Day: January 31, 2023

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Image Credit:distractify.com

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In one memorable episode of the popular ABC sitcom Laverne & Shirley, Laverne (played by the late Penny Marshall) wrote a beautiful poem about her friend and roommate Shirley (Cindy Williams). The episode centers around Shirley falling in love with the beatnik subculture that rose to fame in the early 1950s. Laverne was less enamored with the vibes, but she gave it her all.

“My best friend is Shirley Feeney, the best in all the land. Whenever we’re in trouble, we face it hand in hand. We laugh when we are happy, we cry when we are sad. We talk when we are lonely, just to know her makes me glad. If I had one wish in life, I know what it would be. I’d have Shirl as my best friend, for all eternity.”

This is especially lovely now that it was announced Cindy Williams passed away at the age of 75. Here’s what we know about her cause of death.

What was Cindy Williams’s cause of death?

In a statement made to People Magazine by Cindy Williams’s children shared the news of their mother’s death.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” they said. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

I did not know Cindy Williams but boy did I adore her work, especially the wacky joyful funny pleasure of watching her Laverne and Shirley days. I pray she had a good life and send my sympathy to those who knew and loved her. #RIPCindyWilliams

— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) January 31, 2023

They went on to say, “We have always been, and will remain, SO proud of her for many things… her lifelong mission to rescue animals, her prolific artistry, her faith, and most of all, her ability to make the world laugh! May that laughter continue in everyone, because she would want that. Thank you for loving our mom, she loved you too.”

She passed away after a “brief Illness,” per the Associated Press.

Cindy Williams is survived by her children Emily and Zak Hudson, whom she shared with Bill Hudson.

Up until her death, Cindy Williams shared a close relationship with her children, Emily (40) and Zak (36) Hudson, whose dad is guitarist Bill Hudson, the biological father of Kate and Oliver. Cindy and Bill were married from 1982 until their divorce in 2000.

The work of Cindy Williams spanned decades.

Cindy Williams grew up in Los Angeles, Calif. and despite her proximity to Hollywood, she did not come from a family in the business. She followed her own passion which would lead her to commercial work while starting out then, bit parts in major motion pictures. Although she didn’t have a huge part in George Lucas’s American Graffiti, her time as Ron Howard’s girlfriend in the movie earned Cindy a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Speaking of George Lucas, according to the Beaver County Times, Cindy auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars but, of course, it went to Carrie Fisher. Instead, the world had different ideas for the plucky comedic actress. In 1973, both Cindy and Penny were “hired by Francis Coppola’s Zoetrope company as writers on a prospective TV spoof for the Bicentennial,” per the Los Angeles Times. This is the second time they met.

As much as we’d like to believe they were hired for their funny bones, it was a gendered decision. “They wanted two women,” Cindy told the Los Angeles Times in 1995 ahead of a Laverne & Shirley reunion.

While there, Penny’s brother, director Garry Marshall, asked if they wanted to guest star on Happy Days. They were so popular that their spinoff, Laverne & Shirley, ran for eight seasons on ABC.

Cindy would go on to guest star in various television shows and had small roles in less notable films. Her time on Laverne & Shirley was groundbreaking and left a significant footprint in the world of comedy. It showed the world that despite what some would claim, women were indeed funny. Children who watched the show got to witness ladies being goofy, which is a gift. It’s safe to say Cindy Williams made her dreams come true.

Note: This article is taken from distractify.com https://www.distractify.com/p/cindy-williams-cause-of-death

 

 

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Image Credit:axios.com

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A long-duration ice storm impacting portions of the Southern Plains and mid-South is expected to last until Wednesday, bringing the potential for power outages, tree damage and dangerous road conditions to several states.

The big picture: About 3.3 million Americans were under an ice storm warning on Tuesday morning, with 16.5 million under a winter storm warning, according to the National Weather Service. Many more were under other types of winter weather alerts, such as wind chill advisories.

State of play: “A glancing blow of arctic air mixed with a surge in moisture is setting the stage for an extensive and very dangerous ice event,” the National Weather Service warned in an update on its website

“The most likely corridor of icing with a mixture of sleet will occur from west-central Texas to the Tennessee and Lower Ohio Valleys. The ice accretion from Texas into Mid South may approach a half inch or more through Wednesday and cause power outages and travel issues.”

Zoom in: Frigid air in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains headed South, where it’s encountering moisture along a frontal boundary, and leading to this treacherous stretch of icy precipitation.

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center forecast several rounds of wintry precipitation, including light freezing rain and sleet from Monday to Wednesday. Ice accumulations may be greater than a quarter of an inch, the prediction center said.

The ice “will lead to tree damage and power outages across the hardest-hit regions,” it added.

The dangerous weather had already led to hundreds of flight delays and cancelations by Monday afternoon.

Winter storms and ice freeze U.S.

Winter storm and ice storm warnings were in effect across several states, from Texas to Arkansas to Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service.

“Travel could be nearly impossible in some areas,” the NWS said.

Sleet and freezing rain has fallen across Texas on Monday. Much of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area is under a winter storm warning until Wednesday morning.

Moderate to heavy sleet, possibly accompanied by thunder, is expected in both Arkansas and Oklahoma, according to the NWS’ Tulsa office.

Freezing rain and sleet are expected in Kentucky, too, making “travel treacherous” through Tuesday morning, per the NWS’ Paducah, Kentucky, office.

An icy mix of precipitation is expected across at least 15 states from Monday to Wednesday, according to the NWS’s Weather Prediction Center.

More than one-quarter inch of ice accumulation is forecast in states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee, the NWS said.

Memphis is currently under an ice storm warning until noon on Wednesday with “significant icing expected” and ice accumulations predicted to reach one-quarter to one-half inch, according to the NWS Memphis office.

In western Kentucky, one- to two-tenths of ice accumulation is expected, according to the NWS’ Paducah office.

Temperatures could hit 20 to 30 degrees below average throughout the Great Plains and Intermountain West to start the week, too, NOAA said. The Dakotas and Minnesota could see wind chill temperatures drop to minus-40°.

Temperatures were in the single digits Monday afternoon in South Dakota cities Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen.

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, had single-digit temperatures, too.

Flight delays and cancellations

Details: By 9 p.m. on Monday, more than 5,100 flights into, within or out of the United States were delayed, with around 1,100 flights canceled, according to data from FlightAware.

Most of the flights were from Southwest Airlines and were out of Dallas-Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field airports.

Southwest Airlines said travelers with flights to, from and through some cities in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Oklahoma can rebook flights without additional charges. This applies to flights from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. American Airlines also issued a waiver for DFW airport that applies to flights from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2.

Axios’ Andrew Freedman contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with further details on the storm.

Note: This article is taken from axios.com

https://www.axios.com/2023/01/30/winter-weather-storm-ice-texas-kentucky-flight-delays

 

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Image Credit:nbcsports.com

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Holding a comfortable double-digit lead through the first half and most of the third quarter, the Warriors had to dig in after the Thunder pulled within two in the fourth quarter.

Stephen Curry led the way, pouring in a game-high 38 points. Klay Thompson put in 28 points, while Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole each added 15.

The Warriors shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 42.6 percent beyond the arc.

Here are three observations from Golden State’s third consecutive win and the first game of a three-game road trip in the Western Conference:

Steph happens

Curry has enjoyed a few signature games in Oklahoma City – perhaps most notably his “double-bang” game-winning 35-footer in February 2016 – and he was fantastic on this night.

It wasn’t just the 38 points, on 12-of-20 shooting, including 8 of 14 from deep. There were the 12 assists, the eight rebounds, the blocked shot, and the plus-17 over 37 minutes. His 3-pointer with 2:35 remaining forced an OKC timeout and re-ignited the stagnating Golden State offense.

Beyond those mundane details, though, Curry was a picture of control and composure. When he was on the floor, the Warriors tended to own the building.

Curry was particularly significant in the fourth quarter, effectively putting the Thunder to sleep on a night when he passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the all-time franchise leader in made field goals.

Non-Steph minutes were, um, problematic

The Warriors took a 94-85 lead into the fourth quarter, which coach Steve Kerr opened by giving Curry his usual rest. But instead of the typical six minutes he only got a four-minute break.

That’s because the Thunder opened the fourth with a 13-6 run, closing the gap to 100-98 with 8:22 remaining.

That forced an early return for Curry. With an upcoming back-to-back road set against the hot Timberwolves (11-4 over their last 15 games) and the conference-leading Nuggets, Kerr placed a high priority on this game.

Kerr during his pregame news conference spoke of how well the bench is playing. He was right. The reserves have gotten better. The early fourth quarter was an unwanted throwback to some of their work early this season.

Back to Warriors basketball of yore

Since failing to record at least their standard 30 assists in four consecutive games this month, the Warriors are refamiliarizing themselves with the concept of effective passing.

They wasted no time against the Thunder, ringing up 15 assists in the first quarter – a season-high for any quarter – to take a 38-20 lead into the second quarter. Golden State finished with 37 assists.

This follows a 40-assist game in a win over the Raptors last Friday and piling up 33 assists in victory over the Grizzlies last Wednesday. The average over the last three games: 36.7 helpers per.

Golden State averaged 27.3 assists in the aforementioned four-game stretch during which they went 2-2. They’re 3-0 in over the last three games.

Moreover, this offense looks a lot more like that which the Warriors generally played during their five consecutive runs to the NBA Finals.

Note: This article is taken from nbcsports.com https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-observations-steph-curry-drops-38-big-win-over-thunder

 

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Image Credit:fox13news.com

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Ten people were hurt after a drive-by shooting in the middle of the day in a Lakeland neighborhood. Investigators are continuing to search for the four suspects and their blue vehicle.

Chief Sam Taylor said a dark blue four-door Nissan sedan was seen slowing near the shooting scene the windows were rolled down and shots were fired. Investigators say they do believe there were four shooters who were inside the vehicle.

Lakeland police are offering a $5,000 reward with Heartland Crime Stoppers for information that can lead to an arrest. Anonymous tips can be submitted by dialing 1-800-226-8477 or heading to the website: www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com.

The shooting occurred along North Iowa Avenue near Plum Street around 3:43 p.m. Monday.

Three shooting victims were found at the scene when officers arrived and were all taken to the hospital. The remainder were transported in personal vehicles. As of Monday night, two victims were in critical condition and needed surgery.

Chief Taylor said that in his three decades with the agency, he has never worked a case like this.

“This doesn’t happen in Lakeland,” Chief Taylor said. “I’ve been here 34 years, and I can tell you I have never worked an event where this many people have been shot at one time, ever.”

Officers said the vehicle was seen speeding off after the shooting, and they are now searching for the vehicle and the shooters who were inside. LPD said the vehicle also had dark-tinted windows and a temporary tag.

Investigators do not believe the shooting was random. However, police said they are not sure if all victims were targeted or if some may have been caught in the crossfire.

Chief Taylor said about 25 officers and 15 detectives responded to the shooting.

Tina Smith, who lives in the neighborhood, shared home security footage with FOX 13, saying her children just got off the school bus before bullets started flying. In the 30-second clip, shots were heard.

“Get in the house,” she said in the video. “I’ll call for help.”

Police said they found a large amount of marijuana at the scene and indicated there was possibly some type of drug sale at the time.

“It just reminds you how short life is,” Smith said. “Any moment can be taken from you whether you have anything to do with it or not.”

Note: This article is taken from fox13news.com

https://www.fox13news.com/news/lakeland-police-continue-search-for-suspect-vehicle-in-drive-by-shooting-that-injured-10