Month: June 2026

By Kennedy Mason

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — Hundreds of runners, walkers and supporters filled the streets outside Orlando City Hall on Saturday morning for the 10th annual Community Rainbow Run, an event honoring the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting and raising money for a permanent memorial at the former Pulse site.

The 4.9-kilometer race commemorates the 49 lives lost in the June 12, 2016, tragedy, which remains one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. Nearly a decade later, participants said the event continues to serve as a powerful reminder of those who were killed and the resilience of the Orlando community.

“It’s a very sacred thing and having this event to remember those individuals, also celebrating Pride during Pride Month,” said Jordan Metellus, an Orlando resident who attended to support participants.

Metellus said taking part in the event was an opportunity to give back to a city known for its welcoming spirit.

“Being able to give back to my city, a city that’s always so welcoming to individuals, whether it’s outsiders, people born here, people who want to just express themselves freely — being a part of this and being able to help out the city of Orlando, it’s just an amazing opportunity,” he said.

The Community Rainbow Run was founded by a group of University of Central Florida graduate students in 2017 to mark the first anniversary of the Pulse shooting. Since then, it has become an annual tradition focused on remembrance, healing and community support.

Among the participants Saturday was Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who said she ran in memory of those lost in the tragedy.

“I’m running today for my friend Eddie, who was killed that night, Simon, whose family wouldn’t claim him after the tragedy but then they came around, thank God, and Amanda Alvear,” Sheehan said.

Proceeds from this year’s race will support the construction of a permanent memorial planned for the former Pulse nightclub property. Sheehan said the memorial will provide a meaningful place for reflection and remembrance.

“We’re going to make this happen,” Sheehan said. “I think Orlando is going to be really proud of this.”

Sheehan also addressed the city’s recent decision not to appeal a ruling involving the painted rainbow crosswalk near the Pulse site. She said city leaders determined an appeal was unlikely to succeed.

“I understand that people in the community are upset with us for not doing something, but if we go through with the appeal and we get denied, we’ll never do that,” Sheehan said. “So we’re trying to be strategic about it.”

As Orlando approaches 10 years since the Pulse tragedy, organizers and participants said events like the Community Rainbow Run help ensure the victims are never forgotten while supporting efforts to create a lasting tribute to their memory.

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 Jamie Azulay

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    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — Marianne Chapman has dedicated five decades of service to Girl Scouts. She is a lifetime member who first joined as a child and was later reconnected with the organization while raising her children.

“I got very involved with Girl Scouts, and I was on the Older Girl Task Force,” Chapman said. “We revised the Gold Award experience and the requirements and also the Silver, which is the step down.”

Chapman has mentored generations of girls and young women. She said she thinks of them as daughters. Her husband, Joel, even taught several Girl Scouts how to drive. Together, they lead fundraisers, organized trips to Augusta and Washington, D.C., went camping, and became heavily involved in the preservation of the historic Grand Trunk Cemetery in Portland.

The small plot had gone unnoticed for many years. “It was a disaster. It really — you wouldn’t have had a clue,” Chapman said. She described stones that had been broken and spray-painted.

She said the land was overgrown and had become a place where teens would gather to drink. They found beer cans and bottles littered throughout the cemetery. Chapman said they still find broken glass there today.

She first got involved in the restoration of the site when two of her Girl Scouts took on the project to earn their Gold Awards. Chapman was their mentor at the time, but she developed a passion for the work and the cemetery’s history herself.

Pointing to a row of broken gravestones, she asked, “Isn’t it amazing?” Her research has revealed the cemetery is home to several families and veterans from as far back as the War of 1812 and the American Revolution.

Chapman has helped with the revitalization, research and restoration of Grand Trunk for decades. She does it now alongside a new generation of Girl Scouts. Machigonne Girl Scouts adopted the cemetery as a service project in 2015, and it hosts clean-up events at least twice a year.

“It’s a teachable moment, and that’s important to me,” she said. Chapman’s hard work and dedication were recognized in May with the Juliette Low Spirit Award, named for the founder of Girl Scouts.

A spokesperson for Girl Scouts of Maine described Chapman as a “pillar of the community.” They wrote, “As a former Machigonne leader, Marianne’s troop has a lasting impact with members who continue in leadership roles today.”

They explained the Spirit Award was presented to Chapman to honor her “tireless dedication” and her “exceptional service.” Chapman said she was surprised and overwhelmed when they presented the award at the spring clean-up event.

“I’m not going to be around forever,” she said. “Hopefully, there will be people that carry on.” Chapman and her husband have been granted special permission to be buried at Grand Trunk themselves.

The cemetery can be found at 69 Presumpscot St. in Portland. It sits behind Presumpscot Elementary 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.

By Pattrik Perez

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    KISSIMMEE, Florida (WESH) — A pilot who was preparing for takeoff at Kissimmee Gateway Airport helped guide first responders to the site of a plane crash Saturday afternoon after the small aircraft went down in a heavily wooded area.

Isaiah Akloo says he and his second-in-command circled above the crash site in their plane for about 20 minutes, communicating critical information to air traffic control as emergency crews worked to locate the downed aircraft.

“I was lining up for the departure of the runway, and I was approved for takeoff. And the second I applied my power, I got a call from tower immediately to abort the takeoff, that the plane went down that just went in front of us,” Akloo said.

The crash happened at approximately 2:59 p.m. Saturday in a wooded area about a mile and a half southeast of a runway at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport, near West Clay Street and South John Young Parkway, according to the Kissimmee Fire Department.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot reported fuel exhaustion, which the agency defines as “running out of fuel,” moments before the crash of the Cessna 150, which was carrying two occupants.

Stephen Gonnella, a battalion chief with the Kissimmee Fire Department, says locating the aircraft was a challenge.

“Part of the issue that we had was we couldn’t see the downed aircraft,” Gonnella said.

Akloo, who currently serves in the United States Air Force Reserve, says he used his camera to zoom in on the crash site from above, looking for signs of life.

“All I just wanted to see was a movement so I can let the ATC know that, hey, they’re alive and everything is going well,” Akloo said.

He says his military training guided his decision to stay.

“Being in the United States Air Force as an airman, our goal was to … never leave an airman behind. That’s a policy that stood with me in that airplane. I’m not going to leave until first responders arrive on scene and someone helped these guys,” Akloo said.

With the help of a helicopter from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the fire department was eventually able to locate the Cessna and rescue its occupants. Both were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Akloo says he was relieved to learn they survived.

“It was such a joy that came over me when I heard that they’re alive. I felt that peace that, ‘Hey, you know what? They’re alive,'” Akloo said. “I’m just grateful that first responders got there on time, and we were able to communicate together.”

The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident and determine the cause of the crash. They ask anyone with video or information about the crash to send it to witness@ntsb.gov.

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By Breana Ross

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    WESTMINSTER, Maryland (WBAL) — A Carroll County student lost her father, but she was far from alone at her high school graduation.

Hundreds gathered Thursday at McDaniel College to celebrate Westminster High School’s graduation, including Maryland State Police troopers and first responders who came together to honor the daughter of a fallen trooper.

Tearful hugs marked the moment as 18 state troopers and first responders stood in place of TFC Mickey Lippy, Madison Lippy’s father, who died in the line of duty on Sept. 28, 2008.

“I think it’s really special to know that my dad is still being remembered by everyone, even so much later, and that they want to be here for me when he can’t, and I think it’s just really special and it means a lot,” Madison told WBAL-TV 11 News.

TFC Lippy, 34, was a flight paramedic who died in a Medevac helicopter crash. The helicopter was taking two teenagers to a hospital during severe weather. The helicopter struck trees in Prince George’s County while attempting to land, killing four people, including TFC Lippy.

“He was on board that night to save other people’s lives, and unfortunately, he lost his life doing just that,” said AJ McAndrew, a former commander of the Maryland State Police Aviation Command.

McAndrew, who gave Lippy his flight wings and stood by the family at his funeral, attended the graduation to support Madison, who was just a baby when her father died.

“Last time I saw Maddie was 18 years ago,” McAndrew said. “I’m proud to be here to represent the Maryland State Police as a retiree and to be here to cheer on Maddie.”

Two rows of troopers, flight medics and an Anne Arundel County firefighter stood as Madison walked across the stage. A surprise flyover took place in tribute to her father’s legacy.

“They’ve paid a debt that we, as a society, can never repay, but one of the things that we can do is be sure that we remember their loved ones, their family members, and perpetuate their memory,” said Lt. Jon Hill, an assistant commander of the licensing division for the Maryland State Police.

The troopers previously honored TFC Lippy’s memory by standing in at Madison’s eighth grade graduation and her prom. They pledged to continue supporting her for future milestones.

“Whatever her desires are, whatever she pursues, we are going to be there,” Hill told WBAL-TV 11 News.

As Madison celebrated her graduation, wearing her father’s flight wings on her chest and his class ring on her finger, she knows her father is with her — and so are the troopers who stand in his place.

“I think it has just been a very special day. I didn’t expect all of it, but I’m very happy that everyone was able to come,” Madison told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Madison said she plans to become an EMT to help others and follow in her father’s footsteps.

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By Breana Ross

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Fort McHenry in Baltimore, the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” remains a source of inspiration for visitors and artists as America celebrates its 250th anniversary.

There’s a rich history at Fort McHenry of looking after the community, of defending that community.

The Battle of Fort McHenry on Sept. 13-14, 1814, moved Francis Scott Key to write the iconic anthem. Watching from the deck of an American truce ship, Key witnessed the British bombardment of the fort during the War of 1812.

“He’s waiting with a great deal of anxiety, and what we see when we read ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ is, essentially, he has written down his reaction to what he has witnessed,” said Shannon McLucas, a park ranger and spokeswoman at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

Key’s poem, originally titled “The Defense of Fort M’Henry,” was inspired by the bravery of around 1,000 men who defended the fort.

“What he is really writing about is that sense of community, and that’s what is inspirational to him because many of these men came out to protect the homes — not just their own — but the homes of strangers,” McLucas said.

The victory was marked by the raising of the U.S. flag, which had been sewn in Baltimore by flag-maker Mary Pickersgill and her team. Her former home, now the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, preserves her legacy.

“We tell the story of a woman who had a major national impact, but yet for most people, they don’t know her name,” said Christopher Sniezek, executive director of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.

Key’s poem, originally titled “The Defense of Fort M’Henry,” was inspired by the bravery of around 1,000 men who defended the fort.

“What he is really writing about is that sense of community, and that’s what is inspirational to him because many of these men came out to protect the homes — not just their own — but the homes of strangers,” McLucas said.

The victory was marked by the raising of the U.S. flag, which had been sewn in Baltimore by flag-maker Mary Pickersgill and her team. Her former home, now the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, preserves her legacy.

“We tell the story of a woman who had a major national impact, but yet for most people, they don’t know her name,” said Christopher Sniezek, executive director of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.

Fort McHenry typically welcomes more than 300,000 visitors annually, and park officials expect even more this year as people reflect on the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“There’s a rich history at Fort McHenry of looking after the community, of defending that community, of looking after each other, and all of these stories are what give meaning to the fabric that is flying over the fort,” McLucas said.

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By Christian Petersen

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    WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (WXII) — Three students from Atkins High School in Winston-Salem are heading to Washington, D.C., as national finalists in the Presidential AI Challenge National Championship for their innovative project using artificial intelligence to diagnose Parkinson’s disease through voice analysis and drawings.

Luis Cruz-Mondragon, Andrew Shih, and Jerrin Moore developed the tool to address challenges in diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, particularly in rural areas where access to specialists is limited.

“Everybody else is focusing right now on MRI as data,” Cruz-Mondragon said. “I want to try something that wasn’t traditional and that would include drawings as well as audio recordings as the actual data.”

An MRI can be prohibitively expensive, and many rural communities lack specialists who can diagnose Parkinson’s disease. The students’ AI tool aims to bridge this gap.

“What really struck me as the main issue was they just didn’t have access,” Shih said. “Even if you had trembling hands and speech disorders or anything like the hallmark signs of Parkinson’s, then you couldn’t really do anything if you were in these rural areas.”

The team utilized existing technology, adapting a convolutional neural network (CNN) to suit their needs.

“So basically, we’re using existing technology, a CNN convolutional neural network. That’s already a thing that exists. We are basically just morphing it in a way that it can actually be used in making minor tweaks to the actual architecture,” Moore said.

The students will present their project to a panel of judges, competing against four other teams from across the country. Each team has five minutes to present, followed by a question-and-answer session. If they win, they will each receive $10,000 and the prestige of being national champions.

“And it’s amazing that we also get to help people along the way,” Moore said. “Like we’re not just doing this, because we also get to use this and potentially twist this into a project that can be used to help people in the places that we live.”

Win or lose, these Atkins High School students are among the brightest innovators in the country.

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By Grace Rodriguez

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A new study found many Savannah-area restaurants continue to serve imported shrimp while marketing it as local.

SeaD Consulting sampled shrimp dishes from 22 Savannah-area restaurants this spring and found only nine contained American wild-caught shrimp. The other 13 dishes, or 59%, tested as imported farm-raised shrimp.

Last year, the agency found that 77% of dishes sampled tested as imported farm-raised shrimp.

Some shrimpers in the Lowcountry say the findings hurt local businesses.

“The people come to the coast to enjoy local cuisine and local seafood, and they’re not getting it. And that is the real problem,” John Wallace, owner of Anchored Shrimp Co. said. “The higher-end restaurants are still using the cheaper imports and claiming they are using domestic product. I’ve actually seen a picture of my shrimp boat in the restaurant using imported shrimp. And that gets very frustrating.”

The testing process includes visiting restaurants in Savannah that serve seafood, however, it is not exclusive to seafood restaurants. Researchers document items such as menus and decorations, as well as if whether the shrimp is advertised as local either on the menu or verbally. Samples are then collected and tested by a second set of researchers to avoid possible bias.

“What we do is we look for the Vannamei shrimp, which is only a Pacific white shrimp, and it is only either farm-raised or from the Pacific,” Dave Williams, founder of SeaD Consulting, said. “If you’re in Savannah and you’re on the waterfront, the implication is you should be serving American wild-caught shrimp.”

Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed House Bill 117, which requires restaurants to disclose whether their shrimp is imported. The law takes effect Jan. 1.

SeaD Consulting released a list of Savannah-area restaurants that serve American wild-caught shrimp. They did not disclose which restaurants were found to serve imported farm-raised shrimp.

The nine restaurants found to be serving American wild-caught shrimp dishes (9/22 = 41%), according to SeaD Consulting’s 2026 Savannah retest were:

Boar’s Head Grill & Tavern, 1 Lincoln St, Savannah, GA 31401 Coastal 15, 102 W Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401 Fiddler’s Crab House and Oyster Bar, 131 W River St, Savannah, GA 31401 Huey’s on the River, 115 E River St, Savannah, GA 31401 Jackie’s Seafood Market, 1117 E Montgomery Cross Rd. Savannah, GA, 31406 Rhett, 412 Williamson St, Savannah, GA 31401 Sea Wolf, 106 S Campbell Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 Sting Ray’s Seafood, 1403 Butler Ave, Tybee Island, GA 31328 The Olde Pink House, 23 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401

SeaD Consulting says six of these nine restaurants served American wild-caught shrimp during both 2025 and 2026 testing periods:

Boar’s Head Grill and Tavern Coastal 15 Fiddler’s Crab House and Oyster Bar Rhett Sea Wolf The Olde Pink House

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By Abigail Kurten

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Prostate Cancer Awareness of Central Iowa urged men to get checked early for prostate cancer at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market Saturday morning.

According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, prostate cancer is expected to affect 3,100 men in Iowa this year, with nearly 400 projected to die from the disease.

That’s why Mark Good helped organize free blood screenings for any man who wanted them.

“Why does it matter to me? Because I got screened. It took two years to find it,” Good said.

Good was diagnosed with prostate cancer over a decade ago after undergoing several rounds of testing. He credits early detection for saving his life, noting that without the test, he might not have known he had cancer until it progressed.

“If you catch it early, 99% survival rate at five years versus 33% at five years if you catch it too late,” Good said.

Fortunately, his cancer was caught early, and now he is encouraging other men to act sooner rather than later.

Blood tests, which can detect higher-than-normal levels of prostate-specific antigens, are a key tool in early detection. While these tests cannot diagnose cancer, they can indicate whether further medical consultation is needed.

Just 10 minutes is all it takes to determine whether someone should call their doctor — 10 minutes that could potentially save a life.

Prostate cancer is likely to be the most-diagnosed cancer in Iowa this year, yet it remains one of the least discussed. Good believes that open conversations can help men better understand their risks.

“If you have a brother with prostate cancer, first of all, the numbers really go up — there’s a 50, 75, 90% chance of getting prostate cancer. And men don’t talk to one another. So they may not know that they have that,” Good said.

Whether you’re showing symptoms, have a loved one with prostate cancer, or simply want to be sure, Good’s message is clear: “Screen today. Live longer. That’s our motto.”

Some of the best ways you can help lower your prostate cancer risk include staying active, eating vegetables and fiber-rich foods and avoiding smoking.

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.