Author: Edward Campbell

A Minnesota toddler who has defied expectations since before she was born has been named the 2026 Toddler of the Year. Sarah McNamara, a 3-year-old from St. Cloud, Minnesota, was selected as this year’s winner after a national competition. She will receive a $25,000 prize, appear in a national advertising campaign and take part in the Hollywood Christmas Parade. For her mother, Amber Traxler, the recognition carries a much deeper meaning. When Traxler was pregnant with Sarah, doctors warned that her daughter might not survive the pregnancy or birth. Sarah had been diagnosed with thanatophoric dysplasia Type 1, a rare…

A young girl escaped what could have been a deadly accident after a Mack truck struck her and pushed her underneath the vehicle Friday afternoon in Northeast Philadelphia, according to witnesses and police. The incident happened near the intersection of Summerdale Avenue and Marcella Street, where security video captured the frightening moment. In the footage, the girl can be seen walking across the street while looking down at her cellphone. She was carrying a backpack and appeared to be crossing in front of a truck that was stopped at the time. As she moved in front of the vehicle, the…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Friends and family gathered Monday to remember 38-year-old Shalini Thakur, who was fatally shot in Sacramento last week after authorities say she had endured months of stalking and harassment. Thakur’s funeral was held Sept. 14 at North Sacramento Funeral Home, nearly a week after she was killed outside a shopping center in the Arden-Arcade area. Her death has left her mother, friends, coworkers and members of the local Sikh community struggling to understand how the violence happened despite a civil harassment restraining order. “She was a lady with a vibrant personality. Larger than life, with this glow…

A Pennsylvania man who admitted to intentionally setting fire to his family’s Castle Shannon home, killing his 19-year-old daughter and severely injuring his estranged wife, has been sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison. Brian Shelleby, 47, received the sentence Thursday after pleading guilty last month to third-degree murder and aggravated arson. He also received a concurrent five-to-10-year sentence for aggravated arson and credit for 361 days he has already spent in custody. The case stems from a Sept. 14, 2025 fire at the family’s home on Corbett Drive in Castle Shannon, Allegheny County. Shelleby and his wife, Carly,…

CINCINNATI, Ohio — A Cincinnati father accused of killing his 24-day-old daughter is facing murder and other charges, years after serving prison time for seriously injuring his newborn son. Christopher Evans, 34, was arrested Thursday and charged with murder, felonious assault and child endangerment in connection with the death of his daughter, Naomi Evans. Police said officers were called to a home on Red Bank Road in Cincinnati’s Kennedy Heights neighborhood on Sept. 5 after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant. Cincinnati firefighters transported Naomi to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she died the following day. Investigators said…

A 40-year-old Enfield man has been arrested after investigators said he restrained his 5-year-old stepson in a way that restricted the boy’s breathing and left him with injuries that were later noticed at school. Matthew Wezniak and Jessica Abelin, both of Enfield, were arrested Sept. 8 following an investigation that began in June after the child arrived at Enfield Street School with visible marks on his face. Police said the case does not present a broader threat to the public. The investigation began June 1, when Enfield police detectives went to Enfield Street School with Connecticut Department of Children and…

Bristol Eastern High School is coming together to support student-athlete Noah Kufa after a car crash left the 17-year-old hospitalized as the football season began. Kufa, a member of the Bristol Eastern Lancers and a student involved in the school’s marching band, was injured in a crash in Farmington in August. His teammates, friends and other members of the school community have rallied around him while he remains unable to take part in the start of the school year and football season. Head football coach Anthony Julius described Kufa as a positive student who gets along well with his teammates.…

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Sue Rosenblum still has reminders of her youngest son throughout the Coral Springs home where she has continued to live. Joshua Rosenblum was 28 when he went to work at Cantor Fitzgerald on Sept. 11, 2001. He was expected to leave the following day with his fiancée, Gina Hawryluk, for Bermuda, where they planned to be married on Sept. 15. Instead, that morning became the last time his family would ever hear from him. Joshua was among the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. His remains were never recovered, but his name…

Newly released body-camera footage captures the chaotic moments after a South Florida real estate developer allegedly crashed his SUV into a Miami-Dade home, killing an 82-year-old man who was asleep inside. Allen Matis, 67, is accused of driving a Cadillac Lyriq through a stop sign on June 24 before leaving the roadway and crashing through the exterior of a home in the Coral Terrace area. Henri Bezy was inside the residence when the SUV struck the house and became trapped beneath the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The newly released footage shows deputies arriving after the crash…

A Centreville, Virginia, couple died in a shooting at their home Wednesday evening while their three children were inside the residence, according to Fairfax County police. Brandon Brown, 31, and his wife, Lavinia Brown, 31, were found dead after officers responded to their home in the 6300 block of Sharps Drive at about 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. Police said a family member called 911 to report a shooting. When officers entered the home, they found both Brandon and Lavinia with apparent gunshot wounds. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel pronounced them dead at the scene. Investigators said their preliminary…