Author: CNN Newsource

By Alexa Liacko

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    POWDER SPRINGS, Georgia (WUPA) — At Compton Elementary School in Powder Springs, math teacher Caleb Garrett turned a love of coffee into a program that’s building community inside his school. What looks like a classroom at first glance is actually a coffee shop project with a bigger purpose.

At the Compton Coffee Café, the baristas are pint-sized, and the store manager is also a math teacher.

The Compton Coffee Café is a student-run coffee cart where fifth graders team up with classmates with special needs to deliver iced coffee to teachers throughout the school.

“So S is strawberry, P is peach, and R is raspberry,” Garrett tells students as they prepare drinks.

The project was started by Garrett and special education teacher Elizabeth Evans.

Teachers place their orders online, and students prepare the drinks before delivering them throughout the building.

“Here’s your coffee!” one student says while handing off a drink.

For the teachers receiving them, the deliveries are just as sweet as the drinks themselves.

“Thank you!” one teacher says.

“Best day ever!” another adds.

Evans said the program has had a meaningful impact on students who participate.

“This has such a great impact. So, when our kids walk around the school, other children are recognizing them. They’re saying hello and they’re building that natural communication in that really safe environment,” Evans said.

For the fifth graders working alongside them, the project is also a lesson in teamwork and acceptance.

“It’s so fun because we get to talk to each other, and we get to talk to the other teachers when we’re delivering to them,” said Alani, a student.

And when things don’t go perfectly, Garrett uses those moments as teaching opportunities.

“It’s okay to reset,” Garrett said.

Fifth grader Alani remembers a moment when she accidentally spilled a drink.

“I was upset that I spilled it, and he had told me just like, it’s okay… “It’s just a little mistake,” she said.

For Garrett, the program is about more than coffee.

“Just to think about how do we treat others that maybe are different than us … just building that community and spreading kindness throughout the world,” Garrett said.

The coffee sales also help fund opportunities for students. Money raised from the café helps pay for field trips for classmates who might not otherwise be able to afford them.

“Last year, we got to downtown Atlanta, and one of the students just shouts on the bus, ‘I didn’t know they could make buildings this big,’ and just being able to give them those moments and opportunities is so, so, so exciting and heartwarming,” Garrett said.

Garrett also encourages students to take time for themselves, reminding them during class to pause and breathe.

“Deep breath in!! Let go of anything that’s on your mind!” he tells them in class.

Students say those moments matter.

“It helps us. Like it helps me feel much better,” one student said.

Whether students are solving equations or learning to make the perfect latte, Garrett believes they are capable of more than they think.

“Give them the opportunity, and they will crush what you had set as an expectation for them,” Garrett said. “This is our next generation, and we have to not only treat them with kindness but inspire them to be the best versions of themselves.”

At Compton Elementary, that confidence is growing — one cup, and one student, at a time.

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 Paul Burton

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    FOXBORO, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Soccer fans were fired up at Boston Legacy’s inaugural home opener at Gillette Stadium against New York’s Gotham FC.

“It means everything we’ve been working to this day for over two years to make sure the instadium presence and that the fans are ready to support this team,” Boston Independent Supporters Association member Anna Esten said.

The game set National Women’s Soccer League records, becoming the highest-attended inaugural home opener in league history. But before the game, a Boston Legacy Fan Fest got fans even more excited with face painting, games and hair braiding. Boston Public High School’s marching band got the crowd

“This is a monumental moment not only for Legacy but for us from BPS. We are bringing together high school students from 10 high school band programs to be a major part of the home games Boston Legacy will have going forward,” Tony Beatrice said.

Thousands of fans went wild when their team took the field and showed off their relentless skills against Gotham FC.

Sarah Lewis from Cranston brought her nine-year-old son, Granger, to witness history.

“It is important for me to make sure that my three boys and it’s really important for me to show them that women’s sports are just as important as men’s sports,” Lewis said.

And for many of these fans having a women’s professional soccer team was well worth the wait.

“To me, it’s huge. I am a soccer coach now, and it means the world. I never thought we would be here. It’s a dream,” Lewis said.

At the half Boston’s own New Kids on the Block performed. Donnie Wahlberg stopped to grab photos and sign autographs with fans after the performance.

Boston Legacy home games will be played at Gillette and at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, until White Stadium is completed in 2027.

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 Janay Reece

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — If you are from Baltimore, chances are you’ve seen two things: horses and the fruit men — also known as arabbers.

“I remember going to get her ‘grandma the fruit– the horse outside, let’s go’,” said Baltimore native and fellow arabber, Keno Washington.

Arabbers have walked Baltimore’s streets since the 19th century.

“I didn’t think it was work you have to really – feet on ground – I didn’t look at it like that — you know I was a kid,” Washington said.

But there are fewer in the city these days, as the trade ages along with the men and women who act as its driving force.

This is part of what inspired Anthony Duncan to develop Row and Wagon — a new app to help keep arabbing alive.

“To be able to really provide a platform for the arabbers to be more successful, right? So that they are able to transact with even more customers who traditionally might not have been able to pay,” said app developer Anthony Duncan.

On the app, you can pay for fresh products on the wagon using the digital wallet on your phone.

“To be able to use Cash App, PayPal, Venmo, and then soon, hopefully, we hope to be able to open up for EBT transactions as well. So really be able to address the food desert issue kind of head-on to some of our communities,” Duncan said.

Duncan worked alongside the nonprofit Stable Baltimore and the Arabber Preservation Society to bring this idea to life and get new arabbers involved.

“You know, I know that there’s been efforts the last couple years for like, getting young men off the street from like squeegeeing and things like that, and I think that this is like the perfect pipeline to introduce them into a very entrepreneurial endeavor that they can own and be able to grow and build from,” he said.

Washington is among the new generation keeping this tradition alive — in the digital age – using the app to help customers find them.

“I built what’s called hot routes using some artificial intelligence, so it allows the arabber to have recommended routes based on the neighbor’s engagement,” Duncan said. “You could just, like, quick add features, and so they can see your inventory in real time, and they can also see where you are.”

About 95% of the money earned goes directly to the arabber, while 5% goes towards their nonprofit.

“I am a part of history,” Washington said.

Duncan hopes to officially launch Row and Wagon soon. You can download it early on Google Play and the App Store.

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 Christie Ileto

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    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A nationwide effort to unite people named Ryan is coming to Philadelphia this month, transforming a shared first name into a community movement.

Organizers say the upcoming “Ryan Reunion” is about more than novelty-it’s about connection.

Ryan Fisher, who helps lead the Ryan Meetup group, said the gatherings create an instant bond. “You walk into a Ryan meetup, and it’s like, hey, Ryan’s here! And everyone… It’s the ultimate icebreaker, and it just brings this bonding together,” he said. “And then the feedback we get from every Ryan who attends a Ryan meetup is, when’s the next one?”

The event, known as St. Ryan’s Day, is billed as the fastest-growing organization dedicated to bringing together people who share the name.

The idea began three years ago with a flier posted in Brooklyn.

Since then, an online community of thousands of Ryans has formed, hosting meetups and events nationwide.

Organizers say the appeal goes beyond the joke. “Something we hear about a lot, especially post-COVID, is people trying to find their community, and find their people, and find a sense of belonging, and find something that’s unique,” Fisher said.

This year’s meetup is scheduled for March 21 on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The group plans to attempt a world record for the most people with the same name simultaneously climbing the Rocky Steps.

The organizers say the goal is simple: bring people together – one Ryan at a time.

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 Chase Houle

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    STOCKBRIDGE, Georgia (WXIA) — Two birthing doulas say they were forced to leave a delivery room at Piedmont Henry Hospital while their client was in active labor, sparking questions about hospital policy and patient rights.

Shira Lawrence and Jetaime McKinney say they were acting as birth doulas for a mother delivering at the hospital. Doulas are trained professionals who support pregnant women by offering education, advocacy, and emotional support before and during childbirth.

In a video recorded during the encounter, the mother can be heard telling staff she wants the doulas to remain in the room. However, Lawrence and McKinney say they were still escorted out.

“We were stripped of our rights. It felt like we weren’t safe. It felt like anything could have happened to us, and there was no one to advocate or protect us, and that’s the job we show up to do is to help others,” Lawrence said.

The doulas say the conflict began over the mother’s delivery preferences.

According to Lawrence and McKinney, the mother wanted to deliver the baby naturally. However, they say the doctor recommended a C-section because the baby was in a flipped position.

“She has the right to personal autonomy of her body and she said, ‘I don’t want to be cut, I want to labor and do my best to have this baby vaginally and she deserves that right,'” McKinney said.

The doulas say the mother was not refusing care and that neither the baby nor the mother was experiencing medical complications at the time.

In a video from the incident, hospital staff can be heard telling the doulas they were being removed because of the facility’s visitor policy.

However, Piedmont Henry Hospital’s labor and delivery visitor policy states that “two visitors and a doula, if applicable, may be present in the labor room at one time.”

11Alive’s Chase Houle reached out to Piedmont Hospital for its perspective on what happened, and a spokesperson sent this statement:

“Although we do not comment on specific cases due to our commitment to patient privacy, we can say that our priority is enabling good outcomes for our patients by providing safe, quality care.”

McKinney says removing them from the room went against the type of care the hospital says it provides.

“Safe and quality care doesn’t mean taking the support people that she hired to come into a space and support her and advocate for her and love on her in this experience and to put them out,” McKinney said.

According to the doulas, the mother did ultimately end up getting a C-section when she was 10 centimeters dilated.

Both she and the baby are home and doing fine.

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 Christy Waite

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    WELLINGTON, Florida (WPTV) — Emiliana Fuger’s love for sea turtles began after her parents took her to a sea turtle nest excavation site.

The fourth grader at Western Academy Charter School in Wellington has now used that curiosity to become a published author and sea turtle advocate.

The idea for a book began while she was working on her science fair project; she wanted to study the internal anatomy of sea turtles, but during her research, she quickly learned there weren’t any children’s books to help.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to do my project — all I could find was college textbooks,” Emiliana said.

Using college textbooks and partnering with local marine biologists, Emiliana gathered the information she needed to complete her project and was inspired to write her own children’s book about what she learned.

The book, titled Anatomy Under the Sea: The Adventures of Luna the Loggerhead, helps young readers learn anatomy, conservation, and scientific curiosity. Emiliana even built a loggerhead sea turtle model to showcase the internal anatomy sea turtles.

Emiliana’s book will live on forever in the Library of Congress, where generations of kids can continue to learn the inner workings of a sea turtle.

“We are just so so proud of her and can’t wait to see what’s next,” Emiliana’s mom, Stefany Allongo, said.

The 9-year-old now gives “Turtle Talks” at local schools and nonprofit organizations to continue sharing her love of marine science with other kids all across the state.

Emiliana won the 2025 Wavemakers Science Competition, was a 2025 Go Blue Award Nominee, and will represent the state of Florida on a PBS Kids feature.

Her work doesn’t stop here— Emiliana is currently working on a Spanish version of her book, and she has also become snorkel certified.

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 Jeff Hager

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    HARFORD COUNTY, Maryland (WMAR) — They care for animals when their owners can no longer do so, but workers at the Humane Society of Harford County also help people beat the odds in finding their lost pets.

“This is Dakota,” said Terrie Poling of Joppa as she walked out of the shelter after picking up her dog.

“She just ran off, because we’re doing construction at the house and something scared her, and I’m so thankful that someone picked her up and brought her here.”

Dakota was only missing for about 20 minutes.

The case of Artemis, a domestic short-haired brown tabby that recently showed up in someone’s unfinished basement in Bel Air, is a different story.

“As part of our normal intake process, we scan all the pets for a microchip, and low and behold, the cat had a chip,” said Erin Long of the Humane Society of Harford County.

“So we traced it. We called the owner. Again, pretty routine, and she started to cry, and she said, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. My cat has been gone for five years.’”

Melissa Garci and her daughter, Brooke, had long since moved from Harford to Cecil County, and when their initial efforts to post flyers and search for Artemis came up short, they gave up hope of ever seeing her again.

“Everybody at the shelter was like shocked and wanted to meet her, like the workers, and they brought her to a cat room like where you meet new cats,” Brooke recalled, “and she, like, immediately came out slowly, and I was like, ‘Oh, hi!’ like as if I didn’t know if she would know us.”

“She said, ‘I wonder if Artemis is going to remember me?’ and I said, ‘Well, maybe not your face, but maybe your smell,'” said Long.

“But Artemis came right out of his carrier, went right up to her and her daughter, got in her lap, and there was not a dry eye. I mean there were tears all around.”

In all probability, Artemis may never have made it home if not for his microchip, which is a tiny electronic transponder about the size of a grain of rice, implanted painlessly under the surface of the skin.

Depending upon the study, it’s estimated about half of all chipped dogs will be reunited with their owners and about two out of every five lost cats, and there’s another important step to better your odds.

“It’s not enough just to get them microchipped,” said Long.

“You want to make sure your chip is always registered correctly so if you move, you want to call the microchip company and you want to update your address. If you get a new phone number, call that microchip company, because it doesn’t do anybody any good if we go to trace the chip and the phone number is not in service anymore.”

Just ask Melissa and Brooke Garci, whose phone number provided the only clue in returning Artemis to her rightful home.

“She said, ‘This is the Humane Society. We have Artemis.”

“And we were like, ‘What??!!!”

“We were freaking out, because it had been almost five years since she’d been gone.”

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 Rebecca Petit

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    LAKELAND, Florida (WFTS) — What was supposed to be a romantic anniversary trip to Dubai turned into a frightening escape for a Lakeland couple. Their son helped to coordinate their safe return home.

“They love to travel. They try to do a few trips a year to cool international destinations, and this was the first time going to the Middle East,” said Nick Poucher.

Poucher’s mom and stepdad Mike and Krista Hickman were getting ready to leave Dubai International Airport on Feb. 28, when everything suddenly changed.

“As they taxied out, the captain came back on again and told them that actually they just closed out all the airspace, and they were not going to be able to take off,” Poucher said.

The U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran started that morning. Retaliatory strikes in the region left the couple and thousands of travelers stranded inside the airport as airlines shut down flights.

Poucher said just hours after his parents left the airport, a drone strike hit the terminal.

“You can hear the fear in their voice and the concern of the situation and while I’m on FaceTime [with them] I can hear explosions going off. It’s very, very close. There was one explosion that hit so close that my mom said it was literally like shaking the window,” said Poucher.

After days of uncertainty, Poucher and his family back in Lakeland worked nonstop to find his parents a way out. Eventually, they arranged for a driver to take the couple across the desert to Oman — a 5-and-a-half-hour journey.

“It really felt like there was no help. So, we just started looking around for our own options and found that Oman was the only country in the area that their airspace was still open. They were able to find a driver to take them,” Poucher said.

From Oman, the couple was able to fly to India to catch a flight home. Now that they’re out of the conflict zone, Poucher said his family can finally breathe a little easier.

“It was very uneasy to know that a war was continuing to ramp up, and they really had no plan on how to get out. Once they got to India, I felt a lot better,” Poucher said.

The couple will soon return home to Lakeland, ending an anniversary trip they will never forget.

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.