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Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
2025 Little Miss Wheelchair Michigan forms bond with mentor
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Most people can't say they've been honored with any awards, or nominated for any titles by their state. At 4 years old, Dahlia Swanson is already able to. Dahlia is Little Miss Wheelchair Michigan 2025. She was nominated by 2025 Miss Wheelchair Michigan Rynita McGuire, who saw a lot of herself in Dahlia. 'I hadn't crowned a little Miss Wheelchair yet and she reminded me of myself when I was younger,' McGuire told News 8. Dahlia's personality and self-assurance drew McGuire to her and the two quickly formed a bond. 'She's a little go-getter and a firecracker just like I was when I was little and I just fell in love with her right away,' McGuire said. 'She does a lot in the community. Her parents are very, very supportive and encouraging and I just thought she was perfect for the role.' Outside of their roles, McGuire and Dahlia both share a passion for DJing, after Dahlia saw McGuire DJ. McGuire has been a DJ for 25 years and recently gifted a pair of small turntables to Dahlia. 'She saw me DJing at the Mary Free Bed Art Exhibit, that's held by the Mary Free Bed Guild here and she told me she wants to be a DJ one day,' McGuire said. Whatever Dahlia decides to do, McGuire said she is going to do her best to support her and other children with disabilities. 'I didn't see a lot of representation when I was growing up of people with disabilities really doing a lot of big things in the world, but I fought to make sure that I was reaching all of my goals,' McGuire said. 'And I just think that the more they see me and other adults like me really accomplishing things, the more they can believe in themselves, because I don't feel that society has a lot of high expectations for people with disabilities. But we can do anything anybody else can do and sometimes even better.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
A celebration of nonviolence: Gandhi Institute previews Soulforce fundraiser
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Local organizers reach out to the Rochester community seeking support to promote peace and growth through a fundraiser coming up in June. The executive director at the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence visited the News 8 at Sunrise set to preview the annual Soulforce gala on June 14 at the Memorial Art Gallery. On top of music, dancing, food and even magic, participants will be invited to learn more about the non-profit's work tackling big issues in our community through four main pillars: restorative practices, nonviolence education, racial justice and sustainability. 'At the institute, we recognize that if humanity continues down a path that centers violence, that centers exploitation, that extracts the earth's resources, it's not sustainable. So the institute exists to help shift our culture towards one that centers humanity, peace, and sustainability,' explains Director Erin Thompson. News 8 is a proud media sponsor of this event where our very own Mikhaela Singleton will act as emcee. Find more information on the event, how to get a ticket, or donate at the Gandhi Institute's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
First Responders Spotlight: Carrying on a firefighter's legacy
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — This story is about a mission to carry on the legacy of a fallen firefighter and your chance to help out this weekend. 'Joe was the community risk reduction specialist for the Gates Fire District,' Sal Montemurro, the Gates Fire Marshal, said while speaking with News 8's Brennan Somers. 'His job was to promote fire safety, and part of that job was to install alarms for free for people.' Montemurro is also the head of the group named after his friend, our community lost six years ago, Joe Manuse. The beloved firefighter died in 2019 from complications due to a bee sting. After his passing, they launched the Joseph Manuse Residential Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Foundation. It works to make sure alarms are available to all fire departments in Monroe and Ontario Counties. They install them for free when they respond to a call and find no alarms or none that are working. Events happening in the Rochester area this weekend! The project is funded through donations. Saturday, they have a family fun day fundraiser at First Responders Park on Lyell Road. There will be bounce houses, food, raffles, music, and more, with all proceeds going to the foundation. Montemurro says they've ordered about 500 alarms already this year. Most have been given out. They are looking to get more to keep going in honor of the man who always put others first. 'He was the greatest guy you could've ever known,' Montemurro said. 'That's why we want to keep this foundation going to keep his legacy alive.' They are also bringing back bracelets with the motto 'Be Like Fireman Joe' and 'Joe's Alarms' shirts. You can pick them up at the fundraiser tomorrow, which runs from 1 to 5 pm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Deputies: License plate readers will be used solely for investigations
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — It's been almost a week now since Monroe County announced that the legislature has approved automatic license plate readers for the county. Thursday, News 8's Adelisa Badzic sat down with Chief Deputy Michael Fowler with the sheriff's office on how these will work. He said these are strictly for investigations and are not red-light cameras. 'If we need information, if we're looking for a certain vehicle for whatever the reason, a missing person, or maybe a criminal that just drove off from a robbery scene, we go into the computer type in the plate number, and it shows us when and where that picture was taken,' Fowler said. This would help shave off investigation time and get to an outcome quicker. He also added that the system does not contain personal information. Also worth noting: the system to search a license plate is monitored closely and secure. Deputies will need a specific reason to search a number and there is an audit trail. Chief Deputy Fowler said they have to enter their reason in the software, which will be recorded, and they plan to follow up to make sure everyone has legitimate purposes. He said they plan to put in 150 to 160 cameras in about 80 locations throughout the county. The hope to start with hotspots first. Monroe County is one of the last major counties in New York State to get this technology. 'Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, New York City, they've got them all over, and they've had them all over for years, and they've been reaping the success for years,' Fowler said. 'This is a great tool for law enforcement. It solves crimes, and it saves lives.' On the Senate level: there have been critics against ALPR's. Legislation to address privacy and mass data collection concerns have been brought up several times in Albany. One bill sponsored by Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a democrat, is in the current session. It states, 'New York currently does not have uniform standards in place governing the use of ALPRs' If passed, it would create guidelines for the use of plate readers technology. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MADE Conversations: Yale Innovation Summit
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — News 8's Mike Cerulli and WICC's Melissa Sheketoff hosted episode three of MADE Conversations at the Yale Innovation Summit, held inside the Yale School of Management in New Haven, where they explored the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and business growth. Jodie Gillon, president and CEO of BioCT, Dave Steuber, the chief of staff at the Department of Economic and Community Development, and Chris DiPentima, president and CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA), were guests on the episode. Watch episodes one and two of MADE Conversations. Upcoming MADE events include: Reputation MADE | October 2025 in the greater Fairfield County area, addressing how businesses can differentiate themselves and stand out in a crowded media ecosystem with authentic and strong brands. Learn more at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
