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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grant Co. celebrates courage and community at Chief for a Day
Jun. 12—EPHRATA — Laughter filled the air and smiles shone brightly Thursday as Grant County honored 11 exceptional children during the annual Chief for a Day celebration. "Seeing the excitement and happiness on their faces is heartwarming," said Kyle Foreman, Public Information Officer for the Grant County Sheriff's Office. The cherished event, now in its 21st year, transforms young residents, some battling significant medical challenges, into honorary chiefs for a day. As local law enforcement and fire department personnel rallied around them, the children took center stage in a celebration that embodies community spirit and resilience. The festivities commenced with a motorcade featuring lights and sirens, escorting the young chiefs from local schools to the Grant County Courthouse. Participants vividly remember the joy radiating from the faces of the children as they arrived at the venue. The event aims to create a memorable day where families can momentarily set aside their struggles and delight in the spirit of celebration, Foreman said. The 11 honorary chiefs included Aiden Kane, 11, made sheriff for the day; Nayelli Lopez, 15, the Ephrata Fire Department's chief; Brandon Martin Arredondo, 9, chief for Warden Police Department; Adam Torres, 6, chief of the Quincy Police Department; Bryan Cedillo, 7, chief of the Royal City Police Department; Bryan Reyes-Cervantes, 11, honored by Grant County Fire District 3; Elijah Basilio, 8, the chief for Washington State Patrol; Hunter Kennedy, 9, from the Moses Lake Police Department; Preston Thomas, 5, the chief for Grant County Fire District 5; Grant Williams, 10, from the Ephrata Police Department; and Adrian Aguinaga, 12, with the Moses Lake Fire Department. "This event is all about giving the families and the children a memorable day," Foreman said. "The joy and connection to the community that these kids experience is invaluable." Each child presented a colorful biography detailing their aspirations for their new role, personal interests and favorite heroes. For example, young Sheriff Aiden Kane named his first objective as "to eat snacks," a sentiment praised by Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete, who admitted, "I can relate to that." The ceremony included heartfelt speeches and an emotional oath-taking led by Grant County Court Judges, legitimizing the honorary roles of the newly appointed chiefs. The children proudly recited their vows, promising to be brave, honest, respectful and, above all, to have fun. The genuine pride displayed by each young chief as they donned their uniforms and badges was evident. "This day is not just about fun; it serves as an important recognition that children with special needs are valued in our community," said Warden Police Chief Rick Martin. "Every child selected has a unique story, helping them understand they are not alone in their challenges." The reactions from the young chiefs, including Nayelli Lopez, who expressed her excitement to wear a fire helmet, and Hunter Kennedy, whose first act as chief was to meet the K-9s, encapsulated the heartwarming nature of the day. As Bryan Reyes-Cervantes said, "I want to take my crew to lunch!" The day not only served as an event for celebration but also as a reminder of the strength and resilience exhibited by children facing considerable health challenges, Foreman said. "Together, we can truly make a difference," Kriete said.
Scottish Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Muhammad Ali would still tease George Foreman about Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on after they became best friends
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MUHAMMAD ALI would still tease George Foreman about their Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on - after the pair became inseparable. Ali famously defeated Foreman in Zaire - now the Democratic Republic of the Congo - in 1974 with over ONE BILLION viewers watching worldwide. 5 Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in their 1974 Rumble in The Jungle Credit: BBC 5 The two became close friends in later years Credit: Getty And he did so using his famous rope-a-dope tactic - allowing Foreman to punch himself out before winning in round eight. The build-up was bitter and the rivalry carried on post-fight to lead to what was an expected rematch. But after Foreman claimed to have died in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young in 1976 - he found God and retired. It also paved the way for Foreman to form a brotherhood with Ali - up until the boxing great's death in 2016. READ MORE IN boxing MIKE DROP I'm related to the greatest boxer ever but changed my name to make my own way Ali's grandson, MMA star Biaggio, told SunSport: "My grandpa and George, they were very, very close. They spoke all the time. "The only memory I have with George myself was from my grandfather's 70th birthday party. "We met George there, I was 12 years old and even at 12 years old, I knew who George Foreman was. "I had seen the fight with him and Poppy and I was like, 'Oh, George Foreman, nice to meet you.' CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "He was such a nice guy, like super humble, down to earth and of just a very successful businessman at that point too. "So, really, that's like the only memory I have from George, but I do know that him and my grandfather, they were really close." Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico tried to hide his famous surname before Mike Tyson blew his cover Ali retired in 1981 after 61 fights and three heavyweight title reigns - but he was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years later. Although that did not stop the quick-witted sports great from throwing verbal jabs to his rival-turned-friend Foreman. Biaggio, 26, revealed: "Poppy was a jokester, man. Like he would always joke about certain things. "It's crazy when I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' "Certain things like that I would reminisce in my head and then at the same time I'm like, 'But you're just my grandpa.' It was a very strange feeling my whole life really. "But yeah, they definitely had some banter, you know, Poppy was a jokester, he's always joking." Foreman made a comeback in 1987 after ten years out and became the oldest heavyweight champion of all time aged 46. I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' Biaggio Ali Walsh But the multimillionaire businessman - who made over £150million through his cooking grills - died in March at 76. Ali meanwhile passed nearly ten years prior but Biaggio - an unbeaten MMA fighter and brother Nico a professional boxer - continue on the legacy. Middleweight Nico has 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest in his 15 boxing bouts while Biaggio - a former American football prospect - is 2-0 in the cage. Biaggio - signed to the Professional Fighters League - returns on June 27 in Chicago - but wants to compete all over the world - like his grandfather before him. He said: "I wanna just fight. So, anywhere it is, that'd be great. "And I think it's cool too, you get to travel and get to see a lot of new places and stuff. I'd never been to Saudi Arabia before until I fought there. "That's what's so cool about this job, you get to travel and see new places and destinations, places you never been to. "All are possibilities, especially with the PFL, man, I love the PFL." 5 Nico Ali Walsh is a professional boxer Credit: EPA 5 Brother Biaggio Ali Walsh is a pro MMA fighter Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Muhammad Ali would still tease George Foreman about Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on after they became best friends
MUHAMMAD ALI would still tease George Foreman about their Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on - after the pair became inseparable. ONE BILLION viewers watching worldwide. 5 Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in their 1974 Rumble in The Jungle Credit: BBC 5 The two became close friends in later years Credit: Getty And he did so using his famous rope-a-dope tactic - allowing Foreman to punch himself out before winning in round eight. The build-up was bitter and the rivalry carried on post-fight to lead to what was an expected rematch. But after Foreman claimed to have died in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young in 1976 - It also paved the way for Foreman to form a brotherhood with Ali - up until the boxing great's death in 2016. READ MORE IN boxing Ali's grandson, MMA star Biaggio, told SunSport: "My grandpa and George, they were very, very close. They spoke all the time. "The only memory I have with George myself was from my grandfather's 70th birthday party. "We met George there, I was 12 years old and even at 12 years old, I knew who George Foreman was. "I had seen the fight with him and Poppy and I was like, 'Oh, George Foreman, nice to meet you.' Most read in Boxing CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "He was such a nice guy, like super humble, down to earth and of just a very successful businessman at that point too. "So, really, that's like the only memory I have from George, but I do know that him and my grandfather, they were really close." Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico tried to hide his famous surname before Mike Tyson blew his cover Ali retired in 1981 after 61 fights and three heavyweight title reigns - but he was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years later. Although that did not stop the quick-witted sports great from throwing verbal jabs to his rival-turned-friend Foreman. Biaggio, 26, revealed: "Poppy was a jokester, man. Like he would always joke about certain things. "It's crazy when I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' "Certain things like that I would reminisce in my head and then at the same time I'm like, 'But you're just my grandpa.' It was a very strange feeling my whole life really. "But yeah, they definitely had some banter, you know, Poppy was a jokester, he's always joking." Foreman made a comeback in 1987 after ten years out and became the oldest heavyweight champion of all time aged 46. I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' Biaggio Ali Walsh But the multimillionaire businessman - who made over £150million through his cooking grills - died in March at 76. Ali meanwhile passed nearly ten years prior but Biaggio - an unbeaten MMA fighter and Middleweight Nico has 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest in his 15 boxing bouts while Biaggio - Biaggio - signed to the Professional Fighters League - returns on June 27 in Chicago - but wants to compete all over the world - like his grandfather before him. He said: "I wanna just fight. So, anywhere it is, that'd be great. "And I think it's cool too, you get to travel and get to see a lot of new places and stuff. I'd never been to Saudi Arabia before until I fought there. "That's what's so cool about this job, you get to travel and see new places and destinations, places you never been to. "All are possibilities, especially with the PFL, man, I love the PFL." 5 Nico Ali Walsh is a professional boxer Credit: EPA 5 Brother Biaggio Ali Walsh is a pro MMA fighter Credit: Getty 5 Biaggio, left, and brother Nico with their grandfather Muhammad Ali Credit: @biaggioaliwalsh
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
That Time the FBI Conspired To Get George Foreman an Award for Boxing
The FBI is concerned with a great many things today. Incels. Orgasm cults. Facebook posts. Safe-deposit boxes. Encryption. But in October 1968, the Bureau was concerned with whether George Foreman got the proper recognition as a boxer. Files released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that the Racial Intelligence Section of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division intervened to get Foreman an additional award for his patriotism after winning an Olympic gold medal. Foreman "gave every American an emotional lift when immediately after defeating Inoas Chepulis [Jonas Čepulis] of the Soviet Union…he showed the world that he was proud to be an American by waving a small American flag," Associate Director G.C. Moore wrote in a memo to Assistant Director William Sullivan. The Bureau also saw Foreman as a useful cudgel against domestic opponents. Foreman's patriotic victory display, Moore wrote, "was in sharp contrast with the earlier despicable black power-black gloved demonstration of Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the Olympic victory stand and the anti-Vietnam stand of Cassius Clay." Smith and Carlos were kicked off the American team for making a black power salute after winning a 200-meter race. Clay, who changed his name to Muhammad Ali, had won an Olympic gold medal for boxing in 1960. He was convicted of defying the military draft in 1967—Ali opposed the Vietnam War on religious grounds—a conviction that was overturned in 1971. Back in 1968, Moore suggested helping get Foreman his "justly deserved award," on the recommendation of two special agents who belonged to the American Legion. With the approval of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, the Bureau eventually settled on trying to get Foreman the Americanism Award from the Freedoms Foundation. Although he was nominated for the award, Foreman didn't win that year. He did win a George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation in 1974. Foreman, who died in March 2025, had a long career after his Olympic victory. He remained undefeated until his famous "Rumble in the Jungle" with Ali. He retired in 1977, became a Christian minister in the 1980s, returned to boxing in 1994, and began marketing the famous George Foreman Grill that same year. Reason requested Foreman's FBI file after he passed away, and the Bureau released the memos on his Olympic victory earlier this week. The FBI's interest in Foreman came amidst COINTELPRO, a paranoid Cold War counterintelligence program that treated everyone from draft resisters and Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Ku Klux Klan as vectors for foreign subversion. In addition to trying to get Foreman an award, the Bureau heavily spied on Ali and Carlos. Ali ultimately got the last laugh. During his 1971 match with Joe Frazier, a group of dissidents known as the Citizens Committee to Investigate the FBI used the boxing match as a distraction to break into an FBI office in Pennsylvania and steal the COINTELPRO files. The burglary led to Congress reining in the FBI's power. Fortunately, America has learned from those dark days. Surely, the FBI no longer uses fantasies about foreign conspiracies as an excuse to spy on Americans and interfere with domestic politics. Right? The post That Time the FBI Conspired To Get George Foreman an Award for Boxing appeared first on
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local youth honored at upcoming Chief for a Day event
Jun. 5—"Every child selected has a unique story and letting them shine in front of their peers is heartening. It helps them understand that they are not alone in their challenges." Warden Police Department Chief Rick Martin EPHRATA — What happens when Grant County children, who are battling significant medical challenges, are promised a day of fun and recognition? They become honorary Chiefs for a day June 12, an exhilarating experience that leaves lasting smiles and cherished memories. "It's all about giving the families and the children a memorable day where they can momentarily forget their medical challenges," said Grant County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. The "Chief for a Day" event, now in its 21st year, is set to uplift ten children from Grant County as they take center stage and assume roles typically reserved for law enforcement and fire department personnel. Foreman has been there since the event's inception and is aware of the enormous positive impact it has on the kids. "Seeing the excitement and happiness on their faces is heartwarming," Foreman said. Held on June 12 at 11 a.m., this heartfelt community celebration will take place at the Grant County Courthouse, where the children, selected for their resilience and spirit, will formally be sworn in as police chiefs, fire chiefs and one will become the sheriff. The event kicks off with a motorcade that will lead the youths to the courthouse, featuring lights and sirens, aimed at introducing the Chiefs to the public in a grand fashion. The day's festivities are designed to immerse the children fully in the roles they are stepping into. After arriving at Walmart for the presentation of badges and photographs, the Chiefs will join a parade procession, escorted by members of local law enforcement and fire departments. Once the motorcade arrives at the courthouse, the children will be formally honored during a ceremony accompanied by the National Anthem and an invocation. This year, several local law enforcement and fire agencies are participating. The agencies participating and their new chief are as follows: Grant County Sheriff's Office, Aiden Kane; Grant County Fire District 13, Bryan Reyes-Cervantes; Ephrata Fire, Nayelli Lopez; Ephrata Police Department, Grant Williams; Moses Lake Police Department, Hunter Kennedy; Quincy Police Department, Adam Torres; Warden Police Department, Brandon Martin Arredondo; Grant County Fire District 5, Preston Thomas; Moses Lake Fire, Adrian Aguinaga and Washington State Patrol, Elijah Basilio. Each of the children filled out a biography for their department with questions like what the first thing they will do as chief, favorite color, favorite character or hero, hobbies and any needs the child has. The first action as Chief for Kennedy is to see the K-9s; Torres said he will be wearing a police hat; Thomas said he will be driving the fire truck with lights and sirens and Aguinaga said he is going to see the vehicles and meet the heroes that drive them. "Our interactions with these kids promote a connection to their community and enable them to have a fun day filled with joy," Ephrata Police Department Chief Erik Koch said. In the spirit of community involvement, the officers choose their "Chief" based on information from local school districts that highlights deserving candidates. "We usually work with the school district to select a child," Quincy Police Department Chief Ryan Green said. "This year, it's been rewarding to see our chosen kid excited about their role. They get to experience police vehicles and interact with officers." The importance of this event extends beyond just the fun; it serves as a recognition that children with special needs are valued and supported within their communities. Warden Police Chief Rick Martin said. "Every child selected has a unique story and letting them shine in front of their peers is heartening. It helps them understand that they are not alone in their challenges," Martin said. Each of his past young chiefs has made a lasting impact on him, the adult Warden chief said, each teaching him something new. He said he has photos of him, alongside the young Warden Police Department chiefs hanging on a wall in his house. "All of these kids are special," Martin said. "I love doing this event and I enjoy making sure the kids know they are one of a kind, because they are." Each appointed Chief for a Day receives their own uniform and badge, along with an official oath of office conducted by Grant County Court Judges, legitimizing their honorary roles in a way that brings the children immense pride. The event provides families with an opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime, Koch said. He also said much of the experience needs to be catered to the sensitivities of the children. "We have to ensure that the atmosphere is comfortable since some may have sensory sensitivities, which adds another layer of complexity," Koch said. Chief for a Day not only highlights the resilience of these children but also underscores a community rallying around its members, Foreman said. "We hope to see everyone join us at the courthouse to witness the joy and hear the cheering from families and community members," Foreman said. "If you need something that will warm your heart and make you smile, come down for chief of the day." Chief for a Day Ephrata Grant County Courthouse June 12 at 11 a.m.
