Author: CNN Newsource

By Alan Shope

Click here for updates on this story

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A local brewery turned an ordinary Wednesday night into an opportunity to help others, donating a portion of its sales to support immigrants affected by events in Minnesota.

At Strange Days Brewery, 30% of all sales were donated to the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund, a charity created by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.

“It’s one of my favorite breweries,” customer Liz Darby said.

Darby said she regularly stops by for the beer.

“They’re hazy IPAs, and it’s delicious,” she said.

But Wednesday night gave her another reason to visit.

“I like supporting people from far away, doing our part,” Darby said.

The one-night promotion was organized by brewery co-owner Trevor Schlam, who said the idea came together quickly as he looked for a way to respond to ongoing events in Minneapolis.

“We just try to do anything we can,” Schlam said. “We’re just really kind of disturbed by what’s going on out there.”

In addition to in-person donations, the brewery also collected contributions online.

“What’s happening there is terrible, tough to internalize,” Schlam said.

Schlam said there was no specific fundraising goal, explaining that the effort was just as much about raising awareness as it was about collecting money.

“We don’t want that coming here. We don’t want that affecting anyone else,” he said. “You know, figure out how to heal from there.”

Schlam said most of the feedback from customers has been positive, even when opinions differed.

“We let them voice their opinions, because that’s also important, that everyone has a say,” he said. “It wasn’t anything mean-spirited, truly.”

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 Julie Dunmire

Click here for updates on this story

    KALAMAZOO, Michigan (WXMI) — At Green Top Tavern, the kitchen is only big enough for one person. Inside, you’ll find Loy Norrix senior Tommy Andrie making one of their signature smash burgers.

“It’s our popper burger, so it gets jelly and our popper dip,” Tommy said.

Tommy is part of a program through the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, which takes lessons from the classroom to the real world.

“Our work-based internship program is important to our community, because it allows students to have that opportunity to take what they’re learning in their CTE classes, those technical skills, and taking those to our industry partners, and practice what they’re learning,” said Jeni Opel, administrator of career development at Kalamazoo RESA.

Tommy is learning valuable skills at Green Top, saying the restaurant provides a good combination of work and play.

He’s had to figure out how to get orders out in 10 minutes or less, even during busy shifts.

“I think I had six tickets on a night shift one time. That was rough,” Tommy said. “It shouldn’t take longer than that, really. Our stuff is so quick.”

Watch Julie Dunmire’s video story below:

While the senior, like many soon-to-be graduates, isn’t certain what life after high school looks like, he knows he’s gained skills he’ll use for a lifetime.

When asked if he’s now in charge of cooking at home, Andrie laughed and said, “No, I still make my mom do that.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Scripps editorial team 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 Darren Cunningham

Click here for updates on this story

    SOUTHFIELD, Michigan (WXYZ) — High school students can now profit off of their own name, image and likeness, or NIL. Think endorsements and autograph sessions. The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced the policy change Tuesday to expand “personal branding activities.”

Whether it’s a good idea depends on who you ask. For some, it’s a long-overdue payday for student-athletes. For others, it’s a threat to the spirit of the game.

7 News Detroit spoke to parents whose children play high school varsity basketball at Ferndale University and Southfield A&T.

“I think it’s kinda outrageous. I don’t think the money should be involved with the high school players. I think you’ll turn the system into something totally different,” parent Rodney Milton said.

Parent Monroe Woodard said, “I think it’s good. Anytime you can earn money toward anything, whether it’s school, whether other expenses as an athlete, that’s fine, but I do believe the parents should be involved.”

The game remains the same. But for boys and girls playing any high school sport, the stakes have never been higher.

“It seems like it was kind of a matter of time with the way college athletics are trending right now, the popularity around recruiting, who the next stars are gonna be,” Jared Ramsey, the high school sports beat writer for the Detroit Free Press, told 7 News Detroit.

He said Michigan is the 46th state to allow NIL deals at the high school level and that Ohio was the 45th. After the first month in Ohio, Ramsey said only 11 student-athletes in the buckeye state signed NIL contracts.

“It sounds like it’s going to be for the 1% of athletes who could potentially make it to the college level, could make it to the pro level and have built up enough of a brand to move the needle,” Ramsey said.

Southfield A&T head varsity basketball coach Josh Lyle, who applauds the decision, said it’s going to be on parents, coaches and schools to instill financial literacy.

He said he sees the opportunity as a motivator for young athletes.

“So a lot of times, you have guys that are looking at oh, I have to get a scholarship, but now they’re looking at OK, I might be playing for a brand who’s now sponsoring me. So, now not only am I a brand for myself and representing my family, but I’m representing a local business as well. So, it can push them harder and motivate them a lot more,” Lyle explained.

Geoff Kimmerly, the communications director for the Michigan High School Athletic Association, told 7 News Detroit these are opportunities for students to connect with third parties that have no connection to a student’s school.

“They’re individual opportunities for individual student-athletes, and that’s really the most important thing for everybody to understand with what we’re allowing moving forward. We’re not allowing anything that resembles a group activity, kind of collective activity, anything that would involve persuading a student to leave one school and go to play for a coach somewhere else or anything like that,” he explained.

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 Carli Petrus

Click here for updates on this story

    HOLLY, Michigan (WXYZ) — A miniature donkey named Dolly Parton is back home safe after escaping from her Holly Township farm Tuesday night, sparking a community-wide search involving neighbors, animal rescues and Michigan State Police.

The escape happened around 8 p.m. when a high school student helping with farm chores accidentally left a gate open at Freeman Farm. Dolly escaped with her companion, Henry, another donkey.

“We knew time was not in our favor,” said Jason Freeman, Dolly’s owner.

Henry returned home around 9 p.m., but Dolly remained missing, prompting Freeman to call police for help.

The power of social media quickly mobilized the community. A Facebook post about the missing donkey brought neighbors and nearby animal rescues together to join the search.

“The immediate feeling was how do we help right now,” said Jay Reynolds, manager of Abraham Ranch, who organized a rescue group with harnesses and lead ropes to assist in the search.

A neighbor provided the first lead when surveillance cameras captured Dolly and Henry strolling through a driveway about half a mile from the farm at 8:37 p.m.

Michigan State Police troopers assigned to Holly Township began searching the rural area. Lt. Mike Shaw said lost farm animals aren’t uncommon in the northern Oakland County community.

“It happens quite a bit. For people that don’t know where Holly Twp. is, it’s up at the northern part of Oakland County, so it’s pretty rural so we’ve ended up chasing down cows up there before,” Shaw said.

A sergeant found Dolly wandering on a side road around 10:30 p.m. and coordinated with the search teams to safely return her home.

“We were able to contact those that were also looking for her and kind of lure her to a location and get her back where she belongs,” Shaw said.

Freeman said the incident serves as a reminder about farm safety protocols.

“You know, we just have to make sure when we go through a gate that we close the gate behind us. Just know that if they get an opportunity to wander, they’re going to wander,” Freeman said.

For those who might question the extensive search effort for farm animals, Shaw emphasized that helping all community members — including animals — is part of their job, especially given the cold temperatures that night.

Freeman considers his animals family members.

“These are just an extension of our family, they’re like our kids. We tuck them in every night. We take amazing care of them and we take pride in that and you know, we love them,” Freeman said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Scripps editorial team 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 Joyce Ogirri

Click here for updates on this story

    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — In the aftermath of a winter storm, Louisville has seen more than icy roads and bitter cold—it’s seen quiet acts of compassion unfolding downtown.

Gregory Chest is a familiar face to many who work or pass through the area. An Army veteran, he’s often seen pushing carts filled with everything he owns, moving carefully from block to block. What many don’t see are the people making sure he’s not forgotten.

For years, Gregory has been part of the downtown landscape. Those who know him describe him as proud, quiet, and respectful. He’s blind and pushes three carts, a difficult task even in good weather.

“He’s 70 years old. He’s blind. He’s got three carts that he struggles to move from block to block,” said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chad Murrell.

Murrell says Gregory takes pride in his service, often draping an American flag towel over his carts.

“He’s very proud of this country and very proud of his service,” Murrell said.

Murrell checks on Gregory regularly, sometimes daily, not as part of enforcement, but simply to make sure he’s okay.

“I think we’re friends. Being blind, he may not recognize faces, but he recognizes voices,” Murrell said.

Independently, Madonna Barnes, a civilian employee with the sheriff’s office, felt compelled to help as well.

“I just felt the need to help him,” Barnes said.

Barnes and her mother began buying Gregory groceries and bringing them to him a couple of times each month, small gestures that made a difference.

Only later did Barnes and Murrell realize they had been helping the same man.

Murrell says Gregory’s story reflects something bigger happening downtown, people quietly looking out for one another.

“In my experience with Gregory, business owners, police officers, deputies, people try to look out for him and others when they see someone needing help,” Murrell said.

For Barnes, it’s about simple humanity.

“If I can help one person have a better day, that’s all I can do,” she said.

As Gregory pushes his carts through downtown streets, the sound echoes a reminder that, behind the harsh winter conditions, compassion is still moving through the city.

“There are still human beings out here, especially in weather like this,” he said. “It’s important that everybody tries to offer a helping hand. It’s the right thing to do,” Murrell said.

With dangerous conditions lingering, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says deputies have been checking on people experiencing homelessness and working to connect them with shelters and resources.

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 Stephanie Moore

Click here for updates on this story

    ELGIN, South Carolina (WYFF) — Officials in a small South Carolina city say they have arrested a suspect known as the “screw bandit”, a man accused of placing screws and nails on roadways in the city.

The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said Michael David Branham, 38, of Columbia, was arrested Tuesday morning while he was working at a job site.

Authorities said Branham is accused of multiple incidents in and around Elgin Estates where he put screws and nails on roadways.

This investigation spanned nearly three months and involved extensive surveillance, camera monitoring, and the use of advanced investigative tools and tactics.

Authorities said critical progress was made following a community meeting held on Jan. 20 at the Elgin Community Center, where residents provided key information that helped investigators consolidate and confirm existing evidence.

“We are better when we work together,” Sheriff Lee Boan said. “This was a major case that placed significant stress on our community and our deputies. Engaging our citizens proved absolutely beneficial. This case is a perfect example of how crimes can be solved through community involvement.”

Branham is charged with stalking, breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature, and malicious injury to property.

He is currently being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center.

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.