Latest news with #Elwood
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
She Left the City for Suburbia and Settled Down. Then the Haunting Began.
HOUSE OF BETH, by Kerry Cullen At one point in Kerry Cullen's debut novel, 'House of Beth,' its protagonist, 28-year-old Cassie Jackson, defines the time span of the book's narrative as 'the year I was married.' The nonchalance of this phrase is an understatement, given the domestic drama and paranormal activity that ensue. But it encapsulates one of the book's persistent themes: the way transitory experiences — a fleeting friendship, an impulsive kiss, a one-off act of violence — can be brushed aside, casually or deliberately, by their participants. That is, Cullen suggests, until memories come haunting. The story begins when Cassie, a literary agent's assistant in New York, suddenly burns out at work, breaks up with her loving girlfriend, Lavender, and retreats to her hometown, Elwood, N.J. There, she reconnects with her high school best friend, a metal and glass architect named Eli McKean who lost his young wife, Beth, just six months earlier. Still wearing the same plain black baseball cap he did over a decade before, he seems impervious to change, the perfect weight to anchor Cassie in her fragile state. Things quickly turn romantic, and when the two elope three months later, Cassie agrees to let Eli support her financially. She moves into his house, begins home-schooling his two rambunctious children and befriends his nosy neighbor, Joan. But even as she settles into the rhythms of Elwood, memories of Lavender and the city still linger. So do the stressful symptoms of the O.C.D. she was diagnosed with in college: Dutiful maternal feelings for Eli's son and daughter increasingly come with intrusive thoughts of physically attacking them. And beneath Eli's small-town scruffiness there is a certain sharpness, revealed in passing remarks. He ends one fight by telling Cassie, 'You're lucky you're pretty'; when the local bookshop offers her part-time work, his response is, 'I'd miss you on the weekends.' (Even his marriage proposal comes with commentary on that; after she says yes, he adds, 'Now you won't have to get a job.') Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Carter, Sondra J. 1942-2025 Elwood, Kan.
ELWOOD, Kan. – Sondra J. Carter, 83, of Elwood, Kansas, passed away Friday, July 11, 2025, at the Belleview Care Center, in St. Joseph. Sondra was born on March 15, 1942, in St. Joseph, to Wilber and P. Ferne (Trotter) Simmons. Sondra graduated from Elwood High School in 1960. She was a member of the Eastern Star for over 60 years and was of the Methodist Faith. Sondra was an office manager for Aim High, worked for Sherwood Medical for 30 years and managed the Agape Apartments, in Elwood. Sondra married Dennis 'Tony' Carter on April 7, 1961. He survives of the home. She was preceded in death by her parents. Additional survivors, daughters, Penny Muller, Julie Pohl (Darrell) and Gina Carter (Gary Minor); nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild and one on the way; brother, Danny Simmons (Ramona); numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral Service: 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at the Harman-Rohde Funeral Home, in Wathena, Kansas. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Monday evening at the funeral home. Friends may call after noon Monday. Burial: Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Joseph. Memorials: Alzheimer's Association. As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg drummer paralyzed from chest down overcomes challenges, teams up with Def Leppard's Rick Allen
Jeff Elwood picked up his first drumsticks as a teenager and immediately joined a band. He liked emulating his favourite rock stars as much as he enjoyed the camaraderie of playing music with friends. Rockin' Thunder ● Wednesday, 5 p.m. ● Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Foreigner, Toque ● Tickets from $79.50 at Ticketmaster Country Thunder ● Thursday, 5 p.m. ● Riley Green, Tyler Hubbard, Nate Smith and Madeline Merlo ● Tickets from $125.50 at Ticketmaster Princess Auto Stadium, 315 Chancellor Matheson Rd. 'Making music, as opposed to listening to it, is the biggest thrill,' says the Winnipeg-born drummer over the phone from his home in Kelowna. When a motocross accident left Elwood paralyzed from the chest down at 21 years old, learning how to drum again became a singular goal — one that, once met, would lead to arena rock shows, a forthcoming documentary and a close personal friendship with Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen. It took nearly a decade, several minor electrocutions and a chipped tooth before Elwood, 56, perfected his wheelchair drumming technique. Figuring out the kick drum was a major hurdle. He and two high school bandmates rigged up a mouthguard with a switch connected to an electric pedal. Later versions featured a custom mouthpiece moulded by an orthodontist, but the aforementioned injuries and an insurmountable lag made the mouth switch a non-starter. Elwood had a light-bulb moment. He rearranged his kit and started using his floor tom as a bass drum, playing every pattern with his hands. Paired with a chest strap to stabilize his torso — which Elwood calls a 'rock 'n' roll girdle' — he was finally back in the groove. 'I never imagined that you could play drums with just two limbs. Even though I do it in a different way, it still has the exact same feeling. It doesn't feel like a wheelchair thing,' he says. Supplied Rick Allen (left) and Jeff Elwood both play on modified drum kits. Supplied Rick Allen (left) and Jeff Elwood both play on modified drum kits. Elwood has been drumming professionally since the early 2000s, playing in two cover bands and an original outfit, called Life, which has opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner. Shortly thereafter, he was introduced to Allen via a longtime friend who worked in the concert industry. The pair met backstage at a Def Leppard show in British Columbia and bonded over their parallel experiences — Allen, 61, also relearned how to drum after losing his left arm in a car crash in 1984. 'It's something that I really wanted to continue doing,' Allen says, speaking over the phone prior to a show in Connecticut. 'And it really elevated me to a different level, not only my drumming, but in my life. Jeff is the same, he saw an opportunity to reframe things and that's exactly when he did.' They exchanged numbers and have remained in contact for more than 20 years. 'People look up to me, but I really look up to him. He's part of my inspiration, part of my support team,' Allen says of Elwood. The friendship has spawned several personal and professional opportunities — including a fateful introduction to Steve Jordan of the Rolling Stones, which has led to Elwood mentoring another wheelchair drummer and helping design an adaptive drum kit program. SUPPLIED Allen and Elwood in an undated photo. Allen and Elwood in an undated photo. He's also been tasked with helping co-ordinate a fundraising campaign for the expansion of Allen's Raven Drum Foundation into Canada. The foundation offers music therapy workshops and counselling for first responders and veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress. 'He's just been a really great guy to me, and it meant a lot that he trusted me enough to spearhead this,' Elwood says of Allen. The duo are also in the midst of filming a documentary with Winnipeg filmmaker Leona Krahn, who heard about Elwood's story from a mutual friend. Rhythm of Resilience, the film's working title, is Krahn's 10th documentary and a departure from previous work about prostate cancer, organ donation, refugees and public housing. SUPPLIED Documentarian Leona Krahn and Rick Allen Documentarian Leona Krahn and Rick Allen 'It's quite exciting to be able to interact with artists on this level. This story is really about the power of dreaming, no matter what card you are dealt in life,' she says. Filming has been underway since last year and she expects the doc to be released by next summer, pending talks with broadcasters. Allen was quick to agree to participate in the film, despite a busy touring schedule. 'There's always time to inspire people. Whatever someone's been through, in terms of physical or mental injuries, sometimes all they need is a spark of inspiration,' he says. Elwood, Krahn and Allen will reunite in Winnipeg this week while Def Leppard is in town to headline the first night of the Thunder concert series at Princess Auto Stadium. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-07-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We love you, Elwood': Fans rejoice at return of stolen hospital cat
Williams has no objection. 'If we could keep him in, we would, but he's kind of dedicated to his job,' she said. 'It's like you can't stop him. This is what he wants to do.' On Friday Elwood was sunbaking, strolling around, and enjoying receiving pats and the odd cuddle. Jacqui Dingle, a nurse unit manager in the Epworth's orthopedics department says her reaction to the reports of a theft were 'is this a made up story? I don't know why anyone would steal a cat'. 'It was a scandal,' Dingle said, of the mood at the hospital. 'Everyone was saying, 'Who could take Elwood? How could they do this'? It was outrage.' Her message now is: 'We love you Elwood, and we're so glad you're back.' On stressful days at work, interacting with an animal can bring joy, Dingle said. 'He just brings happiness to everyone.' Diana Lee, a structural heart coordinator at the hospital, said she was 'happy he's back where he belongs' and says he cheered-up staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Romi Basiri, a prosthesis co-ordinator, said: 'It's a relief that he's back. Because we love him. He's like family to us.' Similar messages inundated Elwood's Instagram fan account, elwood_security_cat, (a reference to his name tag), which has more than 10,000 followers. One post said 'so happy he is back home, he saved my emotional well-being for 3 months. I was there for spinal surgery recently. Woo hoo so glad [he] is home.' Another said: 'OMG I was at the Epworth as a patient and I tell you this gorgeous creature would make you feel so much better by simply coming up to you and putting a smile on your face. 'Cannot believe there are idiots out there trying to rob pets and sell them ... hope this never happens again.'
The Age
06-07-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘We love you, Elwood': Fans rejoice at return of stolen hospital cat
Williams has no objection. 'If we could keep him in, we would, but he's kind of dedicated to his job,' she said. 'It's like you can't stop him. This is what he wants to do.' On Friday Elwood was sunbaking, strolling around, and enjoying receiving pats and the odd cuddle. Jacqui Dingle, a nurse unit manager in the Epworth's orthopedics department says her reaction to the reports of a theft were 'is this a made up story? I don't know why anyone would steal a cat'. 'It was a scandal,' Dingle said, of the mood at the hospital. 'Everyone was saying, 'Who could take Elwood? How could they do this'? It was outrage.' Her message now is: 'We love you Elwood, and we're so glad you're back.' On stressful days at work, interacting with an animal can bring joy, Dingle said. 'He just brings happiness to everyone.' Diana Lee, a structural heart coordinator at the hospital, said she was 'happy he's back where he belongs' and says he cheered-up staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Romi Basiri, a prosthesis co-ordinator, said: 'It's a relief that he's back. Because we love him. He's like family to us.' Similar messages inundated Elwood's Instagram fan account, elwood_security_cat, (a reference to his name tag), which has more than 10,000 followers. One post said 'so happy he is back home, he saved my emotional well-being for 3 months. I was there for spinal surgery recently. Woo hoo so glad [he] is home.' Another said: 'OMG I was at the Epworth as a patient and I tell you this gorgeous creature would make you feel so much better by simply coming up to you and putting a smile on your face. 'Cannot believe there are idiots out there trying to rob pets and sell them ... hope this never happens again.'
