Month: July 2026

By John Miller

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    GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (WGBA) — Three years ago, local firefighter Nick Verstoppen thought he might never be able to lift weights again. Now, he is competing on the national stage.

“I just kind of got hooked,” Verstoppen said.

Verstoppen’s powerlifting journey began in 2016. By 2022, he had placed fifth at a national meet.

“I’ve competed against a lot of great lifters, and I, you know, on the national stage, it’s no joke,” Verstoppen said.

In 2023, his progress was sidelined following surgery on his rotator cuff. Then, about a month after the operation, Verstoppen’s open wound came into contact with a flesh-eating disease that began attacking his body.

“Doctors in fact, informed my wife and I that I probably wasn’t coming out of what was, I believe, my third emergency surgery without (a left arm),” Verstoppen said. “And informed my wife that I may not survive it at all.”

Fortunately, he woke up with both arms.

“I woke up; I can remember wiggling my fingers. I rolled over and went back to sleep because I was relieved,” Verstoppen said.

He focused heavily on his recovery, and in less than a year, he returned to his normal duties at work. He also began slowly working his way back into weightlifting.

“I have a daughter with special needs, she’s in a power wheelchair, she can’t transfer herself, and for months, my wife had cared for [her],” Verstoppen said. “And the first time I was able to pick her up and move her was probably my biggest milestone.”

From there, Verstoppen eventually transitioned back into competitive powerlifting. On June 10, he took seventh place at nationals, hitting several personal bests.

“To know that if we’re willing to bear down and work through things, nothing is unattainable,” Verstoppen said. “You can achieve anything if you’re just willing to keep moving forward and work.”

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 Catherine Ross

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    ELYRIA, Ohio (WEWS) — The same Elyria police officer on paid leave after a controversial restraint on a 15-year-old girl is under review for a similar tactic used earlier the same day.

Last week, News 5 reported the outrage after several videos appeared to show an officer kneeling on or near the teen’s neck. She was arrested for a disturbance after the city’s Juneteenth festival.

Attorney Alex Bodiford, who is representing the girl’s family, shared a new video with News 5 of an arrest involving the same officer earlier in the day.

The doorbell video shows police cruisers parked behind a red vehicle in a driveway. Bodiford said his client, Daryl Jackson, was inside the car on the phone with a mental health hotline because he was having suicidal thoughts.

Elyria police said the mental health service provider requested officers respond because Jackson was also making statements about harming others, and they believed he may have a firearm.

In the provided video, the officers can be heard asking Jackson to exit the vehicle with his hands raised.

“Daryl, this is the Elyria Police Department. We want to help you, but you’ve got to work with us,” an officer says over a loudspeaker.

Eventually, Jackson can be seen getting out of the car, raising his arms and approaching officers. After an exchange of words, Jackson then appears to walk away from the officers.

They can be seen on video using non-lethal force, including a taser and pepper ball gun, to take the man to the ground. Then the video shows one officer kneeling near Jackson’s neck.

Bodiford said he and Jackson were upset to see how the situation escalated. The attorney said he was also disappointed to learn that the officer appearing to kneel on Jackson is the same person involved in the controversial restraint of his other client.

“I think this behavior from the police department discourages people from trying to seek help in situations like that. It’s disheartening because he was trying to seek help, and this is the result of it,” Bodiford said.

Some Elyria leaders have called the officer’s maneuver “triggering” and compared it to the murder of George Floyd.

The officer in question is on paid administrative leave, per protocol, while his actions are under internal review. Elyria Police Chief James Welsh told News 5 on Tuesday that the department is investigating both incidents of use of force.

Welsh issued the following statement to News 5:

“We received a call that Daryl Jackson was potentially in possession of a firearm and was reported to be both homicidal and suicidal. When officers confronted him at the residence, he was noncompliant, and officers used force during the encounter to subdue and arrest Mr. Jackson.

We review every use of force, regardless of whether a complaint is filed, to ensure our officers acted within department policy and the law. Consistent with our standard procedures, this incident has been assigned for an internal review.

It is unacceptable for individuals to violate the law and then refuse to comply with police officers.

When someone refuses to comply with the lawful orders of a police officer or resists arrest, situations can escalate quickly. That is when officers, innocent bystanders, and even the individuals involved are at greater risk of being injured.

I do not condone anyone refusing to comply with lawful orders issued by police officers.

The Elyria Police Department is staffed by professional, well-trained, and proactive officers. They understand my expectations, and I will hold them accountable whenever they violate department policy or fail to meet our professional standards.”

A use-of-force expert News 5 interviewed last week reviewed video from the 15-year-old’s arrest. He opined that, in that case, it appeared the officer was not putting direct pressure on the girl’s neck, and he did not think the tactic amounted to excessive force.

Bodiford said he would reserve judgment until he learns the results of the internal review. But he said he hopes the department examines how it’s de-escalating situations and adjusts policies and training accordingly.

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 Felicia Jordan

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    CINCINNATI (WCPO) — Kroger will acquire Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion under a newly-announced definitive agreement announced by both companies on Wednesday.

Giant Eagle is a family-owned food and pharmacy retailer claiming approximately $9 billion in annual sales; the company has 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by Kroger’s board of directors.

“Giant Eagle is a well-run, high-quality regional grocer with a strong reputation for fresh products, pharmacy, private label and customer loyalty,” said Greg Foran, Kroger’s CEO, in a press release. “We evaluated the opportunity carefully, and the strategic fit is clear. Giant Eagle expands our reach into attractive adjacent markets, allowing us to do what we do best: Run outstanding stores, deliver fresh foods and convenient meal solutions at affordable prices, and take care of our customers and associates every single day.”

Kroger announced it will buy Giant Eagle with cash, according to the announcement. The two companies also said they expect to make “limited” divestitures of some Giant Eagle stores, a requirement for regulatory clearance to make the acquisition.

The transaction is expected to fully close in 2027, but it’s still subject to regulatory clearance and other closing conditions, Kroger says.

Once the transaction is completed, Kroger said it plans to bring its programs, including Kroger’s Zero Hunger, Zero Waste campaign, to Giant Eagle locations.

“Today’s announcement marks an exciting next chapter for our Team Members, customers, vendors and community partners,” said Bill Artman, CEO at Giant Eagle, in a press release. “Together with Kroger, we will be well-positioned to advance our strategy and deliver better quality and service, better everyday value, and a better shopping experience for our customers, while providing greater growth opportunities for our dedicated Team Members.”

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 Joshua Moton

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    ST. MARTIN PARISH, Louisiana (KATC) — As extreme summer heat settles across South Louisiana, cattle producers are doing more than making sure their herds have access to shade and fresh water. They are relying on months of preparation to help their animals withstand the hottest part of the year.

“It’s brutal. I mean it’s hard on people and it’s hard on cattle,” said Raymond Fontenot, owner and operator of Crescent Bar F., a grass-fed cattle operation in Meaux.

Fontenot said caring for cattle during the summer begins long before temperatures climb into the triple digits. Rather than reacting to each heat wave, he focuses on preparing his herd in advance.

“If you’re just following the weather and not being proactive it’s a tough deal. The cattle have to be fat going into the cycle to get through the cycle,” Fontenot said.

A key part of that preparation is maintaining healthy forage—the grasses and other plants cattle graze on each day. Abigail Sartin, an LSU AgCenter extension agent, said weather conditions throughout the year play a major role in determining how well those pastures grow.

“We do a lot of soil testing prior to this time of year and rolling through the summer, trying to help people understand why maybe their grass wasn’t as good this year as it was last year,” Sartin said.

While walking through a pasture outside the LSU AgCenter office, Sartin explained that South Louisiana’s changing weather patterns can make it difficult for forage to develop consistently.

“We had a period recently where we went a really long time without rainfall, but then we got a bunch of rain, so that impacts the grass’s growth pattern; it can kind of confuse it almost,” Sartin said.

Despite those challenges, Fontenot said taking advantage of favorable growing conditions throughout the year has allowed him to build a strong supply of forage while ensuring his cattle always have access to shade and fresh water. He said that preparation has helped his herd remain in good condition despite the recent stretch of extreme heat.

“So we’re kinda going up and down, but in this situation we’ve still got good conditions for growth on the grass,” Fontenot said.

Sartin encourages producers to continue monitoring pasture conditions throughout the summer and adjust their management practices as weather conditions change, while Fontenot said preparation remains one of the best tools for helping cattle safely navigate Louisiana’s hottest months.

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 Monique John

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Dr. Algernon Cargill and Ronaldo Coxson say they were split on whether to have children when they first met. But after they fell in love and got married, they decided that becoming parents was the next step.

“We ultimately chose surrogacy because we wanted to have a biological connection to our kids,” Cargill said. “[A]nd we also heard some horror stories of families being placed with a foster family and then losing on the placement later on…”

The two say it was a rewarding experience. They now have two daughters, Elle, 7, and Grace, 2. They also have great relationships with their egg donor and surrogates. But they say that as a gay couple, the process was challenging and expensive. Cargill says they weren’t able to take advantage of certain forms of support that are more readily available to heterosexual couples and women looking to get pregnant.

“Employers and employer-sponsored health plans do cover some healthcare costs for couples suffering from infertility; that doesn’t necessarily apply to us,” Cargill said. “And so we had to purchase an insurance plan through the market and then use that to cover some of the healthcare costs of surrogacy.”

In an effort to help other men interested in surrogacy, Dr. Cargill and Coxson have opened up about their journey alongside family planning experts at the Men Having Babies Conference in downtown Atlanta. The couple appeared last year, but the conference was held in the city again in June. Organizers say their goal is to create a safe space for gay men to unpack the stigmas and challenges they face while trying to become parents. They are also working to spread awareness about the resources available to community members looking to expand their families.

Tim’m West, the executive director of the Rustin Institute for Leadership Development, was a panelist during this year’s conference and is a friend to Cargill and Coxson.

“We hear it takes a village all the time,” West said. “Well, it also takes a village for gay men that are exploring, bringing families into the world and who don’t want that negative stigma or the pushback…”

West says it’s important for friends, loved ones and allies to show support however they can.

“We use in the LGBTQ community all the time, ‘chosen family,’ ‘found family,'” he said. “Well, I think surrogacy is just something that expands that notion and sort of brings it to bear in terms of – ‘who’s going to be the family to these children that we bring into the world.”

Dr. Lauren Berman, a psychologist specializing in family planning with the Fertile Ground Psychology Group, was also on the panel.

“When people don’t understand that there are rigorous screening processes and very significant education, that there is informed consent, and that there is implications counseling, they misconstrue the idea of surrogacy, that surrogacy is exploitative of women,” Berman said.

She says unpacking misconceptions is important for helping people decide if surrogacy is right for them and their families.

“When standards are used and applied, it is a safe and actually a really loving and exciting process. And I meet a lot of surrogates and a lot of intended parents who end up just adoring each other and feeling very excited about the journey that they’ve been through together,” Berman said.

Coxson says he put effort into fostering good relationships with their daughters’ surrogates.

“It took me really good communication, I’ll tell you that,” Coxson said. “Because you have to talk to someone else and take in their journey as a part of your own, and it becomes a collaborative effort. So if you’re a control freak, surrogacy is not the way to go.”

Cargill says he and his husband will give their daughters more details about how they came into the world as they get older.

Until then, the couple says they tell their daughters they’re special—and were created with love and 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 Gio Insignares

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Venice father whose quick thinking saved his 2-year-old daughter’s life when a truck crashed into their car nearly two weeks ago is on the long road to recovery after doctors amputated part of his leg.

Despite it all, Jordan Stannard is grateful to be spending his days surrounded by those whom he loves the most — his family.

“I just honestly started crying, because I was just so happy to have my whole family around, and it was just really nice,” Stannard said, while speaking with CBS LA. “Just kind of a realization of just how much I’m grateful for, and how lucky I am, just to be here at the end of the day.”

Stannard said that while he was putting his daughter, Sadie, into their car on Venice Boulevard at Abbot Kinney Boulevard after a trip to the store, his wife was putting their newborn in the other side.

When he heard a truck slam into another car nearby and then saw it hurtling towards him, his instincts triggered and he pushed his daughter into the car and out of harm’s way.

“It was just, this is the most important thing in my life, so she needs to get inside the car where it’s safe,” Stannard said.

He then took the full impact of the truck, which threw him to the ground.

“Everybody is just yelling, everybody, screaming,” he said. “I look down, and my foot is not really there. It’s been almost sheared off.”

After he was rushed to the hospital, doctors decided to amputate his left foot and ankle. As he re-learns how to move, the former marathoner and Ironman says there’s no point in being negative, especially with how much worse things could have been.

“There’s no room to be like, ‘Boo hoo.’ There’s no room to be angry, you know?” he said. “I want to be the best dad for my daughters, and I can’t let this affect the kind of dad I want to be.”

Since the surgery, Stannard said that he’s had more than one hundred hospital visitors, and that dozens of bouquets have been sent to his room. Despite the fundraising page, which has swelled past $100,000, he said that the thing that deserves the most attention is his wife.

“Most important thing to me is I have the best wife in the world, and she has just really shown up for me, and she is the engine that drives our family,” Stannard said. “She is the reason why I’m able to have so much strength.”

Stannard said that he’s supposed to be released on Saturday and that he plans to return to the gym as soon as Monday, where he’ll begin rehabbing for next year’s Los Angeles Maratho, after he’s fitted for a prosthetic.

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 Kassia Bonesteel

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    SONOMA COUNTY, California (KPIX) — A furry case of mistaken identity occurred this week after a Sonoma County resident discovered what they thought was a baby otter in their backyard.

Sonoma County Animal Services said its officers responded to the resident’s call and discovered that the otter was actually a tiny baby American mink. Both minks and otters are mustelids, a family of carnivores that also includes badgers, weasels, and wolverines.

“This little cutie had wandered away from its riverbank home and was understandably confused to find itself in a yard with the resident dogs,” the agency said in a Facebook post Tuesday.

The baby mink was placed in the care of Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma, which will care for the mink until it’s ready to be safely released back into its natural environment.

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.