Month: January 2026

By Frances Lin

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    BRADENTON, Florida (WFTS) — Soaring through the sky, Army veteran Alex Dillman is proving that nothing, not even paralysis, can keep him grounded.

Dillman, a Bradenton-area resident and former infantry soldier, was injured in 2011 during his second deployment in Afghanistan when an IED exploded under the vehicle he was riding in.

The blast killed his friend, Sgt. Christopher Gould, and left Dillman paralyzed from the chest down.

“That night, very bad weather conditions. Visibility was poor. I sustained severe injuries. And we also had a driver and gunner who sustained pretty severe injuries. But that was ultimately my life-changing event. And, after that, I woke up at Walter Reed,” Dillman said.

His recovery involved more than a year of inpatient care at Walter Reed, supported by his wife, whom he married in 2008.

“She’s definitely a trooper. She’s been through a lot.”

It wasn’t really until after my injury that I really saw my potential and how I could push my body when I was faced with those limitations.

As he started to recover, Dillman remained determined to continue living an adventurous life and began exploring adaptive sports, including scuba diving, hand cycling and marathons. Eventually, he discovered skydiving, which offered both physical challenges and the camaraderie he missed from his military service.

“With the life-changing mobility issues that I was faced with, that closed a lot of doors. And those doors closed, other doors opened. It allowed me to pursue things I wouldn’t normally have pursued and to ask for help. And it really helped me grow and evolve because I wasn’t one to particularly ask for help initially.”

Through months of training and with the help of staff and fellow jumpers at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, Dillman earned his B license, enabling him to participate in more advanced jumps. He credits the drop zone’s openness and encouragement for helping him push past both physical and psychological barriers.

I’ve never been part of a community that’s been so accepting.

Dillman described skydiving as a mix of preparation, adrenaline, and freedom, from checking gear and boarding the plane to the canopy opening and enjoying the view. While the freefall demands focus, the moments under the parachute give him time to appreciate the experience and reflect on how far he has come.

He encourages others facing disabilities or major life changes to set aside ego and seek help, noting that willingness to put in effort often inspires others to contribute to your success. His message: start small, embrace the process, and let each victory build toward your ultimate goal.

For Dillman, every jump is proof that life after injury can be full of possibilities, if you’re willing to take the leap.

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.

By Grace Rodriguez

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A Savannah woman is urging state leaders to create a registry for victims of domestic violence, saying Georgia needs more resources to protect survivors.

Savannah Marchant, a survivor and advocate for victims of domestic violence, said she drew inspiration from Tennessee’s registry and wants Georgia to adopt a similar system to hold offenders accountable

“We need a registry to actually protect people, protect the women, the men, the children, to potentially know that who they’re getting involved with,” Marchant said. “We need to be able to look up and see what they’re capable of, and not just charges that could have been dismissed or not.”

She says Georgia’s current resources, including counseling and safe shelters, do not do enough. Her online petition has more than 1,000 signatures, and supporters say a registry could protect more lives.

The state already maintains a similar registry for victims of family violence.

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.

By Ayron Lewallen, Ryan Lovell

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — A winter storm affecting parts of the country has resulted in flight cancellations and delays at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, impacting travelers’ plans and causing significant inconvenience.

Jennifer and Adam Dasinger of Heflin booked a flight for their daughter to fly out of Atlanta to return to Scotland, where she is pursuing her master’s degree.

However, the first leg of her flight was canceled days ago, leading to a series of complications. Since then, they have spent nearly 10 hours on the phone with customer service, trying to obtain a refund for the canceled trip.

“They were forecasting for the last week about all this,” Adam said. “They knew this and maybe they did prepare. Since we don’t travel every day, we don’t know all the ins and outs of all these cancellations or anything, but they kind of knew this was going on and you thought they would do a better job.”

They decided to book another flight out of Birmingham with a layover in Miami, hoping it would not be canceled.

“If you go through a company such as Expedia, that’s supposed to be this premier third party that has these wonderful packages — that has been in the past — pretty good,” Jennifer said. “And now — I know we’re not the only ones affected, but come on. You just have to be gracious, and you have to be able to refund that money if you still want to keep your clientele.”

Currently, several flights are already delayed or canceled for Sunday, adding to the ongoing travel challenges at the airport.

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.

By Arielle Mitropoulos

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    NASHUA, New Hampshire (WMUR) — On a cold and snowy winter day 66 years ago in Nashua, New Hampshire, history was made, as a then-young Sen. John F. Kennedy, alongside his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, held the first event of his presidential campaign. He would soon be catapulted into national political stardom when he ascended to the White House.

In the crowd of supporters on Jan. 25, 1960, was a young family from Nashua: Maurice and Margaret Ravenelle, and their three children, Michelle, Raymond, and 3-month-old Thomas.

“[It was] spur of the moment decided to. ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ We got the kids dressed and took off,” Mrs. Ravenelle, who is now 91, told WMUR.

Mr. Ravenelle, who died last year, was a longtime postal worker, and they decided they wanted to go see Kennedy speak. The utter convenience of parking at the post office sealed the deal for the busy parents.

“We weren’t sure we were going to go — my husband’s day off was Monday,” Mrs. Ravenelle said. “It wasn’t too far from city hall. He could park in there because there was no parking [at city hall].”

Though Mrs. Ravenelle ended up falling on the ice and slush, they made it to the speech, where they listened to the future president make his pitch.

Though no one seems to know exactly how it happened — somehow, Mrs. Ravenelle and the children found themselves in front of the Kennedys. Mrs. Ravenelle held baby Thomas while her children, Michelle and Raymond, stood next to her. They exchanged a few words, and a photo was captured of the moment, cementing their story in history and even circulating in magazines.

“I saw the picture in a magazine. U.S. News and World Report that we used to get,” Mrs. Ravenelle said.

The photo through the years has followed the family — a personal memento of sorts, but also a true moment in presential history. Thomas Ravenelle, the baby in the photo, is now 66 years old and retired from an impressive career with the FBI. His siblings are also working hard for the Nashua Police Department and Stop & Shop.

Mrs. Ravenelle, who was married to her husband for nearly 70 years, said that she is certain her husband would have loved to talk about the stories of that special day in Nashua. She remains active and politically engaged, and still firmly believes that it is of the utmost importance for everyone to vote.

“Everybody should pay attention. And, know what’s going on and vote,” she 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.

By Leanna Scachetti

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — For one couple in Boston, this weekend was about snow, the Patriots and holy matrimony.

A plan B for their wedding turned into a plan C from the Renaissance Boston Seaport hotel, where they had a special ceremony surrounded by loved ones.

The reason for the last-minute change was bittersweet, with emphasis on the sweet.

Lisa Scurlock and Peter Mazza were planning to say “I do” in August in Rhode Island. But Scurlock’s father, Jim, has been diagnosed with glioblastoma. Just last year, Scurlock lost her older sister Kate to the same disease. Kate, she said, lived by a simple mantra: choose joy.

So Scurlock and Mazza did just that.

Their plan B was a city hall wedding Monday.

That was canceled because of the storm. That led to a last-minute plan C: a small ceremony inside the hotel, surrounded by close friends, family and with Jim right by his daughter’s side.

“We’ve had so many ups and downs,” said Lisa’s mom, Patricia Scurlock. “She had a perfect day, and everything was so beautiful, and if I had 10 daughters I’d want a guy just like Peter for every one of them.”

Peter Mazza said it was a delight to change out of wedding attire and into tailgating gear as everyone gathered in the hotel room to cheer on the Patriots. Mazza, who lives in Washington, D.C., with Scurlock, said it was heartwarming to see all of their vendors rally to make the last-minute change.

“When the world is tough right now, and there are some tough times in our country,” Mazza said, “it’s awesome to see that people still care about other people.”

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.