• Bald eagles make comeback in the Windy City

    The majestic bird that was once on the endangered species list is now nesting in Cook County. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.

    By Kevin Tibbles
    NBC News correspondent

    CHICAGO -- Stan Wandersee has lived in the same house in St. Paul, Minn., for 50 years; and he’s never had any new neighbors quite as special as the ones who’ve moved in this spring. High up a tree, across the street, is a family of bald eagles.

    “This is a gift of nature that has been bestowed upon us,” he said.

    There was a time in America when the bald eagle was on the endangered species list and facing extinction. The deadly combination of pesticides (namely DDT), and urban sprawl, had all but driven these magnificent birds out of the lower 48 states. In the mid-60s just 450 nesting pairs remained.

    “DDT was a really big problem for the bald eagle,” said Megan Ross of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. “Bald eagles in particular were not able to form appropriate shells, and so when they weren’t able to reproduce their numbers really plummeted.

    Fortunately for the birds, and for us, times have changed. DDT was banned nationwide in 1972 and, in many cases, humans are starting to pay more attention to their natural surroundings. Today this majestic symbol of America is thriving; so much so, it is returning to areas it fled decades ago.

    In the case of Chicago…make that 100 years!

    According to wildlife officials in Cook County, where Chicago is situated, there has not been a bald eagle nest in more than a century. This year that changed. Less than a half-hour from the skyscrapers and bustle of the Windy City’s urban ‘Loop’ there sits an eagle's nest perched way up in the trees of a local forest preserve.

    Chris Merenowicz, assistant director of resource management at the preserve, nimbly made his way through the underbrush; guided NBC News to the side of a hidden little lake that sits not far from a busy thoroughfare. He stopped and brought his binoculars to his eyes and whispered: “She’s in there looking at us.”

    One hundred yards or so on the far bank is a massive wooden structure that is more tree fort than nest. The bright white head is visible for all to see.

    “To see a pair carry off a nest like this within 30 minutes of downtown Chicago is unbelievable!” he said.

    Dr. Megan Ross, Director of Animal Care, Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago and Stan Wandersee a bird enthusiast, from St Paul MN on the importance of the bald eagle population making a comeback in urban areas. 

    And for Merenowicz, a pair of eagles settling down in this neck of the woods is a wonderful confirmation. “I think it’s the environment we’re growing up in right now. A whole new generation who are more aware of the environmental ethic. That’s what’s gonna get us over the hump that we were behind before.”

    The eagle is of such interest that when a pair built a nest at the Alcoa facility in Davenport, Iowa the employees set up a web cam to monitor their progress. The eggs were laid, and hatched. The eaglets are thriving; and millions have tuned in to watch along the way.

    Today there are more than 9,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states and, who knows, maybe you too could be as lucky as Stan Wandersee and find a couple taking residence across from your home.

  • From high school senior to mayor

    Jeremy Minnier was elected mayor of Aredale, Iowa, beating the town's 76-year-old incumbent. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.

    By Kevin Tibbles
    NBC News

    He's a high school senior whose studies include everything from discussions on water management to agriculture. He plays sax in the school band. He tends a flock of sheep and a few head of cattle on a small family farm. And, oh yes, at the ripe old age of 18, Jeremy Minnier is the mayor.

    "This is my hometown. Born and raised here. Proud of it all the way,” Minnier told “Nightly News.” “I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else."

    That hometown is teeny tiny (the townsfolk would agree) Aredale, Iowa: population 74.

    Aredale has a few issues facing it: the loss of the post office, a dwindling population, and water and sewage problems. It's a tall order for a kid who still lives at home with mom and dad.

    But this town is hoping Jeremy Minnier, a wiry young man who’s both quiet and confident, can help them turn the corner.

    "I want to spruce Aredale up," Minnier said. "Make it a better place. Make it so people want to come and see."

    The new mayor didn't need a million dollar Super Pac to get elected. In fact, he was a write-in candidate who won by a whopping 24 votes to 8, beating 76-year-old incumbent Virgil Homer.

    "We have a little hope for the future," said resident and town councilor Deb DeBerg. "Some fresh blood may see things differently."

    And the new mayor says he's willing to do whatever it takes to get Aredale working.

    “One of the main things right now is our septic systems in our homes as they're not up to state codes,” he said.

    He'll even roll up his sleeves to help sweep and weed the town’s Main Street.

    “We'd like to do some more landscaping in front of the City Hall, possibly add a flagpole, and purchase some new signs as ours are all rotted and chipped and faded,” he said. “Being the mayor doesn't mean that you just sit back and tell other people what to do. You gotta be there helping. I'm gonna be sweeping the streets out there with a broom and shovel just like they are.”

    Back at Hampton-Dumont High School, the young mayor's got a lot of fans.

    "I'm hoping he inspires a lot of our kids to step up when they see something that they think they might be able to do," Principal Steve Madson said.  

    A fellow senior at Minnier's high school, Tanner Brolsma, said, "He's a pretty low-key guy, but it's a pretty cool thing to have going on at our school."

    So when will Mayor Minnier find the time to run his town? Well after his chores and homework of course.

     “It's not a job when you wake up every morning and just love what you do," he said.

  • Chardon starts painful process of getting back to normal

    The community rallied around the children of Chardon as they returned to the scene of Monday's shooting rampage. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.

    Kevin Tibbles writes

    CHARDON, Ohio – The kids of Chardon went back to school Friday morning. This town of 5,000 is doing everything it can to try to get things back to normal, or at least allow their children to get back to the daily routine of living and learning. No one thinks it’s going to be an easy road.

    In the wake of Monday’s school shooting that took the lives of three young men and wounded two others, it will take time to heal.

    “It is going to be very sad,” one of the students said as she approached Chardon High for the first time since a gunman walked inside wielding a handgun.

    “I’m not going to be able to go up to Demetrius or Russell and just say ‘Hi’ anymore,” said another.

    He was referring to two of the students that were killed, 17-year-old Russell King Jr. and 16-year-old Demetrius Hewlin, two friends who were hanging out with a tableful of pals when they were shot at around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning.

    The families of both young men said their organs were donated to help others. “Demetrius’ death was not in vain,” his mother Phyllis Ferguson said during a press conference this week. “Demetrius had donated his organs. And for Demetrius’ one life, he change eight lives.” 
     
    In a solemn march of sadness and condolence yesterday, parents and students walked together to the school. Each student was then given a hug before going inside for discussion and counseling. It is not going to be easy; and while Chardon vows to overcome this tragedy it also vows never to forget those who died.

    The United Way of Geauga County says they have raised more than $260,000 for the Chardon Healing Fund. The funds will be used to "support both the families directly impacted and the healing of the community," according to the web site. Kim Leininger, executive director of the United Way in Geauga, told NBC News the "phones are ringing off the hook."

    The first funeral will be on Saturday for 16-year-old Daniel Parmertor. The Monreal Funeral Home’s web site’s obituary for Parmertor says in part, “He enjoyed Xbox, skiing, computers, and wing night at Cleats with his friends. Danny also loved spending time with his family.”

    Classes are resuming at Chardon High School for the first time since Monday's shooting that killed three students. Meanwhile, Frank Hall, the assistant coach being credited with preventing further bloodshed, speaks out. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.

    On Thursday night the town rallied. A sea of red Chardon jerseys cheered in the stands as the basketball team went on to defeat rival Madison. But even here, on the court, there was solidarity. Before the game the opposing team wore black Chardon T-shirts; and the two teams stood together as one prior to tip off. The community of moms, dads and kids all standing together.

    The young man accused of committing this horrible act, T.J. Lane, has now formally been charged with the murders. He's charged with three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault.

    His lawyer has been quoted as saying his client is now distraught and filled with remorse. He will likely be tried as an adult. 

    NBC News' Jo Kent contributed to this report.

    More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

     

  • Kevin Pearce rides again, thanks to family

    Kevin Tibbles writes

    LUDLOW, VT. – The first time I met Kevin Pearce he was flying high. It was the run-up to the Vancouver Olympics and this young kid from Vermont was poised to take the podium on snowboarding's half pipe for the U.S. Olympic team.

    He was a good looking, quiet young man who seemed to have his head screwed on straight. One of the most memorable things he told me was that his strong family bonds helped him keep his feet on the ground in spite of all the publicity and promotion that comes with being a world-class athlete.

    Then things went terribly wrong.

    During a training run on Dec. 31, 2009 in Park City, Utah Kevin missed a new maneuver called the “Double Cork” – he slammed his head into the side of the icy course and was left in critical condition. The impact was so severe he even cracked his helmet.

    Suffering from traumatic brain injury, doctors placed Kevin in a medically induced coma so his brain could heal. After about a month in critical care, he was moved to Craig Hospital in Denver, a world renowned rehabilitation center that specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries. He suffered severe memory loss, impaired vision and had to learn to walk again.
     
    Today Kevin, 24 years old, says he doesn't remember anything about the accident.

    "From what I hear, I never will remember what happened that day; and that's alright with me," he said during a recent interview back home in Vermont. “I don't think my brain lets me remember it because it doesn't want to remember it.”

    But Kevin has always been a determined young man. From day one, he focused all his resources on recovery. And his family was there by his side every step of the way. 

    Kevin Pearce and his parents on how happy they are with Kevin's recovery. 

    "What he's done in the last two years, I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be inspired by it,” said his father, Simon Pearce, a noted Irish-American glass artist and entrepreneur. "It's pretty easy to support somebody who is really positive and upbeat and determined.”

    Kevin’s three older brothers, Andrew, Adam, and David, who has Down syndrome, have also been vital to his recovery.

    David, who used to be his workout partner before the accident, has been by his side throughout his recovery. “It's been so special for me to be with David and get to learn from David. I feel like I used to teach him so much and after this injury he's been there and teaching me so much,” Kevin said.

    Adam – who is also a snowboarder – even quit his job after Kevin’s accident, not only to help with his rehabilitation in Denver, but to make sure it was “fun and enjoyable.”  

    Kevin’s mom, Pia Pearce, said the support of his brothers is a testament to the strength of family.

    “They really rallied I think to support Kevin in an amazing way, but I think Kevin would do it for his brothers, too,” said Pia. “That's exactly what feels important to us as parents.”

    For Kevin, it’s “indescribable” how important his family has been in helping him recover. 

    “They've kind of been there behind me for this entire time. No one's ever kind of left me on my own,” he said. 

    The Pearces invited NBC to meet up with Kevin two years after his accident, for a reunion of sorts at Okemo Mountain in Vermont earlier this week. Kevin was going to strap on his board and head down the slopes alongside the rest of his family.

    (However, this wasn’t his first time back on the slopes since the accident; that happened to the cheers of friends and fans in Breckenridge, Colo. just last month on Dec. 13).

    Needless to say, he ripped it.  (See the video above).

    Did he ever worry that he would never board again?

    "No," he said. “I knew the whole time I was in the hospital. That was the main focus; to get back up here and riding again."

    See Kevin Tibbles report on Kevin Pearce after his accident during the the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games on Feb.15, 2010.

    He knows the dangers of snowboarding and acknowledges that he will probably never compete on the Olympic level again.  “Snowboarding is at this level, it's kind of gone to a crazy place, and I don't think I can get back to it in a safe enough way to make it worth it… It's just not really a possibility or an option to hit my head again.”

    For the meantime, he is just happy to be on the road to recovery.

    “After seeing what kind of condition… I could be in after such a traumatic injury, to be here doing so well and just having such a good time and loving life so much,” he said. “I feel so lucky.”

    Related links:
    PhotoBlog: Snowboarder Kevin Pearce hits the slopes two years after devastating accident
    Olympic dreams lost, but Pearce stays strong

  • Battlefield pooches get rewarded for loyalty

    By Kevin Tibbles
    NBC News

    There are several enemies on the battlefield for a soldier in Afghanistan, and perhaps the one least discussed is homesickness. Living thousands of miles from family and loved ones and facing the ever-present dangers of war often take a toll on the troops. But inject some of that old-fashioned unconditional love and things become just a little more bearable. For many, that bond comes from having a dog - and in Afghanistan, there are plenty of strays.

    To help pay back those four-legged friends who stuck by them through thick and thin, many soldiers are now adopting those dogs and reuniting with them back in the United States, thanks to a program started by a British soldier called "Nowzad Dogs."

    "Having the dog for me was a way of just spending five minutes in normality," said Nowzad founder Cpl. Pen Farthing.

    Farthing has now assisted some 250 Afghan strays with adoption in the United States, UK, Canada, Holland and Australia.

    The organization American Dog Rescue is also involved, helping to spay and neuter the animals and ensure they are given all the necessary shots.

    It was a touching moment recently at New York's JFK airport when the precious cargo of tail wagging, face licking friends arrived via an airlift of thanks from the troops who never forgot them.

    Spc. Sheila Schaffer of the Iowa National Guard was there waiting for Charlie, a pooch she first found in a litter hiding underneath a building. Charlie, she says, was instrumental in keeping her morale up when she needed it most. She calls the dogs heroic.

    "They're saving our souls. They're saving us inside," Schaffer said. "There are a lot of soldiers that get depressed being away from home and being away from their own pets and own families."

    Offering these dogs a new, safe life far away from the war zone is just a soldier's way of saying thanks.

  • Helping soldiers become citizens again

    When we first met Dan Grinstead he was preparing for his first deployment at age 59.  A social worker for 35 years, he used his expertise to counsel soldiers in Afghanistan.  Now, he is back home helping soldiers adjust to civilian life. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports. 

    By Stephanie Himango
    NBC News producer

    This Veterans Day, as we contemplate the thousands of soldiers and their families who have made profound sacrifices, we should also remember that their service does not end when soldiers come safely home. 

    The challenges soldiers face in their attempt to re-acclimate to a non-combat environment can be difficult. Social worker and soldier Capt. Dan Grinstead of the Iowa Army National Guard knows that coming home is a critical phase of the whole deployment process. Grinstead joined the National Guard at 57, with the aim of providing mental health services to soldiers.

    "I just couldn't imagine myself sitting down talking with soldiers in anything other than a uniform," Grinstead told NBC News in a 2010 interview.

    Since then, Grinstead went through the compulsory rigorous training, and ultimately deployed to Afghanistan at 59, along with 2,800 other soldiers. Now, at age 61, he is back home in Iowa and prepared to help soldiers with their next step.

    "You hope you can explain to families what's going on. 'Why am I scanning a room?', 'Why am I driving the way I am?'" he said.  "You have to have those skills to survive in a hostile environment, and the trick is to turn them off when you get home."

    As we remember soldiers on Veterans Day, we can also remember that Grinstead is one of many people whose mission now is to help soldiers become citizens again.

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