Author: CNN Newsource

By Taylor Epps

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    WEST SENECA, New York (WKBW) — It started as a hobby in the 1970’s. In 2026, Frank Zieminski etched his name in Rubik’s Cube history, breaking three world records.

“I was relieved,” said Zieminski. “It’s different doing it by yourself and under pressure like that against the clock, I get a little flustered.”

At Two Buffalo Cube Days 2026, he beat the record with a time of 5:49. He now has the fastest time in the senior category, becoming the oldest person to solve a 3×3 cube at the age of 95.

His friends and family showed up to support him.

“Oh, we’re just so thrilled for him, you know, and he’s been such a great dad to us our whole life,” said his daughters, Mary Metz and Kathy Wentlang. “When he puts his mind to something, he gives it 100% and sees it through.”

Which is why he didn’t stop at just one world record; he got two more.

“Feels great,” said Zieminski. “It was easier than I thought it was gonna be, really.”

He also set 2×2 records in the senior category, one for a single solve and another for the best average time for three solves.

“We thought maybe two, we didn’t realize the three,” said Metz and Wentlang. “This is our dad’s Super Bowl.”

I first caught up with Frank in November. He told me that his renewed passion for cubing started when he found the Buffalo Speed Cube Club, which meets at the Orchard Park Library.

His cubing teammates also competed and were there to cheer him on. He plans to keep cubing and competing.

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 Derek Heid

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    CITY OF TONAWANDA, New York (WKBW) — Hannah Rowland, the Twin City Ambulance EMT who tells me she nearly died after being hit by a car while on the job, is now at home recovering from her injuries.

December 26, the day after Christmas, was a normal workday for Rowland. The 21-year-old EMT was working alongside her co-worker, another EMT, when the two pulled over to help a driver on the side of the I-290’s off-ramp to Niagara Falls Boulevard in the Town of Tonawanda.

The problem, the roads that night were covered in ice.

update

Hannah Rowland, the Twin City Ambulance EMT who tells 7 News she nearly died after being hit by a car while on the job, is now at home recovering from her injuries. By: Derek Heid Posted 11:08 PM, Jan 16, 2026 and last updated 10:15 AM, Jan 17, 2026 Derek Heid Hello! I’m covering Niagara County for 7 News WKBW. If you have a story idea, please email me at Derek.Heid@wkbw.com CITY OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Hannah Rowland, the Twin City Ambulance EMT who tells me she nearly died after being hit by a car while on the job, is now at home recovering from her injuries.

December 26, the day after Christmas, was a normal workday for Rowland. The 21-year-old EMT was working alongside her co-worker, another EMT, when the two pulled over to help a driver on the side of the I-290’s off-ramp to Niagara Falls Boulevard in the Town of Tonawanda.

The problem, the roads that night were covered in ice.

“Another motorist lost control and hit me on my left side,” Rowland said.”I ended up under the car, pinned. Under the first car, pinned by my leg.”

Suddenly, Rowland was no longer the person helping out somebody in need. She was the patient and in desperate need of help.

“While I was under the car, I called my mom to say goodbye, before I called 911,” Rowland said. “I had a severe laceration, my calf was hanging out of my leg, to the bone on this [right] leg. And a severe laceration on this [left] leg. The laceration comes across the back of my knee, and I also have a puncture wound on the bottom, on my ankle.”

Eventually, another Twin City Ambulance, manned by her own supervisor, showed up at Rowland’s aid.

“I just remember just being like, ‘Please, don’t let me die,'” Rowland said. “It was very scary for her, and for me.”

Rowland was eventually rushed to ECMC, where she spent a week in treatment. Doctors and nurses were able to save both her life and her legs.

“I’m so grateful for the ECMC nurses and doctors and the patients that came with, even the first responders,” Rowland said. “I think it’s going to be an uphill battle for a little bit, taking it week-by-week and appointment-by-appointment.”

A friend of hers started a GoFundMe that friends and neighbors donated to in bulk, raising more than $22,000 for her recovery.

Rowland has since closed donations to the GoFundMe page. Instead, she’s asking people to donate to Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo to help other families in need.

She tells me she has a long road to recovery, but she plans to work again as an EMT as soon as she is able.

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 Annette Gutierrez

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    INVERNESS, Florida (WFTS) — A family member of the Citrus County teens who died in last week’s tunnel collapse is sharing their story for the first time, remembering the boys and the lives they touched.

George Watts and Derrick Hubbard were only 14 years old when tragedy struck last Sunday.

A memorial continues to grow at the site where the two boys lost their lives. The Watts’ family returned to the location for the first time since the incident occurred.

Earlier this week, Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez spoke with community members while they processed this devastating loss, and now George’s step-mom, Jasmine Watts, is speaking publicly for the first time about the loss and how she’s honoring his memory. She said she has been raising George for the past three years like one of her own kids.

“I told him, I love you, be safe,” Jasmine Watts said.

Those were the last words Watts said to George before he biked over to his friend Derrick Hubbard’s house — a boy everyone knew as D.J. — last weekend.

The two 14-year-olds were practically brothers: playing football, going on family outings, and hanging out with friends together.

“Since diapers. They’re – that’s his best friend. That’s his everything. You couldn’t see D.J. if you didn’t see George,” Watts said.

But the unimaginable happened, when they were found trapped inside a hole they had dug. Watts shared video from George’s phone of the tunnel they created that day.

“I knew they would come home sandy sometimes, and I didn’t know they were playing in anything like this,” Watts said.

Last Sunday, Watts got a call from D.J.’s mom.

“She was screaming and she was like they’re in sand, they’re in sand. And it didn’t make any sense at first,” Watts said.

When Watts arrived at the scene, she saw first responders digging in the exact spot where her Life360 app showed George’s location.

“It was showing him in the pit and it wasn’t making sense,” Watts said. “Who was the first person they found? George. They found him first.”

About three minutes later, they found D.J. Both were taken to the hospital. D.J. passed away on Sunday and George on Tuesday.

“I loved the man he was turning into – he cared about his siblings, he started clicking with my son, in a way I never thought he would,” Watts said. “I never imagined having to raise these kids without him.”

Watts said the family had become one, but now they’re left broken, trying to pick up the pieces.

But hope remains. The Watts family decided to donate George’s organs last Wednesday.

“I want to meet who has his heart and who has eyes,” Watts said.

The Watts family said they are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support they’ve received over the past week.

“I was honestly shell-shocked because I didn’t realize how much of an impact he was making everyone where he was going,” Watts said.

The family is now working to honor the boys’ memory while grieving their loss in a community still shaken by the tragedy.

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 Grace Rodriguez

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    RINCON, Georgia (WJCL) — A recent Cornell University graduate is planting new seeds in Rincon with the start of a nature and bird conservancy. Isaiah Scott, a Rincon native, started Rookery and Roots Conservancy on 16.1 acres in Effingham County to teach the next generation about nature.

“A lot of people don’t know, but the Gullah Geechee heritage corridor, it extends into Effingham County,” Scott said.

Scott says he’s blending his love of wildlife with his Gullah Geechee heritage, and plans to use the property to educate others.

“One thing we’re very interested in having is an outdoor classroom or also a living classroom where students can come and have, you know, experiences out in nature and, you know, be able to go on field trips,” Scott said.

Teaching others is something his dad says runs in the family.

“Giving back, you know, helping kids, that’s just something that our family has always done. And education is, is key in our family,” Roger Scott said. “I had tears in my eyes yesterday because I can’t believe it’s true. You know, doing something special for my son. You know, he’s 22 years old, owning 16.1 acres of land.”

The project still has another year to go, but the Scott family isn’t wasting any time getting the property ready for visitors.

“We’re planning to build a bird observation blind that people can go in and see ducks coming into the pond,” Scott said. “I just envision a future where, you know, there will be more places such as this where people and wildlife can thrive sustainably in the landscape.”

Scott says that aside from the conservancy, he’s also working on other ways to educate and inspire the next generation of learners.

“I’m actually working on a book about this that are significant in Gullah Geechee culture. I’m illustrating a field guide of birds of the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor, and some of the birds, such as, you know, hawks or turkey vultures and even another bird called the bobolink,” Scott said.

The family will host a trail cleanup Monday, Jan. 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. Those attending are asked to bring gloves and trash bags.

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By Zoe Blair

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    JASPER, Alabama (WVTM) — Dr. Mehmet Oz recently highlighted Alabama’s plan to use robots for ultrasounds due to a shortage of OB-GYNs during a rural healthcare roundtable with White House officials, a statement that has sparked significant attention on social media.

The initiative is part of Alabama’s use of the $203 million awarded under the federal government’s Rural Health Transformation Program, which was created in the Big Beautiful Bill.

According to the grant proposal, Alabama intends to allocate some of the funding for digital obstetric regionalization and telerobotic ultrasound. However, OB-GYNs in the state expressed skepticism about the plan’s effectiveness.

“This won’t take care of access to maternal care, it won’t decrease the mortality rate,” said Dr. LoRissia Autery, an OB-GYN at Walker Women’s Specialists, who serves patients in five rural counties.

She emphasized that while the maternal mortality rate is a significant issue, robotic ultrasounds are not the solution.

“There may be a case where a mom may have no fluid and that patient needs to go to a hospital, but if you’re in a part of the county that doesn’t have a hospital that has obstetrical services, now you have to drive an hour to an hour and a half to receive those services from a physician that did not do the ultrasound,” Autery said. “If she is an hour and a half away, I still have to wait on her to get here. For us, someone is always here all the time. We live here.”

Autery stated that she would not use robotic ultrasounds if given the choice, as she believes they remove the personal touch from caregiving.

“There’s something to be said about just human reaction, touching someone, hugging them if they get bad news. For me, I want that. That’s one of the reasons I actually went into OB-GYN is because we have continuity of care,” she said.

Instead, Autery advocates for investing in recruiting doctors to rural areas. “Alabama has one of the worst maternal mortality rates. So, yes, we do need access to all types of health care,” she said. “Most physicians we’ve been recruiting, they don’t want to come to a smaller area for a variety of reasons.”

The Rural Health Transformation Program will distribute $50 billion across all 50 states, with Alabama receiving $203.4 million for 2026.

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By Chris Oswalt, Ross Adams

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Beth Israel Congregation is asking for community support as it begins the long process of rebuilding after a devastating arson caused extensive damage to the historic synagogue.

Congregation leaders said donations are now being accepted to help fund rebuilding efforts following the fire, which damaged walls throughout the building and destroyed the synagogue’s library.

Supporters can donate online, mail checks directly to the congregation or make contributions through stock, bond or wire transfers. Leaders said every donation will help the congregation rebuild and continue serving as a central part of Mississippi’s faith community.

“The outpouring of community support has shown us how welcome and how loved we are,” said Ben Russell, a student rabbi with Beth Israel Congregation. “The building is just a building — we are the people of Beth Israel. Wherever we are, we are together, and our congregation will be strong.”

Authorities said the suspect, Stephen Spencer Pittman, admitted to setting the fire. Investigators said security video shows Pittman pouring gasoline inside the synagogue before setting it on fire.

Pittman is facing state and federal charges. At last check, he remained hospitalized while being treated for burns sustained in the fire.

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By Cren Rosenbaum

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    GUILFORD COUNTY, North Carolina (WXII) — Cat-astrophe averted! Animal services in North Carolina sprang into action after a cat got stuck on top of a building with a Doritos bag on top of his head.

Officers said they got a call about a stray cat that was stuck on top of a house at a new construction site. When they arrived, officers saw the cat had a Doritos bag stuck on his head, and he was not moving.

Officers said they couldn’t tell if the cat was frozen in fear or if he was having trouble breathing.

The Greensboro Fire Department was called to assist. Firefighters climbed onto the roof to reach him, but when they got close, he started squirming.

Eventually, firefighters were able to safely take off the bag, put him in a carrier, and bring him down from the building without a scratch.

Now dubbed “Battalion Chief Dorito,” the cat is safe at the shelter. Officials say he is about 5 years old and is still recovering from a very unexpected situation.

He will be listed on the Guilford County Animal Services website when he is available for adoption.

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By Alexis Crandall

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    SAINT ALBANS CITY, Vermont (WPTZ) — Monitoring the content your kids are watching can be hard.

That is why one St. Albans dad is offering a new alternative to help parents take back some control over what kids can find online.

Go Caboodle is a free site for parents and caregivers to manage what kids are viewing.

“The idea is parents have control,” said founder Galen Dow. “You can have learn your ABCs or learn to draw or sports content or dinosaur content or whatever it is, knowing that, within the child’s app, they can’t wander off and go to anything else other than what you’ve approved to put in.”

Parents create their account and set up one for their kids.

They can search and add videos uploaded by other users to the junior account. Topics range from drawing to music to sports.

“It opens up this universe of organizing really interesting things that could be for any child,” Dow said. “You don’t have to be a child of means. It’s free. That’s important to us.”

Renee Carrico, psychology program director at St. Michael’s College, said screen time can have positive effects, especially when kids are viewing high-quality educational content.

“That’s helping them learn social emotional skills or increasing literacy or academic skills or improving executive function,” she said. “Those are cognitive skills like planning and problem-solving and behavioral control.”

Grandparents, coaches and other caretakers can be added to an account to help add videos. They are responsible for filtering the content.

“The idea is it presents content to your child in alignment with your values. Is it up to us to say that a WWE video has something in it that isn’t right for an 8-year-old child? I don’t think so,” said Dow. “Someone else might not think so, so they might flag it, and that might cause the parent to take a little bit deeper look and make sure this is something that they want.”

With new users joining daily, Dow said he is hopeful the site will continue to improve.

“There are a lot of minor problems that we could help solve, but very long term, there’s an endless roadmap of parents getting control back of these tools and apps for their kids,” he said. “Then, second of all, learning from that and maybe creating better experiences for everyone.”

Dow encouraged parents to join the site and submit feedback on things they like and things they think can be improved.

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.