Top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | Dec. 23-29, 2017

1. A mystery illness nearly killed him. A community prayed. Now, he’s home for Christmas: “Prayer warriors, please keep my brother in your prayers. Tonight, Evan went into cardiac arrest.” That message, sent out by Evan’s sister Carlie the night of Dec. 8, wasn’t something anyone could have expected. Evan, a 23-year-old CrossFit enthusiast from Columbus, was in the peak of health. He had no history of heart problems. He told nobody he was feeling ill. But something had gone very wrong, very fast.

2. Columbus man hears ‘excruciating scream,’ finds neighbor’s dog caught in coyote trap: The pest control company the city hired to catch the nuisance animals there is using leg or “hold” traps with metal jaws that snap shut on the canines’ paw. A Denewood Court homeowner found a neighbor’s dog caught in one Sunday night. Bob Thompson, whose backyard faces the park, said he let his own dogs out to relieve themselves around 8:30 p.m. Sunday when he heard an animal in distress. “I heard the most excruciating scream of an animal that I had ever heard,” he recalled. “It sounded like a dog.”

3. Columbus man shot a home invader - and it turned out to be his gaming friend, police say: Columbus detectives were called to the Sea Breeze mobile home community at 6023 Crystal Drive on Monday to investigate a shooting. When they arrived on the scene, patrol officers were detaining one person and Brooks was heading to Midtown Medical Center to be treated for two gunshot wounds in the back and another in the leg. Cpl. Delante’ Odom said Brooks told detectives he arrived at the residence to play video games with the homeowner and saw two strangers trying to pry the backdoor open.

4. Man dies of hypothermia in driveway on 10th Avenue: A Columbus man found with empty alcoholic beverage containers nearby was pronounced dead of hypothermia on Wednesday at 10th Avenue and 15th Street, authorities said. Dennis D. Blanton Jr., 64, was pronounced dead at 11:40 a.m. but may have died 10 to 12 hours earlier, said Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan. No foul play was suspected in the death.

5. Aflac announces $250 million investment to strengthen workforce: Columbus-based Aflac, Inc. announced in a press release Thursday it would make $250 million in investments to strengthen its workforce, promote growth and enhance its commitment to supporting childhood cancer initiatives, The company said the investments are a result of the passage of the $1.5 trillion Republican-led tax bill, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 22. The law enacts sweeping changes to tax law and will give around 80 percent of individuals a tax cut next year, reported the Associated Press.

This story was originally published December 30, 2017 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Top stories from the Ledger-Enquirer | Dec. 23-29, 2017."