'Miracle' amid tragedy: 1-year-old boy found alive alongside highway after older brother found dead in Beryl's wake



A grandmother in Louisiana is both celebrating and mourning after her 1-year-old grandson was found alive hours after the lifeless body of his 4-year-old brother was pulled from a lake.

A tragic storm

Hurricane Beryl hit landfall early Monday morning, unleashing heavy rain and knocking out electricity for some three million Texans. It also caused similar disturbances in Vinton, Louisiana, a city of some 3,400 residents just east of the Texas border.

On Monday afternoon, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office received a report of a body floating in a lake just behind the Vinton Welcome Center. The agency then released a brief description of the deceased on Facebook, calling him only "an African American child."

Soon afterward, Conswella Jack of Lake Charles, Louisiana, came forward, fearing that the body might be that of her 4-year-old grandson, Legend. Sadly, she was right.

'Looked like it was wrecked': Background of a troubled family

Already heartbroken, Jack then informed deputies that Legend has a 1-year-old brother, Kingtrail, whom she had not seen since her mother's funeral on Saturday.

'We were in the process of moving assets out to Vinton to search the body of water to see if we could locate the 1-year-old.'

Jack also shared information about her family that heightened everyone's concerns about little Kingtrail. Jack claimed that her daughter, 25-year-old Aaliyah Jack, is the mother of both boys. Though Aaliyah has legal custody of them, she had recently "fallen on hard times," Jack indicated.

So, Conswella Jack decided to care for Kingtrail, the boys' paternal grandmother watched over Legend, and Aaliyah Jack fled to Baton Rouge for reasons unknown. The family was reunited on Saturday at the funeral for Conswella's mother.

Aaliyah also attended the funeral. While there, she reassumed custody of her sons and left.

In the hours that followed, Conswella became frantic, trying to reach Aaliyah. "The next day, which was Sunday, after trying to call her, she finally reaches out to me, but it's a text," Conswella recalled. "She sent me a picture of a car in some bushes that kind of looked like it was wrecked."

Aaliyah made no further contact, and Conswella told investigators she worried that Kingtrail may have met the same fate as Legend.

"We were in the process of moving assets out to Vinton to search the body of water to see if we could locate the 1-year-old," said Calcasieu Sheriff Stitch Guillory.

'He smiled at me': A miraculous discovery

At around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, while deputies and the Jack family prepared for the worst about Kingtrail, a truck driver, unaware of the recent tragedy, was just going about his business, driving along Interstate 10 not far from the Vinton Welcome Center. Suddenly, he spotted something in a ditch alongside the road.

"There was a little boy sitting down in the embankment there," the unidentified trucker recalled.

"As I approached him, he smiled at me and then he started crying and walked toward me," he continued. "Once he walked toward me, I grabbed his hand and he stopped crying at that point."

The trucker then phoned police, who later confirmed that the boy was indeed the missing Kingtrail. Though he had suffered bug bites, he otherwise was in good condition and has already been released from the hospital.

Sheriff Guillory said his office views Kingtrail "as our miracle baby." "This kid spent two days out in the weather on the side of the highway," an incredulous Guillory said at a press conference. "Thank God that trucker seen him."

"Unbelievable."

'So blessed ... but also so hurt': Continued fallout

A warrant was later issued for Aaliyah Jack for failing to report a missing child, and she was soon taken into custody in Meridian, Mississippi, about 400 miles east of Vinton, Louisiana, where her boys were found. She is currently fighting extradition to Louisiana, where she faces a bond of $300,000.

Meanwhile, her mother has been left to grieve one grandson while fighting for custody of the other. "I was so blessed to hear the baby survived, but also so hurt because one is now gone," Conswella Jack said.

"It’s stressful because they're gonna put me through all what I'm about to go through just to get [Kingtrail] back," she continued. "I don't even have the funds for it, so I have to do everything I can to get that baby back, because ain't nobody know him like we know him."

Kingtrail is currently believed to be in state custody. So far, no cause of death has been determined for his brother, Legend, whose body had no obvious injuries when it was recovered. The results of the autopsy are pending.

Further charges in this case could be forthcoming.

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Navy veteran torn apart by giant grizzly makes stunning recovery, claims he 'will win Round 2'



A 61-year-old Navy veteran stumbled into a massive grizzly bear last month while hunting deer in Montana. Although Rudy Noorlander landed the first punch, the fight did not ultimately go his way. Rather, he left Custer Gallatin National Forest shredded and missing part of his face.

Although Noorlander parted ways with his lower jaw, he kept his faith and a strong sense of humor.

Discussing his recovery with reporters Friday and showcasing a new jaw, the veteran noted on his whiteboard, "Only by the hands of God am I here," adding, "I will win Round 2."

What's the background?

TheBlaze previously reported that on Sept. 8, Noorlander ventured into the Montana wild to assist a pair of hunters in tracking down a deer they had shot and killed.

KateLynn Davis said her father, "being the Good Samaritan that he is, decided to help them search for it."

While proceeding down Yellow Mule Trail in search of the fallen deer, Noorlander came across a small bear. He raised his rifle, hoping to scare away the cub, but was ambushed by its apparent behemothic guardian.

According to his daughter, "Rudy armed his gun at the bear, but his firearm misfired, making his best choice of defense his fists, as he did not have any time to get his bear spray from his backpack."

The average grizzly bear would have been well out of Noorlander's weight class, yet this particular specimen was anything but average, reportedly standing some 10 feet tall.

"As the bear lunged, the only thing Rudy could do was punch the bear in hopes of slowing it down. Unfortunately, it did not, and after the first punch the grizzly was on top of Rudy," wrote KateLynn Noorlander.

The bear swatted trenches down the veteran's chest, bit his arms and legs, and then, "to top it all off, [the bear] gave him as what Rudy describes as the most disgusting French kiss of his life before biting down and tearing off his lower jaw," his daughter wrote on the GoFundMe page for her father.

KSL-TV reported that Noorlander also suffered a collapsed lung as a result of the attack.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' guide on how to handle bear encounters, Noorlander appears to have gone by the book.

"Never run away. You cannot outrun a bear," says the guidance. "If a bear follows you, or slowly, purposefully or methodically approaches you ... [s]tand your ground. Get aggressive: wave your arms and shout vigorously. Get spray out and ready. Fight back if it makes contact."

Following the attack, the two hunters whom Noorlander accompanied were able to scare off the bear and summon help.

Noorlander was airlifted to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Montana for emergency treatment, then taken to the University of Utah Hospital for jaw reconstruction.

Recovery and return

Noorlander evidenced his stunning recovery Friday, taking part in a press conference along with his two adult daughters and the surgeon responsible for his new jaw.

Although he can speak, he indicated it hurts "a little." For now, he instead communicates using script on a whiteboard.

Dr. Hilary McCrary, a surgeon at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital specializing in head and neck surgery, performed the veteran's jaw surgery. She told reporters, "The first thing that was so incredible to watch is just how enthusiastic Rudy was, even after being just attacked by a grizzly bear. He was very adamant that he was going to fight this thing and get through it and, at that point, he was still on a ventilator and had a chest tube and lots of lines everywhere," reported KSL.

"For someone to be so enthusiastic about his prognosis and outcome that early is very heartwarming as a physician," added McCrary.

The surgeon reportedly put two plates in the 61-year-old's neck for stabilization, then a placeholder where his lower jaw once was. Her team reportedly developed a model jaw using Noorlander's fibula, a bone in the lower leg. After fashioning him a new jaw bone, they used grafted skin from elsewhere on Noorlander's body on the jaw as well as to create new bottom lip.

According to McCrary, the surgery took place on Sept. 28 and lasted 10 hours, reported the Associated Press.

There remains a small wound under his chin that will need to heal, but soon he'll be able to eat without fear of infection, suggested McCrary.

His family expressed optimism that he would soon be able to go home.

Noorlander told reporters via his whiteboard, "Only by the hands of God am I here. I've had a lot of inspirations and I felt the need to share my story with others, and believe it or not, I believe that this attack was an answer to my prayers and that, potentially, it could help somebody else going through something similar."

He also said in a prewritten statement, "I just want to end this by saying most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. Even if there seems to be no hope, keep on fighting."

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University of Utah surgeons reattach man's jaw following grizzly bear attackyoutu.be

'Miraculous': Cop narrowly survives 120 mph car crash caught on camera



A Fairfax County Police officer had a brush with death Monday, only he proved too quick for the reaper.

An unnamed officer from the Sully District Station pulled over the driver of a gray 2012 BMW 750, which he caught speeding nearly 13 mph over the 50 mph limit on the Fairfax County Parkway, according to the FCPD.

The officer approached the driver on the passenger's side of the vehicle, which police later told reporters proved "consequential."

While addressing the driver of the BMW 750, smoke billowed up on the far side of the highway, several lanes and a grassy median over.

Another driver, similarly behind the wheel of a BMW — this time a 2018 M3 — had lost control of his vehicle while coming around the bend. Roughly five seconds later, it closed the distance and smashed into the stationary BMW and the officer's cruiser.

"It’s just miraculous that we’re not talking under different circumstances," said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis. "By all accounts, this should have resulted in much worse outcomes than it did, so thank God for that."

Dashcam footage of the incident shows the officer reacting to the distant squeal of tires and rushing to the rear of the vehicle.

Unlike the BMW the officer had pulled over on the right shoulder, the striking vehicle that nearly claimed his life was going "well over" 120 mph — more than double the speed limit.

“The car involved in that collision yesterday was a whole lot of car for an inexperienced driver," Davis later told reporters. "It was going way too fast. It was a rocket, and then it became a missile."

The careening vehicle, reportedly piloted by a 17-year-old, spun prior to making contact, such that its rear bumper was the first portion to strike. The car then swung around nose-first into the gap between the officer's cruiser and the rear of the BMW 750.

The officer can be seen leaping away from the stationary BMW as the force of the initial impact jerked it backward, then slamming the hood of the striking vehicle as it sparked by.

As the twisted metal and shattered glass settled, the 13-year veteran found himself with everything still intact.

Without missing a beat, he circled back to the wreck and radioed for rescue.

Davis said his officer's "grace under pressure was calm, cool, collected."

According to police, all involved — the two passengers in the BMW 750, the 17-year-old in the M3, and the officer — only suffered minor injuries.

The driver responsible for the crash was charged with reckless driving.

5.1.23 Traffic Crash Sully Police District youtu.be

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'It's a miracle': Out-of-control SUV on collision course with elderly priest goes airborne at last second — on feast day celebrating guardian angels



A young man driving an SUV blacked out behind the wheel of his SUV last month, putting him on an intercept course with an elderly priest on his way to Sunday mass. The out-of-control SUV came within striking distance of the priest's car but was thrown off course at the last second, leaving Father John Bok and his car without a scratch.

'Thank you Lord'

Fr. John is an 87-year-old Franciscan priest who used to teach physics. On Oct. 2, he got a lesson in metaphysics on his way to celebrate mass at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Milford, Ohio.

The Catholic News Agency reported that around 8:40 a.m., as Fr. John was about to pull into the church parking lot, a17-year-old male driving an SUV nearby suffered a seizure and blacked out.

Unpiloted, the SUV jumped the curb hemming in the next road and sped across a field, careening toward Fr. John's driver-side door.

Fr. John later noted that the situation was a "win-win," granted that "heaven is going to be better than here."

It was not, however, the old priest's time to meet his maker.

At the last moment, the SUV struck a road sign and an old post and appeared on video to leap into the air above Fr. John's Hyundai Sonata.

Fr. John told CNA, “I did not know that that car went over top of me because I was looking ahead and it was to my left and above."

"And out of the corner of my eye I sensed something went by, but I just thought it was a bird or something like that," he added.

The SUV landed nose-down, rolled off to the side, and soon came to an otherwise uneventful stop.

Fr. John wrote on the Franciscan Friars website, "I was not hurt and my car was not scratched."

A police officer later notified Fr. John that the young man, Braden Varner, was admitted to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, but was also all right.

Not only was Braden all right, but according to WXIX, he survived with only a "tiny scratch" on his hand.

Braden said it was a "true miracle."

The 17-year-old had never had a seizure before the October incident, but is now being treated for epilepsy.

Guardian angels

Sunday just happened to be the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, a day when Catholics commemorate those celestial beings that many believe — on the basis of Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament — to be charged with keeping guard over "thee in all thy ways."

The old priest marveled at the apparent coincidence, saying that the incident made him "reflect often on God's providence, miracles, guardian angels, and the laws of physics."

A security camera in the parking lot of a neighboring funeral home captured the incident:

Angels watching over Fr. John youtu.be

A member of the family who runs the funeral home showed the video to the priest.

"When I see it, I just scratch my head and say, 'Thank you, Lord," said the priest.

When reflecting on the physics behind his spotless brush with death, Fr. John wrote, "According to Google, [my car] is 4.83 feet tall. Why was the pole standing in that exact spot attached to nothing? By what laws of physics did it lift the boy's car almost 5 feet in the air and send it over my car? So many questions."

Although he may have to wait some time for conclusive answers to all of his questions, the priest underscored that he is "certainly thankful to God."

Video: Cop appears to punch protester in face, knock protester to street as demonstrators scuffle with police, refuse to disperse



A Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, police officer was caught on video apparently punching a protester in the face and knocking the protester to the street as demonstrators in the Pittsburgh-area borough scuffled with police and refused to disperse over the weekend.

What are the details?

Saturday's protest was for Jim Rogers, a homeless man who died last year after Pittsburgh police repeatedly tased him, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The Justice for Jim Rogers organization also called for firing and charges to be filed against officers and EMS workers involved the day Rogers was arrested, WTAE-TV reported.

The march began in Pittsburgh and then crossed into Wilkinsburg, where video shows protesters stopping in an intersection and blocking traffic while a police officer on a loudspeaker says it's an "unlawful assembly" and that protesters "will be arrested" if they don't keep the march moving.

With that, a number of protesters converged upon a police vehicle and cursed out the officer, telling him "F*** you!" and "Let her speak!" and "We're not scared of you!"

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Failing to get the protesters to disperse from the intersection, the officer gets help from colleagues. As police move in and apparently try to arrest several protesters, a scuffle breaks out.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Soon an officer appears to deliver a punch to a protester's face:

A Wilkinsburg police officer strikes a protestor at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Center St during a march before arresting them and putting them in the back of a Edgewood police vehicle. \n\n@PGHCityPaperpic.twitter.com/6tYXe2WFLU
— Jared Wickerham (@Jared Wickerham) 1650130420

Here's video that begins with protesters refusing to disperse, then shows the scuffle and apparent punch, and ends with several arrests. (Content warning: language):

Police Attack Justice for Jim Rogers and Romir Talley March in Wilkinsburgyoutu.be

Who is the protester the cop apparently punched?

The Pittsburgh City Paper said the apparently punched protester was identified as Vuestro Merced. According to a Post-Gazette editorial, "Vuestro Merced then shoved Officer Taylor, who responded with a left cross that knocked the protester to the ground."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

The City Paper, citing a Twitter post, said Merced was later released from police custody.

They are out and safe with community. You may support them via cashapp at $kiskeyancougarpic.twitter.com/JG0NIkL5rV
— Miracle. ESQ. MSW. (@Miracle. ESQ. MSW.) 1650141726

Another Twitter user called Merced a "friend" as well as a "trans activist":

Woke up this morning to learn of the unsurprisingly vile behavior of @PghPolice against my friend and trans activist Vuestro Merced. @gainey_ed, fire this officer and hold him accountable now! @payouthcongress @QBurghMaghttps://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/wilkinsburg-officer-strikes-protester-during-demonstration-against-police-brutality/Content?oid=21490359\u00a0\u2026
— Hansen Bursic (he/him) (@Hansen Bursic (he/him)) 1650214760

Here's a 2021 tweet mentioning Merced:

Vuestro Merced talks to the crowd about Iris Santos. Via @PghLesbian24 \u201cShe was a 22-year-old Latinx trans woman living in Houston, Texas. She is now the 20th transgender American to be murdered during 2021.\u201d https://www.pghlesbian.com/2021/05/22-year-old-latinx-trans-woman-iris-santos-killed-in-houston-chick-fil-a-parking-lot/\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/GMs5ATJgIs
— Katie Blackley (@Katie Blackley) 1619984419

Anything else?

Wilkinsburg Mayor Dontae Comans offered WPXI-TV the following statement after the incident: “The footage being shared shows what we do not want to see or experience when a community is expressing its hurt over police sanctioned violence...I have been in touch with the police chief and our officers body cameras were on, which will be used to investigate next steps.”

The City Paper said the Wilkinsburg Police Department didn't immediately comment on the incident.

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