Author: CNN Newsource

By Evan Sery

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    CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXYZ) — An 8-year-old Clinton Township student is grateful to be alive after her school principal performed the Heimlich maneuver to save her from choking on a water bottle cap.

Earlier this month, Piper Irwin was in her second-grade classroom at Miami Elementary School when she went to take a sip from her water bottle. Without realizing the cap was still on, the tiny cap shot into the back of her throat when she tried to drink.

“It was really painful, in my mouth, really hard to get it out,” Piper said. “I couldn’t get it out, and then the principal helped me.”

Dr. Katie Shellabarger, the school’s principal who students call “Dr. S,” was in a meeting when she heard an emergency call over her walkie-talkie. She immediately sprinted to Piper’s classroom and found the student struggling to breathe.

“Her breathing was very gaspy, so we knew something was blocking her from being able to breathe,” Shellabarger said.

Dr. S performed the Heimlich maneuver for about 30 seconds before the bottle cap finally came out, allowing Piper to breathe normally again.

“It felt good, but felt like the bottle cap was still in there,” Piper said about the moment the cap was dislodged.

Since the incident, the principal and student have formed a special bond. Every time they see each other in the hallways, they exchange big smiles and greetings. Sometimes Piper even seeks out Dr. S in her office.

Shellabarger is part of the school’s Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), which trains staff in CPR, first aid, AED operation, and the Heimlich maneuver. She noted that water bottle caps seem to be getting smaller and their threads are so slim that they can pop off easily if not properly secured.

When asked if she feels like a hero, Shellabarger was modest about her life-saving actions.

“No,” she said. “I would have done it for anybody, and that’s what we’re trained to do in our profession.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Christiana Ford

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    TAYLOR, Michigan (WXYZ) — Dozens of seniors are displaced after a massive fire destroyed the American House Senior Living Community in Southgate Friday night.

Everyone made it out alive with only minor injuries, but the residents had nowhere to return as their home was completely destroyed.

Now, the community is coming together to support the displaced seniors. The owner of Salute Taverna in Taylor wants food to be the last thing the seniors impacted by this fire have to worry about, offering free meals for the next two weeks.

Donna Ficaj, owner of Salute Taverna, said the comfort of a warm meal is exactly what she hopes to bring to this dark situation.

“Hopefully, it’ll give them a little bit of comfort and sense of being, a sense of normalcy,” Ficaj said.

Her restaurant is just 10 minutes away from the massive fire that displaced dozens of seniors like 80-year-old Joyce Richardson.

“Everything I owned — everything — that Rick (my nephew) brought in, it’s gone,” Richardson said.

While everyone got out alive, the seniors once living at American House Southgate now have the tall task of putting the pieces back together.

“‘Cause right now, their whole world, I can’t even imagine, their whole world is probably turned upside down, at that age to lose your home and all your belongings,” Ficaj said.

She hopes her restaurant can help alleviate a little bit of the burden, one free plate of spaghetti at a time.

“We started it yesterday. We’ve gone from brunch to actually dinner, so we’ve probably served about 30 meals so far,” Ficaj said.

The free meals are available Sunday through Wednesday for the next two weeks.

“If we have to extend it, we will,” Ficaj said. “The community has been so wonderful to us and I want to give back. I want to make that difference.”

Officials say the cause of the fire is still under investigation as crews work to see if the building is salvageable.

As the work to rebuild continues, community members are rallying support by donating items to the Southgate Senior Center. The city is also collecting monetary donations.

This Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., county and state officials will be at the senior center helping residents with retrieving important documentation. American House representatives will also help with relocation services and permanent housing.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Remi Murrey

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    AKRON, Ohio (WEWS) — A local man is using scavenger hunts to spread peace and positivity throughout some communities in Northeast Ohio.

“I’m from a place where we don’t get a good light shined on us,” said Tray Wooden. “I wanted to show people a good side of us as well.”

Wooden told News 5 he started organizing scavenger hunts about two months ago.

Since then, Wooden has been showing up in random places to drop off goodie bags and baskets full of gifts, toys and sometimes cash for kids and even adults.

Wooden has also been generous in spreading his gift-giving throughout Akron, Canton, Massillon, Lakemore, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton and Portage Lakes, among others.

“Someone asked, ‘why are you doing this?’ and I was like I love seeing people smile. I love seeing people happy,” said Wooden.

After the prizes are hidden, Wooden takes pictures and records videos to send as smoke signals for people to find.

“I’ll say if I post it like this some people will know, but I got people from Canton coming down here. They may not know this park, so to make it a little bit easier I’ll let them know like I’m at Hardesty Park,” said Wooden.

In a matter of minutes, we saw people running all over Hardesty Park on Monday evening to collect the hidden treasures.

“I want to push peace and positivity,” said Wooden.

While Wooden is glad people are having fun, he said it feels good to give back too, and thanks his brother for inspiring him.

“I just feel like Christ is working through me. I just feel like he’s working through me, and I feel like I have my calling,” said Wooden.

Now, Wooden hopes to inspire others like Crystal Groden and her daughter, Jill.

“I just want to teach her the way you know like when she gets older and let her see the joy that it brings other people,” said Groden.

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By Erin Miller

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    VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — Cancer takes so much from people — physically and emotionally. But patients at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital are making appointments for something beyond medical care: they’re visiting volunteers who offer hope and healing in an unexpected place.

The “Unique Boutique,” as it’s called, sits just past the gift shop in the hospital lobby.

Volunteers say the workshop of wigs feels more like your best friend’s closet than a medical facility, and that’s exactly the point.

“I tell them, don’t hold back, we can be here all day,” said Kristy Kain, a member of the Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Auxiliary, who first discovered the boutique when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Kain had struggled to find well-made wigs she could try on before her treatment began.

“I had been looking and just could not find anywhere that had wigs, especially that I could try on ahead of time,” Kain said. “I had gone in for my first round of chemo. My hair was [starting to fall] out, and I had gone from long hair — I had cut it short just to prepare myself.”

When Kain first visited the boutique, she found more than just wigs — she found understanding.

“Most people bring a daughter, friend, or husband, but I came by myself and sat here and cried on [Linda Baker’s] shoulder,” Kain said. “The thing that was the most meaningful to me was – here’s somebody who had been through it.”

That connection drives volunteers like Patricia Phelan-Young, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. “We’ve come a long way in the medical field. Cancer is so much more treatable than it was years ago. So, there’s hope,” Phelan-Young said.

Phelan-Young is a board member of the Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Auxiliary. Their mission is simple: to help the hospital deliver the best care. They raise money to support nurses and fund programs like the Unique Boutique.

“Everything is free [and when they hear that] they just tear up. It’s just so amazing to see what a relief that is for people who are going through so much,” Phelan-Young said.

The boutique offers more than wigs. There are port pillows, scarves, and hats — all made by hand and donated.

“[When I looked at the handmade items,] I see love and caring about people that are having a difficult time because it saves you emotionally and financially,” Phelan-Young said.

The financial relief is significant. Kain said a well-made wig can cost between $300 and $600. When that’s free, the ripple effects are profound.

“I had three kids at home, and if I wanted it to be about them to wear a wig. Now I blend in with everybody else,” Kain said. “Now it can be about their high school graduation or their first day of eighth grade, or whatever. You know it’s not like ‘what’s going on with your mom?’”

Each wig tells a story of compassion — a reminder that a small act of kindness can help someone feel seen and supported.

The boutique serves anyone with medical-related hair loss from any city, not just breast cancer patients. The appointments are private, and patients get the whole boutique to themselves during their visit.

To schedule an appointment call (757) 395-8731. You can also message volunteers on Facebook or Instagram for more information.

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By Mallory Sofastaii

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    BEL AIR, Maryland (WMAR) — A Harford County couple thought they were speaking with the sheriff’s office when a caller nearly convinced them to hand over thousands of dollars. The sophisticated scam included personal details and even spoofed the official agency’s phone number.

Nicole and Joe Markland received a call from someone claiming to be an officer with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. The caller told Nicole she missed a court appearance and a judge issued a warrant for her arrest.

“He said that he was an officer with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office,” Nicole Markland said. “I was supposed to show up as a character witness for a case the day before.”

Initially skeptical, Nicole became convinced when the caller provided key details including information about a court case in their community.

“They had my full name. They knew the address,” Nicole Markland said. “They had my complete address.”

The scammer told Nicole to report to the Edgewood precinct.

“Why would a scam send us directly to a cop?” Nicole asked.

Her husband, Joe, also believed the caller may be legitimate. The fake officer then presented two options: Nicole could be detained for 72 hours and up to 14 days, or they could pay a $7,500 bond before arriving at the station.

The couple chose to pay and withdrew the cash from their bank.

“I leave the bank, I get in the car, and I said, now where are we supposed to go?” asked Joe Markland. “And he says, Well, there’s bond posting terminals in public places all over the place because there’s people that need to post bond when the courthouses are closed.”

The explanation seemed reasonable until Joe looked up the address and discovered it was a gas station. When he expressed concern, the scammer offered to verify his identity by calling from the official sheriff’s line, which then appeared on Nicole’s caller ID.

At the gas station, the couple realized something was wrong when they were directed to use a Bitcoin kiosk.

“I’m looking around, I’m like, I see an ATM, I see soda machines, I see a lottery machine. This isn’t right,” Joe Markland said. “And then, they’re like, Oh well, it’ll say something along the lines of kiosk or something like that. And we’re like, there’s a Bitcoin kiosk, and they’re like, Yeah, that’s the terminal. And we both are like, I’m not doing it.”

The couple drove directly to the sheriff’s office, where deputies confirmed it was a scam.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said legitimate law enforcement will never ask for money to resolve warrants.

“If you have an open warrant we might be reaching out to try and find you, but you’re never going to be able to satisfy that warrant by going to buy gift cards or sending cash right away, we will never ask you for money,” Gahler said.

Harford County has received 14 reports of police impersonator scams this year, with victims losing nearly $80,000.

“Just on police-related scams this year and those are just the people who reported to us. The average victim loses just below $5,000 to one of these scammers,” Gahler said.

The sheriff explained that these scams are difficult to stop because many operate from overseas call centers and can easily spoof phone numbers.

“This is one of those types of things, one call taker goes down, there’s 10 others ready to step up and take their place and create more victims,” Gahler said.

“They just sounded like police officers. They had police chatter in the background. It sounded like an episode of Cops, you know,” Joe Markland said.

Gahler noted that scammers can easily collect convincing personal details online. The Marklands just never expected to become the target.

“When you look back, you know it’s a scam when you’re hearing it because we found out it was and we caught it, but when you’re in it, there’s nothing you can do besides verify as much as you can,” Nicole Markland said.

If anyone calls claiming to be law enforcement or any company demanding payment, hang up immediately. Then call the agency or business directly using the number on their official website, not the number provided by the caller.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WMAR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Ellen Ice

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    BOURBON COUNTY, Kentucky (WLEX) — A TikTok made by the practice manager of the Paris Vet Clinic has gone viral.

Elizabeth Buckles tells LEX 18 she started an ofrenda in January of last year when her dog died. She brought the ofrenda into the clinic this year and added in clients’ pets.

“They were family members, they were counselors, they were therapists,” said Buckles. “I thought I would put it on social media to let people know and it blew up, it went viral.”

Buckles only had 42 followers, but her initial TikTok has more than 1.2 million views, comments and shares.

“People have commented on it asking ‘Could you add my pet I know I’m not a client or patient but they passed away from this or that,’ and it just pulled at my heartstrings, and I said of course,” said Buckles.

She says the point of an ofrenda is to honor family members who have died, specifically on the holiday Dia De Meurtos. The spirits travel back earthside to visit.

People leave food and drinks at their ofrendas for the spirits’ journey back. In this case, it’s kibble and water.

“I think there’s a lot of negative stigma with social media and this was positive way to connect people from all over,” said Buckles. “One was from England, Poland, and even China.”

Buckles tells LEX 18 she is honored to place pictures of as many pets as she can on her ofrenda. Monday night, October 27, is Day of the Dead for pets.

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By Bella Line

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WFTX) — It’s been a little more than a month since Cape Coral Police said 28-year-old Devin Johnson stabbed his mom in their home 100 times. Now his sister, Renee Caney, is speaking only with Fox 4’s Bella Line about Devin’s history with mental health.

Renee Caney discovered her mother’s body in September and said the traumatic scene will stay with her forever.

“You don’t want to believe that your brother did something of that magnitude,” Caney said. “I was the daughter that found her, and I’ll never unsee what I saw that day. For how violent it was, how could you do that to your own mother?”

A cross now sits at the front door of Rosemary Johnson’s home as a memorial to the woman Caney describes as “sweet and loving and caring.”

Caney said her brother wasn’t always troubled and describes him as “sweet and innocent” growing up, before he “spiraled” in recent years.

Court documents reveal the family had been dealing with escalating issues. In March, records show that Rosemary filed a petition for a restraining order against her son, writing “I am staying at my daughters because I don’t feel safe around him.”

The paperwork also said Devin Johnson has schizophrenia and was receiving treatment at SalusCare. Caney told detectives her brother had previously been Baker Acted.

“We have a huge crisis in this country with mental illness, and there’s just something needs to be done about it,” Caney said.

Despite the tragedy, Caney said she hopes her brother will receive mental health treatment rather than a potential life sentence in prison, which is he facing.

“He’s not going to get the help that he needs in a prison,” she said. “He’ll get the help that he needs in a mental facility.”

Johnson is expected back in court on Dec. 2.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WFTX verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Robert Boyd

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    LAND O’ LAKES, Florida (WFTS) — It’s one of the most prestigious honors a Girl Scout can receive, the Medal of Honor. This year, 25 of them were awarded nationwide, and one recipient was an 11-year-old living right here in Tampa Bay.

Maggie Lewandowski never realized how happy she would be to be doing homework with her father. In June 2024, she almost lost him forever.

“I just woke up to him calling my name, and I went to his bedroom, and he looked like he was really sick, so he needed me to get him a glass of water and his phone,” said Maggie.

Maggie would soon find out that her father, Greg, was suffering a stroke inside their Land O’ Lakes home.

“Then we called 911 together, we both answered the questions that they needed to know, and I did everything that they told me to, including unlocking the door and eventually leading the paramedics to his room,” said Maggie.

“She said she was the calm one, I was a little upset and frantic, not knowing what was going on,” said Greg.

Because of Maggie’s quick actions, her dad made it to the hospital in time and is now back home on the road to recovery.

“Just the ability for her to come to action when I needed her most,” said Greg. “It’s pretty humbling to have your daughter take care of you when you are used to taking care of her, but she came through.”

When asked how Maggie was able to stay so cool under such pressure, she immediately pointed to her Girl Scout First Aid Badge, which she received just a few weeks before the emergency.

“I just feel like Girl Scouts gave me like a lot of discipline to stay calm and not have a panic attack,” said Maggie. “I’m really proud, but I’m also just really happy that my dad is OK.”

Earlier this year, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida recognized Maggie’s heroic actions with the Medal of Honor.

“The highest award that you can get in all of Girl Scouts, and they only gave out 25 this year in the whole country,” said Maggie.

“She is so deserving, this is such a disciplined and responsible kid right here, so I’m very proud of her, love this girl,” said Greg.

This father and daughter hope to be a voice in the community for Girl Scouts everywhere.

“I feel like every badge that you earn, you learn a new skill that will help you push through life,” said Maggie. “And you can even save a life.”

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By Jasmine Viel

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Los Angeles County nonprofits are banding together to help food pantries facing shortages amid the continuing government shutdown.

One of the organizations facing shortages is the Long Beach Community Table. Before the shutdown, it typically served 5,000 people a week. However, in October, they’ve been helping 7,000 individuals every week while also facing a decrease in food donations.

“The refrigerators are usually filled to the gills,” Executive Director Kristen Cox said. “They’re about a third full … This table is empty. All of these tables would normally have three layers of boxes and usually have boxes underneath.”

Cox believes demand on food pantries like hers will only increase if funding for CalFresh benefits ends due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“My guess is, if things keep going in this direction, we’ll be up to 10,000 by the end of the year,” Cox said. “I feel like everybody knows we are headed to even tougher times. More people are coming in. More people are taking food, trying to store it up.”

Long Beach Community Table received help from the nonprofit Food Forward on Monday, which also helps people experiencing food insecurity.

“We’ve anticipated this for a while,” said Nkemdilim Nwosu, spokesperson for Food Forward. “We are preparing to ramp up so we will be able to donate to our hunger-relief partners.”

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank also said it will send another food delivery to Cox’s organization. She hopes her food pantry can continue its work for the community.

“We pull together in tough times,” Cox said.

Long Beach Community Table has open hours for free food Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 3311 E 59th St., Long Beach, CA 90805. Delivery is available pending application, and weekend food pickup is available at eight additional locations.

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