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Sister, mother, wife, soldier, pastor: Dr. Lightsey's journey through self-discovery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

CHICAGO — If you give her a moment, the smile on Dr. Pamela Lightsey’s face will bring you in, as she tells you the story of her life. Her style is that of a preacher, for good reason.  She is one.Lightsey, the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Meadville Lombard Theological School in downtown Chicago, is writing her third book, drawing on her intersectionality of being a black woman, a Christian minister, a mother, a queer lesbian who lived in the closet for years and a U.S. Army Veteran.She grew up in South Florida in a low-income family. Despite financial hardships and being one of the first generations to face the blow back of school desegregation, she felt supported by family and teachers who saw her potential.“I had several Black teachers who thought I was smart and who invested in me and always encouraged me to go to school,” Lightsey said. “I didn’t go directly into college. I went directly into the military.” Stunning photos document gay, Black life i...

Revival of ‘Steamworks: The Musical’ reflects changing attitudes toward gender identity, HIV status

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

CHICAGO — The Annoyance Theatre in Lake View is one of the city’s edgy and experimental improv comedy clubs. And it’s also home to some of the city’s best queer theatre productions. One of the most beloved is “Steamworks: The Musical,” a show that has been revived with new songs and characters to be more inclusive.“Steamworks: The Musical” is a send-up of “Alice in Wonderland,” set in a fictionalized version of legendary Boystown bathhouse, Steamworks. A newly-out-of-the closet young man has just arrived in Chicago from small town Nebraska, wondering how he’ll fit in in the big city.“So we have Al as our ‘Alice,’ Steven Stefan as our ‘white rabbit,’ that Al follows into the hole of Steamworks,” said Mary Catherine Curran, the show’s director. “The idea that you never know what’s going to happen when you go into Steamworks.”It’s a humorous journey through the rooms of the bathhouse, in which Al encounters a number of characters, wearing only their bath towels, who each teach him hu...

Shooting at Michigan street party leaves 2 dead, 15 injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

(The Hill) — Two people were killed and 15 others were injured in a shooting at a street party in Saginaw, Mich., early Saturday morning, state police said.Police began receiving calls about the shooting shortly after midnight, according to a news release from Michigan State Police.  Previous passengers recall ill-fated Titan: ‘I 100% knew this was going to happen’ A preliminary investigation suggested that shots were fired after a fight broke out between partygoers, leading others in the crowd to begin shooting in response, state police said. At least five different caliber weapons were used in the incident.A 19-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman were killed, while 15 others were transported to local hospitals to receive medical treatment. His LGBTQ teen book is one of the most banned in the U.S. Here’s why he keeps writing Some of the victims were injured by gunshots, while others were injured after being struck by cars as people attempted to flee the scene, according to th...

Travis Co. Clerk's Office celebrating Marriage Equality Day with free wedding ceremonies Monday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Travis County Clerk's Office is celebrating Pride month, as well as the eighth anniversary of marriage equality on Monday, with free wedding ceremonies conducted by Judge Nicholas Chu, the clerk's office said in a news release.Twenty-four couples are scheduled to be married Monday, with weddings taking place throughout the day, the release said.On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court determined the constitution recognized a right to same-sex marriage via Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, the release said. Earlier that year, the Travis County Clerk's office issued the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in Texas.“This is an important moment for Travis County to reaffirm its commitment to civil rights,equality, and protecting the right to marry who you love. I’m grateful to Travis County ClerkLimon-Mercado and her office’s work in making sure Travis County is at the forefront of beinginclusive and supportive of all members of our community,” Chu said in the release...

1,350 riders attend Harley-Davidson rally in St. Charles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – More than 1,200 Harley-Davidson riders from across the country descended on St. Charles this week for the Mid-America H.O.G. Rally. On Saturday, the group lined the streets of St. Charles for a parade of flags, representing chapters of Harley owners across America.The parade kicked off at 4 p.m. at the Lewis and Clark Boat House. The riders then traveled down Riverside Drive to Clark Street, then took Clark to Second Street. Police share image of teens wanted for questioning in St. Louis mass shooting They drove down Second Street through Frenchtown to the roundabout, went up to Fifth Street, traveled down Fifth to Boone's Lick, and back to the Lewis and Clark Boat House."The parade is for the benefit of the local business and the local people that are allowing us to do this here,” said Paul Blotske, St. Charles regional manager of Harley-Davison Owners Group (HOG). “So, we want to show off our bikes to the locals.”

Keeler: Deion Sanders’ secret? The harder you root for CU Buffs to fail, the stronger Coach Prime gets. “They don’t like it because they know he’s going to be good.”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

Cripes, he scares them. If you’re a college football coach, Deion Sanders is the telephone, the automobile and the atom bomb all rolled into one, dropped in a Louis Vuitton bag from a Mile High.Because if it works, if he works, oh, Lordy. It changes the game. It changes everything. Forever.“Opposing coaches around the country ask me more about Deion than fans ask me about Deion,” FOX Sports analyst and former CU Buffs quarterback Joel Klatt told me earlier this month. “And they don’t like it. They don’t like it because they know he’s going to be good.”The fear is the fun part. Coach’s Prime revolution will be televised, and if you’re a CU fan, the louder the protests from the establishment, the sweeter the compliment. Boulder is college football’s new Trinity Site, the sort of experiment in power and process that has NCAA lifers rooting for a 3-9 fall.At least Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi had the stones to stick a name behind his anti-Sanders barbs. Which is more than you can say for at leas...

PHOTOS: 2023 Denver PrideFest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

Thousands of people enjoyed performances, food, and activities in Civic Center Park on Saturday, June 24 for the 2023 Denver PrideFest.

Freight train carrying hazardous materials plunges into Yellowstone River as bridge fails

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

By Matthew Brown and Gene Johnson | Associated PressCOLUMBUS, Mont. — A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur, Stillwater County Disaster and Emergency Services said. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger after the 6 a.m. accident. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars.David Stamey, the county’s chief of emergency services, said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were three asphalt cars and four sulfur cars in the river.The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement. The asphalt and sulfur both solidify quickly when expo...

VIDEO: Self-driving Tesla nearly blows past stop sign on test drive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

(KRON) -- A test drive of Tesla's self-driving technology revealed a significant error when the vehicle nearly plowed through a stop sign into oncoming traffic in Santa Barbara on Thursday, according to video shared by The Dawn Project founder Dan O'Dowd. Tesla Devils Slide crash: Doctor has his medical license suspended O'Dowd was in Santa Barbara for an open discussion with Tesla investor Ross Gerber. The two debated the risks and benefits of autonomous driving systems before hopping into a Tesla Model S for a test drive of Tesla's newly released Full Self-Driving software. The video begins with casual conversation amongst the Tesla's passengers. Gerber is behind the wheel, and O'Dowd is in the passenger seat as the Tesla S comes upon what appears to be a garbage truck backing out of a driveway. The vehicle slows as if to stop and wait for the truck to go, but Gerber "disengages" the self-driving mode and takes control of the wheel. "I disengaged," Gerber notes that the car hes...

3 Brisbane home burglary suspects at large

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:08:12 GMT

(KRON) -- Authorities are searching for three suspects linked to a home burglary Thursday night, the Brisbane Police Department (BPD) announced on social media. Around 9 p.m., BPD officers responded to an alarm at a home on the 200 block of Santa Clara Street. Who’s still left on the Warriors’ 2022 championship team? With the help of neighborhood surveillance cameras, police determined the suspect vehicle is a black BMW X3, in which the three suspects dressed in dark clothing fled. When officers arrived at the scene, they saw a broken window in the back of the home.BPD posted pictures of the three suspects and the suspect vehicle (below). (Brisbane Police Department)(Brisbane Police Department)(Brisbane Police Department)The three suspects were in and out of the home in approximately five minutes. Police said that might indicate the suspects "knew specifically what they were looking for and where." BPD was able to track down the license plate of the BMW. As of Saturday afternoon,...