Category: CNN Regional

By Bo Evans

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    ALRINGTON, Texas (KTVT) — Anyone who’s played golf knows it’s a game of repetition and patience.

Just a few things Bobby Brown is still working on at 88 years young.

“I love being out, I love the camaraderie, I love the competition, and I just love the sport,” said Brown.

But the last few years have been tough for Brown – he almost lost golf; he almost lost everything.

“Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease; it doesn’t get better, it only gets worse,” said Brown.

After an unrelated neck surgery, Brown couldn’t make it from the car to his bed.

“We had to call my friend, and he carried me into bed,” he said.

Unable to leave his bed and relying on oxygen tanks to breathe, nobody thought he would get better.

But Brown wasn’t ready for this to be his final round.

And neither were respiratory therapists Ty Whitting and Danna Carter with Texas Health Arlington Memorial.

“In this setting, we’re helping people to get their breath back,” said Whitting.

And that’s exactly what they did. Thanks to a series of breathing techniques.

“Purse lips breathing, that’s just breathing in through your nose like you’re smelling flowers, and breathing out like you’re blowing out candles,” said Whitting.

And some good old-fashioned cardio – step by step, Brown made it back to the golf course.

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 La’Tasha Givens

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    TEMPLE, Georgia (WUPA) — On any given weekday, Dr. Amy Eubanks manages a packed schedule as an internal medicine physician, treating patients dealing with complex, chronic illnesses. But when the weekend arrives, her daily routine shifts from medical charts to song sheets as she takes the stage with the McPherson Street Band.

Eubanks uses her passion for medicine and music to support uninsured patients across West Georgia. Every strum of her guitar and every song the band performs directly benefits the Rapha Clinic.

“So many people in our state had to drop their insurance because when those subsidies for Obamacare went away, a lot of the younger folks just couldn’t afford it,” Eubanks said.

Operating out of a tiny trailer in Temple, Georgia, the Rapha Clinic faces the tall task of providing care to working-class families spread across Haralson, Douglas, Carroll, Paulding, and Heard counties.

“And that need is much more than it used to be,” she said.

Staffed by volunteer physicians like Eubanks, the facility provides medical and dental care to community members caught in the gap between high healthcare costs and strict income limits.

“The people who would’ve qualified for Medicaid if the state expanded it, but they didn’t, and so we had this care gap, so they make too much for Medicaid, but they don’t make enough by the percentage-wise written into the law to qualify for stipend to help pay,” Eubanks said.

The upcoming Sound of Medicine fundraiser marks the 12th year the clinic has brought doctors and tunes together for a shared cause. The event features a lineup of bands, ensembles, and duos made up of healthcare providers who double as musicians.

“It’s a series of musical performances, and all of the groups have some kind of medical provider in them, mostly physicians,” Eubanks said. “I think the thing with performing is you connect with people in a different way and it’s fun. We also come from different genres of music that we like, so it tends to be a very eclectic mix.”

Eubanks says the proceeds from the annual concert can support clinic operations for several months at a time, ensuring continuous care for families throughout the region.

“It helps the whole community for everybody to be healthy,” she added.

The dedication has inspired deep appreciation from those who walk through the clinic’s doors. Doctors say patients are so grateful for the care they receive that they often return to volunteer their time, with some even cutting the grass around the trailer.

The Sound of Medicine concert is scheduled for Nov. 5 in Carrollton, with options available for supporters to attend in person or watch virtually.

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 Meghan Schiller

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh-area fifth-grade teacher is back in her classroom three years after a health emergency threatened to end both her career and her life.

The young teacher is now turning her shocking brain cancer diagnosis into a purpose. Emily Di Cocco said she wakes up every day with a new appreciation for what that day can hold.

She’s a fifth-grade teacher at Canon-McMillan, back in front of the same classroom cancer forced her out of three years ago on a seemingly normal night.

“I went downstairs, was sitting on my couch, looking up, watching the news, actually, reading the headline,” she said. “And I look, and all of a sudden, all of the letters were mixed up and jumbled.”

She sat there, seven months postpartum on maternity leave, with her little boy Eamon asleep upstairs.

But before she could even tell her husband something was wrong, “Next thing I wake up, I was on the floor, and I was surrounded by EMT. I was surrounded by police officers. The red and blue lights were shining into my house, and I had no idea what had happened. Here I had had a grand mal seizure.”

It was her first and only warning sign. Within days, doctors at Allegheny Health Network’s Neuroscience Institute found a cancerous tumor in her brain.

“Before I knew it, I was shown an iPad. I saw a scan of my brain, picture of my brain, never saw my brain before, was like, ‘Oh, that’s my brain,’ and there was a speck,” she said.

She said it was “an absolute shock” when she was diagnosed with a grade 3 astrocytoma cancerous tumor. She’d need surgery and then chemotherapy and radiation.

“I don’t think it’s very common to meet someone like Emily who is obviously very inspirational and the whole time was just thinking, ‘how am I going to get back to being a mom, how am I going to get back to work?'” said neurosurgeon Alex Whiting with Allegheny Health Network.

Whiting and neuro-oncologist Dr. John Herbst worked to make that happen.

“This was a tumor very near some very important parts of her brain,” Whiting said. “We were able to do what we consider very minimally invasive surgery and kind of sneak in, in a way, get past some of the important parts of her brain, leave all those alone, and just take out the tumor.”

And because her type of tumor is hormonally sensitive, doctors say it’s possible her little boy made this hidden tumor reveal itself.

“We can see they grow more rapidly during pregnancy,” Herbst said. “It’s hard to say for sure, but it’s possible that she could have symptoms because of the pregnancy that she would have otherwise had later.”

Di Cocco turned the grueling year of treatments into family outings, but ringing the bell didn’t bring back everything lost.

“I knew at that point I couldn’t return to the classroom, which was devastating to me,” she said.

But in December of last year, a text from her former principal, Mr. Bob Kleinhans, changed everything.

“Hey, what are the chances that you would want to come back to teaching?” Di Cocco recalled.

Di Cocco said yes, and now this busy mom is teaching again, and inspiring others with social media videos, helping people navigate a cancer diagnosis.

“I was sharing my entire journey, the highs and the lows and the frustrations and connected with people and ended up growing my account to 24,000 people,” Di Cocco said.

And some of her biggest supporters came right from her classroom.

“This is what gives me goosebumps,” Di Cocco said. “The students that I was once cheering on and supporting found me on social media now and were commenting on my videos now in high school or in college, cheering me on, just encouraging me, and so when I got this text from Mr. Kleinhans, I was like ‘this is a sign, I’m being called back here’ and now I’m here today.”

Di Cocco is now a brain cancer advocate and a cancer patient ambassador at Allegheny Health Network, working with recently diagnosed patients.

Doctors removed all evidence of Di Cocco’s tumor, but she will forever undergo regular scans. Doctors tell her the cancer will return, but she’s living her life to the fullest until then. She credits her son Eamon with saving her life.

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 Noelle Lilley

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Some running organizations estimate that less than 1% of the global population has run a marathon since the year 2000. The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon will mark marathon number 116 for 83-year-old Upper West Sider, David Obelkevich.

After growing up in an active family in Binghamton, New York, attending college at Columbia University is what brought Obelkevich to New York City in the 1960s. He ran his first marathon in 1974 on a whim when the race was run only in Central Park.

According to the New York Road Runners, he is the only person to have completed every single New York City Marathon since 1976 when the race expanded to all five boroughs.

His total marathon count reaches into the hundreds when including other cities like Boston and Tokyo.

The former public school teacher, father and grandfather says it’s the people he’s met along the way that keep him running, including his wife, Lyn.

“She was coming towards me and I was going up, so I said, ‘Hi Lyn,’ and she said, ‘Hi Dave,'” Obelkevich said. “Fell in love with her during that date.”

Obelkevich’s streak has gone uninterrupted even through a blood clot in his leg in 2020. He recalls his fastest time was two hours and 40 minutes in 1982, eight years after his first marathon. Though he doubts that he’ll ever meet those numbers again, his advice for first-time runners is, what matters is that you finish, no matter how slow.

“If I run a quarter of a mile, I get completely out of breath. So my walking is going to be what I do in the marathon,” Obelkevich said with a laugh while walking in Central Park. “That’s OK. Other people walk too … Anyone can start it, but it takes a good person to finish.”

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 Aaron Parseghian

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    STOW, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Golfers at a Massachusetts course are paying just 50 cents for a round of golf this week, but the throwback prices are part of a celebration honoring tradition and a little-known piece of Black history.

Stow Acres Country Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary by offering nine-hole rounds for just 50 cents Oct. 27-29. The price is inspired by an old sign discovered on the property.

“We have a sign that was recovered off the property many years ago. We’re not sure what year the sign is from, but it says 75 cents on weekends and it’s 50 cents on weekdays. So that’s where we came up with the idea of the price,” said Stow Acres General Manager David Carlson.

While the 50-cent rounds are drawing golfers to Stow, Carlson hopes the history they learn will leave a more lasting impression.

“In our posts, we’ve made sure we advertise the history is the reason we’re doing this,” Carlson said.

In 1926, Massachusetts businessman Robert Hawkins purchased what was then farmland in Stow and transformed it into Mapledale Country Club.

At a time when segregation prevented many Black Americans from playing at golf courses, Hawkins created a place where Black golfers could compete.

“That very season, they hosted the first National Black Championship. And they ended up hosting it two more times in 1927 and 1928,” Carlson said.

Hawkins owned and operated the course for three years before eventually losing the property during the Great Depression.

Over the decades, Mapledale expanded and eventually became Stow Acres Country Club, but much of its history faded from public awareness.

“I’ve been here for 30 years and the first 10 years I was here, I’m not sure anybody even knew the history, so it’s kind of recovering what had been lost,” Carlson said.

In preparation for the centennial, a committee called Rediscover Mapledale was formed to help preserve and celebrate the course’s history. The group raised money for historical signs installed throughout the property to educate golfers about its past.

For the first time in decades, golfers are playing a re-creation of Mapledale’s original nine-hole layout.

“This is probably the first time in 80 years that anyone’s played this routing,” Carlson said, pointing to an aerial picture of the old layout.

The original course measures about 2,100 yards, significantly shorter than the roughly 3,100-yard front nine of the modern Stow Acres South Course.

To recreate the historic layout, the club established three temporary greens in areas that are normally fairways.

Carlson said golfers today are also benefiting from significantly better playing conditions than those Hawkins and other golfers experienced a century ago.

“He wasn’t renting a Caterpillar truck and moving dirt to mound greens and such back that first summer,” Carlson said, explaining that golfers likely played on much rougher terrain.

The celebration has attracted golfers interested in both the bargain and the history.

“Fifty-cent golf, that’s why I got a couple of friends. I said, ’50 cents, you got to play,'” said Walter Johnson of Framingham.

Johnson said he previously participated in golf tournaments at Stow Acres organized by a Black church in Framingham to raise money for scholarships. It was through those tournaments that he first learned about the property’s history.

“It’s just really great history to know and it’s fun to be here at a place that was that historical,” said Johnson.

For Johnson and others, the anniversary is an opportunity to recognize a largely overlooked chapter of Massachusetts golf history.

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 Pedro Lopez

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    OKATIE, South Carolina (WJCL) — Nearly half of the 37 dogs discovered living in and around a recreational vehicle on a Jasper County property are now in the care of Palmetto Animal League (PAL), where staff members are working to address their medical needs and prepare them for a chance at finding loving homes.

The animal rescue organization confirmed Tuesday that it has taken in 17 dogs from the case, including animals requiring additional medical attention.

Despite the circumstances they came from, staff members say the dogs have shown remarkable affection toward the people caring for them.

“The first thing that caught our attention was just how sweet they were,” said Marshall, director of operations at Palmetto Animal League, during an interview with WJCL 22 News.

Marshall said the dogs were eager for human interaction, even as they adjusted to an unfamiliar environment.

The animals needed thorough cleaning when they arrived, but staff members said they remained cooperative throughout the transition.

From a Jasper County property to a second chance The dogs were discovered Oct. 19 after Jasper County Animal Control Deputy Darcy Burnette responded to a call about the animals.

Authorities said the dogs had access to food and water, but concerns remained about the conditions in which they were living.

The animals were found in different areas of the property, including inside an RV. Officials said the space available was inadequate for the number of dogs involved.

The owner voluntarily surrendered the animals after becoming unable to care for them.

Jasper County Animal Services, Palmetto Animal League and Raskel’s Rescue worked together to coordinate care and placement for the dogs.

PAL has since welcomed 17 of the animals into its rescue program, where the focus has shifted from their living conditions to their health, recovery and future.

Medical challenges remain While the dogs have shown affectionate personalities, staff members say their medical needs are significant.

According to PAL, several dogs arrived with medical concerns beyond routine veterinary care, which Marshall attributed to a prolonged period of inadequate care.

The organization is evaluating each animal individually to determine what treatment is needed.

That process includes addressing parasites, updating vaccinations and making sure the dogs are spayed or neutered before they become available for adoption.

Among the animals is a young dog that is blind and requires additional evaluation.

PAL says its immediate priority is making sure every animal receives the attention and treatment necessary before moving toward adoption.

For some dogs, that process could take longer than others.

Meet Odysseus, one of the dogs getting a fresh start While every animal has its own personality and medical needs, one dog has already made a lasting impression on PAL’s staff.

His name is Odysseus.

Marshall described him as one of the dogs that appeared particularly rough when he first arrived. However, his appearance doesn’t reflect his personality.

According to Marshall, Odysseus is affectionate, enjoys being close to people and gives kisses once he becomes comfortable with someone.

Staff members say the dogs also enjoy playing with tennis balls, interacting with one another and spending time with their caregivers.

Those moments of affection and play are giving the people caring for them a glimpse of the companionship they could eventually bring to permanent homes.

A rescue that needs community support Caring for 17 additional dogs requires medical resources, food, supplies, staff time and volunteers.

PAL says community involvement will play a major role in helping these animals move forward.

The organization is seeking foster families, particularly for puppies that need additional time before they are ready for adoption.

Volunteers are also needed to help walk and socialize the animals.

“This is a community effort,” Marshall said, emphasizing the importance of advocacy, financial contributions and hands-on assistance.

PAL hopes the attention surrounding the rescue will encourage community members to get involved, whether they can welcome an animal into their home or simply contribute necessary supplies.

How you can help Palmetto Animal League PAL provided WJCL 22 News with several ways people can support the animals.

Adopt a dog

Community members interested in adopting can contact Palmetto Animal League to learn more about available dogs and the adoption process.

Not all 17 dogs from this case are immediately ready for adoption. Some are still undergoing medical evaluations and receiving treatment.

Become a foster family

PAL is especially looking for temporary foster homes for puppies that need more time before they can be adopted.

Fostering allows animals to receive attention and care in a home environment while the organization continues preparing them for permanent placement.

Donate supplies

PAL is requesting the following items:

New or gently used towels New or gently used blankets New or gently used sheets Purina canned dog food Purina canned puppy food Purina Puppy Chow dry food Volunteer your time

The organization is also looking for volunteers who can assist with walking and socializing dogs.

These interactions provide opportunities for exercise, attention and socialization while the animals are in PAL’s care.

Make a financial contribution

Monetary donations can help the organization provide veterinary treatment, food and other essentials for animals in its care.

Where to donate or get involved Palmetto Animal League Adoption Center

56 Riverwalk Boulevard Okatie, SC 29936

Phone: 843-645-1725

Hours: Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays.

Website: palmettoanimalleague.org

People interested in adopting, fostering, volunteering or making donations can contact the organization directly.

For information about available pets and adoption applications, visit:

palmettoanimalleague.org/adopt

For information about fostering, volunteering and donating needed supplies, visit:

palmettoanimalleague.org/volunteer

Looking ahead While their future homes have yet to be determined, the dogs are receiving individualized care as PAL works to address their medical needs and prepare them for adoption.

For staff members, the rescue is also a reminder of what can happen when animal welfare organizations and community members work together.

And for Odysseus and the other dogs, the hope is that the next chapter will include something many animals need: a safe home, consistent care and a family of their own.

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 Abigail Kurten

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    GRIMES, Iowa (KCCI) — A friendly rivalry in a Grimes neighborhood has turned into a competitive Halloween decorating contest, with neighbors vying for votes to claim the title of the spookiest house.

What started as a semi-sarcastic challenge from Ashlee Agan to her neighbors Jason and Tabatha Simonson has evolved into a full-blown battle for Halloween greatness.

After days of work and thousands of dollars, both houses are ready for judgment day — but they need your help to decide who will take home the gory glory.

Click the video above to take a peek at the houses of horror, and click here to cast your vote for the winner.

The homes are on NW Norton Circle in the Parkview neighborhood in Grimes.

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 Dennis Valera

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Some former law enforcement officers and military veterans are trading their careers protecting communities for new roles transporting cannabis products.

Pennsylvania-based Talaria is one company specifically recruiting people with law enforcement and military backgrounds to transport cannabis from cultivators to dispensaries.

One Talaria transporter who spoke with WJZ-TV spent nearly 30 years with the Baltimore Police Department. He said many of the skills he developed in law enforcement translate naturally to his new job.

Now, Talaria’s CEO is looking to expand the company’s workforce and grow its transportation services into a national operation.

Matthew Dzambo wore many hats with Baltimore Police. His last years were spent as a detective.

“I went into what was then called [the] major crimes [unit], which is a detectives unit that deals with things like robberies, shootings, aggravated assaults, burglaries, and things like that,” Dzambo said.

These days, he’s often seen driving a black SUV. From the outside of the car, you can see a few of the security features that are installed, like a camera on the back of the car and bars on some of the windows.

But WJZ wasn’t privy to all of the security features.

When asked about it, Dzambo said, “That is something that I’m not really comfortable discussing.”

Dzambo has been transporting cannabis products with Talaria for the last seven months. His routes sometimes take him to multiple states in one day.

He said his time as a cop translates well.

“When you’re working, especially on the street, you’re always in that sort of elevated alert mode,” Dzambo said. “So that translates really well to this because of what we’re doing. We have to naturally be aware of our surroundings.”

Ari Raptis, CEO of Talaria and sister company National Secure Transport, said his companies have hired around 300 retired law enforcement and military personnel around the country.

Raptis said he likes to hire people with these backgrounds because, for him, there’s an inherent trust.

“They retired in good standing. They protected and served our community. There’s no one I would trust more to be driving our vehicles and moving the product that we pick up every single day,” he said.

Talaria has been around since 2018 and it currently operates in eight states. National Secure Transport, which transports large amounts of cash, operates in 23 states.

Dzambo said it helps having other ex-law enforcement alongside him in this work, saying it makes the transition that much easier.

“There’s that camaraderie. You get to work with guys who are the same mindset as the people you worked with for the majority of your professional career,” Dzambo said.

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 Wakisha Bailey

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    MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, teenager was filled with joy over the weekend as dozens of people showed up to his birthday party after a public plea.

Last week, Kareem and his mother Mary Ann shared their story with CBS Philadelphia ahead of his birthday party, hoping the community might help him feel less alone.

For Kareem, a birthday party meant more than cake and candles. It was a chance to meet new people and make friends.

The 17-year-old Willow Grove teenager is outgoing, loves to dance and is a junior black belt. He also works as a greeter at a local Chick-fil-A. But his mother, Mary Ann, said making close friendships has been difficult.

When she asked who he wanted to invite to his birthday party, she said, Kareem’s first question was, “Who’s coming?”

“And literally, there isn’t one friend on the list,” she recalled.

However, after that story aired, Kareem celebrated his belated birthday surrounded by people who came to share the day with him.

For his family, the celebration was a reminder that a small act of kindness—showing up, saying hello or offering friendship—can mean a lot.

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 Brandon Truitt

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    MALDEN, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The sun wasn’t even up when a truck barreled down Fellsway East in Malden, Massachusetts, and crashed into a tree, narrowly missing people standing nearby.

Massachusetts State Police said they got a call around 5:40 a.m. on Tuesday for the crash near the intersection of Fellsway and Maple Street.

Ricardo Furtado is a delivery driver who got the entire incident on his dashboard cameras. Furtado had just gotten out of the car for his first delivery of the day and reached the front porch of a home on the Fellsway when he heard a noise over his shoulder. “As soon as I got to his front door, I look back and I heard a loud noise,” said Furtado. “And it was just flying back behind me.”

The truck crashed into a tree in the front yard of the home he was delivering to. Furtado was roughly an arm’s length away, narrowly avoiding disaster. “I was a little bit like in shock the first minute. The first thing on my mind was that I was lucky. Oh my God, I was lucky,” he said.

Furtado said he went to check on the two people he saw in the car but they opened the doors and started walking away.

One of the people who live in the house behind the tree where the truck crashed told WBZ-TV this is the sixth incident they have seen in the near three decades of living here. “It’s very dangerous,” said the homeowner. “That tree has been hit before, our neighbor’s tree, we’ve had a car flip in front of our house. Wheels go flying. It’s typical of what happens here.”

Massachusetts State Police said they found an injured passenger but are still looking for the driver. MSP stated the truck did not have plates and was possibly stolen.

Furtado said he felt lucky this wasn’t worse. “I am not a very religious guy, but I actually prayed today,” Furtado said. “I am a little bit shaken up.”

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.