Latest news with #Rooks
New York Post
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Taylor Rooks gets married in star-studded NYC event that included Jack Harlow and Saquon Barkley
Broadcaster Taylor Rooks tied the knot in a recent ceremony in New York, with a guest list that included some of sports' biggest stars. Little is known about the nuptials or Rooks' new hubby, but the NBA reporter posted images from the wedding on her Instagram on Wednesday. She captioned the post, 'What a night. This is love.' Among the glamorous shots from her big day, several featured high-profile athletes from the NFL and NBA. One snap showed Rooks posing between rapper Jack Harlow and Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley. 3 Sports broadcaster Taylor Rooks got married in NYC. Instagram / Taylor Rooks Another image showed NBA stars Kevin Durant and Draymond Green in attendance. A separate photo featured Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin in attendance. Others at the wedding included Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, along with his fiancée, Coco Jones. Former FS1 host Joy Taylor appeared to be a bridesmaid. 'So happy for my girl,' Taylor wrote in a post on her own Instagram Story sharing Rooks' post, 'Love you sis!' 3 Taylor Rooks looks on during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. NBAE via Getty Images Rooks shared other photos on her story, including a second image of Durant sitting at a table at the reception, smiling among other guests. Rooks' new husband remains a bit of a mystery, with a menu seen in one of the photos only giving the clue that his first name was Shane. She has kept much of her personal life private, and the wedding announcement came as a shock to many of her fans. 3 Sports broadcaster Taylor Rooks Instagram / Taylor Rooks The ceremony kicks off what will be a big change for Rooks, who is set to take over as the host for Prime Video's new NBA studio show in the fall alongside Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki. She recently left her NBA reporting job at TNT and Bleacher Report. 'I'm thrilled to continue to grow my role at Prime Video and help shape their NBA coverage from the ground up,' Rooks said in a statement in January. 'With the addition of legends like Dirk and Blake, we're not just building a show, we are crafting an experience that will be entertaining and truly special for basketball fans. 'This is a career milestone for me and I'm incredibly excited to share my love and passion for this game with NBA fans all over the world.'
Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Help smaller birds and keep jackdaws and rooks out of garden with simple trick
Jackdaws and rooks are known for being pretty disruptive, swooping in and taking over the bird feeders in your garden - but a wildlife expert has revealed a simple solution While the sight of charming birds and the melody of their songs are welcome additions to most gardens, not every homeowner is keen on having all types of feathered friends flocking to their backyard. Jackdaws and rooks are sometimes seen as a bother as they can monopolise bird feeders, edging out smaller, more timid birds and competing for the food you leave out. Both jackdaws and rooks will scavenge for scraps left by humans. They tend to scavenge and disrupt other bird populations, particularly smaller birds, and can nest in spots you would rather they didn't. Belonging to the Corvidae family of birds that also includes crows, ravens, magpies, jays, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers, both jackdaws and rooks can compete for nesting sites, be noisy and even cause property damage. Jackdaws are known for nesting in chimneys and roofs which can lead to blockages and damage, and may nest in gutters and eaves, increasing the risk of water damage and structural issues. Rooks are known to harm crops and both species will pilfer eggs and nestlings from other birds, reports the Express. Garden bird feeding expert Lucy Taylor of Vine House Farm Bird Foods has shed light on what can be done, as well as suggesting a possible compromise. Lucy remarked: "Despite their relatively large size and the fact they're both naturally ground feeders in the crow family, Jackdaws and Rooks have increasingly adapted to precariously cling to hanging bird feeders containing seed, peanuts or suet products. Along with quickly depleting the amount of food in the feeders, these larger birds will generally deter small songbirds from feeding. But there are several things you can do to prevent this." To combat the issue, Lucy suggests opting for a squirrel-proof bird feeder, which tends to be effective against jackdaws and rooks as well. She explained: "There are two basic designs of feeder which are aimed at keeping grey squirrels out, but actually generally work just as well for larger birds. The first has a simple cage around the feeder, with the gaps being large enough for small songbirds but will be far too small for the likes of a Jackdaw. "The second type of feeder works on a spring-loaded mechanism, with the ports of the feeder closing with the weight of a larger bird landing on one of the perches. Both these basic types of feeder are available for seed and other types of food." 'I'm a beauty writer - the new ghd curling wand gave me perfect waves in 15 mins' Amazon Prime Day deals live: Top home, garden, BBQ and outdoor savings you don't want to miss Additionally, she recommends considering a ground cage that permits small birds to feed while obstructing the bigger corvids. Lucy suggests: "For ground feeding and including where food is placed directly on a surface like a patio or short grass, a simple ground cage can be placed over the food. Again, this allows small birds in and keeps larger birds out - including wood pigeons which anyway can't land on hanging feeders. The same would broadly apply to magpies, though they will sometimes try to use hanging feeders as well." However, she advises not to discard your regular bird feeders, as there's room for a balanced approach. "Retain at least some normal feeders," Lucy recommends. "The reason I wouldn't advocate only using the above types of feeders, is that along with allowing Jackdaws and Rooks at least some access to food, having at least one or two normal bird feeders as well also means that species like Great spotted wood peckers aren't excluded. So my overall message is one of compromise rather than complete exclusion, as all garden birds need our help, and regardless of size and species." Join our Shopping & Deals WhatsApp for the best bargains and fashion news WHATSAPP: Get the best deals and exclusive discount codes straight to your phone via our WhatsApp group. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Some of these articles will contain affiliate links where we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from them. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our .
The Star
17-06-2025
- The Star
Rapper Silento gets 30 years after pleading guilty to killing his cousin
Silento (pic), the Atlanta rapper known for his hit song Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) , pleaded guilty but mentally ill Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter and other charges in the 2021 shooting death of his 34-year-old cousin. The 27-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said in a statement. Hawk also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, possessing a gun while committing a crime and concealing the death of another. A murder charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement. DeKalb County police found Frederick Rooks III shot in the leg and face in the early morning hours of Jan 21, 2021 outside a home in a suburban area near Decatur. Police said the found 10 bullet casings near Rooks' body, and security video from a nearby home showed a white BMW SUV speeding away shortly after the gunshots. A family member of Rooks told police that Silento had picked up Rooks in a white BMW SUV, and GPS data and other cameras put the vehicle at the site of the shooting. Silento confessed about 10 days later after he was arrested, police said. Ballistics testing matched the bullet casings to a gun that Silentó had when he was arrested, authorities said. Rooks' brothers and sisters told DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson before sentencing that Silento should have gotten a longer sentence, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The rapper was a high school junior in suburban Atlanta in 2015 when he released Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) and watched it skyrocket into a dance craze. Silentóo made multiple other albums, but said in an interview with the medical talk show The Doctors in 2019 that he struggled with depression and had grown up in a family where he witnessed mental illness and violence. "I've been fighting demons my whole life, my whole life,' he said in 2019. "Depression doesn't leave you when you become famous, it just adds more pressure,' Silento said then, urging others to get help. 'And while everybody's looking at you, they're also judging you. "I don't know if I can truly be happy, I don't know if these demons will ever go away.' Silento had been struggling in the months before the arrest. His publicist, Chanel Hudson, has said he had tried to kill himself in 2020. In August 2020, Silento was arrested in Santa Ana, California, on a domestic violence charge. The next day, the Los Angeles Police Department charged him with assault with a deadly weapon after witnesses said he entered a home where he didn't know anyone looking for his girlfriend and swung a hatchet at two people before he was disarmed. In October 2020, Silento was arrested after police said they clocked him driving 143 miles per hour (230 kilometers per hour) on Interstate 85 in DeKalb County. Hudson said at the time of Silento's arrest in the killing of Rooks that he had been "suffering immensely from a series of mental health illnesses." – AP
Sinar Daily
13-06-2025
- Sinar Daily
‘Whip/Nae Nae' rapper Silentó sentenced to 30 years for killing cousin
MANY may recall the viral dance anthem "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," the 2015 hit that propelled Atlanta rapper Ricky Lamar Hawk, better known as Silentó, to international fame. Now, the 27-year-old artist has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to charges connected to the 2021 shooting death of his cousin, 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III. As part of a plea agreement, a murder charge against Hawk was dropped. However, he pleaded guilty to several other charges, including voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing a death. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston confirmed the sentence in a statement issued on Wednesday, June 11. According to DeKalb County police, officers responded to reports of gunfire at around 3.37am on January 21, 2021 in the Panthersville area, near Decatur, Georgia. Upon arrival, they discovered Rooks lying at the intersection of Deep Shoals Circle and Corners Crossing, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services. Investigators recovered 10 spent shell casings near his body. Surveillance footage and GPS data later placed Hawk's white BMW SUV at the scene. Ballistic tests confirmed that a gun found in his possession matched the weapon used in the shooting. A relative had earlier informed police that the rapper had picked up Rooks from a friend's house shortly before the incident. Security footage from a neighbour's home captured the same vehicle fleeing the area at high speed shortly after gunshots were heard. Hawk confessed to the shooting on February 1, 2021, following his arrest. Hawk's defence team and publicist pointed to his long standing mental health struggles as a major contributing factor. The rapper has previously spoken about battling depression, even appearing on the US talk show The Doctors in 2019 to share his experience with suicidal thoughts and the pressure of sudden fame. 'I've been fighting demons my whole life, my whole life. 'Depression doesn't leave you when you become famous, it just adds more pressure. And while everybody's looking at you, they're also judging you. 'I don't know if I can truly be happy, I don't know if these demons will ever go away,' the artist said. His publicist confirmed that he had attempted suicide in 2020 and was grappling with serious mental health issues in the lead-up to the killing. In the meantime, Judge Courtney L. Johnson presided over the case at the DeKalb County Superior Court. While Hawk received a 30-year prison term, Rooks' family expressed disappointment, believing the sentence to be too lenient in light of the severity of the crime. Before the killing, Hawk had several run-ins with the law. In 2020, he was arrested for reckless driving and for breaking into a home while wielding a hatchet. In Aug of the same year, he was detained in Santa Ana, California, on a domestic violence charge. Just a day later, he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly entering a residence uninvited and swinging a hatchet at two individuals. Hawk's legal team has called on the public to show compassion and support for the troubled rapper and his family, asking for prayers and positive energy during what they described as an extremely difficult period.
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- Newsweek
'Watch Me' Rapper Silentó Sentenced to 30 Years for Killing His Cousin
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Silentó, the rapper behind the 2015 hit song "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty but mentally ill to voluntary manslaughter and other charges relating to the shooting death of his cousin. Why It Matters Richard Lamar "Ricky" Hawk, who utilizes the stage name Silentó, was accused of fatally shooting his cousin, 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III, in 2021 in Decatur, Georgia. The 27-year-old was initially charged with malice murder, but it was downgraded to voluntary manslaughter as part of the plea agreement. A felony murder charge was dropped. Hawk also pleaded guilty but mentally ill to aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and concealing the death of another, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office announced in a news release. Rapper Silento poses for a portrait in New York, July 21, 2015. Rapper Silento poses for a portrait in New York, July 21, 2015. Photo by Drew Gurian/Invision/AP, File What To Know The DeKalb County Police Department responded to a report of a person shot at around 3:37 a.m. on January 21, 2021. Officers found Rooks suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. EMS arrived at the scene and confirmed that he was deceased. A family member of the victim told officials that Rooks was last seen with Hawk, who had picked Rooks up from a friend's house in a white BMW SUV. Security camera footage from a home near the crime scene showed a white BMW SUV fleeing the area at a high rate of speed minutes after shots were fired. Hawk was taken into custody on February 1, 2021. He admitted to shooting Rooks in an interview with investigators. Ballistics testing revealed that the bullets found at the scene matched the gun found on Hawk at the time of his arrest. GPS data obtained by officials also showed Hawk's BMW at the scene around the time of the shooting. Chanel Hudson-O'Connor, Hawk's publicist, said he wanted to thank those who shared their support during this "incredibly difficult" time. "Ricky wants his family, fans, and supporters to know that he is deeply sorry for the pain and disappointment he has caused," Hudson-O'Connor said in a statement posted on Instagram. Hawk released "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" on SoundCloud in 2015, drawing inspiration from hip-hop dance trends such as the Whip, the Nae Nae, and the Stanky Leg. The song went viral on YouTube and Vine, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Hawk was arrested in 2020 in Santa Ana, California, on a domestic violence charge, then released. The Los Angeles Police Department charged him with assault with a deadly weapon the next day after the rapper allegedly entered the wrong home while looking for his girlfriend and swung a hatchet at two people. Later that year, he was arrested in DeKalb County after officials said they detected him driving 143 miles per hour on Interstate 85. He was later released. What People Are Saying Chanel Hudson-O'Connor, in a statement posted on Instagram: "We kindly ask the public to continue praying for all parties involved—especially Ricky—as he continues to battle severe mental health challenges." Richard Lamar "Ricky" Hawk, in a statement shared by Hudson-O'Connor: "I can't reverse time, but I can serve the time I've been given lawfully, and strive to positively contribute to whatever my new environment may be." What Happens Next DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson, who presided over the plea hearing, sentenced Hawk to 30 years in prison. Hawk has been held at the DeKalb County Jail since his arrest, and he will receive credit for time served. The Georgia Department of Corrections is responsible for evaluating and treating Hawk's mental health as he serves his sentence, according to state law. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
