Month: June 2026

By Kathryn Merck

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — Members of the Milwaukee Brewers and community group Forward Latino are teaming up to help those affected by the deadly earthquakes that recently hit Venezuela.

Venezuelan Milwaukee Brewers All-Star catcher William Contreras, outfielder Jackson Chourio, and coach Nestor Corredor joined the nonprofit to launch the “United for Venezuela” emergency relief effort following two earthquakes that claimed more than 2,000 lives.

The community-wide initiative will help provide lifesaving emergency supplies to those in need.

People gathered at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church Monday, June 29, to pack up donated items.

Requested donations include non-perishable food, cases of bottled water, new sleeping bags and blankets, new tents, new backpacks and suitcases, new work gloves and boots, and new shovels.

“A lot of people believe in us,” said Nestor Corredor, Major League field coordinator for the Brewers. “A lot of people think we can help. We can’t do it without you guys.”

“Behind each one of these numbers is a human story,” said Darryl Morin, national president of Forward Latino. “A mother searching for a child, a father who’s lost everything, a family sleeping outdoors, a young child wandering the streets, wondering if he’s going to see his father or mother again.”

The campaign shows a team effort will help those in need.

“For us to come together and help one another, we are raising our voices for human dignity, and we all should be proud of it,” Rev. Norberto Sandoval said, associate pastor at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

Leaders with Forward Latino say they’ll accept donations through next Wednesday, July 1.

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 Taj Simmons

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    DELAVAN, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — Delavan’s Civil War soldiers lined up to fight under the Muster Tree, which stood tall for generations before it died in 2023. Justin Howland reshaped the tree’s trunk to honor its Civil War history.

Howland was commissioned by the Delavan Historical Society to carve the oak tree into a Civil War soldier and nurse for America’s 250th.

“The tree is over 200 years old, so it would have been a shame to just see it go away,” Howland said.

The Delavan Historical Society believes the tree was 270 years old before it was cut down. It stood near the town’s former train station and soldiers arranged under it before boarding their train to battle.

Longtime Delavan resident Bob Dahl said he and others in the city are relieved to see the tree saved after it stopped growing leaves.

“It was uncertain whether the tree could be preserved and what condition it was in,” Dahl said. “Now, the people who mustered at that tree to go serve our country now have the tree preserved in their memory.”

Howland spent most of June shaping the tree before finishing it in time for Delavan’s ten-day America 250 celebration.

“I hope the people who see this think I did a good job,” Howland 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 Megan Lee

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    NORTHVILLE, Michigan (WXYZ) — The Hofner family recently sent their decades-old flag to American Flags Express in Butler, Wisconsin, for repairs ahead of the July 4 holiday.

The flag was recently sent back to the metro Detroit family and they are happy with the repairs.

“Look at it. Do you guys remember the big rips at the bottom?” a family member said.

“Oh yeah, it’s all gone,” Lance Hofner responded.

The 48-star flag carries American history and a family legacy.

“There’s a whole lot more behind that flag than just the flag,” Hofner said.

The flag dates back to the 1950s, when the family’s uncle received it as Nash-Kelvinator — a home appliance company — merged with American Motors Corporation. But the flag’s history stretches back even further to World War II.

“They make refrigerators. But we didn’t realize that at war time, they converted things to make war time material,” Hofner said.

Detroit played a central role in the war effort during the early 1940s.

“Detroit and the Detroit area was such a huge part of World War II’s effort and being the arsenal of democracy, which is what FDR called it. This was part of it,” Kurt Hofner said.

According to the family’s uncle, the flag flew atop the Nash-Kelvinator building for years — during the same period four of the Hofner brothers’ uncles were serving in the military. One of those brothers did not come home.

“They laid down everything just to go to protect everybody,” Kurt Hofner said.

Lance and Kurt Hofner grew up watching their father hang the flag each year.

“And so for years, he would hang it in Dearborn Heights. And he would hang it at one point from the tree in front of our house to the next-door neighbor’s tree,” Lance Hofner said.

The flag eventually made its way to the family’s lake house in Irish Hills.

“It just means so much more now that it was part of the U.S. history,” Lance Hofner said.

The family hopes the flag will be passed down for generations to come.

“If you can pass that to the next generation to how much America means to everybody, and to us and to them. And they will have kids, and then someday they will go my old man got this flag restored and passed it down to me,” Kurt Hofner said.

American Flags Express included a note with the returned flag.

“Dear Hofner Family, it was a delight and honor to restore this piece of history,” the note said. “As you hang this flag, we hope our restoration reflect the historical sentiments and value of this heirloom.”

The restored flag will be displayed at the family’s lake house in Irish Hills this Fourth of July weekend.

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

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    ADA TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXMI) — Nearly 1,500 people are dead and thousands more are injured as of Monday after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela. While recovery efforts are underway, one Ada teenager is using his eight 3D printers to help from thousands of miles away.

Brady Ashcroft, 16, has turned his 3D printing business into a medical supply operation, creating lightweight splints for earthquake victims in Venezuela.

What began as a hobby with one printer has grown into eight machines that typically produce fidget toys, and custom keychains for his online store. Brady started his 3D printing business nearly two years ago. It has grown from one printer to eight over the past two years.

But after seeing the devastation from the earthquakes on Reddit and Discord groups from the 3D printing community, those printers took on a different purpose.

“They don’t deserve this in Venezuela, and they should get all the help they can get. And I want to have more to do with my 3D printer, instead of just making toys,” Ashcroft said. “I want it to be more helpful than just making money.”

The designs for the medical splints came from a 3D printing company in Venezuela, which shared files online as hospitals faced an increasing need for orthopedic supplies. Brady is now part of a global network of volunteers using their printers to help coordinate through social media platforms.

“We made 100 now, and it depends on how much we’re going to make until we feel like we need to send them out, because there’s not much time left,” he said, noting that splints won’t be useful after a few days.

The teenager has paused customer orders to focus on the medical kits, printing, sorting and packaging each splint before shipping them to a collection center in Miami, Florida. From there, they’ll reach doctors in Venezuela. Each package includes instructions and a toy from Brady’s collection.

His mother, Lori Ashcroft, said she’s not surprised by her son’s willingness to help. Brady has previously donated items to Toys for Tots, printing octopuses from approved files, and has given a percentage of his sales to the Humane Society.

“I’m not really surprised at all that he’s interested in helping out for this cause too,” she said.

The family has turned the effort into a team operation, with Brady’s parents helping with printing overnight and his sister managing social media for their business.

Each splint takes about an hour and a half to print. The material softens in warm water, allowing the splint to mold to a patient’s arm before firming back up.

“It doesn’t cost us much to do it. It’s printing time on the printers, which we’ve got the capacity, he’s got the capacity,” Lori Ashcroft said.

“Makes me feel really good that could play a part in this, and the 3D printing community has come together to help the people in Venezuela,” Brady Ashcroft said.

The teenager said this won’t be the last time he uses his 3D printers to help others. He plans to monitor social media groups for future disasters where his equipment could make a difference.

“Whatever comes up, anything that comes up, if I find any more subreddits and Discords that need help, I’ll definitely start printing more stuff, because I have eight 3D printers, and I can print anything,” he said.

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 Charlie Keegan

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    BUTLER, Missouri (KSHB) — Lacy Reynolds was on the ground in Butler, Missouri, when a skydiving plane crashed shortly after takeoff on June 14, killing 12 people — 10 of whom she knew personally.

Hours later, she went skydiving again.

Reynolds said the friendships she has built through the sport are the reason she keeps jumping.

“Those friendships I’ve made, they’ve become my family,” Reynolds said.

She had jumped in Butler on the flight before the one that crashed shortly after takeoff.

“It was a very helpless feeling,” Reynolds said of running toward the crash to help.

In the two weeks since the crash, Reynolds said the question she has heard most is: Why keep skydiving?

“For those two to three minutes, you’re just focused on what’s going on in that exact second. The outside world is silent,” Reynolds said.

She said returning to the sky that night was a deliberate choice.

“The longer I sit on the ground, the more I may talk myself out of ever skydiving again,” Reynolds said.

According to 2025 data from the United States Parachute Association, 16 people died in 3.5 million jumps.

The National Transportation Safety Board made recommendations five years ago to add regulations to skydiving planes. Those recommendations have not gone into effect.

NTSB Vice Chairman Michael Graham addressed the agency’s unacted-upon recommendations in June.

“It’s always frustrating when we see things that maybe the FAA hasn’t acted on with some of our recommendations,” Graham said.

The NTSB says a preliminary report into the cause of the crash should be ready next month.

Reynolds said she is not looking to place blame. The happy memories of friends she lost are why she will continue to skydive and encourage others.

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

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    OLATHE, Kansas (KSHB) — Fireworks caused a fire Sunday night at an Olathe duplex that forced 13 people out of their homes.

No serious injuries were reported.

Damage to the duplex is estimated at $150,000, according to the Olathe Fire Department.

Fireworks are legal in Kansas, but in many of the state’s counties, including Johnson County, it is illegal shoot fireworks.

What started as summer fun for one Olathe family turned into the devastating loss of a home and a family pet.

“Right now, we just don’t have anywhere to go,” Lisa Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez came back to her house on 152nd Street and found a shocking scene.

Her home was nearly gone after fireworks partially burned down the duplex.

“I wasn’t aware that my kids had fireworks,” Gonzalez said. “My daughter lit off a couple of fireworks in the back, just being a kid.”

Gonzalez says her 12-year-old and 14-year-old daughters came back from a family member’s house in Tonganoxie with fireworks.

Fireworks are legal there during the Fourth of July holiday week. Gonzalez explained she wasn’t home when her daughters were lighting off small fireworks.

She believes discarded fireworks caused a fire that reached the lawnmower’s gas tank.

“They weren’t big fireworks; they were just the little pop-it ones and that’s all it took,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t buy my kids the fireworks and a kid being a kid, I guess trying to have a little bit of fun, but one little mistake led to something that ended like this and unfortunately left me and my five children without a house.”

Her daughters got minor burns and cuts from the fire. Lisa found the family’s cat after the flames were put out.

“[My daughters] were both trying to run in the house and find the cat before they got out,” Gonzalez said. “We had to bury her this morning.”

Fireworks are prohibited within Olathe city limits, but the fire department still sees accidents every year.

“It’s one of our busiest weeks with a very unique hazard,” said Capt. Mike Hall, Olathe Fire Department spokesperson. “All of our property is close together, and a lot of times these ordinances are just there for the safety of everybody.”

Hall said going to a professional fireworks display is the safest way to celebrate the holiday.

“[Fireworks] can be a great time and they can be a horrible time, all in the same sentence,” he said. “Most of these fires, when it comes to fireworks, are pretty significant.”

The fire left the Gonzalez family with only the clothes on their backs.

“As a mother, you put yourself on the back burner, and I’m just more worried about getting my kids what they need right now until I can figure out where we’re going to go and find a house,” Gonzalez said. “People are giving backlash, but I don’t think people are remembering that they were once 14 and 12 years old, too. I see now why there is the law. It leads to things like this.”

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 Taylor Locke

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    CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — Cohen, the Chesterfield County 2-year-old who lost his foot after he was accidentally run over by a lawn mower, has a name for his prosthetic leg: Nubby. According to his mom, it’s Cohen and Nubby against the world.

Cohen lost his foot in March. Less than a month after receiving his prosthetic, he spent a full day at Maymont Park — visiting the petting zoo, going on a long walk, and jumping lily pads.

His mother, Brittney Walls, said she couldn’t believe what she was watching.

“He’s walking like he’s had his prosthetic for six months and it hasn’t been a month,” Walls said.

The day Cohen received his prosthetic, he ran out of his doctor’s office like nothing had changed. Walls was recording the milestone on video.

“I feel like I’ve gone through the phases of disbelief. I still lay down sometimes at night and I’m like, ‘This isn’t real. This doesn’t feel real,'” Walls said. “But when you look at him and there is a limb difference it is very real. But Cohen just rolls with it like, ‘That’s my leg,’ just waves it in the air. We named it Nubby.”

The support from the community and beyond has been significant for the family. In March, Home Depot sponsored a ramp, providing all the supplies for a local contractor to build for free.

Cohen has also inspired people at Buckingham Correctional Center. Walls said a note was put up in their peer support room highlighting Cohen’s journey after they saw him on the news, and that they told her they were finding strength through him.

“They said, ‘We wish to show our support allowing the family and public to recognize even though we are incarcerated prisoners we remain empathetic to the needs of others,'” Walls said. “It was pretty amazing that so many of them did handwritten letters and just to explain that, ‘Keep going little buddy.'”

“I just want to share my gratitude for them. Inmates, they have a heart,” Walls said.

Cohen received several handwritten letters from inmates. The family plans to write back soon.

Since Cohen’s accident, life has looked very different for Walls. She has had to take time off work to juggle caring for her kids while attending doctor’s appointments up to 6 times a week. But she said she is focusing on family time and healing — both physically and mentally.

“Grief isn’t reserved for death alone and I think that’s such a powerful statement to tell the community. The one thing that we show our children is that he can do everything we do. I took him hiking the other day, y’all saw him jumping the lily pads, like he’s going to try everything even if he falls,” Walls said.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR 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 Emma Romano , Zitlali Solache

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPTV) — A 78-year-old woman was killed Sunday morning after an SUV rolled backward and struck her in a residential driveway in Port St. Lucie, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).

The incident happened at approximately 10:47 a.m. at 181 SE El Sito Court. A 2016 Lincoln MKX SUV was parked in a residential driveway when the woman was standing outside the vehicle near the open driver’s door.

The SUV began rolling backward, and the open door struck her, knocking her to the ground. The cause of the rollback remains under investigation.

Her adult son, 59, was in the passenger seat and had started the vehicle.

The woman was rushed to Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where she was pronounced deceased at 11:19 a.m.

WPTV’s Zitlali Solache spoke with neighbors, who knew the woman for several years. They say they’ll remember the simple acts of kindness.

“I saw the ambulance, the fire trucks, and two or three police cars. I felt sad, sad because I’ve down her for many years,” said neighbor Daisy Cardona. “On Sundays, they would bring us bread, cupcakes, donuts, and sometimes cakes that were this big. May she rest in peace and my condolences to her family.”

This is an ongoing investigation. Stay with WPTV for updates.

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By Alex Barber

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    MORGAN COUNTY, Kentucky (WLEX) — Shelva Rowe and her sister Annelle Lord never met their uncle, Bearl E. Jones. But through family stories, they know exactly who he was.

“He was everything. He was the first born son, all his siblings looked up to him,” Rowe said.

That leadership carried over to his military service. Jones served in the Marines and reached the rank of corporal, spending four years in the military, including a tour overseas during the Korean War.

After returning from his service, Jones became ill. He died from health complications at the age of 25.

He is buried in rural Morgan County — and getting to his grave is no easy task.

Off Highway 519, the road goes from asphalt to muddy grass. Rowe and Lord park at the bottom of a steep hill, then push through thorns, fight off ticks, and duck under tree limbs just to reach his grave.

It is a journey they make at least once a year on Memorial Day, when family gathers to clean the graves and honor Jones’ service to his country. For some family members, the hike is simply too much.

“They try to come as much as they can, but they are getting older and they can’t make this walk anymore,” Rowe said.

Without action, nature will eventually take over the cemetery.

“He makes me want to cry. Because it makes me so sad that it’s hard to get up here. We don’t want to not fulfill our promise we made to our grandma and our dad,” Rowe said.

That promise is simple.

“That we wouldn’t forget him,” Rowe said.

Rowe and Lord have set up a GoFundMe, saying they hope to raise the money to repair the road leading to the cemetery. The goal is to make sure their family can always reach Jones’ grave and keep it maintained. But this isn’t just about preserving one memory. It’s about keeping their entire family legacy alive.

“It’s kept him alive, his memory alive and doing so we’re keeping our family love ones alive as well,” Lord said.

Just as Corporal Jones once led his family by example, his nieces are now leading theirs, making sure the family promise never fades.

“He isn’t going to be forgotten. I’m teaching my girls to make sure they carry on this legacy,” Rowe 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.