentz, Jack Springgate

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    FRAISER, Michigan (WWJ) — A 15-year-old boy is dead after an officer shot him while responding to a reported domestic dispute in Fraser, Michigan, on Saturday evening, according to the city’s Department of Public Safety.

Officers with the city responded to the reported dispute on the 17000 block of Breezeway around 5:30 p.m.

“During the encounter, an officer discharged their firearm, striking a 15-year-old male,” the city agency said in a news release.

The teen was taken to the hospital where he later died, officials said. No officers were injured in the shooting.

Officials have yet to disclose further details about the alleged dispute or the shooting.

Investigators were going door-to-door after the shooting to speak with nearby residents. CBS News Detroit spoke with a couple who live across the street from where it happened. They said they didn’t see what happened, but have recently seen police in the area more frequently.

“The last couple months, the police have been coming by here, and they’d be sitting out front, and then we’d see them go in the house, and talk to people and come out, but nobody’s getting arrested or anything,” Michael Bone, a nearby resident, said. “They’d leave. And it just keeps going on, and on and on. I told my wife, I said, ‘Eventually something is going to happen with this juvenile.'”

The officer who shot the teen has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation by the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, the agency said.

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 Nick Lentz

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    MONROE TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WWJ) — A 50-year-old tree trimmer is dead after a tree fell on him while he was working a job in Monroe Township, Michigan, on Saturday night.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the incident near the intersection of Timber Lane and South Dixie Highway shortly after 7:05 p.m. Investigators said three men from Ohio had been hired to remove a tree at a home in the area.

Officials said the workers were cutting the final section of the tree when the incident happened. The 50-year-old man, from Springfield, Ohio, reportedly attempted to grab a rope as the tree was falling, resulting in the timber hitting him in the head, according to the sheriff’s office. He died at the scene.

The Springfield man was taken to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office in Ohio for an autopsy, officials said.

The sheriff’s office and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 734-240-7530.

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 Raymond Strickland, Mike Spatocco

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    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Survivors of lung conditions, their families and advocates gathered at the Philadelphia Zoo Saturday for the 12th annual Philadelphia Lung Force Walk.

More than 1,000 people participated in the 1-mile walk. The trip took them around the zoo as families were encouraged to walk together while enjoying the zoo’s animals along the way.

Among the participants was Tiffany Fagnani, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017.

“I’m on my second line treatment now, and that medication was actually not approved. First-line treatment when I was diagnosed. And thanks to research and research funding, that medication was approved at the time that I needed it,” Fagnani said.

Valerie Brown, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer twice, said events like the Lung Force Walk have helped her navigate a difficult battle.

“We support each other all the time. It is so important. Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. This can be a hard journey, and you sometimes need to lean on your community and your support people,” Brown said.

Both women are team members with Lung Cancer Survivors of Greater Philadelphia.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the state of Pennsylvania and across the U.S, according to the American Lung Association. In the Greater Philadelphia region, an estimated 3,820 people are living with lung cancer, and an estimated 973,200 are living with lung disease.

“My mother is a lung cancer survivor,” said John Whetstine, who studies cancer and has a lab at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Whetstine says he received a grant through the American Lung Association because of money raised at events such as the Lung Force Walk. He says fundraising is what helps him and others advance their research to help detect cancers early and save those affected.

For cancer survivors like Amy Grove, it’s that research that gives her faith and keeps her determined to never give up.

“It gives us a lot of hope to see a lot of people here,” said Grove, who is also a team member of Lung Cancer Survivors of Greater Philadelphia.

The fundraising goal for the Lung Force walk was $250,000. As of this writing, the event surpassed that goal by more than $10,000.

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 Tom Ignudo

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    FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (KYW) — A referee at a South Jersey flag football game choked a coach after a call on the field escalated Sunday, police said.

Edward McKinnie, 47, was charged with second-degree aggravated assault after he allegedly choked a coach at the Franklin Township Sports Complex at a youth flag football game, according to police.

Police said officers responded to the assault at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Franklin Township Sports Complex on Pennsylvania Avenue.

According to police, a call on the field escalated, and McKinnie allegedly choked a 46-year-old Newfield man who was coaching one of the teams.

Witnesses at the flag football game corroborated the assault, police said. They told police that McKinnie and the coach had to be separated by spectators at the game.

McKinnie, of Blackwood, was processed and released, and he is set to appear in court for the assault charge, police said.

The coach who was allegedly choked was treated by Gloucester County EMS for his injuries at the scene, according to police.

The assault remains under investigation.

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 Garrett Behanna

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    BETHEL PARK, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Police in Bethel Park are searching for the owner of a chicken that was found wandering along a roadway and temporarily disrupting traffic.

According to a social media post from the Bethel Park Police Department, officers responded to the area of 160 Drake Road after receiving a report of a chicken in the roadway, which was “apparently indecisive as to whether or not to cross the road,” the post read.

When officers arrived, they found the bird roaming in the center lane, creating a traffic hazard. Police said the chicken was safely captured after what they described as a brief foot pursuit.

The bird was transported to police headquarters, where officers joked that the chicken had been “detained” and “interrogated” before the chicken “claimed” she was directing traffic rather than blocking it.

Police identified the bird as what appears to be a Plymouth Rock chicken and are asking anyone who believes the animal belongs to them to contact the department at 412-833-2000.

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 Mike Sullivan

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Massachusetts General Hospital program is providing support for cancer survivors to help deal with the physical and mental issues that come after their battle.

The “SMART Program,” which stands for “Stress Management and Resilience Training” for cancer survivors, focuses on the unexpected changes and health issues that come from dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

As a working mom, Kate Joyal says she constantly thinks about what’s coming next, but she could never have predicted her cancer diagnosis.

“I was hospitalized for a bowel obstruction in June of 2024, blindsided by it; I didn’t see it coming at all,” said Joyal. “‘I had a colonoscopy, and then I had some biopsies done, and that’s when I found out I had stage four colon cancer.”

After this life-changing diagnosis, the pieces of Joyal’s life began to scatter. As a mother of two, she says the fear for her family is what struck her the most. Her kids witnessed her undergoing chemotherapy at home.

“Because I am so young, they gave me a very aggressive form of chemo to help shrink the tumors down,” said Joyal.

After eight rounds of chemotherapy, surgeons at Mass General removed her tumor. Joyal did not feel relief. Instead, she felt sad and anxious.

“You don’t see your doctors as often. It’s scary,” said Joyal. “For those who have gone through the experience, it’s sort of the start of something else.”

After entering remission, Joyal had a new battle: one with mental health.

“How do you talk to people when you’re sad or anxious, and everybody else is thinking ‘You should celebrate, you’re done with treatment,” said Giselle Perez, the Director of the MGH Mind Body Cancer Survivor Program. Perez oversees the SMART program at the hospital.

So Joyal took part in the SMART program with other survivors her age. The program aims to build strength and resilience skills through group therapy. They are also testing to see if better mental health leads to improved physical health and have found multiple observations, but nothing causal or conclusive.

She explained it helped her acknowledge both her feelings and her situation. The group also talked about the aspects of their life they appreciate now.

“Some of the things that we all were saying are very simple. I was in tears after it,” said Joyal.

For instance, she never let her children sleep in her bed with her and her husband before, and now she does.

“I feel more empowered to be there for them and be a part of everything they are going through, and I don’t know if I felt that before,” said Joyal. “It gave me a better feeling of being their mom.”

WBZ and CBS are partnering with the National Alliance of Mental Illness Massachusetts this month. If you or someone you know needs help addressing mental health, you can reach out to them at namimass.org. You can also call them at 617-580-8541.

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 Paul Burton

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    MILFORD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Marcelo Gomes da Silva walked across the stage to receive his diploma from Milford High School on Sunday with an enormous sense of gratitude. “Definitely an important day and an amazing day in my life,” he smiled.

It was exactly one year ago when 19-year-old Gomes da Silva was detained for several days by ICE and eventually released. The agency said that Gomes da Silva’s father was their intended target, but they arrested the teen instead because his student visa expired and he was in the country illegally.

His detainment sparked outrage in the community and drew national attention. On Sunday, he thanked his school and his community for their support. “I am most grateful for my community. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t be graduating. I could possibly have been in Brazil or anywhere else,” he said.

Both of his parents attended the graduation and are thankful to see him achieve this accomplishment. For a long time, many doubted this day would come. “I’m very happy and thank God for everything, for the people’s help my family,” Marcelo’s mother, Diane Pereira said.

Many thought this day would never come. “I didn’t know. In the detention center especially, I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. But once I got out, I knew that I would do my best to give back to this community,” Marcelo said.

And as the graduation caps flew high, Marcelo knows this will be a new chapter in his life and a new perspective. “From me being taken by ICE and people coming out for me, it showed me that a lot of times people are judgmental of who they are around. And it kind of just taught me to think twice before saying anything about anybody else, or thinking a certain way about anybody because a lot of people are actually good people,” Gomes da Silva said.

Marcelo says he plans to head to Providence College to study political science. “Hopefully to be in politics and be able to make a change in the world. I feel like a lot of people love to spread out in communities and generations,” he smiled.

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 JT Moodee Lockman, Caroline Foreback

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — Baltimore Police shared video showing the alleged suspects and car involved in a Baltimore playground shooting that left an 11-year-old and a man injured on Wednesday, May 27.

Police arrived at the scene in Baltimore’s Upton neighborhood, where they found the boy and a 26-year-old man with gunshot wounds.

On Friday, police said both victims are expected to survive.

Baltimore playground shooting Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Police Commissioner Richard Worley both condemned the actions, with Scott calling it “another case of weak men who cannot resolve their petty conflict without gunfire.”

The shooting took place at a playground next to Templeton Elementary School.

Worley said he believes the 26-year-old man was the intended target for the shooting and the child was a bystander. Other children were on the playground at the time of the shooting, police said.

“It affects the whole community because I don’t feel safe to come outside during the day,” said longtime resident Clinton Milburn. “At nighttime, I do not come outside at all. I worry about my granddaughters being out here on the playground, playing out front. We have to prevent things from happening.”

According to police dispatch audio, the suspects may have changed clothes at a nearby apartment after the shooting.

Suspects, car seen in video Video shared on Friday by police showed a white sedan pulling up. Two men dressed in all black are seen getting out of the driver’s side and the rear passenger side of the car before pointing weapons across the street.

Officials said the shooters pulled up across from the Marshall Recreation Center and Templeton Elementary off Pennsylvania Avenue.

Community reaction In a video posted on Facebook, Gari McCarter says she was coaching step dance in a building next to the playground when the gunshots rang out.

“For years I’ve been trying to find a safe place to practice,” she told WJZ’s Caroline Foreback.

She says the season is now canceled indefinitely.

“We just don’t have anywhere else to go,” she said.

Rick Fontaine Leandry, Chief of Community Engagement at MONSE, commented on the shooting, stating, “I think knowing some of the details of how it happened bothers me. No one should be shot at all, especially a child…Emotionally, it just didn’t sit right at all.”

Resources in place On Friday, leaders from the mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and other community organizations returned to the Upton neighborhood to listen to neighbors’ concerns.

“Especially after this incident, I think some of the neighbors and parents are concerned about the safety of their children and their grandchildren,” Leandry added.

He says they’re trying to connect people with resources and even employment in an effort to address systemic issues that contribute to neighborhood violence.

“We bring resources, therapists on call, we post up in the rec center over here. We brought some therapists to the school to work with the children,” he said. “Whenever there’s an incident, a traumatic incident, [the] community needs healing.”

Police are asking anyone with information about the suspects to call detectives at 410-396-2422 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.

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.