Month: March 2026

By Serra Sowers

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    DAVIDSON COUNTY, North Carolina (WXII) — A Lexington father and his teenage daughter are stranded in Jerusalem during a religious pilgrimage as airspace closures follow escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

Chris Elliott and his 17-year-old daughter, Riley, were part of a group from the Triad on a religious renewal trip when the conflict began.

“Hearing the explosions is something I wouldn’t wish on anybody. I’m scared to death,” Chris Elliott said.

He shared a video online Saturday as they heard missiles and military aircraft overhead.

“We never expected to be caught in the middle of a war zone. It’s like something you’ve never seen before in your life. Literally soldiers all around us,” he said.

Elliott also shared photos of the bunker where they have been going when the sirens blare. They’ve tried to stay in good spirits, singing and praying together, even taking Holy Communion in the bunker.

“We are in Jerusalem, surrounded by great people, on the land that Jesus walked on, so he’s definitely got his hand on each and every one of us,” Riley said.

Meanwhile, Chris’ wife and Riley’s mother, Shannon Elliott, is in Davidson County, organizing a prayer vigil at their church for those affected.

“Prayers are always helpful. It doesn’t matter if you have one or a thousand and one. Prayers are always helpful. So of course, pray, like anyone that’s watching this,” she said.

Shannon is uncertain when her family will return home.

“I don’t know if this is a short-term thing. I don’t know if this is going to last days. I don’t know if they’re going to stay and finish out their pilgrimage. They were supposed to be there until March 7,” she said.

Shannon said she has been in contact with her family whenever they have Wi-Fi access. She shared a harrowing experience her daughter told her about.

“She recalls when one of the sirens went off, and they sent them to a bunker. She turned around to look back, and looked up and seen the missile coming, and she remembers at the last second the Iron Dome kind of taking it out. So it’s definitely things that aren’t going to escape her mind any time soon,” Shannon said.

She said it’s history in the making for her daughter and puts her life into a greater global perspective.

“Now, she realizes, as an American, what it means to live a life without bunkers and without having to worry about missiles coming in at your head,” Shannon said. “So, pray for anyone who deals with this on a daily basis.”

The family plans to continue sheltering in place in Jerusalem until they can safely travel home or continue on their trip.

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 Serra Sowers

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    NORTH CAROLINA (WXII) — It’s a bride’s worst nightmare — getting left at the altar — by her photographers. When one North Carolina bridal photography company announced the business’ abrupt closure, more than 100 couples were left scrambling for the photos they had taken but never received. In some cases, couples were having weddings throughout 2026, and are now left trying to hire anyone else to capture their big day.

Holly Christina Photography announced on their social media and website that they would be closing, but many bridal parties still had unfinished business. One of those brides, Meeghan Worden, has been planning her picture-perfect wedding down to every detail since 2024, when she first entered a contract with the husband-wife photographers.

Other than a mass email to all of the impacted brides, Worden’s mother, Christine Hicks, said they haven’t heard back from the photographers. They first found out about the closure through Facebook.

“She’s part of a Facebook group of other brides, and that’s actually kind of how she found out,” Hicks said. “She tried to email and just make sure everything was okay and got no responses, made phone calls, no responses.”

Hicks lives in Stokes County and her daughter’s wedding date is set for September in Wilmington. She said she feels awful for her daughter and doesn’t know when they may get their money back.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in that regard with the contract,” she said.

They went through the process of filing a credit card review on the nearly $6,000 Worden paid in-full for her engagement photos and future wedding. She’s also sent in a complaint to the state.

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is also involved in this situation, after the Department of Justice received 166 complaints from couples impacted by the business’ sudden closure. He is suing the owners of the business, Holly Christina Scott Ayscue, Christopher Owen Ayscue and their business, Holly Christina Photography, alleging about $750,000 in total financial losses.

Holly Christina Photography is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, Hicks found out after the closure announcement. She said that is something she regrets not checking before booking.

“I think that’s definitely something you want to look into,” she said. “And looking online, anywhere, for any kind of complaints or whatever. Really taking that into consideration.”

12 Investigates has reached out to Holly Christina Photography twice since the AG announced he was suing the owners. We have yet to 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 Sheldon Ingram

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    HICKORY, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Bedillion Honey Farm is owned by Mark and Sarah Bedillion. They say someone intentionally set fire to 50 beehives on their farm in Industry, Beaver County.

They estimate a loss of roughly 50,000 bees, and they say whoever is responsible went to great lengths to reach the beehives deep in a secluded wooded area.

“We rolled up to it. I was a little confused, like, where are the beehives?” said the couple’s daughter, Lily, who made the discovery with her father. “When you really get to looking at it, you can see squares of ash where they burned the pallet.

“My heart dropped, my dad’s heart dropped, a pretty long moment of silence until it set in that all of our hives were caught on fire. It was heartbreaking, to say the least.”

Bedillion Honey Farm owns a small retail shop in Hickory, which Sarah manages.

“It was like getting punched in the gut,” she said. “It was heartbreaking. They killed our bees, killed them. We’re estimating about 50 hives out of the bunch, so tens of thousands of bees.”

Family members say the beehive farm destroyed was one of 25, spread across the region.

They are hopeful that Ohioville police can find whoever is responsible.

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 Alex Howard

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    LABELLE, Florida (WBBH) — It’s the fruit synonymous with the Sunshine State, stamped onto license plates and woven into Florida’s identity. But the citrus industry has endured decades of hardship, with production falling by roughly 73 percent due to hurricanes, freezes, invasive pests, and disease.

Among the most devastating threats is citrus greening, a bacterial disease that has crippled groves across the state. Now, growers and researchers say emerging technologies — including gene editing — could help bring Florida oranges back from the brink.

From his groves outside LaBelle, Wayne Simmons, owner of LaBelle Fruit Company, has witnessed the industry’s struggles firsthand.

“My goal in life and my lot in life is growing oranges, and I want to continue to do that,” Simmons said.

A fifth-generation Floridian, Simmons says citrus is more than a livelihood — it’s a legacy.

“I am committed. I want to be a steward of the land and carry on the tradition,” he said.

For decades, growers have battled storms, cold snaps, invasive pests, and blight. But citrus greening remains the most destructive.

“There is no known cure for greening, so we are certainly at a disadvantage,” Simmons said.

Over the years, growers have tried protective coverings, antibiotic treatments, and other mitigation strategies. One method, however, has remained essential: selective breeding.

“You know, we have always felt like, as a grower community, the silver bullet to greening is going to be a resistant tree,” said Matt Joyner of Florida Citrus Mutual. “We are seeing some go into the ground that are showing tolerance, if not total resistance.”

Many groves are already planting conventionally bred trees designed to withstand the disease.

“All of these trees here have just been conventionally bred to resist greening,” Joyner said.

Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Florida, along with federal agencies including the USDA and FDA, are testing a more advanced solution: CRISPR gene editing.

“CRISPR allows the breeder to locate those genes in the tree that are less desirable … and eliminate them instantly,” Joyner explained.

The technology functions like accelerated selective breeding, allowing scientists to target traits linked to disease susceptibility.

While CRISPR-developed trees remain in field trials, industry leaders say greening-resistant oranges produced using the technology could reach grocery stores as soon as next year.

“I think the important thing is how we are harnessing current technologies used in medical science and agriculture around the world,” Joyner said. “We are finally able to harness some of these technologies here in Florida in an expedited manner that is going to move this industry forward.”

For growers like Simmons, that progress represents more than innovation — it offers a path to preserving a way of life rooted deep in Florida soil.

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 Andrew Ramos

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A terminally ill Bronx man made one final request from his hospital bed before he died. He wanted to say goodbye to his dogs and make sure they end up in a loving home.

Now, a local group is on a mission to fulfill that wish.

It was a moment that almost didn’t happen. The man, a patient at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who only wanted to be identified as “Mr. Spencer,” was granted his dying wish to say farewell to his German Shepherds Bowie and Nikki.

“It was a tear jerker, seeing them get so excited to see their owner,” said Jennifer Brooks of NYC Second Chance Rescue. “They laid near his bed. We stayed for quite a while.”

The medical team connected with the Long Island City-based rescue to make it all happen.

Hours after last month’s emotional meeting, Mr. Spencer passed away. The hospital did not disclose his illness.

“There was a room of 10 doctors and literally there was not a dry eye in the room,” Brooks said.

With no relatives or caretakers listed to take custody of the dogs, Second Chance Rescue stepped up. Brooks, the rescue’s founder, is now tasked with making good on the promise she made to Mr. Spencer, finding Bowie and Nikki a forever home.

“I believe, you know, seeing him in that state they knew they had to move on now and they are gonna find a new loving home,” Brooks said.

In addition to getting them adopted together, it would also be required that the pair be the only pets in the home.

“They are big dogs. Being out of the city would be nice for them,” Brooks said. “They are therapy dog material. Every person in the hospital who went up to them, they licked their hand. They are super friendly.”

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 Matteo Iadonisi

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    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Anita Lewis and Gwendolyn Ebron are making Black history of their own, following a 33-hour teaching marathon.

The two longtime educators met thanks to an organization called ‘Urban Intellectuals,’ which is dedicated to teaching Black history.

Ebron, a Philadelphia-based teacher with Urban Intellectuals, recalls a phone call she got from Lewis.

Lewis, who is based in Friendswood, Texas, was looking for her next bold accomplishment following her doctorate.

She decided she wanted to break the Guinness World Record for specifically the ‘Longest History Lesson.’

The current record is 26 hours and 34 minutes, achieved by Andrew Torget in Denton, Texas, in 2018. That lesson was focused on Texas history.

After teaming up, Ebron and Lewis spent months planning a 33-hour lesson focused on Black history.

And they say it still wasn’t enough time to cover it all.

Their teaching marathon took place on February 27th and February 28th, 2026, at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church on Cheltenham Avenue. It was well-attended and also livestreamed online by Urban Intellectuals.

They must now submit all their evidence to Guinness World Records for verification. As of now, it remains an attempt at a world record.

But for Ebron and Lewis, the real prize would be inspiring students young and old to recognize their potential and pass these lessons forward.

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 Julie Salomone

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — A dad has joined social media to make a plea to save his 15-year-old’s life.

Juan Uribe joined TikTok just to share his son’s story. His son, Max, has a rare blood disorder that may soon turn into a deadly blood cancer.

He needs to find a stem cell donor.

“My son has a very rare blood disorder that, if it’s not treated with a stem cell transplant in the next few months, it will develop into MDS or AML, which are forms of blood cancer and are very deadly,” he said on the TikTok video.

Juan also shared his son’s story on Facebook and Instagram.

“Ultimately it was kind of desperation, three weeks ago, we learned that we didn’t have the perfect match donors that we thought we had. I said what’s the quickest way to reach the most number of people, and so that’s what led me to open up accounts on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and all of that,” said Juan.

Juan’s plea went viral and the video has millions of views.

His son’s story has reached athletes and celebrities.

“We had Shakira share the story on her Instagram stories. We’ve had people like Joe Jonas. We’ve had people like Meghan Trainor. We’ve had Isaac Rochell was one of the first to reshare, repost the story,” he said.

“I am so grateful to every single one of them, even those that only have 10 followers that have been reposting. It’s really unbelievable how kind and generous people have been with that and how generous people have been, written messages of support and love and prayer.”

Juan said his son loves playing school sports, including soccer, wrestling and tennis.

He also enjoys playing the piano and making music, which can be found on Spotify.

Max has a twin named Sophie.

“His sister is not a perfect match, unfortunately,” said Juan.

Juan said finding a matching donor for Max is especially difficult due to Max’s mixed ethnicity, which includes 50% Colombian. Typically, the best donor match is someone who shares a patient’s ethnic background. Juan explains who is most likely the perfect match for his son.

“The perfect match is likely to be in populations with Afro-Latino heritage, so you can imagine people that have Colombian heritage, Brazilian, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, but with European ancestry as well, so it’s like that mix that we’re looking for,” he said.

Since Juan’s viral video, the NMDP, formerly known as “Be the Match,” has had 33,000 people request a kit to see if they’re a potential match for Max, but more potential donors are needed. Juan encourages everyone to request a kit from the NMDP.

“The clock is ticking, We have to move to transplant in mid-May, potentially sooner if things were to go even worse, and we need to maximize the number of new donors we add to the registry,” said Juan.

Patients with diverse ethnic backgrounds have a harder time finding a matching donor since minorities are underrepresented in the national stem cell registries.

The process to become a potential match is simple.

“You’ll have an envelope that comes to your home, two swabs. You’ll swab the inside of each cheek, that’s collecting the cells on the inside of your cheek,” said Erica Sevilla, Public Relations Manager at NMDP.

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.