Author: CNN Newsource

By Robert Boyd

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — Just because a player retires from the NFL doesn’t mean they retire from the community. In many cases, former players go on to have even a bigger impact off the field than on it. That’s the case of the NFL Alumni Association Tampa Bay.

The organization, consisting of retired players and cheerleaders, visited the Jackson Heights NFL Youth Education Town Center this month to kick off the season.

They say the best part about being part of this group is the opportunity to go out into the community and meet the Bucs’ youngest fans

“We want to mentor, we want to help strengthen, we want to be there for the support, we have 35 chapters throughout the country,” said President Walter Carter.

The YET Center says many of its students grow up in low-income situations. An encounter with a former player will be something they remember forever.

“Some of them have never been to a game, some of them only see their heroes on TV, so guess what, their heroes can come to them,” said Jamal Jefferson, with the YET center.

The former Bucs included Carter, Martin, Gramatica and Jeff George. They even had a former Packer, Mike Butler. When it comes to NFL Alumni, everyone is on the same team.

“Just to put a smile on a kid’s face and let them know with hard work anything is possible and that’s what we want to preach to them, like make sure you study, make sure you take care of your education,” said Gramatica.

They say the bond between player and fan is one of the best parts of the NFL experience.

“And not only did the fans support me, but the whole community supported me, so I feel it’s my responsibility to give back,” said George.

Former Bucs’ cheerleader Lynn Murray was on the sidelines during the team’s inaugural season. She is proud to still be connecting with fans a half a century later.

“For me, I’m a former schoolteacher, so when I cheered, I was also teaching sixth grade, so to see the kids now and to be able to give back to the community, it’s just fantastic,” said Murray.

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By Austen Erblat

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    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — Firefighters responded to a house fire that started in a garage southwest of Denver on Monday. All of the home’s residents safely evacuated the house and firefighters rescued two cats and administered oxygen. Two other cats were unaccounted for as of about 10:45 a.m.

The fire was reported around 9:45 a.m. in the 6800 block of South Allison Way, near West Coal Mine Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard.

Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire, but they found that it did not extend from the garage to the home.

Around 10:15 a.m., South Metro Fire Rescue reported that firefighters had rescued one cat and were administering oxygen.

About 10 minutes later, the agency said a second cat was rescued and was administered oxygen too, before being returned to the homeowner.

After 11 a.m., South Metro Fire Rescue said the last two cats were located and were safe.

Fire crews were ventilating smoke from the garage and will continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

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By WTVR News Staff

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    SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — Police are looking for masked thieves who crashed a car into a Virginia pawn shop and stole multiple guns.

Security video from the Pawn King on Plank Road in Spotsylvania County captured the entire crime, which took about a minute to commit.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said at about 3 a.m. on Monday, September 15, the thieves crashed a stolen Hyundai into the business.

Moments later the video shows at least four people climb over the car, through the damaged door and into the business.

Once inside, the group grabbed multiple firearms and ran off.

“Detectives continue to review video footage and collect evidence as the investigation remains active,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.

A pawn shop worker told CBS 6 it appears the thieves stole more than 20 weapons.

Anyone with information can call in a tip at 1-800-928-5822 or 1-540-582-5822.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.

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By Caleb Barnes

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    SHELBY CO., Kentucky (WLEX) — A Kentucky man took his stone skipping skill to an international setting this September, bringing a piece of history – and a record – back to the Bluegrass.

“When people hear I’m a professional stone skipper, there’s like one of two responses I always get,” Jon Jennings, champion stone skipper said. “Either people are like, ‘whoa, that’s so cool, I never knew that was a thing,’ or they’re like, ‘I bet I could skip further than you.’”

The activity has been a cornerstone for Jennings since he was little.

“I spent most of my days just playing in the creek, throwing rocks in the water and I can’t remember ever not being able to skip a stone,” Jennings said. “My uncle, when I was younger, he was like, ‘Jon, you got a gift in stone skipping.’ He was like, ‘there’s competitions out there, you need to find those competitions because you are going to win.’”

Once Jennings found those competitions, the trophies were – literally – just a stone’s throw away.

“I currently am the reigning Great Southern Stone Skipping Champion, and also the World Stone Skimming champion as well,” Jennings said.

The world championship is the most recent addition to Jennings’ trophy case. He took the title on Sept. 6 at Easdale Island in Scotland.

“I’m the first American to ever win the world championship,” Jennings said of the event, which has been happening annually since 1997. “Not only did I end up winning it, but my official cumulative score ended up being 177 meters, which is the record for that contest as well now.”

With the new record – and new hardware – Jennings hopes to keep growing the stone skipping scene back here in Kentucky.

“People will send me fliers and so I’ll post them on our social media and try to just get the word out about competitive stone skipping,” he said.

Jennings helped create the Kentucky Stone Skipping Invitational. Coming up in a few weeks, he’s also leading the charge in the Kentucky Waterways Alliance Stone Skipping Competition coming up on Sept. 27. You can find out more about the event on Facebook.

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By Laurie Perez, Matthew Rodriguez

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    California (KCAL, KCBS) — After 13 months of isolation, a baby from Los Angeles County received the potentially life-saving implant that could kick-start her immune system and allow her to live a semi-regular life.

Since the birth of their daughter, Syanne, the Landrons have quarantined themselves inside their Santa Clarita home to protect their baby, who was born without a thymus gland. Lacking an essential part of her immune system, any exposure to germs or infections could be deadly for Syanne.

The diagnosis changed the way they lived. They’ve celebrated holidays and birthdays from afar while family and friends drop off deliveries of food and supplies.

“We don’t see anybody,” mother Marilyn Landron said. “There is no six feet apart. You don’t go near anybody. We wear a mask anywhere and everywhere. Even if we’re going to the trash, we put a mask on … We don’t go to stores. We couldn’t even do our own laundry for a good minute at our old apartment.”

Most children without a thymus gland don’t survive past their first birthday, according to Duke University. However, in 2021, doctors from the university’s medical center received FDA approval to begin their pioneering thymus implant procedure. In August, doctors from Duke invited the Landrons to visit North Carolina so Syanne could be the 52nd person to receive the potentially life-saving operation.

For their trip to North Carolina, the Landrons took special precautions to prevent exposure, including ambulances and a private medical jet.

“I handed her over, and I think that was probably the hardest part. I cried,” Marilyn Landron said.

After the medical team took their daughter into their care, the family waited in anxious excitement as surgeons implanted tissue from another baby into Syanne. Friends and family rejoiced when doctors told them they had successfully completed the procedure.

“Since getting the call, since coming out here, and her getting her surgery, there’s finally a light at the end,” father Alex Landron said.

The Landrons said that the $3 million procedure has a 70% success rate, which increases over time. When they return home, they will still have to isolate themselves for at least six months as Syanne’s immune system develops. After that, Syanne will still be immunocompromised and experience more severe symptoms from the common cold compared to others, but in the end, she’ll have a better chance at surviving.

“Her immune system will always be a little weaker than everyone else’s,” Alex Landron said. “Sicknesses will hit her harder than regular people, but she’ll live.”

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By Brian New

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    Texas (KTVT) — Before allegedly beheading a Dallas motel manager last week, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez had already built a criminal arrest record across Florida, California and Texas, according to court and law enforcement records.

Cobos-Martinez, 37, is charged with capital murder in the death of Chandra Nagamallaiah, who police say was attacked with a machete in front of his wife and child at a Dallas motel on September 10. Cobos-Martinez is currently being held at the Dallas County Jail.

Court records reviewed by the CBS News Texas I-Team show Cobos-Martinez, a Cuban national, had been arrested multiple times over the past eight years.

Cobos-Martinez was arrested in Florida in 2017 In 2017, he was arrested in Florida by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office for felony grand theft auto after allegedly stealing a Mercedes-Benz. The charge was later dropped.

That same year, Cobos-Martinez was arrested in California Later that year, Cobos-Martinez was arrested in South Lake Tahoe, California, for attempted carjacking. According to the police report, he tried to drag a woman from her car, climbed in with her, and assaulted her. He was released on bail and then fled the state.

Arrested in Harris County in 2018 In 2018, he was arrested in Harris County, Texas, for indecency with a child. That charge was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. While in jail awaiting trial, Cobos-Martinez allegedly punched a jailer in the jaw, according to his court-appointed attorney. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to one year in jail. But since he had already served more than four years awaiting trial, he was released.

Cobos-Martinez extradited to California Shortly after, officials extradited him back to California to face charges from the 2017 carjacking case. A jury acquitted him of carjacking but convicted him of false imprisonment. He was placed on probation in August 2023, but El Dorado County prosecutors told the I-Team he fled again.

Held in ICE detention in Texas Cobos-Martinez was eventually arrested by police in Texas on a fugitive charge and taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, about 150 miles west of Fort Worth.

According to Homeland Security officials, Cobos-Martinez had a final order of removal to Cuba. However, on Jan. 13, 2025, he was released under supervision because Cuban authorities refused to accept him due to his criminal history.

Arrested in Harris County in 2018 In 2018, he was arrested in Harris County, Texas, for indecency with a child. That charge was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. While in jail awaiting trial, Cobos-Martinez allegedly punched a jailer in the jaw, according to his court-appointed attorney. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to one year in jail. But since he had already served more than four years awaiting trial, he was released.

Cobos-Martinez extradited to California Shortly after, officials extradited him back to California to face charges from the 2017 carjacking case. A jury acquitted him of carjacking but convicted him of false imprisonment. He was placed on probation in August 2023, but El Dorado County prosecutors told the I-Team he fled again.

Held in ICE detention in Texas Cobos-Martinez was eventually arrested by police in Texas on a fugitive charge and taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, about 150 miles west of Fort Worth.

According to Homeland Security officials, Cobos-Martinez had a final order of removal to Cuba. However, on Jan. 13, 2025, he was released under supervision because Cuban authorities refused to accept him due to his criminal history.

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