Month: February 2026

By Bri Buckley

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    FLORIDA (WFOR) — A new bill has been introduced in the Florida Senate to allow high school coaches to spend personal funds on their team.

“We treat them just like our kids, our sons,” said Antonio Seay.

Seay has been an assistant football coach at Miami-Northwestern Senior High School for the last four years. He worked alongside former head coach Teddy Bridgewater, who was suspended last year for impermissible benefits.

“It brought camaraderie, the brotherhood with everyone,” Seay said. “Kids came together, worked together, built a bond, and became champions at that point.”

Now there’s a bill aimed at reversing the rule that led to Bridgewater’s suspension.

Senate Bill 178 would allow high school head coaches from any sport to spend up to $15,000 in personal funds per team, per year, to pay for items like food, transportation, and recovery services in “good faith.”

This would change the current Florida High School Athletic Association bylaws that call those actions “impermissible benefits.”

“Teddy owned up to this outright, saying he provided food, Ubers, and recovery services to his players throughout the season,” said Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, as he presented the bill to the Florida Senate.

Jones sponsored the bill after there was an outpouring of support following Bridgewater’s suspension. He said he is casually calling it the Teddy Bridgewater Act.

“They are sometimes the parents for some of these young people, and sometimes these are the one individual or individuals that a lot of these student athletes trust,” Jones told CBS News Miami. “They should be able to help those student athletes with things like getting home safely after practice they should be able to help them with food if they have not eaten. Those are good faith tactics that I believe should be allowed.”

Jones said that, according to the bill, each coach must report the funds spent to the FHSAA to determine if the spending was in “good faith.”

The funds can not be used for recruiting.

“What I can’t deal with is a child walking home from school after practice at 8 p.m., and something happens to them,” Jones said.

Saey said he only has one concern.

“People taking advantage of the bill, to try to bring success with recruiting, not the good of it, to make sure that you can provide for the kids to perform on the field and in life,” Seay said.

The bill will be on the floor again on Thursday.

If passed and signed off by the governor, the legislation would take effect on July 1st.

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 Bo Evans

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    DECATUR, Georgia (WUPA) — The importance of diverse representation has been a focus of discussion for more than half a century.

One metro Atlanta mother has made it her mission to make sure her kids — and all kids — saw someone who looked like them in the stories they were reading.

Inside Brave + Kind Bookshop in Decatur, you’ll find books, stickers, and trinkets, everything you’d expect to find in a kids’ bookstore.

“It’s a special place, it’s bright and beautiful and airy,” owner Bunny Hilliard said.

But here, there’s more to discover.

Hilliard wants you to find yourself on these pages, no matter who you are.

“I think my favorite thing about books for myself, and for others, is when you find that piece of the book, that part of the story, that character that really resonates with you and makes you feel seen,” she said.

That wasn’t always easy for Hilliard, a Black woman raising two Black children.

“I found it hard-pressed to find lots of stories with main characters and stories that looked like them, and that really celebrated what it meant to be a person of color, a Black child, a Black family in the world,” she recalled.

That’s why she created Brave + Kind, to show all kids they can be their story’s main character.

It’s a story that she says is worth reading.

Hilliard and Brave and Kind Bookshop are hosting a children’s book festival, Atlanta’s Beautifully Black Children’s Fest, at the Alliance Theatre on March 28.

You can learn more about the bookstore on its website.

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 Monique John

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — An Atlanta couple turned their love of a classic jump rope activity into a workout that’s helped thousands get moving and get fit.

Sean and Michelle Clark say they’ve taught more than 100,000 people in 30 cities the joy of Double Dutch.

For Michelle Clark, it’s a passion she’s poured into since she was 4 years old.

“I had the idea when he was my boyfriend to start a class for Double Dutch because I love workout classes, so why not have it in Double Dutch?” she recalled.

“[T]he next week we started a class,” Sean Clark said. “I thought it was the best idea I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Double dutch is a competitive sport where the participants jump between two ropes that are turning in opposite directions. The Clarks say their business started small in 2012, teaching classes in New York. They went full-time after moving to Georgia and opened their studio in Northwest Atlanta. Over the years, they’ve taught children, inmates, and celebrities like Trinidad James, Tisha Campbell, and Scarface.

Double Dutch is upheld as a special pastime in Black communities. The Clarks say communities have a special relationship with the sport because it’s a healthy, affordable outlet for wellness.

“It didn’t take anything at all,” Sean Clark said. “Whatever was going on in your household stayed in your household, because when you came outside, you had a chance to feel good and have a good time and let go of all the things that are happening in your life.”

“(We) embrace each other,” says Taj Wray, an instructor at Double Dutch Aerobics. “We talk after class and just sit through and converse. We go out for birthdays and hang.”

“I’ve developed so many friendships, meeting people through Double Dutch. I mean, we all have that commonality,” said instructor Livonne Moore.

The Clarks want to make Double Dutch as accessible and respected as other forms of fitness, like yoga and spin. They also want to make it more competitive.

The couple takes pride in helping adults feel like kids again.

“When you have that guttural laugh, when you do a pop up, or when you jump in with your partner, or when you finally got that trick that you’ve been trying to get, that’s a joy that comes with this sport. There’s just a childlike joy,” Michelle Clark said.

Anyone who wants to give Double Dutch Aerobics a try can take one of their classes every Saturday morning. You can learn more on the company’s website.

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 Brandon Truitt

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — MBTA Transit Police said they are investigating an assault after a group of teenagers attacked a man on the platform of Back Bay Station in Boston and pushed him into a moving train.

The incident happened around 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Transit Police. The 27-year-old had a laceration to his head. The group involved ran off in different directions.

WBZ-TV spoke with a local nurse who was at the top of the stairs in the station as the teens started to run off. She said she saw the man laying on his back on the platform, bleeding from his head and knew she needed to step in.

“My first immediate reaction was to help him because I think he was in shock. He was just laying there,” said the nurse, who did not want to give her name due to privacy concerns. “The transit cop was applying pressure to the laceration on his forehead. It was a decent amount of blood, but he was alert, oriented. I was just keeping him verbally engaged.”

WBZ spoke with another witness over the phone who said the victim told her the teens threw his cellphone on the tracks. This witness reported seeing nearly a dozen teenagers running in all directions after the attack. Some managed to board the Orange Line train the man had been pushed against as it pulled away.

Orange Line riders said seeing groups of unruly teenagers on trains and platforms was nothing new.

“It’s always teenagers riding their bikes going really fast into the cabins or something like that,” Ana Aviles said.

Other passengers said they try to keep a low profile when riding the train.

“I feel like I need to take precautions and I have to be on the lookout,” said one Orange Line rider.

“I do feel safe but sometimes people come in and sit on the train and they are kind of not good vibes. They will sit on the train and do drugs and stuff like that. People bring their kids on the train and they shouldn’t be seeing that,” rider Naturi Wells added.

WBZ reached out to the MBTA for comment regarding Tuesday night’s incident but did not hear back.

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 Mike Sullivan

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    SHIRLEY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A 20-foot snowman has become a must-see attraction in Shirley, Massachusetts.

The giant, smiling snow sculpture is named Parker after the road he sits on. His jolly presence, which is 21-feet wide, is stopping drivers in front of Katie Aalerud’s house.

“They stop all day. I am like, ‘Who is that? Oh, someone looking at the snowman,'” said Aalerud. “They are always out taking pictures, and smiling.”

Aalerud’s husband built his first huge snowman after their daughter Emerson was born.

“We last November had our baby girl. We got some snow and I think my husband Eric was going stir crazy in the house, and he started to build this massive snow pile,” Aalerud said. “Last year the tradition started and became a giant snow man, and this year it’s even bigger. The big snow storm mid-January is how he got it as big as it is today.”

His eyes and buttons are made with lights. His arms are large tree branches, also covered in lights. The hat is a trash barrel and plywood painted black. The entire spectacle lights up at night. People can see it emerge as they drive up the hill near their home.

“You start to drive, you are like, ‘Oh what is that? You get close, and its like, ‘Oh a giant snowman,” Aalerud said.

The hope is to make it bigger and bigger each year. A popular question is, how does her husband make it so tall?

“So the back is less appealing to the eye, but he uses a big extension ladder and he climbs all of the way up, and then he can fiddle with the lights, fiddle with the eyes, fiddle with the ears,” Aalerud said. “He told me he has a fear of falling, but you can see so much from the top. You can see to the end of the road.”

So far, she said most of it has stayed intact with little melting, and there are a few storms forecast the next few days.

“Last year it dwindled slowly, and I would say probably at the beginning of April when the last of it finally melted. I’m interested to see when it will last,” smiles Aalerud.

Shirley, Massachusetts is 44 miles northwest of Boston.

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 JT Moodee Lockman, Ashley Paul

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A video circulating on social media shows a young boy being hit by a car while watching a fight between several other children near a school in Baltimore on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Police said an 11-year-old was struck by the car on Hilton Road as school was letting out at Green Street Academy. It is unclear if the child was affiliated with the nearby public charter school.

The boy was taken to a hospital and, as of Wednesday afternoon, his condition is unknown.

A man who was outside during the incident said the boy appeared to have been dragged by the car at least 10 feet.

“I mean I didn’t really pay the fight no mind because they always have then, that’s what kids do,” Devonta said. “But once I heard the big impact, that what I kind of got my eyes on for real type stuff.”

Police learned that the child was hit by an SUV after he ran into the street during an altercation. The driver remained on the scene, officers said. Some witnesses said he slipped while trying to film the fight.

The video shows the fight continued despite the child getting hit by the car.

“That’s real crazy,” Devonta said. “If it was my kid, I would want somebody to at least try to help. I get that a fight was going on but it’s a fight, a little kid just got hit.”

The crash is under investigation.

Family members told WJZ the child had two surgeries, but he is expected to be survive.

“Real scary, it’s a kid man, you don’t want to see that,” Devonta said. “If it was my kid, I wouldn’t want to see that.”

Neighbors told WJZ it was only a matter of time until something like this happened.

“There’s too many kids and the kids just be running through traffic like it’s nothing, so they need crossing guards,” Devonta said.

So far this year, the state has recorded a total of 23 crash fatalities, according to data from the State Department of Transportation.

In the past five years, Maryland saw a 23% increase in pedestrian-involved fatal crashes, according to the data. In 2019, the state recorded a total of 124 pedestrian-involved crash deaths, compared to 153 in 2023.

Pedestrian-involved crashes that resulted in injuries decreased by nearly 9% in the past five years, from 2,752 cases in 2019 to 2,503 cases in 2023, data shows.

Between 2019 and 2023, fatal crashes in Baltimore increased by nearly 2%, and crash injuries in the past five years increased by nearly 12% in the city, data shows.

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 Emma Burch

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    WOODWARD, Oklahoma (KJRH) — A Woodward County woman is counting her blessings after a wildfire came within inches of destroying her home.

Zoey Webber started what seemed like a normal Tuesday by preparing for her delivery job with O’Reilly’s, when coworkers alerted her to a fire burning southwest of town.

“Some of my coworkers were telling me, ‘Oh, there’s a fire over there,’ like ok well. As I was getting close to it, I thought, ” Oh, that’s by my house,” Webber said.

The realization sent Webber rushing home to grab her belongings and pets before evacuating.

“I spent maybe 30 minutes just waiting for everybody to be evacuated and just all the emergency equipment and personnel going through. It was crazy,” Webber said.

The flames stopped just inches from Webber’s front door staircase, where firefighters made their stand to protect her home.

“Kind of shocked me a little bit. Um, I was very scared for my animals, mainly, and my neighbors around me, but it’s just material things,” Webber said.

According to Woodward County Emergency Management, the Road 43 Fire burned through 2,200 acres, destroying only three outbuildings and damaging a few homes.

The Woodward fire is currently 30% contained, and four firefighters are injured.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt issued a State of Emergency in Beaver, Texas, and Woodward counties.

Webber expressed deep gratitude for the first responders who saved her home and protected the community.

“I don’t think I can thank them enough. They do their jobs amazingly. I’m just so proud that I have the community that I have,” Webber 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 Wayne Covil

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    DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — A 9-year-old Dinwiddie County boy with autism is helping first responders better assist children on the autism spectrum who go missing or experience trauma.

Ledger Mann and his father, Sergeant JT Mann of the Prince George County Police Department, have created special emergency kits designed to comfort children with autism during stressful situations.

The idea came to life after Sergeant Mann responded to a call about a missing child on the autism spectrum late last year. The child was found safe underneath a grill cover on a back porch, but the experience prompted Mann to have an important conversation with his own son.

“My child is on the spectrum,” Mann said. “When I came home, we sat down and we went over safety. For some reason, if he left the house, where would he go? Where would I expect maybe he would go to?”

Ledger understood the situation wasn’t just about any child. “The kid had autism,” he said.

After listening to his father’s questions about safety, Ledger decided he wanted to help other children like himself. “I wanted to help people with autism,” Ledger said. “Because I have autism myself.”

His solution was straightforward: create clear bags filled with sensory items that could help calm children with autism during stressful encounters with first responders.

“He said, let’s create a bag,” Mann said.

The bags contain items that Ledger knows help him feel better, including a squish ball, Pop It fidget toy, sunglasses, stuffed animals and Bluetooth headphones. The clear design is intentional.

“They’re clear because the kids can point them out, if they can just pick something, like if they want the teddy bear or the headphones, just point to it and they will pick it out and it will help them,” Ledger said.

The project started small. Ledger used $100 from his own piggy bank to create the first five bags. When asked about spending his own money, Ledger’s response was simple: “My money is more important if I help people.”

To expand the project, the father-son team began presenting their idea to civic groups and organizations. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 17 donated $1,000 after hearing Ledger’s presentation.

“We explain ideas to people and they help with the funds and we buy stuff with that money and help kids with it,” Ledger said.

Each bag costs about $35 to assemble. So far, they have created 52 bags and distributed every single one to first responders throughout Prince George County and surrounding areas.

“Every police department and sheriff’s office that touches Prince George County, that borders Prince George County. On top of that, we’ve done all the fire departments and EMS that surround Prince George. We’ve done the hospitals and the smaller sub-station hospitals,” Mann said.

The bags serve multiple purposes beyond helping lost children with autism. First responders can also use the items to comfort any child involved in accidents or traumatic situations.

“I’m very impressed that he’s bringing them ideas to me, not knowing that this is something we need for the community around here,” he said.

As for Ledger, he’s not finished yet. When asked if he’s done making bags, his answer was clear: “Nope, I’m not done.”

The bags aren’t just for lost children on the autism spectrum. Mann says first responders can also use the items in the bags to help comfort children involved in accidents.

Those interested in supporting the LGM Bags project can donate through the Prince George County Public Safety Foundation, an independent non-profit organization.

Donations should be earmarked for “LGM BAGS.” For questions, contact Kelsey Christopher at 804-733-2773 or kchristopher@princegeorgecountyva.gov.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.