Category: CNN Regional

By Maya Lockett

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    SANDUSKY, Ohio (WEWS) — A Sandusky Navy veteran said he is owed thousands of dollars from the military, and reached out to News 5 for help.

Erie County Reporter Maya Lockett spoke with the young veteran on Friday.

Nathan Lahr said he has always wanted to serve his country.

“We have a military legacy in my family, and I’ve always had that American Pride,” he said.

In 2014, a few days after his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the military. After boot camp and 18 months of Navy nuclear training, he was sent to Norfolk, Virginia, aboard the U.S.S. Harry Truman. Lahr spent time in the North Sea and the Mediterranean, far away from family and friends.

“I didn’t have much contact with my family, and it took a toll on my mental health. I got to a very dark place, but I decided to do the hardest thing in my life, and I got help,” said Lahr.

Lahr began getting treated for depression and anxiety.

“It seemed the more time I was on the ship, the worse I was getting. So, it was deemed that I wasn’t really going to be good for sea duty and that’s required for the navy. So, they decided it was probably best for me to be discharged,” said Lahr.

In 2019, the Navy gave him 10 days to leave Norfolk and the life he had built.

“I felt like I had failed because I had full intentions of making a full career at being in the Navy,” Lahr said.

Once he returned home, Lahr joined the Military Transition Roundtable, an organization that helps veterans transition back to society.

“When we started to listen to him about his transition issues, we said, ‘What is going on here?'” said Matt Scherer, CEO of the Military Transition Roundtable.

“He didn’t have a completely full DD214, he hadn’t talked to the VA about his benefits, he hadn’t gotten any assistance from the navy because of his discharge from the area and that was the most concerning,” said Scherer.

They also learned the Defense Finance Accounting Services was taking his reenlistment pay over why he was discharged.

“I told them I was discharged for medical purposes, that’s one of the exceptions,” said Lahr.

Lahr said DFAS took a few hundred dollars from his checks, bonuses and federal tax refunds.

“My debt has gotten higher, I’ve been doing my best to manage it, but it has definitely been a challenge,” said Lahr.

With the help of Scherer, Lahr was able to send proof of his medical discharge.

“After that, I got an email one day with a letter attached from an Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy saying that they agreed with me,” said Lahr. “Although on a technicality I could have owed the money because I didn’t go through a medical discharge, they thought it would be cruel to still make me pay.”

In the letter, it stated he did not need to pay and was told he would receive a reimbursement of $29,985. Lahr was supposed to receive the letter in October, but it was sent to the wrong address. After trying to resolve the issue, they told him to expect it on March 1.

“You used to be able to walk up to the DFAS office and speak to someone, but now they depend too much on technology instead of human contact. I think they really are just doing enough to get by and not raising their head to address these issues, it should not (take) six months for him to receive his payment,” said Scherer.

News 5’s Maya Lockett reached out to DFAS for comment, but has not yet heard back.

“Hopefully it comes, obviously DFAS also handles a lot of the active-duty military guys. So, I imagine a veteran is low on the priority list,” said Lahr.

Mentally, Lahr said he is in a better place.

Scherer said he hopes lawmakers will waive garnishment of re-enlistment bonuses based on why they were discharged.

“I’d like to see it consistently applied across the board,” said Scherer.

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 Tony Geftos

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    REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXYZ) — A heart surgeon has made a major donation to create a safe space for boys surviving childhood trauma in Redford Township, honoring the memory of a 13-year-old patient who died from heart complications.

The donation from Dr. John Dentel establishes “The Den” at MCHS Family of Services off 6 Mile Road. The recreation room serves as a safe space for the 24 boys currently living at the nonprofit facility.

Dentel met Mikey Novak in 2021. Novak was born with congenital heart disease and lived at MCHS, a facility for boys who survived childhood abuse and trauma.

“Knowing everything he had been through and knowing his relationship with adults in general, but just knowing his kind and loving heart just drew us all in to who Mikey is and who Mikey was,” Dentel said.

Dentel first performed a valve replacement surgery on Novak, then placed him on a device to support his heart. Eventually, Dentel performed a heart transplant on the teen.

Getting to the transplant was difficult because Novak did not have a legal guardian.

“So, when we decided to give him a transplant, we weren’t sure if the state was going to allow him to get a transplant because he didn’t have a guardian. So, I actually stepped away during rounds and called my sister and I said, ‘If I adopt this kid, will you come and help me?’” Dentel said.

Novak’s biological grandmother was able to adopt him instead. However, months after the heart transplant, the 13-year-old experienced complications and did not survive.

Dentel, who is now based in Florida, never forgot about his patient in metro Detroit. MCHS Family of Services President and CEO Kevin Roach said the deep connection between the surgeon and the boy surprised him a little bit.

Dentel decided to honor Novak’s memory by funding the new space at MCHS.

“He always referred to me as The Bear, to kind of overlook him, and him The Cub because he was like a son to me. So, that’s where the name came from. The Den is a place for safety. It’s a place for everyone to get energy, to transform, to unite,” Dentel said.

“At the end of the day, it’s a recreation space for our young people. For them to play games, for them to hang out, for them to have that space that they can come to and just be boys,” Roach said.

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

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 Kim Hudson

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    MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, recently celebrated the anniversary of a program that’s fighting homelessness with free hotel rooms.

Heather Kemps opened a door, knowing it was more than a hotel room for her. It was a space full of hope for her and her husband, Dave Zapalac, who was ill.

“My husband was in a wheelchair, and he was busting his butt to push himself in the wheelchair.”

Kemps said he did this while the couple was homeless.

“We couldn’t keep a place to live. We were living in a hotel paying for it from the skin of my teeth because my husband lost his benefits.”

That eventually drove the couple to a tent in the woods of Pottstown. But thanks to the Emergency Hotel Program, which opened in April 2025 through Opportunity House and the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, she found free shelter in a safe clean hotel.

“When we got in here, it calmed down,” she remembered. “And, it was good.”

The same was true for Michael Trump. The program even let him move in with his two dogs as he fought to get sober from a heroin addiction. However, Michael said staff gave much more than shelter.

“She took me to get a new ID in Reading, because my ID was expired and I needed a new ID, so she took me up there also.”

It all started with a Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting in January 2025.

“What we’re doing in Pottstown, is not just about housing,” said Commissioner Thomas DiBello.

He worked with board chair Jamila Winder and board member Neil Makhija on the nearly $2 million investment.

“We’ve probably had over 250 individuals that are either here now or have already come through this facility,” DiBello explained. “So, the program’s working.”

That success is bittersweet for Kemps. Her husband died after a stroke in August 2025. So in March, she moved on, alone, from the hotel. Still, she is finding peace in her new home.

“My family comes over and hangs out plays board games, and beats me,” she laughed.

Michael moved into a new home, too.

“And I’ll tell you what. A second room is a blessing,” he said. “I really appreciate everything they did for me here.”

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 Peter Maxwell

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    ST. CLAIR SHORES, Michigan (WXYZ) — Brian Bulgarelli has been waiting for a kidney transplant for three years, and his perfect match is his wife, Catherine Bulgarelli.

On April 27, the couple will undergo major surgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Catherine Bulgarelli is donating her kidney to her husband to save his life.

“I should be scared probably, but I am not,” Brian Bulgarelli said.

“I just want to see him back to his normal self,” Catherine Bulgarelli said.

For the last 10 years, Brian Bulgarelli has battled chronic kidney disease caused by membranous nephropathy. He is now on the verge of kidney failure, requiring nightly at-home dialysis just to keep going.

“I don’t feel good. There’s toxins in my body, I am tired, my breath stinks and it’s a challenge. When I come home from work, I am ready for bed,” Brian Bulgarelli said. “As we’ve equated it before, it starts to feel like a piano hanging over your head and the strings are popping, but you never know when that piano is going to fall.”

Brian Bulgarelli has been on a living organ donor transplant list for three years. The couple took to social media to find a match.

“It’s been a real challenge. I have B positive blood type which, is semi-rare. So the average wait time is for a B positive recipient is about six years,” Brian Bulgarelli said.

Catherine Bulgarelli stepped up to take the donation survey. She discovered she is a universal donor and a perfect match for her husband.

“Obviously, I was very excited and nervous and then we had to decide what should we do? Should I do it? Or should we wait to see if somebody else is a match,” Catherine Bulgarelli said.

The couple decided not to wait.

“How could I not do it? He’s my best friend, my partner in life, the father of my child,” Catherine Bulgarelli said.

The road ahead will involve both of them facing recovery at the same time.

“We’re going to need somebody here every day, not all day, but every day for sure,” Catherine Bulgarelli said.

According to Gift of Life Michigan, 2,000 people in the state are in need of a kidney transplant, and finding a perfect match can be challenging. I spoke with the organization about the couple’s situation.

“It’s very rare for that spouse to be a match,” Patrick Wells-O’Brien said.

As the couple prepares for their journey, they hope their story raises awareness about organ donation.

“You can save somebody’s life,” Catherine Bulgarelli said.

The Bulgarelli family has set up a GoFundMe page. If you wish to donate, visit the page.

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

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 Keith BieryGolick

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    FAIRFAX, Ohio (WCPO) — Tim Gorman says his doctor always asks if he’s fallen yet.

Keyword: yet.

Gorman has Parkinson’s disease. And has for more than a decade. Among other things, the movement disorder typically leads to balance issues.

Eventually, Gorman told his doctor to stop asking. Because for him, he couldn’t eat anything from a fork without it spilling all over the floor. He had surgery a few years ago that helped him tremendously. He holds out his hands to show me.

He’s sitting in a chair inside a workout room at Cincinnati Sports Club. It’s a place that’s helped him tremendously.

“It doesn’t go away. You just got to cope with it,” Gorman said. “And that’s what this class does — helps us learn to cope with it.”

Gorman just finished an exercise class designed specifically for people with Parkinson’s disease. It’s been such a hit, the class quickly went from once a week to three times. And employees there are talking about expanding it even more.

“Write it down,” Gorman shouts during the class. “The quiz is next week.”

The instructor walks between chairs and laughs.

“Tim, you don’t have to worry about the quiz,” said Brad Messenger, a personal trainer at the club. “I’ve already failed you.”

Messenger pumps his fist when another class member walks in. He tells me this man is about to turn 95.

“How you feeling today, Dick?”

“Terrible.”

The class laughs, and Messenger smiles. Because although he talks about big and fast movements, sometimes laughter can help even more.

“My dad suffered from depression and Parkinson’s. He really didn’t like to leave the house,” Messenger said. “But he would leave for his Parkinson’s class.”

The instructor hopes he can build something like that here.

“This isn’t a class,” Messenger said. “It’s like a giant support group.”

But the class is tailored to people with the disease.

“Parkinson’s disease slows your motions and shrinks your motions,” Messenger said. “What we do in this class is do really big, really fast motions.”

Mary Decioccio shows me while waiting for class to start. Her eyes widen while her hands shoot into the air.

“It scared me half to death,” Decioccio said.

Before she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she never could have imagined herself doing something this. She doesn’t like to exercise, and her best friend had just died from the disease when she was first diagnosed four years ago.

Now, groups of people are playing pickleball in a room behind her.

“I can still have fun. And I’m going to have fun for a long time,” Decioccio said. “I rarely miss class.”

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 Olivia Acree

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    KANSAS CITY (KSHB) — As Mother’s Day approaches, a Kansas City woman is making sure single moms feel seen and celebrated.

Cathy Cowan started “Solo and Celebrated” because she knows the struggles firsthand. She wants to help other single moms feel celebrated this Mother’s Day.

“You deserve a break, and this is the way to create impact, to say, you know what, we see you, and we agree, you deserve a break, mom. So that’s what I want. I want people to just feel celebrated, that’s it,” Cowan said.

To get the project started, Cowan went around to businesses in Kansas City asking if they could help her give back, and she was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Over 20 businesses are donating. Places like Loew’s Hotel, Made in KC, and Summit Grill are giving a gift card or product.

Cowan told me three winners will be picked to get a meaningful gift and cash that hopefully remind these moms they are appreciated, not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.

“I find that parents, and especially single moms, a lot of times we put ourselves last, but this is a chance for you to put yourself first,” Cowan said.

Cowan created a short online form where moms can introduce themselves or another mom and share why this mom deserves something special. The deadline to apply is May 3.

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

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — Pregnancy and giving birth can come with dangerous, life-threatening health risks that hit some communities harder than others.

To raise awareness for birth equity, The Melanated Birth Collective Nashville held a special walk Sunday at Centennial Park in honor of mothers who have died while giving birth or shortly after.

“We remember you, we speak your names, we carry your stories, we honor your lives with every step we take,” said Nakishia Fouse, a doula and member of The Melanated Birth Collective Nashville, reading a poem.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, Black mothers have nearly triple the chance of dying while giving birth compared to non-Hispanic White mothers.

Fouse and many other members of the collective, including Alisha Caruthers, are doulas working with mothers to make sure they can be heard about their concerns throughout the pregnancy process.

“Ask all the questions and then don’t stop asking questions until you feel like you are confident in what your options are and what you’re being told,” Caruthers said.

“This is a mission of ours, that every Black mother comes out of birth alive, healthy and happy,” Fouse said.

Phyllis Lanier took part in the walk.

Her daughter, Kelsey Thompson Wallace, died giving birth in 2021 despite being in good health.

“We lost my daughter in childbirth,” Lanier said. “You’re expecting to hear the good news that they’re both doing well, that the baby is ok, and when we get the call, he said she didn’t make it.”

The walk is just one part of an entire week of outreach efforts for the collective, to help educate women to speak up during their pregnancies about how they’re feeling.

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

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    NASHVILLE (WTVF) — Following a recent crash, and the deaths of 27 walkers and bikers on Nashville’s roads last year, according to Walk Bike Nashville, neighbors are demanding change to improve pedestrian safety.

Residents gathered for Neighborhood Safety Day to discuss their fears and frustrations with city leaders. Representatives from the Nashville Department of Transportation answered questions and noted problem areas across the city.

Alisha Haddock with the community organization Neighbor 2 Neighbor said the event provided a space for open, frank, and supportive conversations.

“A lot of times we think we’re not being heard and decisions are being made without the neighbors or community voice,” Haddock said.

Neighbors used the event to process the pedestrian deaths in their communities.

“We are losing community members, people we know and love. Our families are suffering because we are losing our loved ones,” Haddock said.

Natalie Raver-Goldsby, who moved to Nashville from New York City, said navigating the roads in her own neighborhood causes apprehension.

“It really feels hostile,” Raver-Goldsby said. “I know I’m on the sidewalk, but feeling a car go past you within two feet at like 50 miles an hour, 40 miles an hour, is still like really scary.”

Raver-Goldsby noted how much time she spends in her car and how it affects her well-being.

“I noticed I talked to my neighbors when I’m walking in the neighborhood. I’m less angry if I’m walking to places,” she said.

Other residents echoed the fear of walking and biking in the city.

“Oh yeah, it’s a lot of trepidation, apprehensive,” one resident said.

“They’re not trying to get hit. It’s not convenient for them to walk,” another resident said.

“It’s very enclosed. I don’t feel connected with people in the same respect,” a neighbor said.

City leaders at the event today explained that neighborhoods can apply for traffic calming methods, such as installing speed bumps. However, officials noted they must prioritize projects based on several different criteria.

This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVF 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.