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Webster County student to march in 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Webster County student to march in 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Yahoo21-05-2025
UPPERGLADE, W.Va. (WBOY) — A Webster County High School freshman will be marching through the streets of New York City this November as part of the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Alexa Snyder has been selected to perform with the Macy's Great American Marching Band, a prestigious ensemble made up of top student musicians from across the country. She is the first-ever student from Webster County High School to earn a spot in the nationally televised event.
'I am very excited to go because I really enjoy hanging out with other people who perform the same ways I do, who like the same things that I do. Going to New York is a very big experience and it will open a lot of opportunities for me when I graduate,' Snyder said. 'It's a big honor. There are not many things that go on down in this small town and I am very excited to go there and represent Webster County and represent West Virginia.
Harrison County woman gets motorcycle ride for her 90th birthday
Snyder said she has watched the parade for years and has always been especially drawn to the performances by the marching bands. Before traveling to New York in November, Snyder said she has a few songs to memorize in preparation for performing with the Macy's Great American Marching Band.
'I am so excited for her because this is a giant deal, and it's not just a giant deal for our high school, it's a giant deal for our state. West Virginia doesn't see representation like it should in the fine arts communities, and to see one of my students who's a freshman make the Macy's Day All American Marching Band it's really exciting,' the Wester County High School Band Director Tabitha Terry said.
Terry noted that the high school marching band continues to grow in membership and that both the band and its members actively support community events throughout the county. She also highlighted that several students perform with collegiate-level honor bands, all while remaining committed to the various performances and responsibilities associated with the local marching and concert bands.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Anne Burrell's death under investigation as a possible drug overdose
Anne Burrell's death under investigation as a possible drug overdose

Chicago Tribune

time23-06-2025

  • Chicago Tribune

Anne Burrell's death under investigation as a possible drug overdose

The New York City Police Department is investigating the death of Anne Burrell, the popular Food Network star who was found dead in her Brooklyn home on Tuesday morning, as a possible drug overdose, according to an internal document viewed by The New York Times. The document said Burrell, who was 55, had been 'discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills.' Emergency medical workers who responded to a 911 call pronounced her dead at the scene. A spokesperson for the city medical examiner's office said Friday that an autopsy had been completed, but that any findings on the cause and manner of Burrell's death were still pending. Burrell was an accomplished Italian chef who began her television career as a sous-chef to celebrity chef Mario Batali on the Food Network show 'Iron Chef America.' She was best known for hosting 'Worst Cooks in America,' which has run for 28 seasons. With her plume of platinum-blond hair, signature mismatched socks and a way of teaching that included a big helping of unvarnished truth, she became a mainstay for the network, appearing as a guest or judge on several other shows and even once riding on the network's float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In January, fans were surprised to see that Burrell was not hosting the new season of 'Worst Cooks.' Neither she nor the network has explained the change. An indication of a possible conflict came in a Jan. 10 Instagram post when someone asked her why she wasn't on the show and Burrell answered, 'Honestly I don't know.' The night before she died, Burrell had embarked on a new passion: improv. She performed for the first time at Second City New York in Brooklyn after taking classes at the venue's training center. Friends and her food television colleagues said she had also talked about undertaking some new projects. Chef Andrew Zimmern was with her a few months ago for a food festival in Puerto Rico. 'She definitely had something cooking,' he said. 'She was excited about whatever it was she was working on.' On Friday, he delivered a tearful tribute to Burrell at the Aspen Food & Wine Festival, where top names in food media, including Padma Lakshmi, Kristen Kish and Food Network star Tyler Florence, have gathered for the weekend. Zimmern called her a 'brash, bold, loud New Yorker' with 'a tremendous capacity for love.' A week ago, she showed up at a special event that chef Elizabeth Falkner hosted at the Soho House in Manhattan. The two had been fierce competitors on 'The Next Iron Chef' in 2011, and had lost touch but had recently started texting more, Falkner said. 'It was so fun to see her. She seemed really content, like there was a warmer side coming out,' Falkner said. 'She hung out all night. When she was leaving she goes, 'I am so glad we have reconnected. I want to be a better friend.'' This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

10 more West Virginian books that were turned into movies — Part 2
10 more West Virginian books that were turned into movies — Part 2

Yahoo

time13-06-2025

  • Yahoo

10 more West Virginian books that were turned into movies — Part 2

CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — Even after our first list of West Virginia authors who had their books turned into movies, there are still more books written by West Virginian authors that weren't included the first time around. So, for anyone looking for a movie to watch or a book to read, here are 10 more adaptations that have roots in West Virginia. Special thanks to the many 12 News readers who contributed to this list — if you know of a book written by a West Virginian that has been adapted to film, you can email the author of this article at sgorski2@ Adapted from the book of the same name, 'The Bridge at Remagen' focuses on a pivotal battle during the tail end of World War II in the spring of 1945, where Allied forces captured one of the last remaining bridges spanning the Rhine River, allowing them to cross into the heart of German territory. Although the book's author, Ken Hechler, was born in New York, he attended Marshall University and lived in Huntington for many years, eventually becoming a West Virginia Congressman in 1959. According to an interview with the National Archives, Hechler was stationed with the First Army in Command of the III Corps at the time of the battle at Remagen, about 10 miles away. As a combat historian, Hechler interviewed many troops involved and published his own book detailing the battle in 1957, which was adapted to film in 1969. Filming for the movie began in 1968 in Czechoslovakia, a country behind the 'Iron Curtain.' According to the American Film Institute (AFI), much of the military equipment seen in the film was loaned by the Austrian and Czech governments, including tanks, explosives, weapons and even Nazi uniforms. Three city squares in the town of Most had already been planned for demolition prior to filming, and their destruction was used in action scenes during production. Ironically, work on the movie was interrupted by the repercussions of the very war it was looking to portray. On Aug. 20, 1968, Soviet troops invaded Czechoslovakia, causing the film's cast and crew to hastily evacuate to other European countries, leaving behind hundreds of thousands, if not over a million dollars worth of film equipment in Soviet controlled territory. Despite this, some of the film's equipment was eventually recovered, and the world premiere for 'The Bridge at Remagen' was held on June 25, 1968 at the Keith-Albee Theatre in Huntington, West Virginia. According to the AFI, the premiere was attended by Hechler as well as Brig. Gen. (Ret.) William M. Hoge, who commanded the armored division that captured the Remagen Bridge during World War II. While 'Feast of the Seven Fishes' is much better known as a movie, the story originated as a comic strip in November 2005 and was written by Fairmont native Robert Tinnell and illustrated by Alex Saviuk. Both the movie and comic are a distillation of Italian Christmas traditions, particularly in areas like north central West Virginia. The movie was filmed in Fairmont and can be watched on Peacock and Amazon Prime. Feast of the Seven Fishes: How the Marion County holiday movie came to be Pearl S. Buck, who was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia, is a prolific author and the first American woman to win both a Pulitzer and a Nobel prize. Though born in West Virginia, Buck lived in China during her childhood, which she drew on heavily for her later writing. 'The Good Earth' novel was first published in 1931 and tells the story of a Chinese farmer and his wife as their life is uprooted by a flood. The book was critically acclaimed upon release and became one of Buck's best-known works. It was only the first of many books written by the author that would later be adapted to the big screen. Jeannette Walls' memoir 'The Glass Castle' was a #1 New York Times bestseller and tells the true story of Walls' tumultuous and nomadic upbringing, with a large part of the book taking place in West Virginia. The film adaptation of the book was released in 2017, starring Brie Larson as Jeannette Walls, Woody Harrelson as Walls' father Rex, and Naomi Watts as Walls' mother Rose Mary. The movie turned into a moderate box office success with a worldwide gross of around $22M and an estimated budget of $9M according to IMDB. Another best-selling Pearl S. Buck novel that was adapted into a movie, 'Dragon Seed' is also set in China and tells the story of a Chinese village invaded by Japanese soldiers during World War II. The lead role of 'Jade Tan' is played by Katherine Hepburn, who leads the resistance against the Japanese occupation. 'China Sky' is another movie adaptation of a Buck book, and as the title indicates, it too is set in China during World War II. However, according to descriptions of the movie and viewer reviews, 'China Sky' is less about the wider conflict and instead uses it as a backdrop for a love triangle between Dr. Gray Thompson (played by Randolph Scott), Dr. Sara Durand (Ruth Warrick) and Louise Thompson (Ellen Drew). At just one hour and 18 minutes long, 'China Sky' is also the shortest Pearl S. Buck movie by a large margin. 'Blaze' follows the story of Blaze Starr, a burlesque dancer born in Wilsondale, West Virginia, under the name Fannie Belle Fleming, and her controversial love affair with Louisiana governor Earl Long. The movie was adapted from a biography written by Huey Perry, a Mingo County native, and stars Paul Newman as Earl Long and Lolita Davidovich as Blaze Starr. Blaze Star also cameoed in the film and is credited for playing the role 'Lily' on IMDB. Hardcover copies of 'Blaze Starr: My Life as Told to Huey Perry' can still be purchased online today, and Perry even gave a talk on his published works at the West Virginia Archives in 2016. Another Buck book, 'The Big Wave,' focuses on a tidal wave and the lasting impact it has on a coastal Japanese village and the people who live there. Set during the Chinese Civil War in 1949, 'Satan Never Sleeps,' tells the story of two Catholic priests as they are targeted by the local communist party, and stars William Holden, Clifton Webb, and France Nuyen, who plays Siu Lan, a love interest for Holden's character. Starring William Dafoe, 'Pavilion of Women' is another drama romance set in China, adapted from Buck's book of the same name. The movie takes place shortly before the beginning of World War II as a Chinese family comes to grips with changes in tradition and the rise of communism in China. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

West Virginia native wins Jeopardy! in landslide victory
West Virginia native wins Jeopardy! in landslide victory

Yahoo

time11-06-2025

  • Yahoo

West Virginia native wins Jeopardy! in landslide victory

(WBOY) — A contestant who is originally from West Virginia won big on Jeopardy Tuesday night. Matt Massie, an attorney originally from South Charleston, West Virginia, took a commanding lead during the episode that aired on June 10 when he wagered a true Daily Double during Double Jeopardy. He answered the question correctly and doubled his $7,200 winnings to $14,400. By the end of the round, he had more than three times the winnings of the contestant in second place. Massie also answered the Final Jeopardy question correctly, bringing his total winnings to $30,000 for the day. You can watch Massie play again on June 11 at 7 p.m. on WBOY-NBC. WATCH: West Virginia's Fiesta Tableware appears as a clue on Jeopardy! The last West Virginia native champion, Adriana Harmeyer who won 15 games earlier this year, received some criticism in her home state because she never mentioned the Mountain State during her tenure on the show. Massie, on the other hand, was announced as being originally from West Virginia and even shared an anecdote about West Virginia during the contestant interview segment in the middle of the show. Massie said that while he was in law school, he helped sort out an error with the voting and Senate districts in the small unincorporated community of Malden in Kanawha County, West Virginia. He learned that the community had been sorted into the wrong district for the State Senate and had been voting for the wrong candidates for three election cycles. Massie was able to take the problem to the Kanawha County Commission and get it fixed in 2016, he said on the show. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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