Community rallies around injured owner of beloved smoothie shop

CNN Newsource on February 22, 2026

By Christa Swanson

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    PARKER, Colorado (KCNC) — Residents of Parker, Colorado, and nearby communities have been gathering to support the owner of a beloved smoothie shop who was seriously injured last year.

Located on Main Street in Parker, Berry Blendz is a family-owned shop that draws customers from near and far, including neighboring Elizabeth.

“We live out in Elizabeth, so we drive here for these,” one customer shared.

Regulars say it’s not just the quality smoothies that keep them coming back, it’s the warmth and personal attention from owners Rachel and Julia Cooper. Seven years ago, the mother-daughter duo built much of the shop themselves.

“Mom and I did the build-out of this. The only things we didn’t do were electrical and plumbing, so it’s very special to us,” Rachel Cooper said.

Inside, vibrant colors brighten the space. Whiteboards once displayed prayer requests and Bible verses, reflecting the owners’ strong faith and close connection with customers.

But in August of last year, life changed dramatically.

Julia Cooper was standing on the counter updating scripture boards when she fell, breaking five vertebrae in her neck. Doctors say a previous cervical fusion likely saved her life. She was within a millimeter of paralysis and underwent multiple emergency surgeries, including full neck and shoulder reconstruction.

During her recovery, Julia Cooper was diagnosed with autonomic dysreflexia, a condition in which the body overreacts to pain or irritation, causing sudden and dangerous spikes in blood pressure.

“It’s been a long, long, long recovery and journey,” Rachel Cooper said. “But she has a smile on her face every single day.”

Now, the Parker community is rallying around Julia Cooper and her family.

“I first heard about it through social media,” one local business owner said. “I was just talking to them about how my company can help support and raise awareness.”

Another customer described Julia Cooper as “a firecracker of a gal” who offers a personalized experience every time.

“The amount of people that showed their grace and love, buying smoothies for businesses and family, the impact from the community is unexplainable,” Rachel Cooper 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.

Dozens of sharp spikes found at 2 parks, police say

CNN Newsource on February 22, 2026

By Nick Lentz

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    LAPEER, Michigan (WWJ) — Police in Lapeer, Michigan, are investigating after more than 40 sharp spikes, described by officials as fence spikes, were found in two city parks.

Officers responded to Cramton Park during the afternoon of Feb. 13 for a report of a spike device found on playground equipment, according to officials. The item was given to police, who searched the area and found nine other spikes buried under snow. All were placed with the sharp ends facing upward.

“Continued sweeps of Cramton Park have since recovered a total of 23 spikes,” police said in a news release on Thursday.

Officials added that between Monday and Wednesday, 21 spikes were found at Rotary Park, which is just over a mile northeast of Cramton Park.

Police say they’re searching through all city parks and are urging residents to be on the lookout.

Officials ask anyone who sees suspicious activity or hazardous items to call the Lapeer Police Department at 810-664-0833 and avoid removing the items themselves

City officials say they’re working on improving lighting and security at all parks.

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.

Twin Cities metro musicians release protest song to raise funds for the ACLU-MN

CNN Newsource on February 22, 2026

By Ray Campos

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Musicians across the Twin Cities Metro area have released a protest song to raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.

“I wrote this song on the day that Alex Pretti was murdered,” said Katy Vernon, musician and songwriter of “They Lie.” “It all came out in a stream of emotion,” Vernon said. “Seeing the murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, it just felt like the city was under attack.”

Katy Vernon, a British immigrant, said she wrote the song “They Lie” as an emotional response to how DHS officials responded to Pretti’s death.

“The storylines of everything we saw, anyone who watched. It was so obvious that what we were then told by at least two spokespeople from the administration was so obviously a lie,” said Vernon.

Together with the help of Kevin Bowe, who produced the song using his guitar, bass and keyboard. Paul Odegaard contributed the trumpet and Peter Anderson on the drums.

“We got this dreamy feeling on top of all this aggression and I think that the mix of those two things bumping against each other. It felt like how we were in Minneapolis, back to this sadness and anger,” said Bowe. “That’s what brought the track together.”

In addition to the single, Vernon reached out to fellow musician Jason Chaffee to help create a music video.

“He was out on the streets, in his own neighborhood. Filming neighbors and ICE activity, and at whipple. He was out there daily,” said Vernon. “When I wrote this song I reached out to him and asked if he would be interested.”

Released on January 20th, Jason Chaffee’s music video features moments he captured while being out at protests and memorials.

Operation Metro Surge has sparked ongoing debates in Minnesota over immigration enforcement tactics and their effects on local communities.

For Bowe, music and intentional lyrics are important in times of tragedy.

“That’s what artists do. Farmers grow crops, artists write songs. This is what’s happening right now, and what’s motivating us,” said Bowe. “Of the best lyrics ever written, are that, where they just say it.”

Each sale of the single “They Lie,” will go towards ACLU Minnesota.

“The reason I wanted to shine a light on all of this and raise money for the ACLU Minnesota. The ACLU is one part of who is going to hold people accountable for this,” said Vernon.

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.

University of Chicago-led team discovers new species of dinosaur in Sahara

CNN Newsource on February 22, 2026

By Adam Harrington, Natalie McMillan

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A team led by the University of Chicago said it has discovered a new species of dinosaur — a fish-eating giant, and the first new species of its kind discovered in a century.

In 2019, a team led by celebrity UChicago paleontologist Paul Sereno led a 20-person group on an expedition to the central Sahara in the West African country of Niger. They found a bone in the shape of a scimitar — a sword with a curved blade — but they didn’t recognize it for what it was right away, the university said.

Further research determined that it was the head crest of a new species of dinosaur called Spinosaurus mirabilis, or hell heron. It took a return visit in 2022, two more head crests, and a 3D digital skull assembly powered by solar panels in the desert before the researchers figured out what it was.

“The gravity of this, you have to understand, is really the first time that Spinosaurus skull material has been found in over a century,” Sereno said.

Sereno and his team were inspired by a discovery by a French geologist referenced in a monograph from the 1950s. At the turn of the last century, the geologist had found one saber-shaped fossilized tooth that appeared like those of the giant predator Carcharodontosaurus, UChicago said.

In 2019, Sereno’s team headed to the Sahara and met a local Tuareg man who took them to the area in Niger where what turned out to be Spinosaurus mirabilis bones were found, UChicago said.

Sereno and his team returned and found more bones in 2022. Back in Chicago, Sereno and his team cleaned and conducted a CT scan on the teeth and bones of the Spinosaurus mirabilis to create a digital skull rendering, UChicago said.

Sereno then worked with paleoartist Dani Navarro in Madrid to create an action scene involving Spinosaurus mirabilis.

The discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis also sheds light on the evolution of the Spinosaurus genus, UChicago said. Based on the texture and interior vascular canals of the head crest, experts believe it was sheathed in keratin and brightly colored, “curving toward the sky as a blade-shaped beacon,” UChicago said.

Spinosaurus mirabilis also has a skull with interlocking teeth. The teeth on the lower jaw protrude and interlock between those on the upper jaw, making for a deadly fish trap, UChicago said.

Spinosaurid bones had previously been found in coastal deposits close to the ocean, leading some to believe they had been fully aquatic and had gone after fish underwater, UChicago said. But the new discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis indicates that they lived inland too, and given their proximity to the partial skeletons of long-necked dinosaurs in river sediments, it is believed Spinosaurus mirabilis lived in areas with rivers, the university said.

Two replicas of Spinosaurus mirabilis will join the Dinosaur Expedition exhibit at the Chicago Children’s Museum.

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.

Record-breaking Girl Scout Pim gets her own day

CNN Newsource on February 22, 2026

By Josh Taylor

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Friday was “Pim Neill Day” in the city of Pittsburgh. The 6-year-old is doing something no one has ever done as a Girl Scout, going viral for her cookie-selling ambitions.

In her first season, she has sold more than 100,000 boxes of cookies, and on Friday, she even got to sell a couple of boxes in the mayor’s office.

Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor welcomed Neill and her dad into the mayor’s office on Friday for a special ceremony. The mayor presented her with a proclamation that officially declared today as Pim Neill Day.

Neill and her family are residents of the city, although Neill’s Girl Scout troop is based in the Baldwin-Whitehall area.

As of Friday afternoon, she has officially sold more than 117,000 boxes of cookies. It’s thanks to a social media campaign that has seen multiple videos go viral. She even sold 20,000 in one day.

O’Connor says you can tell she has a “passion” for selling cookies, and her story is a positive message for everyone.

“I think it’s amazing what her story is to so many people, and how many people she has inspired. And then to have her be from Pittsburgh, it really helps promote our city too. So she’s not only inspiring people, but she’s helping to promote Pittsburgh and the city. Credit to her, she was very aggressive in getting me to buy cookies.”

Neill’s original goal was 10,000 cookies and then once she passed that, it became 100,000. Now she has her eye on the career record of boxes sold by one Girl Scout that is around 180,000.

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.

Photos verify wild tale of Hudson River ice rescue after family drove car on frozen surface

CNN Newsource on February 22, 2026

By Tony Aiello

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — While this winter has been tough, it hasn’t been as tough as the winter of 1917.

It was 109 years ago when the Hudson River became frozen solid for 40 days. Ferries couldn’t run, so adventurous souls drove their cars – and even raced – between New York’s Westchester and Rockland counties.

The accident happened near the landing at Nyack. The car ended up submerged under 10 feet of water.

On Feb. 12, 1917, the ice opened, and nearly swallowed the car that carried Bob Klebe’s grandfather, uncle and mother, who was just 12 years old at the time.

“Hockey players came and saved my mother by wrapping one of their hockey sticks around her scarf and pulled her out of the Hudson River. The whole story is just unbelievable all the way around,” Klebe said.

Klebe, a Yonkers native who now lives in St. Louis, is downsizing, and his mother’s desk ended up at a vintage boutique. A customer discovered it had a secret compartment, holding an envelope with photos of that icy drama.

“The whole family knew the story but we hadn’t seen the pictures of the car going through the ice,” Klebe said.

There were no photos in the 1917 newspaper accounts, and Klebe said some may have doubted his mother when she told the tale of the car in the river.

“I think it’s a great story, but a lot of people would say ‘no way,'” Klebe said.

He said he’s not sure why his mother never pulled out the pictures that were hidden in her desk, but he’s happy to have them now. It’s history frozen in a photo that was captured on the frozen Hudson River.

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.

Postal workers rally for fair contracts Sunday, back congressional bills

KMIZ on February 22, 2026

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Postal workers and letter carriers gathered at the USPS office on Walnut Street Sunday afternoon for the “Fight like hell” protest in Columbia.

The demonstration was held in coordination with events across the country. Despite cold temperatures leading to a smaller turnout locally, carriers said the message remains urgent: they want better pay, improved staffing and stronger safety protections.

According to the National Association of Letter Carriers, letter carriers deliver nearly 376 million pieces of mail and packages to approximately 169 million delivery points every day nationwide.

Carriers in Columbia said the workload has become increasingly difficult to manage. Robert Blackmore, who has worked as a letter carrier in Columbia for 33 years, said staffing shortages are one of the biggest challenges.

“We have a shortage of mail trucks, which is one of our biggest problems. So, we’re shorthanded every day,” Blackmore said.

According to the NALC paychart entry-level transitional employees start at about $21 an hour. Workers argue that pay has made it difficult to attract and retain workers.

Anthony Mitchell has worked as a letter carrier in Lexington, Missouri, for the past 28 years and also serves with the National Association of Letter Carriers. He traveled to Columbia Sunday to show his support for the rally.

“We’d like to get a better starting pay to attract more people,” Mitchell said. “Right now the staffing shortages are really incredible and typically within the first year, we’re having over 50% of the new people quit.”

According to a press release from the National Association of Letter Carriers, contract negotiations between the NALC and the U.S. Postal Service are set to begin. The current contract was last updated in May 2025, with the agreement stating it is effective through May 22, 2026.

The NALC is also backing two congressional bills, the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act and the Federal Retirement Fairness Act.

The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act focuses on both mail security and the safety of mail carriers. According to the NALC, over 1,300 cases were opened between 2019 and 2023 for crimes against postal workers, including assault, robbery and burglary, with over two-thirds of attacks involving a weapon.

“More and more carriers are just under assault, whether it’s physical violence or verbal, and we have carriers that are being murdered daily,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell and Blackmore said they don’t fear for their safety on their daily routes, but they acknowledge that letter carriers face greater risks in larger cities like Kansas City and St. Louis.

“It’s not just an issue for the Democats or Republicans,” Mitchell said. “Both parties are coming together because everybody loves their letter carriers,”

If passed, the act would provide $7 billion in funding over five years to the Postal Service to modernize mailboxes with high-security collection boxes and update current universal mailbox keys with electronic ones.

The post office has reportedly rolled out the new security measures in select areas and saw an increase in prosecution rates.

“When these carriers get not necessarily killed but attacked, robbed. The penalties are so low right now, and there aren’t enough prosecutors to do anything about it,” Blackmore said.

The act will also streamline court cases by assigning a district attorney for each judicial district to prioritize cases of crimes against mail carriers. Sentencing guidelines would also be adjusted so that assault or robbery of a postal employee would be treated similarly to the assault of a law enforcement officer.

The Federal Retirement Fairness Act will allow part-time or transitional hires in the postal service to purchase retirement credit for time spent working.

The NALC reports that more than 65% of current letter carriers worked at USPS in non-career positions, some for two or more years. Those who start as noncareer employees are not creditable under the Federal Employees Retirement System.

The NALC adds that more than 132,000 letter carriers who started in non-career positions often work similar shifts and roles as career employees, but do not receive the retirement credit.

Both bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives.

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CIF Water Polo Finals: Dons fall in D2, Oaks Christian repeats in Open Division

KEYT on February 22, 2026

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) –

CIF-Southern Section Division 2 Final: La Serna 11, Santa Barbara 5: The Dons scored two goals in the first three minutes of the game but their offense was limited after that by Lancers goalie Diana Ochoa who made 12 saves. La Serna was led on offense by Eliza Soto who scored 4 goals.

The Lancers scored late in the first half to take a 4-3 lead at the break and led 7-5 after three quarters. The Dons did not score in the fourth quarter.

CIF-Open Division Final: Oaks Christian 11, Mater Dei 8: The Lions rallied to make it back-to-back titles with both wins coming against the Monarchs. Mater Dei raced out to a 4-1 lead after one quarter and was up 6-4 at halftime. Oaks Christian dominated the fourth quarter outscoring Mater Dei 4-0 to celebrate another championship.

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Wild pitch gives Cal Poly walk off win over Washington State

KEYT on February 22, 2026

Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – Junior third baseman Alejandro Garza scored on a wild pitch with no outs in the 10th inning as Cal Poly secured its first walk-off win of the 2026 baseball season Saturday afternoon, a 3-2 decision against Washington State inside Baggett Stadium.

Washington State scored its two runs in the third inning and Cal Poly, which won Friday’s series opener 9-0, answered with a pair of runs in the sixth. After that, neither team could take advantage of several scoring opportunities until the 10th frame.

Garza led off with a single to left field. Ryan Tayman laid down a sacrifice bunt, but pitcher Scott Rienguette threw the ball down the right-field line, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. Moments later, Garza sprinted home on the wild pitch to end the game.

From the fourth through 10th innings, the visiting Cougars stranded nine runners on the bases, seven in scoring position. The host Mustangs also had their chances to win in regulation, but left five on base over the final four frames.

The two teams combined to leave 24 runners on the basepaths, 14 by Washington State. Mustang pitchers hit Washington State batters five times, but none came across to score. In addition, Cal Poly committed three errors.

Freshman Corden Pettey (1-0) pitched the final inning for Cal Poly to earn the victory, striking out two Cougars. The loss went to Rienguette (0-1), who pitched the last two frames for the Cougars. Washington State starter Nick Lewis tossed five scoreless innings in the no-decision, scattering five hits.

A Mustang throwing error and an RBI single by Ryan Skjonsby gave Washington State its 2-0 lead in the third inning. Cal Poly tied the game in the sixth on Braxton Thomas’ two-run double down the left-field line.

Cal Poly’s 12 hits included three singles by left fielder Dante Vachini, a single and double by Thomas and two singles by Garza. Washington State collected six hits, including doubles by Cameron MacLeod, Noah Thein and Gavin Roy.

Third game of the four-game non-conference series will be played Sunday at 1 o’clock with Cal Poly junior right-hander Laif Palmer (1-0, 3.60 ERA) to face Washington State senior right-hander Griffin Smith (0-1, 10.80 ERA).

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics).

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Everybody loves Raymond! Olivas shines out of the bullpen as UCSB clinches series win over Portland

KEYT on February 22, 2026

Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Reliever Raymond Olivas pitched 3 1/3 innings of 1-hit, shutout ball to nail down the save as UCSB edged Portland 3-2 to clinch the series win.

Clinging to a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning, Olivas entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs. He recorded a strikeout to get out of the jam.

Olivas finished up with four strikeouts pitching a perfect 8th and 9th inning as UCSB improved to 3-2 on the season.

Starter Nathan Aceves earned his first win on the season as he worked 5.1 effective innings, allowing 2 runs on only 2 hits while striking out 6.

Noah Karliner hit his first NCAA Division 1 home run in the second inning to stake UCSB to a 1-0 lead.

The Gauchos added two runs in the fourth on a bases loaded walk and a wild pitch.

Each side only produced 3 hits each.

UCSB will go for the 3-game sweep on Sunday starting at 12:05 p.m.

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