Latest news with #Snapchats
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Harrisburg woman allegedly using Snapchat during fatal hit and run that killed teen
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A Harrisburg woman was allegedly on her phone when she fatally struck a teenage boy in a hit-and-run in Lancaster County last year, police say. Mikayla Mustard, 24, faces felony charges of homicide by vehicle and accidents involving death or personal injury. She also faces misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person, along with summary charges, court records show. Prior coverage -> Teen killed in Lancaster County hit and run The criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Magisterial District Court Torrey Landis's Office details the investigation by Northern Lancaster County Regional Police. Officers found 16-year-old Curtis Groff dead in a cemetery along the 200 block of West Sun Hill Road in Penn Township on May 2, 2024, around 9:30 p.m. The complaint shows Groff had injuries that appeared to have come from being hit by a vehicle. Police said they learned that Groff was weed-whacking when he was struck. No vehicle was at the scene, but police said there was evidence that Groff was struck like scrapes on the road, tire tracks through the grass, and debris from a vehicle. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The complaint states that Mustard later showed up at the scene after being driven by a relative, and she told police she might have hit a deer or rock, and drove back to Harrisburg after the crash. By looking at data from Mustard's phone, police said they saw she was using Snapchat right before and after the crash. The complaint shows Mustard sent Snapchats regarding blood on her vehicle and that she might go to jail if she hurt someone. Caregiver charged with assaulting, neglecting Lancaster County patient 'The driving actions of Mikayla Mustard were determined to be the primary cause of the collision,' the charging officer said in the complaint. 'Specifically, regarding driving actions, the defendant traveling westbound on West Sun Hill Road, Penn Township, while attempting to read a message she received, which caused her to leave her lane of travel and the roadway. The defendant's vehicle then struck Curtis Groff, who had been weed whacking the grass and standing off the roadway, causing his death.' Mustard is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning, court records show. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I struggled as a new mom. Snapchat filters masked my pain and helped me bond with my baby.
My first child was born in 2017 and I have so many photos of him with Snapchat filters. He was a hard baby, and I had postpartum depression, and I struggled with loneliness. I found solace in taking silly photos together. I've snapped photos with my firstborn son since he was born in 2017, but unlike my parents before me, many of the pictures I took were silly selfies with Snapchat filters. Back then, this was a popular method of communication — so, no, I don't regret it at all. These Snapchats helped me get through a challenging and lonely time in my postpartum days. Motherhood was difficult for me at first. I experienced postpartum anxiety, which was not officially diagnosed or treated until years later. On top of this, my firstborn son was a difficult baby, crying nonstop for hours, refusing to latch, and keeping us up all night, every night, for months. As I worked hard to keep my baby happy, I also struggled to keep myself happy — battling terrifying intrusive thoughts, irrational anger, and overwhelming anxiety that kept me awake even during the rare times of quiet. When my husband went back to work, my feelings intensified. The minutes stretched out impossibly before me as I felt desperately alone and overwhelmed taking care of my newborn baby. In those moments of loneliness, I would find comfort in taking photos, using cute and ridiculous filters, and then sending them to friends and family. It was an easy way to find little moments of connection. Plus, getting responses from my friends helped me feel included in their lives, even when I was stuck at home. Especially because it was hard for me to reach out to loved ones or even know how to ask for help. Sending Snapchats was the easy icebreaker I needed. Even when I didn't send the pictures, the act of taking selfies with my baby was a bright spot in my day. With every snap, I felt more normal (and less like the tired mom I was). It was an illusion that I cherished. The pictures showed a new mom happily hanging out with her baby and hid the fact that I was sitting nap-trapped on a recliner in milk-stained clothes, with yesterday's smudged eyeliner still desperately clinging on. It became a ritual of sorts, swiping through the filters and making my baby giggle at the funny animals, cartoons, hearts, and other features that popped up on the screen. These cute and ridiculous pictures may have been unconventional, but they helped me bond with my son. It created these pockets of fun in my otherwise mundane day filled with diaper changes, feedings, and near-constant worries. Eventually, my baby started sleeping through the night, eating solid foods, and adapting to a schedule. I returned to work, and the intrusive thoughts came less frequently. Taking goofy photos became something fun and lighthearted rather than a lifeline. My son still loves taking pictures on Snapchat and looking back at the cute faces he made as a baby. He doesn't know we did that when I was on the edge of despair and struggling to make it through the day without crying. He just sees his mom smiling and having fun with her new baby, and he absolutely loves it. Pulling up Snapchat photos to reminisce on the past isn't exactly the same as going through an old photo album — but it's not that different either. And even though I have plenty of traditional photos of my baby, I don't regret taking so many with filters. It reminds me of a challenging, exhausting, and ultimately beautiful time in my life and motherhood journey. For that, I'm forever grateful for digital dog ears. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Grandma Hobbies': High school crochet club boosts teen's mental health in Old Saybrook
OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. (WNTH) — The popularity of 'grandma hobbies' is swirling on social media, as teens are finding peace and comfort in old school activities like knitting, crocheting, baking and gardening. A club at a local high school is tapping into the trend. 'Time kind of flies when I'm doing it and I'm more grounded,' Eva Downes, a sophomore at Old Saybrook High School, said. Connecticut Families: Quilts That Care wraps cancer patients and their families in comfort and hope She and a few other teens are sitting, creating and chatting, all while making something with their hands. 'I learned how to knit when I was really young because my mom liked to create stuff,' Downes said. This is the Crochet Club, started by Rose McNaughton for her senior Capstone project. 'Many of my friends knew I crocheted and would ask me to either help them learn or make them things, and then I started to realize around school how much interest around crochet there was,' she says. It's tapping into a growing trend, seen on social media. 'Grandma hobbies' are becoming increasingly popular with the younger generation. They boost mental health and provide a needed break from constant technology. 'I think it's nice to be off my phone because I get to talk to my friends without any distractions from text messages and Snapchats,' junior Abigail Minegar said. 'It's a long-form project. It teaches patience, understanding, how to persist despite challenges,' Dr. Ryan Loss of Connecticut Behavioral Health said, who thinks participating in old-school activities – like playing board games – is more important than ever. 'I think that's exactly the conversation that should happen across all families is, 'How can we reconnect together outside of watching TV, outside of being on our phones?'' She is even advising her faculty advisor. 'I'm not a super crafty person, so it's been exciting to learn this with her and have her teach me,' says teacher Sarah Fawcett. 'Grandma hobbies' provide serenity and maybe even a little wisdom. 'It's just calming, it feels like a deep breath,' McNaughton said. While McNaughton is graduating this spring, the club will live on, thanks to an underclassman who is taking over the leadership role. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
28-03-2025
- Fox News
Rich parents pay top dollar for high school spring break trips as vacation tragedies rattle families
Spring break is looking different for high school students across the country as parents opt for chaperoned trips out of the country for their teens. Trips organized by tour companies such as GradCity, offer underage kids the opportunity to let loose on an all-inclusive, supervised getaway. "Any spring break trip with vetted adult chaperones is better and safer than those without, especially when high school students are looking to travel to common high-energy, 'party' destinations," Cory Wenter, a U.S. Marine veteran specializing in presidential security, told Fox News Digital. "It's important that parents do their research and due diligence to ensure agencies, like GradCity, have strict safety protocols in place when hiring and training their chaperones and staff." GradCity boasts its packages "offer a curated program highlighted by day [and] night events with a full on-site team [at the] destination, making our senior trips the ultimate travel experience," according to its website. The lavish vacation experience provides students with the chance to network in some of the hottest travel destinations – including Punta Cana and Nassau – where the drinking age is 18 years old, and ID checks are relaxed. Trips can run parents thousands of dollars, with alcohol not included in the upfront fare. "Our programs are designed to give students the freedom to enjoy their graduation with friends, while also offering peace of mind to parents through our on-site team presence, structured itineraries and years of experience managing group travel," Kathleen Osland, a spokesperson for GradCity, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. But families are willing to pay the price if it means their teens can swap Snapchats with students from different schools, opening up a new age of networking as they prepare to head off to college. Despite the attractive offer, not everyone is on board. Exclusive private schools with students flocking to swipe their parents' credit cards are sounding the alarm on unsanctioned trips by reminding families that the vacations are not supported by administrators. Topher Nichols, a spokesperson for The Dalton School in Manhattan, told Fox News Digital, "[the school] does not sponsor, organize, or endorse these trips." The school, which charges upwards of $65,000 for its annual tuition, implores parents to determine if the risk is worth the reward. "We inform families that participation is a personal decision and encourage them to consider all factors carefully," Nichols said in a statement. The industry of chaperoned trips ushers in a more polished take on the classic spring break tradition that has historically been marred with stories of fighting, missing persons and even death. As a result, GradCity guarantees high school students will be chaperoned during each scheduled activity and provides travelers with a 24-hour emergency hotline. "GradCity provides the highest team-to-student ratio in the industry to assist in your student's safety and ensure they have the time of their life," GradCity tells potential travelers' parents on their website. The trips come at a time when more high school students are opting in to spring break, as cities throughout the country are opting out. Last month, Miami Beach announced the city would be cracking down on revelers for the second year in a row. City officials launched a reality-TV-themed ad campaign warning spring breakers their presence was unwelcome after the beachfront oasis saw an uptick in violence in 2020. In 2024, Miami Beach made 256 spring break-related arrests over the span of two weeks in March, successfully curbing the violence and keeping unruly visitors at bay. As a result, more high school students are turning to trips outside the country in search of fewer rules and more fun. Earlier this month, University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, 20, vanished from a Punta Cana beach after a night of drinking with friends. She reportedly drowned, but her remains have not been found. In 2023, 18-year-old Cameron Robbins, a recent Louisiana high school graduate, jumped overboard into "shark-infested waters" while on a cruise in the Bahamas with friends. Following an exhaustive, two-day-long search, the U.S. Coast Guard ended its search for Robbins. "Parents need to have hard conversations with themselves and their children to determine if they're ready for such freedoms," Wenter said. "Oftentimes, kids get into trouble on spring break trips because they are doing something they should not have been. Pushing and testing limits is exactly what adolescence is for. It does come at a cost, and parents need to know if their children are capable of making smart decisions in moments of peer pressure and opportunity." Kate Gladdin's 24-year-old sister, Nicole, tragically died in a motorbike accident while traveling with her boyfriend in Thailand in 2012. Gladdin, an Australia native, attended a chaperoned trip following her graduation from high school, and works to educate parents and students about travel safety in light of her sister's death. "[Kids can have] that invincibility mindset," Gladdin told Fox News Digital. "I think the influence of social media – seeing people travel, seeing them on the edge of cliffs and on the back of bikes without helmets – and you think that's the cool thing to do. What's cool is putting your safety first."
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
Threats against Marywood lacrosse team leads to arrest
DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man is facing charges after police say he sent Snapchats threatening a shooting against the Marywood University lacrosse team. According to the Dunmore Police Department, on February 18, officers responded to Marywood University for a report of threats being made towards members of the lacrosse team and other individuals. Police say a member of the lacrosse team, Jakob Dumas of Corning, New York, had been hospitalized after he had been assaulted. Officers said when Dumas was released from the hospital, he used Snapchat to make threats towards his attackers as well as other members of the lacrosse team. Former president allegedly stole $26K from football club According to court documents, in the threats, Dumas stated, 'I'll have a 50 round drum with hollow points that got their name on 'em in multiple.'' Investigators issued an arrest warrant for Dumas, who later turned himself in on the charges of terroristic threats and harassment. The reported assault on Dumas remains under police investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
