Employee uses Heimlich to save elementary school student from choking

Springboro, Ohio

School officials in Ohio say a school employee saved a student from choking this week.

According to Springboro Schools, Siara Akers, a building aide at Five Points Elementary, noticed a student choking in the cafeteria during lunch.

Officials said Akers rushed over and immediately administered the Heimlich maneuver and successfully dislodged the food item.

Springboro Schools said the student’s family thanked Akers for her amazing effort and delivered a bouquet of flowers to her.

Officials also thanked Akers who said she was the first person to react in the situation.

Driver accidentally shoots himself during road rage incident, authorities say

Paulding County, Ga.

Authorities in Georgia are investigating a road rage incident where an aggressive driver ended up shooting themselves.

According to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a reported shooting Thursday morning on Buchanan Highway.

Authorities said one of the 911 callers told them that he accidentally shot himself during a confrontation.

The sheriff’s office said the road rage incident started when workers were making a lumber delivery on Buchanan Highway.

Two of the workers were wearing reflective vests directing traffic so the truck could deliver the lumber. However, an impatient driver got out of his vehicle and threatened the men by pointing a gun at them.

As the man was getting back into his vehicle, deputies said he accidentally shot himself in the hand as he was putting his gun back into its holster.

According to authorities, the man told the workers that he shot himself and to call 911 before he left the scene to get medical attention at a nearby fire station.

Deputies said they collected evidence that was consistent with what witnesses and workers had told them what happened.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately identify the man involved but said its team will speak to him when he is released from the hospital to determine whether any charges would be filed.

Sheriff honors 4-year-old for saving mother’s life during emergency

Sherburne County, Minn.

Authorities in Minnesota are honoring a child who helped save his mother during a medical emergency.

On Tuesday, Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott presented a Life Saving Award to 4-year-old Asher Milless.

Authorities said Asher is the youngest recipient of the award from the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office.

The 4-year-old was honored for his heroic actions in helping save his mother’s life after she suddenly collapsed in the kitchen on Nov. 20, 2022.

According to the sheriff’s office, Asher phoned his grandmother after his mother, Rachel Milless, collapsed. The grandmother then called Asher’s father, Tyler, who was out of town for work.

Authorities said the boy’s father called 911 and told Asher to unlock the front door so paramedics could get in.

But that wasn’t all Asher would do. The sheriff’s office said the boy was able to hook up his mother’s nebulizer and get it working. He also ushered his two siblings, a 2-year-old and a 10-month-old, out of the kitchen so they wouldn’t see their mother in distress,

Additionally, Sheriff Brott said Asher cleared the kitchen before paramedics arrived for them to work.

Paramedics were able to stabilize the mother and took her to the hospital.

Medical workers said the woman was in septic shock after a bad case of pneumonia and influenza.

According to doctors, if Asher hadn’t done what he did, Rachel Milless likely wouldn’t be alive today.

The mother fully recovered and was able to attend Monday’s ceremony with the rest of the family to honor Asher.

Retired police K-9 dies with handler by his side: ‘You protected us well’

West Palm Beach, Fla.

A Florida police department is mourning the death of a retired police dog.

According to the West Palm Beach Police Department, a retired K-9 named Thor has recently died.

On Monday, the department shared that it is with “great sadness” it announces the death of Thor. The team said the former police dog died with his handler, Officer Sniffen, by his side.

West Palm Beach police said Thor began working for the department in January 2012. He was trained in criminal apprehension and explosive detection.

Thor reportedly performed more than a thousand searches and aided in the capture of more than a hundred criminal suspects.

Officers said as much as Thor was driven to work, his favorite part of the job was attending community events, many of which included visiting schools and playing with the kids.

Thor also loved playing with his co-workers and never missed an opportunity to be petted or play with his ball, according to the department.

“Rest in peace old friend, you will be missed by many. You protected us well; your work here is done. Good boy,” Officer Sniffen said.

The department did not immediately release a cause of death for the former police dog.

Authorities said Thor was dedicated to West Palm Beach and Florida residents.

According to the team, he will be missed but not forgotten.

Police nab kidnap suspect, find missing children after nearly yearlong search

High Springs, Fla.

Authorities in Florida say they were able to find two missing children this week who were last seen nearly a year ago.

According to the High Springs Police Department, officers located the children on Wednesday after they conducted a routine tag check on a vehicle.

Police said the vehicle tag came back to owner 36-year-old Kristi Gilley, who was a reported fugitive.

The department said officers found Kristi Gilley and the children in disguise while shopping in a Winn-Dixie supermarket.

According to High Springs police, the children, identified as 11-year-old Brooke and 12-year-old Adrian Gilley, had been reported as missing from Missouri since March 2022.

Police said Kristi Gilley, a noncustodial parent of the kids, was arrested on a kidnapping warrant out of Clay County, Missouri.

The children were turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families Services and will be reunited with their birth family, according to authorities.