Category: CNN Regional

By Itay Hod

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — On a quiet San Francisco street, a plain white billboard seemed to appear out of nowhere. No logo, no tagline, just five strings of numbers. Was it an ad? An art project? Or something else entirely?

“It was a moment of desperation,” he said.

Alfred Wahlforss, cofounder and CEO of a small startup called Listen Labs, had a big problem: how to compete for artificial intelligence engineers against Silicon Valley giants.

“We’re hiring over 100 people over the next few months and there are empty spots, but we can’t fill them because Mark Zuckerberg is giving $100 million offers to the best engineers,” he said.

So they did something off the wall, spending a fifth of their marketing budget, about $5,000, on a billboard.

To most, it looked like gibberish. To the right eyes, a coding challenge. Solve it and you land on a website and face the real test, build an algorithm to act as a digital bouncer at Berghain, the Berlin nightclub famed for its nearly impossible door policy.

Quirky, sure? But for Listen Labs, the bouncer challenge was a metaphor for their own work, using AI to decide who gets interviewed for market research and who doesn’t.

They expected a few engineers might notice. Then someone posted it online and the puzzle went viral.

“Were you surprised by the reaction? It was wild,” he said.

Within days, thousands took a shot. 430 have cracked it, among them Alex Nicita, a software consultant from New York.

“It was very fun to go through, solve the challenge and reach the top of the leader board,” he said.

Now he’s in the interview round, and yes, some of these code breakers have already been hired.

In the end, 60 people made the cut, including the winner who scored a night at Berghain, all expenses paid.

“It’s a reminder to take risks and do something unique and different and extra extraordinary things happen,” Wahlforss said.

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By Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — The West Covina Police Department was in pursuit of a narcotics suspect in a minivan.

The driver led police onto the eastbound 10 Freeway into Fontana. He slowly evaded police with sparks flying out of the rear wheels of the van before jumping out of the driver’s seat along the shoulder of the freeway.

He tried to run away from officers, but they quickly apprehended him. Flames engulfed the minivan shortly after.

Police redirected traffic away from the burning van until the fire department arrived to douse the flames.

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By Ellie Nakamoto-White

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Hundreds filled the Henry Maier Festival Park grounds on Sept. 20 for Milwaukee’s first Paw Fest.

The paw-some event featured more than 60 vendors for both humans and pets, plus activities like a lure course and wading pools.

But while it was free to attend, it wasn’t just for fun — instead acting as a fundraiser for Winston’s Wishes, a local rescue organization that helps MADACC directly, senior dogs, and those pets needing extra medical care.

And it’s named after founder Jake Schneider’s best bud, who died last November.

“We had a wonderful 11 years together and he is just the true story of a rescue dog,” Schneider said. “He was in the streets of Milwaukee, found, his entire life turned when he found me and I found him, and then he inspired this organization where we’ve now been able to help so many pups because of him.”

On Saturday morning, Anthony Winneshiek said he decided to bring his two-year-old French bulldog, Cadence Tillman, to check out the fest.

“He’s the chillest dog I’ve ever had,” Winneshiek said. “If I start to sweat here it’s only because this guy is nothing but a lump of meat here.”

Winneshiek said Milwaukee’s dog community is special, and it’s important to have events that highlight our furry family members.

“It’s like music you know, it just brings people together so it’s really awesome to be a part of it,” Winneshiek said.

Organizers said they hope to expand Paw Fest in the future and make it a reoccurring event to continue to help pets in need while celebrating those with four legs.

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By Michael Abeyta

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — An Aurora neighborhood has lost a vital business and is quickly becoming a “pharmacy desert.” There are a couple of big pharmacies and grocery stores within a four-mile radius of the intersection of East Mississippi Avenue and South Peoria Street, but this is a densely populated area, and neighbors say that just isn’t enough.

Standing outside of his neighborhood Safeway in Aurora, which will soon close permanently, a man named Lloyd says it’s going to be a big change for the neighborhood.

“I’ve shopped here for 35 years. It’s unfortunate. I’ve always liked this store,” he said.

That means he and his neighbors might have to drive further for groceries and to get their prescriptions filled, especially since the Walgreens, which was right across the street, closed back in February.

Lloyd didn’t use either Safeway or Walgreens to fill his prescriptions, but his neighbors sure did.

“That’s how we actually knew, because we have customers coming in telling us that,” said Maria Desta. “Did you know Safeway is closing?”

But there is a closer option still available for people in the Village East, Aurora Hills, Utah Park, Rangeview, and Expo Park neighborhoods.

“It is a highly condensed area here. We stay busy,” Desta said.

Desta owns Apex Pharmacy. It’s just like any other pharmacy; they fill prescriptions, sell over-the-counter medicine, and give vaccines. They also have a free delivery service and accept all major insurance, but Desta says she has one thing they don’t.

“We provide personalized care versus just putting your prescriptions in a bottle,” she said.

She almost opened in an area with a higher tax bracket, but she says her heart led her to Aurora, where she says the community really needs the kind of care she provides. She says the community has really embraced her, and now that the Safeway is closing, she knows for sure she made the right decision.

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By Larry Seward

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WFOR) — The City of Fort Lauderdale is facing criticism after a cemetery mix-up left a grieving family uncertain where to bury their loved one.

Family’s burial plans disrupted

Vivian George of Lauderhill purchased two plots at the city-owned Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery in 2013, according to a contract. Her family said she expected to be buried next to her late husband, Ralph George, who died 12 years ago.

However, George’s children recently discovered that someone else’s remains were placed in her grave. Days later, Vivian George died in Crandall, Texas, where she had moved to live with her daughter after doctors diagnosed her with a terminal illness.

Her family is now grieving and unsure where to lay her to rest. They are demanding a solution that honors her wishes.

Daughter says cemetery gave conflicting answers

“I called the cemetery and I just kept getting a lot of ‘the director is going to call you,'” Brandy George said. “I (was told) it was the cemetery’s fault. It was the funeral home’s fault. It was the cemetery’s fault. It was the funeral home’s fault. It was kind of back and forth.”

Soon after her father’s death, Vivian George went to McWhite Funeral Home for help arranging side-by-side graves, Brandy George said.

A contract obtained by CBS News Miami lists Albert McWhite as the person who paid for Ralph and Vivian George’s plots.

City confirms grave was resold

The City of Fort Lauderdale, which owns the cemetery, confirmed that a second family later purchased the same plot.

In a statement, Ashley Doussard, Director of Strategic Communications for the City Manager’s Office, explained:

“The plot at Sunset Memorial Gardens is owned by Mr. Albert McWhite, purchased in 2013. In 2019, at Mr. McWhite’s direction, Ms. Vanessa Samuel was interred there. The City is working with the George and Samuel families, as well as Mr. McWhite, to reach a resolution that is acceptable to both the families involved.”

The contract signed by McWhite lists him as Ralph George’s brother, something the family disputes.

“McWhite (is) the name of the funeral (director), but my father (doesn’t have) a brother named Albert McWhite,” Brandy George said.

CBS News Miami called two phone numbers for McWhite and visited his funeral home, but he did not return messages.

Attorney rejects proposed fix

Frustrated by the lack of answers, the George family hired attorney Ari Pregen, who sent letters demanding the city and cemetery managers resolve the matter.

“The solutions if you will that are being proposed to my client are we’ll exhume, unbury, dig up your deceased father while you’re grieving your mother,” Pregen said. “Now, you’re going to have to re-grieve your father and we’ll just bury them somewhere else.”

For the family, that suggestion is painful and unacceptable.

“You’re the first person that’s telling me that they’re trying to work it out,” Brandy George said.

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By Justin Berger

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    POLK COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Warning: This story describes and has images pertaining to animal cruelty that may be disturbing.

Four severely malnourished mini horses that were surrendered to Polk County Animal Control in April are on the mend.

Dr. Emily Setlakwe, a veterinarian at Tryon Equine Hospital, examined the four minis just a few days after the animals were surrendered at The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run.

“They had just arrived and they were all very, very, very thin, just a rack of bones,” Setlakwe said. “They had heavy lice infestations; they had some overgrown feet that were infected and overall were just in really bad shape… all of them had some degrees of sand in their intestinal tracks and this can be a reflection of they didn’t really have much else to eat at that time.”

Setlakwe said the four horses, named Opal, Quinn, Butterscotch and Griffin, have come a long way. All four of them have put on at least 40 pounds.

“The overfeeding or improper feeding can lead to metabolic issues and sometimes can actually result in death of the animals when they’ve been emaciated for many, many months,” Setlakwe said.

Mary Adams founded The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run, where the minis have been for the last five months; it’s an equine facility for animals with special medical needs.

“When these animals came in, everybody was in tears,” Adams said. Quinn, the worst off of the four has made an astounding recovery, but still thinks sand is food. That’s why the always walks on mats, to prevent her from accessing the sand.

But there’s good news too, Quinn has actually gained so much wait that she needs to lose five pounds.

Butterscotch is a dwarf and will eventually move to a specialized sanctuary to address her ongoing medical issues.

Adams said the sanctuary has spent $22,000 in direct medical care for the four minis.

“Ninety percent of the animals you see on this sanctuary were in that shape when they were first rescued so we’re very experienced at it,” she said.

Maddisonrose Quiles, AKA Sprinkle and Jabin Sprinkle were convicted in Polk County District court on Wednesday of four counts, each, of Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty charges. Sprinkle and Quiles were sentenced to a year of supervised probation, and they must get a license for their petting zoo.

Polk County Animal Control’s Patti Lovelace estimated they still have about 150 animals and will be conducting the first welfare check next week.

“I’m glad that we got the truth out about these people, I understand there’s been complaints for years,” Lovelace said. “We’re going to come in unannounced, and they have to be ready for us when we get over there so hopefully, they will be.”

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Kevin Harrington
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