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American Press
a day ago
- Entertainment
- American Press
Franklin Donald Miller Sr.
Franklin Donald Miller Sr., age 90, of Dry Creek, La., passed peacefully on June 16, 2025, at 12:18 p.m. on his beloved Miller Farm, surrounded by his loving wife, children, and grandchildren. As he quietly went to sleep in the place he cherished most, he awakened in the presence of Jesus. Franklin was born on Nov. 6, 1934, in DeRidder, La., and was a proud son of Frank and Versie Miller. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, William 'Bill' Miller. He is survived by his devoted wife of 66 years, Jeanette Miller. They were married on June 18, 1959, and built a legacy rooted in faith, service, and unconditional love. He is also survived by his children, Sandra Zehm, Terri Bauer, Frank Miller (Melissa), all of Coppell, Texas, and Cynthia Miller (Mike Cline) of Dry Creek, La. Franklin was the proud grandfather of six, Chris Zehm of Fayetteville, N.C.; Erik Bauer (Olja Romanova) of Arvada, Colo.; Audrey Short (Drew) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Levi and Jackson Miller of Coppell, Texas, and Layla Talley of Dry Creek, La. He is also survived by his siblings; sister, Rose Manuel (Dan); brother, John Miller (Kathy), and sister Kathy Honea, all of Dry Creek. He is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews, whom he loved like his own. A man of remarkable character and talents, Franklin served in numerous professional roles throughout his life; each with diligence, excellence, and heart. He began his career as a cartographic draftsman with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and served active duty with the U.S. Army Reserve. He later worked with the Beauregard Electric Cooperative and served as a deputy sheriff in both Calcasieu and Beauregard Parishes. In April 1964, he became the first deputy in Calcasieu Parish to be shot in the line of duty during an armed robbery, the bullet was never removed. He courageously led a major drug raid in Beauregard Parish in 1969 and remained dedicated to public safety and justice throughout his career in law enforcement. Franklin operated Miller Farms in Dry Creek for over a decade, managing a 1,500 acre diversified crop and livestock farm with discipline and care. He also dedicated many years to education, teaching math and science at schools including Reeves High School, DeRidder High School, Newton High School, and Dallas ISD. He retired from teaching in 2004, remembered by many as a phenomenal math teacher who made the most difficult concepts clear and approachable. Franklin held many titles; educator, lawman, farmer, civic leader, but his most cherished role was as a teacher of God's Word. At the First United Pentecostal Church of DeRidder, where he was a faithful member since 1973, and also faithfully served as a board member beginning in 1989, where he led the 'New converts' Bible class. Many of his students said they never understood the Bible more clearly than under his teaching. His faith was sincere, steady, and lived out every day. His legacy of service extended deep into the community, Director of the Beauregard Parish Farm Bureau for 8 years (President for 2, Vice President for 1), Louisiana State Farm Bureau Board Member for 2 years, serving on and chairing several agriculture and education committees, President of East Beauregard High School PTO (2 years), Director of Beauregard Parish Fair Association (1 year), State Board Member of the Louisiana Soybean Association (6 years), Director and Secretary of East Beauregard Youth Football Association (4 years), Director, President, and Vice President of the DeRidder Jaycees. Franklin Donald Miller was a man of many talents, a jack of all trades and master of each. He was known as a fixer of machinery, problems, and even broken hearts. He carried the torch passed from his father and served as the rock of his family, a mentor to many, and a spiritual leader to all who knew him. His legacy of love, faith, wisdom, and humble service will live on through his children, grandchildren, community, and the many lives he touched. Visitation will be held in First Church of DeRidder, La. on Saturday, June 21, 2025 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. and will resume in First Church Sunday from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. Funeral services will be held in First Church of DeRidder, La. on Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 2 p.m., the Rev. Zale Lewis, officiant. Burial will follow in Dry Creek Cemetery under the direction of Johnson & Brown Funeral Home of Iowa. Words of comfort may be shared at: Facebook: Johnson & Brown Funeral Home
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Ode to 'Dena' at CAAM explores the legacy of Black artists in Altadena: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in its final month of debris removal in Altadena. It has already cleared thousands of properties destroyed in January's devastating Eaton fire and is working on the toxic ash and refuse that remains. Once the immediacy of that task fades, years of accounting for the neighborhood's many losses lie ahead, as does the ongoing rebuilding. The California African American Museum is contributing to that work with 'Ode to 'Dena: Black Artistic Legacies of Altadena,' an exhibition on view through Oct. 12. The exhibition — organized in just three months in response to the fire — is curated by Dominique Gallery founder Dominique Clayton. It seeks to illustrate the importance of the unincorporated foothill community to Black artists including midcentury figures like Charles White, as well as contemporary practitioners including Martine Syms and Kenturah Davis. Between 1910 and 1970, approximately 6 million Black Americans migrated from the South to other parts of the U.S.. In Southern California, Altadena became an attractive place for Black families to settle. The area didn't participate in the redlining practices of other neighborhoods, making it a relatively welcoming place. Many of those residents were artists and musicians, including the famed assemblage artist and former director of the Watts Towers Arts Center, John Outterbridge, whose home and studio burned in the fire. (Outterbridge died in 2020.) In an online description of the 'Ode to 'Dena' exhibition, CAAM notes that Altadena was 'hailed as the epicenter of Black arts activity in Los Angeles County,' during the 1950s and '60s, although that artistic center of gravity later shifted toward Watts after the 1965 Watts Rebellion. Nonetheless, CAAM notes, 'Altadena continued to develop as a vibrant and creative haven with a distinctive Black cultural imprint. Since then, Altadena and the adjacent city of Pasadena have served as home to an extraordinary array of Black artists, educators, musicians, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and activists.' In addition to Outterbridge, White, Syms and Davis, the CAAM exhibit includes work by Betye Saar, Richmond Barthé, Mark Steven Greenfield, Nikki High, Bennie Maupin, Marcus Leslie Singleton, La Monte Westmoreland and Keni 'Arts' Davis. The Times' Noah Goldberg wrote a feature on Davis after the Eaton fire — highlighting how the retired 75-year-old Hollywood set painter spent 40 years creating watercolors of his beloved neighborhood. After the destruction, he began painting the wreckage. For more information on CAAM and the exhibition, click here. I'm arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt here with an important Essential Arts update: From today forward, this newsletter will now run on Friday only — rather than Monday and Friday. Here's this week's slew of arts news. The Euterpides & SerenadeIt's the last two weekends to catch young composer Alma Deutscher's debut ballet, 'The Euterpides,' a world-premiere collaboration with American Contemporary Ballet Director Lincoln Jones. The work is paired with George Balanchine's 'Serenade,' set to music by Tchaikovsky.8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; June 26-28. Television City, 200 N. Fairfax Ave., Stage 33. KCRW and CAAM Summer NightsWhat better way to kick off summer than an all-ages dance party? In between live sets from guest DJ Damar Davis and KCRW DJ Novena Carmel cool your heels in California African American Museum's galleries, currently featuring solo exhibitions by Awol Erizku, Darol Olu Kae, Nellie Mae Rowe and Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, plus the aforementioned 'Ode to 'Dena' and a group exhibition of artists inspired by the concept of reparations. There will also be food trucks, a beer garden and crafts. Best of all? It's free with an RSVP.7-11 p.m. Friday. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. Sing the Story: Celebrating Black Artistry From Gospel To SoulPatrick Dailey and the W. Crimm Singers, an ensemble devoted to the Black experience and its expression through music, take to the BroadStage for a genre-blending evening featuring spiritual medleys, soul classics and more. Part of a series of blues rhythms curated by the Reverend Shawn Amos.8 p.m. Saturday. The Plaza, 1310 11th St. Santa Monica. Before You Now: Capturing the Self in PortraitureThe Vincent Price Museum hosts a selection of photographs, prints, drawings, videos and installation art from LACMA's collections that explores how American artists see and present themselves in their work. Laura Aguilar, Kwame Brathwaite, Kalli Arte Collective, Jennifer Moon, Wendy Red Star, Roger Shimomura, Cindy Sherman, Rodrigo Valenzuela and June Wayne are among the more than 50 artists redefining and expanding the concept of through Aug. 30. Vincent Price Art Museum, East Los Angeles College, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park. 2025 California Biennial: Desperate, Scared, But SocialThe latest edition of the large-scale, Golden State-focused exhibition explores the 'richness of late adolescence, a stage of life full of hope and potential yet fraught with awkwardness, anxiety, and myriad pressures.' The show's 12 featured artists include well-established veterans and some who are still teenagers: Seth Bogart; punk rock band Emily's Sassy Lime (Emily Ryan, Amy Yao, Wendy Yao); rock band the Linda Lindas (Lucia de la Garza, Mila de la Garza, Eloise Won and Bela Salazar); Miranda July; Stanya Kahn; Heesoo Kwon; Woody De Othello; Laura Owens; Brontez Purnell; Griselda Rosas; Deanna Templeton; and Joey Terrill. The Biennial also features a presentation of paintings from the Gardena High School Art Collection, an assemblage of California Impressionism that began in 1919, and a program curated by present-day teenagers of works drawn from the Orange County Museum of Art through Jan. 4. Orange County Museum of Art, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. When the ViolinChoreographer/dancer Yamini Kalluri joins violinist Vijay Gupta for an evening of music by JS Bach and Reena Esmail. The program combines poetry, music and a combination of modern and traditional Kuchipudi dance.7:30 p.m. Saturday. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. Georgia O'Keeffe: The Brightness of LightA new documentary on the iconic American artist from Academy Award-winning director Paul Wagner ('The Stone Carver'). The film covers O'Keeffe's life from Jazz Age New York to the New Mexico desert and features music by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch and narration by Hugh Dancy, with Claire Danes as the voice of O'Keeffe.7 p.m. Tuesday. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd.; Aug. 2, Laemmle Newhall, Laemmle Glendale, Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino, Laemmle Monica Film Center and Laemmle Claremont 5. The drama surrounding President Trump's purported firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet reached a conclusion last week when Sajet decided to step down on her own terms. 'It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one,' Sajet wrote in a note to staff shared in an email by the Smithsonian Institution's leader, Lonnie Bunch. Sajet's announcement came two weeks after Trump claimed to have fired her for being, 'a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI.' About a week later, the Smithsonian Institution released a statement asserting its independence in the face of Trump's order, but that seems to not have been enough to persuade Sajet to stay. The work of Seattle-born, L.A.-based artist Noah Davis — who died of a rare form of liposarcoma at the the age of 32 — is the subject of Times art critic Christopher Knight's latest review. The Hammer Museum is staging a retrospective of Davis' paintings. It's only composed of about three dozen pieces, but Knight says it's more than enough to show that 'when Davis was good, he was very good indeed.' It is clear, Knight notes, that had his life not been cut tragically short, Davis was well on his way to further accomplishment. 'The show affirms his gift for what it was: Davis was a painter's painter, a deeply thoughtful and idiosyncratic Black voice heard by other artists and aficionados, even as his work was in invigorating development,' Knight writes. The 2025 Ojai Music Festival was one of the best, writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed, of the annual event in the bucolic Ventura County town. Founded nearly 80 years ago by an East Coast music lover named John Leopold Jergens Bauer, the event was originally meant to be California's answer to the Salzburg Festival. That aspiration never quite came to pass, but over the years the progressive gathering staged mostly at the Libbey Bowl has come to embody a groundbreaking ideal of new music. This year's music director was the flutist Claire Chase, who, according to Swed, 'collected concerned composers on a quest for a kind of eco-sonics capable of conjuring up the pleasure of nature and, in the process, saving our sanity.' Last Saturday, Esa-Pekka Salonen, 'conducted his San Francisco Symphony in a staggering performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2, known as the 'Resurrection.' It was a ferocious performance and an exalted one of gripping intensity,' Swed wrote in a glowing review of the legendary conductor's final show with the troubled orchestra he opted to leave when he decided not to renew his contact after five years of serving as its music director. 'The audience responded with a stunned and tumultuous standing ovation,' Swed notes. Times reporter Kailyn Brown headed to the Music Center on Sunday — a day after the city's massive 'No Kings' protests — to talk to audience members who attended L.A. Opera's 'Rigoletto' and Center Theater Group's 'Hamlet' despite the recent tumult and nighttime curfew in downtown L.A. In a series of interviews, accompanied by smiling photos, Brown's reporting shows what many Angelenos have been trying to tell friends and family outside of the city: It's not as bad as it may seem on your social media feeds. Downtown L.A. is more or less back to normal. And besides: It's never a bad idea to show up in support of the arts. CAP UCLA announced its 2025-26 season — its second under its new Executive and Artistic Director Edgar Miramontes. This season's offerings include 30 performances featuring more than 100 international artists. 'As borders become more intensified, Miramontes is committed to continued international exchange of ideas and learnings to encourage more empathy, connection, and shared understanding through presentations by acclaimed artists from around the world, spanning genre-defying jazz, Afro-Latin fusion, 21st-century classical music, and exciting new works in dance and theater,' the season release explains. Shows include: the Mexican collective Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol; basoonist and composer Joy Guidry; the jazz singer Lucía; trumpeter and composer Milena Casado; and Cuban musicians Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martínez, along with many others. 'This season is more than a series of performances — it is a call to community,' Miramontes wrote in a note to patrons. 'Exciting new theater, revolutionary music, and dance remind us that unity is not an ideal — it is an act. The stage becomes our platform, our laboratory, our refuge. Here, we witness. We reckon. We rejoice.' For tickets and the full schedule, click here. Playwright Michael Shayan has released a new Audible Original play titled 'Cruising.' It's directed by Robert O'Hara, who was nominated for a Tony Award for directing 'Slave Play' and is also in the midst of presenting his world-premiere adaptation of 'Hamlet' at the Mark Taper Forum. The comedy follows an aspiring gay playwright who — suffering from a summer of writer's block and apathy in his Encino apartment — embarks on a flamboyant cruise in his imagination, only to discover that his real life is falling apart around him. 'Cruising' features the voices of Christine Baranski, Tituss Burgess, Cecily Strong, André de Shields and Andrew Rannells, and can be streamed here. Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra announced its 2025-26 season, which continues this year at the Wallis in the Bram Goldsmith Theater. Offerings include a concert of classics led by Music Director Jaime Martín, featuring the German French cellist Nicolas Altstaedt; guest conductor Dinis Sousa with German violinist Isabelle Faust; violinist Anthony Marwood; pianist Richard Goode playing Mozart; a Brahms concert; a Baroque salon featuring harpsichordist Pierre Hantaï; and a performance by soprano Amanda Forsythe. For tickets and more info, click here. — Jessica Gelt What? You say you'd like a good beef roll for lunch? Me too! Here's a list for where to find the best eight in the city by Times Food columnist Jenn Harris.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Climate
- New York Post
‘Remarkable' discovery surfaces in North Carolina after lake drained during Helene recovery
An extensive post-storm cleanup effort at Lake Lure in western North Carolina has uncovered remarkable pieces of local history that had long been hidden beneath the surface of the man-made lake. The town of Lake Lure, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and private contractors, launched a large-scale restoration project aimed at clearing sediment and debris left behind by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. As part of the effort, officials drained much of the nearly 800-acre reservoir, exposing parts of the lakebed not seen since the area was first inundated in the 1920s. Among the most surprising discoveries: a 1920s-era Model T-style truck and a 32-foot wooden boat originally intended to serve as a water taxi during the region's early development. 'This is the first time the lake has been this low since it was first filled nearly a century ago,' said Jake Mohl, owner of Lake Lure Dock Company, whose team is currently handling many of the dock and boathouse repairs around the lake. 'We've worked on this lake for decades, and we're seeing things no one's laid eyes on in generations.' 4 The town launched a restoration project aimed at clearing sediment and debris left behind by Hurricane Helene. Lake Lure Dock Company Mohl, who has shared photos of the finds with FOX Weather, said his crew has encountered everything from sunken rowboats and large tree trunks to vehicle parts. 'The boat likely broke free during a storm and sank sometime after the Great Depression,' Mohl explained. Still visible on the side of the vessel is the name 'Pooh Bear,' which belonged to the Tanner family – one of the region's original developers. 4 Officials drained much of the nearly 800-acre reservoir, exposing parts of the lakebed not seen since the area was first inundated in the 1920s. Lake Lure Dock Company The boat was originally purchased in the 1950s to be used as a water taxi, but plans for its commercial use were abandoned. Nearby, crews also located what appears to be the Model T-style truck, likely left behind when the lake was created in the 1920s. Local residents suggested the vehicle became stuck in the mud or broke down and was simply left to be consumed by the rising waters when a nearby dam was completed in 1926 and the lake filled a year later. 4 'The boat likely broke free during a storm and sank sometime after the Great Depression,' Mohl explained. Lake Lure Dock Company The discoveries come as contractors, like the Lake Lure Dock Company, shift from immediate recovery work to reconstruction of docks and other structures around the lake. Many homes around the waterway appeared to be spared during Hurricane Helene, but boathouses and docks took the brunt of the damage. 'It's a roll of the dice out here,' Mohl said. 'Some properties were completely wiped out.' 4 Crews also located what appears to be the Model T-style truck, likely left behind when the lake was created in the 1920s. Lake Lure Dock Company Treasure hunters hoping to explore the lakebed for themselves may be disappointed, as the area remains off-limits to the public due to safety concerns. Large construction equipment has been spotted along the shoreline, where crews have already removed an estimated 376,000 tons of silt and approximately 46,744 cubic yards of storm debris from the lake. Town officials have not yet released a firm timeline for when the project will be completed or how long it will take the lake to refill, but locals are hopeful that Lake Lure will be restored to its former beauty by the summer of 2026.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Treasured discoveries surface as North Carolina lake is drained during Helene revitalization
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. – An extensive post-storm cleanup effort at Lake Lure in western North Carolina has uncovered remarkable pieces of local history that had long been hidden beneath the surface of the man-made lake. The town of Lake Lure, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and private contractors, launched a large-scale restoration project aimed at clearing sediment and debris left behind by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. As part of the effort, officials drained much of the nearly 800-acre reservoir, exposing parts of the lakebed not seen since the area was first inundated in the 1920s. Among the most surprising discoveries: a 1920s-era Model T-style truck and a 32-foot wooden boat originally intended to serve as a water taxi during the region's early development. "This is the first time the lake has been this low since it was first filled nearly a century ago," said Jake Mohl, owner of Lake Lure Dock Company, whose team is currently handling many of the dock and boathouse repairs around the lake. "We've worked on this lake for decades, and we're seeing things no one's laid eyes on in generations." Record-setting Shipwreck Accidentally Discovered Off Coast Of France Mohl, who has shared photos of the finds with FOX Weather, said his crew has encountered everything from sunken rowboats and large tree trunks to vehicle parts. "The boat likely broke free during a storm and sank sometime after the Great Depression," Mohl explained. Still visible on the side of the vessel is the name "Pooh Bear," which belonged to the Tanner family - one of the region's original developers. The boat was originally purchased in the 1950s to be used as a water taxi, but plans for its commercial use were abandoned. Nearby, crews also located what appears to be the Model T-style truck, likely left behind when the lake was created in the 1920s. Local residents suggested the vehicle became stuck in the mud or broke down and was simply left to be consumed by the rising waters when a nearby dam was completed in 1926 and the lake filled a year later. The discoveries come as contractors, like the Lake Lure Dock Company, shift from immediate recovery work to reconstruction of docks and other structures around the lake. Many homes around the waterway appeared to be spared during Hurricane Helene, but boathouses and docks took the brunt of the damage. "It's a roll of the dice out here," Mohl said. "Some properties were completely wiped out." Chimney Rock, North Carolina, Recovery Shows Progress Post-helene Treasure hunters hoping to explore the lakebed for themselves may be disappointed, as the area remains off-limits to the public due to safety concerns. Large construction equipment has been spotted along the shoreline, where crews have already removed an estimated 376,000 tons of silt and approximately 46,744 cubic yards of storm debris from the lake. Town officials have not yet released a firm timeline for when the project will be completed or how long it will take the lake to refill, but locals are hopeful that Lake Lure will be restored to its former beauty by the summer of article source: Treasured discoveries surface as North Carolina lake is drained during Helene revitalization
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cheney Lake rapidly rising after heavy rain on Tuesday
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Cheney Lake is rapidly rising after heavy rain fell Tuesday. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported that the lake is now 1.2 feet below normal as of 7 p.m. Wednesday. Lake elevation is 1420.4 feet, and the top of conservation is 1,421.6 feet. As of 9 p.m. on Wednesday, the conservation pool was 92.7% full. At the beginning of May, the lake was at 1413.7 feet. 'Wichita's 4.19 inches of rainfall yesterday was the city's 4th highest June daily rainfall since 1889, and the highest daily June rainfall since 1965. Also, the city's total since June 1 of 9.94 inches is the 6th highest June monthly rainfall on record and the highest since June 2014. Lastly, the city has tallied 17.59 inches since May 1, which is the 7th highest May-June rainfall total, and the highest since 2019,' Wichita's National Weather Service said Wednesday afternoon. The City of Wichita remains in Stage 2 of its drought plan. Don't expect the Air Capital's drought restrictions to be lifted anytime soon. City officials say the restrictions are based on Cheney's 12-month average, which was last updated on the city's website on June 2, and won't be updated again until the beginning of July. Still, locals are celebrating all the new water in their favorite lake. 'It's great for the start of the summer because it means you can finally get your family out here, and we can do things that we wanted to do that we couldn't do the last couple of years out here, so it's pretty awesome,' Josh Nelson said. He also tells KSN that he's lived in the area his whole life; the rains we just got were some of the most intense he's ever seen, and he's thankful that a lot of that water went into the lake. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
