Author: CNN Newsource

By Alexa Conroy

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    FORT WORTH, Texas (KXXV) — The world of rodeo has been shaped by people from all walks of life, but there’s a Texas legend still impacting not only our community but the world.

For young cowboy Cason Jackson, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo means “everything.” That one word says it all about the deep meaning this rodeo carries, starting here in Central Texas.

Bill Pickett was born in 1870 in Williamson County, one of 13 children. Cowboy was in his blood. He began his legacy at local fairs roping, riding and working livestock. But he didn’t just compete. He created.

Pickett invented the rodeo event known as bulldogging or steer wrestling. Leaping from horseback and wrestling a steer to the ground became one of rodeo’s most iconic events.

Black cowboys were limited and Pickett broke barriers nationwide, performing with the 101 Ranch Wild West Show and eventually becoming one of the first Black inductees into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

“Found out that there were black cowboys, cowgirls all over the United States, but they just didn’t have an opportunity to rodeo in the larger rodeos. So he said, I’m gonna create an African-American Rodeo Association and create opportunities for them to rodeo in larger venues,” Valarie Howard Cunningham said.

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo was founded to provide visibility, access and opportunity.

“He said, I don’t believe this. I just can’t believe this. There really are Black cowboys, and they are real… tears just started coming down my face,” Cunningham said.

Moments like that are why riders like Taries Wood keep coming back.

“I just love the adrenaline, how everybody gets together, everybody have fun. I like doing it for little kids because when I was a little kid I wanted to be like a cowboy watching everybody rodeo, and now here I am today,” Wood said.

The rodeo’s impact goes beyond the arena. It also creates space for Black-owned businesses to grow.

“It’s an honor to be out here… to be able to have this opportunity and get my business name out there, it’s a pretty great opportunity. It means a lot,” Cameron Sneed said.

For Cunningham, they are only getting started.

“Doing this rodeo, letting our kids know that Black cowboys and cowgirls are for real and teach them about the history of Black cowboys and cowgirls… we have met the mission that Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo was started on,” Cunningham said.

The Bill Pickett Rodeo celebrated its 41st anniversary and will be heading back to Fort Worth May 16.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KXXV 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 TJ Eckert

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    TULSA, Oklahoma (KJRH) — Thaddeus Strassberger’s career in opera and theater production takes him across the globe.

“He’s worked in Beijing, China,” Thad’s mother Gayle Campbell said. “He’s worked in Saudi Arabia. All over Europe, all over America.”

But it’s his work at the Winter Olympics in Italy that made this proud mom reach out to 2 News. Thad’s directing the opening portion of the Winter Olympics closing ceremonies on February 22.

“I think they actually reached out to him because of his opera background,” Campbell said. “And this segment will focus on opera.”

And that’s really all Gayle knows about his involvement.

“It’s pretty hush-hush overall as far as what’s exactly going to be in it because they want everybody to be surprised and captivated by it,” Campbell said.

Thad’s love for the arts actually started at the old Booker T. Washington High School. And even today, over in the new high school, his impact is still being felt.

“I’m pretty sure he painted a couple backdrops we’ve been pulling out for Little Shop of Horrors,” Kaicee Mayo, the school’s drama teacher, said.

Mayo says Thad’s work has inspired her students.

“I want them to know that they can achieve that level of success as well,” Mayo said. “And it’s just really great for them to see that if they can do it, you can do it.”

Thad graduated from Booker T in 1994 and got inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2017. His work helped blaze a trail for future Hornets.

“We can compete on a wider scale, and that our schools are great and produce quality artists,” Mayo said.

“They all did a good job of mentoring him, and letting him fly,” Campbell added.

Now Thad’s talents get to soar on the world stage.

“I’m really excited for him,” Campbell said. “He tends to take everything kind of calmly, but the mother is one that gets all excited about these things. But yeah, it is a big deal.”

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 Katie Navarro

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    ST. LANDRY PARISH, Louisiana (KATC) — Nada Manuel has always taken pride in her yard. She moved into her home in the late 1970s and spent more than 40 years cultivating it.

But a tornado ransacked her property, dropping centuries-old trees and leaving Manuel to pick up the pieces.

“A tornado hit me Saturday night about 10 o’clock, I think it was. It came through fast and left fast, which I’m glad because sometimes they’ll sit in an area for a while, and it can be much more dangerous and destructive,” Manuel said.

Manuel’s son-in-law made a post to Facebook that came across his friend Brandon Vanderberg’s timeline.

“I saw the post last Sunday during a Mardi Gras parade, and I reached out to him, and I asked him if he needs some help. He said yes. So I sent a text message to several of my friends as part of the group, and they’re like, ‘Hey, if we can make it Friday, let’s make it happen,'” Vanderberg said.

Vanderberg and his coworkers at Proctor and Gamble and with the Native American Network went out and cleared Manuel’s yard in just one morning.

“Whenever you come here, and you see people like Ms. Manuel here, who we know that she couldn’t come out here and do this type of work, but she takes a lot of pride in her yard, and it makes us feel good,” Vanderberg said.

Manuel said no one feels better than her.

“I think it’s wonderful, and you know that’s the way it used to be all the time where I’m living at, when we first moved here, we moved here in 1979, and people don’t neighbor like they used to… It’s a difference, and it’s nice to know that there are still people out there that can do things like this for people they don’t know,” Manuel 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 Peter Maxwell

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    MILFORD, Michigan (WXYZ) — A routine call about a stray dog on a porch in Milford turned into something much more heartwarming when officers decided to adopt the senior pup they rescued from the bitter cold.

The dog, now named Lil Craig, was discovered by Cassidy Blackburn on her deck earlier this month. When one of her two dogs alerted her to something outside, she looked out the window and saw a black shadow cut across her deck.

“I look out the window and see this black shadow cut across my deck and I am like oh my gosh,” Blackburn said.

The stray dog wasn’t wearing a collar, so Blackburn spent about an hour walking around the neighborhood to see if anyone’s dog had gotten out. When no one claimed him, she called Milford police for help getting the dog out of the cold. She couldn’t bring him inside her home because of her own dogs.

Body camera footage shows officers gently approaching the dog and offering comfort.

“It’s OK, buddy. It’s OK,” an officer can be heard saying on body camera video.

Lt. Ed Pilch with the Milford Police Department said they posted about the dog on the department’s social media when officers returned to the station, but no one claimed ownership.

After a few days, police turned the dog over to Oakland County Animal Control, where he spent a week waiting for an owner to come forward. When that didn’t happen, the Milford Police Department decided to adopt him themselves.

“He warmed some hearts and we didn’t want to see him in a bad position,” Pilch said.

The department settled on the name Lil Craig after the officer brought him back that night and he was hanging out by Craig’s office. Craig was on vacation at the time, and one of the officers said “no, this is Lil craig.”

The name stuck.

Since the department adopted Lil Craig, he has undergone several medical and dental procedures and is being treated for a cold, but that isn’t slowing him down. The senior pup now lives at the station, roaming the halls, greeting visitors and bringing smiles and stress relief to officers every day.

Blackburn said she’s thankful the men and women of the Milford Police Department gave him a place to call home.

“He’s got people that come and visit him every day. He is so sweet,” Blackburn said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ 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 Kurt Martone

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    CORNING, New York (WENY) — Hundreds of people went bowling at Crystal Lanes in Corning Saturday to raise money to get a local boy with a rare disorder a service dog.

Stetson Stevens, who is three years old, was born with FOXG1 Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes intellectual disability and movement disorders. His family is hoping to get a service dog to help him navigate seizures, sleep, mobility and everyday life.

“Stetson’s going to preschool and having to drop your kid off… for the day and be comfortable with that, this is going to add comfort for me, to know that he will be safe,” said Brittany Stevens, Stetson’s mother. “Lucy (the service dog) will help detect the seizures and get grownups and others aware so that Stetson is safe and they can take care of him properly.”

The fundraiser at Crystal Lanes helped the family get the money they need to afford the service animal, complete with raffles, live music and more. Stetson’s family says the service dog would help lighten their load in taking care of him, functioning as an extra helper around the house.

They have welcomed this new challenge of raising a special needs child with open arms, even if it means making decisions they never thought they would.

“You can’t  just go down to Walmart and buy him a walker,” said Michael Geffers, Stetson’s Grandfather. “So… I build them. [I] put lift kits in for him to keep going, because you wanna see him go as much as he can possibly go. And he wants to, when I look at him, he just wants to go and I want to make it so he can keep going and be something more. I just cannot wait till the day he looks at me and stands up and, and runs to me. I believe that will happen.”

Some attendees said they are stunned by all the community turnout at the event.

“I’m just so grateful for everyone who came today,” said Alyssa Bulkley, a family friend. “It’s just amazing that all these people came to support such an amazing family.”

The family said they were grateful for everyone who came out to support them and Stetson.

“I guess this is what small town living is truly all about. Watching your community, family, and friends and loved ones come together for you and for your child. Family means so much more than I can ever, ever express,” said Stevens.

The Stevens’ needed $35,000 to pay for the service dog. They say they are on target to hit that goal, if not already reaching it through this fundraiser.

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 Kim Rafferty

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — A Nashville man’s fear of walking in his own neighborhood grew into a community movement that brought dozens of strangers together and his family said his legacy lives on.

Shawn Dromgoole grew up in 12 South, a neighborhood his family had called home for generations. But in 2020, as national unrest followed the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, the streets he once walked without fear felt different.

His mother, Lynetra Dunn, recalled what he told her.

“He said ‘mom it is like a force field. I can’t get off the porch. I can’t do that to you.’ The neighborhood is very gentrified we’re one of the few black families remaining,” Dunn said.

To help him overcome that fear, Dunn began walking with Shawn and sharing their journey online. What started as a mother and son walking together quickly became something much larger.

“And when we got there there was like at least 50 people standing there waiting. My son said what are we doing mama and I said Who are all these people I said I don’t know,” Dunn said.

Shawn’s family called him by his middle name, Marcus. His sister, Amber, said his legacy is not just his name but how he saw and built community.

“If people remember something I want them to remember that my brother always saw community as an action. He saw community as being a service its something that grows but grows out of reciprocity,” Amber said.

His family said Shawn was deeply aware of racial injustice and his role in bringing people together in a changing neighborhood.

“But the peace I had was he had he he fulfilled his mission. He did what he was called to do,” said Dunn.

Shawn passed away suddenly. But the Walks with Shawn remind us all of kindness, courage, and belonging.

A concert at the Scarritt Bennett Center will honor Shawn this Friday at 7 p.m.

Are you or someone you know connected to the Walks with Shawn movement, or have you experienced the power of community in your own neighborhood? We want to hear your story. Watch the full report above and share your thoughts with reporter Kim Rafferty — your experience could help shape our next story on community, belonging, and social justice in Nashville.

This story was reported by journalist Kim Rafferty and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF 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 Aaron Cantrell

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    ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tennessee (WTVF) — During Black History Month, stories of resilience and remembrance often take center stage. At the Robertson County History Museum, one man’s decades-long research is helping ensure a difficult chapter of Tennessee’s past is not forgotten.

John Baker has dedicated much of his life to uncovering the history of his ancestors and others who lived and worked at Wessyngton Plantation.

“It was founded in 1796 by Joseph Washington, who was a distant cousin to President George Washington,” Baker said.

At its peak, Wessyngton Plantation spanned 13,000 acres and enslaved 274 people. According to Baker, it had the largest enslaved population in Tennessee and was once the largest tobacco plantation in America.

“It encompassed 13,000 acres and enslaved 274 individuals… which was the largest slave population in the state of Tennessee,” Baker said.

Baker’s personal journey into that history began in the seventh grade when he came across a photograph in his social studies textbook. The same 1891 image later appeared in a newspaper at his home.

When his grandmother saw it, she recognized the people seated in the portrait.

“She said they were enslaved on the Washington plantation Wessyngton and that’s how we got the Washington surname,” Baker said.

He later learned two of the people pictured were his great-great-grandparents.

What began as curiosity grew into a lifelong commitment to research. As a teenager, Baker met with a descendant of the Washington family, who granted him access to plantation records housed at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

“I had to go through microfilm, deed books, will books and all kinds of correspondents,” he said.

Baker also interviewed more than 20 children and grandchildren of formerly enslaved Wessyngton workers to document their stories.

“I would sit with them after church, and each one would tell different stories about their ancestors, so I was absorbing this information,” Baker said.

Over the years, his research has traced not only his own family’s lineage, but also the histories of other families across Robertson County — even uncovering connections to well-known figures.

“You know Method Man the rapper? … He’s on here. This is his ancestors,” Baker said.

His work led to the publication of a book and a partnership with the Tennessee State Museum to produce a temporary exhibit, now housed at the Robertson County History Museum.

Now 63, Baker said his work continues because preserving Black history is essential.

“It shouldn’t be suppressed. It should be told just like it happened,” he said.

The Wessyngton exhibit is currently on display at the Robertson County History Museum.

This story was reported by journalist Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF 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 Romelo Styles

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    VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — A Virginia Beach mother is demanding her 8-year-old daughter’s suspension be removed from her school record after the child was disciplined for urinating on herself at Seatack Elementary School.

Nicole Brown said the January 9 incident has left her daughter embarrassed and her family seeking answers from school administrators.

“I feel hurt for my child,” Brown said. “My goal, my hope is for the suspension to be removed from her record.”

According to Brown, a school administrator contacted her about the incident that occurred during physical education class.

“And she said that in P.E. my daughter urinated on herself,” Brown said.

The disciplinary action form Brown shared shows her daughter was accused of “indecent public behavior.” Brown said administrators told her they “cannot have that type of behavior on our grounds.”

Brown said her daughter told her she asked teachers for permission to use the bathroom that day but was denied. However, a letter from the school division to Brown states school leaders said the child never asked to use the bathroom.

The child received a half-day suspension because of the incident.

“They allowed her to change clothes in the nurse’s office, but she was embarrassed,” Brown said.

The Virginia Beach City Public Schools district declined to comment on the matter, stating they “do not comment on student discipline or incidents.”

Brown said she requested surveillance footage from the district but has not been allowed to see the video from that day. She appealed the suspension, but those appeals were denied.

“So I decided to remove her,” Brown said.

Brown transferred her daughter from Seatack Elementary to another school in the district. She plans to reach out to school board members for more answers.

“I want them to look into this situation, I want them to listen to the entire story, look at the facts and be fair,” Brown said.

Brown said she will continue pushing to have the suspension removed from her daughter’s record while also considering homeschooling in the future.

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.