Thirty-four-year-old Rory Kennedy was on top of the world, married with a newborn and living an active life.

Rory Kennedy: “When you’re in your 30s and you’re living a life where you’re just on the go and you work out all the time, you eat well, I’ve never had any health issues.”

He felt great, with perfect blood work and no reason to worry. Until he started experiencing bowel problems and went to see a doctor.

Rory Kennedy: “I had black, tarry stools. They just thought I had an ulcer. So we did some testing. They gave me some antibiotics and symptoms went away pretty quickly.”

But two years later, his symptoms came back. Doctors performed a colonoscopy and endoscopy. The tests revealed he had colon cancer.

Rory Kennedy: “Surgery was scheduled for just two weeks later, then four weeks after that, it’s chemo and chemo is for six months.”

Dr. Kiranmayi Muddassani at Mt. Sinai Medical Center is seeing more and more young colon cancer patients like Rory.

Dr. Kiranmayi Muddassani, colorectal surgeon: “I’ve seen a significant increase in the numbers. The youngest patient that I’ve diagnosed is as early as 26-years-old.”

She said diet, environment and genetics can play a role, but the mindset of younger men can be part of the problem.

Dr. Kiranmayi Muddassani: “It’s not something that they want to talk about, especially men. You know, they’re like, “Do I need it? It’s not necessary.’ Or like, they’ll give you 1,000 arguments why they’re fine.”

But it is a serious problem. The American Cancer Society recently lowered the age for a first time colonoscopy from 50 to 45, because catching colon cancer early is a key to survival.

Dr. Kiranmayi Muddassani: “So let’s say that you find a polyp that was just beginning, like pre-cancerous polyp, and you remove that. And that’s the absolute prevention of a colon cancer.”

Dr. Muddassani said it’s tough to get younger patients to understand their risks.

Dr. Kiranmayi Muddassani: “Listen to your body. It’s extremely important that you listen to your body. If you feel something is persistent, when I say persistent, it is more than 3 months and it doesn’t go away, ask yourself a question: ‘Are my symptoms getting better, worse or the same?'”

A few months after Roy’s first surgery, doctors found two more tumors on his liver, which put him at stage 4.

Rory Kennedy: “The percentages aren’t good, but I do know people do beat this. You really don’t have another option, you got to keep going, especially when you’re younger and you have a wife and a kid.”

He wants other young men to hear his story so if they are experiencing any symptoms, they seek out an early diagnosis and early life-saving treatment.

Courtney Allen, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

The group of cloggers took their last photo in South Florida on Sunday before packing up a bus in Davie and heading straight to Miami International Airport to fly to England and perform in the London New Year’s Day parade.

“I’m super excited and nervous at the same time, but I feel like it’s going to be a really cool experience,” Madison King, one of the 29 South Florida Cloggers, said.

The journey for King and the South Florida Cloggers began two years ago. That’s when they were handpicked for America’s Clogging All-Stars, an elite dance group made up of teams across the nation who combine together to perform in large professional settings. In total, the team is composed of 100 All-Stars representing 10 states and 18 teams nationwide.

“It’s just been a lot of practice and a lot of hard work,” clogger Cayla Calcaterra said.

The next stop for the 100-member national team? London on New Year’s Day.

Rebecca Veter is the director of the South Florida Cloggers.

“There has been rumor that the royal family will be in attendance of the parade, so that will be an incredible experience,” she said.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to watch these South Florida dancers in the parade from the streets of London, while even more can watch the televised broadcast around the world.

This parade is just one stop on a 10-day tour for the team. They’ll be showcasing their skills at various festivals and events throughout London.

The day was fun and full of excitement for all who attended.

“Riding, and eating, and drinking,” said Azaryah Bryant, a student who travelled to the park.

The visit to the park was provided through the Embrace Girls Foundation, an organization which provides tutoring, mentoring, and other services to elementary and middle school aged girls in both Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, as well as fun outings like this one.

“This is what we are all about. It makes my heart feel so warm and happy, and overjoyed to see all these families so happy,” said Kayla Marino Lawrence, from the Embrace Girls Foundation.

The group got to explore the park, ride the rollercoasters, see the candy cane arches and cars, and hit the food stands at South Florida’s newest holiday tradition.

“Embrace does so many good activities, we love hanging out and having a good time in our group,” said Jessica Dean, a parent of one of the children in the group.

The park is open through January 4th, with tickets available here.

7News proudly partnered with the Embrace Girls Foundation to sponsor tickets for the children and families to visit the park.

Surveillance video captured the moment when, authorities said, 36-year-old Tiffany Griffith dunked the 6-year-old in a swimming pool at Gaylord Palms Resort, Friday afternoon.

The defendant appeared before Osceola County District Court Judge John Beamer on Tuesday. She is facing a third-degree child abuse charge.

Griffith claimed she tried to protect her young son from other children in the pool. The mother said her son is on the autism spectrum and was being bullied.

But a responding an Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputy who took the stand saw the situation differently.

“[The defendant] placed both of her hands on his shoulders and submerged them in the water for a couple of seconds. [The boy] wasn’t – he wasn’t sure; he advised it was approximately two to four seconds, and then [she] let go of him, proceeded to splash water before exiting the pool.”

Beamer said the victim’s parents reported the incident and told authorities he was bleeding from his nose when he got out of the pool. Griffith was arrested shortly after.

The judge agreed with the state, saying Griffith’s actions were an overreaction.

“The bond for the defendant will be set in the amount of $20,000,” he said.

However, Beamer ultimately decided he does not believe Griffith is a threat to the community.

“A parent should certainly know not to put their hands on someone else’s child, and certainly, any former law enforcement should know not to put their hands on someone else’s child,” he said. “However, this is an isolated incident. It seems to be reactionary, an overreaction.”

Griffith bonded out of jail just before 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Under the terms of the bond, she is not allowed to speak to the victim or the victim’s family

This property has been in the Carrie family for decades.

Mark Carrie, facing foreclosure: “Me and my father, we built this. I went, looked for the land, saw it here.”

But they now fear it may be taken away.

Mark Carrie: “Wrong. Just abused, wrong, like.”

Mark Carrie was born and raised in Miami. He says his family has rented these properties out in Northwest Miami-Dade since the 1990s.

During COVID, some tenants fell behind on rent payments, which caused him to get behind on paying the mortgage.

Mark Carrie: “We’re chasing tenants for rent.”

He says he did get caught up — sending this wire transfer of more than $32,000 to the mortgage company in June of 2023.

Courtney Allen: “Whenever you sent that wire transfer, you thought you were good?”

Mark Carrie: “Correct.”

But a little more than a year later — Carrie got this notice saying he had more than $33,000 in overdue payments.

He believes the money from the original wire transfer was lost or misapplied.

Mark Carrie: “Where is my $32,000? What happened?”

Carrie says this property could be foreclosed on as soon as February, and since he was getting nowhere, he contacted 7Investigates. We talked to both the bank, who now say they are investigating.

Mark Carrie: “No one is gonna let us lose this. My mom, my father’s still alive. They’re eighty years old.”

And with the possible February foreclosure, Carrie is looking for an attorney who can quickly help save his family property.

Courtney Allen, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

It’s one of the most recognizable boats in the Winterfest Boat Parade.

Mr. Bobb has been lighting up the New River in the Fort Lauderdale parade for the past 40 years.

Peggy Messingschlager: “It doesn’t feel like it. The kids keep me young.”

Eighty-eight-year-old Peggy Messingschlager still gets up on the bow and shakes her pom-poms — rain or shine.

Peggy Messingschlager: “My daughter is saying, ‘Come down, Mom, it’s raining!’ I’m like, ‘No, we haven’t passed the judge’s stand yet.'”

Mr. Bobb is an award winner and fan favorite.

It has captivated crowds for decades, and even caught the attention of entertainer Bob Hope, who hopped aboard to take his Christmas picture in 1987 when he was the parade’s grand marshal.

Peggy Messingschlager: “The parade was over. It’s like 11 o’clock at night, and I’m looking up at my husband, and we’re circling them, and I’m like, ‘Why aren’t we going home?’ He’s just, ‘Mrs. Hope would like to have her picture taken on the boat.'”

So, how did this tradition begin? In 1985, Peggy’s son Mark told her he wanted to be in the boat parade, and like any good mother, she supported his grand idea.

Peggy Messingschlager: “Went to the wholesale house, bought 2,000 lights, and two days later, ‘Mom, we need more lights,’ and I’m like, ‘You couldn’t have gone through those already.’ Now, we gave up counting.”

Mr. Bobb was named after Peggy’s husband and Mark’s dad. Forty years later, Mark is still decorating it.

They start in October — untangling the countless cords that make Mr. Bobb light up.

Mark Messingschlager: “It’s a nightmare. Spaghetti ball, we call it.”

And his kids and their friends pitch in, too.

Amanda Messingschlager: “The boys do all the manual labor.”

Rita Messingschlager: “The boys definitely do the manual labor.”

Mark Messingschlager: “My son’s best friend right here, Oliver, he’s the one who’s the engineer. He’s our electrical engineer.”

For them, the boat parade is more exciting than Christmas. We asked Peggy, her granddaughter, and daughter-in-law to pick their holiday highlight.

All three: “This, this, this!”

Peggy’s granddaughter, Amanda, says even more important than the dazzling lights is the family tradition.

Amanda Messingschlager: “It’s pretty cool to see, like, my memories from when I was 4 to 32 [years old] in the same place and always the most fun. It’s honestly awesome to have a hobby passed down to you, that I am excited to bring my kids into.”

Peggy Messingschlager: “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

And hopefully, Mr. Bobb’s legacy will carry on for generations to come.

You can see Mr. Bobb and the 99 other boats in this year’s parade in our Winterfest special. It airs Friday at 7 p.m. on WSVN.

Courtney Allen, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

The website for Up Boats LLC promises “the ultimate tender.” A lightweight, custom carbon fiber boat.

Tom Stinnett: “This particular one, I was really pleased with the way it looked and the stability of the boat.”

Tom Stinnett was living in the Bahamas when he ordered one to ride around with his friends.

Tom Stinnett: “I paid him $28,885. I wire transferred that money on the Feb. 7.”

Tom says the owner of Up Boats LLC promised him, “We will have your boat ready by end of May.” But Tom says excuses and unanswered texts kept piling up as the delivery date approached.

Tom Stinnett: “The more I contacted him, the less he returned my phone calls, my texts, and my emails about the boat, and I knew I had a problem.”

Opa-locka Police started investigating after getting calls from buyers saying they paid a man named Ricardo Deuker at Up Boats for boats, they never received.

Deuker was arrested on theft and fraud charges on November 11th.

Sgt. Gabriela Llanes, Opa-locka PD: “We received information that he was leaving for Mexico. We don’t know the reasons why he was leaving. So we detained him at the airport with the assistance of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.”

Police tell 7 Investigates so far, they have found nearly half a million dollars in alleged fraud linked to Deuker, who also goes by the name Ric Ruthenberg.

He is facing 25 felony charges, including 13 counts of organized fraud and 12 counts of grand theft.

And 13 more boaters have contacted police, saying they never received their boats after paying for them.

Sgt. Gabriela Llanes: “We have an ongoing investigation, and we believe that there’s possibly 100 or more victims.”

Blaine Stevenson says his boat was actually delivered, but he says it was so poorly built that it sank.

He lives on the water—in the Virgin Islands. He had to pay for repairs on top of the nearly $12,000 he paid for the boat.

Blaine Stevenson: “And so I live off of an army retirement pension. So this boat is three months’ worth of my paycheck.”

Blaine started a Facebook page to find other people in the same ‘boat’ and was quickly sent this Reddit thread full of complaints from other boaters.

Blaine Stevenson: “We didn’t know anything about Reddit. I think if we had gone to Reddit, this thing would have blown up a lot sooner.”

Meanwhile, Tom decided to sue to get his money back.

Tom Stinnett: “I can’t stand fraud and dishonesty. I, of course, would like the money back. I can use that money in my retirement account.”

Police say it’s too early to know if the boaters will ever see their money again, but they are asking all potential victims to call them to file a complaint.

Ricardo Deuker is currently detained at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and awaiting arraignment.

Courtney Allen, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Runae Sneed can’t seem to keep the smile off her face these days.

Runae Sneed, homeowner: “Yes, it is a huge change.”

She recently moved into a brand-new home.

Runae Sneed: “Here’s my kitchen area.”

But it took nearly eight years to get here.

Runae Sneed: “A loooong time, it took a long time.”

When we met Runae in 2023, she was stressed, and her home was a nightmare. The ceilings were collapsing and the walls were infested with mold.

Runae Sneed: “It’s kind of scary. I just, I don’t know which direction to turn in.”

Her home was damaged during Hurricane Irma back in 2017. She couldn’t afford repairs, so she signed up for a program called Rebuild Florida. It was funded in 2018 with $615 million from the federal government. The money was supposed to be used to fix properties damaged by Irma.

Runae was approved for assistance. But she says help never arrived.

Runae Sneed: “I called just about every day or every other day. I called Rebuild Florida, I called the contractor, back and forth, back and forth, to no avail.”

The plan was to tear down Runae’s home and build a new one.

Construction permits were filed in 2020. None of the work was ever completed.

Runae says all she got was the runaround.

Runae Sneed: “And they were telling me then that the city was the hold-up, then the city’s telling me that it’s the contractors.”

After our story aired, Runae finally heard back from Rebuild Florida, and the work began. Runae moved into her new home a few months ago.

Runae Sneed: “It was really amazing to see, from what it looked like before to now. Beautiful. This is where i come in and just relax and unwind.”

Runae is not alone in her wait for help from Rebuild Florida. The Florida Department of Commerce operates the program.

It tells 7 Investigates that the “Rebuild Florida Hurricane Irma program has completed 3,897 homes. There are 26 homes to be completed. Florida Commerce’s goal is to complete the remaining homes as soon as possible.”

Runae has some words of advice.

Runae Sneed: “Fight. You gotta fight. You got to keep on top of things, and don’t give up. That’s the biggest thing I can tell you, is to don’t give up.”

After years of waiting, Runae’s nightmare is finally over, and has been replaced with a dream home.

Courtney Allen, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com