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Deputy dies helping people flee devastating Texas wildfires

March 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(EASTLAND COUNTY, Texas) — A sheriff’s deputy has died trying to help people flee devastating wildfires in Texas, officials said.

Firefighters have been working to contain a sprawling complex in central West Texas that has grown to more than 45,000 acres in Eastland County and several neighboring counties.

Eastland County Deputy Barbara Fenley lost her life while helping to save people as the Eastland Complex swept through the area Thursday night, authorities said.

Fenley was going door to door to evacuate people when the fires spread into Carbon on Thursday, according to a statement from the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office shared by Eastland County Today.

“With the extreme deteriorating conditions and low visibility from smoke, Sgt. Fenley ran off the roadway and was engulfed in the fire,” the statement said. “She will be deeply missed.”

Fenley, 51, had been a deputy with the sheriff’s office since 2013, having previously served as the chief of police in Gorman, Texas. She is survived by her husband and three children.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott commemorated the loss at the top of a press briefing on the wildfires Friday evening at the Eastland Fire Department.

“We are sorrowful for her loss of life, but as a state, we have great appreciation for her service, for stepping up, for doing what Texas law enforcement officials do every single day,” Abbott said. “They put their lives on the line to preserve and to protect their communities. And that’s exactly what she did.”

Flags were lowered to half-staff in Eastland in honor of Fenley, who will be officially honored at a later date, Abbott said.

“She paid the ultimate sacrifice just to help people out, and I think that’s the biggest thing that’d I like people to know,” her son, Jon Fenley, told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA in an emotional interview.

The deputy was fondly remembered by her law enforcement colleagues.

JUST IN: #Eastland County Deputy Barbara Fenley was killed while trying to rescue residents from the fires burning through that area last night—multiple law enforcement agencies report.

Below is a photo being shared by those agencies as they salute her service.

(@wfaa) pic.twitter.com/mazHxGQEG2

— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) March 18, 2022

“It is with very heavy hearts that today we learned of the death of one [of] our Eastland County Deputies who put it all on the line last night trying to save people from the horrible fires,” the Cisco Police Department said in a statement Friday. “Our sister Barbara Fenley will be deeply missed. She was a special servant and an attribute to our profession. We will kneel in prayer for her family, friends and colleagues as they mourn.”

The Lubbock Police Department offered its “deepest condolences” to the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office.

“Fenley gave her life trying to evacuate citizens from the Eastland Complex fires, which first-responders in the area are still battling,” the department said in a statement. “Thank you for your service, Deputy Fenley, we’ll take it from here.”

Fenley was found Friday morning in the town of Carbon, which has been devastated by the fires, officials said.

“It looks like some kind of lunar landscape,” Eastland County Judge Rex Fields told reporters Friday. “It’s just an amazing amount of devastation.”

Fields said they haven’t found anyone else who is missing, and that first responders will do a “more intensive sweep” with canines in the town.

Four wildfires that ignited Wednesday and Thursday combined into the Eastland Complex, which as of Friday night was estimated to have burned 45,383 acres and was 15% contained.

“One message that I would like to exaggerate and express is that we are not out of danger yet for our high hazard fire risk,” Eastland County Fire Chief Joe Williamson said during Friday’s briefing.

Dry, windy conditions helped fuel the complex and hinder the air response to fight the complex, which was 13,000 acres by Thursday evening.

At least 48 fire departments from 22 different counties across the state have responded to help fight the wildfires, Abbott said.

“When you have a fire this large in this many different areas, you need all the help that you can get,” the governor said.

The wildfires have destroyed at least 50 homes in Eastland, Brown and Comanche counties, Abbott said.

“Probably as we are able to better surveil damages here in the coming days, we will find more than that,” he said, warning that there is ongoing danger due to the dry and windy conditions.

Abbott said Friday he will sign a disaster proclamation to assist 11 counties that are either currently affected or that may be impacted by wildfires.

In addition to the Eastland Complex, first responders are working to contain three other active fires in Reagan, Sterling and Runnels counties.

ABC News’ Mike Noble contributed to this report.

What Homebuyers & Owners Want Now!

March 19, 2022 by John Tesh

What features do homebuyers want these days? Here’s the latest list from the National Association of Realtors – and the National Association of Home Builders.

Coming in at #1: More than anything else, homeowners want a laundry room! People want somewhere to stack all the clean laundry until it finally gets put away. It keeps the mess out of living spaces. That’s why 91% of homebuyers want a separate laundry room.

The next most important feature to homebuyers is: A patio. In today’s housing market, outdoor living spaces have become the most coveted outdoor home feature.
It offers living space without the cost of a large-scale home addition. 87% of homebuyers want a patio.

And here’s something that surprised me… 85% of homebuyers want ceiling fans! That’s because energy-efficient ceiling fans can also help lower cooling costs. Ceiling fans create a wind-chill effect that helps cool the people sitting in a room by 4 degrees.

A few other things that made the top 10 list of what homebuyers want: Exterior lighting, a walk-in pantry, and garage storage space.

Treat Your Allergies The Natural Way!

March 19, 2022 by John Tesh

If you want a more natural way to treat your spring allergies, one of these alternative remedies could be the fix for you:

If you’ve got pollen allergies, studies show that vitamin C can lower the levels of histamines in your bloodstream. And histamines are the chemicals produced by an allergic reaction that cause swelling, sneezing, and itching. Your best bet: Get your C from natural sources like oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, and onions. But, start slowly. Experts say that some people with pollen allergies are also allergic to certain types of fresh produce, including apples, bananas, tomatoes, melons and cherries.
Then, if you’d like a natural remedy for hay fever, try: Butterbur. Several studies have found that supplements that contain butterbur are as effective at reducing nasal congestion as over-the-counter allergy medicines. And side effects are rare.
The last natural allergy-fighter also gives traditional meds a run for their money: Quercetin. It’s a powerful antioxidant found in foods like onions, apples, berries, and tea. It can reduce allergy symptoms, like the inflammation that causes nasal congestion and eye irritation. Plus, research shows that quercetin helps reduce the immune response to certain allergens, like pollen and ragweed.

Just remember: If you’re taking prescription meds for allergies, talk to your doctor about all the supplements you’re taking – or plan to take. That’s because supplements can interact with prescription drugs in dangerous ways.

U.S. Marine Osprey aircraft missing with four on board during training in Norway

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Search and rescue teams in Norway are looking for a missing American MV-22 Osprey aircraft that was taking part in a large NATO military exercise in northern Norway Friday.

There were four Marines aboard the aircraft, Norwegian officials said.

“We can confirm an incident has occurred involving a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft,” Maj. Jim Stenger, a U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson said in a statement. “The aircraft was conducting training in Norway as part of Exercise COLD RESPONSE 22 at the time of the incident.”

Stenger said the incident remains under investigation.

Currently there are 3,000 U.S. Marines in northern Norway participating in the Cold Response 22 NATO exercise that is described as one of the largest NATO exercises since the end of the Cold War. There are 30,000 troops total participating in this year’s exercise.

Held every two years, the exercise was planned long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and helps to train multinational NATO forces in how to operate in the Arctic.

Norway’s Armed Forces and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway issued statements Friday confirming they were conducting a search for a missing Osprey aircraft that had failed to land at its destination.

“The Osprey belongs to the U.S. Marine Corps and is taking part in the Norwegian military exercise Cold Response in Norway,” said the statement from Forsvaret, Norway’s armed forces. “The aircraft has a crew of four and was out on a training mission in Nordland County, northern Norway on Friday 18 March 2022.”

The statement said the Osprey was en route to Bodø, where it was scheduled to land just before 6 p.m. local time and was reported missing at 6:26 p.m. local time with its last known position being south of Bodø.

Search and rescue aircraft were launched but weather conditions in the area are described as “challenging and are expected to get worse.” An apparent crash site south of Bodø was located from the air three hours later.

“Due to the weather conditions, it has not been possible to enter the site from the air,” said the Norwegian armed forces statement. “Police and rescue crews are now on their way into the area.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Eddie Vedder teams up with NASA for new “Invincible” video

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Eddie Vedder has released a new video for his solo song “Invincible” in partnership with NASA.

The clip mixes live footage of the Pearl Jam frontman performing alongside his Earthlings solo band with video from various pre-launch tests and animation related to NASA’s upcoming Artemis I mission, which will send an uncrewed spacecraft around the moon’s orbit.

“As we inch closer to launching [NASA Artemis] I to the Moon and back, it’s clear that our drive to explore is invincible,” NASA says. This musical collaboration with [Vedder] is inspired by the determination of our workforce.”

You can watch the “Invincible” video streaming now on YouTube.

“Invincible” appears on Vedder’s new solo album, Earthling, which was released in February.

Asia multimedia box set focusing on band’s 1983 Budokan concert featuring Greg Lake due out in June

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

As Asia celebrates its 40th anniversary, the prog-rock supergroup has revealed plans to release a deluxe box set on June 10 titled ASIA in Asia — Live at The Budokan, Tokyo, 1983, focusing on a historic concert the band played in Japan.

The centerpiece of the multi-disc collection is a December 6, 1983, performance that the group gave at Tokyo’s famous Budokan venue, the second of a three-show engagement Asia played there. The concert made history as the first live broadcast from Japan to MTV in the U.S. The band’s lineup for the shows feature Emerson, Lake & Palmer frontman Greg Lake stepping for founding Asia singer/bassist John Wetton, who had just left he group.

The box set will feature a Blu-ray containing video and high-res audio of the concert, as well as two CDs, two colored-vinyl LPs, a 40-page book, an Asia pin badge and various pieces of printed memorabilia.

The LPs and one of the CDs have the audio of the full show that aired on MTV plus a couple of songs that weren’t included in the original broadcast. The second CD boasts newly mastered audio of the concert that Asia played the previous night.

The video featured on the Blu-ray was only previously released on the VHS format.

ASIA in Asia, which you can pre-order now, also will be available as a a two-LP set in a gatefold sleeve, as well as a single CD and via digital formats.

Reflecting on the Tokyo performance with his fellow ELP alum fronting Asia, drummer Carl Palmer says, “Greg Lake did a great job jumping into John’s shoes. So many songs to sing, he did it so well. It was impressive.”

Here’s the ASIA in Asia track list:

Introduction from Mark Goodman (MTV)
“Time Again”
“The Heat Goes On”
“Here Comes the Feeling”
“Eye to Eye”
Steve Howe Solo (“Sketches in the Sun”)
“Only Time Will Tell”
“Open Your Eyes”
Geoffrey Downes Solo (“Ihiri – The Setting Sun”/”Bolero”)
“The Smile Has Left Your Eyes”
“Wildest Dreams”
Carl Palmer Solo
“Heat of the Moment”
“Sole Survivor”
“Cutting It Fine”
“Daylight”

2008 Queen & Paul Rodgers concert being streamed Saturday to raise money for Ukrainian relief

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

This Saturday, March 19, Queen will present a special online stream of a 2008 concert that the band played in Ukraine with founding Bad Company/Free singer Paul Rodgers, aimed at raising money for relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees in need because of Russia’s ongoing invasion of that country.

The concert, which took place in Freedom Square in the city of Kharkiv in September 2008, featured Queen and Rodgers performing a 28-song set that included a bevy of Queen classics and gems, select tunes by Free and Bad Company, and a few songs from The Cosmos Rocks, the then-new collaborative album by Queen + Paul Rodgers.

The band was invited by Ukraine’s Elena Pinchuk AntiAids Foundation to play a free AIDS-awareness concert dubbed “Life Must Go On.” The show was attended by more than 350,000 and was viewed by a TV audience of over 10 million people.

Remembering the event, the band says it was “an unforgettable experience…one of those rare things in life you know you will never forget. A meeting in music, but also a coming together to fight a common enemy.”

Queen has decided to revisit the show at a time when so many Ukrainians need humanitarian aid.

Queen + Paul Rodgers Live in Ukraine will stream at Queen’s official YouTube channel on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to make donations to UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency.

Here’s the set list of the concert:

“One Vision”
“Tie Your Mother Down”
“The Show Must Go On”
“Fat Bottomed Girls”
“Another One Bites the Dust”
“Hammer to Fall”
“I Want It All”
“I Want to Break Free”
“Seagull”
“Love of My Life”
“39”
Drum Solo
“I’m In Love with My Car”
“Say It’s Not True”
“Shooting Star”
“Bad Company”
Guitar Solo
“Bijou”
“Last Horizon”
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
“C-lebrity”
“Feel Like Makin’ Love”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Cosmos Rockin'”
“All Right Now”
“We Will Rock You”
“We Are the Champions”
“God Save the Queen”

Biden admin considering ways to fast-track bringing Ukrainian refugees to U.S.

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration is considering ways to fast-track bringing Ukrainian refugees to the U.S. amid the historic surge across Europe of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war, according to U.S. officials.

But the administration faces some legal hurdles to doing so, especially to giving Ukrainians refugee status, and has instead repeatedly emphasized that “the vast, vast majority of refugees want to stay in neighboring countries,” as White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday, adding, “That is where we have been focus our energies at this point.”

That focus comes in the form of U.S. assistance: $293 million so far, with another $4 billion specifically for humanitarian aid in the new funding bill President Joe Biden signed earlier this week.

But as the needs grow — as cities like Warsaw and countries like Moldova are overwhelmed — there’s growing pressure on the White House, including from some U.S. lawmakers, to do more.

The refugee resettlement process, however, is complex and time-consuming, with very few avenues to expediting cases from the point they are referred to the U.S. by the United Nations refugee agency, through the vetting process, to their resettlement in a local community.

But Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the administration is “looking at things that we can do ourselves and do directly.”

“As this and if this goes on, as the numbers increase, as the burden increases for European partners, we will certainly do everything we can to help,” he added Thursday, saying it was “something we’re very focused on right now” and previewing “more to say on this in the coming.”

So far, the White House has ordered some steps. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had granted Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainians already in the U.S. by March 1, allowing them to stay legally and work for at least the next 18 months.

In addition, U.S. embassies and consulates in the region have been expediting visa processing for immediate family members of U.S. citizens, but they are overwhelmed.

“We are throwing many, many resources at the assistance for U.S. citizens in this region as well as visa processing, but the demand, as you can imagine, is very high,” a senior U.S. administration official said. “We are not able to process the volume of the people who are thinking about that as an option.”

That pool of people is also already limited. Immigrant visas only apply to immediate family members as defined under U.S. law — spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents.

If a U.S. citizen’s family member doesn’t fall into those categories, there’s a process to petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve their case, but that is not being expedited, according to the senior administration official, meaning their application could take months, even years.

Refugee advocates, however, say there are potentially thousands of Ukrainians for whom the USCIS has confirmed their familial relationship, but haven’t yet fully approved their petition — arguing their cases can and should now be expedited.

It’s unclear if the administration is weighing that. Blinken told reporters Thursday they were “looking at steps we may be able to take on family reunification.”

Wait times for nonimmigrant visas are often shorter, and applicants can request your application be expedited. But the senior administration official said there’s a risk of being denied because these are “not the appropriate tool to begin an immigrant, refugee, or resettlement process.”

“If your plan is to go to the United States and you have absolutely no idea what you’ll do after that — which I have to say on a human level is very understandable — as U.S. consular officers who are charged with executing U.S. immigration law, they [Ukrainian applicants] would be well advised to have much more of a plan afterward,” they said.

The Department of Homeland Security also has the ability to provide another kind of temporary legal status known as humanitarian parole that allows a foreigner to enter the U.S. usually for up to a year. Reuters has reported that Customs and Border Patrol agents have been granting humanitarian parole to Ukrainians crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

DHS declined to comment to ABC News about those reports.

“We address an individual’s claim for humanitarian relief as they are presented to us,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday. “We are looking at other programs that we can implement to expand the avenues of humanitarian relief.”

But DHS continues to use a public health authority known as Title 42 to send the majority of adults attempting to cross the border back to their country of origin. The policy was enacted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Trump administration, and despite intense pressure from immigrants’ rights group and progressive Democrats, the Biden administration has yet to lift it.

Mayorkas said DHS has issued guidance to all CBP officers on the border reminding them of the exceptions to the Title 42 authority and how it relates to Ukrainian nationals “and everyone else” attempting to make credible fear claims at the southern border. But Psaki said revoking Title 42 “wouldn’t be done in response to a war in a European country. It’s done by — a decision would be made by the CDC and then it would be implemented.”

The push to “fast track” the refugee process, however, is unlikely to yield results, with the program defined by law and requiring a referral and thorough vetting. The senior administration official said it “is not an emergency response program, so our goal would be to provide humanitarian assistance to keep people safe where they are for now” instead.

For many refugees seeking to move to the U.S., it is a years-long process. There are already 7,000 Ukrainian refugees who have been in the pipeline for resettlement, according to Church World Service.

While Blinken said “of course we will take referrals” for new refugees, he also emphasized the administration is “looking at steps that we can take in the near term.”

Refugee resettlement agencies say the administration is considering using the Lautenberg program as one way to potentially expedite refugee status. The Cold War-era program allows religious minorities, including Ukrainian Greek Catholics and Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Christians, to bring family members to the U.S. with refugee status.

One agency told ABC News there are thousands of Ukrainian applications that the U.S. could swiftly admit, but it’s not clear the administration agrees.

ABC News’s Ben Gittleson and Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.

Search continues for teen possibly kidnapped in her own car from Nevada parking lot

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(FERNLEY, Nev.) — Nearly a week after authorities believe a Nevada teenager was possibly kidnapped from a parking lot in her own car, the search for the missing person and a vehicle of interest continue.

Naomi Irion, 18, was last seen inside her car on March 12 around 5 a.m. in the parking lot of a Walmart in Fernley, Nevada, outside Reno, according to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.

Surveillance video captured a man getting into the driver’s seat of her car and leaving in an unknown direction with Irion in the passenger seat, said the sheriff’s office, which has characterized her disappearance as “suspicious in nature.”

Irion was sitting in the driver’s seat, but the suspect “did say or do something to Naomi to make her move over,” her brother, Casey Valley, who said he has seen the video, told reporters at a press briefing Thursday.

Irion was waiting for a shuttle bus Saturday morning to take her to her job at Panasonic Energy of North America in the Reno area, according to the Missing Persons Advocacy Network.

Valley, who lives with Irion, reported her missing on Sunday when she never came home from work. “I knew something was wrong,” he said.

Irion’s cellphone was last pinged in the area of the Walmart, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies found her car, a 1992 Mercury Sable, on Tuesday in an industrial park about a mile from the Walmart without her in it, the sheriff’s office said.

“Evidence suggesting Naomi’s disappearance is criminal in nature was located in the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said, but did not provide any further details.

Investigators have identified a Chevrolet pickup truck whose driver they believe may have a “direct connection” to her current whereabouts, the sheriff’s office said.

“We’re making a plea to the public right now to locate our person of interest vehicle,” Lyon County Sheriff Frank Hunewill said Thursday.

The sheriff’s office released a photo of the vehicle — described as a dark 2020 or newer Chevrolet 2500 High Country 4-door pickup truck — on social media. It has also released the last known images of Irion, taken from surveillance footage the morning she went missing, as well as images from video surveillance that showed the suspect from the back with a hood pulled up over his head.

The surveillance video captured the suspect walking from a nearby homeless encampment, though it’s unclear if he is a person experiencing homelessness, Hunewill said.

The sheriff’s office said Thursday it is working with the Pyramid Lake Police Department and the FBI to search an area in neighboring Wadsworth “for any possible evidence linking to Naomi’s disappearance.”

“We’re doing all that we can do, with the resources that we’ve got — not just that we have, but Churchill County, Washoe County, everybody, FBI — to pull this together and try to get as much information as quick as we can because time is of the essence,” Hudewill said.

A community search is scheduled for Saturday morning. Sheriff’s deputies will be on hand to assist in the search.

Irion moved to Fernley in August 2021, a little over a year after her brother moved to the city from Wyoming.

The family emotionally expressed gratitude for the community’s support in the search for their sister, including posting missing person flyers.

“To the people of Fernley, the people of this area, the amount of support you have given us, it’s amazing,” Valley said. “Thank you.”

Irion’s sister, Tamara Cartwright, urged anyone who sees anything on social media that looks like Irion or the truck to contact the sheriff’s office.

“We have to stay optimistic,” she said through tears. “There’s no choice.”

Irion is 5’11” with black hair and a septum piercing. She was last seen wearing a blue Panasonic T-shirt, a gray cardigan sweater, gray pants and brown boots and carrying a black purse.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 775-557-5206 ext. 2, call or text Secret Witness at 775-322-4900 or go online at www.secretwitness.com.

‘The Harder They Fall’ director lines up next project, DJ D-Nice performing at the Oscars, and more

March 18, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The Harder They Fall director Jeymes Samuel and Jay-Z are teaming up again for the Netflix adaptation of the comic series Irredeemable and its spinoff, Incorruptible. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two titles will be combined into one feature film written by One Night in Miami writer Kemp Powers. Jay-Z will be a producer on the project. He was a producer on The Harder They Fall as well.

D-Nice is going to the Oscars. The DJ, who rose to fame with his virtual Club Quarantine parties, will be performing during the March 27 ceremony as well as the post-show Governors Ball. Tonight, at 6:30 p.m. PT, he’ll be hosting the official Oscars Club Quarantine pre-party on Instagram Live. Tune in to @djnice or @theacademy. Percussionist and frequent Prince collaborator Sheila E., as well as rock drummer Travis Barker, will also be performing during the Oscars ceremony.

Kerry Washington and Serena Williams will be among the presenters at the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, March 19. Other presenters include Nick Jonas, Kristen Stewart, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Lin-Manuel Miranda and more. Issa Rae will be honored with the Visionary Award at the ceremony.

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