Category: CNN Regional

By Kimber Collins

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    KAILUA, Hawaii (KITV) — On Sept. 11, 2001, Brian Burik rushed to the World Trade Center after the towers collapsed.

At the time, he was on shift at a Harlem firehouse with the New York City Fire Department. He spent weeks at Ground Zero, surrounded by devastation he says will never leave him.

“I do remember the audio specifically, the plane, the sound and then the silence on the radio,” Burik recalled. “It was just a different level of devastation, it was almost surreal.”

Burik served more than two decades with the FDNY before retiring as a lieutenant. Now, he’s building a new life in Hawaii with Tradition Coffee Roasters, a Kailua business he founded to keep alive a firehouse ritual that meant so much to him and his crew.

“It was like bees to honey,” Burik said about the daily coffee table routine. “It would bring us to that kitchen table and we would start talking. You’d have some good days, some bad days, and some really bad days.”

Inside his Honolulu shop, reminders of his past line the walls. His retired helmet hangs with the number 343 painted across it, honoring the 343 firefighters who never made it home on 9/11, along with those who have died since. Nearby, a cross forged from World Trade Center steel is another solemn reminder of sacrifice.

Even the company’s logo ties together his past and present. “We call it our fire flower,” Burik explained. “It’s fire from my past, it’s a flower for Hawaii and it’s a coffee bean etched in the middle.”

Burik said roasting beans and teaching customers about coffee has become his new passion. But for him, the shop is also about honoring memory. Each cup is another chance to live with gratitude and to keep his fallen brothers and sisters close.

“If you are thinking about someone, call them,” Burik said. “If you have a relative or a friend, pick up the phone. Don’t miss the opportunity to tell someone you care about them, tell somebody you love them.”

For Burik, Sept. 11 is a reminder not only of loss, but of the importance of connection. And while life moves forward, he believes the promise to never forget must remain.

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By Marvin Hurst

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    PELICAN BAY, Texas (KTVT) — Video and documents released to CBS News Texas by the Pelican Bay Police Department describe a cute furry Mexican spider monkey as a wild, dangerous animal that must go before a judge on Thursday in Pelican Bay.

Abu, the spider monkey, won’t understand the legal fight, but those going to court know what’s at stake: where he lives and whether he will continue to live.

CBS News Texas contacted Abu’s owner, Carmen, as listed in Pelican Bay police documents, and her last known attorney for comment. So far, neither has responded.

North Texas “monkey lady” and Abu involved in police encounter, bite incident “I’m just a little emotional,” Carmen said as she spoke with authorities coming to get Abu from her home on September 3. Their visit was cordial, and Carmen was cooperative after Abu bit Pelican Bay Police Sgt. Justin Spurgeon.

In a video of Spurgeon released to CBS News Texas, the officer pulls up near Carmen and two others. Police documents identify the others as her husband and daughter.

“Carmen Carmen, right? Let me take a picture of that monkey. My daughter wants to see it,” Spurgeon said.

The police sergeant stated that public safety officials had come into contact with the animal during a previous call. Carmen said that for two and a half years, she had walked around the city with Abu—even taking pictures with public safety personnel. Everyone, she said before hiring an attorney who stopped her from speaking, knows her as the “monkey lady.”

Nine seconds after Spurgeon gets out of the vehicles, someone said, “No. No.” What happened is not in view of his vehicle’s camera. Spurgeon comes back to his vehicle and drives away. He and Carmen said Abu bit the father of two.

“It just leaned forward, grabbed my arm fairly quickly, and then bit me on the elbow,” Spurgeon said.

Pictures he took show two puncture wounds and some bleeding. Spurgeon said he went to urgent care. Five days later, Carmen agreed to voluntarily quarantine Abu for ten days. Officers asked the owner several questions.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife believes spider monkey Abu was smuggled into the country.

Police documents reveal an agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes the spider monkey was likely smuggled into the country, but does not indicate Carmen had anything to do with it. The agency would not comment on the case.

Investigators said they found out the last time Abu got a tetanus and rabies shot was in May 2023. A state health official told police to find out if Abu has rabies, despite contrary opinions, would require euthanizing the animal.

Pelican Bay opted to expand its quarantine. Carmen agreed to pick up the costs associated with the animal’s upkeep and surrender Abu because owning such an animal in Pelican Bay is against the law.

She wanted Abu to leave the Johnson County facility, where he’s being kept. Her choice is the Funky Monkey Ranch in Burleson.

A seizure warrant was issued, according to the document, to place Abu in the custody of the Humane Society of North Texas.

Police Chief Brad Anderson said he wanted a judge to decide where the spider monkey goes.

The hearing is on Thursday, September 18, in Pelican Bay.

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By Adam Thompson

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    BALTIMORE COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — Steve Peck, who now lives in Baltimore County, was working on the 63rd floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower in New York City 24 years ago when the building shook violently.

At that moment, he had no idea the impact it would have on the United States.

Peck was one of the lucky ones who survived the terror attack on Sept. 1, 2001. More than 3,000 people in the two towers died.

“I’m sure everyone remembers exactly where they were when they heard the news,” Peck said. “I just happened to be 20 to 30 floors below where the building was hit in World Trade Center One.”

“A plane hit the building”

Peck said that he and his colleagues were preparing for a 9 a.m. meeting when he thought a bomb had gone off.

They went to the stairwell, focused on running as fast as they could down 63 flights of stairs.

“We went to the stairs and figured out how fast we could run, and what we were going to run into when we got down there.” Peck remembers.

Peck said the traffic on the stairs picked up as they reached the 37th floor, which was compared to leaving a stadium event.

A work colleague looked at his Blackberry and saw the news that a plane had just struck the World Trade Center.

“The lights were on, there was smoke, and we were trying to figure out what was happening. At this time, one of the colleagues in the area had a Blackberry…and he said a plane hit the building,” Peck said. “Then, right around the 30th floor, it rocked again. We said, ‘What was that?’ and the Blackberry said a plane hit the other building.”

Peck said that everyone in the stairwell had to find a way to make it out of the building without panicking. They had to work together to escape.

“Once we knew that had happened, we knew we were kind of sitting ducks, and we were going to make our way down, no panic,” Peck said. “People were obviously scared, but everybody was sticking together, and our hope was to get out.”

Once he got out of the World Trade Center, Peck said he looked up and saw where the plane had collided with the side of the building.

“A lot of people were standing in the park and looking. When we got out, I had a chance to look up at the gaping holes,” Peck said. “Then, my thoughts were if there was anything we could do to help. It was chaos.”

“Never forget”

The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, still stick with Peck, who was fortunately able to walk away on that tragic morning.

“There were so many things that day,” Peck said. “It was a horrible act, just cowardly, that caused this to happen, 3,000 lives just lost. That was very brutal.”

However, Peck said the biggest thing he took away from that day was everyone working together, from citizens to emergency responders.

“We were aligned in that stairwell, aligned when we got out,” Peck said. “Nobody cared what race you were, nobody cared what preferences you had, nobody cared about anything but helping each other out.”

Peck spoke about the firefighters who went into the building and the tens of thousands who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks.

“We just have to never forget those who gave their lives,” Peck said. “My memory of that day was, in the midst of horrible loss, that 30,000 of us got out alive thanks to the firefighters and the police officers who made sure we got out.”

Peck continued, “The firefighters were putting their lives on the line, and I will never forget them, and I will never forget what it was like to be a country on Sept. 12, the day after.”

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By Brenda Teele

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    COUSHATTA, Louisiana (KTBS) — A young student from Red River Parish is being recognized for a remarkable academic achievement. Aaron Hester, who completed the third grade last school year, earned a perfect score on the LEAP (Louisiana Educational Assessment Program) test in both reading and writing.

The results were recently released, and Hester’s performance places him among the top-performing students in the state.

When asked about his approach to the test, Hester shared thoughtful advice for other students.

“So first, you’re going to have to pay attention in class. Second, you have to believe in yourself and feel confident. And third, you have to put all the worry aside,” he said.

Hester’s mother, Chrissy Ryland, recalled the moment she learned of his perfect score.

“His principal called and said he made a perfect score. And I was like, wait a minute. What? And I went back and looked—850 is the highest you can get. And I was like, wow. Mind blown,” she said.

Hester’s hard work and dedication will be formally recognized at the next Red River Parish School Board meeting. His achievement is not only a proud moment for his family, but also a shining example of academic excellence within the community.

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By Jacob Murphy

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, Sept. 11, that he has approved $29.8 million in disaster relief funds for the state of Wisconsin. Events to help flooding victims connect with resources are continuing throughout southeast Wisconsin over a month after the flooding.

Sonya Janicki was at a Waukesha County event on Thursday looking to get extra help in her recovery process.

“My husband had to tap into his retirement,” Janicki said. “He had to take money out of the money that we’ve spent years building up.”

Janicki is thankful for the potential funds but has questions about where it will go.

“I’ve just been looking around at what everybody lost, and that amount of money will dwindle really quickly,” Janicki said. “I don’t know how it’s going to be enough to take care of everything that’s been lost.”

Waukesha County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Freeman talked about the next steps.

“We’re waiting to find out more, we know that this is a step in the right direction,” Freeman said. “We’re very thankful that the president’s taken a look at our recovery needs here in Waukesha County and across the state of Wisconsin.”

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By Kimberly King

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    HENDERSON & RUTHERFORD COUNTIES, North Carolina (WLOS) — Farmers in western North Carolina are speaking out, shocked at what they describe as tiny state Agriculture Department reimbursement checks to cover massive Hurricane Helene crop damage.

The checks are from the legislature’s Helene recovery appropriation of $478 million in Ag Disaster Crop Loss funds appropriated by the General Assembly.

“This is a check for disaster relief from the state,” said Randy Edmundson, a farmer in Henderson County. “The check is for $5,151. I’m very disappointed.”

Edmundson showed News 13 the application he sent in for coverage of his losses. He estimates his loss on bean crops alone was $125,000.

“I just want some clarity,” he added.

Edmundson said in a 2018 hurricane reimbursement, he received a much larger amount for crop loss that was exponentially smaller than the losses he had with Helene.

Stuart Beam, a farmer in Rutherford County, said he suffered around $240,000 in Helene crop losses with flooded acres, including land he leases and farms.

“The check was a little over $3,000,” Beam said.

Beam said he called the state’s hotline for the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (866-747-9823), and learned that more crop checks would come. But, Beam said, he expects them to total pennies on the dollar.

“For a program that was sold to the farmers and sold to the legislature as being a meaningful difference, it’s a pretty tough blow,” he added.

“If someone gets a check they don’t feel is accurate, they can call their toll-free number,” said Dr. Terry Kelley, director for Henderson County’s Ag Extension office. “This round of payment is coming from money allocated by the North Carolina legislature.”

Farmers believe a different $221 million federal program just announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture won’t cover crops.

North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture estimated almost $5 billion in losses from Helene and other severe weather events in 2024.

“We have been hearing from farmers, so we know the initial group of checks that have been sent are getting out to them. Overwhelmingly, we have been hearing positive reports back from farmers, plus genuine relief that this money will help them pay last year’s bills and help with recovery expenses,” wrote Andrea Ashby, spokesperson for the state’s Agriculture Department.

“The disaster relief money is being sent out in categories, so depending on what a farmer applied for and if he farms in multiple counties, he may receive a number of checks. Checks will be sent for each category, so if a farmer had verified crop and infrastructure losses, for example, he would expect to receive two checks. If he farmed in two counties and applied for losses in both, he would receive a check for losses in each county, which also would be category-based,” Ashby continued.

Approximately 800 checks have gone out, according to Ashby, with more going out every week.

“These funds can never cover everything farmers have lost from this devastating storm, but we hope it will be a bridge to help with recovery. We are grateful to the North Carolina General Assembly for their continued support of our farmers and for funding this state’s [agriculture] disaster relief program. To our knowledge, North Carolina is the only state doing direct ag loss payments to farmers separate from federal funds,” she continued.

Any farmer with questions about checks can reach out to agdisaster@ncagr.gov.

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