Month: July 2026

By Lucy Cherry

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    PERU, New York (WPTZ) — After spending nearly 250 years at the bottom of Lake Champlain, the final major missing piece of an exploded Revolutionary War cannon has been recovered, marking what researchers believe is the end of a decades-long search.

The artifact is believed to be the last major missing fragment of a cannon that exploded during the Battle of Valcour Island in 1776 — the first major fleet-on-fleet naval battle of the American Revolution.

The explosion aboard the gunboat New York killed Patriot sailor Thomas Rogers and injured two other crew members.

For more than 25 years, the Valcour Bay Research Project has searched the lake bottom in Northern New York for the cannon’s missing pieces. This summer, researchers from Texas A&M University’s Maritime Archaeology and Conservation Center used remote sensing technology to locate what they believed was the final missing fragment.

Buried beneath more than four feet of mud off the coast of Peru, New York, the piece was found almost exactly where researchers predicted the explosion would have sent it.

“It’s really exceptional,” said Dr. Christopher Dostal, director of Texas A&M’s Maritime Archaeology and Conservation Center. “Preservation is unbelievable up here. You’ve got cold, dark, anoxic clay. Things like this just don’t happen.”

Once the artifact reached shore, the discovery was put to the test.

The diver who recovered the first piece of the cannon nearly three decades ago carefully aligned the newly recovered fragment with a 3D-printed replica created from that original discovery. The pieces matched, providing another confirmation that researchers had finally recovered the last major missing section of the cannon.

“It’s a completion of the puzzle,” said Ed Scollon, who recovered the first cannon fragment about 27 years ago. “Our goal was to find this gun and to find out what had happened, and we did all of that and more. It just shows that with this kind of a collaboration, you can learn from not only the stories in books, but from the archaeological evidence that’s still there.”

Researchers say the recovered fragment will now undergo conservation before eventually joining the rest of the original cannon at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, where the complete artifact will be preserved and displayed for the public.

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 Doug Meehan

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    DENNIS, Massachusetts (WCVB) — For two decades, an organization on Cape Cod called Cape Abilities has been proving that adults with intellectual disabilities have plenty of ability to be an important part of the community. And at a farm run by Cape Abilities in Dennis, they are growing both beautiful produce and valuable opportunities.

“Probably about 100 or so flow in and out of the farm program,” said Kim McElholm, president and CEO of Cape Abilities.

On the farm, adults with intellectual disabilities work hand in hand with farmers to grow and sell the crops. It’s not only a job and a paycheck, but it’s also an opportunity for the associates to be a valued part of their community.

“I have countless stories of individuals that I have just been so impressed with and in awe of what they, how they started and where they’ve come,” said farm director Rachel Gillis.

Over the last 20 years, this farm and market, located on 6 acres just off 6A, have been growing a lot more than tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers. They are also cultivating and changing lives through opportunity and purpose.

“They come here, learn skills such as farming, how to grow a tomato from seed to production. They also get to learn the cash register, customer service,” said McElholm.

Celia Levy has been working as a market associate at the farm for five years. She shared it’s been the best job she has ever had.

“It’s great because everyone is so nice and they treat me well and they respect me,” said Levy.

The farm operates seven days a week, nine months a year, with core values that include compassion, inclusion, innovation, integrity, respect and opportunity. As it turns out, whopper tomatoes and beautiful flowers are not the only things that are blossoming at this farm.

“This is an opportunity for someone to hit their goals, work, be with peers and then also give back to our community,” said McElholm.

And even though the growing season lasts nine months, there is still plenty going on during the “off” season at the farm, including during the holiday season, when the growing buildings turn into Santa’s workshop and people come from all over the Cape to buy their Christmas trees from the very able staff.

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 Jack Sears

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    MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — Authorities in Martin County arrested a 77-year-old woman after discovering more than 70 caged cats and an undetermined number of dogs inside her home.

In a press conference held Monday afternoon in Stuart’s Foxwood community, Sheriff John Budensiek said that Gail Giustino had worked for the postal service and is believed to have been collecting feral cats along her route. He called the situation the worst case of animal hoarding he has seen in Martin County.

The sheriff said animal control had tried to access the house over the past week but was unable to do so because the homeowner was uncooperative.

Giustino was arrested on two misdemeanor charges.

“Do we want to arrest a 77-year-old lady? The answer is absolutely not,” the sheriff said. “We truly believe that Gail thinks she’s doing the right thing, but she’s doing the wrong thing, and we have arrested her for two misdemeanors. The goal of arresting her was to be able to seize the animals to save them.”

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 Bernie Montás

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — Lisa Arnold, president of Sisters in Arms of Cape Coral and a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, is leading an initiative to construct a monument in Cape Coral to honor female veterans, which would be the first of its kind in Southwest Florida.

“I spent 28 years on active duty, retiring in 2021,” Arnold said.

Arnold began seeking approval for the project in 2024, inspired by her experiences as a veteran.

“My service was allowed because of the women who have come before me, and all those women who have laced up combat boots set the path for me and for many women in my generation,” Arnold said.

She said that female veterans often feel their contributions are overlooked.

“I’ve noticed, and many of my peers and many of my fellow female veterans, we’ve noticed that our stories are minimized or unheard,” Arnold said. “I know people have asked my peers, like, are those your ribbons at your desk?”

Cape Coral City Councilmember Jennifer Nelson-Lastra is one of Arnold’s strongest supporters for the project.

“I just feel like our city is so veteran friendly, and I feel like this is just another way we have an opportunity to celebrate veterans and especially female veterans,” Nelson-Lastra said.

For Nelson-Lastra, the project is also deeply personal.

“I’m the daughter of a Vietnam vet and granddaughter of a World War II vet and the sister of a Persian Gulf vet, so to me, this was a natural fit,” she said.

The Sisters in Arms of Cape Coral have raised just over $30,000 toward their $400,000 fundraising goal. Arnold said she hopes the monument will be completed by 2028.

“Whenever we get this monument here is going to be a great day for all the women that have served our country,” Arnold 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 Meghan Moriarty

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    PALM BAY, Florida (WESH) — A Palm Bay family woke up to an unexpected guest at their front door: a nearly 8-foot alligator that did not want to leave.

“I thought at one point he was gonna come through the window,” Sierra Wynn said. “His tail was bouncing against the door and against the house. It was such a deep, guttural hiss and growl. He just looked so mean. I thought he was gonna come through the window.”

Palm Bay police and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the home off Malabar Road.

“We were scared. Terrified,” Wynn said. “At one point, when he was getting kind of agitated with the flashlight in his eyes, he actually looked right up at me. He started opening his mouth and growling and hissing.”

Wynn said she’s thankful they got an alert from their security camera because she’s not sure what would have happened if they hadn’t.

“If we didn’t have the cameras and the features where we get notifications that there’s an animal in the yard, who knows what would have happened,” Wynn said. “If I had opened the garage to let the dog out, or if I had opened the front door, I wouldn’t have known.”

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 Jeremy Tombs

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    NEPHI, Utah (KSTU) — In the days after a family of 5 was killed in southern Utah flash floods, a local Nephi business is rallying the family’s surviving daughter in her time of need.

Sitting down in a barber’s chair often symbolizes more than just a haircut.

“I always tell people that clients become family. You get to know them and their families,” said barber Shawn Allred.

Over the past four years at Branded Barbers, Allred has grown a big family.

“I’ve seen them go from graduating high school to getting married to having their own kids,” she shared.

Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long, who was among those who died in the Wayne County floods, was part of that family.

“He was super down to earth, really respectful, kind,” Allred said. “We knew his wife as well; she owned the Summit Spa right behind our other location in Spanish Fork. We did giveaways together.”

When their barbershop learned of the deaths over the weekend, they were devastated.

“I just can’t even begin to imagine that kind of heartbreak,” said Allred.

Those at Branded Barbers knew they couldn’t take that heartbreak away, but they had to help their surviving daughter, Lydia, somehow. So they set up a fundraiser at their Nephi location, donating 100% of the shop’s profits on Monday to Lydia.

On Monday, the line grew in a hurry. Some who stopped into the store didn’t even get a haircut, while others said they didn’t need one, but wanted one anyway.

Matthew Kaldor saw the shop’s social media post, and even without knowing the Long family personally, he responded to help.

“I’m coming in cause I know everything that I’m giving today is going to take care of that little girl at her time of need,” Kaldor said.

“I feel like coming out to support here is the least I can do,” added Nephi resident Jackson Price.

The barbershop initially set a goal to raise $2,000 and easily hit that mark. As of 7 p.m., they were up to $4,500.

It’s a testament to the strength of the community that the barber shop and Juab County have built.

“Even if it’s the next town over, we’re all still part of Juab County, and this is how we all are,” said Kaldor. “We take care of our own, and we make sure everyone can be lifted up.”

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 Madi Baggett

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    PIUTE COUNTY, Utah (KSTU) — Businesses across Piute, Beaver and Sevier counties are struggling after wildfires and flash flooding hurt tourism during one of the busiest times of the year.

Restaurant, motel and outdoor recreation owners say the back-to-back disasters have kept visitors away and caused major financial problems for small businesses that depend on summer travelers.

Burn scars left by the Cottonwood Fire increased the risk of flash flooding after heavy rain moved through central Utah. Floodwaters carried mud and debris across roads, campgrounds and recreation areas that are popular with tourists.

Dan Groves, owner of Hoovers River Resort in Marysvale, said wildfire smoke caused many visitors to cancel their trips to southern Utah.

“People still were just changing their plans entirely to just not come to Utah,” Groves said. “It sounded like the whole state was on fire.”

Groves said the losses have been especially difficult because tourism businesses in the area have already faced several hard years.

“It was the third summer in a row that we had pretty much the entire summer cancelled and less through traffic for the restaurant,” Groves said. “We were seeing some writing on the wall that was pretty grim.”

Businesses faced another challenge after officials issued a boil-water advisory in parts of Piute County when flood runoff affected local water systems.

At Big Rock Candy Mountain Restaurant, employee Carley Veltri said the fires, flooding and water problems have made it difficult for businesses to recover.

“People convoyed out of here,” Veltri said. “When the fires were happening, now we have flooding. That’s something else.”

Veltri said summer tourism is extremely important for rural Utah communities.

“It’s killing us all,” she said. “Utah is a seasonal state. All the revenue basically comes from the summertime and now since there is no business there is no revenue.”

Groves said many business owners feel overwhelmed by the repeated disasters.

“It’s not because we are bad business owners,” he said. “It’s because we’ve had these natural disasters over and over again.”

Even with the challenges, business owners say they are continuing to stay open and hope visitors return before the summer season is lost completely.

A GoFundMe has been created to help local business owners: Fundraiser by Ahtianna DeJesus : Cottonwood Fire: Support Hoovers and Local Recovery!

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By Sydney St. Claire

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    LEXINGTON, Kentucky (WLEX) — Pop-A-Lock has helped free more than 4,600 children from locked cars over the past 31 years — about 150 per year — and the service is completely free.

Doug Barnes said the company can unlock a car in about 30 seconds, but stressed that calling 911 should always be the first step when a child is locked inside.

“And we may beat the police there and stuff, so but call 911 1st and because time is really important for every 10 minutes in a hot car, the temperature goes up 20 degrees, so it’s really important to act fast,” Barnes said.

Barnes said no one locks a child in a car intentionally, but it doesn’t take long for a child to suffer heat stroke.

“It, it could just be a matter of 10 to 15 minutes of them having a heat stroke and stuff. So that’s the reason time is so important. And the main thing is just, you know, is just do those things so that really doesn’t happen and just be aware of it.”

To help prevent it from happening, Barnes recommends placing something you need — like a purse or briefcase — in the backseat as a reminder to check before getting out of the car. Barnes also reminds parents and caregivers to stop, look, and lock before exiting the vehicle.

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By Chloe Godding

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — Help is available. If you or someone you know is involved in human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.

Nearly 20 people were arrested and multiple others rescued, including children, in anti-trafficking operations during the World Cup in Kansas City.

The FBI Kansas City division announced final results from its efforts to combat child exploitation and human trafficking during the tournament.

Human trafficking is the exploitation of a person for services or sex through force or coercion. The FBI said any exploitation of a minor is considered trafficking.

In total, 19 people were arrested on state and federal charges. Nine children were found and nine victims were offered resources.

“While it is an unfortunate fact that numbers like this confirm this threat is still one that exists in our community, I am proud of the work of all the partners involved to help us on this surge,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge, in a news release. “Today’s announcement underscores the collective effort law enforcement has and will continue to place on ensuring vulnerable victims are recovered and their abusers face justice.”

More than 15 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Kansas City Police Department, collaborated throughout the 17 operations.

The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was a major part of the success of the operation. The task force is made up of FBI agents and officers with KCPD, the Overland Park Police Department, Independence Police Department, Olathe Police Department and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team.

A number of other agencies and groups were involved in assisting as well.

“I am proud of the work being done alongside our federal, state and local partners. KCPD is thankful for operations like these where vulnerable victims are rescued and predatory offenders are arrested,” KCPD Chief Stacey Graves said. “Collectively, we will continue the work in making Kansas City and our region safer.”

Anyone who needs help or has information about human trafficking can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888, text the hotline at 233733 or chat online at humantraffickinghotline.org/chat.

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.