Author is inspired to share lessons from her pet goose

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Britt Leoni

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    ALVA, Florida (WBBH) — “I’m just always amazed at the personalities and the differences and their way of thinking,” said Terrilynn Dunford.

Among the many animals on Dunford’s Alva farm, there’s one she will never forget.

“Matilda, Princess Matilda, she had a sign out here that said ‘Queen and loving it,'” said Dunford.

Matilda was Dunford’s beloved Toulouse goose, who once ruled these grounds and now watches over her in heaven.

“She brought joy,” said Dunford.

Dunford took that joy and put pen to paper, filling pages of her children’s book, “Princess Matilda: A Silly Goose,” with their memories.

But most of all, what Dunford will never forget is the message Matilda imprinted on her heart.

“Everyone is special, and if people treat you differently, just continue to be nice and stay on your path,” said Dunford.

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.

Family of Vietnam War veteran killed in accident while mowing lawn speaks

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Muhammad Abdul Qawee

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    LEHIGH ACRES, Florida (WBBH) — A 76-year-old Vietnam War veteran died Tuesday evening after a lawn mower accident left him pinned beneath the water in a canal behind his Lehigh Acres home, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Dennis Moody was mowing his lawn near a canal behind a residence on Monet Street when the riding lawn mower went into the water and trapped him underneath.

A family member discovered Moody in the canal with the mower on top of him and called 911.

A deputy said Moody was submerged beneath the water with a red lawn mower resting on top of him, according to the sheriff’s report. The deputy attempted to check for a pulse but was unable to detect one and observed signs of rigor mortis.

Crews with the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to the scene and pronounced Moody dead at 5:40 p.m.

Sheriff’s officials said homicide detectives and the medical examiner responded to investigate, which is standard procedure in unattended deaths. Authorities described the incident as a tragic accident.

Gulf Coast News spoke to Moody’s daughter the day after the tragedy.

“Seeing my dad like that — I had a restless night,” she said. “I was up at 4:30 this morning crying, sick to my stomach about all of this. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

Family members said Moody served in the Vietnam War and received a Purple Heart. His daughter described him as a devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

“He served for this country. He loved this country,” Amanda Moody said. “He was a great dad, a great granddad — an amazing guy, and I miss him so much.”

She said her father enjoyed cutting grass and spent much of his time working in the yard.

“He died doing what he loved to do,” she said.

The accident happened near the canal behind the family’s home, where the lawn mower remained in the water hours after the incident.

The tragedy is especially painful for the family, Amanda Moody said, noting that her mother also died in a drowning nine years ago.

Authorities have not released additional details as the investigation continues.

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.

How a man developed an app that’s giving people with ALS their voice back

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Meghan Schiller

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Pittsburgh-area man is not just giving people living with ALS a voice, he’s giving them their own voice.

A recent diagnosis just inspired a man with no coding experience to develop a life-changing app. It’ll allow people who are struggling to speak sound more like themselves.

David Betts lives in Mt. Washington with his wife, Anne. He received an ALS diagnosis two years ago at the age of 55.

“Admittedly, I was terrified and I still am but Anne always tells me I’m the most rational person because I’m a consultant and now I have a problem to solve,” he said.

Betts thought all the assistive tools and apps on the market sounded too robotic. So with zero coding experience and no time to waste, he created “Talk to Me, Goose!”, named after the character Goose from “Top Gun.” It’s an AI-powered text-to-speech app that uses voice cloning to help people with speech loss sound like themselves again.

“If I can make something with no experience as a developer, sitting on my couch, in 80 days, and release it to the world, and then in nine months build it on Windows and Android and iOS that I think has capabilities of what’s available, why have they not done it?” he said. “And why are we asking people to settle for less far less than what’s possible?”

He’s partnering with the nonprofit Live Like Lou to make it free for people living with ALS, but also Parkinson’s, strokes, head and neck cancer.

“While I focus on ALS for obvious reasons, there’s, we think, 97 million people living around the world with speech-limiting conditions who would benefit from assistive tech who lack access,” he said.

Users can create a voice clone with as little as 45 seconds of audio. It’s giving people not just the ability to talk, but to connect. The app also lets people create and tell bedtime stories in their own voice. That was an idea born from a message from a 41-year-old father living with ALS, no longer able to read to his little kids.

“She said they sat rapt with attention, and then their youngest said ‘I want daddy to tell that story 100, 100 times forever,” he said.

From bedtime stories to the Austrian Parliament, the app’s getting attention. It just won the Zero Award for reducing barriers for people living with disabilities.

And even though Betts never thought his story would include this, his own father’s voice speaks clearly in his mind.

“He always said he didn’t care what we did when we grew up. ‘I don’t care if you’re a plumber, you’re an electrician, you’re a janitor, you’re the world’s best surgeon, just be your best, do your best.”

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.

A look inside Pottsgrove Manor, a Revolutionary War headquarters frozen in time

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Kim Hudson, Will Kenworthy

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    MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — As Montgomery County looked forward to the nation’s 250th birthday, museum educators carried forward the history of how it all came to be, where a home birthed a whole town.

Pottsgrove Manor museum educator Anna Meitzler ran through a list.

“He has a grist mill built on-site, a sawmill, Pottsgrove forge,” Meitzler said.

It started in 1752 with all the necessities for 18th-century Pennsylvania.

“Then, by 1761, he says to himself,” Meitzler said of the late John Potts. “‘You know what this house really needs? It needs its own town.'”

That spurred the birth of today’s Pottstown in Montgomery County. The epicenter of it all is the manor, home to the town’s founding father, John, and his wife, Ruth.

Meitzler said Pottsgrove Manor is now home to colonial-era examples of resistance, like a floor-to-ceiling cabinet in the home that was owned by the couple’s eldest daughter, Martha.

“It was basically a boycott of British goods. So no longer are we buying imported luxury-good items,” Meitzler said. “We are going to make them here at home with the materials here in Colonial America.”

Of the couple’s 13 children, one became a physician. Dr. Jonathan Potts turned to Black slaves, like Pompey and Hester, to help fight disease and injury during the American Revolution.

“Jonathan tasked Pompey and Hester to help cultivate a medicinal garden in Albany, New York, that would help supply the medical hospital at Fort George,” Meitzler said.

As Meitzler looked over mannequins depicting Pompey and Hester, she explained that the slaves’ help in the war fight did not mean freedom was guaranteed, except for one final act.

“Jonathan writes in his will that they are to be freed within five years of his passing,” Meitzler said.

Pottsgrove Manor was also home to an iron forge. This is where weapons that today can be seen in several display cases in the home were made and repaired during the Revolutionary War, said Justin Clement, manor historic site supervisor.

“They’re also cobbling together weapons from a lot of different parts,” Clement said. “So, we have represented various muskets as well as sword parts.”

Clement said the stone house was more than just a home — it was also a military headquarters in the fight for freedom.

“They essentially are answering the call to arms in order to defend the state of Pennsylvania from the British,” Clement said.

And, this is how all this history grew into an entire town that thrives today.

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Husband, 74, accused of murdering and dismembering wife, 33, after remains found in 2 locations

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Naveen Dhaliwal

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A Queens man is accused of killing his wife after her remains were found in two separate locations, months apart.

Rupchand Simboo, 74, has been charged with murder, concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence.

In September, sanitation workers made a disturbing discovery while collecting trash near 149th Avenue and Brookville Boulevard. Inside a garbage bag wrapped in a tarp and blanket, workers found a woman’s beheaded and dismembered torso.

The medical examiner later identified the remains as Simboo’s wife, 33-year-old Salisha Ali, and ruled her death a homicide.

Then, just last week, another set of remains including a head, legs and an arm, were discovered in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge near the North Channel Bridge. Investigators say they also belong to Ali. They conducted the search based on coordinates they found in an app on Simboo’s phone the day after Ali was last seen alive.

Simboo was arrested Wednesday morning.

“As alleged, the defendant went to extraordinary lengths to evade responsibility for the brutal killing of his wife, discarding her remains in remote locations, and concealing critical evidence in an apparent effort to cover up this horrific crime,” Queens DA Melinda Katz said.

If convicted, he faces up to 25 years behind bars.

His neighbors are in disbelief.

“It’s definitely eerie to, like, know that, you know, such people live right across from you, and you’re trying to raise your family here and, like, exposed to that,” neighbor Hasiena Dwarika said. “It’s not something that’s pleasant.”

“Sorry to hear that. God bless the family and, you know, the relatives that’s behind, that’s for sure,” another neighbor said.

Police said the investigation is ongoing, and they are continuing to process evidence connected to the case.

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Mom who gave birth after kidney failure reunites with hospital staff ahead of transplant

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Alexa Herrera

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    LONG ISLAND, New York (WCBS) — A Long Island woman is reuniting with the medical team that helped deliver her baby after she experienced kidney failure during pregnancy.

Emily Sammartano is returning to NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island Thursday with her “miracle baby” and husband. Her medical team will meet with her in honor of World Kidney Day after Sammartano experienced complications during her first pregnancy.

She suffered from kidney failure at 15 weeks, forcing her to get dialysis for months at the NYU Langone Dialysis Center in Bethpage.

Sammartano was also working full-time in the finance industry while pregnant, and underwent dialysis six times a week for five hours each day.

In December, she was able to give birth to her baby, Leonardo, with the team that was consistently monitoring her.

In a remarkable turn of events, Sammartano learned her husband, Sean, is a perfect donor match.

Now, she is continuing dialysis and preparing for her future kidney transplant.

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.

After 52 years, brutal rape and murder on Long Island is finally solved, police say

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Jennifer McLogan

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A chilling cold case that goes back 52 years has been solved on Long Island, police say.

Sophisticated DNA technology linked a former Oceanside sanitation worker to Barbara Waldman’s 1974 murder.

Waldman, a 31-year-old New York University graduate, was discovered on the second floor of her family’s Oceanside home by her son Eric, just after he got off the kindergarten school bus.

“I’ve had the image of my mom in my head since I’m 5. So it won’t go away until I die,” Eric Waldman said.

“Although many citizens and neighbors came together and reported sightings, murder of the dentist’s wife was put away and never solved,” daughter Marla Waldman Conn said.

Her family would not give up, and the FBI and Nassau Police persevered, trying to determine who wanted the respected wife and mother dead, and why.

“A violent sexual assault against the mother and then put a bullet in the back of her head as she lay on the floor tied up with the stockings that she was wearing,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said.

More than 50 years later, science linked Thomas Generazio, a local Oceanside sanitation worker, to the cold case, police said. While sketches were made from witness accounts at the time, it was investigative genetic genealogy that solved it.

“He was a local. He was literally living among us. I was shocked,” Marla Waldman Conn said.

Generazio died of cancer in 2004 before genetic genealogy matched him to the brutal rape and murder, according to police.

Suspicion had swirled around Barbara’s husband Gerald, a local dentist who was innocent.

“Vindication for my father, Gerry Waldman, who went to his deathbed not knowing who or why,” son Larry Waldman said.

“It’s not about seeking legal punishment. It is an emotional, psychological resolution,” Marla Waldman Conn said.

It’s bittersweet justice for a family seeking the truth.

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Students use theater to explore Holocaust’s lessons and confront modern-day hate

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By CBS Miami Team

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — An award-winning high school theater program in South Florida is using the power of performance to teach students about the Holocaust while connecting its lessons to modern-day social issues.

Holocaust Impact Theater (HIT), based at the Alper Jewish Community Center in Miami, brings together dozens of high school students each year to write, produce and perform original plays that explore the consequences of hate and the importance of tolerance.

Created by educator Ruth Gordon, the program celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, marking two decades of student-driven storytelling designed to educate audiences and spark conversations about discrimination, injustice and diversity.

Through the program, students learn how to develop their own scripts and take part in every stage of the production process, including directing and performing. Organizers said the experience helps young participants build confidence, leadership skills and a deeper understanding of how historical events continue to shape society today.

Using the Holocaust as a foundation, the productions explore how prejudice and intolerance can affect communities, while encouraging audiences to reflect on present-day social challenges. Students also share their own perspectives and experiences through the performances, creating what organizers describe as a platform for young voices.

Each year, the program brings together about 70 to 80 students from diverse backgrounds. The collaborative productions often lead to discussions among students and audiences about empathy, respect and standing up against hate.

The program’s work has received recognition from local governments and education leaders, including proclamations from the Village of Pinecrest and the Village of Palmetto Bay, as well as recognition from the Miami-Dade County School Board. HIT has also been featured in multiple news outlets highlighting its impact on students and the broader community.

Organizers say community support helps keep the program running and allows future students to continue using theater as a way to explore history, challenge injustice and promote understanding.

All performances will be held at the Alper Jewish Community Center in Miami.

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Colorado community reels from “worst nightmare” as 11-year-old suspected of killing 5-year-old brother

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Olivia Young

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A Colorado community is reeling from the death of a 5-year-old boy, and the news of who police suspect to be his killer.

The Centennial neighborhood where the boy died is quiet and full of children, according to neighbors.

“It’s been very safe, very, very family-oriented,” said neighbor Emily Silengo.

Timberline Elementary School, where CBS News Colorado learned the victim went to school, is just blocks away from the scene.

Neighbors say they saw the 5-year-old and his two older brothers playing outside often.

While one neighbor told CBS Colorado the family kept to themselves, children in the neighborhood say they played with the brothers as recently as Sunday.

But Tuesday night, one neighbor says he walked by the home to see a gruesome scene as a stretcher was loaded into an ambulance.

A rush of police cars on Tuesday evening disrupted the usually peaceful neighborhood.

“I pulled in, I was grabbing dinner, and then I saw two or three cop cars, which is definitely alarming, because we don’t usually see cop cars at all in here,” said neighbor Kirby O’Loughlin.

“I see all the police cars, and I’m hoping nothing bad happened,” said neighbor Cain Gutierrez.

But something bad had happened.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office says a 5-year-old boy was killed at a home on South Jerico Way.

Investigators believe that the boy’s 11-year-old brother is responsible.

“Incredibly jarring and shocking and very emotional, like I said, I have a little daughter of my own, and to hear that, I mean, makes me pretty emotional,” Silengo said.

The news is hard to absorb for neighbors, with some telling CBS Colorado their children played with the brothers.

“It’s something that you know you would literally, as a parent, is probably your worst nightmare. At least for me, that was my first thought,” O’Loughlin said.

“It’s just really shocking, just to come home and like see all this like unfold. I never expected something like that to happen. So yeah, condolences to the family, because it’s very sad,” Gutierrez said.

The boy’s cause of death is under investigation.

Wednesday afternoon, deputies performed a grid search in an area behind the home.

“It’s definitely a wild sight. I mean, I went to take the dog for a run, and you got cops all looking for evidence and drones,” O’Loughlin said.

The 11-year-old is in custody at the Foote Youth Services Center. He faces first-degree murder charges. It’s not clear if he’ll be charged as an adult.

The parents have not been charged.

“My heart goes out to the family. I can’t imagine what they’re feeling. I hope that they get the support that they need,” Silengo said.

“(I) really hope that, you know, we could get together as a community here and support them and support all the people involved that were close to them as well,” O’Loughlin said.

Timberline Elementary School emailed parents on Wednesday to inform them of the death of a kindergarten student.

The school says they will have additional mental health staff available on Thursday to support students.

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Sleeping woman rescued from house fire: “She was confused and distraught”

CNN Newsource on March 12, 2026

By Samantha Chaney

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    MERRIMAC, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Two police officers and a good Samaritan helped save a woman’s life after a house fire in Merrimac, Massachusetts early Wednesday morning.

Just after 5:30 a.m., while on his way to work, Jeff Strogney said he was driving down Bear Hill Road when he noticed something unusual.

“I came around the corner and saw flames out the back side of the house,” he recalled. “It was bad, probably 10-to-15-foot flames.”

Instead of panicking, Strogney said he immediately stopped and began trying to alert someone inside.

“I went banging on the doors first because there were lights on in the house,” he said. “I tried banging, but couldn’t get nobody to answer, so I called 911.”

Within minutes, Merrimac police officers Paul DeCoste and Adam White arrived at the scene.

“There was heavy smoke and flames coming out of the left rear of the building,” White said.

DeCoste said he kicked in the home’s front door to get inside in search of residents.

“I made it approximately 10 to 15 feet inside yelling ‘police, police, is anybody in here?’ but I couldn’t hear anything,” he said.

Eventually, the officer said he found a woman in her 70s asleep in a bedroom.

“When I woke her up, she was confused and distraught,” he said. “We tried to calm her down and explain that her house was on fire.”

Authorities say the officers were able to get the woman to safety without any injuries.

“I made it approximately 10 to 15 feet inside yelling ‘police, police, is anybody in here?’ but I couldn’t hear anything,” he said.

Eventually, the officer said he found a woman in her 70s asleep in a bedroom.

“When I woke her up, she was confused and distraught,” he said. “We tried to calm her down and explain that her house was on fire.”

Authorities say the officers were able to get the woman to safety without any injuries.

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