Month: June 2026

By Noelle Blumel

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    CINCINNATI (WCPO) — The Savannah Bananas are back in Cincinnati, but this year they face a new opponent: the Indianapolis Clowns.

The Clowns were implemented into Banana Ball this season to honor the original Negro League team that played from the 1930s to 1989. The team also had stints in Miami (Florida) and here in Cincinnati as the Ethiopian and Cincinnati Clowns.

So, when 93-year-old West Chester resident Myra Merchant heard the Clowns were coming to town, she said she was shocked.

“It brings back a lot of beautiful memories,” she said.

Merchant’s husband, Henry Lewis “Speed” Merchant, was an outfielder for the original Clowns team. He coined the nickname “Speed” because of his pace on the bases.

In 1950, he won the title for most stolen bases in a single season with 45 bases stolen in 80 games.

“(He) was a hell of a ball player,” Merchant said of her late husband. “He could run, he was a beautiful runner.”

“Speed” died of prostate cancer in 1982, but even four decades later, at the Merchant family’s table, sit dozens of photos and memorabilia — a physical record of a legacy Merchant refuses to let fade.

“I can’t help it, it’s part of history,” she said. “I thank God he had a chance to prove himself in the Negro League.”

Their three children, Charisse, Herma Jean and Rashawn Merchant, still live in the Cincinnati area as well and remember the tricks he used to do as a player.

“They came up with tricks (like) hiding the ball and digging into the dirt and coming up (with it),” Charisse said.

Charisse added that even after his time as a player, their father would still perform the tricks from time to time.

“He just knew how to do so many things,” Rashawn said. “He could take the baseball and roll it down his shoulder… could catch the ball behind his back, over his head.”

Myra said the tricks, in addition to the baseball, made the games a joyful spectacle.

“There was laughter and fun in the game, the way they played it, and it was enjoyable,” Merchant said.

That enjoyment, however, came with adversity. The Clowns often had to perform in the face of open discrimination.

“It was rough,” Charisse said. “(Going to) certain places to eat, they would send whoever was the lightest-skinned guy on the team. He would go to the back and get the sandwiches or whatever to eat.”

The hostility didn’t stop there.

“Players being thrown ice, (patrons) would throw the bottles at them,” Charisse said. “But (the players) kept going and they would win the game and hurry up and get on the bus.”

Charisse added that sometimes the players could not change out of their jerseys after games because they had to leave the hostile environment immediately to avoid things escalating.

Myra described the era with unflinching clarity.

“Prejudice, back in the, the ’30s and ’40s, and even a lot of times in the ’50s, that prejudice was still there,” she said. “And you had to endure it, take it, smile and keep going.”

When asked what made the players want to keep going, Myra’s answer was immediate.

“I’ll put it this way, our Lord came here, and he knew what he had to endure,” she said. “He kept going, and that’s what the Black man has done. He kept going. Because had he stopped, where would he have been today?”

Charisse and Rashawn echoed that sentiment.

“He loved the game. It was just in his blood, and that’s what he wanted to do,” they said.

Now with a new generation of the Clowns making headlines, the Merchant family said their hope is that the fans and players know about the pioneers who wore the name first.

“I thank God because it lives on. He’s part of history. And it lives on through the children and every Black player. Every Black man that came through hell,” Myra said.

Charisse and Rashawn said they want that history to be part of the celebration.

“Just remember that it started through a lot of hardship, that it wasn’t all fun and games,” Rashawn said. “There’s a history there and all of it’s not the best, but they made the best of what they had.”

Myra said the struggles they went through, though grueling, are part of what makes America a great country.

“They were part of America. That’s what makes America great, and it is a great country,” she said. “This is a melting pot of beautiful colors. She have her problems — What country has none? But we can solve them together, united as one.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WCPO 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 Chloe McCoy

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    SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WYFF) — Officers in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, responded to the Surfside Pier after a swimmer refused to comply with lifeguards and became combative.

The Surfside Beach Fire Department responded to the scene on Friday and deployed two jet skis, a swimmer, and three lifeguards into the water to help retrieve the swimmer.

Officials say the swimmer became hostile and combative and attempted to strike the firefighters.

According to reports, crews waited for the swimmer to become tired before using a rescue board and towing him back to shore.

Authorities confirmed the swimmer was then taken into custody by the Surfside Beach Police Department.

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 A.J. Nwoko

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    HENRICO COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — A fleet of 600 motorcycles, cars and slingshots rolled through Henrico County on Saturday in honor of King Overton, the 9-year-old boy who died after being pulled from a summer camp pool earlier this week.

The memorial ride came with a police escort — and a clear message from King’s family: they want justice.

A spokesperson for the family addressed the crowd after riders reached their destination.

“We want justice. Let’s be very clear about that,” the woman said. “We are so grateful for all of you, but we want justice.”

The spokesperson also stressed the importance of water safety.

“Swim safety is so important,” she said. “I don’t care if the child is yours; keep your eyes on that water.”

King was found unresponsive at SwimRVA-North around 2:30 p.m. on Monday during a free swim session.

Camp staff immediately began CPR and continued lifesaving efforts until paramedics and Henrico firefighters arrived.

The child was taken to an area hospital, where he died. Henrico Police are investigating and working with the medical examiner’s office to determine the cause and manner of death.

The memorial ride was organized around something King loved. His mother, LaTaisha Johnson, had one request for the community following her son’s death.

Tony “Cuz” Cousin, one of the memorial riders, said the group took that wish to heart.

“What we understood was that he loved motorcycles and that he wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle,” Cousin said. “We are taking King’s request to heart. And if he was here, trust me, we’d all make sure that he could get on each one of these bikes if we could.”

Many riders carried a small tribute with them on the road.

“I brought a little teddy bear that I figured it would represent him. And I figured that would be King riding with me,” Cousin said.

The ride drew not only those who knew King, but also those who understood the family’s grief firsthand.

Mia Wyatt attended to support the Overton family, having held a memorial ride a year earlier for her 2-year-old grandson, Cameron “Cam” Massie, who drowned on June 15, 2025.

“I had my grandson’s vigil last year, same place and same time,” Wyatt said. “I just had to be there for the family because I know what they are going through.”

Johnson shared her grief publicly following her son’s death.

“King was our everything. He was the love of our lives, our heart, our joy and our reason for so much,” Johnson said. “The pain we are feeling right now is unbearable and there are no words that can truly describe what we’re going through.”

She also described her final moments with her son.

“He was the smallest kid with the biggest heart,” Johnson said. “Yesterday, at approximately 8:17 a.m., I told my son I love him the most for the very last time.”

SwimRVA Executive Director Adam Kennedy said the nonprofit is cooperating fully with authorities.

“Our hearts are with the child’s family and loved ones during this loss,” Kennedy said. “We extend our deepest condolences and are keeping them and all those affected by this tragedy in our thoughts.”

SwimRVA-North remains closed as the investigation continues.

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 WTVR CBS 6 Web Staff

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    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — A new tool aims to help families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease by making it easier to find treatments and programs.

The Alzheimer’s Disease Registry Initiative, known as ADRI, is a virtual research platform that connects people with Alzheimer’s or dementia and their caregivers to researchers. The goal is to match patients with clinical trials to accelerate breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s treatment.

Founder Indu Navar launched EverythingAD after previously starting EverythingALS following the loss of her husband to Lou Gehrig’s disease.

She created the platform to help the more than 7 million people nationwide living with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

To get started, families can visit the EverythingAD website and complete a 30-minute assessment.

The platform will then work to match users with a clinical trial based on their stage of the disease. An AI chat tool is also available for users to ask questions and check eligibility for trials. Even if someone is not eligible at the time, the platform will continue to follow up as new trials become available.

Navar said the urgency behind the platform goes beyond any single family.

“This problem is not going to go away. And if we don’t really do something about it, this will continue and it will get worse in generation after generation. Our tagline now is let’s make Alzheimer’s be forgotten, you know, in this generation, so we need to come up with a cure.”

So far, EverythingAD has connected with around 1,000 families.

For more information, visit everythingad.org.

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 Kennedy Mason

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    Florida (WESH) — Most people might expect anger after waiting nearly a quarter-century for answers about their mother’s murder. Instead, Eric Holtz said he found forgiveness.

Just days after Gary Durrance was sentenced to life in prison for the 1999 murder of Holtz’s mother, Sherry Holtz, Eric reflected on the decades-long journey that led to justice — and the faith that helped him let go of bitterness along the way.

“If I can forgive the man who did the most heinous crime that I could think of and did it to a loved one, if I can forgive that person, I believe it’s in the hearts of anyone to forgive anyone,” Holtz said.

For more than two decades, Holtz lived with unanswered questions about what happened to his mother and why.

In December 1999, Sherry Holtz was found dead in a wooded area off South Orlando Drive in Sanford. Investigators suspected her longtime boyfriend, Gary Durrance, but the case eventually went cold.

Despite the years that passed, Holtz said he never stopped remembering the woman behind the headlines.

“She was my mom,” he said. “She made great spaghetti.”

The case took a dramatic turn in 2023 when Sanford police cold-case detectives reopened the investigation and used advanced DNA testing on a knife recovered at the crime scene.

The testing linked Durrance to the killing, according to investigators.

As more details emerged during the investigation and trial, Holtz said pieces of his childhood began to make sense.

“I connected the dots,” he said. “Now I understand the arguing, the screaming. But at the time, I just thought this happens. People argue.”

A Seminole County jury convicted Durrance in June after deliberating for just eight minutes. Days later, a judge sentenced him to life in prison.

“I do believe justice was served,” Holtz said.

But for Holtz, the story did not end with a guilty verdict.

He said his Christian faith ultimately guided him toward forgiveness rather than resentment.

“I have forgiveness because I’m a Christian,” Holtz said.

Today, he says his hopes extend beyond the prison sentence handed down to the man convicted of killing his mother.

“My overarching desire and prayer is that Mr. Durrance finds Jesus Christ in prison,” he said.

After decades of uncertainty, Holtz finally has answers about his mother’s death. But he says the greatest lesson from the experience is not about revenge or anger.

It’s about the freedom he found in forgiveness.

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 Stef Manchen

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    TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma (KJRH) — After 950 miles and three weeks on the trails, 18 Cherokee cyclists crossed the finish line.

They completed an emotional journey that retraced their ancestors’ forced removal nearly two centuries ago in the annual Remember the Removal ride.

“I can’t believe it’s over,” said Dugan Gibson. “It’s a bittersweet feeling.”

21-year-old Gibson from Talala was among the cyclists who embarked on the transformative journey along the northern route of the Trail of Tears. His emotional reunion with loved ones at the finish line captured the intensity of what the riders experienced.

“Having to cope with what our people went through and learn more each day while going through physical turmoil, it just adds up and adds up and it makes it really hard but it’s fulfilling,” Gibson said.

All of the riders trained for six months leading up to the start, logging nearly 1,500 miles in preparation.

“This is a way to really do a deep dive into Cherokee history and retracing the steps of our ancestors who were so brutally forcibly removed,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “You can tell that they’re impacted, connecting with their shared history and in many cases their individual history and genealogy as they go back to what is to the Cherokee Nation the old country.”

Hoskin said the ride represents something deeper than athletic achievement — it’s a time for the entire Cherokee Nation to reflect and focus on restoration from their ancestors’ traumatic removal.

“The preparation alone was a test, this journey’s been a test, and I think what comes next for them in their lives is a deeper understanding of what it means to be Cherokee,” said Hoskin.

For Gibson, the experience created bonds and insights that can never be replicated.

“This is genuinely a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “I’ll never get to do the experiences I had again with the same people, with this family that I’ve built, and that makes it once in a lifetime.”

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 Lillian Donahue

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    TEMPE, Arizona (KNXV) — On Friday afternoon, a Tempe couple celebrated not only a new chapter in their love story, but a new beginning for the rest of their lives after battling through homelessness.

Abdul and Teresa Broner started dating six years ago and had never experienced homelessness before.

However, like more than half of the nation’s population that lives one paycheck away from crisis, they lost their jobs and housing in early 2026.

“It spiraled out of control,” Teresa Broner said.

They ended up at the emergency shelter inside University Presbyterian Church and got connected to the Tempe Community Action Agency.

“They’ve been part of our shelter for the last couple of months and have just fully ingratiated themselves into our community,” TCAA CEO Phillip Scharf said.

Despite their situation, the couple didn’t give up. They got new jobs working with the City of Tempe and are in transitional housing as they plan to get into a long-term place to call home next month.

“They are also both employed driving the city bus with the city of Tempe. They’re already into a transitional apartment as we wait for permanent housing for them,” Scharf said. “It’s just really, I think, the epitome of what we try to strive to do here.”

They asked the shelter and community leaders who helped them through the toughest time of their lives to celebrate their next chapter as newlyweds.

“There’s help out there if you want help,” Abdul Broner said.

The Tempe Community Action Agency partnered with multiple organizations that donated their time, food, music and even the cake for the nuptials at the same church shelter they were once in.

“Anything is possible, especially if you stick together,” Teresa Broner said. “A lot of people did a lot to make this happen for us.”

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 Luana Munoz

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    MOUNT DORA, Florida (WESH) — A large monkey – or monkeys – was spotted Thursday hanging out in Mount Dora’s Gilbert Park.

The photos of the monkey have been making the rounds on social media, leaving parents on high alert as they bring their kids out to play.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a monkey live or outside of a zoo. I think that alone is shocking and somewhat fearful,” said Kendrick Crockett.

WESH 2 did not spot the animals Friday, but monkey sightings across Central Florida are nothing new. A colony of Rhesus Macaques has called our area home since the 1930’s and they have become part of folklore.

WESH 2 News also received several photos from Lakeside Inn, which believes the same monkey visited their property earlier.

“I used to have a boat a few years ago. My wife and I would come through the canal from Lake East. Every once in a while, you would absolutely see them in the trees,” said Brock Stocksett.

While the monkeys are cute, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation says they are nothing to play with.

The monkeys are an invasive species and carry diseases that could spread to humans, including rabies and Herpes B.

Kids and parents say it may be cool to see one but are aware to keep their distance.

FWC says to never feed a wild monkey.

If you see one you can report it to IveGot1.org.

People can also report monkeys approaching people and acting aggressively to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

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 Cameron Polom

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    MESA, Arizona (KNXV) — For some shelter dogs, the best part of the day isn’t a walk or a treat. It’s story time.

This summer, children are heading to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control’s Mesa shelter to practice their reading skills with an audience that never interrupts, never judges, and always seems happy to listen.

The shelter reading program pairs young readers with dogs waiting for adoption, giving children a chance to build confidence while providing the animals with companionship and enrichment.

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.