Community Corner

Jailhouse Proposal + Twerking Gone Wrong + Happy Reunion

Here's your 5-minute read to start the day: a ray of hope in Surfside, Sears pulls Ashli Babbitt T-shirt, and a drainage ditch reimagined.

Keegan Casteel of Ankeny, Iowa, was in custody in Chicago after police found a rifle with a laser sight in a hotel room that overlooks a Lake Michigan beach during the July Fourth weekend. After posting bond, he proposed to his girlfriend.
Keegan Casteel of Ankeny, Iowa, was in custody in Chicago after police found a rifle with a laser sight in a hotel room that overlooks a Lake Michigan beach during the July Fourth weekend. After posting bond, he proposed to his girlfriend. (ABC7 via AP)

ACROSS AMERICA — What proves love and commitment more than popping the question to your special someone? The answer could be doing it the moment you bail yourself out of jail on felony weapon charges.

While many people dream of flowers, candlelit dinners and romantic ambiance, the girlfriend of 32-year-old Keegan Casteel got her big moment when Casteel, on his way out of a Chicago jail after posting $10,000 bond, dropped to one knee.

Casteel, of Ankeny, Iowa, is charged with two felony counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after a semi-automatic rifle and handgun were found in his 12th-floor hotel room, police said. Prosecutors said four magazines also were discovered next to the semi-automatic weapon and a live round of ammunition was in the chamber.

Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

ABC7 Chicago cameras caught the spontaneous moment. While the woman took the ring and hugged Casteel, no word on whether she officially said yes. Read the story on Chicago Patch

More Than A Drainage Ditch

Those driving over the McCormick Bridge in Madison, Wisconsin, may not even notice Starkweather Creek underneath. To bring awareness to the creek and the wildlife that call it home, local artists and residents worked together to cover both sides of the bridge in a mural. Every animal painted on the bridge is one that lives in the creek, including mink, muskrats and beavers as well as native plants such as the Coneflowers. Read the story on Madison Patch

Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The bridge features paintings of animals who call the Starkweather Creek and McCormick Park home. (Molly Carmichael/Patch)

More Reads

Ray Of Hope: A cat missing for more than two weeks following the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo was found alive, providing a glimmer of hope for a community enveloped in tragedy, via Miami Patch

Touchdown: Two twisters touched down in South Jersey early Friday as Tropical Storm Elsa made her way across the region, via Ocean City Patch

Don't Twerk It: Chicago police got more than they bargained while on a call after partygoers twerked on a patrol car and started a fight with an officer, via Oak Lawn Patch

Jersey Hikes: If you’re planning a trip to the Jersey Shore, take a detour and check out one of these perfect spots for a summer hike, via Mahwah Patch

T-Shirt Controversy: Following backlash on social media, retailers Sears and Kmart have stopped selling a controversial T-shirt that labeled Ashli Babbitt, who died in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack, an "American Patriot,” via Arlington Heights Patch

LEGOLAND!: The first new major theme park in the Northeast in more than 40 years is officially open, via New York City Patch

Check Your Shampoos: An Illinois woman claims in a class-action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson that some of the company's shampoos caused her hair to fall out, via Across America Patch.

Good News Fix: Check out 11 good news stories from Patch editors, via Across America Patch.

Trending Across Patch

Patch is in more than 1,000 communities across America. Find your community and see what's happening outside your front door.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.