Month: December 2022

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News Daypop

American college student studying abroad in France is reported missing

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The parents of 22-year-old Ken DeLand Jr., an American college student studying abroad in France, have reported him missing. The family have set up a website in an effort to share information about their son, who they say has been missing since last month. The parents say they last heard from their son, known as Kenny, on Nov. 27 when he was boarding a train to Valence in southeast France, and that they “fear the worst and want him to be located.” DeLand Jr. is roughly 6 ft tall and weighs 190 lbs. He was last seen wearing a red jacket, scarf, grey beanie, blue jeans/slacks, black backpack, and sneakers, according to the website set up by the family.

DeLand Jr. was studying at the University Grenoble Alpes in France through a study abroad program.  Kenny left his host family’s residence and was headed to Valence on Sunday, Nov. 27,  which is a two-hour train ride from Grenoble, according to the family’s website. His family says they last spoke to him via messaging service WhatsApp and have not heard from him since. A surveillance camera captured DeLand Jr. entering a sports store in Montelimar in southeast France on Dec. 3, where he made a purchase for $8.40.  DeLand Jr.’s Facebook page has been inactive since Nov. 19, eight days before his family says they last heard from him.  His study program was supposed to end on Dec. 17 and his visa expires early next year.

Grenoble’s public prosecutor said in a statement that it had opened an investigation following a report on Nov. 29 “by students, of the disturbing disappearance of a 21-year-old American student who had come to Grenoble to study French … The young man reportedly told several people that he had arrived in France insufficiently prepared and that he had difficulty making friends. He appears to have left Grenoble voluntarily … He also mentioned that he wanted to go to Marseille before returning to the United States.”

A university spokesperson said that university officials were in “close contact” with the study abroad agency, American Institute for Foreign Study, which is working with French law enforcement on the search for DeLand Jr., adding that “our campus community remains hopeful that Kenneth will be found safe and return home.” 

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Country Daypop

Kenny Chesney honors late dog Ruby with song to raise money for charity

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Kenny Chesney is honoring his late dog Ruby in his latest song, “Da Ruba Girl,” who died on Dec. 4.
Chesney, 54, said he hopes the song will benefit “every dog in the world,” with proceeds from the song going towards Stray Rescue of St. Louis.  The website for the organization states it is “a dog shelter whose sole purpose is to rescue stray animals in need of medical attention, restore them to health, and place them in loving adoptive homes.” 

Said Chesney to People magazine: “I wrote ‘Da Ruba Girl’ about Ruby, because she was this spirit who had so many different pieces to who she was. It was a fun song, and I’d recorded it, but never included it on an album. Instead, we’d play it on No Shoes Radio, where it became a fan favorite. People loved the song, I think, because they all knew a dog who had the same kind of spirit or heart, you know, the kind who was an underdog, who wasn’t the obvious choice.”  Take a listen to “Da Ruba Girl” – here.

Chesney wrote in an Instagram post: “Ruby lived her life never holding anything against anybody. She had an ancient, calming soul. She was honest and authentic, she was a protector, she took a warrior’s path in the journey of her life. So bye-bye, Ruby. You were a very good girl. We loved you and thank you for teaching us how to love unconditionally. You were one heaven of a dog.”

You can stream “Da Ruba Girl”:  here.

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Country Daypop

George Strait hosts charity event for veterans organization raising $2.4 Million

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George Strait and his longtime friend Tom Cusick recently hosted the 12th annual Vaqueros del Mar golf tournament, along with a benefit concert at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort in Texas, to raise money for ‘Feherty’s Troops First Foundation’ — ‘a nonprofit formed after the September 11 attacks to provide wellness support and initiatives for soldiers wounded in combat, including providing housing and service dogs to injured veterans and their families.’ Asleep at the Wheel, William Beckman, Wade Bowen, Keith Gattis, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Randy Rogers and Strait’s frequent songwriting collaborator Dean Dillon all performed at the event, along with Strait himself.

Strait and Cusick have been hosting the event since Veterans Day 2011; Cusick said in a press statement: “We decided holding an event for our military heroes was perfect and then we met David Feherty with Troops First, and the rest is history … I believe we both would agree that this has been one of the most fulfilling experiences we have been involved in, and have grown so close to so many that have sacrificed for our country and all of us!” The event raised $2.4 million for the organization, bringing the grand total across all of the events north of $17 million.

George Strait Helps Raise $2.4 Million For Military Veterans At Annual Golf Tournament In Texas

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Entertainment Daypop

Cher’s mother, actress and singer Georgia Holt, dies at age 96

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Cher’s mother, model, actress and singer Georgia Holt, has passed away at the age of 96. The 76-year-old Cher confirmed the news via Twitter, writing, “Mom is gone” with a sad face emoji. The news was confirmed to The Washington Post by Cher’s representative, Liz Rosenberg.

No further details surrounding Holt’s death have been made public, but Cher revealed back in September that her mother was sick with pneumonia and had been battling the illness on and off for about a year, tweeting at the time: “Sorry I’ve Been Mia. Mom’s Been Sick Off & On. She Just Got Out Of Hosp.She Had Pneumonia.She’s Getting Better.”  She shared a similar message in October 2021, saying that she was “burnt out” after making multiple trips to the hospital to visit her mom.

Like her daughter, Holt was also a singer and actress.n the 1950s she appeared in shows including “I Love Lucy” and “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” and had parts in films such as “A Life of Her Own” and “Grounds for Marriage.”  In 1982, she recorded her album, Honky Tonk Woman, which wasn’t released until 2013 and featured a duet with Cher on “I’m Just Your Yesterday.” Their mother-daughter relationship was also part of the focus of the 2013 documentary, Dear Mom, Love Cher, which discussed her mother’s life growing up in Arkansas, along with her six marriages. Holt also appeared in multiple films and TV shows, most recently in an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Holt was married three times by the time she was 21. Her husbands were Sarkisian, John Southall, Joseph Harper Collins, Chris Alcaide, banker Gilbert La Pierre (who adopted Cher and Georganne), Sarkisian again and Hamilton Holt. She also had a recent and longtime relationship with former antiques dealer Craig Spencer.

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Entertainment Daypop

2023 Golden Globes nominations are announced

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The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (“HFPA”) has unveiled the nominees for the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, with Lopez vs. Lopez actress Mayan Lopez and Orange is the New Black alum Selenis Levya announcing the nominations on Monday. Lopez’s father, George Lopez, was originally scheduled to present alongside his daughter but had to pull out after he contracted COVID-19.

The Banshees of Inisherin, Avatar: The Way of Water and Decision to Leave are among this year’s nominees in the film categories, with The Banshees of Inisherin earning eight nominations, including best picture (musical/comedy) and writing and directing noms for Martin McDonagh.

Abbott Elementary, The White Lotus and Euphoria earned the most nominations in the TV categories. Abbott Elementary leads the nominees with five, including best TV series (musical/comedy) and best actress in a TV series (musical/comedy) for Quinta Brunson. HBO Max and Netflix tied for most noms in television, with 14 apiece, followed by Hulu with nine.

The awards show returns following HFPA’s new “commitment to diversity and inclusion.” The upcoming 80th annual Golden Globes, hosted by Jerrod Carmichael, is set to air live from the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.   See the full list of 2023 Golden Globes nominations – here.

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News Daypop Uncategorized

Four students from Maine Maritime Academy killed in SUV crash near campus

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Four Maine Maritime Academy students were killed and three others were injured when their SUV crashed into a tree and burst into flames early Saturday morning in Castine. The driver and two other passengers, also students from the Maritime Academy, survived the fiery crash which authorities say occurred just one day after classes ended for the semester. According to the state medical examiner’s office, the four deceased students have been identified as Brian Kenealy, 20, of York, Maine; Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner, Maine; Luke Simpson, 22, of Rockport, Mass. and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20, of Aquinnah, Mass.

Police said the 2013 Range Rover was traveling south on Route 166, also known as Shore Road, when it veered off the road and struck a tree. The driver and two passengers were brought to the hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries, state police spokesperson Shannon Moss said. The two survivors who were passengers were identified as Noelle Tavares, of North Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Dominick Gecyoa, 20, of Middletown, Massachusetts. Officials said Joshua Goncalves-Radding, 20, of North Babylon, New York, was driving the SUV at the time of the accident. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.

Jerry Paul, the President of the Maine Maritime Academy, said in a statement: “Our community is grieving for these young lives and for their families. While we have lost beloved members of our student body, tonight there are four families who have lost their children. I ask for continued respect and privacy of our Maine Maritime family. Please hold these young people close to your hearts and in your prayers.”. Paul added that grief counselors will be available to students, faculty and staff members.

Maine Maritime Academy is a public, four-year college of about 950 students with areas of study including engineering, management, science, and transportation.

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News Daypop

NASA Artemis I Orion capsule returns to Earth with splashdown in Pacific Ocean

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After traveling 1.4 million miles through space, including orbiting the moon and collecting data, NASA’s Artemis 1 capsule returned to Earth on Sunday. The 25 1/2-day Artemis I mission slammed into the upper atmosphere at more than 24,000 mph and endured a 5,000-degree re-entry inferno before descending under three huge parachutes and landing gently in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s Baja California at 12:40 p.m., NASA reported. The Orion capsule originally was slated to land near San Diego, but NASA officials said Thursday that rain, wind and large waves had moved into that area. The mission’s ending was on the 50th anniversary of the last Apollo moon landing in 1972.

NASA tweeted: “Splashdown. After traveling 1.4 million miles through space, orbiting the Moon, and collecting data that will prepare us to send astronauts on future #Artemis missions, the @NASA_Orion spacecraft is home.”  Mission Control commentator Rob Navias announced: “Splashdown! From Tranquility Base to Taurus-Littrow to the tranquil waters of the Pacific, the latest chapter of NASA’s journey to the moon comes to a close. Orion back on Earth.”  NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: “I’m overwhelmed. This is an extraordinary day. It’s historic, because we are now going back into deep space with a new generation” 

The 3,000-ton Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft launched at 1:47 a.m. Nov. 16 from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.  NASA said that Orion stayed in space longer than any spacecraft designed for astronauts has done without docking to a space station, and surpassed the record for distance traveled by a spacecraft designed to carry humans, previously set during Apollo 13.  Orion captured pictures of Earth and images of the lunar surface and a “Earth rise,” and it performed two lunar flybys, coming within 80 miles of the lunar surface.

Orion will return to shore in the United States and return by truck to Kennedy, where the capsule and its heat shield will undergo testing and analysis over several months. The capsule is designed to hold astronauts. NASA is likely planning to send humans to the moon in 2025, and then Mars. The Artemis II mission with four people is scheduled to orbit the moon in 2024.

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Country Daypop

Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton headlining Montréal’s 2023 LASSO Festival

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Kane Brown & Chris Stapleton were announced as headliners for Montréal’s LASSO festival in 2023, taking place August 18-19 at Montréal’s Espace 67 festival site on Île Sainte-Hélène. Nick Farkas, Senior Vice-President, Booking, Concerts and Events, said in a statement: “Montréal has always been a music city, but this city is clearly now a country capital as well. Last year’s kickoff edition of LASSO was a revelation and a hell of a good time! We can’t wait to do it again.”  The 2022 edition of the festival featured a lineup which included Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley and Old Dominion.

The second edition of the LASSO Festival will feature headliner Kane Brown on Friday, August 18, and on Saturday August 19, Chris Stapleton will be taking the stage at LASSO 2023. 

Tickets to Lasso Montréal 2023 go on sale December 12 at the link: here.

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Entertainment Daypop

Fox cancels ‘Monarch’ after one season

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Fox’s first-year series “Monarch,” which starred Anna Friel, Trace Adkins, Susan Sarandon, Joshua Sasse and Beth Ditto, will not return for a second season. The Season 1 finale aired on Dec. 6.  The show revolved around the “first family of country music,” led by Sarandon’s Dottie Roman (who shockingly died in the series premiere). Over the course of the season, Dottie’s husband Albie (Adkins) ‘attempted to keep the Monarch business afloat with the help of their two daughters and son, who all are hiding secrets of their own.’

Created by Melissa London Hilfers, Monarch was produced during the Covid-19 pandemic and originally was set to premiere in January 2022. Designed for a shorter run, it was then pushed to the fall. The family drama set in the world of country music opened after an NFL doubleheader, debuting to a 0.8 rating among adults 18-49 with and 3.8 million total viewers, becoming Fox’s most-watched fall scripted premiere in three years, but was unable to keep that audience once it moved to its regular time period on Tuesday nights. The series averaged 4.1 million viewers across all platforms and a scant 0.3 rating in the key ad sales demographic of adults 18-49.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Fox cancels ‘Monarch’ after one season

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Fox’s first-year series “Monarch,” which starred Anna Friel, Trace Adkins, Susan Sarandon, Joshua Sasse and Beth Ditto, will not return for a second season. The Season 1 finale aired on Dec. 6.  The show revolved around the “first family of country music,” led by Sarandon’s Dottie Roman (who shockingly died in the series premiere). Over the course of the season, Dottie’s husband Albie (Adkins) ‘attempted to keep the Monarch business afloat with the help of their two daughters and son, who all are hiding secrets of their own.’

Created by Melissa London Hilfers, Monarch was produced during the Covid-19 pandemic and originally was set to premiere in January 2022. Designed for a shorter run, it was then pushed to the fall. The family drama set in the world of country music opened after an NFL doubleheader, debuting to a 0.8 rating among adults 18-49 with and 3.8 million total viewers, becoming Fox’s most-watched fall scripted premiere in three years, but was unable to keep that audience once it moved to its regular time period on Tuesday nights. The series averaged 4.1 million viewers across all platforms and a scant 0.3 rating in the key ad sales demographic of adults 18-49.

Country Music Drama ‘Monarch’ Canceled After 1 Season

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