Firefighter brings joy to senior center with unexpected talent

By Cameron Polom

Click here for updates on this story

    MESA, Arizona (KNXV) — Mesa firefighter Derek Andresen is going viral – again -for something that has nothing to do with sirens or flashing lights.

After responding to a medical call at a local senior living community, Andresen and his crew made sure the patient was cared for. But before leaving, Andresen noticed a piano sitting in the community gathering space and decided to take a seat.

What happened next stopped the room in its tracks. Residents gathered around as the self-taught pianist-firefighter filled the space with music, turning an ordinary day into an unforgettable one.

The impromptu performance brought smiles, tears, and applause from seniors who never expected a concert from the first responders who had just answered a call.

Someone captured the moment on video, and within days it had been viewed more than a million times online, with comments pouring in from across the country.

Even Andresen’s mother joined the conversation, proudly sharing that her son taught himself how to play.

This isn’t the first time Andresen has put aside his gear for the keys. During the pandemic, he gathered attention online with another musical performance that delighted the community.

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.

Blind traveler says he was left behind twice during trip, raising questions about airline assistance

By Joshua Sidorowicz

Click here for updates on this story

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A blind man traveling through Philadelphia International Airport says he was effectively “forgotten” by airline staff after his flight was canceled. It’s an experience he says that happened more than once and highlights concerns about how airlines assist passengers with disabilities.

Tony Maglione says he was traveling through Philadelphia in March when weather delays disrupted his flight. En route from Pittsburgh to Sarasota, Florida, he said he was escorted to a gate and then left alone even after his flight had been canceled.

“I just got abandoned,” Maglione said.

Maglione, who is blind, says his ticket clearly indicated he needed assistance. Federal rules require airlines to provide help to passengers with disabilities, including escorting them through airports and assisting during delays or cancellations.

But Maglione says that didn’t happen.He eventually enlisted the help of a fellow passenger.

“I stood up and said, ‘I’m blind and I need help getting to the American Airlines ticket counter,'” he said.

American later rebooked Maglione on a flight leaving the next day and put him up in a hotel for the night.

Problems continue during connection Maglione says the situation repeated itself the next day during a connection in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After landing, he says he was again left without assistance, this time causing him to miss his flight.

“I’ve been abandoned in a second airport for the second time in two days,” he said he thought to himself at the time.

For travelers who are blind, missing visual cues like gate displays and announcements can make navigating airports especially difficult without help.

Advocates: Experiences can vary widely Disability advocates say Maglione’s experience, while extreme, reflects broader issues.

Scott Thornhill, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, says assistance for visually impaired travelers can be inconsistent.

“It can vary from airport to airport and airline to airline,” Thornhill said.

He says airlines often rely on third-party contractors to provide assistance, and the quality of service depends heavily on those vendors.

“They contract with third-party vendors,” Thornhill said, adding that service can depend on who they contract with.

Training is another concern.

“There’s often just not that level of training for them to know… how do I help this person with a visual impairment?” Thornhill said.

He says the rules governing accessibility already exist but are not always followed.

Calls for better training and accountability Maglione says his experience shows a breakdown in the system meant to help passengers like him. He says he is not seeking compensation, but wants airlines to improve training and ensure assistance is consistently provided.

“No one seems to know what the guidelines are, let alone to follow them,” he said. “I want that fixed.”

Airline response

In a statement to CBS News Philadelphia, American Airlines said it is reviewing the incident with its vendor, Prospect, which provides special assistance services at Philadelphia International Airport and for multiple airlines.

The airline apologized to Maglione and issued him a $350 travel credit.

Maglione says that’s not what matters.

He hopes sharing his story will raise awareness and prevent the same situation from happening to someone else.

What passengers should know Advocates say visually impaired travelers can request assistance in advance, but gaps in communication and staffing still exist, particularly during delays or cancellations.

Thornhill says better training and consistent enforcement of existing rules could make a significant difference.

Looking for help with a consumer issue? Click here to submit your complaint to In Your Corner.

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.

Residents on other side of Cottonwood Fire now prepare for the worst

By Scott McKane

Click here for updates on this story

    JUNCTION, Utah (KSTU) — With flames from the Cottonwood Fire now visible on the Piute County side, and smoke filling the valley below, residents gathered Friday to go over emergency plans in case the situation gets worse and evacuations are ordered.

The meeting at Piute High School in Junction began somberly, with an emotional apology from one of the first responders who was on scene Monday.

“We did everything we absolutely could. We called for every bit of help we could find. And about all we could do was get people out of the way of it,” said Nick Schenk with Great Basin Team 5.

But the dozens of people in attendance knew those responders were facing an uphill battle fighting the now historic Cottonwood Fire.

“Lots of anxiety, lots of worry, lots of stress,” said resident Laramie Leavitt of what this week has been like.

Leavitt is one of the lucky ones, as he went to check on his family’s cabin early Friday and was amazed that anything survived.

“From what I’ve seen, I think [firefighters] are working hard and I’m pretty happy with that,” he said. “Mother Nature is going to do what she’s gonna do.”

Like others, Leavitt realizes it’s not over yet.

“Friends and neighbors have come together. This is a great community. This is my home, this is your home, and by God we’re gonna defend it!” said Piute County Attorney Scott Burns.

Unfortunately, for everyone involved, things may get worse before they get better as the high, unpredictable winds are expected to kick up again throughout Saturday. It means it will be very difficult for crews on the ground and the planes and helicopters overhead to resume attacking the fire in earnest.

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.

Alligator bites, kills woman swimming in the Little Big Econ River, FWC says

By Madilyn Destefano, Christian Bussiere, Pattrik Perez

Click here for updates on this story

    SEMINOLE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A woman died after being bitten by an alligator while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street Trailhead in the Little Big Econ State Forest on Sunday afternoon, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

FWC said the woman was swimming with friends in the river around 1:30 p.m. when she was bitten by an alligator, resulting in serious injuries. She was transported to a hospital as a trauma alert, where she later died from her injuries.

FWC, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper responded to the scene. FWC officers remained on site for hours, using a boat and a UTV as part of their investigation. The entrance to the trailhead was also closed off with caution tape, forcing hikers to go elsewhere.

FWC cleared the scene around 7:30 p.m. The identity of the woman has not yet been released. The agency hasn’t said yet whether its trapping efforts were successful.

News of the attack came as a shock to hikers who frequent the area.

“I’ve seen really big gators in here. I’ve never heard of an attack, though,” said Leia Vieira.

Nancy Palmer, who hikes the area about once every other week with her husband Rodney, said those who come to the trailhead often are familiar with a large alligator in the water.

“There’s a place where a female gator hangs out to lay her eggs … and most people that come out here very often know that she could be there, and so keep your eyes open and don’t get in the water,” Palmer said.

Several signs near the trailhead entrance warn visitors of alligators in the area.

This attack is the third reported in the past seven days and the second in the past 24 hours in Central Florida.

FWC said serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. The agency administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program to address complaints concerning specific alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets, or property.

People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). When someone is concerned about an alligator and calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, FWC will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.

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.

Community helps family who lost condo in Cottonwood Fire

By Mike Anderson, KSL

Click here for updates on this story

    BEAVER, Utah (KSL) — Saturday morning, Mo Larsen and her family were met by a small army of neighbors, ready to help them recover from their loss in the Cottonwood Fire. Larsen says she was hesitant at first to accept the help, but eventually agreed when offered by friends at church.

“I think it’s awesome,” Larsen said in gratitude. “It’s the most Christlike thing that I could think of, to be able to serve a neighbor in need; someone who did lose a home in the fire.”

Larsen and her family were in the process of moving into a home they purchased in Beaver a few months ago. Until a very recent, abrupt turn of events, their condo near the Eagle Point Ski Resort was also their primary home.

“There was still stuff and furniture and memories in that house,” Larsen explained. “And we were going to just be renting it out over the winter and in the summer.”

Larsen says her husband, a volunteer firefighter, happened to be near the condo when the fire erupted, but couldn’t gather their belongings.

“Instead of grabbing our stuff, my husband was knocking doors, making sure everyone else was evacuated because he’s a hero,” Larsen said.

Meantime, Larsen’s home in Beaver was not quite move-in ready. Volunteers on Saturday were helping bury a water main, sanding and painting wooden wall panels, and helping run wires for lighting. Neighbors like Nick Pray were eager to help.

“We’re all kind of a big family around here,” Pray said. “Even people that come from out of town, they notice that and that’s why they end up sticking around.”

Larsen also points out that the community around Beaver, Iron, and Garfield counties is raising funds for people who have suffered losses in the Cottonwood Fire, with accounts set up at Utah Independent Bank and the State Bank of Southern Utah.

“This is an amazing community, and we’re a really tight-knit community,” Larsen said. “And I know that if somebody needed help, then people would be there.”

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.

Firefighters proceed with caution against Cottonwood Fire amid PDS Red Flag Warning

By Andrew Adams, KSL

Click here for updates on this story

    BEAVER, Utah (KSL) — Firefighters were battling the Cottonwood Fire with caution Friday as winds picked up in the middle of a particularly dangerous situation red flag warning.

The first-of-its-kind warning issued by the National Weather Service on Thursday and in effect through Saturday surrounded low humidity levels projected to bottom out at 8% and wind gusts expected to reach 50 miles per hour.

Alyssa Mason, Great Basin Team 5 spokeswoman, said the conditions weren’t immediately changing the strategy for firefighters, who were continuing to build contingency lines and protect what they could as they attempted to slow or halt the progress of the massive fire that had already burned 71,841 acres.

However, Mason said over 650 firefighters assigned to the blaze were proceeding carefully.

“As firefighters, we have stories in our culture about wind shifts and weather changes that have killed entire crews on fires before, in even some of our recent history, and so that’s always kind of in the back of our minds,” Mason said. “It was kind of a solemn feeling at briefing this morning as they’re talking about these weathers and they’re talking about safety and they’re talking about all these things that can go wrong today, and so it was a pretty sobering kind of morning for a lot of us.”

Mason said firefighters received a warning as they headed out for the day.

“We always have safety first out there and as soon as we see things or we start getting feelings, we’ve told the guys (if) they don’t like it, disengage, get to a safe place,” Mason said.

The spokesperson said that with extremely low humidity and high winds, the flames can become extremely volatile.

“With winds of that speed, we’ll get a surface fire that is going to move quickly, and you can see some pretty extreme spotting, where at the onset of this fire we saw spotting up to a mile ahead of the fire,” Mason said. “If this thing stands up with those winds, we can see extreme spotting again. There’s going to be heavy smoke. There’s probably going to be ash falling on places like Richfield, and we’re going to see just very quick flame movement across the landscape.”

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.

The Political Power of Black Music

By HAZEL TRICE EDNEY

Click here for updates on this story

    June 29, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — How “We Shall Overcome” and Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” Helped Move America Toward Justice

Politicians give floor speeches. Civil rights leaders march. Activists protest. Lobbyists advocate. Community organizers knock on doors, register voters, and remind America of its unfinished promises.

But sometimes, history moves to a melody.

During Black Music Month 2026, it is worth remembering that Black music has never been merely background sound. It has been testimony, strategy, resistance, prayer, protest, and power. Two of America’s most historic legislative victories — the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the creation of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday — were not passed by music alone. Yet both were deeply shaped by songs that gave language to movements and courage to people who refused to quit.

The first example is the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.” Born from the spiritual tradition and rooted in the faith, sorrow, and determination of Black people, the song became the heartbeat of the Civil Rights Movement. It was sung by peaceful protesters as they faced police violence, arrests, water hoses, attack dogs, jail cells, and beatings. It was more than a chorus. It was a promise.

After the horrific events of Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965, when young civil rights leader John Lewis and other peaceful marchers were brutally attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, the nation could no longer look away. Television brought the violence into American living rooms. The struggle for voting rights had become impossible to ignore.

Just days later, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress. His March 15, 1965 speech was formally titled “The American Promise,” but history remembers it as his “We Shall Overcome” speech. Johnson used the words of the civil rights anthem to help frame the moral urgency of voting rights, declaring that the cause of Black Americans “must be our cause too.” Then came the unforgettable line: “And we shall overcome.”

The moment mattered. The song had traveled from marches and churches into the halls of Congress. Months later, the Voting Rights Act passed the House on August 3, 1965, passed the Senate on August 4, and was signed into law by President Johnson on August 6, 1965.

The second powerful example came through the genius and activism of Stevie Wonder, whose song “Happy Birthday” became an anthem in the campaign to establish a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

After King’s assassination in 1968, advocates pushed for years to secure national recognition of his life and legacy. Stevie Wonder helped transform that campaign into a cultural movement. His song was joyful, memorable, and politically sharp — a celebration wrapped around a demand for justice.

Wonder performed the song across the country, including before a massive crowd on the National Mall on January 15, 1981. He marched, testified before Congress, and used his platform to help keep King’s dream alive in public memory. Coretta Scott King, meanwhile, helped circulate a petition that reportedly gathered millions of signatures in support of the holiday.

Two years after Wonder’s National Mall performance, President Ronald Reagan signed the King holiday legislation into law on November 2, 1983. The first national observance took place on January 20, 1986.

That is the political power of Black music.

It does not simply entertain. It organizes memory. It gives courage to tired feet. It turns grief into motion and protest into poetry. It helps people believe that democracy can still be pushed closer to its promise.

During Black Music Month, we celebrate the artists, singers, writers, musicians, and cultural architects who have shaped America’s soundtrack. But we must also celebrate the deeper truth: Black music has helped shape America’s conscience.

From “We Shall Overcome” to Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday,” Black music has proven that a song can echo from the church pew to the protest line, from the concert stage to the congressional chamber, and from the pain of yesterday into the policy of tomorrow.

Black music is not just rhythm.

Black music is resistance.

Black music is remembrance.

Black music is power.

photo Hazel Trice Edney

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

Rosetta Miller Perry, the “Queen Mother of the Black Press of America,” Passes at 91 Rosetta Miller Perry — July 7, 1934 – June 26, 2026

By Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    June 29, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — The Black Press of America has lost a queen, but heaven has gained a headline writer with holy purpose.

Houston Style Magazine joins the National Newspaper Publishers Association, The Tennessee Tribune family, Nashville’s historic Black community, and publishers across the nation in honoring the life and legacy of Rosetta Miller Perry — the legendary founder, publisher, and CEO of The Tennessee Tribune, affectionately known as the “Queen Mother of the Black Press of America.”

Perry passed away peacefully on Friday, June 26, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by her immediate family. She was 91. Yet the number hardly captures the magnitude of her journey. Rosetta Miller Perry did not simply live through history; she published it, challenged it, corrected it, and made sure Black communities were never erased from it.

A trailblazing publisher, civil rights pioneer, author, entrepreneur, mentor, and truth-teller, Perry dedicated her life to ensuring that the voices, victories, struggles, brilliance, businesses, churches, schools, and everyday families of Tennessee’s African American community were covered with dignity, accuracy, and pride. In an industry where deadlines are unforgiving and truth is often expensive, she gave the Black community something priceless: a trusted voice.

Before founding The Tennessee Tribune in 1991, Perry spent more than 25 years in public service, including work with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That background shaped her editorial backbone. She understood that civil rights were not merely fought in courtrooms and boardrooms; they were also fought in newsrooms, on front pages, in editorials, and in the quiet courage of a publisher willing to print what others preferred to ignore.

Then came the chapter that made her a national icon.

In 1991, after local banks declined to finance her vision, Perry invested $70,000 of her own savings to launch The Tennessee Tribune. In true Black Press fashion, she did not wait for permission to serve her people. She opened the door herself, turned on the lights, and began publishing. That decision became more than a business move — it became a movement.

Under her leadership, The Tennessee Tribune grew into one of Tennessee’s most influential Black-owned newspapers, earning recognition as a trusted platform for civil rights, community advocacy, Black-owned businesses, education, politics, faith, culture, and economic empowerment. Perry later moved the newspaper’s headquarters to historic Jefferson Street, anchoring it in the heart of Nashville’s Black community. That was not just smart real estate; it was spiritual geography.

Her influence stretched far beyond Tennessee. Perry served on the National Board of Directors of both the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the NNPA Fund. She was also honored with the NNPA Lifetime Achievement Award — a fitting tribute for a woman whose lifetime was spent lifting others into the record.

photo

Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., NNPA President and CEO, described her passing as a moment of profound sadness and noted that Perry has joined the “pantheon of freedom-fighting ancestors.” For Black publishers, that phrase rings with truth. Perry belongs among those who understood that the Black Press is not a side note in American journalism. It is a freedom institution.

Here in Houston, where Houston Style Magazine has long understood the sacred duty of telling our community’s stories, Perry’s legacy feels deeply personal. She represented the best of what Black-owned media can be: fearless, elegant, community-rooted, business-minded, justice-centered, and just witty enough to remind power that we are watching — and taking notes.

Her passing is a sorrowful moment, but her legacy is not dim. It is printed in every Black-owned publication that refuses to disappear. It is alive in every publisher who chooses truth over comfort. It is carried forward by every journalist who knows that our people deserve more than coverage — they deserve care.

A Celebration of Life for Rosetta Miller Perry is tentatively planned for Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Nashville, with final details to be announced by Lewis & Wright Funeral Directors.

To her family, colleagues, readers, and the entire Black Press family, Houston Style Magazine extends heartfelt condolences and enduring gratitude.

Rest well, Queen Mother. Your ink is immortal.

More info on The Tennessee Tribune: The Tennessee Tribune More info on National Newspaper Publishers Association: NNPA

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.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

‘Friends for life’: Woman finds good Samaritan who chased off thieves and saved her stolen packages

By Taylor Epps

Click here for updates on this story

    BALTIMORE (WMAR) — Mystery solved in West Baltimore. A West Baltimore woman searching for the good Samaritan who rescued her stolen packages has found him and formed an immediate bond.

D. FitzGerald Smith, known by friends as Chip, wasn’t feeling well, so he went out for an early morning walk around 5 a.m. Sunday, when he spotted two people breaking into cars in his neighborhood.

“I see these individuals; they don’t see me. They actually go inside of a white SUV, and they took boxes out. At that point, they began to run, so I’m now yelling at them,” Smith said.

The thieves dropped the packages. Smith looked at the address on them and rang the doorbell at Cruz’s home, but she was asleep.

“I’m determined that this woman is going to get her packages back, I said ‘I’m not going to leave them here, I’m gonna pick them up and put them on her doorstep,'” Smith said. “To me, what I did is normal; this is not out of the ordinary for a man to do.”

Smith said it is simply how he was raised, and he was hesitant when people began calling him a hero. He eventually dropped a note in Cruz’s mailbox, and the two connected by phone.

That is when he learned the packages contained items the community had raised money to buy to improve a green space in the neighborhood.

When the two finally met in person, Cruz was overcome with emotion.

“You really, really came through, and I have to say, it’s really hard living here,” said Cruz. “Things like this really crush your spirit and chip at your happiness, but when you meet people like you, it brings back some faith in people.”

She gave him fresh sunflowers and a card to mark the occasion.

Cruz is not from Baltimore. She moved to the area because she heard there were good people here. Smith reminded her that there are. Now she knows he’s just a few blocks away.

“That’s it, we’re friends for life,” Cruz said. “I feel safer, I do. I met Chip, I’m good now,”

“And you are now, as I say, you are my sister,” Smith said.

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.

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.

8-year-old girl’s road trip dice game earns second place at national Invention Convention

By Katrina Markel

Click here for updates on this story

    COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Eight-year-old Clara Riebe invented a dice game to solve a problem many families face on long road trips: too much screen time.

The game, “Road Trip Roll,” earned her second place among second-graders at the national Invention Convention in Dearborn, Michigan. She was one of 11 Iowa kids selected to compete nationally after participating with dozens of Lewis Central students in the school’s Invention Convention in February.

“I was, like, really excited and I did think I had a good chance,” Clara said.

Inspired by “I Spy,” players roll two dice — one with colors and one with letters — and try to match one or both as they look out the window. A point system keeps score. In Cochran Park, Clara and her brother, six-year-old Ben, demonstrated how they play. Pointing out objects that match the color and/or the letter represented on the dice. Rolling a “Purple” and “G,” they laughed realizing their grandma was wearing purple shirt — three points to Ben!

“Well, I was thinking of some sort of game or something to do on a road trip,” Clara said.

Clara’s TAG teacher, Melissa Taylor, encouraged the kids to invent something that solves a real-world problem. After looking into the issue, Clara says she learned the average child spends about six hours a day on screens. Playing a game in the car seemed like a way to reduce screen time.

Taylor says the inventions to not have to be high-tech.

“Clara’s is so simple, but what a life saver for young families taking long road trips,” she said.

The Invention Convention, Taylor says, is designed to build problem-solving skills in students.

“We want them to be able to solve problems, that’s the whole point. So, she solved the problem of not being able to have screens in the cars,” she said.

Lewis Central has a long history with Invention Convention, but it was Taylor’s first year leading students through the process.

“That kids are resilient, they’re reflective, they’re problem solvers and they really are going to be our future. I mean, they’re going to be the ones who solve the problems that we all have in more efficient ways,” she said.

About 300,000 kids participated in the Invention Convention across the United States this year. Lewis Central is working with the University of Iowa to continue expanding the program.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KMTV 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.