FRANKLIN, Tenn — Gas prices continue to rise and it's having an impact on those who use their car to help those in need.

The Mid-Cumberland Meals-on-Wheels in Tennessee is experiencing this firsthand. Staff say they already had a volunteer quit because of the rising costs.

Around 10 a.m., volunteers start trickling in to grab the food orders for their routes in Franklin.

Many volunteers like Gail Stark help serve over 300,000 meals annually from 17 meal sites in the region.

"I retired probably 12 years ago, and I thought 'you know I really need to do something to help other people, I feel so blessed with what I have been, how can I give back?' and so I signed up."

Starck has been helping for two years now and calls it one of the most rewarding things that she has ever done in her life.

She helps serve more than 11 million meals to seniors in Middle Tennessee.

Staff say not only is it important these seniors get a nutritious meal but meet people as well.

"It’s very important to our clients here in the area to get a meal because sometimes it is the only interaction that they have with a volunteer or with someone throughout the day," said site manager, Lindsey Burbank.

But with the gas prices climbing, it's driving away the help this organization says it desperately needs.

"I’ve recently just lost a volunteer that can’t deliver right now. She said she’s going to come back as soon as the gas prices go down," Burbank said. "All of our counties especially the ones that go out and the rural areas really do have a hard time when you’re delivering meals miles apart from each other. It’s the first thing that goes, it’s not in their budget."

Mid-Cumberland Meals-on-Wheels is hoping the prices at pump don't continue to turn good help away.

"Gas prices haven't really affected me, I come from Thompson station. So it probably is only a gallon of gas that I use. I know out in some of the rural areas, you know, the folks have to drive a little bit further and use a little bit more but even if gas went up to $20 a gallon, I would still do this because that's how rewarding it is to me," said Starck.

The staff is hopeful they can find more volunteers like Starck.

This story was first reported by Kelsey Gibbs at WTVF in Nashville, Tenn.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WTKR)— A family from Williamsburg, Virginia, found a bottle that had been floating in the York River for the last four decades.

In 1978, a 12-year-old boy from Poquoson threw a Pepsi bottle into the Poquoson River with a note inside.

The bottle traveled 30 miles over 40 years before ending up in the hands of Brian Daliege, who was out boating with his family on the York River on the Fourth of July.

"My son and I were collecting old bottles, and he had already found a couple," Daliege explained. "I happened to see this one on a 4-foot. little cliff, if you will, on the edge of the river."

"Knowing it was an older embossed glass bottle, your imagination kind of runs wild at this point to as to how old it could be," Daliege added.

The family took to social media, posting pictures to try to find the owner — and they did, a moment Daliege describes as "full circle."

Thursday, Daliege met up with the bottle's sender, Don Kendrick, and returned the bottle.

"We’re the first people to hold the bottle since it left his hand 44 years ago," Daliege said.

This story was originally reported by Ellen Ice on wtkr.com.

INDIANAPOLIS — After the dedication that led to finding missing Ohio 5-month-old Kason Thomass, IMPD Officers Sgt. Shawn Anderson and Sgt. Richard El are reflecting on the moments after his discovery and what it meant for them.

"First thing that went through my mind was thank God we found baby Kason. He is alive and well and my first instinct was I wanted to hold him, put my arms around him and just make sure he was ok," said IMPD Sgt. Shawn Anderson.

Pictures of Sgt. Anderson holding Kason have gone viral and many are thankful the baby is safe.

Sgt. Anderson told WRTV, that this is a moment he will never forget.

"I could tell he felt comfort and joy he felt safe and secure in that moment. In spite of the ordeal, he had been through, so I was amazed at how well he was doing for the amount of time he was gone and holding him was one of the best feelings I have had in my career. It just really felt like holding one of my own children," said Sgt. Anderson.

Sgt. Richard El was the first on the scene.

"I picked him up and held him ... 'You are safe now, we got you. We are going to get you back to your parents.' He was still in a onesie and it just gave me memories of my kids being young and whatnot. So I gave him a hug and held him and bounced him around a little bit and let him know he everything would ne alright and that he would soon be reunited with his family," said Sgt. El.

Kason's family tells WRTV he is still in the hospital waiting to be discharged. The family is thankful to be able to spend Christmas with both boys.

"I couldn’t imagine what the parents and grandparents of baby Kason were going through over the past handful of days. The rollercoaster of emotions for us to be a part of that and bringing him home safely and reuniting him safely it really feels amazing," said Richard El.

America, we have a problem.

Newspapers, especially the smaller ones that often serve as the eyes and ears for their communities, are in danger of disappearing. That’s according to the newest State of Local News report by Northwestern University.

“We're not only in danger; we have been losing local outlets,” said Penny Muse Abernathy, a visiting professor at the Chicago-area school.

She says as those papers vanish, so too have their trained watchdogs who monitor local government.

“Not only have we lost newspapers, we have lost 60% of the newspaper journalists we had in 2005. So, 60% — that leaves 40,000 newspaper journalists that we had in 2005 that are not there now,” said Abernathy.

For communities across the United States, the problem has created news deserts.

“We have areas where people have an abundance of local news. Typically, that's around affluent areas and in metro areas. And then we have areas where people have to really, really look to find the local news and information and data that they need. And invariably those are the communities that need it the most,” said Abernathy. “They are low income, and they are traditionally underserved in marginalized communities, often with large ethnic populations that have not been served in the past well by mainstream media.”  

A map developed by Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism shows areas served by two or more papers in dark blue, one newspaper in light blue, and no newspaper in white.

“You lose a local newspaper, and you lose the person who shows up at the school board meeting, you lose the reporter who shows up at the zoning meeting or the county commissioner meeting,” said Abernathy.

Memphis, Tennessee, is 64% Black, 27% white. There, in the home of the blues, veteran journalist Wendi Thomas runs the online nonprofit news source MLK50: Justice Through Journalism.

“It can be hard to grow to the capacity you would want to be when you're relying on grants and foundations and the $10 check your mom can write every month,” said Thomas.  

Thomas started MLK50 six years ago; now she and her staff of six full-time journalists make sure the community has a voice.

“I saw a void in news coverage that wasn't being filled here in Memphis. And it was kind of one of those things where, like, 'OK, who better to do it than me?'” said Thomas.  

MLK 50 covers a range of topics. But its most important task is making sure those abandoned by profit-focused media are heard.

“We launched a newsroom focused on poverty, power and policy, which isn't something that traditional legacy newsrooms typically cover. But I knew we wanted to focus on marginalized people here in Memphis, the people who often aren't the subject of news coverage,” said Thomas.

During her 30-year-career, Thomas worked at mom-and-pop newspapers and at conglomerates.

“Rural communities have been hit hardest by the death of newspapers across the country,” said Thomas.

With advertising flowing to online and social media platforms, many small papers closed.

“That means that in a lot of these places, there is no one whose job it is to pay attention to how tax dollars are being spent, to what the county commission is doing, to what's happening at the jails. And in the absence of that sunlight from the media, all kinds of shady things happen in the dark,” said Thomas.

Online news organizations have popped up around the country that rely on private funding, such as foundation grants — outlets like the Texas Tribune and Block Club Chicago — but that model is tougher outside metro areas.

Abernathy says one solution might be using public dollars to help newspapers and local online media operate.

“Western democracies in Europe and in Asia have figured out how to do that very successfully. And in fact, if you look back, there has been a postal subsidy for most newspapers since the very beginning of this country,” said Abernathy.

This story was originally published by Tammy Estwick, Alex Livingston, Lindsay Tuchman, Tammy Estwick, Stephanie Sandoval on ScrippsNews.com.

WATCH: Mail carrier rescues woman who had fallen in sub-zero temperatures

The woman struggled for 19 minutes to try to get up before a mail carrier helped carry her into the house.

Updated: 11:20 AM EST Jan 8, 2022

The wind chill was 5 degrees below zero when Linda Houlton fell trying to get her mail, and for the next 19 minutes, she struggled to get back on her feet and out of the cold.Though the home sits along her busy street in Des Moines, Iowa, no one stopped to help until Chris Meyer pulled up in a mail truck. It was not his normal route. "We had a carrier that was gone that day, so I had a part of his route that I don't normally do," Meyer said.It turned out to be a serendipitous assignment. Security video from the home shows he lifted Houlton off the ground, carried her to the house and, on brand, retrieved the mail she had dropped in the fall. "If it was my mother or my grandma, I'd want someone to help her out, and there was no one there to help her," Meyer said. Houlton said she didn't know exactly how long she had been struggling alone until Meyer gave her the time. A timestamp on the security camera confirmed it was 19 minutes. "It got to a point, I couldn't cry," she said. "It was so cold that he stopped and picked me up, even to get me on my feet. And I was still wobbly from being cold."Despite the fall and time spent in the cold, Houlton has no lingering injuries. "I'm not going to go out and check mail in the wintertime anymore," she said with a chuckle. The family turns serious when recognizing Meyer's action. Wen Boatwright, Houlton's son-in-law, found out what happened by watching the security video. "Tears in the eyes. It was relief," he said. "A good Samaritan stopped and helped my mom. Saved her life. We need more people like him out there."The family hopes Meyer will get some kind of national recognition for the rescue. But until such a time, they're letting him know how they feel. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Houlton said. "You're a very good Samaritan."

TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — A neglected senior dog is now on the mend after it was abandoned at Tampa International Airport when the owner didn’t have the right paperwork to bring it on a flight.

Tampa International Airport police chief Charlie Vazquez says he’s never seen anything like it.

"The ticket agent required her to have vaccination papers for the dog as well as the travel fee and when she didn’t have either she told the gate agent she’d make other arrangements," said Vazquez.

But that’s not what happened. Vazquez says she then left the American Airlines ticketing counter, let go of the dog’s leash and just kept on walking.

The chief says surveillance video, that they cannot release due to security reasons, shows the woman discarding the dog and boarding a flight Alabama without him.

"We love animals and to treat an animal like that is really shocking," said Vazquez.

Corinn Smith with VIP Rescue was called and says the elderly dog’s neglect began long before being abandoned.

"He has several sores, he has an ear infection, he was severely matted," said Smith.

Now the dog, whose microchip says he is 14 and named Bama, is on the mend.

Smith says she is adopting Bama to give him the loving life he deserves but she believes the little guy also deserves justice.

"The woman needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, there’s no excuse for this," said Smith.

Chief Vazquez says the state attorney’s office does plan to press charges. He says they have not been able to reach the woman who abandoned the dog but he wants this to be a lesson to people to traveling with pets.

"We recommend before you get to the airport contact the airline and find out what the requirements are whether there are fees, and what kind of paperwork you need for the animal. If you get here and you don’t(have those things), please don’t abandon the animal. Contact somebody and we’ll make arrangements," said Vazquez.

This story was originally reported by Wendi Lane on abcactionnews.com.

SMITHSBURG, Md. — A several-day manhunt for a fired Baltimore County police officer wanted in multiple kidnappings across two states ended Thursday with four fatalities.

Police say Robert Vicosa died following a police pursuit near Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, and tragically ended in a crash just beyond the Maryland line in Washington County.

Officers discovered Vicosa and his two young daughters shot in the back seat of a stolen Ford Edge. Vicosa and one daughter died on the scene, while the other passed away at a local hospital.

Behind the wheel was 35-year-old Tia Bynum, a suspended Baltimore County Police sergeant who allegedly aided Vicosa throughout his rampage. She, too, appeared to have been shot and died on the scene.

Police in York, Pennsylvania, began the search for Vicosa on Tuesday after he allegedly broke into a home, held his ex-wife captive and sexually assaulted her before fleeing in her car with their six and seven-year-old daughters, Aaminah and Giana, against a court order.

Not long after the initial incident, Vicosa ran the stolen car into a creek in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, at which point he carjacked another woman.

Then on Wednesday, Vicosa, accompanied by Bynum, struck again, this time in Cockeysville, holding a man at gunpoint and forcing him to drive various places around the area before letting him go unharmed.

Police say Vicosa and Bynum had an assault rifle and other firearms with them in the vehicle. Detectives are calling the case a murder-suicide but have not revealed who they believe pulled the trigger.

A motive has also not been determined.

Governor Larry Hogan reacted to the situation on Twitter.

Ryan Dickstein at WMAR first reported this story.

TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa boy received a big surprise from his hero for his third birthday.

City of Tampa worker Leroy Lentz says each morning he goes out to collect waste, Marlon waits for him to greet him with excitement.

The two have become good friends and for Leroy, their chats and waves never fail to brighten his day.

To show appreciation for Marlon, Leroy and Tampa’s Management Department teamed up to bring a socially-distant party over to the little boy’s neighborhood.

On Tuesday, the community held a birthday parade to celebrate Marlon, and Leroy was able to surprise the little boy with cake and a toy garbage truck.

“The Department really appreciates those customers who take time to say hello and thank you. Recognizing the impact these essential workers have in our community is so appreciated,” Mayor Jane Castor’s office said in a statement. “We are thrilled to give Marlon a birthday to remember.”

Below is the video of the festivities:

This story originally reported by KJ Hiramoto on abcactionnews.com.

BRANDON, Fla. — A Florida sheriff's deputy who was just days away from retirement died in the line of duty Monday evening.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies were responding to a call for service from management at the Paddock Club Apartments around 3:42 p.m. Monday.

The caller said the man had been throwing furniture and clothes out of his apartment window and front door. The caller also said this individual has threatened to harm staff in the past. Deputies were not able to make contact with the man and left the area.

About an hour later, deputies were called back to the apartment complex.

"The resident is now naked and throwing cookies at neighbors outside his apartment. Deputies arrived on scene and make contact," said Chronister.

The suspect, 28-year-old Travis Garrett, struck a deputy in the head with his fist, according to Chronister.

Chronister said deputies deployed a taser, but it was not effective.

Garrett left the area in his car and led deputies on a chase.

Chronister said Garrett was driving at a high rate of speed when he intentionally rammed into the driver's side of Corporal Brian LaVigne's car. There were no skid marks on the scene indicating trying to stop, the sheriff said.

"Mr. Garrett intentionally switches two lanes and goes into the turn lane to strike LaVigne's vehicle," said Chronister.

LaVigne, 54, was responding to the call for service.

Chronister said LaVigne was trapped inside his car and unresponsive. Deputies tried to get to him.

"The deputies can't get to him to perform life-saving measures. He's unconscious. They're doing everything they can from breaking windows and trying to crawl in through the back window, but the corporal was trapped," said Chronister.

Fire rescue used the Jaws of Life to free LaVigne out of the car. He was later taken to Tampa General Hospital where he died from his injuries.

"This Corporal was murdered, intentionally killed by Travis Garrett," Chronister said.

Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted his condolences about the incident:

WATCH SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER'S FULL PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW:

Hillsborough County deputy killed in the line of duty (ENTIRE PRESS CONFERENCE)

LaVigne was a 30-year veteran with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and was days away from retirement. Chronister said LaVigne had one more shift left.

"Cpl. LaVigne was a great family man, someone who served this community... mentoring the young troops. He had a passion for service," Chronister said.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, one of who is also a Hillsborough County deputy, the sheriff said.

"Master Corporal Brian LaVigne has been a part of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office family since 1990, and he was just days away from retirement," said Chronister. "We will never forget Master Corporal LaVigne for laying down his life in the line of duty or the response of his squad members who did everything they could to ensure that the individual responsible for his death was apprehended."

The suspect Travis Garrett was charged with First Degree Felony Murder, DUI Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (2 counts), Resisting Arrest with Violence (2 counts), Felony Criminal Mischief, and Aggravated Fleeing to Elude.

This story was originally published by Lisette Lopez at WFTS.

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa school resource officer was fired for using racial slurs on two separate occasions, the department said.

Tampa police said Delvin White was an 8-year veteran of the department and was most recently assigned as a school resource officer at Middleton High School.

On Nov. 13, 2020, White was on a phone call when his body-worn camera captured him using a racial slur.

While under investigation, White told his supervisor there was another incident on Nov. 30, 2020, where he used the same racial slur while making an arrest.

The body-worn camera caught White using discriminatory language twice while making an arrest.

"Derogatory statements made by police officers jeopardize the trust that our department works to establish with our community," said Chief Brian Dugan. "Tampa Police officers are held to a higher standard and incidents like this negatively impact the entire law enforcement profession."

This article was written by Lisette Lopez for WFTS.

Video from Florida shows that the quick thinking of a crossing guard supervisor saved a young girl from getting hit by a car.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) shared the video of Kathleen Quinn from Jan. 27 in honor of Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.

A seven-year-old was crossing the intersection in Valrico, Florida, when a car swept through.

Even though Quinn was in the middle of the road, with her stop sign raised above her head, the driver did not slow down.

She reached for the young girl, who was walking her bike across the street, and prevented what could have been a tragic accident, HCSO said.

Heroic crossing guard supervisor saves girl from being hit by car

Mia Carlson witnessed the incident as she waited for her daughter on the other side of the road. Overcome with gratitude, Carlson contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to report Quinn's heroic actions.

"Ms. Kathleen Quinn is nothing less than a hero," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Though she has only served two years as a crossing guard, she undoubtedly possesses the skills and, above all, the intuition needed to perform this critical duty. Without hesitation, she stepped into harm's way to protect a child from a reckless driver. I am overwhelmed with pride to say she is part of our team of dedicated crossing guards who treat every child on their route as their own and ensure they get to and from school safely."

According to HCSO, 295 crossing guards help the county's children get to and from school safely.

This story was originally published by Dan Trujillo on WFTS in Tampa, Florida.

What a post-championship whirlwind it's been for the spelling bee champ!

Two weeks ago, Zaila Avant-garde claimed the Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship, making history in the process as the first African American winner.

"I just generally remember being super happy, I was just really elated. I couldn't quite believe it," Avant-garde said.

Avant-garde's historic win generated a wave of worldwide support, and it's certainly been a busy two-week victory lap.

"A really hectic flying around to different places, and there's been so many people asking for interviews, it's been so overwhelming but it's been pretty fun," she said.

From network appearances on the "Today" show, and the ESPYs, this impressive 14-year-old now has a global following.

"Like walking around and so many people recognizing me, and their happiness to see me," she said. "Also getting to talk to Malala, if I didn't mention that, was super cool to me."

A festive homecoming parade in Harvey also drew hundreds of supporters.

"The parade was really fun. It was a bit awkward as I was asked to dance a second line. Because I'm a bit awkward about dancing and stuff. But it was really fun and stuff, just being there and seeing the Zulus, and their big costumes and stuff. I did not expect it to be such a big affair."

And with the championship now in the bag, Avant-garde can focus once again on her basketball skills, something that helped her prepare for the Scripps competition.

"The mental ability it kinda takes to be able to control all those different balls and stuff, like really helped with like the mind part of spelling and stuff. Which I guess is the whole part of spelling, like the whole part of spelling is the mind. But I definitely think that played a big part in it."

Avant-garde will also resume basketball practice with her New Orleans AAU team this week.

A teen girl died Saturday after getting struck by lightning at a Georgia beach.

Witnesses saw the incident, which happened at Tybee Island on Saturday afternoon.

"It was scary. I will never say the odds of getting struck by lighting is slim," said Dylan Pope, who was at Tybee Island near 17th Street when he heard a big boom.

“We saw one big bolt. Nobody knew someone got hit,” Pope said.

A 15-year-old girl visiting from Alabama was struck by lightning. She died from her injuries, officials said.

"People were either in a panic, they were running off the beach, two people ran down to try and give her CPR," Pope said.

Barabara Loyd was also visiting Tybee Island when the lighting struck.

"It shook the beach ground,” Loyd said the thunderstorm came out of nowhere "There was no sign, I didn’t even get a notification from my weather app.”

Brandi Sheridan is another witness who saw the lightning strike and she said, "It was horrible to see. The lightning bolt seemed to come out of nowhere. We were all leaving the beach. This was truly just a freak occurrence. We spoke to a lifeguard who said he’s been a lifeguard on this beach for over five years and in that time no one has been struck by lightning. My heart breaks for them."

According to the National Weather Service, lightning killed an average of 27 people each year between 2009 and 2018.

GLENWOOD, Iowa (KMTV) - Pew Research Center reports about a fifth of adults moved because of COVID-19 or know someone that did. Here's a story of one family who made the move.

Glenwood, Iowa, native Christina Duran first moved to New York City as a young, single 22-year-old. Eventually, she met her husband and started a family but the pandemic changed their comfortable lifestyle.

"When the pandemic hit last year, we were in a three-bedroom apartment. Everything shut down in New York City, everyone was just locked in their houses. Here I'm looking at these three little kids, that are like, 'What are we gonna do?" Christina said.

That's when Christina and her husband decided to move back to the Heartland, calling it a "perfect storm" of circumstances.

"We looked at each other and said, 'What are we doing?'" Christina said. "Are we really going to go back and just sit?"

The move hasn't come without its challenges.

"It was an adjustment for my husband because he's Dominican. There's very little Dominican cuisine [or] Dominican culture here. In New York, it's like little Santo Domingo," Christina said.

But her three children, like her son Marcus, aren't having much trouble.

"When I first moved here, I just got popular for no reason," Marcus said.

Marcus gives credit to his background.

"It was just like, everyone thought I was cool because I was from New York," Marcus said.

Ultimately, Christina calls the move to Glenwood a "full-circle" moment.

"While I can't change the world, I can release three good humans into it and hope that little seed kind of grows and they can impact each one of the people they come into contact with and maybe we can get back to a more caring, kind, place for all of us to be," Christina said.

This story originally reported by Isabella Basco on 3NewsNow.com.

'The cost of freedom': Gold Star family reflects on Memorial Day

Updated: 11:08 AM EDT May 31, 2021

On Memorial Day we take time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The freedoms we enjoy come at a cost, and for one South Louisiana family, that message is a daily reminder of their loss."The insignia on that is for the 5th Marine and amphibious corps, and it's got an alligator," Kaanan Fugler says to her son, Aiden, while touring the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.Fugler's family knows firsthand the true meaning of Memorial Day."My first memory of the blur after he passed away was telling my children in a small room in the hospital that their daddy wasn't coming home," Fugler said.Fugler's husband, Staff Sgt. Matthew Mackey, served our country in both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army for nearly two decades. Around the Fourth of July in 2010, Matthew was in a serious motor vehicle wreck while on active duty. He spent weeks in the hospital, but ultimately lost his life, leaving behind his wife and five children. "It's painful and frustrating to know that I won't grow up with him in my life," son Aiden said. Fugler added, "For us, Memorial Day is every day. And on Memorial Day, we like to make sure that we're remembering everybody else, his brothers and sisters. It was important to Matt, the brotherhood he had through his service."In New Orleans, the National World War II Museum preserves the history of that brotherhood. "Almost half a million American men and women lost their lives in World War II, and many of them left behind wives and children, brothers and sisters, and those individuals were affected for the rest of their lives," Tom Czekanski, senior curator and restoration manager of the National World War II Museum said.To keep Matthew's legacy alive, the family started visiting his gravesite annually, and also found a way to pay tribute to others we've lost. "Went and bought all the flags we had in the area, and took my kids out there, and we walked around to veterans' headstones, and we placed flags, and then from that teaching moment, we went and did that the next year and the next year," Fugler said.That tradition continues this Memorial Day. As a Gold Star matriarch, Fugler keeps her family's focus on gratitude and honor."We are some of the most resilient people, and have been through and know the cost of freedom, and know that everything that we take for granted every day, they made sure that we could."

NEW ORLEANS —

On Memorial Day we take time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The freedoms we enjoy come at a cost, and for one South Louisiana family, that message is a daily reminder of their loss.

Chad Sabadie - WDSU

"The insignia on that is for the 5th Marine and amphibious corps, and it's got an alligator," Kaanan Fugler says to her son, Aiden, while touring the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Fugler's family knows firsthand the true meaning of Memorial Day.

"My first memory of the blur after he passed away was telling my children in a small room in the hospital that their daddy wasn't coming home," Fugler said.

Fugler's husband, Staff Sgt. Matthew Mackey, served our country in both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army for nearly two decades.

Around the Fourth of July in 2010, Matthew was in a serious motor vehicle wreck while on active duty. He spent weeks in the hospital, but ultimately lost his life, leaving behind his wife and five children.

"It's painful and frustrating to know that I won't grow up with him in my life," son Aiden said.

Fugler added, "For us, Memorial Day is every day. And on Memorial Day, we like to make sure that we're remembering everybody else, his brothers and sisters. It was important to Matt, the brotherhood he had through his service."

In New Orleans, the National World War II Museum preserves the history of that brotherhood.

"Almost half a million American men and women lost their lives in World War II, and many of them left behind wives and children, brothers and sisters, and those individuals were affected for the rest of their lives," Tom Czekanski, senior curator and restoration manager of the National World War II Museum said.

To keep Matthew's legacy alive, the family started visiting his gravesite annually, and also found a way to pay tribute to others we've lost.

"Went and bought all the flags we had in the area, and took my kids out there, and we walked around to veterans' headstones, and we placed flags, and then from that teaching moment, we went and did that the next year and the next year," Fugler said.

That tradition continues this Memorial Day. As a Gold Star matriarch, Fugler keeps her family's focus on gratitude and honor.

"We are some of the most resilient people, and have been through and know the cost of freedom, and know that everything that we take for granted every day, they made sure that we could."

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — On the evening of Aug. 14, 1983, a Pottawattamie County deputy received a call saying a dead body had been located near a bridge three miles north of Council Bluffs, Iowa.

That body belonged to Firozeh Dehghanpour, an Iranian exchange student studying at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She bled to death from several stab wounds.

Several items were located and recovered around her, including a bra, a pair of underwear, a blouse and notebooks.

"Over the next several months, several agencies worked together to try to find Firozeh's killer. Unfortunately, the case went cold; however, the evidence that was collected in 1983 had been stored and preserved at the sheriff's office in case new information ever came to light," said Sgt. Jim Doty of Pottawattamie County.

In the fall of 2020, the case was reopened. While reviewing the reports, authorities found evidence that could benefit from DNA analysis.

"In March of this year, we received a DNA hit on Bud Leroy Christensen. Then we focused on our investigation on Christensen, and without getting into too many details, we were able to develop more evidence that linked Christensen to her murder," Doty said.

Ultimately, Chief Deputy Jeff Theulan says this case revolves around one question.

"This really goes back to how you define justice," Theulan said.

Advancements in forensic science have allowed for more insight when it comes to cold cases, helping families and friends seek the truth they deserve.

"Let Firozeh's case be an example that it is never too late to seek answers," Crime Scene Technician Hadley Mikovec said.

Authorities are looking for more information about Bud Christensen over the past 38 years. If you have anything to share, please call 712-890-2224. If you are hoping for anonymity, call CRIME STOPPERS at 712-328-7867.

Jesse Cox, M.D., Ph.D. is the director of the molecular forensics laboratory and tissue typing laboratory at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Below, he explains advancements in DNA testing in an extended interview with KMTV Digital Content Manager Katrina Markel.

Jesse Cox from UNMC explains how the lab works with law enforcement

This story was originally published by Isabella Basco at KMTV.