Latest news with #PizzaRanch
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
The way you can become a superhero for CASA
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month, which has a local organization doing what it can to make people conscious of the issue. CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates for children, is a national nonprofit program that connects volunteers with abused and neglected children. Paul Phalen has volunteered with them for 3 years. 'I've had four different cases over these years, so each case lasts a while, nine months, I have one that went over a year. I work primarily with younger kids. Seven down to– I had an infant,' CASA Volunteer, Paul Phalen said. Wildlife photographer Jim Brandenberg dies While Phalen could spend his time doing other things, volunteering with CASA is something he feels called to do. 'If you can somehow, in your own way, straighten out a child during their development, that you're going to, make that child's life better, you're going to make the lives for the people that that child interacts with better,' Phalen said. April is a special month for CASA and its volunteers, as it shines a spotlight on what they are seeing every day. 'April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. So we want to bring awareness first and foremost, because I think a lot of people do not understand the magnitude of the abuse and neglect problem that happens in this community,' Sioux Falls CASA CEO, Stacey Tieszen said. To help make even more people aware of these issues, CASA is hosting different events throughout April. 'We ask local businesses to sponsor us to wear the capes, do a whole big social media barrage of information and awareness, and then recognize our volunteers at the end of the month. And so then we just do a lot of fundraising in between there. Wwe just did a bingo event. We have our pizza night, Pizza Ranch on the 16th. And so just a little bit of everything to try to build awareness in the community because our kids need help,' Tieszen said. CASA and its volunteers are helping children who have been in situations many of us couldn't even fathom. 'They're all centrally focused on trying to get this child to flourish despite all the strikes that they've had against them in their short little time here on Earth,' Phalen said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Remarkable Women: Tristen Landers
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – March is Women's History Month, and First News at Nine is proud to present Remarkable Women. Each week in March, we highlight local women making a lasting impact in their communities. In our last story, we recognize Tristen Landers, a woman whose journey of resilience and redemption has become an inspiration to many. After struggling with addiction for years, Tristen turned her life around in 2019. Now, as the Owner and Operator of two Pizza Ranch locations, she is committed to helping others find second chances—just as she did. She provides a safe and supportive workplace for those in recovery and leads Narcotics Anonymous meetings at the local jail. Beyond her business, Tristen gives back in countless ways. Through Pizza Ranch fundraisers, she has helped raise $60,000 for her community, donates meals to shelters, and has even traveled to Jamaica on a mission trip to support children and families in need. Her hard work, empathy, and dedication to service make her a true force for good. Tristen's story is one of perseverance and transformation. She is proof that no matter where you start, it's never too late to make a difference. To see all of our Remarkable Women features, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Judge: Teen charged in Sterling Pizza Ranch shooting fit to stand trial
Mar. 28—MORRISON — A Rock Falls teen charged with attempted murder in connection with a Nov. 6 shooting at Sterling's Pizza Ranch has been found fit to stand trial. Whiteside County Circuit Court Judge James Heuerman made that ruling Friday morning, allowing the case against Harrison Webb, 18, to proceed toward trial. The court ruled in January that there was a need to determine whether Webb was fit to stand trial, with an evaluation ordered. That evaluation was completed by Dr. Jayne Braden and submitted to the court. Webb is charged with one count of attempted murder, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm and two counts of burglary. He stands accused of walking into the restaurant's kitchen about 7:45 p.m. Nov. 6, pulling a gun from the front pocket of his shorts, walking up behind a 17-year-old worker who was preparing pizza pans and shooting him in the neck. If he is convicted, Webb, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, could spend anywhere from six years to life in prison. Prosecutors have said Webb and the wounded employee, also a Rock Falls 17-year-old, had had ongoing issues with each other. The teens' dispute boiled over on social media the morning of Nov. 6 while both teens were part of a Snapchat message group. Prosecutors said Webb walked from his Rock Falls home, crossed a bridge into Sterling and continued walking to Pizza Ranch at 3900 E. Lincolnway. People were eating in the restaurant as he walked in and headed to the kitchen, where four employees were working, Whiteside County State's Attorney Colleen Buckwalter said at a November court hearing, adding that a surveillance camera shows a shooter walked up behind the victim, saying "That's what you get," and shooting him from 18 inches away. The bullet entered the back of the victim's neck and exited through the front. The victim was taken to CGH Medical Center in Sterling, treated and released. The shooter left the restaurant and was believed to have fled into a nearby cornfield. Webb was arrested at 12:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, when a warrant issued in Whiteside County court that morning was served at his home. If convicted, Webb faces six to 30 years for attempted murder and would have to serve 85% of the sentence under state law. That could be enhanced to add 25 years or up to life in prison. The aggravated battery with a firearm charge, which also is a Class X felony, carries the same potential sentence of six to 30 years with 85% to be served. The burglary charges carry sentences of three to seven years in prison. A pretrial conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 23, with a jury trial set to begin at 8:30 a.m. May 13 in Whiteside County Circuit Court. Webb will remain detained in the Whiteside County Jail.
