Author: CNN Newsource

By Megan Mannering

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    FALMOUTH, Kentucky (WLEX) — In November 2025, LEX 18 introduced you to Goose, the no-eyed Kentucky farm dog competing for the People’s Choice Pup award in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Farm Dog of the Year competition. Now, his owner Lindie Huffman announced that Goose has won the prize!

Huffman stated on Facebook that Goose is excited for the dog food and she added that they made new friends for life through the program.

Original Story:

From herding and protecting livestock to handing out comfort, every farm has a four-legged lifeline. In Pendleton County, a 12-year-old Red Heeler is putting his farm on the map.

Goose is one of three finalists for the People’s Choice Pup award in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Farm Dog of the Year competition, and he’s using his newfound celebrity to send a powerful message.

“Goose was introduced in the summer of 2013, and it was a natural fit,” said Lindie Huffman, Goose’s owner and the Pendleton County Extension Agent. “He was the very first puppy that ran up to me and he snatched the harness from my hands and took off with it, and I think in that moment I knew that he was mine…and I was his.”

He knows the land as well as the generations of farmers who came before him.

For a dozen years, Goose has brought in cattle, followed rows during tobacco planting, and “supervised” the greenhouse. Since the news of his Farm Dog recognition, Huffman said he’s been getting a lot of traction.

“It’s not going to his head too bad yet,” Huffman said.

The honor is well deserved, but the true measure of Goose’s impact is found in the hearts of his humans.

“Because he was right at that transition of my life, the transition of my career, the transition of coming home, the transition of getting married, he was at our wedding, he means so much to me because he’s my reason for getting up every day,” Huffman said.

The love for Goose made the decision that much more painstaking for Huffman and her husband Robert when their dog began losing his eyesight in 2021 and developed glaucoma.

“So we tried drops and they didn’t work and we made the tough call to have a double enucleation and remove both of his eyes,” Huffman said. “And we were worried, is he still gonna love the same? Is he still gonna adventure the same? Is he still gonna farm the same?”

In his competition video, Goose answers that question. A voiceover explains, “Now I see it in a different way. I know every turn in the gravel path, every dip in the pasture, and every morning I still walk to the red barn because that’s what farm dogs do.”

When vision faded, instinct and heart stepped forward to lead.

“This life is not about what you’ve lost, it’s about what keeps you going,” Huffman said.

For the no-eyed wonder dog, what keeps him going is simple: the farmers market with Huffman, quiet hours at the county Extension office, morning yoga, a good butt scratch, and the routine of a hardworking farm dog.

“I think Goose’s story teaches people not to give up, and just because we lose something doesn’t mean we’re lost,” Huffman said. “It could be the loss of our sight like Goose…but life keeps going, the world keeps turning, and we have to keep going every single day.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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 WRTV Staff

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    INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Indianapolis and Lawrence police officers saved two young children from a retention pond after their father drove their car into the water overnight.

According to the Indianapolis Fire Department, the incident occurred at 4000 Pendleton Way, with emergency crews dispatched at 12:03 a.m. The vehicle was found fully submerged about 10 feet down and 15 feet from shore.

Officials said four IMPD officers entered the frigid water without hesitation and pulled out the occupants, a 28-year-old man and two children, ages 8 and 9.

The adult male and the 8-year-old girl were in cardiac arrest when rescued. Officers immediately began CPR on both victims.

The father was transported to Eskenazi Hospital with CPR in progress but died after arrival.

Both children were transported to Riley Hospital for Children and are listed in stable condition.

Four IMPD officers required medical evaluation after the rescue, one was fully submerged during the rescue attempt and three others entered water up to waist level.

City of Lawrence officers assisted in the rescue with rope bags and CPR.

All officers are in good condition.

It remains unclear why the car entered the pond. The incident is under investigation by IMPD.

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 Jeffrey Lindblom

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    BRIGHTON, Michigan (WXYZ) — For some, art is a hobby. But for a group in Brighton, it’s a pathway to possibility.

Work Skills Corporation is proving that a paintbrush, canvas or even a handful of beads can become tools of transformation — helping people with disabilities discover talents they never knew they had.

“I should have found this work sooner,” said Michelle Acevedo, creative arts director for Work Skills Corporation.

Acevedo has spent 11 years doing a job she describes as magical. Her work is like a canvas, painting creative pathways for people with varying disabilities and little by little, chipping away at personal challenges, making what may feel impossible, possible.

“I think you can paint. Everyone can pick up a brush and paint something,” Acevedo said.

Dominic Freni likes to paint. For the past few months, he’s been armed with brushes, beads or buttons, painting lush landscapes among friends and family.

“Keeps my mind going,” Freni said. “Being around the teachers and people and stuff.”

He creates art alongside friends like Emily Meredith, who’s painting colorful patterns on a lion.

“This program is beautiful and the people are beautiful,” Meredith said. “People who have disabilities have different ways of doing things.”

Sam Hatt has found the program transformative.

“My world has opened up a lot more compared to the shell that I once had,” Hatt said. “I love seeing them and seeing them happy… and they in return love seeing me.”

The program creates a supportive environment where participants encourage each other.

“Everyone in here really supports everyone else,” Acevedo said. “Like all of a sudden, you might have someone who’s non-verbal just start talking to someone.”

“It really inspires me,” Freni said.

This is just one of many initiatives the nonprofit has offered for the past 60 years — helping those with mental or physical barriers find work. Everything being made goes on display for purchase.

“It’s the best thing ever to see them get their checks… especially the first check they get,” Acevedo said.

“Thank you very much for this program… it might even inspire other people all across America,” Meredith said.

“I love everyone here like they’re family,” Acevedo said.

The program is leaving a lasting mark on the people it serves, proving that creativity can open doors one brushstroke at a time.

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

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By Kelsey Jones

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    HOPEWELL, Virginia (WTVR) — A Virginia family has channeled their grief into action after losing their 17-year-old loved one in a pedestrian accident.

Devin Pulver’s family launched Operation Reflect in an effort to prevent similar tragedies as Richmond grapples with a surge in pedestrian deaths.

Pulver, 17, was killed while skateboarding home on Prince George Drive in Hopewell on October 30, 2024.

Police ruled the incident an accident and never charged the driver.

“Devin was wearing dark clothing and the man said he didn’t see him,” Devin’s mother Helen Shinault said. “It’s very important to have on something reflective.”

Through Operation Reflect, Shinault and others distribute reflective vests and encourages pedestrians and cyclists to wear bright, reflective clothing when out at night.

“Every reflective vest I give out brings Devin a little bit closer to me,” Shinault said.

The family’s mission comes as Richmond faces a crisis in pedestrian safety. The city has recorded seven pedestrian deaths in the past month, with the most recent fatality occurring Saturday night when a woman was killed at the intersection of Maury and 19th street.

Richmond Mayor Danny Avula is calling for comprehensive changes to address the issue.

“We cannot accept that losing your life while walking, crossing the street, or heading to a bus stop is just part of living in a city,” Avula said.

Avula believes infrastructure improvements, enhanced enforcement, and encouraging behavior changes are key strategies to reduce fatal crashes.

Devin’s family echoes this multi-faceted approach, noting that accidents result from various factors including distracted driving, GPS reliance, poor street lighting, and pedestrian visibility issues.

“It’s not always the pedestrian, it’s not always the driver either,” the family noted, emphasizing the complex nature of road safety.

Devin’s aunt, Sonya Duer, still struggles with the loss.

“Two weeks before his 18th birthday God decided to take him home,” Duer said. “It’s been hard for us to accept it was his time.”

Since September, Operation Reflect has distributed nearly 100 reflective vests to people they encounter on the street who don’t have proper visibility gear. The family plans to expand their outreach by visiting churches and schools to educate youth about pedestrian safety.

“That’s one less family that will have to bury their child,” Shinault said.

Henrico County also has a reflective vest program.

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

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 Lisa Crane

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    PLEASANT GROVE, Alabama (WVTM) — Many folks in Pleasant Grove are feeling a bit somber after a double shooting over the weekend involving two high school seniors. One died from his injuries; the other is recovering at UAB Hospital.

Birmingham police say Brandon Campbell was killed when someone shot into the car he was in. Investigators are still looking for the person responsible.

Seventeen-year-old Sam Slaughter and 18-year-old Brandon Campbell were best friends. Sam’s parents say they were closer than brothers.

The Pleasant Grove High School seniors were shot repeatedly Saturday night in their car — Brandon in the driver’s seat and Sam in the passenger’s seat.

Brandon died from his injuries, Sam survived. Two bullets went through his right arm, and one in his stomach.

His mother, Lashunda Jackson, said, “Where the bullet went through his stomach, came out through his back. It didn’t hit his spine. It didn’t hit his heart. It was inches away from those both. He could have been paralyzed or gone.”

As Sam’s parents stay by his side at UAB Hospital, they’re thankful he’s alive, but they’re also mourning the loss of another boy, one they considered family.

Samuel Slaughter said, “He wasn’t my son, but he was my son. When I told him I loved him the last time I saw him, I meant that.”

The double shooting has hit the Pleasant Grove community hard. Crystal Dunn owns a food truck. Her daughter goes to school with the victims, and her husband is a Birmingham police officer who responded to the shooting scene.

“We need all the prayers and the love and words of encouragement. If you see our kids out, you know, hug them a little bit tighter for us. Because they need it,” she said.

Police say that as someone was shooting into the boys’ car, Brandon drove almost a mile before crashing into a tree. Sam’s parents say that the tree was in front of Sam’s cousin’s house.

He now has a message for Brandon.

“I know you would never hear these words. Well, Brandon, I really appreciate what you did. You used the moments that you had left in order to save your friend, to save your brother,” he said.

Slaughter’s parents say he’s scheduled to have surgery Tuesday morning. Birmingham officers say if you have any information that may help their investigation, call them or Crimestoppers.

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 Richard Bourne

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    JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Court documents are revealing new details after a Jackson synagogue was set on fire over the weekend.

The FBI said Stephen Spencer Pittman’s father contacted authorities and notified them his son confessed via text message to setting the synagogue on fire.

The Jackson Fire Department was called to Beth Israel Congregation on Old Canton Road early Sunday morning.

Cellphone map data showed Pittman, 19, traveled from his Madison County home to the synagogue. Before arriving at the scene, cell data showed he stopped at a gas station in Ridgeland. Pittman later confessed that he stopped to get gas, and he took his license plate off his car while stopped.

The FBI said Pittman texted his father a picture from the scene as well as messages saying, “There’s a furnace in the back,” “Btw my plate is off,” “Hoodie is on,” “They have the best cameras” and “I did my research.”

Officials said he used an axe to break a window of the building to get inside Beth Israel, poured gas all over inside and used a torch lighter to start the fire. Pittman said he caught himself on fire while setting the building on fire.

Surveillance video captured a hooded man pouring gasoline inside the building.

That torch lighter was later found at the scene. Pittman told authorities that he also left his primary cellphone inside. The FBI recovered the burned cellphone.

Court filings said when Pittman’s father saw him later that day, he saw the burns on him and Pittman confessed to breaking into what he referred to as the “synagogue of Satan” and lighting it on fire, laughing as he confessed to his dad, saying he finally got them.

Pittman has been charged with arson. The FBI agent leading the investigation has experience handling cases related to domestic and international terrorism, but no charges of those kind have yet been filed.

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 Jennifer Baileys

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Need a drill, sewing machine or even a lawnmower, but don’t want to buy one?

A Louisville nonprofit is offering a solution that works just like a traditional library, except instead of books, it lends out household items.

The Louisville Tool Library operates on a simple concept: Share resources so people don’t have to own everything themselves. While it may sound new, founding volunteer Shelby Rodeffer said tool libraries have been around for decades.

“A lot of people think we came up with the concept, but tool libraries have been around since the end of World War II,” Rodeffer said.

The Louisville Tool Library opened in Shelby Park in the summer of 2022 and has continued to grow. Everything inside the space, from the tools to the shelving, lights and computers, has been donated.

The library functions much like a traditional one, but with power tools, sewing machines, lawn equipment, camping gear and more. Unlike a public library, there is a membership fee, though Rodeffer said the cost is designed to be accessible for everyone.

“We’re sustained by membership fees that are sliding scale,” she said. “You could pay a minimum of $20 for a year, or you could pay 0.1% of your income.”

Inside the library, items are organized into three main sections: home, outdoor and traditional tools. Members may also borrow things like label makers, laminators, audio equipment, kitchen appliances and hobby kits, including rock tumbling and glass-cutting kits.

Rodeffer said the idea is especially helpful in neighborhoods where storage space is limited.

“In this neighborhood, it’s a lot of shotgun homes without garages. And you still have a yard, but it might only be 10 feet wide. And it doesn’t really make sense to own a lawnmower. Like, do you keep that in your living room, or where does it go? So this way, everyone owns this lawnmower together. We’re all responsible for the upkeep of it through our membership fees and through taking care of things while you have them borrowed,” she said.

Rodeffer added that the library is about more than saving money. It also focuses on education, sustainability and building community.

“This space is meant for you to try something out,” she said. “There’s no risk, but there’s a lot to gain by trying something for the first time.”

The Louisville Tool Library currently has about 2,500 donated items, nearly 400 active members and a volunteer network of around 80 people.

The library is open Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The organization is always looking for volunteers and donations.

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 Jack Thurston

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    MONTPELIER, Vermont (WPTZ) — Vermont’s first-ever “kid governor” began her one-year term in office on Monday, following an inauguration ceremony at the Vermont State House in Montpelier. Roslyn Fortin of Highgate was sworn in along with members of her youth cabinet from around the state.

Fortin won an election for fifth graders last fall that more than 1,000 Vermont students voted in. As reported on NBC5 In Depth in December, the Kid Governor program was designed by the Connecticut Democracy Center and is run locally by the office of Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas. It asks fifth graders to identify a problem in their community and lay out a vision to solve it.

Fortin will work on projects like a 5 K and food and clothing drives to support people experiencing homelessness.

“These actions may seem simple, but when we work together, they can create real change,” Fortin said in her inaugural address. “I believe when we come together with kindness and compassion, even small actions can make a big difference. You do not have to be Kid Governor to make a difference. Every act of kindness, big or small, helps Vermont become a better place to live, learn, and grow.”

Other finalists in the Vermont Kid Governor election will serve as Fortin’s cabinet members. The cabinet members are Karin Ashley of the Barnet School, Phoebe Bingham of Red Fox Community School in Manchester, Westyn Danforth of Bradford Elementary, Rumano Hassan of Champlain Elementary in Burlington, Gaelen McNaughton of the Weathersfield School, and Lincoln Ratta of Lincoln Community School. Each has their own priorities, including youth mental health and preventing bullying, which the cabinet members will work with the secretary of state’s office to address.

“At the end of the day, this program is preparing kids to be voters when they are adults,” Copeland Hanzas said. “I can’t wait to see what happens when these fifth graders turn 18 and take on the world.”

After the swearing-in ceremony, Fortin and her cabinet members met with Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vt. Scott heard from the elementary schoolers’ about their advocacy projects and shared some interesting history facts with them about the Vermont State House.

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.