Flavor Flav helps Paralympic athlete raise money to have parents watch him compete in Paris
Flavor Flav, who recently served as the “hype man” of the U.S. water polo teams at the Olympic Games,reposted Mayhugh’s post on X on Wednesday saying, “Imagine spending 18 years taking ya kid to every practice and game and working 2-3 jobs to buy equipment,,, and then not being able to watch them play the biggest game of they life.”
Within a day, Mayhugh reached his goal, thanks to the generosity of Flav and his fans.
Paris will be Mayhugh’s second Paralympics, but his parents and other spectators were unable to attend in Tokyo.
He stated in the GoFundMe that his parents have never been able to watch him compete internationally, and now they will on the biggest stage of all. It won’t be just Mayhugh’s parents watching – one donor said he and his son with hemiplegia, paralysis on one side of the body, will be watching The Games.
Mayhugh has cerebral palsy and won gold medals at the Tokyo Games in the 100 m and 200 m T37 classification races, and gold in the mixed 4×100 m relay and silver in the 400 m T37.
Flavor Flav expressed gratitude for the numerous small contributions in a tweet on Thursday, “I see so many of y’all donating $5,,, and imma so touched. It all adds up and goes a long way.”
Flav’s latest deed comes after he and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian helped Team USA discus thrower Veronica Fraley pay her rent after she told her followers on X she was struggling to make ends meet during the Paris Olympic Games.
The rap icon of Public Enemy also recently jumped in to get a custom bronze clock necklace made for American gymnast Jordan Chiles after she was stripped of her bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee.
The games, hosted by Golden Dog Adventures in partnership with 19 other organizations, were held at several locations over the course of two weeks.
Twenty-three canine athletes and their handlers competed in 18 events, including agility, howling treat toss, and ice cream licking.
Rocky took home the gold medal, silver went to Charlotte, and Whiskey won the bronze.
Calico lobsters are one of the rarest kinds of lobsters in the world
Sarah Seale shared a picture with Maine’s Total Coverage of a calico lobster that her husband, Josh, and son, Zach, who is a junior lobsterman, caught on Wednesday. Their boat operates out of Wells Harbor.
As the lobster was not of legal size to keep, it was thrown back — after posing for some pictures.
Related video above: Orange lobster at Maine university has babies that match her rare color
Sarah said this is the first time her husband and son have ever caught something like this.
Calico lobsters are one of the most rare colorations. According to the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, only about one in every 30 million lobsters is calico.
Several uniquely colored lobsters are pulled from Maine waters every year, including blue, orange, cotton candy, spotted and yellow.
Recently, an orange lobster at the University of New England produced eggs that hatched more orange lobsters.
The National Hurricane Center is tracking Hurricane Ernesto.
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A Cincinnati-area amusement park took a risk by building a roller coaster that would reignite America’s love for scream machines
Watch an excerpt, above, from the new documentary “The Roller Coaster Wars That Birthed a Beast,” available now on the Very Localapp.
It’s hard to imagine a world without roller coasters and amusement parks. But for a few decades, roller coasters were on the brink of extinction, brought on by an economic downturn from the Great Depression and World War II.
It took the budding amusement park Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio, to take a huge risk and build a wooden roller coaster – The Racer – to reignite the renaissance of roller coasters in the 1970s.
Roller coasters were all the rage in the 1920s – a period dubbed “The Golden Era of Roller Coasters.” Over 1,500 were in operation across the country. Coney Island’s iconic “Cyclone” roller coaster was birthed during this time in 1927.
But when The Great Depression and WWII hit, expendable income dried up, and fewer people could afford to go to amusement parks.
This nosedive in profits for the industry lasted from the 1930s to the 1960s. With no profits to build or repair rides, amusement parks tore down hundreds of roller coasters.
However, a beacon of hope was found in 1972, when Kings Island, an amusement park outside of Cincinnati, opened for the first time.
Its debut came with the opening of The Racer, a classic out-and-back roller coaster where riders in two cars race along twin tracks.
“Disney and Six Flags, who were both operating parks, felt that roller coasters were passé, they were carnival, they were done,” said Dennis Speigel, the founder of International Theme Parks Services, Inc.
The long lines for The Racer caught the eye of a Six Flags representative, which helped them realize how important roller coasters could be, said Speigel.
More than 1,000 wooden roller coasters were built around the world because of The Racer’s success.
But through the 1970s, if Kings Island wanted to stay competitive among bigger parks, the thrills needed to keep getting bigger and better.
Soon enough, Kings Island would unleash onto the world two roller coaster monsters that would change history.
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It’s not his first time jumping from a plane in his 90s.
“It was on my bucket list,” Ebert said. “I said when I was 90 years old, ‘I’m going to skydive,’ and that’s what I did. And I loved it!”
Ebert loved it so much, he returned to Jumptown Skydiving in Orange just days before his 91st birthday.
“I’m coming every year,” he said. “I’m coming every year I can.”
Ebert was all smiles in the sky as he prepared to jump, diving with the same instructor as last year.
“You’re doing great,” the instructor said, as they parachuted through the sky.
While it took a year, George convinced a dozen of his family members to join him on the jump, including two of his sons, who have fears of heights.
“That was unbelievable,” said John Ebert, George’s son, upon landing.
As George Ebert came in for a smooth landing, he vowed to keep coming back to keep the birthday tradition going.
“I think I’m coming back until I’m 104 years old,” he said. “I’m going to beat that record.”
George turns 91 on Sunday.
See more in the video player above.
The “large” Ernesto is expected to bring Bermuda strong winds, dangerous storm surge and life-threatening flooding, the National Hurricane Center said.
In its latest advisory, the NHC said Ernesto is 15 miles north-north-east of Bermuda. With maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and a minimum central pressure of 974 mb, the storm is prompting new warnings.
Preparations in Bermuda should be completed immediately.
>> Track Hurricane Ernesto here
A hurricane warning has been issued for Bermuda, which means hurricane conditions are expected soon. According to the NHC, preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion under these circumstances.
Some gradual weakening is expected throughout the next day as the storm comes closer to the island, but Ernesto could become more intense next week, the NHC said.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the 2024 hurricane season.
We are currently just about a month out from the peak of hurricane season, which is Sept. 10. The end of hurricane season is Nov. 30.
More: Where do hurricanes begin?
Related: WESH 2 Hurricane Survival Guide 2024
Ernesto impacts in Central Florida
While current models do not show any direct impacts from Tropical Storm Ernesto, the storm’s presence in the Atlantic has the potential to intensify Central Florida beach conditions such as wave height and surf.
Wave heights over the weekend have the potential to be anywhere from 4 feet to 8 feet. Beachgoers should also be aware that rip current risks could be elevated because of Ernesto.
Aside from rough beach conditions, Ernesto is actually causing dryer air to move across Florida, giving the state a rare cold front and less humidity. It should make for dry, cooler conditions throughout the weekend.
First Warning Weather
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A jury of six found Susan Lorincz guilty of shooting and killing AJ Owens, providing a sense of justice for Owens’ family.
“Today, our family can sleep a little better knowing that Susan Lorincz will no longer be a threat to our community, especially to my grandchildren,” said Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias.
Related: Jury finds Susan Lorincz guilty of manslaughter in death of AJ Owens
Lorincz, who is white, had for years hurled racial slurs at Owens’ children and even threw a shoe at them.
In June 2023, the conflict escalated when Owens knocked on Lorincz’s locked front door.
Lorincz shot Owens through the door, killing her.
Lorincz claimed self-defense, citing Florida’s “stand your ground” law, but the jury rejected this defense.
“We still believe that ‘stand your ground’ is a discriminatory law that disproportionately impacts people of color. We are grateful that in this case, the jury did not accept this law as justification for an unjustifiable killing,” said Ben Crump, attorney for the Owens family.
In Florida, the “stand your ground” law gained notoriety during the Trayvon Martin case.
Legal experts believe today’s verdict sets a higher bar for future cases involving this defense.
“In this case, the defense brought in several experts as to her state of mind. She was also taking medication. Her anxiety level. I think that just wasn’t enough to convince a jury that this was clear and imminent,” said criminal defense attorney Jose Rivas.
Before the game began, the Hawks held a tribute to Link.
First, a moment of silence was observed, followed by a special presentation to Link’s widow, Brittany, who received a bag of special gifts from the school family.
Teacher Brian Katz said the couple met as seniors in his economics class 10 years ago.
“He was a very nice young man, very funny,” Katz aid. “Everyone loved Brad, didn’t have a bad thing to say about him. He knew what he wanted to do in life and he met that goal.”
Link was killed in the line of duty on Aug. 2.
The Lake County sheriff says his men were ambushed after responding to a disturbance call at a home on Brookside Drive.
Link, 28, graduated from Lake Minneola High School in 2015.
The principal says the Hawk’s creed is “Once a hawk, always a hawk,” and Link exemplified that.
“And the great memories that people have of him and how highly he is regarded here at Lake Minneola means so much. We’re quite proud of him,” Principal William Roberts said.
To ensure his legacy lives on, the school has named a scholarship in Link’s honor.
A jury of six people found Susan Lorincz guilty of manslaughter after a short deliberation.
Lorincz shot Ajike “AJ” Owens after a confrontation about Owens’ kids playing in Lorincz’s yard.
During the woman’s trial, which started on Tuesday, prosecutors argued that Owens was unarmed and did not threaten Lorincz when she shot through her locked front door. The defense says Lorincz feared for her life.
All week, witnesses have been called by both sides. The state rested its case on Wednesday and the defense did the same on Thursday. Lorincz decided she would not take the stand in her own defense.
“We still believe that “stand your ground” is a discriminatory law that disproportionately impacts people of color,” said attorney Ben Crump representing the Owens family. “We are grateful that in this case. The jury did not accept this law as justification for an unjustifiable killing.”
Susan Lorincz trial coverage:
- Day 1: Witnesses recall lingering issues between Susan Lorincz, victim in manslaughter trial
- Day 2: Front door with bullet hole brought into courtroom
- Day 3: Defense calls forensic analysts; closing arguments expected Friday
Closing arguments were complete by 11:10 a.m. on Friday.
On Thursday night, AJ Owens’ family released a statement saying they hope the jury’s verdict reflects the gravity of what has been taken and that they can find peace.
“We are united in our grief, but we are also united in our hope for a better tomorrow,” the statement says.
About the case:
In June 2023, Marion County deputies were called to a home after a mother, later identified as Owens, was shot and killed. Her neighbor, Lorincz, admitted to the shooting and was arrested a few days later.
According to officials, the shooting stemmed from an argument over Owens’ kids, which was not atypical, deputies said. Officials say they had responded to the area six to eight times before.
Lorincz used stand your grand as part of her defense. But legal experts, however, say Friday’s verdict sets the bar higher for future stand your ground cases.
“In this case the defense brought in several experts as to her state of mind,” says criminal defense attorney Jose Rivas. “She was also taking medication. Her anxiety level. I think that just wasn’t enough to convince a jury that this was clear and imminent.”
RELATED: Leaving race out of Susan Lorincz’s trial may help AJ Owens, legal expert says
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said there was a confrontation between Lorincz and the children, which then prompted Owens to go to Lorincz’s door. That’s when the fatal shooting occurred.
The sheriff’s office arrested Lorincz and booked her into jail on manslaughter charges less than a week after the incident. The Owens family tried to push for a murder charge, but that did not end up happening.
Through it all, Lorincz has said Owens threatened her and violently knocked on her door, which caused her to fire out of fear for her life.
RELATED: Ocala woman who shot neighbor through door, killing her, pleads not guilty
RELATED: Documents reveal statements made by Susan Lorincz after deadly shooting of AJ Owens
