Month: July 2026

By Alan Shope

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    LEE’S SUMMIT, Missouri (KMBC) — What started as a devastating loss for one Lee’s Summit handyman quickly turned into a story of community support.

Jake Edwards, owner of Make It Jake’s, said someone stole nearly $7,000 worth of tools from the back of his truck after he parked it while working on a job in downtown Lee’s Summit.

“Someone came by and unloaded the contents of the back of my truck,” Edwards said.

Edwards started his handyman business about three years ago after realizing there was strong demand for his work.

He handles mostly residential jobs, along with some commercial work, taking on projects ranging from siding repairs to replacing faucets.

Last week, his utility trailer needed repairs, so he loaded all of his tools into his truck instead. He said that decision ended up costing him every tool he owned.

“It completely crippled my business,” Edwards said.

He admits a series of circumstances led to the theft.

“It was kind of a perfect storm of mistakes that I own,” he said.

Wanting to help, Edwards’ cousin started a GoFundMe campaign to replace the stolen tools.

The community responded almost immediately.

“By Saturday night, so within 24 hours, we raised the entire amount of the tools that were lost,” Edwards said.

He said the generosity of friends, neighbors and strangers left him overwhelmed.

“The power of people, when they believe in you…” Edwards said.

Lee’s Summit police are continuing to investigate the theft.

Thanks to the donations, Edwards has already replaced his tools and says he’s taking extra precautions to prevent it from happening again.

“It’s like Fort Knox back there now,” he said.

Edwards said he’s photographed every new tool and recorded each serial number, and he hopes to thank everyone who helped get his business back on its feet.

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 Brooklyn Joyner

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    PEARL, Mississippi (WAPT) — A 4-year-old boy is traveling across the country, visiting law enforcement agencies, collecting patches, and dedicating them to a Mississippi deputy recovering from a violent traffic stop.

On Thursday, Slater Bynum visited the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, where he met law enforcement officers and added to his growing collection of patches.

“He’s too young to realize it, but he’s building bridges between the community and law enforcement,” said his father, Terry Bynum.

With every visit, Slater collects a patch, and his father said the collection has grown significantly.

“Too many to count,” Terry Bynum said.

Bynum explained that Slater’s passion for law enforcement is deeply personal.

“He wants to be a cop, and in his mind, he is now,” Terry Bynum said.

Slater’s admiration for law enforcement has also inspired him to support Covington County Deputy Yates Rodney, who was shot during a violent traffic stop in Mt. Olive in June. Rodney sustained a spinal cord injury during the incident, leaving him paralyzed from the lower chest down. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where he has been making progress, including practicing yoga.

After seeing Rodney in recovery, Slater decided to dedicate his patches to the deputy.

“Meeting all these officers, he kind of took it to heart,” Terry Bynum said.

Col. Tadd Pitts expressed his appreciation for Slater’s efforts.

“This helps us remember why we do what we do,” Pitts said.

Terry Bynum said he hopes to foster his son’s positive relationship with law enforcement.

“I always want him to have a positive experience with law enforcement and never a negative experience whatsoever because there is so much negativity with law enforcement these days,” Terry Bynum said.

Slater, who hopes to collect 1,000 patches, is determined to be a positive force in his community, supported by a growing list of mentors.

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 Corbett

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    DOVER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A wedding is usually the biggest day in someone’s life, and so is the birth of a child.

Imagine celebrating both of those in 48 hours. Ariel Vaillancourt and Andrew Lavoie from Dover managed to make it all happen.

“At first when I was at the hospital, and they were like, ‘We’re going to have to send you to Mass General to deliver,’ I was like, ‘I can’t have this baby. I’m getting married in two days.'” said Vaillancourt.

Vaillancourt and Lavoie were getting ready to say, ‘I do,’ when Vaillancourt got unexpected news: a dangerous condition called preeclampsia would force her to deliver their son Connor, 10 weeks early. The couple’s wedding was less than 48 hours away.

“Honestly, I didn’t even think about the wedding until later on,” Lavoie recalled. “It really wasn’t something that I really cared whether it happened or not.”

The rehearsal dinner was set for that night. The guests were in town from near and far. And Ariel insisted — Andrew would be there to welcome them.

“I was a wedding coordinator for, like, ten, ten plus years, so I said it’s all paid for, all of the vendors are showing up. Our families are already here from, you know, all over the country,” Vaillancourt said. “(I told Andrew) just go and have a good time just because I can’t be there and Connor can’t be there. I still wanted my family to be able to go and enjoy it.”

So that’s what Andrew did. Turns out, Ariel was at her wedding too, just maybe not in the traditional sense. She appeared virtually on her big day from her hospital room.

The nurses at Mass General made sure the day felt extra special from the hospital room — making her a bouquet, putting signs up, even offering to do her hair.

The NICU nurses on a few floors down made sure Connor was ready for the big day too, making sure he had a suit to wear.

“It just was really a team effort for those nurses upstairs,” said Eleanor Angus, a NICU nurse at MGH. “It was sweet down in the NICU; we kind of tried to make Connor’s room feel more like a nursery. So, we made him a name sign with all of his birthday stats on it, like his weight, all that fun stuff. We took some memory-making things for them so they could take footprints home and just kind of celebrating the fact that they just had a baby.”

A healthy baby boy, a wedding, and the week of a lifetime that this couple will never forget.

“I just think it’s very important for people to just realize that even though life can be hard sometimes, it can all work out too,” Lavoie said.

“Stay grateful for what you’ve got, even in the worst situations,” Vaillancourt added.

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 Brian Roche

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    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A scammer in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, posing as a deputy, convinced a woman to deposit $2,000 into an ATM inside the county courthouse by exploiting cardless ATM technology.

“We’ve never had a victim come in and say they deposited money into an ATM, so our detectives are working right now, like I said, with PNC Bank to try to figure out how this particular scam is able to be pulled off,” Mike Manko, a spokesperson for the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, said.

Scammers typically request payments through gift cards or cryptocurrency, but in this case, the scammer directed the victim to use a cardless ATM, which allows access to bank accounts via a smartphone’s digital wallet or banking app instead of a physical card. The ATM used in the scam is located just outside the treasurer’s office in the courthouse.

The scammer told the woman she had missed a jury duty date and faced misdemeanor charges for failing to appear. They claimed the charges could be resolved if she deposited $2,000, which she would supposedly get back after speaking to a judge.

The victim was provided with two codes: an eight-digit code generated through the PNC app for cardless ATM access and a four-digit code the scammer falsely claimed was linked to a criminal case. After entering the codes, the woman deposited $2,000 in cash into the ATM.

“There was nothing wrong with this ATM, there wasn’t like a skimming machine on top of it. It was just an ATM that happened to be close to where the sheriff’s office was, which they used for credibility purposes,” Maria Montano with the Public Affairs of the Allegheny County Treasurer’s Office, said.

Authorities reiterated that law enforcement, including sheriff’s offices, will never request payments over the phone. If someone misses jury duty, they will be contacted directly by the courts.

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 Maricela De La Cruz

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — A 23-year-old man who was among five people stabbed in Old Sacramento early Saturday morning is recovering and reflecting on the incident, while a local youth advocate calls for more community support to prevent violence.

“I’m glad that I’m still alive. I’m glad that it could have been worse and I’m okay,” said Avontae Brown.

Brown, who hopes to go home soon, shared that his recovery is progressing.

“I’m recovering pretty well. I’m feeling okay. Just a little bit of pain I’ve been getting like medicine for and it’s been helping,” he said.

Brown described the chaotic moment when the violence unfolded.

“I was talking to some people and then I think a fight broke out and next thing I knew – it was kind of close to me – somebody walked up and I got stabbed and then I didn’t fully process it. I just remember that I put my hand on my side and I saw a lot of blood and I kind of just started freaking out,” Brown said.

Brown is a member of Voice of the Youth, a Sacramento organization that mentors young people. After learning about the stabbing, Berry Accius, the organization’s founder, said the incident highlights the need for greater investment in youth.

“When you see moments like this, the lack thereof investment just shows you the cause and effect, and now here with five young people being stabbed,” Accius said.

Accius believes that preventing violence requires more than police intervention and starts with providing young people with safe spaces and tools to manage conflict.

“An idle mind is a devil’s playground. I mean, you don’t have young people having a place to congregate. There’s not enough parental guidance at all. A lot of our young people are not learning how to be able to cope better, and they’re exposed to so much violence and so much aggression on our social media platforms,” Accius said.

An 18-year-old suspect is in custody on five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The investigation into the stabbings remains active, and the suspect is expected in court on Tuesday.

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 Veronica Haynes, John Atwater

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — A Hopedale, Massachusetts, man and former Boston Children’s Hospital nurse is set to be arraigned next week after prosecutors accused him of sexually assaulting two teenage boys in his care, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

John Tam, 33, was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on four counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or older and four counts of indecent assault and battery on a patient by a healthcare provider.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Monday.

According to investigators, one alleged incident dates to Sept. 19, 2022, when a 15-year-old boy underwent chest surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave. Prosecutors say the teen had been given anesthesia and later awoke to find his nurse, identified as Tam, inappropriately touching his genitals.

A second alleged assault was reported on Jan. 2, 2025, when Boston police were called to the hospital after another teen said he had been sexually assaulted by Tam after surgery while recovering from anesthesia.

Investigators allege Tam told the victim’s mother to move her car to the entrance for discharge, then dressed the patient, took him to the first floor, and brought him into a single-stall bathroom even though the teen did not need to use the restroom. Prosecutors say Tam then sexually assaulted the victim for about eight minutes, including fondling his genitals and offering to pull up pornographic material on his phone.

Authorities said the victim’s mother alerted hospital staff immediately after realizing something was wrong. Investigators also said security footage allegedly shows Tam wheeling the patient into a bathroom and leaving about nine minutes later.

The indictment involves two teenage boys, but investigators say they are concerned the alleged assaults may not be isolated incidents.

“We are concerned that these may not be isolated incidents, and we want to assure parents that any information they provide will be thoroughly and sensitively investigated,” Hayden said. 

Hayden urged parents whose children may have encountered Tam at Boston Children’s Hospital or at his prior workplaces, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester campus and UMass Memorial Medical Center Marlborough campus, to contact authorities if they have any suspicions that their children may have been assaulted.

“Because this matter is the subject of pending litigation, we cannot comment,” a UMass Memorial spokesperson said in a statement.

“At Boston Children’s Hospital, our patients’ and their families’ safety and well-being are our utmost priority and we continue to cooperate with the investigation and prosecution,” Boston Children’s Hospital said in a statement.

A Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center spokesperson released the following statement:

“We do not comment on ongoing legal matters. This individual worked briefly for BIDMC several years ago, in 2019 and 2020. They do not presently work at BIDMC. BIDMC does not perform pediatric surgery and is not licensed for inpatient pediatric care.”

In Suffolk County, people can contact the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County at 617-779-2146.  Survivors may also contact the Child Protection Unit at the Suffolk County district attorney’s office at 617-619-4300.  Anyone who believes that a child in Massachusetts may be the victim of abuse should call the DCF Child at Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200.

Kathryn Robb, an advocate for children with the nonprofit Enough Abuse, emphasized the prevalence of child sexual abuse in the United States.

“We have an epidemic of child sex abuse in this country where about 1 in 5 children will be sexually assaulted before their 18th birthday,” Robb said.

Robb is advocating for stronger laws to protect children, including mandatory education and training programs at institutions that serve minors.

“Creating education programs, training programs, mandated by law at these institutions that serve children,” she 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 Layza Pinero Resto, Kyle Schmidt

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — Officers with the Cape Coral Police Department have identified human remains connected to a 1985 disappearance, prompting a multi-day dig in a lot near Kismet Parkway.

CCPD says 23-year-old Rose Marie Gayhart was reported missing by her family in Danville, New York. She was known to be working in the Cape Coral/North Fort Myers area.

Back in 2024, human remains were discovered by kayakers in a canal in Northeast Cape Coral, and in May officers were able to confirm that they belonged to Gayhart.

The area where the remains were located, off Kismet Parkway and near Northeast 19th Avenue, was excavated by police, deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and the District 21 Medical Examiner’s Office.

Investigators were seen using excavators, sifting through piles of dirt beneath a tent and cutting down trees at the property for two days. A forensics boat was also observed in a nearby canal as the search continued.

CCPD says the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in New York played an integral role in securing the DNA used to identify the remains.

Police say this is now an open homicide investigation.

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 Joel Lopez

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    BOCA RATON, Florida (WPTV) — For two Boca Raton brothers living with muscular dystrophy, soccer is more than a game.

It’s motivation. It’s hope. And thanks to an unforgettable surprise from Cristiano Ronaldo and FIFA, it’s become a reminder that their dreams are still alive.

Seventeen-year-old Michael Berestovsky and his 13-year-old brother Vladimir Berestovsky grew up loving the sport and idolizing Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Even as muscular dystrophy slowly weakened their muscles and changed their lives, their passion for soccer never faded.

“Sometimes they still play despite the pain sometimes,” Michael Berestovsky said, while talking about the sport that inspires him.

That resilience is something both boys connect deeply with.

“I want to be like them more,” Michael Berestovsky said. “People like Ronaldo inspire me to try more and do more things to reach my goals.”

For Vladimir Berestovsky, Ronaldo’s work ethic became a daily source of encouragement.

“Ronaldo he inspires many people and he keeps working hard no matter what and he never gives up and it like motivates me to keep on trying every day,” Vladimir Berestovsky said.

Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that causes muscles to weaken and lose mass over time. Today, the boys can no longer walk on their own. The last time Michael walked was when he was 15 years old, playing soccer while wearing a Portugal jersey. During the game, he fell and broke his leg in two places.

“It was very dark times, and we couldn’t see the hope,” their mother Anna Berestovsky said.

But Anna Berestovsky said giving up was never an option. A lifelong Ronaldo fan herself, Anna said she first fell in love with soccer at 16 years old after her grandfather introduced her to the sport.

Over the years, she admired Ronaldo not only for his talent, but for the determination he showed both on and off the field, helping her through her own personal challenges as a teen.

That same mindset became the foundation for her family.

“We as a family decided that we should never give up. We should only move forward, we should look for new treatments, new physical treatments, things that help them from nutrition and exercises,” Anna said.

Wanting to show how much Ronaldo had helped her sons emotionally through their condition, Anna reached out to FIFA and WPTV to share their story.

What happened next became the soccer experience of a lifetime.

The family received surprise tickets from friends and family to watch Portugal and Ronaldo play in Miami during the FIFA Club World Cup festivities.

“Ronaldo was an inspiration for me to keep going to do my things right to pursue my goals, I was really amazed when my boys felt the same way,” Anna Berestovsky said. “The entire family has been Ronaldo fans.”

For Vladimir, the atmosphere inside the stadium was unforgettable.

“What was your favorite part of the games?” I asked him.

“The fans they were like very loud and like cheering and chanting and doing waves,” Vladimir Berestovsky said with a smile, adding that he joined right in with the celebrations.

“Of course I was for Portugal, I wanted them to win,” he said. “But when they lost I still kept wearing their jersey because I think Ronaldo is still a good player no matter if he has a world cup or not.”

Then came another surprise.

During the match, Ronaldo sent the boys two autographed official FIFA World Cup soccer balls.

“It’s not just a signed ball, it’s a token,” Anna Berestovsky said. “It’s a token of being seen by such an amazing star. It’s a dream come true.”

FIFA also gifted the family VIP tickets to the tournament’s third-place match. Today, the boys continue treatments that their family says help slow the progression of muscular dystrophy. Their hope is that one day they’ll be able to play soccer again.

Inspired by the kindness shown to them, Michael and Vladimir Berestovsky are now paying it forward by sharing their journey on Instagram so other children and families living with muscular dystrophy know they’re not alone.

“My message to Ronaldo would be thank you so much for your gift to us, it means a lot of me and my brother dealing with disability,” Michael Berestovsky said.

“We will have this moment in our hearts forever,” Anna Berestovsky said. “We haven’t felt anything similar to this in a long long time. Thank you thank you thank you Ronaldo for everything.”

Now, the brothers are already dreaming about the future — counting down the days until FIFA 2030, when they hope to watch Portugal play in Portugal.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WPTV 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 Stephen Knobel

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    HAMILTON, Ohio (WCPO) — Kelsey Harrington wanted a goat.

Or maybe a cow.

Her mom said no.

So, Harrington asked for a rabbit.

That decision, made years ago, eventually led the 19-year-old into a world she never expected, one filled with competitions, friendships and a community she now calls family.

Harrington has been part of Butler County 4-H for eight years. For the past four, she’s brought her rabbits to the Butler County Fair to compete.

This year, she’s doing it one last time.

Harrington is aging out of the competition, making her final year at her hometown fair a bittersweet one.

But on the first day of this year’s fair, the focus was still on the rabbits.

Harrington stood alongside Gamora, Spark and Mr. Grumpy Pants, three of her show rabbits, waiting for the judging process to play out.

The competition isn’t simply about which rabbit looks the cutest.

Professional rabbit shows follow breed standards established by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, with judges evaluating the animals based on those standards.

Harrington keeps a small stock and currently has just three rabbits of her own.

She’s had rabbits win awards in the past, but what she’s found through the hobby goes beyond ribbons.

“It’s just a whole big family in this barn,” Harrington said.

That’s the part she loves most: the friendships and the community.

The Butler County Fair, in particular, holds a special place for Harrington because it’s home.

She said the fair gives younger kids the opportunity to discover the same passion she found years ago.

“This was me a few years ago,” Harrington said.

She remembers being the kid who wanted to show an animal.

Now, she’s the one helping make that possible for someone else, and that’s part of what makes this final year different.

For Harrington, the fair is a place where she found people who shared her passion, and where she hopes to leave that same sense of community behind when she ages out.

Of course, rabbits aren’t the only reason people come to the Butler County Fair.

The weeklong event, which runs through Aug. 1, has something for just about everyone.

There are carnival rides and games, food that tastes good even if it is not good for you, and plenty of animals.

The schedule also includes a pro rodeo, a demolition derby and live music. Later in the week, local brewers and winemakers will compete in a beer and wine competition.

For some visitors, the fair is a chance to make a family memory. For others, it’s something as simple as enjoying the first corn dog of the season.

But for Harrington, it’s a place that helped turn one little rabbit into something much bigger.

A passion. A community. And, eventually, a family.

And even though this is her last year competing at the Butler County Fair, she hopes the tradition continues with the kids who are just now discovering what she found all those years ago.

Maybe they will come here looking for a ribbon.

Maybe they’ll leave with a new friendship.

Or maybe, like Harrington, they’ll find something they never expected.

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.