Latest news with #AlanThompson
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Alan Thompson, CBS Chicago writer and producer, dies at 63
Alan Thompson, a CBS Chicago newswriter and producer and a beloved colleague, has died. Thompson died Sunday, July 20, after a year's battle with esophageal cancer. He was 63. Thompson was born April 19, 1962, in Kansas City, Kansas, to teachers Max and Marjorie Thompson. He grew in Bonner Springs, Kansas and Davenport, Iowa, and graduated from Davenport Central High School in 1980. A published obituary notes that growing up, Thompson was passionate about sports — becoming a fan early on of the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Blackhawks, and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. He also took up golf at an early age and played his whole life long, and took an early interest in broadcasting as he created at-home "radio shows" with his brother. "[T]hey'd take turns playing DJ (with real records!), writing/delivering newscasts, and writing/reading commercials, recording their efforts on cassette tape," Thompson's obit read. Thompson graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism in 1984, after working at WSUI radio in Iowa City and KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids in college, his obit noted. Early in his radio and TV news career, Thompson made stops around the country — with posts in Muscatine, West Virginia; the Quad Cities; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Columbus, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Des Moines, Iowa; Huntington, West Virginia; and Greensboro, North Carolina. Thompson joined CBS Chicago, known back then as Channel 2, as a morning newswriter and producer in 1998. He worked with many beloved morning anchor teams — including the husband-and-wife team of Jay Levine and Mary Ann Childers, and later the tight-knit team of Roseanne Tellez and the late Randy Salerno, meteorologist Ed Curran, traffic anchor Susan Carlson, and entertainment reporter Bill Zwecker. In the newsroom, Thompson could win over anyone with his wit, his kindness, and his talent. "Alan's work ethic was an inspiration to his coworkers and he shared his experience and wisdom with younger writers," his obit noted. "They especially appreciated his sense of humor and his ability to make them laugh with #GrandpaStories and 'All right everybody, let's look alive!'" When he wanted to focus, or wanted his colleagues to focus, Thompson also had a favorite phrase he would utter: "Why am I here? What am I doing?" Thompson was part of an Emmy Award-winning team in 2014 and 2021. In 2023, marking the 25th anniversary of his arrival at CBS News Chicago, Thompson wrote: "As a kid, I wanted to get to type on one of Walter Cronkite's CBS typewriters. Now, I do!" Thompson met his wife, Beth Mengel, on eHarmony in 2005, and they married the following year. They bonded in part over a shared love of cats. Thompson also became a parent to his wife's two children, Bethany and Cody. Thompson is survived by his wife, Beth; their children, Bethany Uriostegui (Joe Saltarelli) of Chicago, and Cody Uriostegui (Chanel Roche) of Los Angeles; his brother, Gary Thompson (Kris) of Urbandale, Iowa; a nephew, John Thompson of Des Moines, Iowa; nieces Grace Haney and Emma Haney of West Des Moines, Iowa.
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rossnowlagh: Thousands attend Orange Order parade in Donegal
Large crowds have gathered in County Donegal for the annual Orange Order parade in the seaside village of 50 lodges and bands from counties Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan are taking part along with other Orangemen from across Northern Ireland. Some visitors from overseas also take in the grand master of the Orange Order in Donegal, David Mahon, said the order was going from strength to strength in the County. "It's always a good carnival type of day, with lots of people selling burgers, chips and other things that go with it," Mr Mahon said."It's an important day for the Order as it's the only Twelfth [parade] we have in the Republic of Ireland. "It means a lot for the members. We've always had the Twelfth here for as long as I can remember and that's a long while," he Mahon said the order has good relations with the Catholic community in Donegal. "They help us out any way they can on the day with car parking and things like that," he said. The Rossnowlagh parade takes place each year on the Saturday before the main Twelfth of July commemorations in Northern Twelfth commemorates the Battle of the Boyne, when Protestant William of Orange defeated Catholic King James II in 1690. Alan Thompson told BBC News NI he loved coming to Rossnowlagh for the celebrations. "It's always a great day and there's never any bother, always a great atmosphere," he said. "I've come down from Ballinamallard. Lovely bands here and I just love coming down." Gillian Stronge from Fermanagh said she enjoyed the parade whatever the weather. "The whole atmosphere is just brilliant and there's always a big crowd," she said."I'm here with friends from Fermanagh and it's one of the highlights of the year."
Daily Record
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
I'm an ex Rangers star who conned a referee to get my arch Celtic rival sent off as payback
It's one of the most infamous incidents in the history of the great Glasgow rivals Peter Lovenkrands has revealed his old Celtic sparring partner wound him up so much - that he feigned injury to get him sent off. Hoops legend Alan Thompson was infamously red-carded for "head-butting" his Rangers rival during a powderkeg derby at Ibrox in 2004. The Danish winger dramatically tumbled to the deck clutching his face but TV replays showed minimal contact. Furious Parkhead boss Martin O'Neill appealed the decision but, surprisingly, the SFA decided against overturning the ban. Lovenkrands was hooked at half-time by Alex McLeish after being accused of falling theatrically in his face-off with Thompson - who he later worked with at Newcastle. But speaking 20 years on from the incident, Lovenkrands revealed why he conned referee Kenny Clark during the fiery affair, which Gers won 2-0. "Me and Alan Thompson had a big rivalry", he told Open Goal. "He was after me. He was always trying to get inside my head. "I think it was tactical from their point of view to try and get me off my game. I'm a young boy, try to get in my head and by physical. "He was always after me on the pitch and giving me all sorts of abuse. I got him sent off at Ibrox, that famous thing when I went down and got him off. "It was literally just because me and him and this rivalry and it was my chance to get him back. That was the only reason why I did it. "It was just, I need to get him off here because it's the only way I'm going to get him back. There were rivalries all over the pitch." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp, where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Thompson on 'embarrassing' Rangers
Ex-Celtic midfielder Alan Thompson says Rangers' celebrations after the Old Firm game were "slightly embarrassing" considering they are 13 points behind in the Premiership. (Scottish Sun)Read the rest of Monday's gossip.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scottish company to launch rockets into space 'next year'
A SCOTTISH company aims to send its rockets into space from 2026, following an attempt at a suborbital launch later this year. Skyrora is building its first 23-metre rocket called XL at a factory in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, with the goal of sending small satellites into space. An attempt to launch a smaller rocket called Skylark from Iceland ended in failure in October 2022, when a software problem led to it falling into the sea just after lift-off. Inside Skyora's factory in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire (Image: PA) A view of an engine test taking place inside the factory (Image: PA) A number of companies are working to become the first to launch satellites into space from European soil, with several planning on using SaxaVord Spaceport on the Shetland Islands. At least two hope to carry out launches by the end of this year, while a spaceport in Norway is also preparing for a launch attempt. READ MORE: Scotland set to be site of Europe's first rocket launch into space as approval given Germany's RFA is thought to have the most advanced plans and it was officially licensed for spaceflight by the regulator last month. Alan Thompson, Skyrora's head of government affairs, said the Glasgow-based company is keen to carry out its next flight attempt from the UK, where its factory and testing site are based. He told the PA news agency it hopes to launch Skylark – which will not deploy satellites into space – as a 'proof of concept' from SaxaVord around this summer, though discussions with the spaceport's owners are ongoing. He said: 'We are hoping to get the fire testing done by the end of the year. Engine test taking place outside the factory (Image: PA) 'If we are fortunate, then hopefully we will get launch windows for next year for XL.' He said 2026 is the 'realistic' timescale for launching XL, which can carry up to 315kg to a sun-synchronous orbit. READ MORE: Work begins on Scotland's third spaceport in multi-million pound development Its first stage will use nine engines firing together, and Skyrora aims to do its first test-firing of the full stage in the second half of this year. Ultimately the company wants to achieve a regular schedule of launches, going from two or three initially to as many as six after a few years. Thompson told Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee earlier this month that the company had chosen Iceland as the site of its first launch attempt due to regulatory delays in the UK – saying it had 'got tired of waiting'.
