Category: CNN Regional

By Breana Pitts

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    NEEDHAM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — March is Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month, and for families navigating celiac disease, treatment does not come in the form of medication or a cure. Instead, it requires a lifelong commitment to a strict gluten-free diet.

At Boston Children’s Hospital’s Needham campus, that education is happening in an unexpected place – the kitchen.

What looks at first like a cooking class, is actually a doctor’s appointment designed to help children and families build real-life skills around food and health.

“It’s a billable service that were offering. It’s a nutrition education appointment, and we’re giving them the education as well as some practical skills,” explained culinary nutrition manager Nolan Reese.

Reese and dietitian Maria Cherry run the hospital’s newly opened teaching kitchen in Needham, a space where families can learn how to cook for a range of health needs, including celiac disease, epilepsy and diabetes.

“What I talk about in these classes is that when we’re looking at our food groups, the majority are naturally gluten-free. So if we focus on what we already have that is gluten-free, like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein, that’s going to help us create really great, healthy recipes instead of focusing so much on what we’re missing when we’re talking about a gluten-free diet,” Cherry said.

“If a kid is newly diagnosed and we tell them what they need to eat, it might go in one ear and out the other,” Reese said. “But we use this space to sort of practice those skills and help really solidify those recommendations.”

For kids with epilepsy, the kitchen can be a place to learn about the ketogenic diet and how to carefully measure ingredients. For children with diabetes, it can help teach carb counting and practical cooking skills that build confidence outside the hospital setting.

Cherry said the kitchen creates a more comfortable, collaborative environment for patients and families.

“We have more of a back and forth, and it’s more collaborative,” she said. “I think that really takes off the pressure.”

The pair also brings their recipes beyond the kitchen and onto YouTube, sharing dishes like black bean and sweet potato quesadillas and gluten-free chickpea cookie dough — meals designed to be inclusive for the whole family.

“Creating recipes that are easy for all friends and family to enjoy, and not feel like they’re missing out on anything, are really important,” Cherry said.

The teaching kitchen is also preparing to expand its reach, with plans to offer free community classes in the near future, giving more families access to hands-on nutrition education.

“We want kids to feel confident managing their conditions in the real world,” Reese said. “And this gives them a way to practice those skills and actually make it fun.”

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 Jacob Wycoff

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    WORCESTER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A simple frustration turned into something much bigger for 13-year-old Jason Chang, a seventh grader at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. Jason didn’t set out to solve a global energy problem. He just wanted to stop adjusting his family’s solar-powered Christmas decorations.

“My mom would always tell me to go outside and move the solar lights to face the sun… and I got kind of frustrated,” Jason said. “What if I could fix this problem?”

That moment, small, relatable, and a little annoying, sparked an idea that would eventually earn him national recognition.

Jason’s project is what he calls an “eco-efficient solar tracking system.” In simple terms, it’s a solar panel that follows the sun throughout the day.

Most solar panels are fixed in place, meaning they don’t always capture sunlight at the optimal angle. That can lead to a loss of potential energy, Jason says that number is up to 20%.

His solution? A system that moves with the sun, without using motors, sensors, or electricity.

Instead, it relies on gravity.

Using a series of water-filled containers, a seesaw-style design, and a carefully timed fluid control system, his device slowly shifts the weight of the panel throughout the day. As the sun moves, the panel tilts with it automatically.

“All you have to do is pull on the plug and the water starts flowing,” Jason explained. “Over time, it will add water slowly into the bucket, weighing the panel down gradually to follow the sun’s movement.”

The entire system is built using simple materials, many of them recycled. The cost is less than $25.

Jason didn’t just build the model, he tested it. In outdoor comparisons with a standard fixed solar panel, his design generated about 20% more voltage.

That kind of improvement could have real-world implications, especially in areas where every bit of energy matters.

“I hope my project can help people around the world to provide more electricity,” he said. “Since it’s very low cost… I believe that it can be made anywhere around the world.”

Because it doesn’t rely on external power or complex parts, the system could be especially useful in off-grid communities, developing regions, or even disaster zones where electricity is limited or unavailable.

Jason has been working on the project for over a year, refining the design and documenting each step along the way in a detailed notebook.

Like most inventions, it didn’t come together perfectly on the first try.

“The hardest part was the fluid control frame,” he said. “It has to be very precise… the measurements have to be exact for the panel to move correctly.”

He’s already thinking ahead, too.

One limitation of the current design is that water can freeze in colder temperatures. So, Jason is now working on a new version; one that can function year-round, even in winter conditions.

It’s a mindset that goes beyond just one project.

“I think most problems in life… instead of working hard, you should work smarter,” he said. “Think of ideas to overcome the problem.”

After walking through the design and its potential impact, WBZ-TV’s Jacob Wycoff showed Jason a surprise video message from Jenny Buccos, co-founder of the National STEM Festival.

“Congratulations on being named a National STEM Champion,” she said. “You are one of the 55 reasons to believe the future is in incredible hands.”

The room quickly filled with applause. Jason had been selected as one of the nation’s top young innovators and invited to Washington, D.C. to present his work.

“I feel great,” he said, smiling as his classmates cheered him on.

At just 13 years old, Jason is already thinking like an engineer and an entrepreneur.

“When I’m older, I want to be an entrepreneur… create products… and make everyone’s life easier,” he said.

It’s a big goal. But if this project is any indication, he’s well on his way.

What started as a simple frustration has turned into something with real potential as an idea that could help bring energy to places that need it most.

And now, it’s taking him to a national stage.

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 WABC Staff

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    NEW YORK (WABC) — A woman who lost her engagement ring while running the New York City Half Marathon received news on Wednesday from a jeweler who wants to help with her emotional and sentimental loss.

Big Apple Jewels in the Diamond District has offered to make a replacement ring for Isabel Lahn-Schroeder.

She believes she lost her ring around mile ten in the area of Central Park South.

The couple tried to look for the ring but had not had any luck.

On Wednesday, the owner of Big Apple Jewels delivered the great news.

“What we’d like to do is make you a replica of the exact same ring that you lost without any pay. We’re happy that you came out to New York, ran the marathon and it’s an opportunity for us to take part in your special day that will last with the family and with you forever,” Zak Nissanov with Big Apple Jewels said.

The ring was originally a tie clasp and when the family member who owned it passed away, one of the female family members turned it into a ring and it has been passed down to generations ever since.

The jeweler said hopefully, the new ring can create new traditions for the family.

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 Darla Miles

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    ROSELLE PARK, New Jersey (WABC) — A 9-year-old girl in New Jersey grieving the sudden loss of her father has been reunited with the dog he gave her after the pet sitter caring for him could not be reached.

“My heart dropped finding out what happened, finding out that his family was worried sick about wondering where Major was,” said pet sitter Grace Reyes.

On Wednesday, Major trotted into the Roselle Park Police Department – almost like he knew he was going to be reunited with his family.

The 2-year-old cockapoo was a birthday gift from a father to his daughter – and had been in total limbo with his pet sitter since Friday.

“He was supposed to be picked up on Friday and so the messages stopped going through on Thursday and I started getting worried,” Reyes said. “Because he never goes that long without texting me.”

Major’s owner died unexpectedly last week on vacation abroad. His family spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News on Monday – desperate to find the pet sitter.

“On Tuesday morning, my aunt calls me with this anxiety,” Reyes said. “And she sends me this post of Major and she says, ‘isn’t this the dog that you take care of all the time, Major?'”

At the same time, Reyes had been searching social media to find his family.

“Thanks to Eyewitness News and other friends and family that blasted this all over social media, they were able to locate where Major actually was,” Officer Vincent Picarelli said.

Roselle Park police received a call from Reyes’ aunt.

“We have Officer Picarelli and I told him yesterday we have to this young puppy for this 9-year-old daughter,” said Roselle Park Chief Dominick Frino. “He told me ‘Chief, don’t worry about it’ and he said ‘I’ll have this dog for you by the end of the day.'”

And he did. On Wednesday, Major went home to his 9-year-old owner who is already dealing with the loss of her father – but now doesn’t have to also deal with the loss of her dog.

“I’m a father of two daughters and this just broke my heart when I heard this story,” Frino 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 Sara Tenenbaum, Marissa Sulek

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Would you send your child to a private school with no teachers and learning driven by AI? And would you pay to do so?

Alpha Schools, a private school that teaches students entirely using artificial intelligence programs, is now enrolling for classes in Chicago this fall.

The schools will teach from kindergarten through eighth grade at the Lakeshore East building, the former Gems World Academy.

An AI school sounds like students are learning from robots, there are no teachers, and kids stare at computers all day. That’s not exactly how it works.

The curriculum is unique. Each child is assigned a “guide” instead of a teacher. The kids learn from AI for one to two hours a day on a computer, learning core subjects like science, math, and reading. When screen time is over, the guides lead the children in workshops from public speaking to coding to outdoor education.

“We are using the same curriculum that students in the classroom are learning from. This is not ChatGPT coming up with made-up questions,” said founder Mackenzie Price.

Price said their AI system can precisely assess what a student knows and doesn’t know. She said that’s good for basic learning, their guides teach students the rest, and they are paid well with six-figure salaries.

“Teachers are not going to be replaced. They are the most important part of making a model work, and they are the reason that our model is so successful,” Price said.

“It’s really not that new, to be honest, it’s personalized learning,” said Liz Gerber with the Center for Human-Computer Interaction and design at Northwestern University.

Gerber said the Alpha School is self-directed learning with Montessori principles.

She hesitates to call this an AI school. However, it is $55,000 per child to attend, and that only attracts a wealthy clientele.

“What’s concerning to me is it’s not going to be available to everybody, it’s just not scalable. I mean, the cost is just prohibitive,” Gerber said.

Why is it so expensive?

“It’s our afternoons and the activities we do during those life skills workshops that is where a lot of this is going,” Price said.

Price says kids are able to move at the pace and level right for them.

According to Alpha Schools, their classes rank in the top 1% pon national standardized tests, and their students grow, on average, 2.6 times faster than peers on nationally informed MAP tests.

Currently, they have 35 students interested and two enrolled for the next school year. Their goal is to have 50 students enrolled by the fall of 2026, and they are currently taking applications.

There are 22 Alpha Schools currently across the country. Their website mentions that the tuition includes a slew of activities, like a trip to Formula 1, Poland, and even a summer program in the Hamptons.

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 Taylor Locke

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    CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — A spontaneous bicycle journey from Montreal to Virginia has given a 23-year-old rider a firsthand look at how bike safety laws and infrastructure vary from state to state.

Jan Martinez was biking along Newby Bridge Road in Chesterfield County this week when we met him during his hundreds-of-miles trek. He was on his way to his aunt’s house in Midlothian, but his journey started much further north.

Martinez began his trip on March 12. He bought a used bicycle in Montreal and relied on it for hundreds of miles, catching trains for parts of his journey after biking to Boston.

“So I did that, just staying at cheap motels and friends’ houses,” Martinez said.

Along the way, Martinez noticed major differences in bike infrastructure and how seriously bike safety laws are enforced.

“In New Hampshire and Massachusetts, there is a law that explicitly says that when you’re crossing … a person who is biking in the road, you have to give them four feet,” Martinez said.

In Virginia, a similar law requires drivers to give cyclists three feet of space. If that is not possible, drivers must move to another lane to pass safely. Martinez noted this small difference can make a big impact on how safe riders feel on the road.

He also observed stark differences in the bike lanes themselves.

“In the north, like in New England and Montreal, even with the snow, there was a lot of snow when I was there, they cleaned them up, the bicycle lanes, so you can bike through them,” Martinez said. “But here it was just like a glorified shoulder, pretty much. I just noticed you can’t even see the sign, the bicycle sign, because it’s covered in mud and stuff.”

Despite the challenges of ever-changing traffic patterns and weather, Martinez hopes drivers everywhere remember that sharing the road safely makes all the difference for cyclists.

“I have some anecdotes, some good memories of what I’ve done and I’ve really enjoyed it. I met some really nice people, like you guys,” Martinez said. “These things, you can’t just plan it. So it’s just a really nice experience overall. I’ve learned a lot.”

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR 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 Hannah McDonald

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — Advocates in Tennessee are pushing for a simple change to gun-dispossession forms to hold domestic abusers and designated third parties accountable for surrendering firearms.

Under Tennessee law, individuals accused of domestic abuse who have a protective order filed against them are prohibited from possessing firearms. They are required to dispossess all guns within two days.

However, current rules do not require offenders to name who is keeping the guns or where they are stored. Advocates argue this loophole often allows firearms to end up back in the hands of an abuser, as seen in the case of Nashville resident Marie Varsos.

“When he first assaulted her, and assaulted her with a deadly weapon, those charges were pressed, and when he was arraigned, he had to fill out the form,” said Christina Judeich, a friend of Marie Varsos. “We are asking the guilty party to be forthright and on an honor system, to dispossess their firearms, and, you know, to do their own due diligence. Which I think is kind of insane.”

The Tennessee Domestic Violence Council is now urging judges to require that gun-dispossession forms list exactly who is responsible for the relinquished weapons.

“There are judges that have said people ask them, ‘Well, does this mean I cannot go hunting in the fall?’ Well, yes, that’s what it means,” advocate Gail Witherspoon said.

Wilson County Judge Ensley Hagan already requires this additional information. He made the change after learning the father of the Waffle House shooter, Travis Reinking, had returned firearms to his son. In the 2018 Waffle House shooting, Joe Perez Jr., Taurean Sanderlin, Akilah Dasilva, and DeEbony Groves were shot and killed by Reinking, although he was not legally allowed to possess firearms.

“We found out his father had given him back guns that he was dispossessed of in Michigan,” Judge Ensley Hagan said. “It’s good, responsible practice to demonstrate to that third party who is taking control of those weapons the importance of this, and to convey to them, this is important, and making sure they understand their role as that third party is to keep the firearms, and keep them away the individual who has had the order of protection granted against them.”

Twelve counties, including Wilson and Davidson counties, have updated their forms to include these details, largely due to advocates pushing for the change.

“We’re seventh in the nation for overall gun violence, death, and injury, and we know that there are women living with intimate partners who still have firearms because our law does not provide the kind of enforcement we need,” said Linda McFayden-Ketchum. “This form change would just start the process. It would give the court more power to hopefully impress upon the respondents to dispossess, and do it right.”

While lawmakers could mandate the courts to update the form statewide, previous attempts have failed. Legislation related to firearms typically faces strong debate in Tennessee.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF 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 Forrest Sanders

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — A program has just launched in a few local schools. The hope is the idea goes national. It’ll take some pretty great kids to help make that happen.

“When me and Olive first met we played with walkie talkies!” said seven-year-old Bellaire, sitting next to nine-year-old Olive.

“Wait. Do you still have the other one?” Olive asked.

“No.”

“Aw! I don’t know where mine went!”

The girls are today students at Neely’s Bend K-8 School, and they’re part of this whole big thing. Sounds like something where you’d want to be dressed your best.

“Are these real diamonds?” Olive asked Bellaire, looking at a bracelet.

“No!”

“That’d be funny if they were.”

There’s a lot to this. It starts with an idea by Mary Frank.

“It’s the Peace Partner Project,” Frank explained. “Peer group pressure gets in the way of children reaching out and being friends with children who are different.”

Through a Metro Arts grant, Frank got three schools involved in the Peace Partner Project.

“Goodlettsville Elementary, Neely’s Bend, and Episcopal School of Nashville,” Frank listed.

Students of the three schools have become pen pals.

“They write letters back and forth to each other,” Frank nodded.

This sounded like a pretty good idea to Neely’s Bend K-8 principal Kimberly Bullock.

“Having a connection with people who do not live in the same area, neighborhood with you, to embrace different backgrounds, ethnic diversity, we are all together,” Bullock said. “We share a common theme, and that’s respect and love.”

Right now, the kids have not met their pen pals from other schools in person. That will happen at a peace rally at Shelby Park in May. The peace rally will include a monument to peace. Until then, the kids are reading about famous peacemakers and keeping journals about acts of kindness. A song is being learned that will be performed by the kids of all three schools at the peace rally.

Here’s where Olive and Bellaire come in. Frank put them at the center of a documentary about the Peace Partner Project. The girls didn’t actually know each other before this journey started. It made the two of them friends.

“Yup. It did!” Bellaire confirmed.

Frank’s hope is the documentary can showcase the Peace Partner Project idea to schools across the country.

“We want people to see Tennessee is really reaching out and trying to make a difference,” Frank said. “We are seeing this for every third grade in the nation to be able to rally for peace. We’re hoping they’ll be friends forever. Peace can be a reality.”

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 Erin Holly

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    CHESAPEAKE, Virginia (WTKR) — 82-year-old Wayne McClain is thanking the Chesapeake neighbors who he says saved his life after his SUV crashed into Indian Creek last week.

McClain was driving his silver Tahoe home to Pungo from his fiance’s house in the Outer Banks last week when he veered off Indian Creek Road. He does not know what caused his vehicle to leave the roadway.

“The tire slipped off, but next thing you know I heard crank, crank, crank, I looked up and I was going through the guy’s fence. And I was trying to maintain control, and next thing I was in the water,” McClain said.

Chris Kenney, a Chesapeake neighbor and former firefighter, was driving home from dinner with his two children when he saw the crash happen directly in front of him.

“The vehicle, it was a silver Tahoe that was directly in front of me, for no reason that I could see, just went off the right side of the road,” Kenney said. “It then struck the ditch on the right side, went airborne, and flew probably somewhere between 15 and 20 yards, and then crashed unfortunately through the neighbor’s fence here and then went into the water behind me.”

Kenney pulled over immediately and saw the SUV floating down the waterway. The rescue was already underway by the time first responders arrived at the scene.

“So I went over to the back seat, and I was in the back seat and trying to kick the windows out. Then I started panicking a little bit because I’m going ‘You know, I’m not gonna get out of here.’ And thank goodness that’s when Chris said, he said he saw me kind of, panicking,” McClain said.

“He had shifted from the front seat into the back seat because the water filled up the front of the vehicle and he started banging on the glass and he was in a panic — and it was at that point I decided I had to go in,” Kenney said.

Knowing the vehicle would soon sink, Kenney yelled to a nearby neighbor who had come outside after hearing the crash. The neighbor retrieved a hatchet for Kenney to use to break the glass.

Kenney used the hatchet to break the windows, jumped into the water and successfully pulled McClain out of the water. Just minutes after the rescue, McClain’s SUV became fully submerged under water.

The nearby neighbor also brought towels and blankets to help keep McClain warm once he was safely on the shoreline.

McClain was taken to Chesapeake Regional Medical Center for further evaluation. He said he did not get any major injuries, and walked away with just a couple of bruises. McClain says his car is totaled after the accident.

“The Lord is definitely looking out for me. To have a firefighter riding behind me, a lady has a hatchet. It’s just too much to deny,” McClain said. “This man saved my life.”

Kenney echoed McClain, saying divine intervention stepped in.

“The Lord put me in the right place at the right time,” Kenney said.

Kenney credited the neighbor for her crucial role in the rescue, calling it a community effort.

“By her providing me that hatchet, that was instrumental in me being able to do what I did, and so I believe a lot of the credit does go to her,” Kenney said.

Kenney said he wanted to show his kids, who were in the car, how important it is to try to leave a positive impact everyone—even strangers.

“The world is a very negative place right now,” Kenney said. “And I just wanted to bring light to the fact that if we continue to keep positivity in our lives and work to improve in ourselves, that we can make positive change at a time where you never know it’s gonna happen.”

McClain said he is glad to be alive and make it home safely to his family.

“Means a lot to me. Means a lot to me. And especially thankful for a man there and glad to be alive with my family,” McClain said.

McClain is grateful to be alive to meet his first great-grandchild soon.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTKR 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.