Month: May 2026

By Alan Shope

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    PARKVILLE, Missouri (KMBC) — At 99 years old, Nita Draut is proving it’s never too late to discover a passion.

“When I see something that would make a good drawing, I just go up and ask if I can draw it,” Draut said.

That instinct might sound like something she’s had her entire life. But Draut didn’t begin drawing until she was 70.

“I love to draw and I love graphite,” she said.

In the nearly three decades since, what started as a hobby has grown into a meaningful body of work. Now, as she approaches her 100th birthday while receiving hospice care, her art is being celebrated in a new exhibit at Fusion Art Gallery.

Staff at Ascend Healthcare first noticed her drawings and helped bring the exhibit together.

“I think it’s an inspiration for anybody who would think that they’re too old or it’s too late to start something. She’s proved that it’s not,” said Jason Fewin.

Draut’s work often focuses on people she encounters in everyday life.

“Every one of those people means something to me,” she said.

She describes her process simply. She sees something that stands out and sketches it, sometimes approaching strangers to ask permission.

“It’s anybody. I could be in a store and I see something that would make a good drawing, and I ask if I can draw, and I’ve never been refused,” she said.

Her collection has grown significantly over the years, along with a growing group of admirers.

“You can’t know really how satisfying that is, that you’re doing something that people like,” Draut said.

She hopes her story encourages others to try something new, no matter their age.

“I just love the people that I draw. I hope other people will be inspired to try their work at art maybe,” 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 Alan Shope

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    STILWELL, Kansas (KMBC) — Sparks flew and hammers rang out Saturday as volunteers at Stilwell United Methodist Church worked to turn unwanted firearms into something new.

The first “Guns to Gardens” effort in Johnson County gave people a chance to safely dispose of weapons they no longer want, while transforming them into everyday tools.

“Anybody who’s inherited a weapon, no longer needs a weapon or wants their weapon, they can show up and have it disposed of safely and cleanly,” said Jeff LeBlanc with the firearms safety team.

Volunteers first checked each weapon to make sure it was unloaded and safe.

From there, the process became more complex, carefully taking each gun apart piece by piece.

“We have more weapons than there are people in this country, so getting the guns off the streets when they’re no longer needed is one less risk out there,” LeBlanc said.

Once dismantled, volunteers made precise cuts required to render the firearms unusable.

“Specific cuts we have to make in each weapon to make it unusable,” he said.

Those donating firearms could remain anonymous, but many chose to stay and watch the entire process, from intake to destruction.

Organizers say they hope to hold more events like this throughout the year.

Pieces of the destroyed guns are turned into items like garden tools and bottle openers.

“The idea is that these weapons of death and destruction are matched by an effort to unmake them and transform them into tools that will help provide and sustain life,” said Phil Woodson, pastor of the church.

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 Keith BieryGolick

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    CINCINNATI, Ohio (WCPO) — They just finished playing Bingo, and Paige Ballengee asks her 5-year-old daughter if she wants to put together a puzzle.

“OK,” Ballengee said. “Let’s spread these pieces out.”

Her 5-year-old daughter holds the box up high in the air and laughs while dumping the pieces out. Jemma tells me her favorite color is black and that her favorite animal is a cheetah and a lion.

When I ask her about becoming a big sister, she gives me two thumbs up.

Then, Jemma smiles and says her mom promised her a Frosty after this interview — an interview the 5-year-old eventually leaves the room for. Because it’s an interview about maternal health. It’s about how one in five mothers are impacted by some type of mental health condition, according to the maternal mental health leadership alliance.

That organization says 75% of those women don’t get treatment. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide and overdose are the leading causes of pregnancy-related death.

“It just completely changes you in every way — especially being a new mom,” Ballengee said. “It is one of the most intense life transitions that any woman goes through.”

Ballengee is a mental health therapist. She’s holding her 5-month-old son, Jackie, while describing how the brain changes dramatically during pregnancy. Then, she asks if it’s OK to breastfeed.

In graduate school, Ballengee studied postpartum depression. Still, the therapist wasn’t prepared for the type of thoughts she had when she became a mom.

Scary thoughts. Bad thoughts. Thoughts about dropping her daughter. Thoughts about death.

“It is extraordinarily hard,” Ballengee said. “And it’s worth it.”

Ballengee was diagnosed with postpartum OCD. And she’s sharing her story now, a few weeks before Mother’s Day, because she wants other moms to know it’s OK to feel this way. And seeking professional support doesn’t mean you did anything wrong.

It doesn’t make you a bad mom. It makes you a good one.

It’s why Ballengee and her friend started Holos House, a nonprofit focused on accessible mental health support for moms. The organization offers a donation-based group and scholarships for mothers who might not otherwise be able to afford professional support.

After her first child was born, Kristen Kelly remembers feeling a sense of dread anytime the sun set.

“I kind of crashed out,” Kelly said.

The vice president of Holos House tells me she had a supportive partner. She had access to healthcare. She even knew her mom had postpartum depression.

“And I still struggled tremendously,” Kelly said. “When I came out of that, it became one of my life’s missions to help women who are experiencing that same thing.”

Because motherhood can be good and bad. It can be wonderful and terrible.

“It’s just everything all at once,” Ballengee said.

By this point in the interview, we’ve moved from her therapy space to the studio where many of the nonprofit classes are conducted. Jemma is back, and she’s been picking up items from around the room and placing them in front of my camera.

I ask her if she has any questions she’d like to ask her mom.

“Can we go get a Frosty now?”

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 Wakisha Bailey

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    New Jersey (KYW) — A mother’s love is turning unimaginable loss into a lasting legacy.

“Cheese Tales: Cheese and the Big Sneeze” was written by Tess Fox, a marketing executive who found joy in storytelling. The book’s main character — Cheese — was inspired by her real-life rescue dog, who was known for chasing squirrels and bringing energy into her life.

Fox often shared her writing ideas with her mom, Judi Fox, her biggest supporter and creative partner.

“It was just a sweet book… she sent it to publishers, and they said, ‘Absolutely,'” Judi said.

A mother’s love is turning unimaginable loss into a lasting legacy.

“Cheese Tales: Cheese and the Big Sneeze” was written by Tess Fox, a marketing executive who found joy in storytelling. The book’s main character — Cheese — was inspired by her real-life rescue dog, who was known for chasing squirrels and bringing energy into her life.

Fox often shared her writing ideas with her mom, Judi Fox, her biggest supporter and creative partner.

“It was just a sweet book… she sent it to publishers, and they said, ‘Absolutely,'” Judi said.

Now, every page reflects pieces of Tess — from her love of sunflowers to her favorite animals.

Her impact stretches even further.

Tess saved four lives through organ donation, and scholarships in her honor are now helping young people chase their own dreams.

One of those recipients is Lauren Batelli, who was there the night of the crash.

“I just said, ‘Tess, I’m here … help is on the way,'” Batelli said.

That moment changed her path. Today, she’s pursuing a career in nursing.

“That night helped me realize this is what I want to do,” she said.

What started as a children’s book has grown into something much bigger — a story of resilience, purpose and enduring love.

“She is my coauthor… and she’s my little ghost writer,” Judi said.

Judi is continuing her daughter’s work and has two more books on the way, including “Cheese and the Honey Bees” and a final story that brings the trilogy full circle.

A legacy, written with love.

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 Dyer

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    DRY RIDGE, Kentucky (WCPO) — Grant County senior right-handed pitcher Braiden Beach admits he’s superstitious before taking the mound in a game.

And yet it may be difficult to discover another high school baseball pregame routine like what the 6-foot-5 star completes before the first windup.

“I listen to Beethoven before I pitch,” Beach said last week before practice. “It’s calming. It’s relaxing and I close my eyes and visualize me pitching.”

Beach, 18, started listening to Beethoven on Spotify during summer of 2025 and sees no reason to change at this moment.

“I think it relaxes me and gets me in the zone obviously,” said Beach, who is committed to Gulf Coast State College (Panama City, Fla.).

“It’s different. I’ve never heard anyone else do it. I see myself pitching and relaxing. When you visualize things, you visualize success,” Beach said.

That vision has led to success. Beach excels for the Braves.

He surpassed 200 career strikeouts during a game against visiting Great Crossing April 24. Grant County coach Rocky Tucker isn’t aware of another Grant County pitcher with as many career strikeouts.

“He is dominant,” Tucker said. “He’s focused. He listens. He takes direction. We make a call – he hits his spots. Ever since I’ve been the head coach here, he’s pitched in every one of my district games. Couldn’t ask for a better ‘dawg’ – that’s what we call him.”

Beach is also known as a loving son who has a significant work ethic. He’s an inspiration to those around him – whether on the diamond or at home.

“When he takes the field, you can tell he’s out there for a purpose,” Tucker said. “He’s been like that since he’s been a kid.”

Beach first picked up a baseball some 14 or 15 years ago. The game has a different meaning these days. It’s helped him persevere in life.

Stacey Harris, who is Beach’s mother, was diagnosed in February with metastatic melanoma in the lining of her abdomen.

“(If) she didn’t see me playing baseball – I don’t know where she would be at,” Beach said. “She says that gives her a purpose to get up and get moving out of the house, even on the days that she might not really feel like it.”

Besides baseball, Beach helps his mom with household chores and keeping her spirits up during difficult days. They have daily conversations about life, too.

“I’m so proud of how hard he works,” Harris said. “He’s such a loving person. I draw strength from him every day because of who he is.”

Family is always on Braiden’s mind before he takes the mound. His pitching has been clocked at 90-plus miles per hour. His future will be at a junior college with the hope of an NCAA Division I program in the future.

“I always had the goal and the dream of being a big-time baseball player and having an impact on a lot of people,” Beach said. “My dad pushed me at a young age. One thing that has truly helped me is my dad.”

Stacy Beach, Braiden’s father, is proud of his son as a baseball player but most importantly as a person. Stacy just wants Braiden to be happy in life.

“He wants to be in the MLB,” Stacy said. “I want him to reach his dreams.”

Braiden is well on his way to writing another chapter in his baseball journey while making family and those closest to him proud. He also thinks about his 4-year-old self just starting in the game he loves.

“Looking back, ‘Am I the baseball player that I would look up to nowadays?’ And that’s a big inspiration for me,” Braiden said. “And also just succeeding and making my mom, my dad and all my family happy.”

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 Daren Bower

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    SPARTA, Michigan (WXMI) — Students in Sparta Middle School’s autism spectrum disorder class are serving up more than just coffee and sandwiches — they’re brewing confidence and learning essential life skills through their student-run coffee shop.

Neuro Brew Coffee operates three days a week, serving staff and teachers throughout the school. The program launched in February with funding from a grant through the Sparta Education Foundation.

“With autism, some kids can get very stuck in their ways, so we’re trying to teach them that it’s okay to branch out. It is okay to have a change in schedule,” said Ashlyn Mol, the autism spectrum disorder teacher who started the program.

The name combines the students’ neurodiversity with their coffee-making mission. “So, students who have autism are called neurodiverse. So, the neurodiverse and the brew crew for coffee,” Mol explained.

Students take on different roles within the operation. They make sandwiches and beverages, deliver orders to classrooms, collect money, and make change. Some teachers use punch cards that students mark off with each purchase.

Sixth-grader Ben Abid enjoys his role in the coffee shop. When asked why he likes making coffee for teachers, he said, “Well, we all, we have different jobs, like sandwich makers, coffee, and for me, I’m the smoothie maker.”

According to Mol, the students’ favorite aspect is the delivery process. “They love being able to go walk around, and it’s just something new getting out of the classroom, being able to go walk to different classrooms, meet different teachers, that’s a lot of fun for them,” she said.

Principal Brad Wood has observed the positive impact on students participating in the program.

“It’s one of those things that they’re learning by doing, and they’re learning to talk to people and interact and have that rapport that carries through the school year and helps them have a better experience each and every day,” Wood said.

The program’s success extends beyond the classroom. Mol received encouraging feedback from a parent about how the skills transferred to home life.

“It was really fun because we got an email one weekend from a parent of a nonverbal student in our class who, for the first time ever, made coffee for their parents,” Mol said.

Revenue from the coffee shop sales helps sustain the program and provides additional funding for the class activities.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXMI 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 Drakkar Francois

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    LAFAYETTE, Louisiana (KADN) — Louisiana native rapper “Boosie” is speaking out on his controversial visit to Northside High School that apparently got the principal suspended.

News 15 spoke exclusively with Boosie about the visit. The rapper addressed the backlash surrounding his appearance at the school.

Northside Principal James Rollins has been placed on administrative leave following an appearance by the rapper at the campus. The Lafayette Parish School System declined to comment on the reasons for suspending Rollins.

Torrence Hatch, known by his stage name “Lil Boosie,” told News 15 he visited the school to inspire students and put smiles on their faces. The rapper said he only spoke words of encouragement to the students.

“I feel bad about it, man, because it was a genuine situation. All I did was said a few words to uplift the kids about life, about purpose, about things like that. I didn’t rap no music, nothing was rapped, all they did was played my music when I walked in. The kids enjoyed it. I just want to ask the person who is in charge to give this man a second chance, man,” ‘Boosie’ explained.

Hours before visiting Northside, he received a proclamation from St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard naming May 10 “Boosie Day.” The artist originally from Baton Rouge said he wanted to share that positive message with minority students at Northside.

Students were sitting in the gym anticipating his speech when he arrived. It remains unclear if his management team contacted the school before his arrival.

“He said, ‘Man give these kids a few words. A lot of these kids look up to you.’ The words I gave these kids, I can tell they were actually listening. I went in there and gave these kids what I have been through, what not to do, what not to do if you want to be somebody. So, I would tell the school board to give this man another chance. I would really stress that,” he added.

The rapper is now asking school officials to reinstate Rollins. It remains unclear if or when the suspension will be lifted.

The following is a statement from Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr. regarding recent events on an LPSS high school campus:

“Lafayette Parish School System’s first priority is always the safety of our students and staff. LPSS approved a visit through our standard safety protocols and procedures by Lil Boosie to Carencro High School on Tuesday. A visit to another school campus that had not received prior approval from LPSS and did not follow standard approval standards is currently under review.”

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 Kennedy Mason

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — A second sloth rescued from a now-closed Orlando attraction has died at the Central Florida Zoo, as authorities continue examining conditions tied to the deaths of dozens of animals.

Habanero — one of several sloths taken in after the closure of Sloth World — died Saturday evening after his condition worsened.

“We knew this was an uphill battle, but it’s really tough on the team to lose them,” said Richard Glover, the zoo’s CEO.

Habanero was among 13 sloths transferred to the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford from Sloth World. Earlier in the week, another sloth named Bandit also died.

Glover said many of the animals appear to have suffered from prolonged health issues.

“They’re all dealing with things they’ve been dealing with, it appears, probably months,” Glover said. “It appears their nutrition has not been correct, and that has a lot of effects over a period of time. Trying to reverse that damage is very difficult.”

The deaths come after reports that at least 31 sloths linked to the attraction had died.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani said she is working with colleagues to push for accountability and policy changes.

“These sloths did not grow up in captivity,” Eskamani said. “They were taken from the wild and brought for human entertainment to Florida. That alone should be prohibited.”

On Friday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier responded to Eskamani’s request for a criminal investigation, saying in a letter that his office is committed to pursuing justice and ensuring accountability where warranted by evidence.

Zoo officials said they will continue efforts to care for the remaining 11 sloths. While most appear to be in relatively stable condition, staff members are closely monitoring two animals.

“The very hard thing with wild animals is they can’t show any signs of weakness,” Glover said.

The zoo said two other sloths are in guarded condition, but the rest of them appear to be in pretty good shape.

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 Crystal Flintrop

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    LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) — What started as a promise in early childhood turned into a prom night to remember for one La Crosse family.

Avant Williams, an 11th grader at La Crosse Central High School, took his grandmother, Svala Heller, to prom this weekend, fulfilling a dream she had carried for years.

“Since I was like a little kid, my grandma’s been telling me she wanted to go to prom,” Williams said.

Heller said growing up in Iceland meant she never experienced the tradition, but it remained something she hoped to do after seeing it portrayed in American culture.

“We don’t have prom in Iceland,” Heller said. “I’ve always wanted to go to a prom. You know, watching American TV and all that glamour that goes with it.”

That idea stayed with Williams for years, eventually becoming a promise he was determined to keep.

“I’ve only been looking forward to this moment since I was like two years old,” Williams said. “It’s a big deal for my grandma. And I feel like very special that I can take her to this prom.”

The pair was joined by Williams’ best friend, Ruben Smith, who is also an 11th grader at Central.

“I’m with my best friend and his grandma, just enjoying today,” Smith said. “It’s really special, cause no one gets to take their best friend’s grandma to prom, go with their best friend. It’s just, I don’t know, it’s special.”

For Heller, the night was about more than just the experience. It was about sharing it with her grandson.

“It’s so special. We have such a special bond,” Heller said. “I’m just taking every inch in and just enjoying every moment.”

Williams said being able to make that dream a reality meant everything to him.

“It means the world to me. Like, I love my grandma. She’s been there for me my whole life,” Williams said. “I’m just happy I can make her dream come true.”

After pictures at Riverside Park, the group had dinner before making their way to the dance at Central High School.

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.