Category: CNN Regional

By Cameron Polom

Click here for updates on this story

    PHOENIX (KNXV) — Seventeen years ago, Paul “Woody” Woodward’s young son spent two grueling years battling childhood cancer. While enduring difficult treatments, he received unexpected toys and gifts from strangers that helped him smile on the toughest days.

That experience changed Woody’s life, inspiring him to start hosting toy drives year-round and personally delivering thousands of gifts to children’s hospitals, first in Iowa City, where his son was treated, and now to Phoenix Children’s hospital.

Through his nonprofit, Woody’s Toys, he has brought comfort and happiness to tens of thousands of kids facing cancer, reminding all of us how one person’s compassion can ripple outward and make our community stronger and kinder. Through his hard work, they’ve been able to donate over 55,000 toys to those in need!

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 Lillian Donahue

Click here for updates on this story

    GILBERT, Arizona (KNXV) — Glenn Polyak thought he was out of options when his Stage 4 melanoma spread to his brain, until he became only the second Banner Health patient to receive an innovative new cell therapy treatment.

The Eastern Arizona man had been battling cancer for years, and doctors told him his dangerous melanoma mutation made his condition nearly untreatable.

In 2024, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy emerged. It’s the first and only FDA-approved treatment for metastatic melanoma tumors which are non-responsive to other treatments or cannot be taken out.

“There is no other treatment that can work for him,” Dr. Yazan Samhouri said. “It’s lifesaving.”

The therapy involves harvesting immune cells within the tumor, then sending them to a lab before re-injecting them back into the tumor later.

“We grow them and we activate them. The process takes around three to four weeks, and then we put them in a small bag, which is billions of cells, and we give them back to the patients intravenously,” Samhouri said. “And now they are smarter than the tumor, so they know how to go, track, back to the tumor and kill the tumor cells, which was something they could not do before.”

Polyak has been living in his RV with his wife behind the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center since October while he received the therapy.

“I honestly didn’t think I was going to live long enough to be able to have the procedure done,” Polyak said. “I’m pretty much back. I really am. I don’t have the energy still, but it’s coming.”

While currently only approved for metastatic melanoma, doctors hope to expand the therapy’s use to other cancers in the future.

“We rely on the durability of this kind of therapy to cure cancers. So that’s really the hope,” Samhouri said.

The couple, who love to travel and camp, are looking forward to resuming their adventures. Polyak’s wife, Bonni, said his 100-day scan this month will determine his next steps, but they’re optimistic about the future.

“We’ll see what it looks like. But then the next day we’re out of here, we’re going camping,” Bonni Polyak said.

Glenn Polyak said his family’s support and his strong faith kept him rooted in a journey he describes as nothing short of miraculous.

“Grace of God. I am a miracle, and I believe it,” Polyak said.

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

Click here for updates on this story

    BERKS COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — When a 99-year-old World War 2 veteran befriended a college student, they would both go on a trip that they would never forget.

Together with Tyler Boland, Russell Sattazahn visited the site in Germany where he lost his hand decades ago.

Boland connected with Sattazahn through his passion project: “Keeping History Alive.” “My great grandfather was a marine in World War 2. He died before I was born. So in honor of him, I said, ‘I’m going to interview as many World War 2 vets as I can.’ I’m just inspired because they are living walking heroes,” said Boland.

These interviews are posted online, including Boland’s Youtube Channel.

After Boland discovered Sattazahn, he decided to find a way to visit the site where Sattazahn lost his right hand.

“The second one hit … and it blew my hand off. And the first thing I looked down and I said, ‘I’ll never play baseball again,’ that was my first thought,” Sattazahn recalls about his injury.

With help from community members, Boland and Sattazahn visited Uckerath, Germany together.

“Tyler was one great man. I thank him for everything. He helped me get back to Germany. There’s nobody better than him,” said Sattazahn.

“If you know someone, thank them for their service. They’ve done a lot for us. And without Russell and these other guys, I would not be here,” said Boland.

For any World War 2 veterans or their families, you can inquire about working with Boland through his online platforms.

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 Christie Ileto

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — It’s a piece of Philadelphia history that powered the future. The world’s first electronic computer was born at the University of Pennsylvania.

It was a room-sized machine built for war that eventually launched the modern digital age that we know now.

It was called the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, aka ENIAC.

“It was created just right across the hall 80 years ago, in 1946,” said Paul Shaffer, a historian for ENIAC.

Inside the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania sits 1/10th of what was once a room-sized computer.

At its 1946 unveiling, ENIAC was made up of 40 nine-foot-high cabinets containing 18,000 vacuum tubes, 10,000 capacitors, and 6,000 switches.

“(It’s) not like standard computers today that take instructions out of stored memory and execute them one at a time. This, instead, was programmed by patching wires together,” said Shaffer. “Before then, we do calculations. They used gears and levers; computing was so slow back in those days.”

Shaffer says it was unlike any other computing device of its time.

It was developed during World War II to address the military’s need for quick and accurate computations.

It’s the brainchild of Professor John Mauchly and graduate student John Eckert Jr., along with six female mathematicians.

“Another problem that they were working on was the trajectory of artillery shells. Not too short, because that’s where the good guys are. You don’t want that. Let’s make sure it goes over the good guys and lands on the bad guys. So it’s very important. They had guns that they could not put out into the war because they lacked the firing table. How to calculate one entry in the firing table took about 12 hours on a calculator,” said Shaffer.

Their vision to bring more firepower to U.S. troops flipped the switch on the digital age.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, it really was a model of how to do computing general purpose computing,” said Dr. Vijay Kumar, the dean of engineering.

Computing and computers have evolved into much more powerful, smaller PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches.

The prototype for this ingenuity began right here in University City.

“The University of Pennsylvania is very proud to have started all this,” said Shaffer. “We’d like to think that this was the machine that started the information age, and that it all started right here in Philadelphia, right here in this building at 33rd and Walnut.”

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 Zach Lewis

Click here for updates on this story

    UTICA, New York (WKTV) — A local business has been serving wood-fired pizza in the Mohawk Valley for 13 years. Now, they have introduced a unique twist on the packaging for your pizza.

Chris Woodbeck shared that Mangia Macrina’s Wood Fired Pizza, located at 470 French Rd., has been serving the community after starting as a food truck in 2012.

Woodbeck explained that their pizzas are made in a wood-fired oven, are about 12 inches in size and cook in just 90 seconds.

He described how the business has introduced many locals to Neapolitan pizza, which is different from the typical New York slice, he said.

Woodbeck explained that they focus on whole pies, not slices, and have a motto: “Share your love, not your pizza.”

Woodbeck said he learned about the Neapolitan style while living in Minneapolis and brought the idea back to Utica because no one else in the area was making pizza this way.

He started out by selling pizza from a food truck to help people understand the style and has spent years educating customers on what makes their pizza different.

Woodbeck said that the community supported them through difficult times like the pandemic, and he is grateful for their loyalty.

Mangia Macrina’s Wood Fired Pizza offers creative options, including vegan pizzas and a signature Korean BBQ pizza, as well as the ability to customize any pizza to a customer’s preference.

The business recently partnered with an Australian company to design a custom pizza box called the Pizza Bib, which features their branding and a playful design that appeals to both kids and adults.

The box can be torn and worn like a bib, and Woodbeck noted that customers have responded well to the new boxes, often not wanting to throw them away.

The pizzeria sponsors Utica City Football Club and introduced their new pizza box at a match, where a player signed the first box.

He added that the restaurant is committed to quality and uses high-end ingredients, even for gluten-free options, which are made in-house.

Woodbeck reflected on his background in food, sharing that he started cooking and making his own sauce at 13 years old.

He attended college in Oregon, where he cooked for other students, and later worked in the restaurant industry before moving into the corporate world.

In 2008, he decided to return to New York and start his own pizza business, inspired by his experiences with food trucks in Portland.

He explained that starting with a food truck helped build the food truck scene in the Mohawk Valley.

Woodbeck said the restaurant continues to use the food truck for events and catering, and that the new location on French Road includes a bar and patio.

Woodbeck said the business is focused on growing with the community and supporting its employees, who are passionate about what they do.

He encouraged anyone who has never tried their pizza to give it a chance, noting that many people who travel or have lived abroad appreciate the authentic style.

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 Marcus Solis

Click here for updates on this story

    MOUNT VERNON, New York (WABC) — 13 decomposing bodies and 17 boxes of cremated remains were allegedly found in a disturbing discovery inside an unlicensed funeral home in Westchester County.

The state shut down the business and pulled the funeral home director’s license.

Authorities say the operator of the Camelot Funeral Home in Mount Vernon continued to hold funeral services for months after.

More than two months later, the grieving process has begun for Aloma Washington.

Her 74-year-old mother, Estella Washington, died on November 25 and her memorial services were held at Camelot Funeral Home in Mount Vernon.

Washington was supposed to be cremated a few days later, but the family was never given the remains.

“He said, I know you’re taking this hard, so if you’re not ready to bring her home yet, I understand. He said Mom will be safe here with me,” Aloma Washington said.

Owner Michael Neughton was charged with operating the funeral home without a license.

The State Health Department said an inspection last week revealed deplorable conditions, including 13 decomposing bodies in various rooms, two were stacked on top of each other in the garage and 17 boxes of cremated remains were found in the basement.

What investigators did not locate was a single death certificate for any individual, including Estella Washington, whose body was among those inside.

“Someone was going to go pick my mom like a month or so ago, right? So what if we would have went to pick her up. What was he going to tell us or what was he going to give us?” Washington said.

Naughton’s license was revoked in 2019.

Camelot Funeral Home was shut down in 2021, reopened and then closed again last May.

The Attorney General’s Office says the facility conducted over 20 funerals since August.

Aloma Washington says there was never any indication that something was wrong.

“He never let on that there was anything going on. My mom died in November, he lost his license in May. So just think about like what was in the bottom of that basement or whatever? And all the way in November, you’re still taking bodies and you shouldn’t be,” Washington said.

Naughton is due back in court later this month. In the meantime, any impacted family that hasn’t been in touch with law enforcement has been asked to contact the Attorney General’s Office.

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.