Author: CNN Newsource

By Caroleina Hassett

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    TOOELE, Utah (KSTU) — It was a passionate meeting Monday night.

“I hate feeling powerless to protect the land that my kids rely on, so I’m looking you in the face with all the mama bear fury that I can muster and demand that you deny this proposal,” one resident said during public comment, which was followed by applause.

Residents spoke out against a permit managed by the Utah Division of Air Quality that would allow the Tooele Valley Public Infrastructure District to establish a wastewater treatment plant near the edge of the Great Salt Lake.

Teri Durfee from Stop the Polluting Ports Coalition is a lifelong Tooele resident and lives close to where the plant is expected to go.

“The discharge, it would have arsenic in it, it would have very high salinity, and it would have a lot of things that you definitely wouldn’t want back in the system. And they’re talking about putting it in the wetlands that would go into the Great Salt Lake,” she said. “There’s already troubles with what’s already on the lake bed, so to add all of this extra is very concerning.”

This is just one permit connected to an overall industrial development project backed by the Utah Inland Port Authority. Executive director Ben Hart said they want to add rail access and bring the best businesses and jobs to the area, and knows that one developer is advocating for a data center.

“There’s a moratorium on data centers in Tooele County. We 100% support that moratorium,” Hart said. “The board’s not going to be doing anything to further the objectives of any type of data center development until we receive our cues from the county and from the state of Utah that everybody is comfortable with this moving forward.”

However, those against the project have concerns about the discharge that would end up back in the Great Salt Lake and fear the project would take up more water than what the state already has to offer with the severe drought.

“This is about our longevity in this state. If we want to live there, we need to act like we live in a desert,” another resident said during public comment, which was also followed up by applause.

“Until those concerns are met and addressed, the port’s not going to be doing anything to further this development, and certainly not furthering any data centers either,” Hart said.

There were about two hours of public comment during Monday night’s meeting. The Division of Air Quality extended public comments until midnight, and a decision will be made at a later date.

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 Todd Wilson

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    PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida (WPTV) — A Boston cyclist is turning heartbreak into hope. After losing a close friend to young-onset colorectal cancer, Jay Weedall traveled to South Florida to begin a 2,600-mile bike ride from Key West to Maine, with a goal of raising $50,000 for research while honoring his friend’s memory.

“A friend of mine recently passed away from young onset rectal cancer,” Weedall said.

The death of his friend, who was also named Jay, inspired Weedall to honor his memory by riding his bike across the country.

“I’ve adventured around the world with him, ridden bikes together with him, and this felt like the best way to honor him now that he’s passed away,” Weedall said.

His goal is to raise $50,000 for the Young Onset Colorectal Cancer Research Center in honor of the friend he lost to the disease. To prepare, Weedall trained 200 to 300 miles a week, mapped out his route, and planned for the long journey ahead.

“So, there was a lot of preplanning to make sure that the roads that I’m going to go on are safe and have been ridden on by cyclists and let’s hope that the wind is kind to me,” Weedall said.

Weedall began his journey in Key West, pedaling 155 miles to Miami on day one.

“Something I learned after day one is hydration packs, good for hydration obviously but if you fill it up with ice it’s good for keeping you cold as well,” Weedall said.

I caught up with him the next morning as he set off on his second leg — a 163-mile ride to Vero Beach.

“Ideally, I try to beat the heat and then I’m going roughly 150 miles a day just niching my way up the coast through pretty much every state all the way to the Pan Mass Challenge. Then I’ll do the Pan Mass Challenge across Massachusetts on August 2nd. I’ll continue to the Canadian border in Maine,” Weedall said.

By avoiding highways, Weedall says the route offers something unexpected.

“By avoiding highways, I get to experience these little coastal towns along those inlets,” Weedall said.

When you’re riding hundreds of miles alone, Weedall says, you have plenty of time to think.

“Even when my legs are hurting, even when the traffic is big or even when I’m a little anxious about what’s going on around me, but I’m largely just thinking about my friend who doesn’t get the opportunity to do this with me anymore,” Weedall said.

Every pedal stroke is a tribute to his friend — and, he hopes, a step toward a cure.

Fans can follow Weedall’s journey on the cycling app Strava.

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 Rina Nakano

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter has gone viral for his gourmet in-station recipes, gaining thousands of followers as he documents how he makes meals for his team.

Scott Luft, a 36-year-old firefighter paramedic at LAFD Station 86 in Toluca Lake, says that he may have gone to culinary school if he wasn’t with LAFD.

“I’ve always been obsessed with cooking, since high school,” Luft said.

He says that while some of his colleagues don’t enjoy cooking for the station, he loves it. Luft utilizes a Google Drive filled with hundreds of recipes, like the elote pasta salad he made while speaking with CBS LA.

“When you’re in charge of feeding them good food, on time, in budget, it’s totally stressful for some guys,” Luft said.

Because of this, Luft’s wife Kiley suggested that he start an Instagram cooking channel to help fellow firefighters in the kitchen. He slowly gained a following until November, when he went viral. Now, he has more than 37,000 followers and is blown away by the support.

“I’m realizing that cooking for a fire station is just like cooking for big families,” Luft said.

As a busy father of four hungry children, Luft says that he’s always multitasking, even when not cooking in the station. He keeps his recipes easy and hearty, with no more than an hour and a half cook time. He says the hardest part about making his meals at the station is that when duty calls, he has to drop everything.

“I always tell guys start early. Chop early. Serve before you think it’s time,” he said.

While he’s always open to suggestions from his new followers on things like recipes, food presentation and camera angles, he says his best reviews always come from his colleagues.

“Scott takes really simple stuff that most of us have made and puts an incredible spin on it, every time,” said Scott Lazar, a fellow LAFD firefighter.

The team splits the cost of their meals, since they’re not paid for by the department. For the elote pasta salad, the nearly $55 grocery bill was split six ways.

“I feel like I actually am kind of a chef,” Luft said. “I’m getting paid to cook, and I also get to be a fireman, which has always been a dream to me. So, I’m kind of living my dream right now.”

He says that his next dream is to become the Guy Fieri of fire cooks by hosting a show where he goes to fire stations around the country to taste their best meals and offer advice.

I feel like I actually am kind of a chef. I’m getting paid to cook, and I also get to be a fireman, which has always been a dream to be. So I’m kind of living my dream right now.

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 Dean Fioresi, Michele Gile

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    HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A small plane made an emergency landing on the Huntington Beach shoreline on Monday afternoon.

It happened at around 2:10 p.m. near the 22000 block of Pacific Coast Highway, according to Huntington Beach firefighters.

Circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear as the investigation got underway, but firefighters said no injuries were reported.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said that a Piper PA-28 Cherokee safely landed on the sand after the pilot reported an engine issue following departure from John Wayne Airport.

Two people were on board at the time of the incident, the FAA said.

The pilot, Mike Bremner, said that he was just five minutes into his flight to Van Nuys when he had to call in a Mayday report because the propeller stopped turning.

“We got out a very quick Mayday call; we were in the process of talking with … SoCal Approach, I think it was, and then the engine quit,’ Bremner told CBS LA. “I got out a call. I just called, ‘Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,’ that we lost our engine and were making a forced landing on Huntington Beach in front of the smokestacks.”

Video from the scene showed ElderAbuseAirForce.com branding on the single-engine plane, along with a phrase that said “Elevating Elder Dignity.” Bremner said that he operates the nonprofit organization, which he uses to help fight elder abuse.

Some beachgoers said that the plane was so silent, they could barely even hear it as it closed in on the shore.

“At first, it was like, kinda like really scary, but then I thought about it, and I was like, ‘This is kinda cool,'” said Bremner’s nephew, Griffin, who is vacationing in Southern California from Canada. “There was just that one couple that ran out of the way, and we’re grateful that no one got injured.”

Mike Bremner says that he used the same plane to set an unofficial world record by flying around the Hollywood sign last year.

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 Adam Harrington, Jessica Popowcer

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Oscar Mayer: The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is turning 90 years old, and Oscar Mayer is celebrating the occasion with a special birthday treat.

The birthday treat in question includes some tasty items that you might have enjoyed at some of your own childhood birthday parties, but most likely not at the same time.

The cake, described as “delightfully outrageous,” has more than 20 Oscar Mayer wieners in buns carefully arranged in two tiers around a birthday cake from Milk Bar. Also included are sprinkles and a Wienermobile cake topper.

The sprinkles on the cake might cause more controversy in Chicago than the fact that the cake has hot dogs wrapped around it. While some of the sprinkles are appropriately mustard-themed, some are also red and ketchup-themed.

The rule in Chicago about ketchup on hot dogs is as well-known as the Chicago hot dog itself.

Oscar Mayer did not make up the idea of the hot dog cake. Go to TikTok and there are all sorts of videos demonstrating how to make hot dog cakes — though many of these involve either hot dogs arranged in the shape of a tiered cake with foam pieces at the center, or cakes molded and decorated to look like hot dogs, rather than actually combining hot dogs and cake.

The Wienermobile was created in Chicago in 1936 to lift Americans’ spirits during the Great Depression. There are now six Wienermobiles traveling around the U.S. at all times.

Where can you find the Oscar Mayer Wiener Cake? Oscar Mayer said starting Friday, fans can pick one up at the Milk Bar location at 208 N. Green St. in Chicago’s West Loop. Milk Bar locations in New York and Los Angeles will also carry the cake.

The cake will be offered through Sunday, while supplies last.

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 Barry Pintar

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A father whose son drowned in a pool is taking his story on the road in hopes he can stop the tragedy from happening to others. He was at the Pirates game on Monday to raise awareness about preventable drownings.

Jonathan St. Clair is going to 30 ballparks and 30 games in 30 days to not only honor his young son who showed an early interest in baseball, but also to raise awareness about preventable drownings. His son Jasper drowned in an ungated pool when a trusted babysitter looked away for just a moment.

“Jasper never got to play baseball,” St. Clair said. “He was 21 months old. When this happened, it was March 19, and opening day was only two weeks away. And we had plans to go to the [Los Angeles] Angels game, because we live 3 miles from Angel Stadium. And that never happened. I, in fact, spent the next week in the hospital, watching him pass.”

St. Clair stopped by the Pirates game on Monday night. It was stop No. 11.

“It’s been fantastic,” St. Clair said. “I mean, the reception I’ve had at every stadium so far has just been amazing. Every fan I run into has just been amazing. It has just been really an amazing trip so far.”

St. Clair created The Wave Maker Tour foundation to continue this work. He hopes to raise $662,000 — $1,000 for each day that his son lived. All the money goes toward drowning prevention awareness programs.

“They’re interested in why I’m doing it, which is to raise awareness, spread the word about putting your kids in swim lessons early, being able to put a barrier around your pool, wear a life jacket on a boat, those kind of things,” St. Clair said.

If you would like to donate to St. Clair, visit The Wave Maker Tour’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 Wakisha Bailey

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — What started as a father looking for an affordable way to keep his own children busy has grown into a community movement that’s changing lives both on and off the basketball court.

Nearly two years ago, Tevin Whitehead was searching for something inexpensive to do with his 10 children during summer break. Instead of staying home, he gathered his seven boys and three girls and headed to a neighborhood basketball court.

“I didn’t have a lot of money,” Whitehead said. “They wanted something to do, so I said, ‘Let’s go to the park.'”

It wasn’t long before other children started showing up, asking if they could play too.

Parents quickly noticed that Whitehead wasn’t just teaching basketball fundamentals. He was teaching discipline, respect and life lessons.

“He was out there teaching them the right way,” parent Markies Tavares said. “Showing them the right things.”

Today, Tavares brings his son, Wasim, to practice three times a week.

The lessons are making an impact beyond the court.

“He’s motivated to learn, go to school,” Tavares said. “He wants to play basketball at the next level.”

For Wasim, the program has helped him become a better teammate and leader.

“Encouraging teammates, trying to be a better leader,” he said.

What began with one father and his children has since grown into Full Force Nation, an 18-team basketball league serving more than 200 young people throughout the year.

But Whitehead says basketball has never been the ultimate goal.

The organization partnered with local principal Jonathan Walker to place just as much emphasis on academics as athletics.

“I want to see your report card next,” Walker tells students.

Walker says too many teenagers are falling behind in school.

“I’m bothered by the many high school students that have no credits to graduate high school,” he said.

The partnership reinforces the message that success in the classroom is just as important as success on the court.

For many of the players, the program has become something even bigger than basketball.

“This is like family right here,” one player said.

Whitehead became emotional when reflecting on why he continues to invest so much of himself into the program.

“The reason I go so hard is because they are all I got,” he said.

Moments later, the players gathered around their coach, singing words of encouragement to remind him that he isn’t carrying the mission alone.

For now, Full Force Nation practices wherever there’s an available court. But the organization’s dream is to one day open a permanent recreation center where children have a safe place to play, learn and grow.

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.