Christine and John Sheppard of Jefferson County, Missouri, are getting ready to move closer to their daughter, Kim. While packing up their home, Christine and John found some boxes filled with Kim’s childhood Beanie Baby collection.

They asked Kim if she wanted to keep the toys that were collected in the 1990s. Inspired by a social media video, Kim suggested giving the plushies to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, where they were handed off to the department's Crisis Intervention Unit.

It was a win all around. Deputies now keep the toys in their patrol cars to hand out to kids during scary or traumatic emergency calls. And the Sheppard family was able to declutter — all while feeling great that these special toys are getting a second life, calming children during bumpy times.

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Southwest Michigan's Morning News podcast is prepared and delivered by the WSJM Newsroom. For these stories and more, visit https://www.wsjm.com and follow us for updates on Facebook. 

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WSJM Afternoon News for 08-18-26

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FULL SHOW: Tuesday, August 18th, 2026

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Have a knack for trivia? Well, so does Brooke… Try to answer as many questions right as you can in 30 seconds. If you answer more correctly than Brooke, you win 100 bucks! Good luck!

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One of our listeners says she’s dealing with a MONSTER problem with her mother-in law and her ridiculous demands are OUT OF CONTROL! We’ll try to help reel her in when we do an Awkward Tuesday Phone Call!

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In today's Phone Tap, Jeff tells a guy that a larger-than-life caterpillar infestation is coming right for his area and he'll need to make some drastic arrangements right away!

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Today's Masked speaker wishes he'd listened to his parents warnings in high school, because it took only one terrifying night of hanging around the wrong to scar him forever. But, now he's ready to admit what happened to him in a Masked Speaker podcast!

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Can you finish the sentence in a "THE LAST WORD” edition of Plenty of Twenty?

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Sarah and Zack chat about upcoming ribbon cuttings and the NextGen HYPE Pitch Competition now accepting applications! Get details at smrchamber.com.

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