Month: March 2026

By Ari Hait

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    MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — Deputies in Martin County helped rescue a nonverbal man in a wheelchair after a ramp collapse sent him into the water Sunday morning.

Deputies have not released the man’s name but said he’s in his 30s and confined to a wheelchair, unable to move his legs or hands.

The man’s father was wheeling him onto the boat when the ramp they were using collapsed.

Body camera footage from a Martin County Sheriff’s deputy shows the man strapped to a wheelchair, surrounded by good Samaritans holding him above the water when Deputy Mark Appler arrived.

“A little awe and shock at first, where you realize this is for real,” Appler said. “We need to act.”

Appler said the first thing he did was assess the situation and try to come up with a way to get the man to safety.

“We learned that the victim weighed about 130 pounds, and the wheelchair itself weighed 230 pounds,” Appler said. “And being that everything was wet, it was making everything a little heavier.”

The initial plan was to attach a rope to the chair and pull it and the man out of the water together.

But that proved impossible.

“The top harness that he had was still holding him in and kind of started to choke him a little bit, so we lowered him back to the water level to reassess our next approach,” Appler said.

That’s about the time Deputy Sam Oliver arrived on the scene.

“It was pretty instinctual. Once I got there, I saw the urgency and just jumped in (the water),” Oliver said. “With him not being able to speak to us, to articulate how he was feeling, we knew urgency was the best route there.”

The next plan involved unharnessing the man from the chair and using a life vest to keep him buoyant.

Martin County Fire Rescue provided a backboard, and Deputy Oliver swam the man to shore, where they lifted him to dry land and safety.

Despite a few scrapes and bruises, the man was mostly uninjured.

The deputies had a story to tell and a lesson learned.

“Always be prepared because you never know what’s going to happen,” Appler 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 David Jones

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    LADY LAKE, Florida (WESH) — A love triangle in The Villages devolved into a physical fight and stabbing that led to the arrest of a 42-year-old man and the airlifting of the victim.

It happened Saturday night when the victim, a 39-year-old man, got into a physical fight with William Tyler Warren.

During a night out at Spanish Springs Town Square, a woman and her ex-boyfriend, the victim, were on a golf cart near Veterans Memorial Park in Lady Lake.

They were approached by Warren, the woman’s current boyfriend, who she told police was abusive, on another golf cart.

“I’m going to [expletive] kill you,” an arrest report states Warren told the victim.

All three were originally from Georgia, and the report states the woman told police she contacted her ex to come down and help her get away from the home.

Both men got out of their golf carts, and a physical fight ensued, the report states.

“After a few minutes, William got back on his cart and drove off, east over the golf cart bridge,” the report states.

“[REDACTED] got back on his cart and told [the woman] to call the cops as they initially began to follow William. Shortly after starting to drive, [REDACTED] realized he was bleeding and checked himself, discovering multiple deep lacerations to his abdomen.”

“He’d had significant stab wounds,” said Lady Lake police Chief Steven Hunt.

Hunt said the woman took the man by golf cart to The Villages Hospital, where he had to be life-flighted to Shands in Gainesville.

At first, Hunt said Lady Lake police weren’t able to talk with the victim or the woman and didn’t know exactly where the scene was.

“We didn’t have a lot of information to work on. Maybe it had possibly taken place near a local hotel, so we looked in those areas and found some clues, but no clues to an obvious scene,” he said.

Detectives checked area hotels and ended up finding a broken razor blade on the golf cart path near Veterans Memorial Park.

They were also able to recover grainy video showing the fight.

“It was very isolated, somewhat unique here in Lady Lake,” Hunt said. “These types of crimes don’t frequently happen here, so we’re thankful for that.”

Warren was tracked down and arrested in Marion County Sunday night. He will be transferred to Lake County to face a judge on charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery.

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 Britt Leoni

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — Ed Saternus is often searching for his next subject. At Joe Coviello Park in Cape Coral, he’s not looking for crowds to capture. He’s looking for the wildlife he’s drawn to.

“I’m really looking for bobcats, eagles; there was a family of great horned owls. I’m always on the lookout for them,” Saternus said.

For Saternus, photography started with curiosity.

“Before I got into photography, I was just, you know, kind of lost. I didn’t know I had this artistic side of me, I just picked up my first camera, and I mean, I went right into it,” Saternus said.

That curiosity grew into compassion.

“We all have a purpose, right down to the tiniest little insect to the tiniest little bald photographer,” Saternus said.

For Saternus, nature isn’t just beautiful. It’s essential.

“The negativity, it creeps in every once in a while, but for the most part it’s not going to get much more calming than this,” he said.

Saternus proves that, when it comes to purpose, we find it in stepping out, slowing down, and reconnecting to the world around us.

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 Greg Ng

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — A 75-year-old Baltimore City Public Schools veteran employee of 23 years was found dead Monday at Arundel Elementary School.

City police said investigators found no signs of trauma or foul play and that they await autopsy results to determine a cause of death. Baltimore police and City Schools police are investigating.

City Schools released a letter sent to the school community, identifying the employee as Deborah Tolson, who served as a math interventionist.

“Our hearts and thoughts remain with Ms. Tolson’s family and friends, as well as our entire school community, in this difficult time,” Arundel Elementary School Principal Kerry-Ann Malcolm wrote in the school’s letter. “Ms. Tolson was a very beloved member of our school community for seven years. A pillar of the school community, she was beloved by both students and staff.”

The district’s crisis team is working to support the school community and talk to students and staff members to address questions and concerns.

The school released students at 10:15 a.m. Monday.

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 Kaitlyn Ross

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    SUMMERVILLE, Georgia (WXIA) — When children battling cancer are granted a wish, many dream about a trip, meeting a favorite celebrity or doing something unforgettable after months of painful treatments.

But when 14-year-old Jude Baker got that chance, he didn’t ask for something for himself.

He asked for a chance to help other people.

Jude was just 12 years old when he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in the bones or surrounding tissue. The treatments were intense.

“It wasn’t even knowing I could die,” Jude said. “The chemo… it hurt.”

For his family, watching him go through it was incredibly difficult.

“I could feel his pain,” his father said. “And as a dad, that just… it sucks.”

After months of treatments, Jude finally reached a moment every childhood cancer patient hopes for: ringing the bell at the hospital to mark the end of chemotherapy.

That moment also meant something else.

Jude qualified for a wish through Make-A-Wish Georgia.

Most children choose something exciting: a dream trip, meeting a hero or a once-in-a-lifetime experience after everything they’ve been through.

But Jude had something else in mind.

During his hospital visits, he often noticed people experiencing homelessness nearby. It stuck with him.

So when he was asked what he wanted his wish to be, he didn’t hesitate.

“I got out of my version of heck,” Jude said. “And I want to help others who are in a similar situation, their own version.”

Emily Campbell, who helps coordinate wishes for Make-A-Wish Georgia, said Jude’s request was unlike almost anything she had seen.

“His only wish was to give back to his community,” she said. “That’s not a wish we even tell kids is an option. Usually we tell them you can wish to go somewhere, to be someone or to meet someone. Jude came up with this on his own. He never had a backup wish.”

So the organization and Jude’s community came together to make that wish real.

They packed backpacks filled with supplies, collected sleeping bags for people with nowhere to sleep, and prepared hot meals for anyone in Summerville who needed one.

For Jude, it wasn’t charity.

It was understanding.

“I wanted to help them out because I was in a bad situation and they were, too,” he said.

More than 300 people were helped because of his wish.

And Jude had one rule that day: He wouldn’t eat until every single person in line had been served first.

Now in remission, Jude says he hopes his wish inspires people to look around their own communities and help someone who might be struggling.

“It doesn’t have to come from a wish,” he said. “You can help, too.”

Some kids wish to meet superheroes.

Turns out, Summerville already has one.

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 Darren Cunningham

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    UNION CITY, Michigan (WXYZ) — Following Friday’s tornadoes, the gym at Union City High School transformed into a massive, well-organized logistical hub. From stacks of bottled water to rows of personal care items, the sheer volume of donations in such a short amount of time is staggering.

Garrett Hoyt, whose wife headed to the high school to scout resources, showed 7 News Detroit some of the damage his family’s home sustained from one of the tornadoes.

It’s going to need a lot of work, but he said thanks to some good Samaritans, the heavy lifting is already done.

“I mean, I cried so much today because all these people,” Hoyt said.

“They cleared out five trees out of the front yard, four trees out of the backyard. We’ve been helping neighbors as much as we can. We’ve had neighbors come down and help us. Everybody in the middle of destruction is even helping everybody else, doing what we can, but that’s the kind of town we are.”

He has a young family with one on the way.

Over at the high school, Principal Amber Case said the donations are overwhelming.

“It’s not just our community helping out— it’s neighboring communities. People are coming from out of state to offer support. There’s no end,” Case told 7 News Detroit.

Kristie Bercaw, her daughter and 6-year-old grandson lost all of the food in their refrigerator. As crews work to restore power, she’s maintaining perspective.

“For some of the houses that are no longer there… this (donation site) is something good. Cause you just don’t realize… I don’t have a toothbrush anymore or hey, I don’t have toothpaste,” she said.

“The little things that we kind of just take for granted.”

Union City high is serving as a central location for those in need and those filling that need, like Cassie Silva. She dropped off non-perishable food items.

“Everybody should just help everybody if you can, if you have the ability,” she told 7 News Detroit.

Hoyt said it’s going to be an even longer road to recovery for him, considering he doesn’t have homeowner’s insurance. He’s now relying on a GoFundMe that’s gaining a little traction.

“It really gives me hope that we’ll get there and that we’ll fix our home and our baby will have a nice home to live in,” he 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 Austin Pollack

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    FRANKLIN, Tennessee (WTVF) — A teenager from Spring Hill is living out her dream of becoming a photographer, thanks to the generosity of strangers who donated their time.

Heidi Street was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the end of 2024. She went through four rounds of treatment. She is now in remission.

Her Make-A-Wish was simple: to be a photographer.

On a Saturday morning at Westlight Studios in Franklin, a room full of photographers, stylists and volunteers — people who had never met Heidi — showed up to make that wish a reality.

Heidi spent the day learning the craft under the guidance of photographer Angelea Yoder, who taught her how to work a camera, find the light and frame a moment.

“This is also just a dream come true for me,” Yoder said.

“I work on my mom’s old camera that she has in collect. So I’m super ready for an upgrade,” Heidi said.

She got one. Heidi received a brand new camera as part of her wish experience.

Her parents, Shaine and Jennifer, watched it all unfold.

“She’s trustworthy and she’s strong and she’s independent,” Shaine said.

The family reflected on how far Heidi has come since her diagnosis.

“She’s in remission,” Jennifer said. “So that’s great. She went through all the treatment. Lost her hair, that was horrible. She got really thin.”

But the day at Westlight Studios wasn’t about the cancer or the chemo. It was about what comes next.

“It’s a beautiful thing that everyone just wanted to come and make a dream come true,” Yoder said.

“A day like this is so special to us and I feel like when people always ask, well like how often do you get to do this and while I do wishes every day, a wish like this is kind of a once in a lifetime,” said Erin Hicks with Make A Wish Middle Tennessee.

For Heidi, the experience was everything she had hoped for.

“I think this is absolutely amazing, I can’t even believe it. It’s literally like a dream come true,” Heidi said.

Each time Heidi picks up her new camera, she will carry with her the memory of the strangers who showed up to bring light into her life.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF 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.

By Forrest Sanders

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — The damage from January’s ice storm is widespread, sadly, destroying a lot of familiar sights in the area. One woman is using her talents to make the best of the situation.

“What do you want to hear about Walter?” asked Jodi Buc, sitting on her front porch.

Buc was talking about a friend she’s known for a long time on Vaughns Gap Rd. in Nashville.

“I think he’s only about 65-years-old,” she said of Walter. “He covered the whole front yard!”

I should probably say Walter’s a tree. He’s been part of the family since Buc’s in-laws bought the house in the early 60s.

“A willow oak,” she said. “Bringing up the boys, I would get a little stressed. I would come out and just lean up against Walter and breathe.”

Buc’s an artist and has explored all different styles.

“My homage to Jackson Pollack,” she said, holding up a canvas.

Having Walter around served as inspiration. She loves creating trees in her work.

“It’s a tree I did in wire,” Buc said, holding up another piece. “I think it’s the first of several I’ve done.”

You’ve probably gathered all is not well with Walter. It was in the winter storm a few weeks ago, Buc’s husband heard the crash outside.

“He knew exactly what happened,” Buc said. “The day before they fully trimmed Walter down, I leaned up against him for a half hour. I just knew he was going to go, but I didn’t know it was going to be the next day.”

Walter was there through a lot of this long artistic journey Buc’s been on.

“Trees are special,” she nodded. “They’re alive.”

Buc does have a new friend.

“That’s Walter Jr.?” I asked, looking at a newly planted tree.

“Of course that’s Walter Jr.!” Buc answered.

Besides that, Buc wanted to give a little thank you to Walter.

On one of the pieces of wood waiting on the side of the road to be picked up, Buc painted a portrait of Walter. It faces the street for everyone who drives by.

“I had to do it,” she said. “I started it for myself because I was so sad. It took off. People kept stopping by. Being self taught, I’ve never really shown my work. This is really the first time the public has seen what I do.”

Buc said people are welcome to drive by and see this. It’s Vaughns Gap Rd. across from Saint Henry Catholic Church. She’s hoping she can find someone to saw the tree so that she can keep the art piece.

“Must have been a hundred people yelling out, ‘hey, that’s great’, or ‘we’re going to miss your tree!'” Buc said. “It’s made a lot of people happy. I think it really meant something to more than me and my family.

Thanks, Walter.

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 Robb Coles

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — Two years ago, Cari Hollis’ 26-year-old son Austin died during the first week of March.

He was a dance instructor at Arthur Murray in Nashville — and a registered organ donor.

On Saturday, the studio became the setting for an emotional reunion between Hollis and two strangers whose lives Austin saved.

Click here for more information on Hollis’ search to find the people who received her son’s organs.

Hollis first went through the traditional channels like Tennessee Donor Services to connect with people who received her son’s organs, then she reached out on social media.

She said she’s been on both sides of organ donation and can understand people’s hesitation when it comes to contacting the family of an organ donor.

Kathleen Moran received lungs from Austin Hollis via organ donation.

She had been given just months to live before she received the call that a pair of lungs had become available.

“He’s my angel, he’s my angel that saved my life,” said Kathleen Moran.

Moran said she had tried to reach out to Austin’s family but struggled to find the words.

“I tried writing her several times, but every time I tried to write, it was just over; I just couldn’t stop crying,” Moran said.

She traveled to Nashville from her home in Mississippi to meet with the Hollis family.

Chip Sayers received Austin Hollis’ liver.

He said he was close to death before the transplant.

“I was within hours of death,” Sayers said. “Austin checked a box on his license to become an organ donor, and I’m alive today because of that,” Sayers said.

The group gathered at Arthur Murray on Saturday — Austin’s favorite place — to meet for the first time and do his favorite thing: dance.

The group learned the Bachata, which was Austin’s favorite dance to teach.

Cari Hollis is still hoping to connect with other people who may have received Austin’s organs.

They would have received their organs on March 8, 2024.

Through donor services, she’s learned some information about the recipients, but communication can be difficult.

As for the recipients she’s already met, they’re planning to meet again, too.

“We’ve already started plans to go and visit them and their families,” Hollis said.

The Hollis family runs the Boo House, a charity outreach in honor of Austin and Cari’s father.

This story was reported on-air by journalist Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF 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.

By Jeffrey Lindblom

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    NORTHVILLE, Michigan (WXYZ) — Maple syrup season is in full swing in Michigan, and Maybury Farm in Northville is inviting visitors to see exactly how it’s made — from identifying the right trees in the woods to watching fresh sap drip into buckets.

Weekend wagon rides beginning March 7 at the farm take guests out to the sugarbush, where educators walk them through the entire process.

Executive Director Diana Wallace said the experience is designed to be immersive.

“So that you can get the whole hour of education,” Wallace said.

The ride out is a leisurely one. Tractor driver Bryan Craft said he keeps a relaxed pace on purpose.

“Saving just a little bit for the drive home,” Craft said.

Once visitors reach the sugarbush, they trade the wagon for a walk through the snow and mud. Team Lead Educator Monica Nick leads the group in learning how to identify a maple tree — a task that’s trickier than it sounds when the trees have no leaves.

“How do you figure out what a maple tree is out here?” Nick said.

Without the tree’s signature red leaf, visitors have to look at the branch structure instead. Maple trees have what’s called “opposite” branching — meaning branches grow directly across from one another, rather than staggered.

After identifying the right trees, the group learns how to tap them. A spile is pushed into the tree at a 45-degree angle, about 2 inches deep, to allow the sap to flow freely.

Barn Supervisor Nat Wootton said the farm taps sugar maples specifically because of their higher sugar content.

“We tap sugar maples, they’re 2-3 percent sugar,” Wootton said.

Wootton said sugar maples have 2 to 3 times more sugar than a typical maple tree. He also said the current weather conditions make this the ideal time of year for syrup production — with freezing temperatures overnight and a thaw each morning creating the right environment for a steady sap flow.

“If you have a nice steady flow, it means that the weather is cooperating with you,” Wootton said.

The team checks the tapped trees to see how much sap has collected, dumps any contaminated contents, and lets visitors watch — and even taste — the fresh sap dripping from the spile.

From there, the sap heads into an evaporator, where it’s heated and boiled down. Water is cooked off, leaving behind the syrup.

Nick said the season and the color of the syrup are closely connected.

“Typically, maple syrup season is end of February to the end of March. In the first part of the season, you’ll get syrup that looks like very light,” Nick said.

As the season progresses, the syrup grows darker.

Michigan ranks 5th in the country for maple syrup production, and Maybury Farm wants visitors to feel connected to that legacy.

“We want people to experience maple syrup from Michigan,” Wallace said.

At the end of the tour, visitors get to sample a Michigan-sourced maple syrup.

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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Scripps editorial team 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.