Month: June 2026

By Madeline Montgomery

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — An Atlanta influencer is going viral by getting strangers to share their good news.

Cat Catoura has been an Atlanta influencer since 2010.

“I was actually going to be a pharmacist, but then started sharing bits and pieces of my life,” said Catoura.

She usually shares where to eat and what to do around Atlanta, but recently, she became inspired to do a different video series.

“I went out to the store and grabbed a poster board and grabbed a sharpie and wrote ‘Share your good news ATL’ and headed over to the best place in Atlanta, the Beltline, and started to get Atlantans to share their good news,” said Catoura.

Her inspiration was Signs with Meg, a creator from New York, and her desire to spread positivity.

“With everything happening in the world right now, you know there’s just a lot of bad news, and I feel like people just want some positivity out there,” said Catoura.

The American Psychological Association reports that consuming a large amount of negative news hurts the mind and the body. Alternatively, the National Library of Medicine reports that sharing good news boosts mental toughness. Catoura’s followers agree.

“I love your message. What you are doing for people, it’s amazing. When I saw your video, I thought was really touching. I heard like amazing messages, and it was really heartfelt. I loved your video,” said a follower from Canada.

“It actually feels great. I’ve been working on going out and talking to people. That’s a part of the job that I got. So I’ve been working on going out and talking to people, it helps with my anxiety,” said a woman who shared her good news of a new job at FIFA Fan Fest.

So if you’re walking the Beltline or at FIFA Fan Fest and see Catoura’s sign, go up. It may help brighten your day and many others.

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 Dean Fioresi

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    ORANGE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — An Orange County airport worker who became the subject of a GoFundMe fundraiser that garnered more than $170,000 in donations was united with the woman who started it all on Saturday, more than a month after she spotted him working through pain on the job.

When CBS LA first spoke with James Blair, a U.S. Navy veteran who has spent the last two decades working at John Wayne Airport, the fundraiser had gathered just over $65,000. At the time, he said that he thought it was funny and that he didn’t think that anyone cared about him working through years of injuries from refueling planes.

“When I first saw the video, and I saw the money coming up, I started laughing, because I’ve been doing this job for 20 years and I just didn’t think anybody actually cared,” Blair said.

Now, a month later, he finally got a chance to meet the woman who changed everything when Lacinda Thackeray, from Utah, made the trip to Southern California to gift him the check.

“It’s amazing,” Blair said on Saturday when Thackeray surprised him once again, this time at his Orange County home. “I’m at a loss for words.”

Thackeray said that they’ve gotten support from around the world, with people from countries like Norway, Africa and the Netherlands coming forward with kind words or donations.

“They just care about him, and I think they care just as much as I care,” Thackeray said.

She said that she originally recorded the video of Blair limping across the airport tarmac because he was visibly struggling, and she thought that someone in that position shouldn’t have to continue putting so much wear on themselves. Despite this, Blair said he plans to continue working, as he has for as long as he can remember, so that he can pay for his 90-year-old mother’s hospice care.

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 Conor McGill

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    LIVERMORE, California (KOVR) — For more than 30 years, Firefighters Kids Camp has given young burn survivors a place to feel understood, supported and free to just be kids.

For Stevie Carr, the Livermore camp has been part of his life since he was 6 years old.

“I have been a burn survivor since I was five. This is my 14th year here,” Carr said.

Now a counselor-in-training, Carr is helping create that same sense of belonging for the campers who come after him.

“This is the one place where they can do what they want. They don’t have to worry about the real world,” Carr said.

This year, the camp welcomed 54 campers. For many of them, the week is about building friendships with other young burn survivors who understand what they have been through.

Lili Cuevas has been attending camp for the last four years and always brings a special companion with her.

“This is Sorbet. I got her when I was around five or seven at Christmas time and it just reminds me of my house. It’s like, quote unquote, my therapy animal,” Cuevas said.

While Sorbet brings comfort, Lili said the connections she makes at camp are what keep her coming back.

“We get to make more friends that are like us rather than having more friends that are just friends. They get how we feel and stuff, so it’s really nice,” Cuevas said.

For Stevie, those friendships and memories are why he keeps returning year after year.

“I just wanna give them what I was given. I was given a place to belong. A place to call home,” Carr said.

And for Lili, each year brings new memories she carries with her long after camp ends.

“The memories that we’ve made here is definitely gonna stick with me for like a while. Every year I’ve had a memory stick with me and I hope that I can make new ones as well,” Cuevas said.

For these young burn survivors, Firefighters Kids Camp is more than a summer tradition. It is a place to heal, connect and simply be themselves.

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 Jose Fabian, Maddie White

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    HUMBOLDT COUNTY, California (KPIX) — The remains of over 100 dogs were found at a Northern California animal sanctuary during an investigation into suspected animal cruelty, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday.

The investigation into Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna began April 22 after the sheriff’s office said they received credible information of allegations of felony animal abuse, animal cruelty, fraud and conspiracy. A search warrant served May 1 at the site resulted in detectives finding evidence related to the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators then returned June 23 with a second search warrant to dig at the 50-acre property and search through the buildings. The sheriff’s office completed the search on Friday and announced they had unearthed the intact remains of 117 dogs from two separate dig sites.

The skulls of 21 dogs, hundreds of bones and six loose microchips were also found near the dig sites.

“Seventy of the dogs were X-rayed on site, and many of those animals showed evidence of bullet fragments,” the sheriff’s office said.

The rescue describes itself as a “no-kill rescue,” and in a statement by founder Shannon Miranda posted to their website, she says, in part, “Shelters often turn to rescues like Miranda’s Rescue as a last resort for these harder-to-place animals. We accept animals from shelters throughout Northern California and provide shelter services to local communities without their own facilities. Miranda’s Rescue is a no-kill rescue. We do not euthanize animals simply to make space. However, as we state on our website, there are rare circumstances in which euthanasia may be necessary.”

In a separate statement posted June 18, the rescue denied operating as a money-making scheme and said euthanasia was performed only in rare circumstances involving terminally ill animals or those posing a serious danger to people or other animals. CBS News Bay Area reached out to Miranda’s Rescue for additional comment but had not received a response.

The sheriff’s office said forensic veterinarians and the USDA examined 70 of the dogs and preliminarily determined the cause of death for many of them to be gunshot wounds. The intact remains were taken as evidence, and the sheriff’s office said most of them were microchipped and work is being done to identify those dogs.

Remains of dogs too decomposed to be recovered were also found in the same field, the sheriff’s office said.

During the search, investigators found a location inside a barn where they believe the dogs were killed, and according to the sheriff’s office, 600 dog collars were found in the same area.

“There is a tremendous amount of data to process, witnesses to interview, and evidence to examine. The Major Crimes Division is laser-focused on this case and will continue working with our state and federal partners to examine every lead,” Sheriff William Honsal said.

Honsal said Miranda’s Rescue accepted animals from shelters throughout California, charging fees ranging from hundreds to several thousand dollars per animal.

Investigators also revealed the scope of the case may extend well beyond the remains already recovered. According to Honsal, more than 900 animals were transferred to Miranda’s Rescue from shelters across California over the past five and a half years.

“So far, we were able to account for only 100 or so that have been adopted,” Honsal said. “We have 730 animals that are unaccounted for.”

No charges have been filed, and the sheriff’s office said once they complete their investigation, if they believe there is sufficient evidence to support the allegations, the case will be forwarded to the district attorney for review and consideration.

“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to inform the public that, due to the nature and complexity of this investigation, the evidence review process will require a significant amount of time,” the sheriff’s office said.

A news conference will be held on Monday at 2 p.m. by the sheriff’s office to provide more information.

The discovery has stunned animal rescuers across California, including Bay Area organizations that previously entrusted dogs to Miranda’s Rescue.

Meanwhile, Bay Area rescue operator Dan Martinez said people across California continue searching for answers about pets they surrendered to Miranda’s Rescue, with many reaching out through social media hoping to learn what happened to their dogs.

Martinez said there has been one bright spot amid the investigation. A dog named Oliver, which he removed from Miranda’s Rescue several weeks ago and brought back to the Bay Area, has since been adopted into a new home and renamed Miles.

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 Eva Andersen

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Heavy rain didn’t stop the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad from celebrating a milestone 35 years in the making Saturday.

The youth organization led a neighborhood parade through West Philadelphia before community members gathered for a block party and the unveiling of a new street sign honoring the group: West Powelton Steppers Way.

For founding member L’Vonne McMillan, the celebration brought back memories of how it all began.

“I was in the 7th grade, it was a mix of 7th and 8th graders, we just wanted something to do after school,” McMillan said.

That after-school activity quickly grew into a neighborhood tradition with the help of community leader Elsie Wise, affectionately known as “Nana.”

“We sat in her living room, we batted back and forth, and we came up with, ‘West Philly Steppers’? And she was like ‘well what about West Powelton Steppers’,” McMillan said.

Thirty-five years later, that name now has a permanent place in the neighborhood.

City leaders joined residents Saturday to celebrate the installation of the new street sign honoring the organization.

“I’m trying not to cry every time I look at the sign. Because we marched all over these streets,” McMillan said.

Over the past three and a half decades, the group has performed across the country, including in Las Vegas and Detroit, while also making history closer to home.

“We [were] one of the first all-black drill teams to perform in the Mummers parade,” said Sharon Lucas Williams, who served as the group’s drill sergeant from 1991 through 2016.

The organization inspired several other neighborhood step groups. Tracee Lee, who attended Saturday’s event, was a former member of the Neighborhood United Against Drugs drill team.

“It taught me community. It taught me service. It taught me that sometimes, even in a bad situation, you can still be good and find good,” Lee said.

Current steppers say those lessons continue today.

“I was in a bad space, and I joined the team, and it really uplifted me,” said Powelton Steppers member Rosalee Taylor.

“We all call each other sisters, brothers…it doesn’t matter how old you are,” member Laila Farris said.

As the celebration came to a close, McMillan stepped back into the formation she helped create 35 years ago, joining the current generation of Steppers in the rain. She said her biggest takeaway from her participation all those years is simple: community.

“Most of us are all community-driven, so making sure we’re looking out for everyone else, making sure we’re showing love to the community.”

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 Ryan Hughes

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    COLLINGSWOOD, Pennsylvania (KYW) — For more than 100 years, Collingswood has been a dry borough, but that could change.

“It’s very tenuous right now. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Giovanni Barone, who owns Villa Barone.

The Italian restaurant Villa Barone has been open for more than 30 years, and Barone says he’s hopeful after learning the borough is considering lifting its ban on alcohol sales.

“It is a big deal, and I think the majority of people in Collingswood want to see it,” he said.

Borough leaders tell CBS News Philadelphia they have been discussing allowing some restaurants to purchase a liquor license.

Barone says that could help bring in more revenue with rising food and electricity costs.

“The liquor sales would actually help us offset some of those costs,” Barone said.

According to the Camden County Clerk’s Office, voters could have the final say. In order to get the policy change on the November ballot, commissioners would need to adopt a resolution by mid-August.

People we spoke with think lifting the booze ban would be good for businesses.

“Happy hour would be a great thriving business. It’s a really great town driving into it, so I can only imagine what’s going to happen if they do allow alcohol,” Khaina Solomon said.

“It would be nice to just go to a restaurant order some wine and have a good time and then just go home feeling nice,” Chelsi Johnson said.

Based on population, Collingswood would only be able to issue a few liquor licenses to restaurants. County officials say discussions are still in the preliminary stages.

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.