Author: CNN Newsource

By Conor McGill

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    ROSEVILLE, California (KOVR) — On a day that highlights the deep Native American roots woven into the foundation of the United States, one Roseville man is working tirelessly to keep his culture alive.

Michael Ramirez, a member of the Konkow Maidu Tribe and a Native historian, begins each encounter with a greeting in his Native language, an act he considers essential to preserving a culture that has survived against the odds.

“How are you? My name is Michael Ramirez… my feet are here in Roseville, California,” he says, speaking in Konkow.

For Ramirez, those words are more than a tradition. They’re a promise to honor the generations before him.

Ramirez says the mission is urgent. His band, the Strawberry Band of Konkow Maidus, is down to around 70 people. Each one plays a role in ensuring their language, stories, and land stewardship practices don’t disappear.

His cultural connection runs deep. Ramirez is the great-grandson of Bertha Nye Norton, considered one of Sacramento’s founding Native mothers. He says carrying her legacy fuels his commitment.

“She saw nothing but hope in all her grandkids and I’ve got to make that mean something,” he said.

As part of that effort, Ramirez now serves as a tour guide, helping visitors understand the major moments his ancestors endured and the resilience it took to survive them.

“To be a living survivor, a living piece of history that was literally meant to be wiped out is astounding,” he said.

For Ramirez, preserving culture isn’t just about honoring the past. It’s about protecting the land his people worked, shaped, and depended on.

“This land was the product of hard work. It wasn’t something that magically happened,” he said.

Despite challenges, Ramirez says giving up is not an option. He continues to push for education, visibility, and cultural relevance beyond symbolic gestures.

“I continue to fight for education… I can’t help but be optimistic. I refuse to give up,” he said.

And on this holiday, Ramirez says he’s thankful, expressing his gratitude once more through the language of his ancestors:

“Welcome, family. Have a good day. Be a good day,” he says in Konkow.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Michele Gile, Matthew Rodriguez

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    PARADISE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — For Altadena resident Brandon Castro, saying it’s been a tough year is a massive understatement.

Last year, Castro lost his mother. A few months later, he severely burned his feet after he had to escape from his family’s home without shoes as the Eaton Fire surrounded his neighborhood and demolished his home. After losing his homeowner’s insurance before the fire, Castro has been living in a short-term rental, which ends in December.

Without many options, Castro heaved a Hail Mary pass to the father-daughter duo behind the nonprofit Emergency RV. Founders Woody and Luna Faircloth began their nonprofit after the deadly Camp Fire destroyed much of Paradise, Calif.

After reading Castro’s plea for help, the nonprofit decided to surprise him with his own RV for Thanksgiving.

“Brandon just struck us,” founder Woody Faircloth said. “He just wrote us a really authentic email about losing his mother before the fire, about being injured in the fire. Now, his dream is to have a family of his own someday, as an adopted kid. He just really touched us.”

As the RV rolled up to Castro’s address, there was excitement, joy and a few tears.

“It’s amazing,” Castro said. “It’s hard because I don’t have much of a family.”

The Faircloths have helped more than three dozen Altadena families with trailers and motorhomes, giving survivors a place to live as they navigate the complicated process of getting back on their feet.

“The thing is, it’s hope,” Castro said. “I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s hope; that’s what I think I’m finally getting to. It allows me to be in this community, to keep helping other people. Every month, I’m not having to think about where I’m going to stay.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Patsy Montesinos

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    CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — A Clarksville boutique is cleaning up and counting its blessings after a weekend hit-and-run crash left a gaping hole in their building, but the determined owners say they’ll still be ready to welcome customers for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

The Christie Boutique, owned by mother-daughter team Heather and Charlotte Christie, was struck by a vehicle over the weekend in what appears to be a hit-and-run incident. The crash left significant damage to the building, including a hole in the wall, a broken air conditioner and a wrecked bathroom.

“It was just heartbreaking, because we worked so hard on it,” Heather Christie said.

The boutique’s security cameras missed the moment of impact, leaving only the damage and paint from a white car as evidence of the crash. Despite their concerns about the extensive damage, the owners’ first thoughts were for the driver’s safety.

“One of my first concerns was about the driver, if they were okay, you know, because when we saw the damage,” Charlotte Christie said.

The Christie Boutique has been serving the Clarksville community for six years, offering what Heather Christie describes as “pretty much a one stop shop” featuring everything from Christmas-decorated seashells to pajamas and hats. The family name Christie often confuses customers who assume it’s the owners’ first names rather than their last name.

“A lot of people think it’s our first name, but it is our last,” Heather Christie said.

They say this marks the third crash at the same location, though the previous incidents occurred before The Christie Boutique moved to this address. The pattern of vehicles coming off the curb and striking the building has prompted the shop owners to reach out to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for a solution.

“We would request them to put some type of railing up there,” one of the owners said, referring to their appeal to TDOT for protective barriers.

While their landlord is covering the repair costs, the Christies are still facing losses from damaged merchandise. The financial impact could have been devastating for the small business.

Despite the setback, the mother-daughter team remains committed to serving their community during the busy holiday shopping season. They’re working around the clock to prepare for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, two of the most important sales days for small retailers.

“We want to make it work, because, again, we have such great people around us supporting us, and we definitely want to be open those two days,” Heather Christie said.

The boutique owners are hoping the driver involved in the hit-and-run will come forward to take responsibility for the damage.

The Christie Boutique is located at 2479 Fort Campbell Boulevard and will be open both Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday shoppers.

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By Elle McLogan

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Special education teacher Alanna O’Donnell didn’t have any farming experience when she came up with the idea that would transform her school community — chickens.

“Lots of this, we had to learn on the fly,” she said.

Her students, who range in age from 14 to 22, have autism and a range of intellectual disabilities. Every day, they’re cleaning, feeding, watering and composting at the chicken coop behind P.S. 177Q. They’ve built confidence in their tasks over time.

“It’s easy now, not hard anymore,” Ayhan Khan said.

The chickens roam beside a playground in a thriving farm, where the group harvests vegetables for sale.

“We grew about 1,500 pounds of food this year,” O’Donnell said.

She says the farm experience has brought a sense of trust and mutual support.

“There’s just the feeling of camaraderie,” she said.

Now, students pose for photos with arms around one another.

“We didn’t get that before,” she said.

It’s important to her that students build skills for the workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds with disabilities was nearly 24% — double the rate for those without disabilities.

“Just give my kids a seat at the table. They’ll do the work,” she said. “And that’s all I want to do is give them a shot. They deserve it. They’re good kids.”

O’Donnell has now been recognized with the $25,000 FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence. She’s helping other schools build programs like hers because, she says, all students are worth it.

“They are strong, intelligent. They learn differently. That’s all it is,” she said. “They want to be included. They need to be included.”

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By Sharon Lawson

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — A metro Atlanta Army veteran and beauty queen is turning a personal tragedy into a mission to protect young women.

Raquel Riley Thomas is behind a growing self-defense movement aimed at teaching other women life-saving skills.

Thomas is the founder of DefendRiley. She wants to give women the ability to defend themselves should the need arise.

Thomas’s drive comes from a deeply personal place. After losing her mother to suicide in 2013, she learned that her mother had survived an assault. Thomas lived through similar trauma herself.

That discovery pushed her to launch the DefendRILEY initiative, which provides hands-on self-defense training built on awareness, confidence, and action.

“You fast forward to now, I’m taking martial arts, and I wanted to do something in honor of her, and I decided to start DefendRILEY,” Thomas said. “I wanted to make sure that I was really focused on getting young women and young girls out there getting self-defense classes.”

A senior red belt in taekwondo, Thomas trains under Master Tommy Cho in Marietta and mentors women to put themselves and their safety first.

“They’ve got to take the time and understand that, just like you want to go get your hair done, just like you like to go get your nails done. Guess what? I got to go to self-defense class,” she said.

Thomas is working towards her black belt while staying focused on plans to turn her program into a nonprofit that would offer scholarships to make self-defense accessible to young women and girls.

The metro Atlanta woman’s strength comes from a lifetime of service. As a former Army captain, Thomas was inducted into the Library of Congress. She’s also this year’s reigning Elite Queen of the World, redefining what power looks like.

For Thomas, her classes are a way to turn survivors into warriors and prepare the next generation to step into adulthood protected, not powerless.

“It’s not a want, it’s a need,” she said. “You have to learn how to protect yourself because no one else will.”

To learn more about DefendRILEY, visit the program’s website.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Mike Toole, Penny Kmitt

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Here’s a different Black Friday shopping story.

Two women from England like it so much they come to Boston every year with empty suitcases looking for deals.

Sue Holloway and her friend Claire Caddie live in Surrey, England, just outside of London. Each year, they hop on a plane to Massachusetts to go shopping for the holidays.

“This is our 23rd, 24th year of coming. We love Boston. We love South Shore Plaza. We love the bargains,” Holloway told WBZ-TV. “They’re not as good as they used to be, but they’re still really, really good. They’re so much better than the U.K.”

She and Caddie were at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree early Friday before the stores opened at 6 a.m. They each brought an empty suitcase to the mall.

“Because it’s easier than carrying the carrier bags,” Holloway said. “We take back two large suitcases each.”

“It’s a break for us. It’s a girly trip. We love it. We just love Boston. It’s so small and it’s friendly. Everybody’s so lovely,” she added.

They got into Boston Tuesday afternoon and spent all day Wednesday at the mall. They took a break for Thanksgiving dinner at their hotel Thursday.

They’ll take another break Friday night to see Cirque du Soleil’s Twas The Night Before at the Boch Center Wang Theater in Boston.

“Saturday and Sunday we’re at Wrentham at the outlets,” Holloway said.

Monday is set aside for any returns before they head home, where Black Friday isn’t much of a thing now.

“They don’t really do it back in the U.K. anymore. It’s died a lot there,” Holloway said.

She and Caddie want to be clear; their priority is shopping for their families for the holidays. But they pick up a few things for themselves too.

“We’ll be in Macy’s for about four hours,” Holloway said.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Kimberly King

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    Hendersonville, North Carolina (WLOS) — on-profits opened their doors serving Thanksgiving meals with love to hundreds. But at the Hendersonville Rescue Mission, the love of giving and receiving food came full circle this year for the rescue mission’s chef.

“If I had to say anything to anybody out there, I’d tell them they can do it,” said Chris Gosnell.

Gosnell oversaw the prepping and cooking for the entire Thanksgiving meal that served over 300 people on Friday and Saturday.

“I feel privileged to be part of this. It’s a real blessing,” Gosnell said.

Gosnell grew up in Mills River.

“I was homeless,” Gosnell said. “I had a had a lot of trauma as a child. I had a lot of things I hadn’t deal with. I had deaths in the family. Once I got sober from drug addiction, and started to get some counseling I was able to get this stuff out and start healing.”

Coming a long way, Gosnell has been sober for four years. After reaching sobriety from drug addiction, Rescue Mission helped get Gosnell into a cooking training program that’s changed his life.

“This place gives you the tools to be successful. It’s not something you’ll do in one day,” Gosnell.

While Gosnell oversaw all the food coming out on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., he said it was worth it to see everyone eating the meal, smiling and enjoying it.

The meal included several Thanksgiving classics, including turkey, rolls, beans, and sweet potatoes.

“Being with friends and just sitting down,” said Richard Lange, who dined with Ragland about the meal. “Being a human. It brings a little home to me.”

Tim Jones, Hendersonville Rescue Mission’s operations director, says Gosnell is very dedicated.

“Chris is so dedicated,” Jones said. “He’s the one that wants to get it right because he was on the receiving end.”

Gosnell says he hopes to be as much of an inspiration for other people as they are to him.

“I hope that I’m an inspiration to other people,” said Gosnell. “As other people were an inspiration to me.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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