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5 for Good: Runway for Recovery supports families impacted by breast cancer [Video]
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5 for Good: Runway for Recovery supports families impacted by breast cancer [Video]

Billericas Dan Sweet is a devoted father of three.He manages to keep up with 2-year-old Arthur, 3-year-old Margeux and 5-year-old Eugene with incredible warmth and patience.”When you’re put in my situation, you’re forced to just, almost forced to find a way,” Sweet said.Sweets wife Allie died earlier this year after a yearlong battle with breast cancer.”(I) proposed to her when I was 18; we got married when we were 19, he said. She was a stay-at-home mom, and she made everything work.”Sweet said he made a promise to Allie to keep everything working.”When I was holding her hand before she passed, I told her that it was OK to go and that I’ll take care of the kids,” he said.Helping to support Sweet so he can keep that promise are family, friends and members of the community, including Newburyport-based Runway for Recovery. The nonprofit supports families impacted by breast cancer. Founder Olivia Boger explains who they serve.”You can apply if you have had a guardian pass away from breast cancer or have a guardian who’s diagnosed with Stage 4, she said. Going back to the roots of how this was founded, I really wanted to make sure there was an organization looking out for kids for whom the cure does not come in time.”Boger lost her mother to breast cancer in 2001. In 2007, she organized the first Runway for Recovery fashion show. On the runway were survivors and others touched by the illness.”We had 10 models and 75 guests, Boger said. I thought for one year we’ll recognize my mom, and we will raise money and give it to kids like me who had a parent pass away from cancer.”It’s been nearly two decades since that first fashion show. Now, Runway events, which include fitness fundraisers and “playing for pink” games, are held year-round.Families are granted anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 for specific needs.”The things that we all know help kids, so extracurricular activities and tutoring, therapy, Boger said. We do a lot of summer camp payments; we help with child care payments.”Boger said excitement is building ahead of this year’s Boston Runway for Recovery fashion show.”This year, we have a wonderful celebrity, Elin Hilderbrand, on our stage, Boger said. She is one of my favorite authors and her books have got me through some of the hardest days in the office.”Ahead of this years fashion show, Sweet hosted a Ride for a Cure motorcycle event in memory of Allie to support Runway for Recovery.”When we got married, that was our thing. We went on rides everywhere together, Sweet said. “I’m very big on if somebody gives you a hand, you need to give one back.”The Boston Runway for Recovery fashion show with Hilderbrand is being held on Oct. 25.Find more information here.

Carlee Russell back in court for kidnapping hoax [Video]
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Carlee Russell back in court for kidnapping hoax [Video]

Carlee Russell was back in the courtroom on Wednesday for the first time since receiving her sentence in March. During the hearing in March, Russell was ordered to pay close to $18,000 in restitution, complete 100 hours of community service and continue mental health counseling.That sentence is because of the kidnapping hoax she committed in July 2023. Russell called police to report a baby on the side of I-459. After that call, she vanished, leading police to believe she had been kidnapped. Two days later, she returned home on foot.In March Russell pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of false reporting. That’s when Judge David Carpenter sentenced her to those requirements along with 12 months of supervised probation.Wednesday, Russell appeared in front of Judge Carpenter to provide an update on those requirements. Russell’s attorneys said she’s completed more than the 100 hours of community service across multiple organizations, such as the Salvation Army and Community Food Bank. They also said she’s been regularly attending counseling for mental health.The outstanding issue in the case is the restitution. Though Russell’s lawyers told Judge David Carpenter she’s been making “small, but consistent payments,” the prosecution claimed that isn’t enough.”We just ask that she have a payment plan,” the prosecutors said. “It’s kind of been a little bit inconsistent, they’re smaller payments.”According to prosecutors, Russell paid $49 in June, close to $120 in July and $30 each month in September and October. They did not provide a payment amount for August.Going forward, Russell will pay a minimum of $50 each month toward the restitution. That’s the amount Russell and her attorneys told the judge she could afford since she is currently unemployed.”I’m going to order minimum $50 a month,” Judge Carpenter said. “I know that’s not very much, but we’ll readdress that when we come back next time. Eventually, of course, once you’re working and making larger payments, ultimately this is all going to be paid.”Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis led the search for Russell in July 2023 during her kidnapping hoax. He said the $50 per month minimum is not enough given the time, effort and resources that went towards searching for her.”A year ago, we were here and the judge made a comment that he expected to see a sizable amount decreased in that fine from last year, and I think we’ve got a couple hundred dollars,” Derzis said. “We’ll meet again in March, and that’s $50 a month. By my mathematical calculation with the $50 a month, it’ll take about 28 years if we continue this.”Derzis has also been outspoken from the beginning of the case that the $18,000 restitution isn’t anywhere close to the amount of money spent in the search for Russell.”The price tag that we ended up getting, I think it was like 20-something thousand, which was minuscule compared to the actual amount,” Derzis said. “So, less than half of what we spent. We can talk about remorseful and all that stuff, bottom line is let’s pay the tab and move on.”Derzis has also been vocal about his stance that Russell’s punishment should’ve been harsher, but it wasn’t because the crime was only a misdemeanor at the time. Now, thanks to Derzis’ collaboration with the state legislature, the False Reporting Bill makes the crime a Class C felony.

Biddeford overnight center expands hours, undergoes renovations [Video]
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Biddeford overnight center expands hours, undergoes renovations [Video]

Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center says things have been going well in the three months since the city of Biddeford cleared the homeless encampment at Mechanics Park.The City Council voted in June to approve a plan to use Seeds of Hope as a temporary overnight center. The city is enforcing a no-camping rule. We just dont think its a dignified existence for anybody living outside,” said Mayor Martin Grohman. “And its not safe, especially going into the winter. Vassie Fowler, the executive director of Seeds of Hope, commented, I think we have to understand that, even though the conditions at Mechanics Park were inhumane and no one should have to live like that, that was their home. We collectively took it away from them.Maine’s Total Coverage spoke to several people moving out of the camp on July 8. Some were upset about leaving a place they called home; others were worried about the operating hours at Seeds of Hope and the size of the space. Seeds of Hope is trying to help, but they open at 7 at night, and they kick you out at 7 in the morning,” said a woman named Katherine as she carried her belongings away from the camp in July. “Where are these elderly people going to go?William E. Higgins with Homeless Advocacy for All said, Its not big enough. Its not accessible. Its small.Fowler expressed that, despite these concerns, the transition has been mostly positive. In my experience, having people in a space for 24 hours a day is not healthy. They have to have some autonomy. They have to go out. They have to think for themselves. Currently, were open 18-hours a day. Most people leave their house for a few hours every day, so at this time of year, we dont consider that a bad thing.Seeds of Hope will expand their hours in November to be open 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. They are also working to expand their space. Renovations on the second floor are expected to be finished by the end of October. Fowler said the new space will help accommodate the influx of people they expect to see as the weather turns colder. She explained, Weve operated an overnight warming center for the past six winters, so we have experience with that piece of it. I think the challenge will come in the amount of people well have. In years past, we would be in that 20-25 range. Were already at 35, and the weather is nice.Even with these improvements on the horizon, Fowler and the mayor agree there is more work to do to meet their long-term goal, which is to no longer have a need for these services.The bigger challenge is always coordinating other needs; health care, mental health, recovery, all of those types of things,” said Grohman. “Often people that are outside end up with other unhealthy behaviors that we have to really coordinate to address. That part is challenging. It continues to be challenging. We need constant help and support from the state, federal government and county to do that.Fowler expressed the need for more resources, especially when it comes to mental health. People dont live outdoors because theyre healthy,” she said. “People dont abuse substances because theyre healthy. Mental health is a big thing.”Seeds of Hope works to connects people to those needed resources. Fowler told Maine’s Total Coverage, the center has helped, on average, one person into permanent housing each week. According to Fowler, the best way for the public to help is to get involved by donating time, money or gently used items. She said, Its just important to always remember that just because you have more than some doesnt make you better than them.”

Wisconsin DOT to close park and ride lots to discourage camping [Video]
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Wisconsin DOT to close park and ride lots to discourage camping [Video]

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is cracking down on people camping at two park and ride lots in Milwaukee. The lots along Interstate 94 at Holt Avenue and College Avenue have been the focus of controversy since encampments cropped up there in early 2023. Video from News Chopper 12 shows the homeless encampments at the Holt Avenue and College Avenue park and ride lots that have only grown since WISN 12 News first started highlighting the issue more than a year ago. WISN 12 News reporter Nick Bohr spoke with people staying at the lot on Monday. Wanda Ward, 63, who has lived in a camper at the College Avenue lot for months, said she believes a rise in crime at the lots is responsible for the intensified attention from the state.”For the money I make, I can’t pay rent, so I stay here. And these other people ruined it for everybody else,” said Ward. The DOT said there had been 275 emergency calls to the lots in the past three months, including robberies, shots fired and drug overdoses. On Monday morning, the DOT placed white notices on all the vehicles at the Holt lot, warning the lot would be indefinitely closed and all vehicles would be removed in one week on Oct. 21. “We gotta be able to get in and out,” Ward said. “I don’t see how they can do that. Isn’t that holding us captive? Sort of. Because if we can’t come and go, what would we do?””We’re just out here trying to survive, said another resident who would only be identified as Rocky. She started living at the College Avenue lot in a tent earlier this year but now lives in a donated camper. “What are we going to do? These are our homes,” Rocky said. We don’t camp in these; these ain’t for vacation. We live in these. So, what are they going to do, take these away from us? Then what are we going to have? Nothing.”But in a statement Monday, the DOT said the lots “Continue to degrade and become less safe every day.” “It’s crazy because I shouldn’t be out here. I’m cold,” said Joann Romas, 73, who emerged from a tent walking with the assistance of a cane. She said she would agree with the DOT that the lots are nowhere to live but said she doesn’t have anywhere to go. When asked what she plans to do when the lot is closed, she said simply, “I’ll do the best I can, try to find somewhere else,” she said. “But I don’t have no money to do anything right now, but I know I need to be out of here.” Milwaukee County said Monday it has worked with the residents at the lots for more than a year and have found stable housing for more than 80 people over that span of time. Those in need of housing are asked to call 211.

Officials: Two men charged after posing as utility workers in deadly Michigan home invasion [Video]
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Officials: Two men charged after posing as utility workers in deadly Michigan home invasion [Video]

The second of two suspects has been arrested after they allegedly posed as utility workers to gain access to a couples Michigan home before killing the husband and leaving his wife restrained with duct tape, according to authorities.The second suspect was taken into custody without incident Monday afternoon, according to an X post from the Oakland County Sheriffs Office. Authorities identified him traveling in Plymouth Township and made a traffic stop, the post said. Plymouth Township is around 45 miles from Rochester Hills, where the killing took place.The first suspect, Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, was arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday. He faces charges of felony murder and unlawful imprisonment. Hernandez is currently being held in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, but the Oakland County Sheriffs Office said it plans to extradite him to Michigan.CNN has reached out to determine if the suspects have legal representation.A charging document stipulates Hernandez committed the killing in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a robbery.Authorities said the two men arrived at the Rochester Hills home Hussein Murray, 72, shared with his wife on Thursday and Friday. On both occasions, the men posed as workers for DTE, a Detroit-based energy provider, and said they were there to investigate a gas leak.On Thursday, the Murrays did not allow the men into their home. But when they returned on Friday, Murray signed a piece of paper purportedly from DTE and escorted the defendant to the basement, according to a Sunday news release from the Oakland County Prosecutors Office.Then the two men returned upstairs, asking Murrays wife where the money and jewelry were, the release said. They duct-taped her wrist and ankles, hit her across the face, and took her phone and watch before leaving in a truck with a DTE sign, according to the release.Murrays wife was able to call 911 and told officials she thought her husband may have been kidnapped, according to the Oakland County Sheriffs Office.Murrays body was discovered in the basement, with his wrists and ankles also duct-taped, the prosecuting attorneys office said.Because of the gruesome nature of the injuries, it was not immediately clear if he had been shot or bludgeoned to death, the sheriffs office said.Murrays death was ruled a homicide on Saturday by the Oakland County Medical Examiner, according to the sheriffs office. His wife was hospitalized following the incident and has since been released, the sheriff added.A doorbell camera video of one of the suspects wearing a respirator mask and identifying himself and another man as DTE Energy workers looking for gas leaks was released by the sheriffs office on Friday.Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific and tragic event, and we hope the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice, DTE Energy said in a statement. Before DTE makes a routine visit to your home, we will make every effort to contact you in advance, either through a phone call from our call center or via email or text message.

Officials: Man charged with murder after posing as utility worker in deadly Michigan home invasion [Video]
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Officials: Man charged with murder after posing as utility worker in deadly Michigan home invasion [Video]

A Michigan man has been charged with felony murder after he and another individual allegedly impersonated utility workers before killing a man and tying up his wife, according to local authorities.Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, a resident of Dearborn, Michigan, was charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment, according to a Sunday news release from the Oakland County Prosecuting Attorneys Office.Hernandez was pulled over and arrested in Louisiana on Saturday afternoon, the Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office said in a Sunday news release. He had been taken into custody without incident in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday, authorities said. He was booked on multiple armed robbery warrants out of Ohio as well as a homicide warrant out of Michigan, according to the release.The man who was killed has been identified as Hussein Murray, a 72-year-old from Rochester Hills, Michigan, the Oakland County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post.Authorities allege that Hernandez and another unidentified man arrived at the home Murray shared with his wife twice, first on Thursday and then again on Friday. On both occasions, officials said they posed as workers for DTE, a Detroit-based energy provider, and claimed they were there to investigate a gas leak.On Thursday, Murray and his wife didnt let the two men into their home, according to the Oakland County Prosecuting Attorneys Office. When they returned on Friday, Murray signed a piece of paper purportedly from DTE and escorted the defendant to the basement, according to the release.Then the two men returned upstairs, asking Murrays wife where the money and jewelry were, the release said. They duct-taped her wrist and ankles, hit her across the face, and took her phone and watch before leaving in a truck with a DTE sign, according to the release.Murrays wife was able to call 911 and told officials she thought her husband may have been kidnapped, according to the Oakland County Sheriffs Office.Murrays body was discovered in the basement, with his wrists and ankles also duct-taped, the prosecuting attorneys office said.Because of the gruesome nature of the injuries, it was not immediately clear if he had been shot or bludgeoned to death, the sheriffs office said.Authorities are continuing to search for the second suspect, with the sheriff encouraging tips from the public.This was a gruesome attack on an elderly couple in their home, said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald in the release. I have authorized the highest charge which carries a mandatory life without parole sentence for this brutal crime. My office will work diligently to ensure that this individual is held accountable and that the public is safe from violent predators.Murrays death was ruled a homicide on Saturday by the Oakland County Medical Examiner, according to the sheriffs office. His wife was hospitalized following the incident and has since been released, the sheriff added.A doorbell camera video of one of the suspects wearing a respirator mask and identifying himself and another man as DTE Energy workers looking for gas leaks was released by the sheriffs office on Friday.An investigation is underway to determine if anything was taken from the home.One way or another we will find you, the sheriff said in a post on Facebook.Hernandez is currently being held at the Caddo Correctional Center, jail records show. A spokesperson for the Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office told CNN that if Hernandez waives his right to an extradition hearing, the Oakland County Sheriffs Office will transport him back to Michigan. Otherwise, an extradition hearing will be required to return him to Michigan.Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific and tragic event, and we hope the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice, DTE Energy said in a statement. Before DTE makes a routine visit to your home, we will make every effort to contact you in advance, either through a phone call from our call center or via email or text message.

Tanneshia Dukes and Alan Branson vying for seat [Video]
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Tanneshia Dukes and Alan Branson vying for seat [Video]

Democrat Tanneshia Dukes and Republican Alan Branson are competing for the North Carolina House District 59 seat, focusing on economic growth and community issues in Guilford County.”I’m glad to see Eastern party Guilford with Publix distribution center come back. I’ve been very glad to see Toyota make a second reoccurrence,” Branson said.Branson has a history in Guilford County, having served as a county commissioner before succeeding Jon Hardister earlier this year.Top StoriesLive updates: More than 3 million without power as deadly Hurricane Milton pounds FloridaWATCH: Doorbell camera and other videos show storm surge, flooding from Hurricane MiltonWATCH: Milton still lashing Florida, Triad temperatures are falling fastGet the latest news stories of interest by clicking here”Those are things that we’ve got to do to build, to continue to grow and flourish for our younger generations to have good quality jobs when they get out of college and go to work,” Branson said.Economic growth is also a priority for Dukes, who has a background in education and is concerned about affordable housing.”We have to redefine what we mean on the state level when we say affordable housing,” Dukes said.She emphasizes the need for community input on these issues.”I would love to create some sort of consortium where House District 59 has, it’s almost like a planning board, right where, if we talk about housing, there’s a team that talks about that they’re going into the community,” Dukes said. Both candidates align with their party lines on major issues like abortion access and the current 12-week ban.”No one deserves those rights to be taken away as a woman, being in that experience, having that experience,” Dukes said.”I do support the current law. It was 20 prior to that, and I think that’s going to be. See, you know, some folks want to see zero. Some folks still want to see 20,” Branson said.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsSchool vouchers are another contentious topic.”When we take our dollars out of public schools and put them into private schools, what we’re telling our children is that we don’t care. We’re telling that community we don’t care what happens to that school,” Dukes said.”I am for school choice, whether you want to be a home school, whether you want to be a proud. Private school, or whether you want to be charter, or whether you want to be K 12,” Branson said.”Everybody seems to think that the voucher piece has taken money away from the public schools, and the difference in the funding mechanism is tiered where it doesn’t only go to the more affluent kids,” Branson added.Branson believes his political and business experience will appeal to voters.”I’ve served since April the 15th, filling out the remainder of Hardisters term. I’ve been endorsed by John. I’ve been endorsed by numerous board members that I’ve served with in the past, the sheriff, the police, Benevolent Association. So those are a few of the things where I feel my qualifications are better, more well-rounded,” Branson said.Dukes argues that her impact in the community speaks for itself.”If you’re going to push back, show me the impact of what you’ve really done in our county, in our district, on our boards, where you brought unity and you actually stood for everyone,” Dukes said.”We have been to town council meetings in all of the municipalities. They will tell you, I show up when I can and when we have the time. I show up, I ask questions, and it makes me accessible to the community,” Dukes added.Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.Both candidates are committed to representing everyone in their district, regardless of political differences.”You take an oath to help all people as you enter into this position,” Branson said.”Party politics aside, this is important, because we have to put the people back first,” Dukes said.If this seat flips, it could significantly impact the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |TRENDING STORIES

This is FEMA’s role in preparing for Hurricane Milton [Video]
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This is FEMA’s role in preparing for Hurricane Milton [Video]

Hurricane Milton is set to slam Florida on Wednesday evening the second hurricane to strike in two weeks and the federal agency tasked with responding to disasters is once again positioning supplies and personnel where they’re needed and coordinating with state and local officials.The Federal Emergency Management Agency has faced rampant disinformation about its response to Hurricane Helene, which hit Florida on Sept. 26 before heading north and leaving a trail of destruction across six states.Critics allege the agency isn’t doing enough to help survivors, while false rumors circulating ahead of the presidential election include claims that people taking federal relief money could see their land seized or that FEMA is halting trucks full of supplies.Meanwhile, there’s also just a lot of confusion about what the agency does and doesn’t do when disaster strikes.Now, with Milton set to bring a life-threatening storm surge to the Tampa Bay region, many people are wondering whether they should see FEMA workers on the ground right away and what impact the agency is having if they don’t.Here’s a closer look at what the agency does during emergencies:What is FEMA’s role in a disaster?State or tribal governments can reach out to ask for federal assistance. But the disaster has to exceed their ability to respond, meaning that not all disasters end up getting federal help. The president approves disaster declarations.Once an emergency is declared like in the case of Milton and Helene that can unleash various types of aid from FEMA. Much of what FEMA does is give out money in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and for years to come.That can include assistance to individuals affected by disasters, such as payments of $750 to pay for their immediate needs like medicine or diapers after a storm or earthquake hits. It can also mean additional money to rent an apartment because their home is destroyed or to pay for a storage unit.In the wake of Hurricane Helene, FEMA so far has given out $344 million. But the agency has faced complaints in the past that the process is too bureaucratic.In hard-hit Asheville, North Carolina, Mayor Esther Manheimer said Wednesday that local officials had heard about people whose claims had been denied by FEMA and were working with the agency to solve the problem.”We will be meeting with our FEMA representatives here in Asheville and Buncombe County later today to discuss the number of denials and to secure a solution and get one in place as fast as possible,” she said.Another big part of FEMA’s disaster aid goes to public assistance. This is money to reimburse local governments for things like overtime for police or firefighters or to remove the mountains of debris left after storms.The agency also gives longer-term money to rebuild public infrastructure like schools, roads or libraries that are damaged by earthquakes or floods.Is FEMA in charge of every disaster?No. Experts and the agency stress that FEMA isn’t assuming control of Milton’s response. A lot of that falls to the state and affected communities.FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who led New York City’s Emergency Management Department before taking the top job at the federal agency, said FEMA’s role is to support the work of local emergency managers.”We do not come in and take over any response. I have been a local emergency manager. I know the steps that they are taking right now to prepare for this storm,” she said at a briefing Wednesday when she was heading from North Carolina to Florida.”Our role is to augment the incredible work that our local emergency managers, our first responders and our state partners are doing each and every day … and make sure that they have the resources that they need,” Criswell said.Craig Fugate, who was FEMA administrator during the Obama administration and before that was Florida’s director of emergency management, said FEMA really plays a supporting role in the initial response.”Disaster response belongs to the states, not the federal government,” Fugate said. In those emergency situations, it’s usually governors who are in charge, he said.Does FEMA send supplies or personnel?The agency sends water, tarps, food and staff. In an event like a hurricane when there’s time to prepare the agency coordinates with state and local officials about where to put those supplies before the storm arrives.For Milton, the agency says it has five staging bases where it stationed food and water ahead of time, including 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water.FEMA also has sent search and rescue teams and helps bring in expertise from across the federal government as needed. For example, two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers temporary power teams are in Florida to help with the Milton response. Other supplies have been brought in, like high-water vehicles from the Department of Defense as well as ambulances and helicopters.Ahead of Milton making landfall, the agency said it has 1,000 responders on the ground already. Many of them were there working on previous disasters and are pivoting to help with Milton.When asked about complaints that FEMA had not gotten to some areas of North Carolina hit by Helene, Criswell said Wednesday that just because residents don’t see someone in a FEMA shirt, that doesn’t mean the agency is not supporting them.For example, she said much of the water and food that is being delivered through the National Guard and other agencies comes from FEMA’s stockpiles.