Latest news with #Hillard
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Miami Herald
9-year-old with cerebral palsy dies in shooting on mom's birthday, MO family says
A 9-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting that also left his older brother and father injured, according to Missouri police and family members. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is now searching for the accused shooter following the May 24 shooting on Bircher Boulevard near Ruskin Avenue, an area along Interstate 70. Richard Neal Jr. said his family was fired upon as they were celebrating the birthday of Johnisha Hillard, the mother of their children. (Warning: Explicit language in the Facebook links.) 'It was random, we didn't do anything to them,' Neal told KMOV. 'We got on the highway to put gas in the car, never seen the car, don't know the occupants of the car, I passed them up, next thing you know, he got behind me, slowed all the way down, he sped all the way up on my bumper and got beside us and just started firing off shots.' Hillard said in a Facebook post there was 'blood everywhere' as she recalled the cries from her children. Neal, who was reportedly shot in the leg, began driving to the hospital after two of his children in the back seat had also been shot. His 10-year-old son, Richard Neal III, was shot in the chest and was listed in critical but stable condition at a St. Louis hospital, according to KSDK and a police news briefing streamed by KTVI. Jordan Neal, Hillard and Richard Neal Jr.'s 9-year-old son who was born with cerebral palsy, died from his injuries. 'It was my birthday… and now it's my son's death day,' Hillard told KSDK. 'Horrible. I will never enjoy another birthday. Because now I have to celebrate the life and the passing of my son, Jordan.' Police have not identified the shooter, and a motive is unclear. Jordan was born premature, weighing just 1 pound, 2 ounces, his family told KSDK. After battling through surgeries all of his life, he 'fought for three hours' in the hospital before dying. At 9 years old, Jordan was set to go to school for the first time later this year, having already picked out his Spider-Man backpack, according to his father. 'He faced every challenge with a bright spirit and a smile that could light up any room,' the family said in a GoFundMe. 'He had already overcome so much, and losing him has left a hole in our hearts that can never be filled.' Anyone who has information about the shooting has been asked to contact police at 314-444-5371. 'You're heartless and you're a coward because you didn't have to shoot and kill anybody. They did nothing to you,' Pamela Neal, Jordan's grandmother, said in an interview with KMOV.
Epoch Times
02-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Centenarians for Liberty
Commentary On the morning of April 19, 1775, British troops marched into Lexington, Massachusetts, on their way to confiscate weapons in the nearby town of Concord and to apprehend the colonial firebrands Samuel Adams and John Hancock. When a shot was fired—no one knows by whom—a skirmish erupted. As the smoke cleared, eight American patriots were dead. The American Revolution had begun. It was 250 years ago today. Eighty-nine years later, as another war was nearing its end, only seven veterans of the Revolution were still alive. Ranging in age from 101 to 106, they had been teenagers when they took up arms against Britain. Suppose you had been alive in 1864 when those seven veterans still lived. Wouldn't it be a thrill to visit each of them, take a photo or two, and pry loose their memories of those momentous days so long before?! Reverend E. B. Hillard set out to meet all of the men in the summer of that last full year of the Civil War. He reached six of them at their homes in New York, Maine, and Ohio. The seventh, in Missouri, was beyond his reach. He interviewed five of the six (one was too ill to speak), took a photo of each man and his house, and then wrote a remarkable book titled 'The Last Men of the Revolution.' I recently bought a 2013 facsimile reproduction of it—bound in genuine goat leather, no less—but for a few bucks less you can get Hillard fully understood the historical significance of his project, as his Introduction reveals: Related Stories 4/17/2025 3/23/2025 'The present is the last generation that will be connected by living link with the great period in which our national independence was achieved. Our own are the last eyes that will look on men who looked on Washington; our ears the last that will hear the living voices of those who heard his words. Henceforth the American Revolution will be known among men by the silent record of history alone.' The first of the six Hillard met and profiled in the book was 102-year-old Samuel Downing of Edinburgh, New York. He was living in the house he built some 70 years before, and everybody for miles around knew exactly who he was. They regarded him with 'respect and affection.' Only the day before, the old man had walked five miles (round trip) to a shoemaker's shop to have his boots spiffed up. Of the six surviving veterans, Hillard says Downing was 'the most vigorous in body and mind.' The Reverend writes: 'Indeed, judging from his bearing and conversation, you would not take him to be over seventy years of age .... [H]e is strong, hearty, enthusiastic, cheery: the most sociable of men and the very best of company. He eats his full meal, rests well at night, labors upon the farm, hoes corn and potatoes, and works just as well as anybody. His voice is strong and clear, his mind unclouded, and he seems, as one of his neighbors said of him, 'as good for ten years longer as he ever was.'' Not bad in 1864 for someone born in 1761! Nelson Augustus Moore, Roswell A. Moore/Library of Congress, Public Domain Downing regaled Hillard with stories the Reverend found riveting. Downing's first duty in the war was 'to guard wagons from Exeter to Springfield.' He and fellow patriots once ambushed British carriages transporting rum and enjoyed a good party that night. The old man knew the infamous Benedict Arnold and served under him in the Mohawk Valley before Arnold turned traitor. 'A stern-looking man but kind to his soldiers,' said Downing, but 'he ought to have been true' to the American cause. From 'right opposite Washington's headquarters,' Downing watched Lafayette prepare the ground just before the pivotal Downing recalled, 'When peace was declared, we burnt thirteen candles in every hut, one for each State.' After their 'delightful' conversation, Hillard departed, his heart 'swelled afresh with gratitude to the men who had rescued their land from the tyrant.' Rev. Hillard's next stop was Syracuse, New York, to see a veteran named Daniel Waldo, just two months shy of his 102nd birthday. Sadly, because of a fall just days before, Waldo lay mostly unconscious on his deathbed. 'To see him, even without knowing him, was to love him,' wrote Hillard. Despite the situation, Hillard assembled a fascinating profile of Waldo from friends and family and the many articles written about the man when he was in better shape. Waldo had been a preacher who commanded immense adoration. Hillard quotes a close friend of Waldo's, who said, 'At the close of a life of more than a hundred years, there is no passage in his history which those who loved him would wish to have erased.' The stories revealed to Hillard by the remaining four—Lemuel Cook, Alexander Milliner, William Hutchings, and Adam Link—are all poignant and memorable. I couldn't help but wonder if God granted these men long lives so they could reveal to E. B. Hillard how blessed the country was to have them. I hope you'll want to pick up a copy of the book and read about them for yourself. I don't know about you, but I would give anything to spend even a moment with centenarians who fought for America's liberty. Thank you, Rev. E. B. Hillard, for doing that very thing so long ago. From the Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shopping indie: How those at local bookstores say it helps the community
(WKBN) — Saturday marks an important day for some small local businesses — it's Independent Bookstore Day. The national day of recognition spotlights the importance of indie bookstores and the role that they play in the community. Read next: Local greenhouse still blooming after 30 years April 26 marks the 12th anniversary of Independent Bookstore Day, celebrated by bookstores and booklovers alike. It's hosted by the American Booksellers Association, a 125-year-old non-profit trade organization that supports over 2,800 bookstores across the country, offering education regarding business practices, providing an e-commerce platform, and taking part in advocacy work. 'In many ways, it's honoring the legacy of Record Store Day, which has been so popular in the record industry, and it's really an opportunity for all of these independent bookstores across the country to have a day where they celebrate their communities and they celebrate their place in their communities, and their communities get to celebrate them,' said Allison Hill, CEO of the association. Two local participants of Indie Bookstore Day include Leana's Books & More and POP! Art Books Culture. Both are offering 20% sales on all products in celebration — with POP!'s sale running Saturday and Leana's running both Saturday and Sunday. Over in Greenville, Boundless Books will host a soft-opening in recognition of the day's importance. A complete map of participating bookstores is available on While Leana Hillard, owner of Leana's Books & More, says it's not easy running an indie bookstore, it is also great. 'We try to give back to the community as much as we can, because that's the only reason we're here: is because of the communities,' Hillard said. When visiting local bookstores, shoppers are getting far more than simply a physical book. 'One thing that separates the indie bookstores from the big box [stores] is we do a lot of things for the community,' Hillard said. 'We have book signings; there's no charge for the authors. We set up the tables, [and] they sell their own books so they can make 100%, and our hope is they're bringing in people to see our stores.' Both POP! and Leana's go beyond a physical store — they're community spaces offering respective book clubs, hosting author groups and much more. And not only are shoppers supporting the local stores, but also local authors. 'There's a lot of really great authors that have come through here, and I've yet to have somebody come back and say, 'You know what, I really didn't enjoy this book.' All of the local authors are fantastic authors and we've had really, really good luck with them,' said Craig Duster, owner of POP!. Over 1,200 indie bookstores have opened in the U.S. over the last five years, but Hill says despite the increasing number of stores and sales, it's more challenging than it has ever been to be an indie owner, with thin margins paired with rising costs. But supporting local stores will help keep money in a shopper's own community, Hill said. 'One thing is purely economic, that when you shop with an independent bookstore, about 29% of the revenue recirculates in the local economy,' Hill said. 'So that compares to say, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, in that it's about five times more than Amazon and over two times more than Barnes & Noble.' 'I think local big box stores have their purposes, and even online, major online retailers have their purposes, too, but for the most part, if you can shop local when you can, it keeps a lot of that money in the community,' Duster said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce states the sales tax shoppers pay at these local spots supports the community's public schools, parks, roads, and sidewalks, as well as funds public service workers, like firefighters. Hill said in current times, when a lot of communities are seeing cuts, that type of revenue is especially important. 'I definitely think there are people who are very mindful of where they're spending their dollars right now and what kind of values they're supporting,' Hill said. 'There are people who really want to support, say their neighbors who have returned to their community to share books and make a difference, versus supporting a billionaire or an algorithm or a hedge fund, which is sometimes the alternative in the book world.' Hill emphasized the importance of supporting local stores, or else risk losing them. 'I think some of it is coming off the pandemic, too. I think we all lived through a period where we saw some of our favorite places close … and I think people really began to realize that we really have to support these local businesses or they won't be sustainable.' For those who may not want to leave the comfort of their favorite reading chair or are looking for something niche, there is an alternative to visiting indie bookstores in person. is a platform designed to support independent bookstores. 'It's financially helping the stores, it's raising visibility around shopping indie, it's providing a 'buy' button to a lot of media outlets who normally might have Amazon but now they have an indie alternative,' Hill said. Hill said in times where money is tight, it's not just a matter of how much you're spending, but also where you are spending it. 'I think there's a return to some values around supporting local and aligning your shopping with your values and connecting in a very human way that we're all really hungry for,' Hill said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
