Father and son who became aware of each other through DNA testing meet for the first time

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

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    TWIN FALLS, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — Two men on opposite sides of the country started searching years ago for their long-lost relatives. That search brought them face-to-face for the first time last Friday.

Kevin Thompson, 55, of Twin Falls, met his biological father, Paul Griffith, 82, of Dayton, Ohio. They met in Twin Falls after about two years of phone conversations.

In a Zoom call with EastIdahoNews.com, Thompson says this culminated in a 55-year journey, and meeting his dad has been a “fabulous” experience for him.

“I was very excited, couldn’t hardly wait,” Thompson says. “It’s been 55 years in the making.”

Griffith expresses a similar sentiment, saying it’s been “enlightening” to learn about Thompson’s family and upbringing. He’s delighted to discover, “I have a great son.”

Griffith started on this journey about three years ago. His daughter gave him a DNA testing kit for Christmas, but he doesn’t remember what sparked his daughter’s interest in it.

It wasn’t something he paid much attention to at first because he had no idea he had a son.

Griffith says he had a brief relationship with a woman more than 50 years ago when he was serving in Vietnam. They parted ways soon after their introduction and moved forward with life.

Not long into his DNA search, he started getting messages from distant relatives, including one from Thompson.

“At first, I checked with my daughter. I said, ‘This couldn’t be a scam could it? I don’t want to be scammed into getting a hold of somebody (I’m not even related to),’” Griffith recalls.

When he read the message from Thompson, Griffith says he was “floored.”

“I had no idea there was someone out there that could be my son or daughter,” says Griffith. “I was pretty much floored.”

Thompson grew up in Twin Falls and was adopted shortly after birth. Learning who his biological parents are has been a lifelong dream. That led him to pursue answers through DNA testing, which he started a few years before Griffith. It led to his initial contact with Griffith.

“Six months to a year later, we finally got on the phone together,” Thompson says. “I was overjoyed and excited (to hear my dad’s voice for the first time).”

Over the last six days, Thompson says the flow of conversation has felt natural. The pair have learned a lot about each other and discovered similar traits, mannerisms and interests.

“We have similar political likes and dislikes,” Griffith says. “One of the things I was afraid of is that we would be on the opposite end (politically), but come to find out we’re pretty similar (in that area).”

Accompanying Griffith on the trip to Idaho is his daughter, Courtney, and his brother, John, along with Beth Gilmer, Griffith’s niece, and her husband, Barry. They’ve enjoyed getting acquainted with Thompson’s family as well. Thompson is grateful for the connections he’s made with other family members.

Griffith has also enjoyed meeting his grandson for the first time. Thompson’s 15-year-old son, Max, wasn’t home during EastIdahoNews.com’s conversation with the family, but Thompson says it’s been a joyful experience for Max to become acquainted with his grandpa.

Griffith is headed back to Ohio on Thursday, but he’s enjoyed every moment of his time in Twin Falls and the duo plan to stay in touch.

“I’m going to get him (Thompson) into Dayton and we’ll show him where I grew up, where our family grew up and go from there,” says Griffith.

Thompson says he’s looking forward to the trip sometime next year.

“It’s been wonderful and fabulous and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” says Thompson. “It’s been a lifelong dream of mine and it’s finally here.”

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Crash may leave 4-year-old paralyzed years after recovering from paralysis as an infant

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Kaitlyn Hart, EastIdahoNews.com

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    REXBURG, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — Four-year-old Carter Grover has persevered through more than most adults will in their entire lives.

At seven months old, Carter contracted a virus as a complication from COVID-19, which caused him to become paralyzed from the neck down.

“He had contracted COVID from the daycare that he was at, which caused him to get this virus called transverse myelitis,” says Katherine Grover, Carter’s mom. “We had miraculously made an almost full recovery from that.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, transverse myelitis is a neurological disorder that results in inflammation of both sides of one section of the spinal cord. This can cause pain, muscle weakness, sensory problems, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and paralysis.

“We did a lot of physical therapy three times a week, and occupational therapy every week. It’s been a wild ride. He just started walking again in April of 2024 last year. He was walking again and quickly learned how to run,” Grover says. “Every three months we would go to Lehi, Utah, down to the new Primary Children’s Clinic, which is incredible, to get Botox shots in his joints to keep him from stiffening up.”

Even through the rollercoaster of health setbacks, Grover says Carter is a loving, funny, and energetic kid.

“Carter is just so happy to be alive. He’s got a little attitude of course, but who doesn’t these days? He loves dancing, he loves music, he loves all animals,” Grover says. “He’s just so playful and happy, and he always needs to be right there with me in everything that I do.”

On Sept. 22, Carter’s grandmother, Laurie Peterson, was driving him to his physical therapy appointment, which he goes to three times a week in Rexburg, when she suffered a medical emergency while driving near the intersection on Salem Road at 3000 North.

“She suffered a stroke that led to her being unable to stop properly at the stop sign and was hit by another oncoming vehicle. It did, unfortunately, involve a hay-baler,” Grover says. “We do feel like the vehicle rolled, but we aren’t sure. They were both wearing seatbelts at the time.”

Six people were transported to the hospital, including Carter and his grandmother.

Grover was at Costco when she received the call from law enforcement, learning that her mother and son had been in a serious car crash and were both unconscious at the scene.

“They were rushed to EIRMC in Idaho Falls, and somehow (Peterson) had become coherent enough to give them my name and phone number,” Grover says. “Shortly after that, she crashed and had to be intubated.”

Shortly after being rushed to EIRMC, Carter was life-flighted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.

“The accident caused a spinal cord tear in the C1 and C2 of (Carter’s) spine, and his C5 and C6 were also damaged,” Grover explains. “Due to the severity of the spinal cord tear, it has left Carter paralyzed from the neck down, and he is unable to breathe on his own.”

According to Katherine, doctors have given Carter a difficult prognosis. Still, the family says they are choosing to keep hope alive.

“The chances of him being able to walk again and breathe on his own again are pretty slim,” Grover says. “But, he is extremely cognizant of his brain. Activity is excellent, and he is awake, and he is communicating with me and the nurses and doctors with his eyes.”

Grover says she has been staying with Carter in Utah, while her sister, Emily Gonzales, has been with their mother, as she is in critical condition in the ICU at EIRMC.

Gonzales says Peterson has suffered multiple strokes and is not “out of the woods yet.”

“Unfortunately, she did suffer multiple strokes, and those were on the left side of her brain,” Gonzales says. “She’s got a long road of recovery as well. She has two broken collar bones, a fractured sternum, broken ribs, fractured pelvis, a laceration to her spleen, and two pneumothoraxes, so she’s got holes in each lung.”

Despite all the challenges, the sisters say that the community’s support has been overwhelming, and they have been flooded with help from family and friends.

“I am just so humbled and honored to have such amazing and incredible people in my life,” Grover says. “Carter’s preschool came, they made him pictures and a big poster that everybody signed and drew on. And they brought a bunch of books and they brought Carter’s favorite stuffed lion.”

Gonzales, who owns The Neighborhood Barber in Idaho Falls, says she was recently grateful to learn that her coworkers had planned a fundraiser for Carter titled “Cuts for Carter.”

“My team has just been so incredibly amazing, and they want to help and support,” Gonzales says. “They started a cut-a-thon that they’re hosting at my shop on Oct. 11th, and all the proceeds they get from that day are going to be donated towards Carter’s recovery and to help my sister out with whatever she needs while she’s in Utah.”

Gonzales also started a GoFundMe to raise money for Carter’s medical treatment, recovery, and other expenses while the family is in Utah.

“Carter has really surprised so many doctors and has overcome every challenge that he has been faced with,” Gonzales says. “As he’s grown older, he just keeps proving doctors, and everybody wrong.”

Grover says she wants the community to know that her mother is strong and an inspiration to the family, which keeps them believing that she will fully recover.

“She’s an amazing woman. She raised three kids by herself, holding down a full-time job,” Grover says. “We are fortunate enough to have my mother so active in our lives, and my children are blessed because we have her.”

Despite the hardship their family is facing, Grover says a favorite saying of Carter’s continues to come to mind and provides her with comfort.

“Carter is so strong-minded, and he’s going to get through this, too,” Grover says. “One of Carter’s sayings that he always says to me every day is, ‘You’re my favorite heart.’”

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Councilman accused of using title for special treatment during son’s traffic stop

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Ashley Paul

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    HARFORD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — A Harford County councilman is being asked to resign after the police union accused him of using his title to seek special treatment during his stepson’s traffic stop in June.

The Harford County Fraternal Order of Police released body camera footage showing what was said.

In the video, you see Aberdeen City Councilman Tim Lindecamp introduce himself to officers.

“I’m city councilman Tim Lindecamp. We live two blocks away. He can’t drive the car two blocks?” Lindecamp said.

The June 26 incident is now calling into question whether Lindecamp behaved ethically when his son was pulled over due to a lapse in insurance.

Lindecamp said he does not plan to resign from the council and will go forward with the November election.

The Aberdeen Police chief tells WJZ in a statement, “Every allegation was thoroughly investigated by the Aberdeen Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division. The investigation determined that no policies were violated by any member of the department.”

Requests for comment from the MVA and the FOP also went unanswered.

Lindecamp told WJZ that there was never a lapse in his insurance, but a glitch with the MVA showed otherwise.

He said his son had proof of insurance, but the officer wouldn’t look at it.

“They didn’t want to hear that. I went down to help him,” Lindecamp said. “I did introduce myself as a councilman because it was 1:30 in the morning and I wanted them to know who I was.”

A letter sent Monday to Lindecamp from the Harford County Fraternal Order of Police accused Lindecamp of using his title to get his son out of trouble.

The letter reads in part, “The Executive Board became aware of the allegations involving your unethical, and possibly unlawful conduct, when you voluntarily inserted yourself and your authority as an Aberdeen City Councilman.”

It goes on to say, “Your actions are a blatant erosion of the public’s trust and have tarnished your standing as a public official.”

“I was surprised they want me to resign, but I wasn’t surprised they sent it to me because I’ve been battling with the chief so much. I knew there was going to be retaliation,” Lindecamp responded.

Lindecamp had been advocating for a larger patrol unit within the police department by lessening the number of command positions, which he said has caused a rift between him and the chief.

He says this situation was blown out of proportion now, three months later, to smear his campaign because he is up for reelection in November.

WJZ asked Lindecamp how he would respond to people who say he identified himself as a councilmember in hopes of receiving special treatment.

“Special treatment? I told them they could take the tags at any time.” Lindecamp said. “I was trying to get the car stopped from being impounded. That’s all I was trying to do.”

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Treasure Coast salvage crew recovers over $1 million in gold and silver coins from 1715 shipwreck

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Emma Romano

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    VERO BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — Over $1 million worth of silver and gold coins were recovered on the Treasure Coast by Queens Jewels, LLC, a historic shipwreck operation that owns the salvage rights to the remains of the 1715 Treasure Fleet Shipwreck.

During the 2025 summer salvage season, Capt. Levin Shavers and the crew of the M/V Just Right recovered over 1,000 silver coins, known as Reales. They also recovered five gold coins, called Escudos, as well as other rare gold artifacts.

The Treasure Fleet Shipwreck occurred on July 31, 1715, where an estimated $400 million worth of gold, silver and jewels were lost in the disaster. The fleet was transporting New World riches back to Spain at the time of the wreck. It has been marked as one of the greatest maritime tragedies of the Americas.

“This discovery is not only about the treasure itself, but the stories it tells,” said Sal Guttuso, Director of Operations.

“Each coin is a piece of history, a tangible link to the people who lived, worked, and sailed during the Golden Age of the Spanish Empire. Finding 1,000 of them in a single recovery is both rare and extraordinary,” Guttuso said.

Many of the coins, known as pieces of eight, still have visible dates and mint marks engraved on their surface. They were minted in the Spanish colonies of Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.

Experts say the condition of the coins suggests they were part of a single chest or shipment that spilled when a hurricane caused the ship to break apart.

Queens Jewels, LLC works under strict state oversight and archaeological guidelines to continue to uncover missing pieces from the wreck.

“Every find helps piece together the human story of the 1715 fleet,” Guttuso said.

“We are committed to preserving and studying these artifacts so future generations can appreciate their historical significance,” he said.

In a statement from the company, they confirm the recovered coins will undergo careful conservation before being displayed to the public. Plans are underway for select pieces to be exhibited at local museums, offering both Floridians and visitors a chance to witness firsthand the treasures of Florida’s maritime past.

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Olde Towne Elkhorn thinking of preservation after National Register designation

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Jill Lamkins

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    ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — Olde Towne Elkhorn applies for Neighborhood Conservation Enhancement District status to protect historic buildings and character.

Earlier this year, Olde Towne Elkhorn was added to the National Register of Historic Places. For business owners on Main Street like Amy Anderson, it’s reassuring knowing these old buildings will be protected. The title gives special zoning rules that promote development while preserving the area’s character. BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Olde Towne Elkhorn is seeking additional protections from the city of Omaha to preserve and improve its unique character as downtown neighbors celebrate the area’s ongoing progress.

Earlier this year, Olde Towne Elkhorn, formally known as the Elkhorn Commercial Historic District, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Now, an application is being submitted to the city of Omaha to recognize it as a Neighborhood Conservation Enhancement District.

For business owners on Main Street like Amy Anderson, it’s reassuring knowing these old buildings will be protected.

“I know the building Little Scandinavia is in is from 1919 and so it was a bank originally and we have so many of the original parts of it are still there and that’s the case for many of the buildings down here and so we’re just excited to have another layer of, way to honor that and celebrate that and protect that,” Anderson said.

Right now there are eight other NCEs in Omaha including Millwork Commons and Dundee at 50th and Underwood.

The title gives special zoning rules that promote development while preserving the area’s character.

More projects are underway in the area.

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Wichita police arrest man accused of sexually assaulting a cat

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By KAKE Staff

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    WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — A 27-year-old man who was arrested in Wichita in late August is charged with allegedly sexually abusing a pet cat.

Sedgwick County jail records show Jacob Wilson was arrested on August 27 for cruelty to animals and sodomy with an animal. He was charged with those counts on September 2 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on October 21.

The Wichita Police Department said the cat involved in the incident received immediate medical care and was transferred to the Wichita Animal Action League for continued care and support.

“We can’t even imagine the terror and the agony she went through as she was forcibly assaulted and as she fought for her life,” WAAL said. “Her owner, who knew the perpetrator, took her beloved cat to a local veterinarian who then contacted law enforcement.”

WAAL said the cat, Willow, suffered “pretty horrific internal injuries.” She has “virtually recovered” and is ready for adoption.

“Willow is about four years old, is now spayed, and has the loudest purr you’ll ever hear. She can be a little shy at first with new people. She enjoys being around other cats, kids, and polite dogs. She has excellent litter box skills, loves her lap time, and enjoys sunbathing. She may need to be on an over-the-counter stool softener for life due to her internal injuries. Willow deserves a home who will treasure her.” -Wichita Animal Action League An additional 21 cats were found at the home. They were examined and showed no signs of abuse. Ford said the animals were also placed in the care of WAAL and are being placed into loving homes.

“We are grateful for the swift response of our animal welfare partners and remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all animals in our community,” a release from the Wichita Police Department said. “This is a deeply disturbing case, but we’re grateful the cat survived and is receiving expert care through our partners at the Wichita Animal Action League.”

Wilson remains jailed on $100,000 bond.

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Two arrested for allegedly beating homeless man on Kirkwood Avenue near IU

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Taj Simmons

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    BLOOMINGTON (WRTV) — A 60-year-old homeless man now has no front teeth after he was punched steps away from Indiana University’s Sample Gates over the weekend. The punch was caught on camera and shared on social media.

Bloomington Police say 60-year-old Bobby Ballard was beaten around 11:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street on Friday night. They say a person grabbed Ballard’s phone when he was sitting near People’s Park, and Ballard was hit when he went to confront them about the theft.

BPD arrested two suspects for the aggravated assault on Monday: 25-year-old Avery Williams and 21-year-old Khalil Morris. Indiana University tells WRTV neither man was enrolled at the school.

Another homeless man, 29-year-old Shawn Sullivan, was shot and killed at the intersection of Morton and Howe Streets the same night. Police are still searching for suspects in that case.

Ballard is part of a homeless community that regularly gathers in People’s Park. WRTV spoke with members of the community after police arrested the suspects, but only one person would talk on the record because they were afraid someone else would assault them.

“I’ve always been afraid of that. I always watch my back,” said the person, who wished to remain anonymous. “We don’t want to hurt anybody else, and we don’t want to get hurt ourselves.”

The person said he knew Ballard before the incident and has since talked with him after the assault.

“It hurt to see him with his teeth missing because he’s a good person, and he did not deserve that,” he said.

A fundraiser for Ballard’s dental care has raised more than $8,000 in the three days after the assault.

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Latvian man admits role in Kansas scheme to send U.S. aircraft technology to Russia

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Nick Sloan

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    OLATHE, Kan. (KMBC) — A Latvian man has admitted he worked with two Kansas businessmen to secretly funnel U.S. aircraft technology to Russia, even after the war in Ukraine brought tougher sanctions.

Oleg Chistyakov, also known as Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to conspiring to dodge U.S. export laws and filing false paperwork to disguise shipments of restricted avionics equipment.

Prosecutors said Chistyakov teamed up with Kansas residents Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 62, and Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, through their company, KanRus Trading Co.

Together, they bought U.S.-made avionics equipment and moved it overseas to customers in Russia, including the Russian Federal Security Service, or FSB.

Court records show Chistyakov often worked from Latvia or through his company in the United Arab Emirates, RosAero FZC.

Prosecutors said the men used false invoices, routed shipments through countries like Laos and the UAE, and shifted money through accounts in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the UAE.

Buyanovsky and Robertson were arrested in Olathe, Kansas, in March 2023 and later pleaded guilty. Chistyakov was extradited from Latvia in August 2024.

As part of his plea deal, Chistyakov admitted he continued the illegal shipments even after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when the U.S. imposed additional sanctions.

He also agreed to give up assets tied to the scheme.

Chistyakov faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on March 10, 2026.

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Mom invents Bottimals, a solution for baby bottle refusal

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Nydia Han and Cheryl Mettendorf

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    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A Chester County mom has birthed a new business after having a hard time bottle-feeding one of her own babies, offering a cute solution to a serious problem many new moms face.

“When I had my son Blake, he was a breastfed baby and we had a really hard time with getting him to take a bottle,” said Julianne Gardner, owner of Bottimals.

The first time Blake refused breast milk in a bottle, Gardner was about to get her first post-partum haircut.

“Just trying to feel like myself again,” she said.

While she was in the salon chair, her husband called.

“My hair was soaking wet and he calls me. I can hear the baby screaming in the background and he said, ‘You have to come home. He won’t take the bottle,'” she recalled.

She soon realized bottle refusal was common, forcing some moms to even quit their jobs.

“That really creates a vicious cycle of stress for a family,” Gardner said.

So she started to search for a solution,

“I worked in research for 13 years. I have a degree in biology,” she said.

She said there’s research that shows the scent of mom elicits the sucking reflex in babies.

And that was the basis for Bottimals, a bottle combined with an animal lovie that has a heart-shaped pad.

“So mom wears it in her bra to actually absorb the scent of her mammary glands,” she said.

When another caregiver feeds the baby, a piece of mom is there.

“You put the pad with mom’s scent in the pocket of the levy, and then it just slides onto the bottle to keep mom’s scent close to the baby,” she explained.

Baby also has a cute stuffed animal for company.

“They can touch it, they can feel it. Babies love sensory objects,” Gardner said.

Gardner launched Bottimals this past June. She has a website and sells the product for $29.99 in 15+ stores.

She said as she was building her biz, she reached out to other baby product entrepreneurs on Linked In and Instagram.

“And I can’t tell you how many people I actually heard back from who were willing to talk to me for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, just to help me get to that next step,” she said.

She’s also grateful for strangers like Maddy Thomford, who tested the product after seeing Julianne’s post on Facebook.

Maddy tried it with her daughter Charlotte the first time she left her then six-month-old with a bottle and Grandma.

“The combination of having that scent, I think of me, and knowing like, okay, this is someone I’m comfortable with. She did great,” said Thomford.

Gardner runs the Bottimals business out of her house in Phoenixville, doing most of her work when her two young kids are sleeping.

“Really, any time that I can fit it into our schedules, so I can still be a mom at the same time,” Gardner added.

Gardner said Bottimals can also be great for any baby who gets distracted while drinking a bottle or just doesn’t seem to want to finish for some reason.

Right now, she has just the bunny Bottimal but said she plans to expand to other animals in the near future.

For more information, visit Bottimals.com.

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Man swimming near Catalina Island bitten by shark

CNN Newsource on October 1, 2025

By Chelsea Hylton

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    California (KCAL, KCBS) — A man swimming off the coast of Catalina Island early Tuesday morning was bitten by a shark.

Swimmer Chris Murray, who was visiting from the United Kingdom, was attempting to swim the 20 miles between Catalina Island and the Los Angeles County coast when the shark bit him.

“We think it was an over-inquisitive juvenile white shark,” Murray wrote on social media. “My crew were first class in their reaction to the incident. I was quite surprised at myself. I managed to get the shark off my hand and kick it when it clamped on my foot.”

The dive boat called Bottom Scratcher, which was escorting him, immediately pulled him from the water, bandaged the injury, and radioed for help. Around 1:20 a.m., they met the Los Angeles Fire Department boats at sea.

“A 3-to-4-foot white shark nipped at his leg and then took off,” said Shaun Corby, a fire boat pilot.

The swimmer was transferred to San Pedro before he was later taken to a hospital.

Fire officials describe the bite as minor and non-life-threatening. They add that this kind of incident is extremely rare and there are only about 15 documented shark bites in the LA region since 1950. There are just over 200 documented bites in the entire state in that time.

Harvey plans to swim in the same waters with two other people on Tuesday night.

According to the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, this long-distance challenge is a 20-mile open-water crossing from the island back to the mainland. It starts at midnight and is known for rough currents and big Pacific swells.

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