Month: July 2026

By John Ramos

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    San Francisco (KPIX) — Just a few years ago, the city of San Francisco was described as being in a “doom loop” of despair. But on Saturday, thousands of residents participated in a city-wide day of service, designed not only to spruce up the neighborhoods, but also to bring people closer together.

Mayor Daniel Lurie was kept busy on his Saturday, running from one volunteer event to another. He had his wife to thank for it.

“My wife, Becca Prowda, the First Lady of San Francisco, had this idea for One City Day to bring people together, to volunteer to help our City,” said Lurie. “To keep our city going in the right direction, keep the momentum going.”

The first One City Day drew 3,500 volunteers to 183 beautification projects in every neighborhood in San Francisco. In the Ingleside District, USF student Roberta Mariscal was part of a small army of people picking up trash on the streets.

“I wasn’t really expecting such a big turnout. And I was just really happy to see that,” she said.

Roberta’s crew had a special mission: picking up cans full of cigarette butts discarded by smokers who, for some reason, don’t consider it littering. It’s the kind of thing that you may not even notice unless you spend time on a Saturday picking them up.

“I’ve been noticing more trash and, just, trash everywhere,” said Roberta. “And I want to help more. So, I feel like doing it once really opens your eyes about how you can help and the amount of trash. And it’s just really nice to do. I’m really enjoying this. I could keep on going for a few more hours.”

At a nearby park, a crew was planting new trees and pulling up weeds in a garden. And for 6-year-old volunteer Ethan, chopping at weeds with a digging tool was pretty tough work.

“My favorite thing is digging,” he said. “But sometimes using a tool that’s more gooder. Using your hand is not good.”

Across town in the Tenderloin District, Jasmine Neumann was doing her part for the neighborhood, adding stenciled art to the planter boxes. She came up from Santa Cruz and had heard about the Tenderloin and was a little nervous at first.

“Yeah, it’s scary. That’s exactly what was so captivating for me about it. Because you come down here and you’re pretty intimidated, with lots of sketchy people, it feels like,” she said. “But when you’re representing St Anthony’s, everybody recognizes them because of how much good work they do in the streets.”

For St. Anthony’s, every day is a service day. They supply meals and free clothing to the street people of the Tenderloin. And foundation CEO Larry Kwan said the 72 people who volunteered on One City Day left with a new understanding of a population they rarely see.

“These are individuals. And once you can understand that, it transforms us from ‘I’m managing all these crazy issues’ to ‘I’m helping people,'” said Kwan. “So, for me, a day of service is a platform to remind people to not forget. To not forget those who may not be part of the thriving, and to serve them.”

Back at the park, Lurie was thanking the volunteers who collected 170 pounds of trash in just one hour. And Roberta, who hails from Southern California, seemed a little sorry to see it end.

“I’m not from here,” she said, “but seeing the community of San Francisco coming together, it’s just honestly really nice to see.”

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 Jason Marks

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    WINTERS, California (KCRA) — In Winters, California, Al Calderone has dedicated 35 years to teaching the rare craft of building acoustic guitars at his shop, ARC Guitar, and he has no plans to stop.

“It’s the joy in my heart,” Calderone said.

Calderone, a luthier—a term for someone who builds instruments—teaches both day and night, helping students create their dream guitars.

“When people come in here, they tell me they are surprised that a business like this still exists because this is a lost art,” he said.

He ensures students learn basic woodworking skills to work safely while crafting their instruments.

“It turns out half of building a guitar is sanding,” Calderone said.

Calderone built his first guitar at age 40, fulfilling a dream he had since he was 18. Since then, he has crafted nearly 90 guitars.

“It is one of the most incredible things. You take raw wood and sculpt and fashion it and tune it, and when you finally hear what I call baby’s first cry, that first sound it makes, it’s like hearing your baby make that first sound. Nothing like it. It’s magic,” Calderone said.

One of Calderone’s students, Finn Abiko, drives two and a half hours from Lake Tahoe to work on a guitar he is building as a surprise for his father.

“My dad has been trying to get me to play as long as I remember. I just never got into it, so I’m learning along the way what most of these parts even are or what they do or what they mean,” Abiko said.

Abiko started the project last year and is still working on it, as it typically takes about 200 hours to complete a guitar.

“Al calls this my labor of love for my dad,” Abiko said.

Abiko makes the long drive to Winters every month to continue his work. He is not the only student traveling from afar.

Matt Hader, from Utah, is also learning from Calderone, hoping to use the skills to start selling guitars back home.

“It’s very rare to find a guitar maker, luthier, somebody who teaches you on a hands-on basis,” Hader said.

Calderone’s shop is one of only about a dozen in the country that teach guitar building, and he is the only one in California.

“There are a lot of factories that make guitars, but very few people hand-build guitars and even fewer that are willing to teach,” Calderone said.

With Calderone’s guidance, 136 students have shaped their soundboards to scale, bringing their dream instruments to life.

“The way every little piece comes together is such a challenge,” Hader said.

For Calderone, the joy of teaching is as fulfilling as the craft itself.

“I’m a retired pastor, so I worked with people for a long time. I’m a life coach, so having young people like Finn come in here, it’s a joy. There are no words to express it. We become friends with a lot of people. Yeah, I would say everybody that comes in here becomes my friend,” Calderone said.

At 68 years old, Calderone has no plans to stop teaching.

“I hope to die on my bench. In fact, that granite bench back there, I told my wife I want that as my tombstone with the epitaph, ‘He worked on it,'” he said.

For Calderone, the work is “too much fun” to ever stop, and he plans to continue mentoring those who build the music and those who want to play it.

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 KCCI Staff

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown is honoring an unlikely beloved resident with a specially designed grave marker.

The cemetery shared an image of the design that will appear on Blossom’s marker, crafted by the Nevada Monument Company:

Blossom the goose lived at Lake Woodmere in the cemetery for years and gained national fame during a search to find her a new companion. That search was successful when Frankie the goose joined her at the cemetery.

Last October, KCCI reported that Blossom was hit by a vehicle and died. The cemetery described the marker as a beautiful tribute to her 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 Kaitlin Gehlhaus, Phil Tenser

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — Massachusetts students will soon receive hundreds of handwritten messages from peers in Portugal after the Portuguese Navy’s tall ship Sagres arrived in Boston.

The letters were presented Sunday to Revere teacher Sally Hancock, who plans to distribute them to students when they return to school this fall. Hancock said the letters would be delivered to students in her district and others in the Boston area.

“Hopefully we’ll get some pen pals going back and forth; it’s all about making connections,” Hancock said.

Organizers said the initiative is intended to encourage American students and celebrate the multicultural communities represented in schools across Greater Boston.

“They are hopefully going to get some responses back: more information about our great country in the letters that they receive back from our American students,” Hancock said.

Sagres is one of the sister ships representing four nations that raced between New York City and Massachusetts. It entered Boston Harbor during the Parade of Sail on Saturday.

The Sagres is docked at Boston Fish Pier during Sail Boston. That pier opens for viewing and boarding at 12 p.m. on July 12 and 2 p.m. on July 13-15. Other areas around the harbor are open from 10 a.m. through 10 p.m., and tours are free.

Hancock encouraged her students to visit the ships.

“Especially our students, I think they have a lot that they can gain from coming down here and learning the history of Portugal and the other countries that are here,” said Hancock.

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 Jacob Murphy

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    WESTBROOK, Maine (WMTW) — Dr. Paige Teller knows what to expect when it comes to the Tri for a Cure. She has ten years under her belt taking part in both the relay and tackling the triathlon herself. It’s a tradition she started with two of her patients.

“We kind of used that as an annual reunion,” Teller said.

Her first year, she was swept up in the emotions of the event and decided to keep the tradition going every year. It gave her an opportunity to see her patients in a more positive setting.

“I think it’s pretty joyous to be able to be out there together, doing something together,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to have that time with them outside of here.”

Teller works at New England Cancer Specialists. She started working in the new treatment center in Westbrook when it opened in 2025.

Over the years, Teller met more patients through her work and would meet up with them during the triathlon. Eventually, she started racing the entire triathlon solo, while still taking the opportunity to see her current and former patients and their families.

Teller will be running in the Tri again this year and plans on completing it solo. “I’m feeling good. I am looking forward to it. I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself other than to go out and enjoy it,” she said.

With an office right next door to Teller, Dr. Jillian Smith has also been taking part in the Tri for a Cure, now for four years. She understands the joy of getting to see her patients out of the office.

“To see them at such a joyous and inspirational time is really meaningful,” she said.

One of Smith’s favorite parts of the race is the opening ceremonies. She says race day is filled with excitement, nerves and emotions and it’s her opportunity to catch patients before they take the first swim.

“Everyone comes together, and you’re just, you’re seeing patients that you’ve seen in the halls and you’ve seen here in the clinic,” Smith said.

Teller couldn’t agree more.

“We support patients through their cancer journey, but this weekend is an opportunity to support our people and something they’ve had a choice in doing,” Teller said. “Something that maybe puts them to the edge of their comfort zone, but it’s because they wanted to do that.”

This year, the Tri for a Cure has met its fundraising goal of $2.1 million, but Maine Cancer Foundation says any more money raised will allow them to do even more to support patients. You can donate on the race’s website.

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 Ayron Lewallen

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — A mother whose son was killed while on duty as a firefighter is turning that heartbreak into healing.

Sunday marks three years since Birmingham firefighter Jordan Melton was shot on duty. He died five days later. Now, his mother is making it her life’s mission to support other women who lost their children in a similar way.

Dr. Rochelle Gaston Malone said Sunday brought back the painful memories of getting the call that her son was shot and waiting at the hospital while he was in surgery. But in the years since her son’s death, Gaston Malone has worked to transform that grief into purpose.

“I went in today I think better than last year because my focus was so on the hope and healing of other mothers that I focused on the calling of what I had to do today and that helped to dull the pain of the remembrance of what happened to him three years ago today,” she said.

At the third annual J.E.M.S. Society Observance and Mothers Honors luncheon, she gathered with and honored mothers who have also lost children to gun violence and offered support, recognition and encouragement to women carrying the weight of tragedy.

She said the goal is simple but powerful—reminding grieving mothers they are seen. For honoree Catrina Carey, that support matters.

“When someone takes time out of their day to honor you,” Carey said, “it makes you feel good because it kind of takes the pressure off when you’re having a bad day and you get that call saying, ‘We want to honor you.’ It feels amazing.”

Gaston Malone said she never expected gun violence to touch her own family so personally. Now, she says her faith has helped carry her through the darkest moments and shaped the way she serves others facing similar pain. Her hope, she said, is that mothers who attend events like the luncheon feel empowered to keep moving forward — without guilt.

Damien McDaniel is charged with Melton’s murder. A trial date has not yet been set, but Gaston Malone said she is not rushing the legal process because she wants to make sure justice is served.

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 Nick Sloan

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    LESTERVILLE, Missouri (KMBC) — More than 200 children and staff were airlifted to safety after historic flooding trapped them at a southeastern Missouri summer camp.

Eight Missouri National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crews evacuated campers and staff from Camp Taum Sauk on Friday, July 10, transporting them to a designated safe location in Arcadia after flash flooding inundated the area.

The evacuation came after the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Reynolds and Iron counties following 8 to 12 inches of rain that fell overnight.

“Missouri’s aviation community trains and stands ready to respond to a variety of dynamic missions such as this one,” Maj. Gen. Charles Hausman, the Missouri National Guard’s adjutant general, said in a statement. “It was an honor for us to assist our Missouri emergency responders with these unique capabilities.”

The Missouri National Guard said it worked alongside local and state emergency responders to complete the evacuation safely.

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 Tyler Tripodi

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — An Oklahoma City youth volleyball team celebrated its national championship victory, a triumph that carried profound emotional meaning after a season marked by challenges and loss.

Most championship teams undergo hardships—an injury, a bad loss or even a player leaving.

Peak Volleyball’s 13U team faced those obstacles, but they also endured the devastating loss of one of their biggest fans, Marty Proper.

“He loved this team,” said Lisa Polcovich, the team’s coach.

But what Marty loved more than the team was one of its players—his daughter Tess.

“He loved watching his daughter play, and he was saying to everybody, ‘This is the best day of my life that I got to see this team and these girls, and my daughter win a national qualifier,’” Polcovich said.

But when the team was on their way home, tragedy struck.

“That morning, we all get home. Everybody’s tired, and we get the news. Marty was at work, suffered a heart attack and passed away,” Polcovich said.

Marty’s family said it was unimaginable.

“It was the most difficult time in our lives, and it happened so quickly and abruptly,” said Rachel Proper, Tess’s mother.

While they struggled with the loss, Polcovich knew the team could help.

“There’s actually a little more to the story,” Polcovich said.

She explained that Tess wasn’t alone in her grief.

“We also have another player who lost her dad a couple of years ago,” Polcovich said. “I lost my father when I was 13.”

That shared experience helped Tess feel like she wasn’t alone.

“It felt like I could talk to her about things and that I related to her in other ways,” Tess said.

Polcovich said she feels she was put in the right place at the right time.

“I just felt God has put these young women in my life because I’ve experienced something like this, and they’re going through it,” she said.

While Marty’s family began their next chapter, they wanted to honor him and his love of volleyball. So, they turned to a well-known comment of his for inspiration.

“He used to tease all the time that Peak was going to need a trophy case because our team was going to bring home so much hardware,” Rachel said.

His family donated a trophy case to the team in his honor, giving his daughter and her team a mission.

“I wanted to honor him by playing for and playing for something bigger than myself,” Tess said.

As the team battled through a demanding season, they qualified for the national tournament. Polcovich said when it mattered most, the team’s true colors were revealed.

“They are team players. They want the best for each other, and that was what was the game changer is that they unified just at the right time,” Polcovich said.

That unity led to a national championship victory.

With that, Tess was able to prove her father right, bringing home the hardware that will rest in his trophy case.

“They donated the trophy case, and now we’re able to put that national championship in there in his honor, in his family’s honor and his daughter’s honor,” Polcovich said. “It couldn’t mean more to 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.