Florida Man Shot in Chest by a Friend Survives Bullet Thanks to his Cross Necklace

A 20-year-old man from Marion County, Florida survives a gun fired at close range thanks to the cross necklace he was wearing. The necklace (seen below) interfered with the trajectory and force of the bullet, and even the trauma surgeons believe that the man survived thanks to "divine intervention."

Cross necklace worn by Aidan Perry

Miracle Cross Necklace Shielded Florida Man from a Bullet 

Nothing short of a miracle saved  20-year-old Aidan Perry's life when a friend was showing off a gun and the gun "accidentally" opened fire from about 10 feet away. A bullet went into Aidan's chest, but did not kill him, thanks to the cross necklace he was wearing.

Thankfully, his Dad Aaron Perry had given his son a cross necklace the previous Christmas, and son Aidan was wearing it during the almost tragic event that could have taken his life.

His father said, "I don't want to say it was just a gift, but it came from the heart."

Aidan believes God protected him in this miracle, saying, "I think God played a big role in this...I think he's the reason I'm still here today."

Aidan Perry survived a gunshot to the chest

Perry said, "Even with a little bit of pain, I'm still here, so it's fine. As long as I'm still here."

Ocala Surgeon: Cross Necklace Saved Florida Man's Life

A trauma surgeon at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital surmised that the cross necklace shielded the force of the bullet.

Dr. Khafra Garcia Henry said:

"Because of [the necklace's] metallic component, it actually shielded a lot of the force of the bullet, so the bullet ricocheted off the necklace and entered his chest small. However, it was just in his fat tissues because it slowed down the trajectory of the bullet."

The trauma surgeon continued, "The bullet could've entered his chest wall itself, into the pleural space, which is the airspace around the lung between the bones and injuring his lung itself or his heart." 

Dr. Henry believes that Perry would not be alive today if was not wearing his cross necklace. 

The "friend" that shot Aidan Perry was arrested in Sumter County, and charged with "culpable negligence" causing injury. 

Doctors do believe Aidan Perry will make a full recovery with time.

Source: WESH News 2

What do you think of this miracle thanks to the cross necklace Perry was wearing?

3 More Businesses Permanently Close at Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville, AL in January 2025

Three more businesses are permanently closing their doors for good at the Bridge Street Town Centre outdoor shopping mall in Huntsville, AL. Read the details on the business closings.

credit: Huntsville.org

First, Pieology Pizza left around November 2024. 

An employee from Bridge Street Town Centre posted the following on Reddit.com/r/HuntsvilleAlabama:

"I work at Bridge Street and I was there the day before they closed. The guy working there said they were bought by a different company and the new owners wanted to keep the stores mostly in Florida. Not sure how true that is but just what the guy said." 

(Source: Birdman_v5) 

Then PBR Lockhart Smokehouse permanently closed its doors at Bridge Street at the end of 2024.

FOX54 reported that the cowboy-themed restaurant closed after a 'Countdown to 2025' celebration. The restaurant was a unique joint venture partnership between PBR Cowboy Bar and Lockhart Smokehouse and opened in October 2022. They described themselves as "an electric combination of PBR Cowboy Bar's 'cowboy cool' with Lockhart's iconic Texas barbeque."

(Source: FOX54's RocketCityNow.com)

3 Stores Closing in Bridge Street Town Centre in January 2025

FOX54 reported on 2 January 2025 that Chico's, Soma, and White House Black Market will all close their Bridge Street Town Centre Huntsville, AL stores permanently on 26 January 2025.

All of these stores are owned by Chico's FAS/Sycamore Partners, which is based out of Florida.

FOX54 reported that this news was shocking to employees, who reportedly learned of the store closures "just days after Christmas."

One employee said, "Our general manager was informed by our District Manager," which came after management told employees that "their locations would not be affected."

An employee told FOX54, "We have ladies who have been here eight years, 11 years, and then my management, my manager now has been here eight years. And there's no plan B for some people."

It was clear that employees "were kept in the dark about the store closings" until after the holiday shopping season.

Reader poll: What do you think about all of the stores closing at Bridge Street Town Centre?

(Share your thoughts in the comments)

Florida Man 'Feels Like Batman' After Catching 8-Foot Alligator Barefoot in Jacksonville

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, a Florida man was seen grabbing an 8-foot alligator barefoot with his bare hands in Jacksonville, Florida. The man is Mike Dragich, a licensed trapper in the state of Florida and is an MMA fighter. Dragich has been called "The Blue Collar Brawler."

Mike Dragich Received a Call from Florida Fish and Wildlife

Mike Dragich was at a minor league ice hockey game with his kids on Sunday, 21 April 2024 when he got the call from Florida Fish and Wildlife about an 8-foot alligator on the loose on a street in Jacksonville. He is affiliated with the nuisance alligator program.

He left the ice hockey game to go capture the alligator and did it without any shoes on and with his bare hands. He picked it up and paraded down the street with his trophy and onlookers cheered for the hero that saved the day.

Dragich said:

"It was only five minutes from the game, so I literally left the game, caught the alligator, and then went back to the game." -Mike Dragich, "The Blue Collar Brawler"

You can see the footage in the YouTube video below.

Mike Was attending an Ice Hockey Game with his Kids

Mike told Inside Edition the following:

"I was at the hockey game with my kids so I wasn't prepared at that time to get the gator, so I just used what I had, which was my bare hands and my bare feet." -Mike Dragich, "The Blue Collar Brawler"

He said it all while smiling. Mike is an awesome guy, willing to help when he can to catch alligators.

Mike Dragich

Mike Dragich told FOX35 News:

"I felt like Batman!" -Mike Dragich, "The Blue Collar Brawler"

Illinois Grandparents Accidentally Buy $10K in Disney Plus Gift Cards from Sam's. Disney Allows Them to Exchange the Cards for Theme Park

A woman who wanted to take her family to Disney World had to put off her trip due to the pandemic, so the grandparents purchased $10K of Disney Plus gift cards, thinking they were for the theme park. This is the update to the story.

Disney World Florida

A family from Normal, Illinois made a blunder when the grandparents thought they were "being smart" by buying $10,000 worth of Disney plus gift cards ahead of time thinking they were good to fund a trip to Disney World.

It wasn't until the grandparents were trying to pay for the trip to the theme park online that they realized their big mistake.

41-year-old Andie Coston shared about the mishap on TikTok recently and her original video was viewed over 4 million times, giving her temporary viral video fame.

In the text overlay in the original video, it read:

"To save some money, my parents bought 10k of Disney gift cards to purchase our tickets and restaurant reservations." -Andie Coston, Disney park enthusiast

After it happened, she said:

"We were all befuddled and baffled at what had happened...The absurdity was funny but then the realization that we may not actually make it to Disney was sad ... This has always been the one big trip that I can take my kids on." -Andie Coston, Disney park enthusiast

Coston Family Realizes They Have $10K in Disney Plus Gift Cards

USA Today reported that Andie Coston's parents thought they had bought $10K in gift cards to the magical theme park in Florida from Sam's Club. When the family discovered they had accidentally purchased gift cards for the Disney Plus streaming service, they first reached out to Sam's Club and also to Disney.

Disney plus gift cards

Here's the update to her story.

Update: Disney Works to Make it Right

Andy Coston posted an update on her situation to TikTok on Thursday.

Andie Coston

In the video, she said:

"Good morning everybody. I just wanted to provide um some updates, some clarifications, uh number one...yes, Disney has contacted us. They contacted my parents Monday evening and they have been working on rectifying the situation ever since. It is a slow-going process.

My parents are having to take photos of every single one of the gift cards and email it to this poor guy named Joey in California. Joey, you have my deepest condolences and sympathies, and then Joey has to do his thing and then transfer them onto like regular like Disney Parks gift cards, so they've been working on that slowly cause you can only send so many pictures per email, right?" -Andie Coston, Disney park enthusiast

Sam's Club did reach out to them, but could not refund the cards.

Andie explains in her update video that her parents had scratched off all of the codes on the back of the gift cards, trying to enter them into the Disney Park website, but they didn't accept them at the Disney Park website, and the cards could not be returned to Sam's after the codes had been used.

Andie's video update can be seen on TikTok.

Update: The Coston Family Went to Disney World

The Coston family was still able to take their dream vacation to Disney World and has posted about it on TikTok.

The photo below was posted on Tuesday, 27 December of her family at Disney World.

Coston family

Andie wrote the following message in the description on TikTok, sharing that some of the internet fame was not all positive.

It read:

"When I was a teen, I wanted to be famous so badly. I graduated high school and joked that one day I'd be a cast member on SNL. It was really a pipe dream I never pursued because my skin isn't thick enough to handle the feedback.

This past week has felt like a month. When I woke up and saw my TikTok had hit 500k and then over the next 7 days watched it hit 4 million, I was aghast. I'm not made for fame, but better in my Therapist chair.

I've had to engage my support system and work hard to try to embrace this BANANAS experience while facing online trolling, criticism, hate, and sheer disregard for the value of human worth. So I stayed MOSTLY out of the comments." -Andie Coston, Disney park enthusiast

Thankfully, her family was still able to travel to Disney World and enjoy the theme park.

Thoughts

Now it's time for the reader to share your thoughts on this story.

• Have you ever made a mishap and purchased the wrong kind of gift or gift card for someone?
• How would you feel if you accidentally purchased Disney+ gift cards instead of Disney theme park gift cards?
• Are you surprised that Disney was willing to switch out her Disney Plus gift cards for Disney Parks gift cards?

Sources

Andie Coston on TikTok: @aofthecoast

Goh, Amanda. "Grandparents messed up and bought the family 70 years' worth of Disney+ instead of a trip to the theme park." Business Insider. 25 December 2023.

Robledo, Anthony. "70 years of Disney Plus: Family accidently spends thousands on streaming instead of trip." USA Today. 20 December 2023.

Florida Woman Files a Lawsuit Against Company that Owns Brooksville Chick-fil-A Over "Black Chicken Nugget Meat"

A Florida woman claims she got "violently ill" after eating "black chicken nugget meat" from a Brooksville Chick-fil-A. She has filed a lawsuit against Holland Hospitality, LLC, claiming that the incident caused her "great pain and suffering for some time."

Chick-fil-A employee smiling

A Florida woman has now filed a lawsuit against the company that owns the Chick-fil-A in Brooksville, Florida after she ate chicken nuggets that she claims made her "violently ill" because the food "was not fit for consumption."

Florida Woman Files Lawsuit Against Holland Hospitality, LLC

News Channel 8 reported that Shi'Terra Sharp from Orlando, Florida was eating chicken nuggets from the Chick-fil-A in Brooksville, Florida when she noticed her chicken nugget meat was "black in color."

She was was the location at 13143 Cortez Blvd. in Brooksville in January of 2020 when the incident took place.

Sharp alleges that Holland Hospitality, LLC "breached its duty by negligently failing to adequately inspect and ensure its food was fit for human consumption before selling it."

Law & Crime reported that "her lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 for 'bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering, disability, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing home treatment. These losses are either permanent or continuing in nature, and the plaintiff will suffer said losses in the future, to wit, permanently.'"

What do you think about this lawsuit against Holland Hospitality, LLC, which owns Chick-fil-A in Brooksville?

Sources

Accettulla, Kevin. "Woman sues Brooksville Chick-fil-A location over ‘black’ chicken nugget meat." News Channel 8. Last Updated: 24 October 2023.

Kandel, Jason. "Woman sues Chick-fil-A over ‘black’ chicken nugget she claims made her violently ill with gastrointestinal illnesses." Law & Crime. 24 October 2023.

Which Four NBA Players will form a Superteam in the Disney World Bubble?

NBA Superstars Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard

The world wants to know, which four NBA superstar players will form a superteam because of playing and living so close in Disney World during the 2020 season?

More specifically: Which four NBA players will be in the Orlando Four?

A Complex article on July 24 discussed how agents and executives are "concerned" the NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida could lead to NBA players getting together to form superteams, much like the Miami Heat with Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dewayne Wade from 2010 to 2014. They won back-to-back championships in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

The NBA season is expected to resume on July 30, 2020 in the Walt Disney World sports complex, which is located in Orlando, FL At the time that this article is written, the NBA teams have been scrimmaging each other in Orlando, Florida.

The Orlando Four could be formed from different combinations of NBA Players.

It is all up for speculation right now, but it is fun to speculate who could be the four superstars.

A Complex article on July 24 discussed how agents and executives are "concerned" the NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida could lead to NBA players getting together to form superteams, much like the Miami Heat with Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dewayne Wade from 2010 to 2014. They won back-to-back championships in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

2021 Free Agents that could form a Superteam 'Orlando Four' in the NBA Bubble

The 2021 free agents include:

• Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
• Chris Paul, Oklahoma Thunder
• DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics
• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
• Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans
• Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
• Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
• Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers

2020 and 2021 NBA Players (free agents) listed by team here.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst was quoted on the show Get UP! saying, "I have heard on more than four occasions, agents or executives complaining about how in a year or two...next year, when we have a loaded 2021 free agent class, whether bonds have been formed in this bubble, with teams that are clustered together, will, you know, play out."

.@WindhorstESPN is hearing from multiple league executives and agents that they're concerned about the formation of the next NBA super team in the bubble.

"In a year will we be talking about the formation of the Orlando Four?" pic.twitter.com/5UCq34EJsT

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 24, 2020

Some of the obvious teams that already have the formings of a NBA superteam:
Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Davis, LeBron James
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George
Houston Rockets: James Harden, Russell Westbrook
Dallas Mavericks: Seth Curry, Luka Doncic

SEC College Football: Florida Beats Tennessee at the Swamp in Thriller

Tennessee vs. Florida SEC College Football Sept. 26, 2015

Sept. 26, 2015 - Before today, the Tennessee Volunteers have lost to the Florida Gators the previous 10 encounters. On Sept. 26, 2015, they almost snapped their losing streak to Florida in the Swamp. After this game, one could argue that Tennessee is at the start of a comeback as a powerhouse college football team in the SEC conference, just because of how well they did offensively. However, they were not able to hold and keep the lead at the end of the game. Tennessee loses an 11th time to Florida. The scoring recap by quarter is below.

First Quarter: Florida Gators Score First Against Tennessee; Tennessee Ties it

The Florida Gators started the football game in the first quarter when K. Taylor scored a touchdown for Florida early on at 10:23 mark on the clock.

Tennessee quarterback Jauan Jennings threw the ball for 58 yards to J. Dobbs for a Tennessee Volunteers touchdown. This drive was only 14 seconds long and the score happened at 5:07 in the first quarter. At this point, the score is tied 7 - 7.

Second Quarter: Tennessee Scores Another TD, then 3 pt. Field Goal

The Tennessee Volunteers continue strong offensively in the second quarter. Jalen Hurd runs 1 yard on the drive to score a touchdown at 8:18 in the 2nd quarter. 1 pt. field goal is good. Then, Aaron Medley kicks a 34 yard field goal and it is good at the 3:13 mark. Score is 17 - 7.

Third Quarter: Tennessee Scores Another Field Goal before Florida gets another TD

At 11:07 in the third quarter, Aaron Medley gets another 3 pt. field goal for Tennessee. Florida finally gets another touchdown at the 5:42 point in the 3rd quarter.

Fourth Quarter: Tennessee Scores Another Touchdown; Florida gets Another Touchdown and Wins Game

At 10:19 in the 4th quarter, Tennessee's Jalen Hurd runs for 10 yards for a touchdown. The Florida Gators get another touchdown at 4:09 in the 4th quarter after Brandon Powell catches a 5 yard pass from Will Grier, keeping the game close at 27 - 21. 

In a last ditch attempt, Will Grier throws a 63 yard long pass to Antonio Callaway at 1:26 in the fourth quarter. Jorge Powell kicks a field goal, and puts Florida in the lead 28 - 27.

After this scoring play, Tennessee attempted a 55 yard field goal on Aaron Medley, as he kicks and misses the field goal. Tennessee gets a second chance at the field goal, and misses again, just barely the second time.

Tennessee was unable to beat the Florida Gators on Sept. 26, 2015. 

Final Score of the Tennessee vs. Florida SEC College Football Game

Final Score: Florida 28, Tennessee 27. 

Tennessee vs. Florida SEC College Football Questions

Did Tennessee beat Florida on 09-26-15? No

Did Florida beat Tennessee on 09-26-15? Yes

Did the Florida Gators beat the Tennesse Volunters on Sept. 26,? Yes

Did the Tennessee Volunteers beat the Florida Gators on Sept. 26? No

Notre Dame is Number 1 in BCS for First Time in History

Angry Notre Dame Linebacker, Manti Te'o

Notre Dame is having a great season. For the first time in Notre Dame History, it is ranked #1 in the BCS standings. That is something to be proud of.

The only downside to such an accomplishment may be the beating they will receive if they play #2 ranked Alabama in Miami on January 7, 2013.

Alabama moved up to #2 after an answered prayer for many Crimson Tide fans. Their beloved team jumped two spots after the unthinkable happened – both undefeated Oregon and Kansas State lost to opponents. If you are an Oregon Duck or Kansas State Wildcat, there’s always next year.

There is talk in the air that Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Te’o from Hawaii looks like a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, which will be picked before the outcome of the BCS National Championship game.

Isn’t College football great?

Notre Dame plays USC in Los Angeles in their final regular season game. This game will decide their ultimate fate.

Alabama has it easy playing loss-heavy Auburn in the Iron Bowl, then Georgia in the SEC Championship.

Florida (current #4 in BCS standings) plays Florida State in their final game.

If Notre Dame was to lose against USC, then prepare yourself for another All SEC National Championship game between Alabama and Florida.

Will Manti Te’o and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish get their chance at glory against A.J. McCarron and the Alabama Crimson Tide?

We will find out on Saturday, November 24, 2012 at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.

The Immortality App: Not Found in the iStore



Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, holding an iPad.

 Looking for the immortality app?  You might have trouble finding it in the iStore...because it isn't sold there.

Apple CEO, Steve Jobs (above), temporarily overcame pancreatic cancer in recent years, but since passed away on October 5th, 2011. He will be missed as the visionary for Apple.
Have you ever searched for something that was unachievable, but thought that if attained, it would be that one "thing" that your life is currently lacking?  Thinking that the newest gadget of technology surely is the must-have item to make my life better.  If you have the money, why not buy it, right?  It's very easy to shrug off purchases of gizmos because they are justified for something or other.  I'm quite sure I'm guilty of it.  And I know I've looked back and regretted wasting my money after blowing an incredible amount of time with my new object, rather than spending it with loved ones and developing relationships.  Even history tells a story of a man who sought out riches and immortality, but instead only found Florida.

History of the Search for the Fountain of Youth

According to history, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon discovered (present-day) Florida, while searching for the Fountain of Youth.  Juan Ponce de Leon heard the story of this fabled legend from the natives of Puerto Rico. The natives called this land "Bemini", meaning land to the north, which was geographically in the location of the Bahamas islands.  Hearing of this legend only confirmed what he had read by past medieval writers, and Alexander the Great had also searched for the life extending waters in east Asia.  The natives of Polynesia also told the story of youth inducing waters, in the general area of present-day Hawai'i.  The story of Bemini - told by the natives of Puerto Rico - also included gold and riches that accompanied this gift of immortality.  In this search for riches, Juan Ponce de Leon set foot on the east coast which had flowers, so he called it La Florida. 
(Source: Stimpson, George. A Book About American History)

Juan Ponce de Leon did not find the Fountain of Youth that he sought after so diligently, but he was credited for discovering Florida.  Do you think he was satisfied with this discovery?  Compared to riches and eternal life?  Probably not!

So why do you think that man (humanity in general) seeks out the Fountain of Youth?  Patrick Morley thinks it is because, "A man's ultimate desire is for immortality."  He refers to Ecclesiates 3:11 in the Bible, which says: "He [God] has also set eternity in the hearts of men." (Source: Morley, Patrick. The Man in the Mirror)

Trump Tower, NYC

Some people attempt to become immortal by contributing large sums of money  to a local university, to have a building named after them.  The Trump Tower (seen above in NY), is an prime example of a man with wealth who has built himself an empire, and has several skyscrapers to prove it.




Patrick Swayze (2009)

Do you think you could find someone who has a lot of wealth, who would trade it all in for an extension on his/her life? I bet I can. Patrick Swayze (pictured above) passed on after a battle with pancreatic cancer in 2009. I bet he would've paid any amount of money to have an extension on his life.

A pawn broker ready to make a deal with you.

So would you pawn all of your most valuable possessions in for another month added onto your life?  For one more year with the one you love?  For one more minute to say "I love you" to your kids?

Jesus talking to the woman at the well

However, one woman who was not actively seeking out immortality, was told how she could find eternal life, by Jesus.  Story as follows:

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

(Source: NIV Bible - John 4:7-14)

 
The final question I have to ask you is this:  Have you sought out eternal life in the right place?  If you haven't, that might be why you haven't found it, because you won't be able to find it in the iStore.