Woman receives new A/C unit after weeks in the heat
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As the summer quickly approaches and the temperatures continue to rise, this is the time when having air conditioning is the most important.
Last week, we introduced you to a 71-year-old retired teacher who told us she was getting the runaround from her home warranty company, which said they were unable to get her air conditioner replaced.
Now, after five weeks of no A/C, WREG was there as she got a new unit for free with the help of a good Samaritan.
'I appreciate it so very much,' Sharron Finney said.
A WREG crew was there Tuesday as Sharron Finney had a brand-new air conditioning unit installed.
ORIGINAL STORY: 'Nerve-wracking and upsetting': Woman frustrated by warranty delays for A/C repair
Just a week ago, we were there as she sat in the dark, trying to stay cool after she said she spent weeks going back and forth with her home warranty company to replace her broken A/C.
At first, they said they didn't have a part. Then, she said they didn't provide her with any other option than to pay $5,000.
She told WREG that she'd been with American Home Shield for 20 years.
But today, she's thankful.
'I'm blessed and amazed,' Finney said.
We reached out to American Home Shield and them them her story.
However, she had advocate Michael Highfill helping her.
Ms. Finney, a 71-year-old retired teacher, was referred to him by a friend. He immediately stepped in to help.
'I've been in the heating and air business since 2011, I've been a firefighter-paramedic for 44 years,' Highfill said. ' [I'm] kinda service oriented, but the thing was, I've dealt with these home warranty companies since I started in this business.'
Serenity Tower tenants relocated as city awaits building sale
He added that he also has a legal background and acted like her spokesperson.
'This lady has paid her dues to society, she's paid her dues to this home warranty company and in the end, she got what she deserved,' Highfill said.
Finney said his care to help someone he barely knows meant the world to her.
'It means my dad is still alive on Earth because he always believed in random acts of kindness.'
She now looks forward to a much cooler home.
'I appreciate Channel 3 news for taking the time to think that this was important enough toreach out and let other people see,' Finney said.
'It also shows that not all news is bad,' Highfill said. 'There's still good things that happen.'
For others in a similar situation, Highfill offered some advice.
'Take that money that you're putting into a home warranty, put it in a savings account,' he said. 'Get on apps like Nextdoor, find people that you can trust, that other people trust to come do your work.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Woman receives new A/C unit after weeks in the heat
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As the summer quickly approaches and the temperatures continue to rise, this is the time when having air conditioning is the most important. Last week, we introduced you to a 71-year-old retired teacher who told us she was getting the runaround from her home warranty company, which said they were unable to get her air conditioner replaced. Now, after five weeks of no A/C, WREG was there as she got a new unit for free with the help of a good Samaritan. 'I appreciate it so very much,' Sharron Finney said. A WREG crew was there Tuesday as Sharron Finney had a brand-new air conditioning unit installed. ORIGINAL STORY: 'Nerve-wracking and upsetting': Woman frustrated by warranty delays for A/C repair Just a week ago, we were there as she sat in the dark, trying to stay cool after she said she spent weeks going back and forth with her home warranty company to replace her broken A/C. At first, they said they didn't have a part. Then, she said they didn't provide her with any other option than to pay $5,000. She told WREG that she'd been with American Home Shield for 20 years. But today, she's thankful. 'I'm blessed and amazed,' Finney said. We reached out to American Home Shield and them them her story. However, she had advocate Michael Highfill helping her. Ms. Finney, a 71-year-old retired teacher, was referred to him by a friend. He immediately stepped in to help. 'I've been in the heating and air business since 2011, I've been a firefighter-paramedic for 44 years,' Highfill said. ' [I'm] kinda service oriented, but the thing was, I've dealt with these home warranty companies since I started in this business.' Serenity Tower tenants relocated as city awaits building sale He added that he also has a legal background and acted like her spokesperson. 'This lady has paid her dues to society, she's paid her dues to this home warranty company and in the end, she got what she deserved,' Highfill said. Finney said his care to help someone he barely knows meant the world to her. 'It means my dad is still alive on Earth because he always believed in random acts of kindness.' She now looks forward to a much cooler home. 'I appreciate Channel 3 news for taking the time to think that this was important enough toreach out and let other people see,' Finney said. 'It also shows that not all news is bad,' Highfill said. 'There's still good things that happen.' For others in a similar situation, Highfill offered some advice. 'Take that money that you're putting into a home warranty, put it in a savings account,' he said. 'Get on apps like Nextdoor, find people that you can trust, that other people trust to come do your work.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business Insider
I'm a mom of 4, and there's no winning in parenting. People complain if kids are playing outside or if they're looking at screens.
I'm a mom of four, and screens are integral to our lives. When the weather is nice, my kids naturally migrate outdoors, and we hike and swim. I see older people complaining about kids being on screens and also about kids being in public spaces. As a family that has chosen to embrace technology and raise tech-savvy kids, screens are an integral part of our everyday family life. From the Skylight calendar in our kitchen that helps me manage the schedules of four busy kids to the smartphones my adolescents now possess, we see how technology improves our lives. We are just as apt to spend an afternoon working on the family Minecraft world as we are to play a board game (though we love those too). However, as soon as the weather breaks, my kids naturally migrate outdoors. We love to bike, hike, swim, and camp — and warmer temps typically mean my kids naturally reduce screen time. Recently, though, I have been frustrated by the mixed messages society sends us moms. Like most nosy neighbors, I am in all of our community's local groups. I see posts by older generations bemoaning the techy life my kids are living. " Get them off of screens and outdoors!" they lament. But the second the weather breaks, those posts shift from screeds against screens to rants about children playing in public spaces. The freedom my kids have has been earned We live in a walkable, safe community where our adolescents enjoy freedom. Since toddlerhood, we've taught our children how to cross a road, pay at stores and restaurants, and be respectful of others in our community—from picking up their trash to not trampling someone's flowers. The freedom our kids now have was earned. In addition, our town feels like the type of place older relatives reminisce about. My kids literally know to bike home when the street lights come on, like in a 1950s sitcom. That's why I am surprised so many adults seem uncomfortable with kids on the loose. In general, I am not concerned about my kids' safety in our tiny Pittsburgh borough, but I am worried about others' judgment. I worry more about someone reporting my kids to the authorities when they are exercising the freedom we've given them than about anything bad befalling them. I worry about what other people are going to say or do if they are out alone I worry that when I send my 13-year-old off on his bike to head to Boy Scouts, someone will criticize me for not biking with him (or driving him). I worry that my 11-year-old twins will receive a noise complaint while playing basketball in the alley until sunset with neighbor kids, because it has already happened once. I was nearby, just on the other side of a fence, and heard nothing but the joyous laughter of happy kids on a summer evening. I am still unsure why that was so bothersome to some anonymous neighbor. Still, I imagine them furiously typing up a Nextdoor post about how they never see kids playing outdoors anymore. It feels both ironic and cruel. I feel like I'm on an impossible tightrope It's a common refrain: Today's kids are too lazy, too entitled, and don't want to work. At the same time, when my kids go door-to-door asking to shovel walks for a few bucks, people are scared to open their door. I worry that someone will reprimand me for sending my child to pick up milk at the corner store so I can finish cooking dinner. It feels like an impossible tightrope. How are we parents supposed to raise independent kids in a world that decries our attempts? How can we get them off the screens and outside to play while somehow keeping them endlessly in our sight? To those not currently parenting, I only ask for one thing: grace. Grace to raise these little humans as best we can in a rapidly changing world. Grace to raise up adults who appreciate a lazy gaming day just as much as they appreciate a good day of yard work. Grace that you were given in a world that was smaller and more insular — and yet really not that different from the neighborhood my kids are learning to be adults in.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Thousands of MSCS students may be in summer school after TCAP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Thousands of Memphis-Shelby County School students who did not pass the English portion of the TCAP could be enrolled in the district's summer learning program. According to the state's third grade retention law in effect since 2022, students can choose to enroll or be held back, unless they retake the test and score proficiently, enroll in tutoring for the following year, or attend summer school. Under the law, third graders who don't achieve a proficient score on the English Language Arts portion of the TCAP will be held back. WREG reached out to MSCS to find out how many students are enrolled in the summer learning program this year, and how many of those students did not pass the English TCAP, but we have not heard back yet. Last year, nearly 7,000 students participated in the program, and they showed improvements in English-Language Arts. English TCAP scores increase slightly for Memphis 3rd and 4th graders In the 2023 – 2024 school year, 26.6% of Memphis-Shelby County School students met or exceeded proficiency on the test. Although it was a slight increase from the previous year, State Representative Mark White says he wants to see more progress. 'Well, they continue to do well in growth, but that is not proficient,' White said. 'A proficiency is when you get above a certain level in reading proficiency. The latest scores that are MSCS is 23% reading proficiency for our third graders. That's not acceptable.' To improve literacy and proficiency rates, Representative White says it's important to make improvements within the school system before students enter the third grade. 'No one wants to hold back an eight-year-old, so now we're looking back at, 'What are we not doing in first and second grade and kindergarten that we don't have a child prepared by the time they're in third grade or eight-years-old?'' White said. Black bear feasts on pears in DeSoto County backyard White tells WREG that he's been working with MSCS to make adjustments that will improve literacy rates for students and better prepare them for the English-TCAP. 'The summer school is a good program, we're going to continue look at more, maybe more better ways,' he said. 'First of all, let's move back to first and second grade, so we're not talking about holding back a third grader. If you're not reading proficiently by third grade, we've already missed the mark in our education system.' This year's TCAP results are expected to be released sometime this summer. When we receive those results and a response from MSCS, we will let you know. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.