Girl & Deaf Grandparents Killed In House Fire

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO [CC] - Girl and Deaf grandparents killed in house fire hours before rape trial in the small town of Ohio.



YOUNGSTOWN, OH - A northeast Ohio prosecutor says a 10-year-old girl died in a house fire early Monday morning, hours before a man suspected of raping her was scheduled to go on trial.



A total of three people were reported dead by the Youngstown Fire Department after the blaze on the city’s south side.



Neighbors in the 3600-block of Powers Way say they heard a loud explosion around 3:30 a.m.; moments later, they saw flames rip through the two-story home. “I looked out the window and the fire broke out from the bottom of the basement, just whoosh. And it was totally on fire.”



Dozens of firefighters were needed to control the flames. When it was out, firefighters found the bodies of two adults and their 10-year-old granddaughter. The adults are identified as Billy and Judy Schmidt, both in their 60s.







“Everybody who knew Billy loved him. He had friends all over the United States, he could probably go anywhere in the country and probably run into somebody that he knew,” said Connie Glozier, the victim’s sister.



The Schmidts, who were both Deaf, were raising their granddaughter. Neighbor Pamela Jones says the girl played with her grandchildren.



“I just can’t believe that something like this would happen,” said Jones. “I’ve been crying all day.”



Adding to the tragedy of this fire, the 10-year-old girl was the victim of an alleged sexual assault. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Robert Seman, appeared in court this morning.



“On literally the eve of trial, hours before this trial was supposed to begin, this victim dies in a fire under suspicious circumstances, at the very least,” said Mahoning County Assistant District Attorney Stephanie McLaughlin. “Only 10 years old, somebody who did not deserve these things that happened to her.”



Seman has not been charged in connection with the fire, but his bond was revoked and he was taken to jail. If convicted on the rape charges, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison... Read more: pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/03/30/fire-officials-3-dead-in-youngstown-house-fire/

Deaf Father Shot By Racist Neighbor

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: A Father was called 'deaf and dumb' before being shot by other father in the neighborhood of Florida.



JACKSONVILLE, FL - The victim in a neighborhood shooting, a Deaf man, said the shooter mocked his disability before firing the gun. The victim is recovering after his neighbor shot him Sunday evening, police said.



The man's wife said she was watching from her window when everything unfolded. She said her husband got shot and fell on the ground. Surveillance video recorded screams in the Hunter's Way Apartments Sunday evening.



"I mean, instantly everybody was in panic mode," said Richard Royal. Royal was one of of the neighbors who rushed in to help 50-year old Allen Zogleman after a bullet grazed his head. His cameras captured the moments leading up to the shooting. "I don't think no one expected he was going to pull a gun out," said Royal.

It started with some sort of incident between Zogelman's and the suspect's children arguing. When Zogleman tried to explain he's Deaf, he was shot. Neighbors say the bloody sight unfolded in front of dozens of children. One of those kids was Zogleman's 4-year-old daughter.



Zogleman and his wife are both Deaf.



Action News' Brittany Jones went to talk to them and exchanged notes. His wife said the suspect's son struck her daughter in the head with a pole, and Zogleman yelled to her through their apartment window and went downstairs to talk to the boy's dad. She said that then, the man got into her husband's face, yelling. She said the suspect said her husband was "deaf and dumb," then shot him and left.



The neighbor's surveillance video shows a white car speeding off right after the shooting happened, but no one has seen the suspect since.



Actions News obtained photos of Zogleman's injuries. "Somebody like that shouldn't be loose on the streets. To pull a gun that fast and shoot somebody an unarmed man; an unarmed Deaf man," said Royal... Read more: actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/family-father-was-called-deaf-and-dumb-being-shot-/nkh8B/

Sign Language Interpreter Goes Viral During Ebola Press Conference

VIDEO: [CC] - Sign Language interpreter goes viral during De Blasio Ebola press conference in New York City.



NEW YORK - Video of the sign language interpreter during Mayor Bill de Blasio's news conference on New York City's first Ebola case.



While Mayor Bill de Blasio and health officials were giving updates on New York City’s first Ebola case Friday, the focus turned to another person in the room, the sign language guy.



The signer, who was seated to the right of the mayor, was enthusiastically signing throughout the press conference. It appeared as if he was talking to another signer who was seated in the audience.



Some even questioned whether he was a legitimate sign language interpreter. The Twitterverse soon noticed and tweets started taking the Internet by storm.



Within minutes of his TV appearance on Friday, people across the country had taken to the social networking site to express their delight at his efforts.

Turn On "Closed Captioned"

Although some people questioned whether the interpreter was legitimate, others said he appeared to be translating the Mayor's and health officials' comments via a signer in the audience.



During the conference, de Blasio commented on Dr Spencer, who went bowling in Brooklyn, rode the subway and walked the High Line before he was admitted to Bellevue Hospital Center on Thursday.



Despite Dr Spencer's activities, he told listeners: 'I want to repeat what I said last night: There is no cause for alarm,' according to CBS New York.



'New Yorkers who have not been exposed to an infected person's bodily fluids are simply not at risk. It's crucial to emphasize, it's not an airborne disease, it's not a casual contact disease.'



It comes as Dr Spencer's fiancée, Morgan Dixon, has been allowed to leave Bellevue Hospital Center in New York to return to the couple's home in Harlem.



With a pink scarf wrapped tightly around her face, Miss Dixon was pictured stepping out of an unmarked police car and walking quickly into her apartment this evening.



The 30-year-old, who has not yet shown any signs or symptoms of Ebola, is now under mandatory quarantine for 21 days, the virus's incubation period.



Meanwhile, Dr Spencer, 33, is currently undergoing treatment and remains in a 'stable' condition in isolation at the Manhattan-based hospital, which he was admitted to with a 100.3-degree fever.



According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, the Ebola death toll is now 4,922, bringing the total of confirmed and suspected cases of the virus to 10,141.



Symptoms of Ebola include a fever, a headache, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle and joint aches and in some cases bleeding. These appear two to 21 days after exposure to the disease, the CDC said. Source



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Deaf Dog Shot Dead In Deaf Woman's Yard

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: [CC] - Deaf Alabama woman distraught after deaf dog shot dead in her yard. Animal cruelty charges are likely for whoever shot and killed a dog.



SATSUMA, AL - Tabitha Venable found her 2-year-old dog Si lethargic inside her Satsuma, Alabama yard Tuesday evening. She had no idea he had been shot until she took him to the vet, where the pooch died in emergency surgery. Now she is hunting for the heartless brute who would randomly kill her dog.



A heartless goon gunned down a deaf dog in broad daylight, leaving his owner, a Deaf Alabama woman, heartbroken and mystified. Tabitha Venable returned to her Satsuma yard Tuesday evening to find Si, a 2-year-old Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Cur, acting lethargically, weaving and walking about in a strange way, she told WKRG-TV.



“I asked him, ‘are you OK?’ she told the station. But nothing helped the mortally wounded dog. She rushed the pup to a vet where she learned he had been shot and was rushed into emergency surgery.

Turn "Closed Captioned" on

He died as doctors desperately tried to save the pooch. Venable, who lost her own hearing as a 4-year-old, has no idea who would shoot her dog. Police say the pup was plugged with a .22-caliber slug, and whoever is responsible would likely face a felony animal cruelty charge.



"I don't feel safe,” said Venable as she spoke and signed her responses to the TV station. “If somebody shot my dog, it could happen to me. I can't hear a gunshot."



Dog and owner had an inseparable bond when Venable visited little Si two years ago, when he was a squirmy 8-week-old pup at an animal shelter. ... Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/deaf-alabama-woman-distraught-deaf-dog-shot-dead-yard-article-1.1978489

Deaf Seahawks Player Inspires Young Hearing Impaired Fans

VIDEO [CC] - Deaf Seahawks player inspires young hearing-impaired fans.



FLANDERS, N.J. - Nine-year-old twins Riley and Erin Kovalcik were born with a genetic condition that left them partially Deaf. Last week, they saw a TV commercial featuring the Seattle Seahawks’ Derrick Coleman.



"I thought it was very touching because I didn’t think there was any athlete that actually could play that could be exactly hearing impaired like me and Erin," Riley says. "Like, I mean, seriously!"



"I saw the Duracell battery commercial. I remembered him saying he was bullied, and I was like, 'What? How is he a football player? I mean, he's really strong, but how does he let them bully him?'" Erin says.



Riley herself was picked on in school and was told not to play sports - a warning she ignored. After the Seahawks won last weekend, Riley picked up a pencil.

"Dear my inspiration Derrick Coleman," she says, reading her letter. "I know how you feel. I also have hearing aids. Just try your best. I have faith in you."



Their father Jake tweeted a picture of the letter, hoping Coleman would see it.



"I just wanted him to know how much he's doing for Deaf kids and little kids and all kids with disabilities," Jake says. "It doesn’t matter that you're deaf. It doesn't matter that you may have some other disability. You can be exceptional too."



That night, the Seahawks re-tweeted the letter. It's been shared and re-tweeted 2,700 times. ... Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/deaf-seahawks-player-derrick-coleman-inspires-young-hearing-impaired-fans/



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Deaf NFL Player Derrick Coleman of the Seattle Seahawks

Deaf NFL Player Derrick Coleman of the Seattle Seahawks

VIDEO: Captioned - Exclusive interview with the NFL's Derrick Coleman of the Seattle Seahawks.



(CBS News) - A television commercial starring Seattle Seahawk’s fullback Derrick Coleman is the latest Internet sensation. Coleman is the only athlete in NFL history to play offense, despite the fact he is legally Deaf.



Now, he’s getting ready to break one more barrier - the Super Bowl.



When the Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers, no one will be paying better attention than Coleman. “I have to be aware,” he told CBS News’ Bill Whitaker. “I have to be focused more than everybody else.”



Diagnosed with profound hearing loss, Coleman relies on lip-reading and his own unique way of communicating with the quarterback.



"He knows to look at me if he makes an audible at the line of scrimmage,” said Coleman. “He knows just tell everybody and just turn back at me one more time and he'll tell me the play." It's the way he's always played the game.

When the world tells you "no", you have two options: You can roll over and quit or you can trust your power. Derrick Coleman, running back for the Seattle Seahawks, trusted the power within.



Although he's Deaf, he never let adversity stand in his way, on his road to the NFL. Share to inspire others to trust their power within and achieve their dreams. #TrustYourPower.



He told Whitaker that he’s “capable of doing what everybody else can do,” despite his hearing loss. “You can't use your problem as an excuse,” he said. “Because you use an excuse, you're not going to get to your dream. “



He was taught that philosophy at an early age. To really know Coleman’s story you have to meet the parents, his mother, May Hamlin and father, Derrick Coleman, Sr. "You feel that uncertainty, that fear as a fear as a parent, you know, that, is my child going to be OK," said Coleman, Sr.. His mother told Whitaker that Coleman was “definitely teased, he was bullied” and kids would call him “four-ears."



“My mom always said people who make fun of you and are trying bring you down - they're already down. They're trying to bring you to their level,” said Coleman.



These days Coleman wears a skullcap to keep his hearing aids in place under his helmet, but as a kid, he had to improvise. ... Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/deaf-nfl-player-derrick-coleman-inspires-on-and-off-the-field/



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Gallaudet Football The Nation's First University For The Deaf

VIDEO [CC] - The storied football team of Gallaudet, the nation's first university for the Deaf. Football team's joy shines during one amazing season.



WASHINGTON, D.C. - (CBS News) Next spring marks the 150-year anniversary of a school called Gallaudet University, which became the first university in the country to focus on the Deaf.



Today, the school has more than 2,000 students. They also have a dominant and undefeated team on the football field.



When Coach Chuck Goldstein came to Gallaudet from his high school coaching job, he had a lot to learn.



Every member of the Bison football team is Deaf or Hard of Hearing, so he had to learn to sign language, and find other ways to communicate with his players.



"I've not used a whistle in five years," Goldstein said. "Our players can't hear whistles."



Gallaudet, the nation's first university for the Deaf, has a long and storied football program. The Bison invented the huddle, thought up by a quarterback in the 1890s as way to keep other players from seeing what they signed.

But the school, famous for its contribution to the game, wasn't particularly good at playing it.



Senior quarterback Todd Bonheyo said: "I think the hardest part of this season is actually believing that's real. Based on previous seasons, we've never had this type of luck or this type of winning streak. We always come up as a losing team and now we're the winning team."



This year, Gallaudet is 9-0, and in the running for the school's first men's NCAA Division Three championship.



The team only has 54 players, half the size of most in its division, but between the white lines, it only takes 11.



Senior Adham Talaat is a 6-foot-6-inch, 270-pound defensive end. He might also be the first Gallaudet player in history to make it to the NFL. ... Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57611737/the-storied-football-team-of-gallaudet-the-nations-first-university-for-the-deaf/



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Waitress Teaching Fellow Employees Sign Language

VIDEO [CC] - Local Waitress teaching fellow employees sign language for school project.



KDKA PITTSBURGH - “Hello, welcome to Kings. My name is Ashley. I’m your server. What can I get you to drink?”



Waitress Ashley Carney uses sign language as she waits on Taylor Doyka. Taylor, Deaf since birth, appreciates the effort made on her behalf.



Her friend, Emily Gabriel, herself a part-time waitress at Kings in Delmont, taught fellow employees the art of sign language.



“Emily had everyone come back in the back and we all came in and learned a little bit of everything,” Ashley recalls. “She went through as much as she could, and then we tried to copy her.”

Emily is a junior, minoring in sign language, at Saint Francis University in Loretto. As part of a class project, she asked manager Jim Pochedly if she could teach sign language to a couple of waitresses.



“He was actually like, why don’t you teach everyone?” Emily says. “And it just kind of snowballed.” She’s thrilled by the response of fellow waitresses. ...Read more: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/03/28/local-waitress-teaching-fellow-employees-sign-language-for-school-project/

First Deaf Woman Crowns 'Miss Smiling Irish Eyes'

VIDEO: Allegheny County Crowns First Deaf “Miss Smiling Irish Eyes” The first Deaf woman to receive the honor in its 50-year history.



PITTSBURGH - It takes poise and dedication to earn the title of “Miss Smiling Irish Eyes.” Pittsburgh’s 50-year tradition continued Friday with the crowning of a girl who truly earned the honor. Irish eyes might be forgiven if they grow a little misty. When 17-year-old Maggie Donaldson is crowned “Miss Smiling Irish Eyes,” she’ll make history.



“At first I couldn’t believe it was really me,” she said. Maggie is the 50th to girl hold the title. But a more important number than that, she is the first one who was born Deaf. The girl from West Deer has earned the title.

“In order to win you have to be involved in the Irish community. You have to be of Irish descent,” Maggie says. “And then, you have to have good grades, you have to be very involved in everything and then you get picked.”



Maggie’s mother will never forget what she was told soon after her daughter was born. “She’ll never speak. You just heard her, she speaks wonderfully. She’ll never do well in school. She’ll have difficulty learning. And she hasn’t had any of those problems,” said Lilli Donaldson, Maggie’s mom.



“You know, I thought in the beginning there has to be and exception to the rule. And she’s it.”



Maggie is valedictorian of Deer Lakes High School, which she attends in the morning. She’s also a leader at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, where she spends each afternoon. ...Read more: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/03/15/allegheny-county-crowns-first-deaf-miss-smiling-irish-eyes/