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Florida deputy hailed as hero after saving mother, 5 children from overturned minivan

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida deputy is now being hailed a hero after he jumped into action to save a mother and her five children who were trapped inside their overturned minivan.Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Donnie Rizer wasted no time rushing to the victims’ aid when he came across the crash, Tuesday afternoon.The minivan had overturned after crashing, with children still stuck inside.Rizer got one of the children who had trouble freeing herself, getting her foot loose and pulling her out of the vehicle.But there was still one child who was not accounted for.Ma’am, how many children are in the vehicle?” said Rizer in body camera video. “I have five. Yes, there’s one in the back,” said the children’s mother.“How old?” said Rizer.“A 3-year-old,” said the mother.The sergeant saw two small fingers through the sunroof. He removed his vest and equipment belt, crawled inside of the v...

USF professor breaks world record for living underwater for 100 days

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

A University of South Florida professor and former U.S. Navy diver is about to hit a world record for living underwater for 100 consecutive days. Joseph Dituri, also known as “Dr. Deep Sea,” has been staying at Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, conducting research and daily experiments in physiology. Dituri had previously broken the world record for living underwater for 74 days starting March 1, but he told reporters that he planned on staying at the lodge until Friday to complete an underwater mission called Project Neptune 100.“The idea here is to populate the world’s oceans, to take care of them by living in them and really treating them well,” Dituri previously told the Associated Press.His website states that the mission includes ocean conservation research, the study of the physiological and psychological effects of compression on the human body, and education for children. Additionally, he conducted online classes and broadcast interviews from his deep-water di...

Florida Panthers’ doctor heals players, hopes for Stanley Cup victory

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

Tummy tucks by day, puck injuries at night.A South Florida plastic surgeon has been on double duty for nearly two decades. While he mostly performs cosmetic work for people who want to change their looks, he’s also there to help Florida Panthers players who are taking pucks to the face.Dr. Gregory Albert’s knowledge extends from the operating room into the game of hockey. He’s been a part of the Florida Panthers’ medical team for more than 15 years. He was recruited by another team doctor.“Didn’t really know that much about hockey, but it quickly became a passion, and it’s been just the greatest thing working with professional athletes that are on top of their game and want to get back to the game quickly,” Gregory said. Albert is known for his face-lifts, breast work and new liposuction treatment. but as soon as he’s done with his work at his Delray office, he’s off to the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise for every home game, wat...

Mango Madness: thieving employees caught red-handed at Pompano Beach home

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

A Pompano Beach homeowner recently uncovered a case of fruit theft as security cameras at his residence captured employees from a company pilfering mangos from his yard.Despite Chris Cousins’ clear “No Trespassing” sign hanging on the mango tree, these mango maniacs couldn’t resist the temptation, Wednesday afternoon. “I got an alert from my security camera, and I looked and there were individuals from a work truck roaming around my yard,” said Cousins. Cousins on Thursday shared surveillance footage with 7News. You can practically smell the mischief as a utility truck parks in front of Cousins’ home and several men, decked out in work vests and helmets, shamelessly snatched the fallen mangos like it was a game show challenge, then casually strolled back to their truck.Cousins, understandably miffed, spilled the mango-scented tea. The homeowner said the group acted innocent, pretending to be hardworking employees, fooling everyone into think...

Closing arguments to begin in rape trial of former state prosecutor in Boston

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

Closing arguments will begin Friday in the case of a Boston lawyer charged with rape. Gary Zerola, 51, is accused of attacking the friend of a woman he had been dating in 2016. In opening statements on Tuesday, a prosecutor told jurors the victim was 23 years old at the time and had been out drinking with Zerola and other friends before falling asleep in Zerola’s friend’s apartment. When she woke up, the prosecutor said, she found Zerola allegedly assaulting her. Zerola once worked as a prosecutor for the state and was once named one of “People” magazine’s top 50 bachelors.He’s also accused of raping another woman in 2021 while awaiting his current trial, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Zerola pleaded not guilty in the 2021 case as well as the 2016 case.Zerola was previously acquitted in a separate sexual assault allegations in 2008. He faces life in prison if convicted in this ongoing trial.

Trailblazing 7NEWS photographer Therman Toon honored posthumously with Mass. Broadcasters Hall of Fame induction

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

A beloved member of the 7NEWS family received a special recognition posthumously. Therman Toon was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame on Thursday – a special honor recognizing his trailblazing career, which included being the first Black television news photographer in Boston.Toon joined Channel 7 in 1968 and for more than three decades, worked the streets with a camera on his shoulder and a nose for news.Reporters who worked with Therman appreciated all he brought to the job and all of his family connections as the youngest son of eleven children growing up in Dorchester.“Therman really saved my little rear end a lot of times in the stories because he knew everybody!” said retired reporter Byron Barnett.“Therman was the unofficial Mayor of Boston and that would give me a free ticket to go into all of the various communities because I was a friend of Therman Toon, as opposed to Gary Armstrong, Channel 7 reporter,” said Gary Armstr...

Local lion donates blood to help his brother in rare transfusion at Franklin Park Zoo

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

A lion at the Franklin Park Zoo may be able to save his brother’s life. Dinari and Kamaia are 14-year-old brothers. They’ve been with the zoo since 2015.Recently, Kamaia has struggled with severe pneumonia and anemia. Last week, doctors discovered his spleen was enlarged.Staff at the zoo say surgery is the only option.“We’re also going to perform an abdominal exploratory surgery to determine what the underlying cause for his anemia is,” said Chris Bonar, a doctor at Zoo New England.His brother Danari will be a critical part of it all. He donated blood that will be used during a blood transfusion on surgery day.“We collected blood from Danari today and that procedure went very well. He was a star under anesthesia,” Bonar said. “We collected a good amount of blood so we will use that for a transfusion for Kamaia tomorrow.”Doctors say without a familial match, finding a blood donor for Kamari would have been extremely difficult.“Transfusion medicine is not commo...

Plane carrying Joran van der Sloot, who is accused of defrauding and extorting Natalee Holloway’s mom, lands in US from Peru

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

(CNN) — Joran van der Sloot has landed in the United States, where he is accused of extorting money from the mother of Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who was last seen with the Dutch national and two others 18 years ago in Aruba.FBI agents flew with van der Sloot on a US Department of Justice plane to an airport in Birmingham, Alabama, where he landed Thursday afternoon.He was indicted in 2010 on US federal charges of extortion and wire fraud in connection with a plot to sell information about the whereabouts of Holloway’s remains in exchange for $250,000, according to an indictment filed in the Northern District of Alabama.The missing 18-year-old’s mother, Beth Holloway, wired $15,000 to a bank account van der Sloot held in the Netherlands and through an attorney gave him another $10,000 in person, the indictment states. Once he had the initial $25,000, van der Sloot showed the attorney, John Kelly, where Natalee Holloway’s remains allegedly were hidden...

A sick lion at Franklin Park Zoo needs surgery. His brother’s blood may help

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

A sick lion at Franklin Park Zoo will be undergoing surgery on Friday, while the zoo’s veterinary team looks at whether his brother’s blood could be the secret to a treatment.Kamaia, a 14-year-old lion that has lived at the Boston zoo since 2015, has been experiencing serious health issues. Kamaia is severely anemic, his spleen is greatly enlarged, and he has recently been lethargic and hasn’t been eating as much.His brother Dinari, also a 14-year-old, on Thursday underwent a procedure to hopefully help his sick brother. The zoo’s veterinary team drew blood from Dinari to see if it’s a match with Kamaia, so they can potentially perform a blood transfusion.On Friday, the veterinary team is planning to perform exploratory surgery on Kamaia to determine the cause of his serious health issues. If he’s a match with Dinari, a blood transfusion will also be performed.“We remain very concerned about Kamaia and his ongoing serious health issues,̶...

Dave & Busters fined for breaking child labor, meal break laws, AG Campbell says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:16:12 GMT

The AG’s office has issued 287 citations over the past three years for violations of child labor laws, Attorney General Andrea Campbell said Thursday, just as she fined Dave & Busters for overworking minors and breaking meal break laws.Campbell said those citations have amounted to $1.3 million in penalties, covered roughly 2,000 minors, and affected 127 employers. And children, especially those of migrant families, who are stuck in illegal labor situations often feel afraid or that they have no other options to make money, the attorney general said.“They’re afraid that their employers will retaliate against them or their families. They’re afraid that coming forward might expose them to immigration enforcement. Too often, they feel they don’t have a choice,” Campbell said at a press conference in Boston. “I, along with the team, want to be crystal clear that they do have a choice.”Campbell urged more education on child labor laws after her office announce...