WebProNews

Tag: death

  • Petticoat Junction Actress Pat Woodell Dies at 71

    Pat Woodell, best known for her role as Bobbie Jo Bradley on the 1960s show Petticoat Junction, has died.

    She was 71.

    Her husband, Vern McDade, said that the actress had been battling cancer for over two decades.

    Woodell starred as one of the sisters on CBS’ Petticoat Junction from 1963 to 1965. Originally a singer, Woodell’s time on the show had her performing songs with her on-screen siblings, played by Linda Kaye and Jeannine Riley.

    Woodell left Petticoat Junction in 1965, and had brief roles on The Hollywood Palace and The Munsters.

    Her film career wasn’t as successful, as Woodell starred in so-called “exploitation” films like The Woman Hunt (1972), The Twilight People (1972) and The Roommates (1973).

    Woodell’s last acting role came in an episode of The New Perry Mason in 1973. She fully retired from the business after that.

    Once married to actor Gary Clarke, Woodell spent 37 years with McDade. She died on September 29th.

  • It’s Time to Choose Who Runs Your Facebook Account When You Die

    What happens to your Facebook account when you die? – the only question more confusing than what happens to you after you die?

    There are really only two options for friends and family of a deceased individual. The first option, memorialization, freezes the account in time – allowing it to serve as a sort of public gravestone. Once a person dies, their friend or family member must request for the account to be memorialized. Once it is, friends and family can come and leave messages, and the privacy of said page remains in death what the account holder designated in life. There is no way to control any elements of the page once it is memorialized – a fact that left people a bit upset at times.

    The second option is to request for the account to be permanently deleted. This involves proving to Facebook that you’re a family member – and it often not as easy as it sounds.

    And as of right now, between request pages and various help pages, shit’s pretty confusing. And controversial.

    That’s changing for the better today – at least a little bit. Facebook is now giving friends and family members a little more control over their loved ones’ digital afterlife.

    Facebook is now letting users set a legacy contact, who’ll serve as a sort of overseer for their account when they pass. You can set this up right now. All you have to do is go to your security settings and select “legacy contact”. From there, choose one of your friends to be your account holder in the unfortunate event of your untimely demise.

    Your legacy contact will be notified of their role when your account is memorialized – unless you want to tell them ahead of time.

    So, what can a legacy contact do? They can’t log-in to your account, for one. So your private messages are theoretically safe when you die. What they can do it write a “pinned post” for your profile – a message to friends about your death, perhaps. They can also respond to friend requests and update your profile picture and cover photo.

    They can’t unfriend people and they can’t go back and edit/delete old posts.

    And as the Wall Street Journal points out, you only get one legacy contact. Choose wisely.

    If you don’t want your Facebook account outliving you, the new legacy contact option inside your settings allows you to request to have your account permanently deleted when you die. Of course, Facebook will only know that you’ve died when contacted by a friend or a family member – who many argue about deletion vs. memorialization. It’s odd that Facebook says “if you don’t want a Facebook account after you pass away, you can request to have your account permanently deleted,” right?

    It’s weird that you have to think about this at all – but death is weird. And so is Facebook. It’s probably worth the five seconds it’ll take to designate a legacy contact. Make sure you pick someone who will put up flattering profile pictures when you’re gone.

  • Misty Upham Died of Blunt-Force Injuries, Shows Autopsy

    Misty Upham, the 32-year-old actress who went missing in early October, died of blunt force injuries to the head and torso. According to a Seattle Times report the cause of death was announced this week by the King County, Washington Medical Examiner’s Office.

    Upham was reported missing by her family on October 6. She was last seen on October 5 walking from her sister’s apartment on the Muckleshoot Reservation near the Seattle suburb of Auburn, Washington. The actress’ family had reported to police on October 4 that Upham was suicidal.

    In the week following her disappearance, Upham’s family and Muckleshoot Reservation volunteers launched a search for the young actress. At the time police did not consider Upham’s disappearance suspicious.

    On October 16 Upham’s body was found by a member of her family at the bottom of an embankment in a wooded area. Police found no evidence of foul play.

    According to the Seattle Times report, Upham’s family said they believe the actress’ death to be accidental. Specifically the family accused local police of mistreating Upham and speculated that she may have been trying to evade the police before she died.

    Upham’s family has previously stated that the actress had long suffered from bipolar disorder. Upham was reportedly unable to find effective treatment for her mental illness when she and her family moved to the Seattle area earlier this year.

    Upham was an actress who had small roles in movies such as August: Osage County and Django Unchained. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best supporting female in 2008 for her role in the movie Frozen Rover.

    The Northwest Film Forum last month screened showings of August: Osage County and Frozen River as part of its Indigenous Showcase in tribute to Upham.

    Post by Northwest Film Forum.

  • Emily Kinney Says Goodbye to “Walking Dead” Character

    (Warning: Walking Dead spoilers ahead!)

    29-year-old Emily Kinney, who plays Beth on AMC’s Walking Dead, found out about the demise of her character only a few hours before the script was released to the rest of the cast.

    “The season finale was episode 508,” she told Entertainment Weekly, “and I found out during 507.”

    Emily wasn’t alone. Many cast members reached out to her after they received the news.

    “They seemed surprised too,” she said. “It’s always really hard. We’ve worked together for years now. So, it’s really sad.”

    But it wasn’t just the news of Beth’s death that caused Kinney unrest. She immediately began thinking of real-life situations like the fact that she now has an apartment in Atlanta.

    “I think as actors we are a little conditioned to think like, okay, you do a job and the job ends — it’s like freelance. You go to the next job. But I have been working on this show now for years and it definitely has been an anchor in my life. I schedule other things around the shooting schedule and all these people have become really good friends and so of course I am sad to leave the character behind and then there’s another part of me that is excited that I can play some new characters, and that’s exciting.

    “But there’s also the life stuff, like, Oh, I have to get rid of my apartment. I have to figure out what to do with my cable! What does this mean for me and my schedule? And oh, but there are all these people and I want to see them because it’s my last chance. And then also it’s my last chance to give a really kick-ass performance so I really want to work on my scenes. I really want to dig in. So there’s a lot going on in your head any time that you lose a job but are also trying to give a great performance.”

    Kinney’s character, one of the youngest of the team, has shown some growth over the years. Unfortunately this is also what led to her demise. But, nonetheless, Kinney was pleased with Beth.

    “I was really thankful that this season that you did get to see so much of Beth and you did get to see her without her group and what kind of person she could be and how she could change in different circumstances. It’s fun to work on and I was really thankful. Although I’m sad it ended so soon and wasn’t expecting it to end so soon, I was happy that you really got to know her before she left.”

    Kinney also added that she was pleased with her death scene.

    “I’m glad I didn’t die in episode 4 and have it be Beth isolated,” she said. “Sometimes the big moments like that last scene where I get shot — as exciting as those moments are, I really love just coming to set and working on a scene and having a conversation with someone and making it feel real. I was thankful I was able to not end on days where I was just laying around bloody. I got to work, you know?”

    Kinney, who still hangs out with Scott Wilson (Hershel), says she plans to keep in touch with the rest of the cast as well.

    “I will try to stay in touch with everyone.”

    The second half of Walking Dead season five returns on February 8, 2015.

  • Utah Family Found Dead, Poison Suspected

    Utah Family Found Dead, Poison Suspected

    One month ago Springville, Utah police began investigating the bizarre and disturbing deaths of a family. According to a Salt Lake Tribune report, Benjamin and Kristi Strack were found dead in their home on September 27. Three of their children – 14, 12, and 11 years old – were also found dead in the home. The family was found by the children’s grandmother and the Strack’s lone surviving son.

    At the time Springville police had said there were no signs of trauma or violence inside the house. Autopsies also showed that the deaths of the family were not violent.

    Initially police had voiced concern that carbon monoxide could be responsible for the deaths, despite the fact that none of the gas was detected and the Strack’s pets were still alive. Now Springfield police have released new details surrounding the deaths.

    The Salt Lake Tribune is quoting Springfield police as saying the deaths were probably not accidental. Five members of a family dead would be suspicious enough, but according to police the three dead children were arranged in a specific way after their deaths. Each child was found in the home’s master bedroom covered with bedding. Cups of “colored fluid” were sitting next to them. In an affidavit, police also wrote that Kristi Strack had a “red liquid substance” coming from her mouth when she was found.

    In addition, police found a pitcher of “red juice” and a bucket of “yellow liquid” inside the house. Ten empty boxes of nighttime cold and flu medicine and two empty boxes of antihistamine medication were also found in a trash bag.

    Despite what appears to be a case of poisoning, Springfield police are still waiting on a toxicology report to confirm the cause of the deaths. According to police reports Kristi Strack’s mother (who found the bodies) was adamant that carbon monoxide was not the cause of death and was distraught that her daughter “would do this to the kids.”

  • Elizabeth Peña’s Cause of Death Revealed to Be Results of Alcoholism

    When Elizabeth Peña died last week, the cause of death was unknown. Hollywood was stunned by the death of someone who was only 55 and had not been known publicly to be suffering from cancer or some other killer.

    But now Peña’s death has been determined to be due to the effects of alcoholism. Specifically, “cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol” is listed, as well as cardiopulmonary arrest, cardiogenic shock, and acute gastrointestinal bleeding.

    The death certificate outlines a cascade of causes. It lists that Peña had cirrhosis for months, suffered from acute gastrointestinal bleeding and cardiogenic shock hours before her death, which caused her heart to stop — the cardiopulmonary arrest that killed her.

    TMZ first reported the information contained on Peña’s death certificate.

    Peña was Cuban-American. She was born in New Jersey, but raised in Cuba until she was eight years old. She then moved to New York City with her family and went to New York’s High School of Performing Arts where she studied alongside actors Ving Rhames (of Pulp Fiction and Mission: Impossible) and Esai Morales, whom she would later act with in La Bamba.

    Peña had recently come into the limelight again playing Pilar, the mother of Modern Family core character Gloria Pritchett.

    The El Rey Network, where Peña appeared in the drama Matador, issued a statement following her death.

    “She was a role model, a truly extraordinary performer and an inspiration in every sense of the word. Our thoughts are with Elizabeth’s family and friends during this difficult time. She will be deeply missed.”

  • Joan Rivers Cause of Death Revealed; Clinic Could Be in Trouble

    It’s been over a month since Joan Rivers died. At the time, all we knew was that Rivers was under anesthesia, having what was described as a “routine throat procedure”, later elaborated as examining “voice changes” and stomach reflux that the actress had been experiencing.

    We were told that, during the procedure, Rivers went into cardiac arrest, stopped breathing, and was transported from the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic where she was having the procedure to Mount Sinai Hospital.

    Reports from there were conflicting. Some said she was recovering. Others said she was “resting peacefully”. We later learned that she was in a medically-induced coma from which she never awoke.

    Rivers was 81 years old. The day after she died, a routine examination was begun to determine the exact cause of her death, and to find out if the clinic where she was having the procedure was in any way responsible.

    That investigation has now been completed. The medical examiner’s report said that Rivers’ death was due to “therapeutic complications”.

    “The classification of a death as a therapeutic complication means that the death resulted from a predictable complication of medical therapy,” the report explained. Rivers complication occurred “during laryngoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with propofol sedation for evaluation of voice changes and gastroesophageal reflux disease.”

    What happened is described as a “laryngospasm”, a spasm of the vocal cords. She began having difficulty breathing, which limited the supply of oxygen to her heart. That then resulted in an arrhythmia, then eventually cardiac arrest. With no supply of oxygen-rich blood to her brain, Rivers began to die.

    The investigation further revealed some other regulatory problems at the practice where Rivers had her procedure. These could result in the business losing its accreditation for Medicare patients, but it has until January, 2015, to correct those. There is no news about whether there is any direct connection between those regulation issues and Rivers’ death.

    The center issued a statement about those issues.

    “The Center has been working collaboratively with appropriate government regulatory agencies to ensure complete compliance with all regulations. The Center remains open and will continue to collaborate with all accreditation and government regulatory agencies to ensure quality care.”

    After the report was released, Melissa Rivers posted this to Twitter:

  • Elizabeth Peña of Modern Family Dies at 55

    Elizabeth Peña has died at the young age of 55.

    Peña was recently known for playing Pilar, the mother of Modern Family core cast member Gloria Pritchett, played by Sofia Vergara. But before that she was Rosie in the film La Bamba, starring Lou Diamond Phillips as rocker Ritchie Valens.

    Peña also was the voice of the character Mirage in Pixar’s film The Incredibles. She has roles in Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Jacob’s Ladder, Lone Star, *batteries not included, Vibes and Rush Hour.

    Peña was Cuban-American. She was born in New Jersey, but raised in Cuba until she was eight years old. She then moved to New York City with her family and went to New York’s High School of Performing Arts where she studied alongside actors Ving Rhames (of Pulp Fiction and Mission: Impossible) and Esai Morales, whom she would later act with in La Bamba.

    The El Rey Network, where Peña appeared in the drama Matador, issued a statement following her death.

    “She was a role model, a truly extraordinary performer and an inspiration in every sense of the word. Our thoughts are with Elizabeth’s family and friends during this difficult time. She will be deeply missed.”

    Peña’s manager, Gina Rugolo, confirmed that she had died “of natural causes” following a brief illness. She had been hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

  • George Hamilton IV Dead at Age 77

    Country music star George Hamilton IV has died. He was 77 years old.

    According to the Grand Ole Opry Hamilton died on late Wednesday afternoon at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Hamilton had suffered a heart attack last Saturday and was hospitalized. He had been in critical condition since that time. The Opry stated that Hamilton died “with his family by his side.”

    Hamilton was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for over 54 years. He was one of the first American country music stars to perform extensively overseas, earning him the nickname “The International Ambassador of Country Music.”

    Though Hamilton is best-known for his country crooning, the beginning of his career was very different. During the late 50s Hamilton attended American University in Washington D.C. and began performing pop songs on variety TV show The Jimmy Dean Show. His popularity as a singer grew and he went on to tour with stars such as Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers.

    In 1960 Hamilton made a significant career shift, joining the Grand Ole Opry and performing country music. He saw early success in the genre with hit songs such as “Before This Day Ends” and “If You Don’t Know I Ain’t Gonna Tell You.”

    In 1963 Hamilton scored a hit with his album Abilene, which reached number 18 on the U.S. country music charts. The album contains his most famous song to date, “Abilene.” The song reached number 1 on the U.S. country music charts and number 15 on the U.S. pop charts. Hamilton performed the song in the 1963 movie musical Hootenanny Hoot.

    With his country music success waning in the late 60s Hamilton took his act overseas. The Grand Ole Opry’s records mark Hamilton as a performer at London’t first International Festival of Country of Music in 1969. Hamilton also performed at other early country music festivals in European countries such as Sweden and Germany.

  • Cindy Adams Reveals Joan Rivers’ Final Days

    Last week the world lost yet another legendary comedian. Joan Rivers died on September 4 following complications from vocal chord surgery.

    As expected, celebrities and comedians took to social media, giving their condolences and sharing their fondest memories of Rivers. The flood of grief was heartfelt, though impersonal and probably a bit more maudlin than Rivers would have wanted.

    However, with Rivers best-known in her later years for her gossipy, snarky critiques of celebrity fashion, who better to eulogize her than a New York Post gossip columnist?

    Longtime New York Post writer Cindy Adams this weekend revealed intimate details surrounding Rivers’ death. In a column for Page Six Adams stated that she had known Rivers for decades, saw the comedian at her best, and knew “who she liked, who she didn’t.”

    Unfortunately, that wasn’t the Rivers that Adams saw last week. The writer described the comedian as she was while lying helpless in a medically-induced coma:

    Last week I saw a Joan Rivers one shouldn’t see. Pale and still as marble. Uncommunicative. No makeup. No cameras. No one-liners. No movement. Wires hooked to machines. The blonde head in bandages.

    Adams revealed that Rivers’ daughter Melissa Rivers did not leave her mother’s side during the ordeal. Melissa reportedly slept at the hospital while helping to coordinate plans with family and business partners. Adams made it clear that those close enough to visit Joan in the hospital knew she was dying, though that fact wasn’t spoken aloud:

    Around her our thoughts were loud; our words, soft. We gently talked tentative plans – like longtime assistant Jocelyn caring for Joan’s dogs – because doctors knew. Tests proved. What was feared wasn’t voiced. But we understood. She could feel no pain. She’d never suffer through some longterm debilitating sickness. Our Joan wasn’t there anymore.

    Adams also described Rivers’ funeral service on Saturday. Close celebrity friends including Donald Trump, Barbara Walters, Hugh Jackman, and others attended. The ceremony began with New York City’s Gay Men’s Chorus singing show tunes and ended with a prayer.

  • Joan Rivers’ Death Mourned on Social Media

    Less than one month after the death of Robin Williams, another comedy legend has passed on. Joan Rivers died on Thursday afternoon following several days spent in a medically induced coma. The comedian was 81 years old.

    Rivers reportedly suffered complications on August 28 while undergoing surgery on her vocal cords. She was then put into a coma following a heart attack. Doctors had reportedly attempted to wake Rivers from her coma this week, though her condition remained serious. Rivers’ daughter Melissa Rivers revealed that her mother was moved out of intensive care on Wednesday and was “being kept comfortable” in a private room.

    Rivers’ death was announced by Melissa in a heartfelt Facebook post. According to Melissa, Joan passed away while surrounded by her family and close friends.

    Post by Melissa Rivers.

    Rivers began her career as a stand-up comedian in New York during the 1960s and soon gained a reputation for her twisted sense of humor. She first appeared on The Tonight Show in 1965 and became a regular guest on the show. She has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, and won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 1990 for her work on The Joan Rivers Show.

    In her later years she became well-known for her appearances on E! network’s coverage of award show red carpet events, during which she often sharply criticized celebrities’ fashion choices.

    Similar to Robin Williams’ death, fans of Joan Rivers (many of them celebrities themselves) have poured out their hearts on social media:

  • Marli Hamblin, Utah Teen, Dies in Tragic Accident

    Every now and again a news story comes along which reminds us of the fragile nature of life. This happens to be one of those moments.

    Marli Hamblin, age 15, was listening to her iPod and sunbathing in her driveway this past Friday, theoretically getting the most out of her final days of summer before the beginning of the next school year. Her moment of sun-soaked bliss would not last long, though, as disaster would quickly strike.

    “Her sister told me that she had a date. She was going fishing,” stated Tyler Hamblin, Marli’s uncle.

    Perhaps it was due to the distraction of a date, or even perhaps the lack of a line-of-sight, which would lead to the accident. Whatever the cause, no one was to blame.

    As Marli’s sister was leaving the house for her date, she climbed into the family’s Chevy truck and backed down the driveway. Unbeknownst to her, Marli was still sunbathing.

    “The driver wasn’t paying attention, obviously didn’t think there would be anyone in the driveway, and just backed out,” stated Erin Behm, a police spokeswoman.

    Marli was quickly airlifted to Ogden Regional Medical Center after having her head run over by the truck. The family asked for thoughts and prayers while doctors attempted to save Marli’s life. Unfortunately, Marli passed away on Sunday.

    Post by Miracle for Marli.

    “They determined there was no brain activity. There was no chance of recovering, so the decision was made to let her pass and return to her Heavenly Father,” explained cousin and LDS bishop Lance Hamblin.

    Known for her ever-present optimism and contagious love for life, Marli’s mother, Lisa, believes that Marli’s legacy will continue to live on despite her loss: “She is a miracle to others because we’ve decided that, that is what she would want, is to be a donor and so she’s helping others to be able to live on with their families even though she’s not with us.”

    To help pay for their medical pills, friends set-up a donation page at gofundme.com. Thus far, the family has raised nearly $10,000 of the needed $50,000.

    Image via Facebook

  • Robin Williams Found Dead From Apparent Suicide

    Robin Williams, one of Hollywood’s most loved actors and comedians, has died at the age of 63.

    According to authorities, Williams was found unconscious at his home in Tiburon, California early this morning. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office and Williams’ rep both confirmed his death, and referenced an apparent suicide as the cause.

    Williams’ rep explained that he had been battling a severed bout of depression, and asked for privacy for his family. “Robin Williams passed away this morning,” Williams’ rep said. “He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.”

    “On August 11, 2014, at approximately 11:55am, Marin County Communications received a 911 telephone call reporting a male adult had been located unconscious and not breathing inside his residence in unincorporated Tiburon, CA,” the statement from the coroner’s office read.

    “The male subject, pronounced deceased at 12:02pm has been identified as Robin McLaurin Williams, a 63 year old resident of unincorporated Tiburon, CA,” the statement continued. “Preliminary information developed during the investigation indicates Mr. Williams was last seen alive at his residence, where he resides with his wife, at approximately 10pm on August 10, 2014.”

    “Mr. Williams was located this morning shortly before the 911 call was placed to Marin County Communications,” the statement added. “A comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made. A forensic examination is currently scheduled for August 12, 2014 with subsequent toxicology testing to be conducted.”

    Robin’s wife, Susan Schneider, issued a brief statement about her husband’s tragic death.

    “This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend,” Susan said. “While the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.”

    This is a breaking news story and more information will be shared as it becomes available.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tony Stewart Hits and Kills Race Car Driver [VIDEO]

    NASCAR driver Tony Stewart hit and killed another driver during a 25-lap race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York on Saturday night. Police are investigating the incident and report that Stewart is being completely cooperative.

    The incident that took the life of 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr. occurred about halfway through the sprint car race. Following a collision with Tony Stewart that took Ward out of the race, Ward exited his car and began walking up the track while other cars were approaching. It was then that Stewart clipped Ward, which resulted in the young man’s death.

    View a video of the incident below. Warning: the below video is graphic; view at your own discretion.

    In an interview with Sporting News, sprint car driver Tyler Graves gave his version of the incident.

    “Tony pinched him into the frontstretch wall, a racing thing,” Graves said. “The right rear tire went down, he spun on the exit of (Turn) 2. They threw the caution and everything was toned down. Kevin got out of his car…He was throwing his arms up all over the place at Tony for most of the corner.”

    “I know Tony could see him,” Graves continued. “When Tony got close to him, he hit the throttle. When you hit a throttle on a sprint car, the car sets sideways. It set sideways, the right rear tire hit Kevin, Kevin was sucked underneath and was stuck under it for a second or two and then it threw him about 50 yards.”

    Even though Graves believes Stewart was angry with Ward (image below), he doesn’t believe that Stewart hit the other driver on purpose. “You never mean to do something like that,” Graves said. “Kevin was pissed and he let Tony know. And Tony was trying to give the message back that he wasn’t happy either. He went over the line with it.”

    No charges have been brought against Tony Stewart so far, but police are investigating the incident. The fact that Stewart hasn’t been charged has angered many racing fans, many of whom believe that something like this was bound to happen because of the driver’s infamous temper.

    Despite a spokesperson saying that Sunday’s NASCAR race would be “business as usual” for Tony Stewart, it has now been announced that Stewart won’t participate in Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ariana Grande Mourning Grandfather’s Passing

    Ariana Grande lost her beloved grandfather, 90-year-old Frank Grande, this past week to cancer, and even watched her brother, Frankie Grande–a Big Brother contestant–receive the news while on the show. Both the Problem singer and her brother–as well as their whole family–are now in mourning.

    Ariana appreciated all the support she received from her friends and family, as well as from her fans all around the world. They reached out to her via social media and she made a point of reaching back. She also shared memories and photos of her beloved grandfather.

    The former Sam & Cat star shared a very poignant shot of her visiting her grandfather in his final days. She flew to Boca Raton over the 4th of July holiday and spent some quality time with him.

    She captioned it very simply, ‘I love you.’

    She also shared some shots of her very handsome grandfather during his younger days. This one is captioned ‘frank & babe late 40’s.’ Babe is Ariana Grande’s grandmother.

    And then she posted this solo shot of Frank Grande. He really was a very handsome man.

    This beautiful photo features Ariana Grande and her grandfather enjoying happy times together.

    These photos will forever be treasures to Ariana now that her grandfather is gone. She no doubt realizes she was blessed to have him and is proud of him for fighting his cancer battle. At ninety, perhaps it was simply his time to go.

    Ariana has a heart filled with grace. That is quite evident in the message she shared with all those who prayed for her and cried with her during this most difficult time.

    In time Ariana Grande will come to view these precious photos with a smile on her face and a sense of love in her heart. Yes, the mourning is painful, but in time it will lift and leave behind a feeling of peace and of knowing that she took the time to be with her grandfather during his last days.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ Cope With Cast Member’s Death

    Rizzoli and Isles is finally saying goodbye to Lee Thompson Young, who played Detective Barry Frost on the TNT crime drama.

    Nearly a year ago, the 29-year-old, former Disney Channel actor was found dead in his North Hollywood home from an apparent suicide.

    Fans of the show have been wondering how Young would be written off the show, and they finally got their answer during the new episode that aired this week. Barry’s colleagues learned that he had been in a car accident, and in the episode schedule to air next week, they will find out that he has died.

    Sasha Alexander, who plays medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles, said that the episodes were very difficult to shoot, but she hopes that they will give their fans some closure. “I hope that people who knew him and adored him and loved him on the show will enjoy it and be able to move through it with us,” Alexander said.

    “I really do think it was very brave of TNT and Warner Bros. and Jan Nash to embark on handling it head-on,” Alexander added. “They might have been like, ‘I can’t deal with this. I don’t know how to handle this,’ but they didn’t. They went for it and everyone just embraced it and I think that was really just to show our love for him.”

    Alexander also revealed that it has been very difficult on the entire cast for Young not to be on set. She explained that they have not replaced his character, and do not think the producers will do so anytime soon.

    “They have not replaced him and don’t intend to do so anytime soon,” she said. “So his seat remains empty and it’s something that we have had to look at and struggle with from day one of shooting.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Man Killed At Yellowstone National Park

    Man Killed At Yellowstone National Park

    A hike at Yellowstone National Park turned deadly after a tree fell on a 36-year-old visitor.

    The man, who was from Taiwan, the Republic of China, was part of a group of hikers that were hiking the Fairy Falls trail which is north of the Old Faithful area and west of the Grand Loop Road.

    In an attempt to get a better view of the Grand Prismatic Spring, the man, who is not being identified until his family can be notified, left the trail and retreated to a tree-covered slope.

    That is when the hike turned tragic. While standing on the slope, a dead lodgepole pine tree fell and struck the man on the head, instantly killing him.

    Witnesses to the incident headed back down the trail and located two maintenance workers who informed the Yellowstone law enforcement rangers what had happened.

    The rangers immediately took action and made their way to the man. The victim was then moved by the park rangers to be transported by helicopter to a nearby medical facility. The rangers tried several times to revive the man, but all of their attempts were unsuccessful and he was declared dead at the scene.

    The tree that fell on the man was one of the many trees that were killed during the Yellowstone National Park’s 1988 fires. Windy weather conditions were reported by the rangers, and the National Park Service is currently investigating the incident.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Nap Nanny Leads To Six Infant Deaths

    Nap Nanny Leads To Six Infant Deaths

    A sixth child has died while using the recalled infant recliner called the Nap Nanny.

    According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the latest casualty involved an eight-month-old little girl from New Jersey. The infant was secured with a seat belt in the Nap Nanny, however she suffocated when she was found partly hanging between the crib bumper and the product.

    Baby Matters LLC of Berwyn, Pennsylvania issued a voluntary recall of the Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill products in June 2013. Since then the CPSC has urged parents to stop using the product, and not to purchase these products from yard sales or other hand-me-down stores.

    “Our message to parents is clear: Stop using it. It’s dangerous,” CPSC Communications Director Scott Wolfson said. “There’s been six deaths already, and we don’t want another child to die unnecessarily.”

    According to the press release issued last year, approximately 165,000 Nap Nanny products were sold between 2009 and 2012. While the company has been out of business for two years now, the danger comes from people purchasing this product second hand.

    “This is a product that should be out of homes and we urge all parents to stop using the product,” Wolfson said. “Don’t sell it at a garage sale. Don’t take it back to a local thrift store. Don’t put it on eBay or Craigslist. Just throw it away.”

    The company said that the product was never intended to be used inside a crib, and they are heartbroken for the families who have lost their children due to their products.

    It is now illegal to sell any of the Nap Nanny products in the United States.

    Image via toysrus.com

  • Mary Soames, Daughter of Winston Churchill, Dies

    Mary Soames, the youngest daughter of former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Has died. According to a BBC News report, Soames died on Saturday May 31 after suffering from a short illness. Soames was 91 years old.

    Soames was born Mary Spencer-Churchill on September 15, 1922. She was the youngest child of Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine Churchill, born while Churchill served the role of Secretary of State for the Colonies.

    Soames’ death has resulted in an outpouring of sympathy for Soames’ family, as well as many recollections of Soames and her father. Prime minister David Cameron released a statement this weekend, calling on people to remember Soames’ service during World War II.

    “I am saddened to hear that Mary Soames, Winston Churchill’s last surviving child, has died,” said Cameron. “She was a wonderful, warm-hearted woman who could always put others at ease. She was very kind to Samantha and me and we felt privileged to know her.

    “My thoughts are with her family, who can take pride in her distinguished life.”

    As her father continued to climb the ranks of the Conservative Party, Soames began her lifetime of public service, working with the Red Cross and the Women’s voluntary Service from 1939 to 1941. When World War II began in Britain, Soames joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, manning anti-aircraft batteries.

    After rising to the rank of Junior Commander during the war, Soames was knighted for her accomplishments. Continuing her career in public service over the next decades, she would go on to be knighted Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1980. Throughout her life Soames served with the Church Army and Churchill Houses; was a patron of the International Churchill Society and the National Benevolent Fund for the Aged; and was chair of the board of trustees for the Royal National Theatre.

    In 1947 Soames married Arthur Christopher John Soames, a Conservative Party colleague of her father’s. Christopher Soames would become a Member of Parliament in 1950 and later hold the titles of Secretary of State for War, Shadow Foreign Secretary, and the British Ambassador to France. Mary Soames accompanied her husband in 1979 when he was appointed Governor of Southern Rhodesia. Christopher Soames was granted the life peer title of Baron Soames in 1978 and died in 1987.

    Image via Philip Allfrey/Wikimedia Commons

  • Stoned to Death: Pakistani Woman Dies Anachronistically

    In late middle school or early high school, we all had a deep-seated fear of stoning placed in us by Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery”. In said story, members of a town draw slips of paper until one family is singled out by drawing the paper with the black dot. Ultimately, the family draws papers again until a single person is determined the winner of the lottery, only to receive stoning as their reward. All of this is done in order to ensure a good harvest for the summer.

    At the time of reading such a story, it is easy to dismiss such a practice as archaic. One never thinks about the reality of such an incident occurring. Unfortunately, fiction reflects reality all too often.

    On Tuesday, 25-year-old Farzana Parveen was stoned to death by her family outside of a court house in Lahore, the second biggest city in Pakistan.

    The reason for the outpour of violence had to do with the person Farzana Parveen chose to marry. In Pakistan, and many other cultures in the eastern hemisphere, it is common practice for the family to construct an arranged marriage for the children, and marriage for the sake of love is seen as a transgression against the honor of the family.

    Instead of marrying her cousin as her family insisted, Parveen decided to elope with the love of her life, Mohammad Iqbal.

    Upon hearing of the two sneaking off to marry, Parveen’s father filed an abduction case against Iqbal.

    As Parveen and Iqbal were attending a court session Tuesday to contest the claims of abduction, 20 of Parveen’s family members, including her father and brothers, began attacking her and her husband with bricks from a nearby construction site.

    Parveen was taken to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead due to head trauma.

    Unfortunately, all of the attackers escaped except for Parveen’s father, who surrendered and admitted to the killing, saying it was a matter of honor.

    Honor killings are horrendously common in Pakistan, with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reporting 869 such honor killings in Pakistan in 2013.

    However, the honor killings are usually not as brutal or public as the stoning Parveen suffered.

    “I have not heard of any such case in which a woman was stoned to death, and the most shameful and worrying thing is that this woman was killed in front of a court,” stated Zia Awan, a lawyer and human rights activist.

    Despite the fact that this murder was carried out in broad daylight in front of many witnesses, Pakistani law will most likely allow the perpetrators to walk free.

    According to Pakistani law, the family of a murdered woman has the right to forgive the murderer and allow him or her to escape punishment. When the murderer is also a family member, it creates a loophole in the system that is unfixable.

    Knowing that Parveen’s father has a great chance to walk free is terribly disheartening for the advancement of human and women’s rights in the Middle East, especially considering he has no remorse for his actions: “I killed my daughter as she had insulted all of our family by marrying a man without our consent, and I have no regret over it.”

    Parveen’s body has been given to her husband, Mohammad Iqbal, for her burial.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIrlyx1cC7s

    Image via YouTube

  • Gordon Willis: Famed Cinematographer Dies

    Gordon Willis: Famed Cinematographer Dies

    You know Gordon Willis, even if you don’t know him by name. His work can be seen in any of the Godfather movies, Annie Hall, and All The President’s Men among many others.

    Willis was simply one of the best cinematographers that Hollywood had ever known. Sadly, Willis passed away on Sunday at his Cape Cod home. According to his wife Helen Willis, the 82-year-old died of cancer.

    Gordon and Helen Willis married in 1955 and would eventually have three children and five grandchildren.

    “He was a very, very good cinematographer who left a lasting impression on a lot of people,” said Helen Willis. “He was a mentor for a lot of people.”

    Willis was a native of New York City. His father had been a make-up man for Warner Bros., but Willis himself had a passion for photography growing up.

    “[It] cost my father a lot of money,” said Willis.

    He did fashion photo shoots in Greenwich Village prior to serving in the Air Force during the Korean War. There he made training films.

    After his service in the military and starting a family, he began to do work on television documentaries and commercials. His Hollywood career didn’t take off until he drew the attention of directors like Coppola with his work on the X-rated cult film, The End of The Road.

    Throughout the 1970s, Willis worked on a number of films that would go on to be movie classics. While many give credit to the actors and directors in these notable films, the look of the movies owed much to the camera work and ceaseless professionalism of Willis.

    His last movie was 1997’s The Devil’s Own, which starred Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford. Willis said he’d grown “tired of trying to get actors out of trailers, and standing in the rain.”

    Though it has been many years since the “Prince of Darkness” retired from the movie business, his work continues to be fondly appreciated. Willis himself will be both fondly appreciated and respectfully remembered for many years to come.

    Image via YouTube