Latest news with #Ernest
Scottish Sun
23-06-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Inside squalid home where 43 cats found as RSPCA unable to even go upstairs over fears urine-soaked floor would COLLAPSE
The stench was so bad it made the RSPCA inspector's throat burn HELLHOME Inside squalid home where 43 cats found as RSPCA unable to even go upstairs over fears urine-soaked floor would COLLAPSE Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PENSIONERS kept 43 cats inside a grim home where the urine-soaked floor was close to collapsing. Faeces and rubbish covered the floor and windows of Ernest and Jean Frost's property - which had the worst smell experienced by an inspector in eight years. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Two of the neglected cats found in the grimy kitchen Credit: NNP 9 The landing of the house where the cats were holed up Credit: NNP 9 A ragdoll kitten can be seen sitting in the layers of grime on the floor Credit: NNP The pair kept dozens of Maine Coon and Ragdoll felines at their home in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. The RSPCA were called to the address in February following concerns about the welfare of ten cats who were believed to be living there. They were shocked to discover a clowder of 35 cats, who were initially rescued and rushed to the vets before another was discovered the following day. A further seven were later handed over by the couple. The state of the property was so bad that one officer was unable to make it to the top floor out of fear it would collapse due to ammonia damage. One tiny kitten looked "close to death", the RSPCA inspector said. Two adult cats and the "majority" of rescued kittens all sadly died. A prosecution was sought against the pair and they later pleaded guilty to one Animal Welfare Act breach. Ernest Frost, 71, and his wife, 68, were both handed a three-year disqualification from keeping animals at Peterlee Magistrates' Court in Durham. In her written evidence, RSPCA Inspector Rowena Proctor said: "A female who I now know to be Jean Frost went to the rear patio doors and allowed us access. "The smell inside was worse than the smell of any property I have ever been into. "The conditions were appalling, with faeces covering the majority of the floors, window sills and up the walls. "There was no visibly clean area anywhere aside from blankets on the sofa and some clean dishes on the side in the kitchen. "I was immediately concerned for some kittens on the sofa who were in really poor condition. "Several had their eyes sealed shut with discharge. One grey kitten in particular looked close to death, with its head back and open mouth breathing. "The property had three floors but the landing area between the middle and top floor was so littered in rubbish and faeces that it was impossible to walk over without feeling like the floor would cave through, presumably due to ammonia damage, so I did not manage to access the top floor at all." 9 Some of the poor cats' eyes were sealed shut by grime Credit: NNP 9 The pair have now been banned from having pets Credit: NNP 9 Flies congregated in the couple's house because it was so dirty Credit: NNP "My throat burned and my eyes watered due to the huge amount of ammonia in the air." The vet who examined the majority of the pets said it was likely that several infectious diseases were circulating within the home. The kitten seen at the house with breathing difficulties was so poorly he was put to sleep and two others died after being hospitalised. In her written evidence to the court the vet said: "Many of these cats were in poor body condition and were underweight. "This is likely contributed to by underlying infectious disease and parasites, and competition for food from other cats. "This is an excessive number of cats to keep in one household and will have caused direct psychological suffering to all them. "It is likely that these animals suffered in these conditions for months but possibly years." The nursing and pregnant females were cared for at the RSPCA's Felledge Animal Centre but sadly the majority of kittens who were born all died. Two poorly adult cats, one of whom had given birth, were also put to sleep the following month with Jean Frost's consent. In her interview with the RSPCA, Jean Frost said she wasn't a cat breeder and that all the litters were unintentional. She said only two of the felines were neutered and she had "possibly lost track" of how many she had. In his interview, her husband said he thought the kittens looked "alright" and the cats were "definitely not suffering' and they were managing the number they had. The majority of surviving cats have already been adopted and ten others, which Jean Frost refused to sign over, can also now be legally rehomed by the charity after the court imposed a deprivation order. Both were also ordered to pay £150 costs and in mitigation the court was told the couple were in poor health. Speaking after the court hearing, Inspector Proctor said: "This was by far the worst smell I have encountered in eight years as an RSPCA Inspector. "The cats were living in wholly unacceptable conditions and there were clearly far too many for the defendants to be able to manage and care for properly. "Breeding had spiralled out of control, infection and disease were rife, and many of the kittens born into this environment were very poorly as a result. "Even though they couldn't all be saved, the vast majority made a good recovery. "I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the private boarding establishments and RSPCA centres who cared for the cats in this case, and to the many adopters who have welcomed them into their lives." 9 One of the 43 cats rescued from the disgusting house Credit: NNP 9 The filth covered the property's floor and the stench was so bad it made the inspector's eyes water Credit: NNP
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Inside squalid home where 43 cats found as RSPCA unable to even go upstairs over fears urine-soaked floor would COLLAPSE
PENSIONERS kept 43 cats inside a grim home where the urine-soaked floor was close to collapsing. Faeces and rubbish covered the floor and windows of Ernest and Jean Frost's property - which had the worst smell experienced by an inspector in eight years. 9 Two of the neglected cats found in the grimy kitchen Credit: NNP 9 The landing of the house where the cats were holed up Credit: NNP 9 A ragdoll kitten can be seen sitting in the layers of grime on the floor Credit: NNP The pair kept dozens of Maine Coon and The RSPCA were called to the address in February following concerns about the welfare of ten cats who were believed to be living there. They were shocked to discover a clowder of 35 cats, who were initially rescued and rushed to the vets before another was discovered the following day. A further seven were later handed over by the couple. Read mor The state of the property was so bad that one officer was unable to make it to the top floor out of fear it would collapse due to ammonia damage. One tiny kitten looked "close to death", the RSPCA inspector said. Two adult cats and the "majority" of rescued kittens all sadly died. A prosecution was sought against the pair and they later pleaded guilty to one Most read in The Sun Ernest Frost, 71, and his wife, 68, were both handed a three-year disqualification from keeping animals at Peterlee Magistrates' Court in Durham. In her written evidence, "The smell inside was worse than the smell of any property I have ever been into. "The conditions were appalling, with faeces covering the majority of the floors, window sills and up the walls. "There was no visibly clean area anywhere aside from blankets on the sofa and some clean dishes on the side in the kitchen. "I was immediately concerned for some kittens on the sofa who were in really poor condition. "Several had their eyes sealed shut with discharge. One grey kitten in particular looked close to death, with its head back and open mouth breathing. "The property had three floors but the landing area between the middle and top floor was so littered in rubbish and faeces that it was impossible to walk over without feeling like the floor would cave through, presumably due to ammonia damage, so I did not manage to access the top floor at all." 9 Some of the poor cats' eyes were sealed shut by grime Credit: NNP 9 The pair have now been banned from having pets Credit: NNP 9 Flies congregated in the couple's house because it was so dirty Credit: NNP "My throat burned and my eyes watered due to the huge amount of ammonia in the air." The vet who examined the majority of the pets said it was likely that several infectious diseases were circulating within the home. The kitten seen at the house with breathing difficulties was so poorly he was put to sleep and two others died after being hospitalised. In her written evidence to the court the vet said: "Many of these cats were in poor body condition and were underweight. "This is likely contributed to by underlying infectious disease and parasites, and competition for food from other cats. "This is an excessive number of cats to keep in one household and will have caused direct psychological suffering to all them. "It is likely that these animals suffered in these conditions for months but possibly years." The nursing and pregnant females were cared for at the RSPCA's Felledge Animal Centre but sadly the majority of kittens who were born all died. Two poorly adult cats, one of whom had given birth, were also put to sleep the following month with Jean Frost's consent. In her interview with the RSPCA, Jean Frost said she wasn't a cat breeder and that all the litters were unintentional. She said only two of the felines were neutered and she had "possibly lost track" of how many she had. In his interview, her husband said he thought the kittens looked "alright" and the cats were "definitely not suffering' and they were managing the number they had. The majority of surviving cats have already been adopted and ten others, which Jean Frost refused to sign over, can also now be legally rehomed by the charity after the court imposed a deprivation order. Both were also ordered to pay £150 costs and in mitigation the court was told the couple were in poor health. Speaking after the court hearing, Inspector Proctor said: "This was by far the worst smell I have encountered in eight years as an RSPCA Inspector. "The cats were living in wholly unacceptable conditions and there were clearly far too many for the defendants to be able to manage and care for properly. "Breeding had spiralled out of control, infection and disease were rife, and many of the kittens born into this environment were very poorly as a result. "Even though they couldn't all be saved, the vast majority made a good recovery. "I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the private boarding establishments and RSPCA centres who cared for the cats in this case, and to the many adopters who have welcomed them into their lives." 9 One of the 43 cats rescued from the disgusting house Credit: NNP 9 The filth covered the property's floor and the stench was so bad it made the inspector's eyes water Credit: NNP 9 One of the cats is seen scrambling across a room that closely resembles a dumping ground Credit: NNP
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NYT Connections today – my hints and answers for June 23 (#743)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Looking for a different day? A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, June 22 (game #742). Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints. What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers. Today's NYT Connections words are… HISTORICAL OLD FASHIONED SKINNY BELL SUN FLARE LITERARY MOM OLD MAN COCKTAIL FAREWELL YOUNG ADULT COLLINS BOYFRIEND SPECULATIVE SHOT What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups? YELLOW: Denim styles GREEN: On the library shelves BLUE: The importance of Ernest PURPLE: Receptacles for a drink Need more clues? We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles… What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups? YELLOW: KINDS OF JEANS GREEN: FICTION CATEGORIES BLUE: WORDS IN HEMINGWAY TITLES PURPLE: ___ GLASS GLASSWARE Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM. The answers to today's Connections, game #743, are… YELLOW: KINDS OF JEANS BOYFRIEND, FLARE, MOM, SKINNY GREEN: FICTION CATEGORIES HISTORICAL, LITERARY, SPECULATIVE, YOUNG ADULT BLUE: WORDS IN HEMINGWAY TITLES BELL, FAREWELL, OLD MAN, SUN PURPLE: ___ GLASS GLASSWARE COCKTAIL, COLLINS, OLD FASHIONED, SHOT My rating: Hard My score: Fail The first thing I thought when I saw today's Connections was 'alcoholic drinks' – not because I'm obsessed (I'm not a big drinker), but because OLD FASHIONED and COLLINS could both be types of COCKTAIL. But the presence of COCKTAIL itself suggested that was misdirection, so I looked elsewhere. HISTORICAL, LITERARY, SPECULATIVE and YOUNG ADULT all seemed like examples of FICTION CATEGORIES and indeed my hunch was correct, giving me green. Next, I thought FLARE, SKINNY and BELL might all be related to jeans, or types of trouser style – but didn't know what the fourth would be, so kept looking. And I kept looking. And looking. With nothing else suggesting itself I returned to that potential group and tried a succession of words – MOM, OLD FASHIONED and OLD MAN – but got it wrong each time. Turns out BELL was wrong, and what I should have had was BOYFRIEND, FLARE, MOM and SKINNY – but I've never heard the term BOYFRIEND JEANS and so lost my fledgling streak. With hindsight I probably should have given up on that angle sooner, but neither WORDS IN HEMINGWAY TITLES or ___ GLASS GLASSWARE were groups I would ever have got, so it wouldn't have made any difference. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. YELLOW: NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT BULLETIN, FLASH, REPORT, WIRE GREEN: NOUNS FROM A FAMOUS LINE IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE HAPPINESS, LIBERTY, LIFE, PURSUIT BLUE: HBO SHOWS ENTOURAGE, EUPHORIA, INSECURE, SUCCESSION PURPLE: WHAT 'LEFT' MIGHT MEAN DEPARTED, PORT, PROGRESSIVE, REMAINING NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult. On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room. It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers. It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
News18
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Gailard Sartain, Hee Haw And Mississippi Burning Actor, Dies At 81
Last Updated: Gailard Sartain, known for his roles in Hee Haw, Ernest films, The Buddy Holly Story, and Mississippi Burning, has died at 81. Veteran actor Gailard Sartain, whose career spanned decades of television, stage, and film, including a 20‑year run on Hee Haw and memorable roles in Spider‑Man and Mississippi Burning, has passed away at the age of 81. His wife of 36 years, Mary Jo Sartain, shared the news with The Hollywood Reporter, saying he died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 'Actually, he died of silliness," she added. His friendship with Everybody Loves Raymond star Doris Roberts stood out as one of his most long‑lasting bonds; they lived together until Roberts's death in 2016. She even directed his play Screen Test: Take One, based on his love for soap operas. Sartain first captured attention on local Tulsa television as Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi, he hosted the spooky The Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting—before finding fame on Hee Haw in 1972. He stayed on the show for nearly two decades, playing everything from Orville the cook to rambling clerks. His film résumé is vast and varied: he debuted in Nashville (1975), portrayed Jerry 'The Big Bopper" Richardson in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), and dabbled in spaghetti Westerns. On TV, audiences loved his cameos on shows like Seinfeld, Frasier, and Friends. A key turning point came with his chilling depiction of a racist sheriff in Mississippi Burning (1988), a role he felt broke his comedy mold. 'Nobody likes to be typecast as a barefooted hillbilly… that kind of turned things around," he told the Tulsa World in 2017. Sartain's film career included nine collaborations with director Alan Rudolph (Choose Me, Songwriter, Love at Large, and more), as well as roles under Carl Reiner in The Jerk and All of Me, Francis Ford Coppola in The Outsiders, Stephen Frears in The Grifters, and Michael Mann in Ali. In the 1980s, he teamed up with Bill Byrge to play Chuck in Hey, Vern, It's Ernest!—a role born from local commercials and later featured in Ernest films like Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas, and Ernest Goes to Jail. He even took on Broadway, starring in Dracula beginning in 1977, and lent his voice to creating Leon Russell's album art in 1975. But by 2005, with Elizabethtown, Sartain quietly stepped away from acting. Survived by his wife Mary Jo, their three children – Sarah, Esther, and Ben- along with granddaughter Chloe and great‑grandson Teddy, Sartain leaves behind a legacy. The Beverly Hills Playhouse paid tribute to his memory on Instagram, writing: 'There was only ever one like this, and we are the richer for having his presence in our theatre. Rest in peace, Jack." May his soul rest in peace! First Published:
Perth Now
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Actor Gailard Sartain dead aged 78
Gailard Sartain has died aged 78. The actor, comedian and artist, best known for his roles in The Outsiders, The Buddy Holly Story and Fried Green Tomatoes, has been remembered as a 'beloved' and 'one-of-a-kind' performer after his passing on 17 June came to light on Saturday. (21.06.25) Tributes have poured in for the actor, with one fan saying online: 'I owe much of my warped sense of humour to watching his Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting in high school and college. 'His wacky comedy will always make me smile. What a legacy!' Gailard's death earlier this month was confirmed by his family and the Tulsa World, though no cause of death has been made public. His passing comes just months after that of his Ernest co-star Bill Byrge, who died in January aged 89. Among the other tributes to the star, one fan said on Facebook: 'Rest in peace, Gailard Sartain.' Another added: 'Heartbroken to hear of the passing of Gailard Sartain — beloved actor, comedian, and artist. Gailard brought warmth and heart to every role he played. A proud Okie and one-of-a-kind talent, he'll be dearly missed and always remembered. Stay gold, Gailard.' Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gailard began his entertainment career on the comedy and country music variety show Hee Haw, appearing for nearly two decades from the early 1970s. His breakout on screen led to more than 70 film and TV credits, including Mississippi Burning, The Grifters, Elizabethtown and Ali. His first credited film role was in 1978's The Buddy Holly Story, in which he portrayed musician Jerry 'The Big Bopper' Richardson opposite Gary Busey. He later appeared in The Jerk with Steve Martin and in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders, where he shared scenes with C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise. Gailard also featured in the Jim Varney-led Ernest film franchise, including appearances with Bill Byrge, whose character Chuck was paired with Byrge's Bobby. The Church Studio in Tulsa, where Gailard would visit after filming his late-night show Mazeppa, also issued a statement on his passing. It said: 'We are saddened by the loss of Gailard Sartain, an extraordinary actor, artist, and comedian. 'Gailard's artwork is showcased on the cover of Leon Russell's 1975 album Will O' the Wisp. Our condolences are with Mary Jo, Gailard's wife and a committed volunteer at The Church Studio.' Misty Rowe, 75, who appeared alongside Gailard on Hee Haw Honeys, said: 'God bless you, Gailard Sartain. You were my brother on Hee Haw Honeys and my friend on Hee Haw for 19 years! I will never forget you.' After retiring from acting more than 20 years ago, Gailard was frequently asked about his long career. In a 2017 interview, he reflected: 'Not every single thing I did (made me happy.) 'But, for the most part, I'm happy about it.'
