It wasn’t all bad
■■ Patriots offensive lineman Justin Herron protects more than just his teammates on the field. Herron was at a park in Arizona when he heard screaming. He then saw a man pushing an elderly woman to the ground, attempting to sexually assault her in broad daylight. Immediately, he rushed over. “I yelled, told him to get off of her, and then yanked him off, and I told him to sit down, and I told him to wait until the cops come,” Herron said. “I’m glad I was able to save someone’s life.”
■■ For an 11-year-old boy from nearby Brighton, last week’s mass shooting in Boulder, Colo., hit very close to home. “We need to do something,” JJ Witmer told his mom. JJ and his mother frequented the King Soopers grocery store in their neighborhood and wanted to support the employees in the area. So JJ bought dozens of flowers for employees at King Soopers stores in Brighton and Commerce City. “We just want you to know how much we appreciate you,” JJ said as he handed them to each employee. “I actually turned and walked to the back and cried,” said employee Marsha Esparza-Barnabe after receiving a rose.
■■ After Dr. James Flint rebuilt runner Colin Jackson’s leg and hip, he joined him on a marathon. Jackson, 39, underwent an intensive surgery in 2019 after he was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer that spread throughout his femur, hips, and gluteus. “I remember lying in my room at Jacobs Medical Center...and thinking, ‘I will complete a marathon again,’” Jackson said. After one year of training, Jackson went to Arizona to walk his 26.2 marathon, while Flint completed his in California. The two kept in touch by texts and phone calls throughout the 12 hours. “Dr. Flint has made such a difference this entire journey,” Jackson said.