Firefighter candidate dies after suffering medical episode during training exercise, officials say

Fire officials in New York say Alexander Griffin recently suffered a medical episode while running in a physical fitness test. (GoFundMe)

A New York man training to be a firefighter has died.

New York Fire Department officials said Alexander Griffin experienced a medical episode while recently participating in a run while trying out for the department.

He received immediate medical care and was transported to the hospital. However, the 32-year-old was pronounced deceased on Tuesday.

“Our hearts are with the family as they grieve this tragic loss,” a fire department spokesperson shared.

According to reports, Griffin was training for his required ability qualification certification for a spot in an upcoming academy class.

The Griffin family has set up a GoFundMe account for assistance since the man’s death.

According to organizer Jesse Collado, Griffin leaves behind a wife, a mother, and a brother who is a New York firefighter.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of Alexander Griffin’s untimely passing. He was a young man full of dreams and aspirations, but tragically, his journey was cut short while pursuing those dreams,” the family shared.

Griffin’s funeral is reportedly scheduled for Thursday in Queens.

Yogi the bear, a longtime zoo resident, has died

Yogi the bear, a longtime resident of John Ball Zoo in Michigan, has died. (John Ball Zoo)

Grand Rapids, Mich.

A longtime resident at a Michigan zoo has died.

According to the John Ball Zoo, a 31-year-old North American brown bear named Yogi died this week after battling arthritis.

Zoo officials said the disease had caused him discomfort and severe mobility issues.

“Yogi far exceeded his life expectancy over the years, but he developed arthritis. Yogi began experiencing severe mobility issues and the ability to regain control of Yogi’s discomfort was no longer a realistic solution,” the zoo shared.

The animal care team called Yogi a gentle giant. He was part of the zoo family since 1994 after coming from Yellowstone National Park.

“He was brought here due to repeated human area conflict and would have been euthanized if no suitable placement was found,” the zoo said.

Zoo officials said Yogi was a joy to work with. They said Yogi’s favorite day of the week was bone day.

“He would pass up his dinner and any sweet snack we had for him, and he would be busy chewing until all the meat was gone,” the animal care team shared.

In honor of Yogi, the zoo said it is hosting a teddy bear drive.

One of his keepers, Jaime, said she worked with Yogi for 13 years and she wanted to celebrate him.

“With such a large impact on our community, and especially on his animal care team, I really wanted to find a meaningful way to celebrate such a special bear,” she said.

Jaime added, “A teddy bear drive would be the perfect way to remember him and provide for kids who need a buddy!”

According to the zoo, they are accepting stuffed animal donations until Oct. 19 and all items will go to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

Lawsuit over Texas Pete hot sauce not being from Texas dismissed, company says

A California man’s lawsuit against North Carolina’s Texas Pete hot sauce has been dismissed. (PRNewswire | File image)

A lawsuit over Texas Pete hot sauce was dismissed this week.

According to a media release by the TW Garner Food Company, the parent company of the Texas Pete brand, Phillip White filed a motion on Sept. 28 to dismiss his lawsuit against the brand.

It wasn’t immediately released what prompted White to file that motion but the court dismissed the lawsuit in its entirety on Thursday.

“We at TW Garner Food Co. are delighted with this result. Since the lawsuit was filed, we have remained steadfast in our position that our product labels and trademark are truthful and not misleading in any respect and that the lawsuit had no merit,” TW Garner Food Co. President and CEO Ann Garner Riddle said.

White originally was suing the company over the sauce not being made in Texas, calling it false advertising because the hot sauce has no connection to the state.

The TW Garner Food Company is headquartered in North Carolina, where the sauce is also made.

White said he wouldn’t have bought the Louisiana-style hot sauce or paid as much for it if he had known that.

He argued that such advertising claims hurt smaller hot sauce companies in Texas that are trying to capitalize on their authenticity.

However, the courts did not agree with White’s claims.

“This concludes a yearlong lawsuit filed against TW Garner Food Co., which has consistently maintained that the claims were false,” the media release read.

Deputies arrest woman accused of crashing weddings in 3 states

Mississippi authorities say Sandra Lynn Henson is facing charges that include larceny, trespassing and disturbing the peace. (Pontotoc County Sheriff's Department)

Pontotoc County, Miss.

A woman in Mississippi is accused of crashing several weddings, including one in Pontotoc County.

According to the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Department, Sandra Lynn Henson was arrested at a wedding event over the weekend.

Mississippi authorities didn’t immediately specify what happened at the wedding but said she is facing charges that include larceny, trespassing and disturbing the peace.

The sheriff’s department said this was not the first time Henson has found herself in trouble with the law regarding weddings.

“Apparently Miss Hanson has been arrested in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi for crashing weddings,” authorities shared.

Henson is also accused of stealing money and cards from purses while attending those weddings.

Couple wins $1 million lottery prize thanks to craving tacos

California couple hungry for tacos wins $1 million with lottery ticket. (California Lottery)

Stanislaus County, Calif.

A couple in California can thank their craving for tacos for winning a million-dollar lottery jackpot.

According to the California Lottery, Tim Dynes and his wife recently wanted tacos after they returned from an overseas trip. So, they stopped at their favorite taco truck in Stanislaus County, about a 20-minute drive outside of Modesto.

Dynes told lottery officials that he usually goes to the gas station mini-mart across the street from the truck to buy a lottery scratch-off ticket, and this time was no different.

He purchased his ticket and while waiting for the tacos, Dynes scratched his Diamond 8′s scratcher that revealed the $1 million prize.

But he kept it a secret while continuing to wait for his taco order.

“Do you know how hard it was to keep a straight face? Nobody knew I won – not even my wife until I told her on the drive home,” Dynes told the California Lottery.

Dynes said his previous lottery tickets gave him a few small payouts but nothing like this.

The owner of G’s Food Mart will receive a $5,000 bonus for selling the lucky ticket to Dynes.