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Child inspired by catching a hat at West Point graduation prepares for boot camp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - It's been a dream of Kathryn Miller's to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point practically her whole life. In 2010, the then-five-year-old child ran onto the field at the West Point graduation ceremony as cadets tossed their caps into the air. As is tradition, the children who catch a hat get to keep it, along with any money or messages left inside."I remember feeling so encouraged, surrounded by the cadets, even at that young age I could see myself - this is something I want to do," Miller told WAVY. Her whole life has been connected to the military. How AI is changing the 2024 election Her Mom and Dad met in the Army. Dad, Col. Jake Miller, graduated West Point and taught there when Kathryn was in preschool."I was three years old telling people that in 2040 I'm running for president," she said.She started running toward her goals early, which isn't easy when the Army moves your family every couple of years. Jamestown High Scho...

The original Twinkie wasn't 'plain,' but a different flavor entirely

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The Twinkie — one of America’s quintessential junk foods — wasn’t always so junky.It wasn’t health food either, but its original recipe boasted more natural ingredients than the current one, including a somewhat surprising fruit.The inspiration for the Twinkie came about in 1930, when an employee of the Continental Baking Company (the then-owner of the Hostess brand) was seeking a way to boost productivity at a Chicago-area plant. At the time, the company’s signature product was a long sponge cake filled with strawberries and cream, but strawberries — being seasonal — weren’t readily available year-round, meaning some of the bakery’s equipment was going unused for months, Hostess once explained.Bakery manager James Dewar, seeing an opportunity to introduce a new item during less-fruitful times, reportedly turned his attention to the banana, which was plentiful year-round.Dewar oversaw the first batches of the new banana-cream-filled cakes. He called them Twinkies, settli...

Dean’s A-List Interviews: Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson talk 'Asteroid City'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards sits down with stars of "Asteroid City," Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson.Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Can drowsy driving be compared to drunk driving?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

(WHTM) -- When driving behind the wheel of a car, sometimes you can get pretty relaxed -- to the point of closing your eyes. This is especially true if you haven't gotten enough sleep. Driving without sleep is dangerous, but does it compare to driving drunk? In 2017, drowsy driving was the reason behind at least 91,000 car crashes, 50,000 injuries and 795 deaths, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. That's compared with 9,949 fatal alcohol-related crashes during the same time. While not exactly the same, drowsy driving and drunk driving have similarities, including a decrease in reaction time, according to Sleepfoundation.org.After being awake for 18 hours, reaction time, multi-tasking and hand-eye coordination are comparable to someone who has a blood alcohol content of .05%, which increases to .08% after being awake for 20 hours. After 24 hours of sleeplessness, impairment jumps to being comparable to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1%. The lega...

Your garden can't escape the heat. How to make sure your plants don't die

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

BUDA, TX (KXAN) -- The June heat wave continues in Central Texas with no end to the triple-digit temperatures on the horizon.Austin already broke a heat record for the month after the temperature never dropped below 82 degrees on June 15th at Camp Mabry, the warmest low temperature in June on record. Austin just broke an all-time heat record for the month of June If you're worried about your plants in this heat, or are already seeing signs of distress, you're not alone. If you're just starting a garden or would like to add to yours, Texas A&M AgriLife has a list of "Texas Superstar Plants" that it calls both strong and stunning. For the rest of us just trying to keep what we already have alive, KXAN talked with Moon Valley Nurseries Regional Manager Steve Hall about best practices in the heat.Tom Miller: When the weather gets this hot, what is the biggest risk to our plants and our trees?Steve Hall: The biggest risk is typically an improper watering schedule. A lot of people t...

Former & current pro athletes attending Latham volleyball tournament

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The annual CAT Volleyball Charity Tournament will be on Wednesday, starting at 5 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m. at the NOVUS Headquarters in Latham. The event will feature former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Michael Oher, Super Bowl Champion Harrison Butker, and Team USA volleyball player Terese Cannon. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Last year, the event raised over $15,000 for the American Cancer Society of the Captial Region last year. The event's goal this year is to raise $25,000. Games are slated to start at 6 p.m.

Hidden Santa Monica history comes to life through AR walking tour

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

Imagine taking a walking tour where the buildings you're looking at come to life.That's what Snapchat is unveiling with a new augmented reality (AR) experience in Santa Monica called Broadway to Freeway.The visual walking tour tells the story of a thriving community of color in Santa Monica that was erased by the development of the 10 freeway in the 1960s.To access the tour, you scan a QR code or open the Snapchat app and look for the lens. The tour has several stops on a map, and you look through your phone to bring the history of the area to life with audio, photos, and more.The tour is being released to honor Juneteenth."We think it's critical because so many people don't know the history of their own local communities," said Jasson Crockett, Snap Public Policy Manager.Jasson Crockett, Snap Public Policy Manager.The tour was created in partnership with the Quinn Research Center, which exists to study black family history and culture in the Santa Monica Bay area. "It’s so exciting...

TV Watch: Searching For Soul Food With Chef Alisa Reynolds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

Chef Alisa Reynolds’ definition of soul food is love — love that is found in every culture and every country around the world, dating back to before recipes were even written down. In her new Hulu series, Searching for Soul Food, the queer Black chef travels around the globe exploring stories, the people and traditions in the culinary worlds of Mississippi, Oklahoma, Appalachia, South Africa, Italy, Jamaica, Peru and her hometown of Los Angeles.“I asked myself what soul food really is and what does it really mean?” the owner of My 2 Cents LA, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, tells LA Weekly. “Not only for my people, but for America and the world. Do these same elements happen in other cultures — the love and sense of home and comfort? So I went out to search for it in other places and found that it’s centered in tradition. Some of these recipes were never actually written down and the things that grandmothers hold in their hands that are taught through legacy and lineage,...

How to survive a bear attack – or better yet, avoid one altogether

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

By Forrest Brown | CNNYou’re out for a hike on a glorious fall day. Suddenly, you spot a bear. And the bear has spotted you, too. Would you know what to do next?Beth Pratt sure would.She was once on the Old Gardiner Road Trail in Yellowstone National Park, enjoying her run in wild nature. Her reverie came to an end when she came upon a grizzly bear eating flowers.“I stopped. It stood on its hind legs and looked at me. I knew that wasn’t a threatening gesture,” she told CNN Travel. “I’m not kidding, it waved its paw at me as if to say, ‘just go on your way,’ and went back to eating.”“And I walked slowly away and put some distance between us, and the encounter ended fine.”When it comes to dealing with bears, Pratt does have a thing or two on almost all the rest of us, though.She is the California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, a job she’s had for more than 10 years. She also worked in Yellowstone for several years – and once saw nine grizzlies in one...

Hiker missing at same California swimming hole where woman died

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:31:16 GMT

A hiker went missing at the same San Diego County swimming hole where a woman died a week earlier.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Map: People drowned or swept away in California rivers, spring 2023 The disappearance of the 27-year-old man was reported just before 5 p.m. on Friday, June 16, the San Diego County sheriff’s department said. The man had been swimming in the middle pool at Three Sisters Falls when he went under the water and did not resurface, his companion told deputies.The search continued until nightfall and resumed around 8 a.m. on Saturday, the sheriff’s department said.On Friday night, the Helix Water District decreased a dam’s water flow into Boulder Creek upstream of the tiered waterfall.The U.S. Forest Service has closed the trail to the falls until further notice. The popular hiking destination is reached by a 2-mile trail in the mountains southwest of Julian.In the previous week’s death, on June 8, a 48-year-old O...