Month: October 2025

By Tim Caputo

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    FULLERTON, California (KABC) — A random act of kindness left an imprint for 35 years, and now, Jennifer McLaughlin is finally getting to thank the stranger who stayed by her side after a tragic accident took her sister’s life.

She was only 9 years old when she survived a horrific car crash in Fullerton.

McLaughlin, who’s now in her 40s, doesn’t remember much of that night back in 1990, when her 29-year-old sister was killed in a crash on Harbor Boulevard.

“I don’t remember seeing a single car that night. It was raining, and I don’t even remember the ambulance pulling up, or any of it,” said McLaughlin.

But she did remember Rhonda Ray, a young mom who happened to be driving by that night and stopped when she saw the mangled cars.

“I don’t even remember what she looked like. I couldn’t tell you how old she was or nothing. I just knew she was there,” recalled McLaughlin.

Ray was more than just a presence that night.

McLaughlin had stepped out of the car and was standing on the side of the road. Ray says the first person who stopped was a doctor who was with the driver, Jennifer’s sister Tammy, who didn’t survive.

“I looked all over, and she was standing alone. She was wet. She was in shock, and she was shaking,” said Ray.

Ray stayed with 9-year-old McLaughlin in the rain, followed her to the hospital, and even stuck around until the child’s parents arrived.

It was an act of kindness that over the next 35 years, McLaughlin never forgot.

“I thought about Rhonda throughout my whole life. Every time I told people my story, Rhonda was always part of it,” said McLaughlin, who moved away from Orange County for almost two decades after joining the military.

When she returned, every time she drove by where the crash happened on Harbor Boulevard, she again thought of Rhonda, and last month, she had a crazy idea.

“I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ and give her a hug and say, ‘You helped shape a little bit of who I am,'” said McLaughlin, who, after contacting police and checking medical records, decided to go to social media.

She posted on the Facebook group “Fullerton Buzz’, writing “Hi Fullerton, This is a very long shot… I don’t remember much from that day, but I do remember how nice this lady was to me.”

The community responded, some even pointing her to local private detectives to track down Ray.

Ray’s adult daughter also saw the post and commented, “Hi there! I believe you are talking about my mom!” and then called her mother.

“She goes, ‘Mom, remember that girl that you helped?’ because I had told her the story. I said, ‘Are you kidding me?'” Ray said.

That brief and chance encounter decades ago came full circle for two people who carried the weight of that tragic night for 35 years.

“(Jennifer) called me, and as soon as I heard her voice, we were both crying. I was so happy she’s ok, and is such an amazing human being,” said Ray.

Social media, which can sometimes be divisive and ugly, made the beautiful reunion possible.

Thanks to Ray’s action that night, McLaughlin has spent her life looking for good, and decades later, she’s finally found it.

“She didn’t have to stop. She didn’t have to go to the hospital with me. She stopped her whole day to be with this little 9-year-old girl who she didn’t know, and that’s what I’ve spent my life trying to be, and that has been ingrained in me since I was a child, to be a good person, to be the helper,” said McLaughlin, who added that the reunion is more than the one time meet up. They’ve had a connection their whole lives, and now they’ll be in touch for the rest of their lives.

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WBZ

By Penny Kmitt

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — A haunting exhibit in South Boston honors the lives of hundreds of people who were killed two years ago during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel at the Nova Music Festival.

Walking into the Nova Exhibition in South Boston, there is a sense of loss represented in every empty tent, destroyed car, and forgotten shoe that is on display.

“This festival had people from all over the world, all religions, all cultures,” survivor Noa Beer said.

Tuesday marked two years since Hamas’ attack on the Nova Music Festival in Israel, where nearly 400 people were killed and dozens were taken hostage.

This new exhibit recreates the festival using actual objects left behind so visitors can see and feel for themselves the tragic events of October 7th and its aftermath.

“I think they carry an energy with them,” Beer said. “It’s not just the sounds and the videos, it’s the energy of the actual things people that a minute earlier were just dancing in in nature and a minute later were running for their lives.”

The DJ booker still remembers getting a drink at the very bar that is on display, laughing with friends, all before 6:29 a.m., the moment the music stood still.

“The moment we forget that this happened it will happen again and it can happen anywhere,” Beer said.

Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss was at the exhibit on Tuesday.

“At a time when hate is on the rise, vitriol is on the rise, when dehumanization becoming political currency, we need to come here and deliberately haunt ourselves to see what the end state of that kind hate and dehumanization is,” he said.

The exhibition is open every weekday until October 21 at the former FW Webb Building on Dorchester Ave.

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By Penny Kmitt

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — A haunting exhibit in South Boston honors the lives of hundreds of people who were killed two years ago during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel at the Nova Music Festival.

Walking into the Nova Exhibition in South Boston, there is a sense of loss represented in every empty tent, destroyed car, and forgotten shoe that is on display.

“This festival had people from all over the world, all religions, all cultures,” survivor Noa Beer said.

Tuesday marked two years since Hamas’ attack on the Nova Music Festival in Israel, where nearly 400 people were killed and dozens were taken hostage.

This new exhibit recreates the festival using actual objects left behind so visitors can see and feel for themselves the tragic events of October 7th and its aftermath.

“I think they carry an energy with them,” Beer said. “It’s not just the sounds and the videos, it’s the energy of the actual things people that a minute earlier were just dancing in in nature and a minute later were running for their lives.”

The DJ booker still remembers getting a drink at the very bar that is on display, laughing with friends, all before 6:29 a.m., the moment the music stood still.

“The moment we forget that this happened it will happen again and it can happen anywhere,” Beer said.

Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss was at the exhibit on Tuesday.

“At a time when hate is on the rise, vitriol is on the rise, when dehumanization becoming political currency, we need to come here and deliberately haunt ourselves to see what the end state of that kind hate and dehumanization is,” he said.

The exhibition is open every weekday until October 21 at the former FW Webb Building on Dorchester Ave.

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By Carolina Loera Lozano

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    WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — After being away most of the summer recovering from an illness, one of Wichita’s most familiar faces is back on the corner of 21st and Waco.

For years, residents have known Don Alberto Quezada as the “Elote Man,” the vendor who could be spotted rain or shine, pushing his cart through the Northside and greeting customers with a cheerful “Gracias, que le vaya bien.”

“I used to sell popsicles, but I didn’t like it,” Quezada said with a laugh. “So I started selling corn.”

Quezada once worked in construction, but after getting hurt on the job and losing his position, he had to find another way to make ends meet. That’s when he turned to street vending—first popsicles, then Mexican-style corn.

Almost every day, he hops on his bike and wheels his cooler through Wichita’s Nomar neighborhood. Over time, his flavorful elote made him a community favorite.

“Not even in my dreams,” he said about becoming one of the city’s most well-known street vendors.

But earlier this summer, Quezada suddenly collapsed while preparing his food. He was rushed to the hospital, leaving behind his cart full of corn on the street.

Norma Aguilar, who witnessed what happened, says the community quickly stepped in.

“I posted what happened on social media, and people responded. They came out to help—we even ran out of corn,” Aguilar said.

That day, neighbors raised nearly $1,000. Aguilar then launched a GoFundMe, which collected almost $4,000 to help Quezada recover. But she says she hopes the generosity doesn’t stop there.

“The other day I saw him riding his bike, and it looked really hard for him,” Aguilar said. “If people could donate toward an electric bicycle, we could make it easier for him to keep doing what he loves.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with that goal.

For Quezada, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

“Thank you so much for everything people have done for me without expecting anything in return,” he said.

Now back on his corner, he says he plans to keep selling elote for as long as he can.

“As long as I’m able, I’ll keep going,” he said.

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By Jessica MacAulay

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    HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (KYW) — A crane attached to a truck toppled over onto a home in Mercer County, New Jersey, on Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton Township police said.

The arm of the crane collapsed as it was moving a hot tub into a home’s backyard on Lea Drive in Hamilton Township, at around 12:30 p.m., police said.

Images captured by Chopper 3 show that the collapse led to structural damage to the home’s roof.

No injuries were reported, according to police.

Authorities are at the home inspecting its foundation.

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By Olivia Young

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    Colorado (KCNC) — The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado High School Activities Association are investigating what happened at a recent high school football game. A spokesperson for Valor Christian High School says an assistant coach from Mountain Vista High School was ejected from Friday’s game after a referee said they hit a player from Valor.

Rumors have been circulating online, and it is difficult to determine what happened in video of the skirmish.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this incident and, as of Monday evening, there have been no arrests made.

“So that’s their offense, that’s our defense, the play’s going, he throws and Holden intercepts it,” said Mountain Vista football player Kade Ingrassia, while looking at a video taken by a spectator of Friday’s game.

Ingrassia remembers the moment his teammate grabbed a game-winning interception that night.

“And then he gets hit right there. And then that’s when everyone crowds together. I think I’m seen running this way,” Ingrassia said. The game’s livestream shows a scuffle ensuing.

“It was a pretty violent hit. So I came over and wanted to sort things out. Might have pushed and shoved a little bit, but nothing crazy,”

Ingrassia said of the moments after his teammate was tackled.

Other videos circulating online appear to show a Valor player falling down.

“There’s just a bunch of our teammates running together and that’s him getting shoved,” Ingrassia said.

Soon after, a referee ejects a Mountain Vista coach from the game for contact with a Valor student-athlete.

“Non-player foul, a coach hitting a player. That coach has been ejected,” the referee said in the game’s livestream.

Ingrassia says his assistant coach didn’t hit anyone.

“There were no, like, punches thrown or anything. And I was right there the whole time,” Ingrassia said.

A Valor spokesperson said that the Valor player is not injured.

“Coaches are entrusted with modeling integrity, discipline, and respect — values that are fundamental to high school athletics and to the safety of every student on the field,” said Valor Christian High School Head of School Bryan Ritz. “From the video I have seen, the assistant coach’s behavior is unacceptable. No coach or adult should ever put their hands on a student. Our community expects and deserves better from those entrusted with mentoring young people.

“I am grateful for the swift action of game officials, and I want our families to know that we are standing firmly and prayerfully with our player and his family as the investigation continues. Our top priority is, and will always be, the safety and well-being of our students. We trust that appropriate action will be taken once the full investigation is complete.”

Ingrassia said his coach wasn’t at practice Monday. He hopes he will be cleared of wrongdoing.

“Right now the team’s very upset, because we love our coaches. … Ot’s a serious situation that they’re exaggerating on that could really inflict pain on someone’s life that never happened,” Ingrassia said. “We’re going to win it all this year, hopefully, God willing, coaches come back and players get healthy.”

Douglas County School District would not comment or confirm whether the coach is on leave.

Colorado High School Activities Association says they were immediately made aware of the situation and are working with both schools and their administrations.

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