Sign maker carving out fans with custom handmade work

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Doug Meehan

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    FALMOUTH, Massachusetts (WCVB) — You hear it all the time: To be truly happy, follow your passion. The problem is, what if you have not discovered your passion yet?

That was once the situation for a sign maker on Cape Cod. But in the case of Dan Farrington, owner of Farrington Woodcarving, passion found him.

“I was really kind of just looking for my thing. I just wanted something that kind of gave me purpose,” Farrington said.

As it turns out, crafting high-end, hand-carved signage was Farrington’s purpose.

Inside his workshop in East Falmouth, Farrington is carving out quite the reputation on Cape Cod for high-end, hand-carved signs, but that is not all.

In addition to signs for businesses and homes, Farrington designs and creates awe-inspiring decorative eagles and historically accurate mahogany quarter boards.

“It started on ships and now it’s decorations for houses. And people take a lot of pride in their quarter boards,” he said.

Farrington’s start into the signage world was rather serendipitous. Ten years ago, at the insistence of his father, he visited a workshop in Sandwich that he had passed by for years without giving any thought or notice.

“One day my dad said, ‘There is a woodcarver five minutes down the road. Why don’t you go and stop in?'” Farrington said.

That woodcarver happened to be none other than Paul White. Since 1965, White’s work had become synonymous with his patriotic, 23-carat gold-leafed, hand-carved eagles. The encounter set Farrington’s imagination soaring.

“I walked in the door, and I was just blown away by what I saw. I kind of made a decision right there: I’m doing this forever,” Farrington said.

After several years working for his mentor, the Cape Cod native soon set sail on his own. Today, business has never been better, and the passion for his craft that he loves to share with others has never been stronger.

“You got to love pushing a chisel through wood. Honestly, it puts a smile on my face. I’m here all day with a wooden bench just carving. I absolutely love doing it. I’m just so happy that I get to do this every day for work,” Farrington said.

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.

Moss Landing businesses unite to recover from battery facility fire’s impact

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Ricardo Tovar

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    MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KSBW) — Businesses in Moss Landing are still feeling the effects of a fire, but many say conditions are improving as they rely on community support and call for greater transparency from plant officials. The Inn at Moss Landing struggled for months to fill rooms, while the nonprofit Marine Life Studies faced delays in its expansion plans after just opening its doors when the fire hit.

“All of us showed up for each other trying to work on things to, you know, make things more positive, and support each other,” a business owner said.

Another business owner shared, “We had a great community around us where they were supporting us, saying like, hey, let’s, you know, in at the Moss Landing point said, let me sell some of your things in the gift shop, in our shop, and just, you know, help back you up.”

Business owners say that greater transparency from those in charge of the plant will be key to restoring confidence and continuing the recovery.

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.

Foxboro Disposal workers help woman recover lost family rings at transfer facility

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By John Atwater, Tim Nazzaro

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    FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A Foxborough, Massachusetts, woman has been reunited with her precious rings thanks to the help of two sanitation workers who refused to give up.

On Jan. 7, the woman was cleaning her family’s rings when they inadvertently got tossed into the trash.

The woman only realized her mistake a day later, after Foxboro Disposal had picked up the garbage.

Distraught over what happened, the woman made a call to the company to see if anything could be done.

After a quick Q&A, the company was able to figure out which trash truck her garbage was in.

From there, two employees of Foxboro Disposal went to the Raynham Transfer Station and began sifting through countless bags.

The employees finally located the woman’s bags with the rings still inside.

“I have never experienced such a selfless act of kindness or such exemplary customer service from any company, anywhere,” the woman said in a social media post.

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.

Kidney transplant gives a law partner a second chance at life

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Bethany Cates

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    WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (WXII) — Erik Harvey, a law partner at Bennett Guthrie PLLC, had been on dialysis for nearly a decade before his associate, Elizabeth Lawson, stepped forward to donate her kidney.

“It’s one of those things where you get a second chance at something, so you don’t know how you’re supposed to feel, but you’re just very happy and have a lot of gratitude,” Harvey said.

Harvey and Lawson have known each other for 15 years, with Lawson’s children even referring to him as “Uncle Erik.”

Harvey’s health journey took a turn when he went in for an annual physical and discovered his kidneys had failed.

“I just put on all this weight, and I didn’t know why, and so she tested me and on the drive home, she told me to get to the hospital because, seemingly, my kidneys had failed,” Harvey said.

Lawson said when it came to being a donor, she didn’t think twice.

“I was the first one that went in when they opened the gates to go and get tested,” said Elizabeth Lawson.

After nearly eight and a half years of dialysis at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Harvey was transferred to Duke for his second chance.

“I don’t know if there’s a way to make someone’s life easier than what’s happened for me because I used to essentially live a factory life, where my body was the factory,” Harvey said.

Lawson found out she was a match and donated her kidney, allowing Harvey to thrive once again.

“It’s good for him to be able to get back and do what he wants to do because he’s kind of the person that pushed me into doing this,” Lawson said.

Harvey said there are not enough words to express his gratitude for this life-saving measure.

“Ever since I got the transplant, it’s all been good days, and I think it just changes your mindset a lot,” Harvey said.

He describes this experience as freeing a trapped animal, granting him a new level of freedom, being able to fully function at work and be present in all aspects of life.

After all, Lawson said that workdays are now more enjoyable with her coach and mentor back at full capacity.

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.

Deputies prevent potential disaster in Panera bathroom

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Ari Hait

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    STUART, Florida (WPBF) — A shoplifting incident in Stuart escalated into a potentially dangerous situation when Martin County deputies discovered a suspect attempting to ignite a shotgun slug in a Panera bathroom Thursday afternoon.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said deputies initially believed they were arresting a shoplifting suspect, but the situation quickly escalated.

“They had no idea what they were dealing with until our suspect was in custody,” Budensiek said.

The sheriff said the incident began when staff at a Publix in Stuart caught Hugh Okoye shoplifting.

“He was aggressive towards them, meaning he was confrontational,” Budensiek said. “He didn’t fight with them, but he was confrontational. He was swearing.”

Okoye then left the store, walked to a nearby Panera, and entered the bathroom, screaming at people along the way.

Deputies found Okoye in the bathroom shortly after.

Initially, they thought he was smoking drugs, but they soon realized that what was in his mouth was a 12-gauge shotgun slug.

He was using a lighter to try to make the slug fire.

“To their surprise, they realized that what the suspect was actually doing was trying to set off a 12-gauge shotgun slug,” Budensiek said. “It rarely happens, but bullets actually can fire if they’re exposed to enough heat and fire. We see that in car fires with rounds going off.”

Fortunately, deputies intervened before any harm occurred, taking Okoye into custody and confiscating two shotgun slugs.

“This could have ended catastrophically. A shotgun round, a slug round could penetrate the suspect, could penetrate our deputies,” Budensiek said.

Okoye now faces several charges, including resisting arrest. The sheriff also mentioned plans to seek mental health assistance for Okoye.

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.

Pregnant woman attacked with bat while leaving work in Racine

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Emily Pofahl

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    RACINE, Wis. (WISN) — A pregnant woman and her unborn child are hospitalized after she was ambushed and attacked with a baseball bat outside her work at a group home in Racine on Thursday morning.

The attack happened near Golf Avenue and Windsor Drive, just before 7 a.m. Gheonna Lacy had just finished working third shift as a caretaker at the group home and was heading outside to warm up her car.

Surveillance video from a doorbell camera captured two hooded figures, one carrying a baseball bat, run off-screen toward where Lacy said the car was. Then, screaming can be heard in the video, and the sound of the baseball bat striking Lacy.

Lacy spoke with WISN 12 News Friday from her hospital bed.

“They just immediately knocked me to the ground. Started swinging the bat. Stomping me with their feet,” Lacy said.

Lacy is a young mother of two and is pregnant with her third child. She tried to protect her stomach during the attack because she said her assailants were targeting her unborn child.

“She was starting to kill the baby. To get the baby,” Lacy said of the woman who attacked her. “As a pregnant person, you feel like you’re safe. Like no one is going to touch you.”

Lacy recognized the woman as someone who had been stalking her over a relationship dispute, but did not recognize the man. After some time, the attackers ran away, and Lacy managed to crawl to safety and call 911.

Jenna Hunter, Lacy’s best friend who lives in Texas, learned about the attack over the phone.

“I never thought something like that would actually happen to her. Especially because she’s pregnant. She’s a good mother. She’s always at work, or she’s always at home,” Hunter said.

Lacy has a long road to recovery, but Friday said the baby is in stable condition.

“As soon as you know you’re pregnant, your whole world changes. Your child is your everything,” Hunter said.

Lacy’s loved ones say she is understandably very scared to return to work at the group home. Racine police stated that their violent crimes unit is handling the case, but as of Friday night, no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Racine police.

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.

Disney cast member hurt stopping runaway prop at Indiana Jones show explains split-second decision

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Madilyn Destefano, Luana Munoz

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — Robert Herrick, a Disney cast member at Hollywood Studios in Orlando, heroically stopped a runaway 400-pound boulder during an Indiana Jones stunt on Dec. 30, preventing potential injuries to audience members.

WESH 2 sat down with Herrick, where he explained his split-second decision to intervene.

“The only thing going through my mind is that if it came up over the set, and I knew it would, that it can not hit the audience,” Herrick said.

The boulder, part of the stunt attraction, came off the tracks and barreled toward the audience, knocking Herrick off his feet as he blocked it.

“I know it’s inflatable. It’s filled with air. Comments said there’s no way it weighs over 400 pounds. It absolutely does,” Herrick said.

For decades, the Indiana Jones stunt attraction has launched the boulder without issues, but on that day, the boulder launched unusually hard, propelling it toward the Mayan Temple set’s upstage wall. Herrick, noticing the unusual trajectory, quickly moved to protect the audience.

“The boulder launched that propelled it to the upstage wall of the set, the Mayan Temple set, really hard. I noticed that that was unusual,” he said.

Despite having no formal training in stopping a runaway boulder, Herrick’s familiarity with the studio allowed him to act swiftly. The impact sent him flying into a downstage wall, causing whiplash and head bleeding.

“I don’t think there was any thought of what it could potentially do to me. I don’t even think I had the thought that wow this is going to hurt. It was only if I could change the trajectory,” Herrick said.

His actions prevented what could have been a very different outcome for the children and families present. Herrick was particularly moved when a guest in the front row, who had been filming the show with his kids, could be heard on video saying, “That man saved our life.”

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.

Omaha stroke survivor donates supplies to team that aided his recovery

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Beth Carlson

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    OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — Inpatient therapy staff at Methodist Hospital unwrapped $3,000 worth of new supplies Friday, all thanks to a donation from a former patient.

Rob Jewell spent six months in three rehabilitation centers across Omaha, doing physical, occupational and speech therapy to rebuild skills he lost when he suffered from a stroke in July. As a thank-you to those who helped him, Jewell donated a total of $9,000, split between Methodist Hospital, QLI and Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.

“I’m like, why am I doing this? Well, it was to retrain my brain to think logically and think smarter and follow things through,” Jewell said. “The help I’ve received, I feel really good about it. I feel like I’m making progress.”

The effects of a stroke can vary from person to person. Jewell struggled with partial limb paralysis and speech difficulties and spent countless hours working in therapy to re-learn these skills. Often, therapists use children’s toys, puzzles or games to help victims work on fine motor skills, according to staff at Methodist Hospital.

“We’re incorporating their thinking skills, their vision, their balance, the use of their hand, the use of the full arm, the leg,” Sarah Cockle, service leader for Methodist Hospital Inpatient Therapy, said. “The possibilities are endless.”

On Friday, Jewell was able to meet and thank the staff who first helped him at Methodist Hospital, as they opened the new donations. Jewell had gifted hundreds of items from their wish lists.

“(He said) what could you use? What would benefit the team, the patients?” Cockle said. “And then the ideas just came flooding in.”

For years prior, Jewell played Santa during the holiday season, listening to children tell him what gifts they wanted for Christmas. A major milestone in his stroke recovery, he said, was getting back to being Santa.

“I had 35 kids out there that were, I talked to and given candy canes, and they colored and got cookies. It was fun. So, this was another Christmas celebration to them,” Jewell said.

Now, his donations will be used to serve future patients in the hospital.

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.

Woman fosters more than a dozen dogs to help with adoptions

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Britt Leoni

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    NAPLES, Florida (WBBH) — At the Patty Baker Humane Society of Naples, many dogs wait for the special day they’ll be introduced to that special someone who brings them home.

Today, Angela Wilson is that someone for 4-year-old pit bull mix Cruiser. In fact, it’s nearly every week that she’s a hero to at least one dog.

“I just figured I would just go and see what it’s all about, and a year and a half later, here we are. I’m fostering,” said Angela.

Two summers ago, Angela started fostering a different dog every week or so in the hopes of helping get them adopted.

“If I’m at the desk or something and I see like a cute pose or a face they’re making, I’ll just kind of get my phone out real quick and do a couple shots,” said Angela.

On social media, Angela shares photos and videos that show potential adopters the dogs’ personalities, quirks, and most “cuddlable” moments.

Every foster is a new friend who helps her cope with the loss of the one friend she misses most.

Two years ago, Angela lost Nash, her beloved terrier. It left a hole in her heart.

“I just didn’t know what to do with myself,” said Angela.

Since then, her heart has been filled with the joy of caring for the dogs she fosters, like Cruiser.

“It’s nice to have that companionship,” said Angela.

She doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon because helping these dogs find homes helps Angela feel at home, too.

“You just keep doing it and doing it, and if it means just one gets adopted, then you know it’s one less dog in the shelter. So, one at a time,” said Angela.

We’re happy to share that since filming this story, Cruiser has been adopted!

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.

Butler Tech educator turns personal battle into $100K scholarship for future chefs

CNN Newsource on January 19, 2026

By Rachel Whelan

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    BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (WLWT) — A scholarship created by longtime Butler Tech educator and chef Lee Corder has officially surpassed its $100,000 fundraising goal, ensuring future students pursuing careers in the culinary arts will receive financial support for years to come.

Corder spent 18 years working at Butler Tech, most recently serving as the district’s director of secondary education. Known for his passion for teaching and cooking, Corder launched the Lee Corder Culinary Scholarship after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Despite ongoing health challenges, Corder said the scholarship was never about him, but about removing barriers for students with talent and drive.

“There was a student who had been accepted into the Culinary Institute of America in New York,” Corder said. “He didn’t know if he could go because he couldn’t afford it. That’s when it clicked — we need to do something here.”

In just a few months, donations from friends, former colleagues, students, and complete strangers pushed the scholarship fund past $100,000. That milestone allows the scholarship to award $5,000 annually, in perpetuity.

“That allows us to have a $5,000-a-year scholarship forever,” Corder said, “long after we’re all here.”

The fund is administered through the Hamilton Community Foundation, which manages hundreds of scholarship funds across the region. Foundation leaders say scholarships specifically supporting culinary arts students are rare.

“We manage almost 300 different scholarships, and only two will even consider somebody going into culinary arts — and this is one of them,” said Jacob Stone-Welch with the foundation.

The scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors across Butler County, with preference given to Butler Tech students. Recipients are not required to attend Butler Tech after receiving the award, and the scholarship can be used toward culinary education or training at the school or program of the student’s choice.

Although cancer treatments have made it difficult for Corder to enjoy his own food, he says cooking has always been about serving others.

“It gives me a sense of purpose,” Corder said. “A sense of accomplishment to be able to do something.”

That sense of purpose extends beyond the kitchen. Just last weekend, Corder walked his youngest daughter down the aisle — a moment he says meant everything to him.

“She pushed up the ceremony a little bit to make sure dad could be there,” he said. “And I love her for that.”

Corder said the overwhelming response to the scholarship reaffirmed something he’s believed for a long time.

“I think most people are good at heart,” he said. “And this experience did nothing but reassure that.”

Organizers said the scholarship fund will continue accepting donations, and any additional money raised will go directly toward increasing the annual award amount or expanding future scholarships.

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.