Baby jumpers sold at Walmart recalled after reports of children getting hurt while using

Cosco Jump, Spin & Play Activity Center products are being recalled for potential fall and injury hazards. (Consumer Product Safety Commission)

Thousands of baby jumpers are part of a product recall due to potential fall and injury hazards.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recall involves about 115,000 Cosco Jump, Spin & Play Activity Centers.

Consumers have been advised to immediately stop using the product as straps on the jumper can detach or break while a child is in the activity center.

Officials said the Cosco products were sold exclusively at Walmart stores and online from November 2020 through October this year for about $70.

There have been 141 reports of activity center straps detaching or breaking that have resulted in 38 minor injuries such as bruises, bumps and scratches, according to the recall.

The recalled Cosco Jump, Spin & Play Activity Centers have model numbers WA105FZW and WA105GML and were manufactured in China.

Consumers are urged to contact Dorel immediately for a replacement at 877-657-9546.

Zoo mourning loss of beloved polar bear just weeks before his 20th birthday

The North Carolina Zoo says it is deeply saddened to announce the loss of male polar bear Payton. (North Carolina Zoo)

Asheboro, N.C.

A North Carolina zoo is mourning the death of one of its beloved polar bears.

According to the North Carolina Zoo, a male polar bear named Payton died on Wednesday while being transferred to another zoo.

The animal care team said they are “devastated by the loss of this beloved polar bear.”

Officials with the North Carolina Zoo said Payton was being transferred to the Louisville Zoo as part of a polar bear breeding partnership.

The transfer was reportedly recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Payton was accompanied by an experienced care team during the planned transfer operation.

After the care team left the North Carolina Zoo with Payton, the team said they performed routine checks on him during the trip.

However, less than two hours away from the zoo, the team found Payton nonresponsive. He was transported to a nearby large animal veterinarian where he was confirmed dead.

“The necropsy indicated some evidence of cardiac disease, a tumor on his adrenal gland as well as some moderate osteoarthritis in keeping with his advanced age. Tissue samples will be sent to outside laboratories for further testing to help determine the cause of his death,” said Dr. Jb Minter, the North Carolina Zoo’s director of animal health.

Payton had been at the North Carolina Zoo since January 2021. He was previously at the Memphis Zoo and was born at the Brookfield Zoo on Nov. 8, 2003.

“He was the best boy bear. His trust was worth the effort to earn, and it was a privilege and honor to have earned that. I learned so much from him and I was blessed to work with him,” said polar bear keeper Melissa Vindigni.

A full investigation will be conducted, North Carolina Zoo officials said.

‘That wasn’t a dream’: Man wins $1 million Powerball prize, tells wife she is not dreaming

Charles Wolthuis, 78, claimed a $1 million Powerball prize with his wife after hitting the jackpot earlier this month. (Michigan Lottery)

Lansing, Mich

A Michigan man says he had a morning that he will soon not forget after waking up to find out he won $1 million.

Charles Wolthuis, 78, matched the five white balls in the Oct. 2 Powerball drawing to win the jackpot.

“I called the winning numbers hotline and wrote down the winning Powerball numbers right when I woke up. I checked my ticket and saw I matched five numbers,” Wolthuis said. “I called my daughter and asked her to check and see what the prize is, and she said, ‘Dad, you won $1 million!’”

Wolthuis told the Michigan Lottery that his wife thought he was joking when he told her about the win.

“I woke my wife up and told her we won $1 million, but she thought I was kidding and went back to bed,” he said. “When she woke up, she told me she had a dream that we won the lottery.”

Wolthuis added, “I told her, ‘We did! That wasn’t a dream, we won $1 million!’”

The two recently visited Michigan Lottery headquarters to claim the prize money.

Wolthuis said he plans to pay off their home and buy a new truck.

‘No regard for her children’: Mother arrested after leaving toddler, baby inside car while at bar

Jamie Leigh Gunn, 33, is accused of leaving her two children unattended inside a vehicle while she was at a bar. (West Melbourne Police Department)

West Melbourne, Fla.

A mother in Florida is accused of leaving her two children unattended inside a vehicle while she was inside a bar with a friend.

According to the West Melbourne Police Department, an officer was on patrol last week when they noticed a black SUV at the back of Penny Annie’s Bar on Minton Road.

The officer decided to take a closer look and saw a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old baby asleep in the backseat of the vehicle.

The vehicle’s doors were unlocked, and the SUV’s engine was still running.

West Melbourne police said they found the vehicle’s registered owner, 33-year-old Jamie Leigh Gunn, visiting a friend at the bar.

“The investigation revealed she had been inside the establishment for at least 20 minutes while having no regard for her children who were left unattended,” the department shared.

Police said when Gunn learned they were outside with her vehicle, she was more concerned about going to jail than the welfare of her children.

Gunn was arrested and charged with child neglect. She was booked into the Brevard County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

Authorities said her children were turned over to a family member and the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified to conduct a follow-up investigation.

Gunn has a criminal history consisting of contempt of court, forgery, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while license suspended, West Melbourne police said.

Pet tortoise reunited with owner after missing for more than 3 years

A pet tortoise has been found alive and reunited with its owner after vanishing more than three years ago. (Putnam County Sheriff's Office)

Putnam County, Fla.

A pet tortoise has been reunited with its owner after it went missing more than years ago.

According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, deputies came across the tortoise as it was attempting to cross a road in the Interlachen area over the weekend.

Deputies said they later discovered that the reptile was an African sulcata tortoise, which is native to the Sahara Desert.

The sheriff’s office said that wildlife experts told the team that the tortoises are known to be “escape artists” as they can dig out of their enclosures.

Deputies asked on social media if the female tortoise was somebody’s pet as she “likes people and head pats.”

The sheriff’s office ended up turning the tortoise over to Florida’s Wildest Animal Rescue.

According to reports, the rescue team then received a tip about a missing sulcata tortoise from April 2020 that looked similar and disappeared from the same area.

The tortoise’s owner ended up reaching out and confirmed it was indeed their missing reptile of more than three years, the sheriff’s office said.

The reptile has been officially reunited with its owner and is expected to be OK after being found “in a little rough shape” after a few cold winters.