Latest news with #Binkley
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reading Royals make Coaching Change
The Reading Royals have made a coaching change. The affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League announced that Jason Binkley has been relieved of his duties as the team's head coach and general manager. The search for the next head coach of the Royals will begin immediately. Having joined the Royals as an assistant coach in 2022, Binkley served three seasons behind Reading's bench. The Powell, Ohio native was an assistant under coach James Henry until assuming the position as interim head coach on Jan. 29, 2024. Binkley was named the franchise's ninth head coach on May 17, 2024. During his tenure, the Royals compiled a record of 46-44-15 in regular-season games, which includes his 13-16-3 record as interim head coach during the 2023-24 season. Under Binkley, the Royals qualified for the playoffs in his lone full season at the helm. After clinching the final playoff spot in the North Division on the final day of the regular season, Reading was swept by the Trois-Rivieres Lions in the Division Semifinals. The 24th season of Royals hockey will begin on the road against the Trois-Rivières Lions for a second consecutive season on Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 Pm.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Sneaky passenger' pops up on car as Missouri mom drives son to practice. See it
A mother was driving her son to baseball practice in Missouri when she met eyes with an unexpected — and scaly — stowaway. A small head popped up from the hood of the car and startled LeAnna Binkley as she navigated the roads. The 'sneaky passenger' was identified as a coachwhip snake, the Missouri Department of Conservation said in a May 17 Facebook post. Binkley, of Eugene, and her son tried to 'chase' the snake away from the vehicle, but it persistently ducked back into the warmth of the vehicle. Later, the woman drove to a school, where she is a teacher, for assistance in removing the slithery creature. Teachers and the school superintendent helped safely remove the snake from her car, conservationists said. 'Snakes can be attracted to the warmth of the engine compartment, especially after a drive, and they like dark, enclosed spaces,' the department said. Coachwhip snakes are 'one of Missouri's longest snakes,' according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Adults can grow up to five feet. The species stays in the Ozarks area of the southern part of the state, according to the department. Eugene is about a 150-mile drive southwest from St. Louis.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Yoga shooting victim's father was at FSU for an anti-hate summit. Now it's a crime scene
When Jeff Binkley heard several sirens outside his hotel room and saw a string of blue lights, patrol cars and ambulances speeding down West Tennessee Street, he knew something had happened at Florida State University. "I knew it was likely a mass shooting,' Binkley – the father of the 2018 Tallahassee hot yoga studio shooting victim Maura Binkley – told the Tallahassee Democrat. The Atlanta, Georgia native was at the Aloft Tallahassee Downtown hotel when the shooting occurred as he prepared for a "United Against Hate" Maura's Voice Symposium event scheduled for 5 p.m. April 17 to promote student safety on campus. 'Nothing else could have been concluded from what I saw heading that way after my experiences,' Binkley said. 'I knew it at that point.' His assumption was correct as the incident turned out to be the April 17 active shooting on FSU's campus. A shooter took the lives of two victims, who were not FSU students, while injuring six others. That led to the symposium being canceled. More: FSU shooting: Two dead; six injured after police say deputy's son opened fire on campus The shooter, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner – the son of a Leon County Sheriff's Office deputy – is currently in the hospital after he was taken down by law enforcement. During the shooting, he used a handgun that was previously used and purchased by his mother, reports said. The symposium would have been held in FSU's HCB Classroom Building, which was closed because it is a crime scene. The other closed buildings are the Student Union, Bellamy, Rovetta, Moore Auditorium, Shaw Pepper, Hecht House and Carraway. 'It's almost unthinkable in an emotional sense, but it's also so horrible that in a rational sense, we all know this can happen any place, at any time,' Binkley said. 'It's a cruel irony and a cruel coincidence that I was here, given the nature of the symposium and its location. It's almost impossible to process right now.' He added: 'It's so painful for the victims and their families, especially if you know what it's like.' The Maura's Voice Symposium is an annual event on countering hate in the communities while building a safer campus. It was launched a couple years ago to shed light on 21-year-old Maura, a senior at FSU who was one of two victims killed Nov. 2, 2018, in the Tallahassee Hot Yoga studio shooting. Maura and 61-year-old Dr. Nancy Van Vessem died after a gunman with a long history of abusive behavior and hatred against women opened fire in the yoga studio. "This is a tragic day for Florida State University," FSU President Richard McCullough said during an April 17 press conference at FSU's Turnbull Conference Center after the shooting. "We're absolutely heartbroken by the violence." The last time FSU had a shooting was in November 2014, when 31-year-old Myron May entered the university's Strozier Library just after midnight and opened fire, injuring three before he was quickly shot and killed in a hail of bullets by Tallahassee and FSU police. May, an FSU graduate and an attorney who was mentally ill and suffered from paranoia, used a .380 semi-automatic handgun during the on-campus shooting and shot at seven people. The three injured individuals in that shooting were one employee and two students including Farhan Ronny Ahmed, a student at the time who was paralyzed from the hip down after being shot. Although that shooting took place over a decade ago, the tragedy is still vividly remembered by those who lived through the incident, in which hundreds of students were barricaded inside the library. FSU, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College all have canceled classes for Friday, April 18. The symposium will be rescheduled to a future date and time. Despite the shooting leading to the symposium being canceled, Binkley believes it's better that he's here rather than somewhere else. He says he now can bring whatever comfort he can to individuals affected by the latest shooting. 'I think it's better than being back home in Atlanta, especially because of what we were here to do,' Binkley said. 'One symposium and one act doesn't address this issue, but I came here for a reason, and this horrible act of violence just underscores why I should be here right now. It underscores the need for continued focus.' 'This is such a great, caring, loving community, and for that to happen here at the university that's been so helpful, and supportive to our family,' he added, 'I'm without adequate words.' A vigil will be held at 5 p.m. April 18 at FSU's Langford Green to honor the victims, according to a university spokesperson. Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at tjean@ Follow her on X: @tarahjean_. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Father of Hot Yoga shooting victim speaks on FSU shooting
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
FSU active shooting cancels campus event that honored Tallahassee hot yoga shooting victim
An event at Florida State University designed to promote safety on campus and among FSU students was canceled − due to an active shooting at FSU on the day of. The active shooting occurred on the day of the "United Against Hate" event that sheds a light on 21-year-old Maura Binkley, a senior at FSU who was one of two victims killed Nov. 2, 2018, in the Tallahassee hot yoga studio shooting. Binkley and 61-year-old Dr. Nancy Van Vessem died after a gunman with a long history of abusive behavior and hatred against women opened fire in the hot yoga studio. Hours before "United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together" would start, there was an active shooter on campus at FSU on Thursday, April 17. At about noon, the Leon County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of an active shooter in FSU's student union. FSU students not already on campus were instructed to stay away, and all Leon County schools were under lockdown by 12:15 p.m. Students were instructed through the university's emergency alert system to shelter in place, lock and stay away from all doors and windows, and 'be prepared to take additional protective measures.' As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, students were still sheltering in place and six people had been reported injured and were being treated for injuries, some of them critical. Rumors of multiple shooters on campus were circulating among students, but had not been confirmed by local authorities. One man was taken into custody, according to the Tallahassee Police Department. 'All classes and university events including athletics events scheduled for Thursday, April 17, 2025, have been cancelled,' according to FSU's alert website. 'Individuals not already on the main campus at this time should avoid coming to the Tallahassee main campus.' The "United Against Hate" event was a "Maura's Voice Symposium" organized by students, faculty and university leaders. During the 2018 tragedy, the gunman walked into Hot Yoga Tallahassee before shooting and killing Maura Binkley, who was a fourth-generation FSU student at the time and Van Vessem, who was a chief medical officer at Capital Health Plan and an early faculty member at FSU's College of Medicine. The gunman also injured five others before killing himself. The "United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together" event was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in the Moore auditorium at FSU. The description said FSU students, faculty, university leadership and Tallahassee community leaders would discuss "effective strategies to counter hate on campus and in our communities" via engaging in meaningful conversations, shared experiences and brainstorming "innovative solutions to foster a safer and more respectful environment for everyone. Let's work together to create positive change and build a stronger, united community … with no place for hate." In the years since the Tallahassee hot yoga studio shooting, Maura Binkley's parents, Jeff and Margaret Binkley, established the Maura's Voice Research Fund in her memory. FSU's Maura's Voice Research Fund includes research to prevent misogynistic violent extremism. In November 2023, Jeff Binkley spoke at a symposium and memorial that marked the five-year anniversary of the tragic shooting. FSU President Emeritus John Thrasher, who led the university when the shooting took place, was one of the speakers at the Maura's Voice symposium. 'We wanted to honor the victims and have people see what's been going on at FSU to address hate and violent extremism in our society,' Jeff Binkley said at the 2023 event. For more information about Maura's Voice Research Fund and the "United Against Hate: Building a Safer Campus and Community Together" at FSU, visit Contributing: Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat, and Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY Network-Florida Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU active shooting cancels event about hot yoga studio shooting victim
Chicago Tribune
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Next weekend, a confluence of dance events you definitely should see
Three upcoming, monumental dance events, all with deep ties to Chicago, are on a collision course with your calendar. But it is possible to see the Joffrey Ballet, Twyla Tharp and Parsons Dance next weekend — and you should. Parsons Dance David Parsons launched his dance company in 1985. Three years later, he opened the season at Columbia College Chicago. 'For some reason, they gave us a white limousine,' Parsons said in a recent phone interview. 'I remember that gig. And I've done a lot of gigs.' Born in Rockford and raised in Kansas City, Parsons credits Chicago with putting wind in the sails of a company that went on to international acclaim. 'Chicago is a major city in the United States,' he said. 'You start getting that stuff on your resume, it's the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. You're on your way.' Since the city's early endorsement, Parsons Dance has toured 30 countries and five continents, but it has been 30 years since Parsons Dance has been back. That changes on April 12, when they perform for one night only at the Auditorium. Howell Binkley, Parsons Dance co-founder and lighting designer, is prominently featured, lighting all but two of the pieces on the program. Binkley died in 2020; among his many accolades are two Tony Awards for 'Jersey Boys' and 'Hamilton.' 'He lit every work I did,' Parsons said of Binkley, beginning with 'Caught' in 1982. 'Lighting is my muse. Light is the thing that gets me going.' Parsons was dancing with the Paul Taylor Dance Company at the time. 'Caught' uses a flashbulb effect to catch its single dancer in mid-air, and has become a signature work of the company. 'If I didn't do 'Caught,' I wouldn't be talking to you today,' he said. 'It's just one of those things.' The piece is second to last on Saturday's program, which opens and closes with ensemble works from the aughts: 'Wolfgang,' an homage to ballet set to the soundtrack from 'Amadeus,' and 'Shining Star,' set to music by Earth, Wind & Fire. A newer tour de force, 'Balance of Power' (2020), and an older one, 'Nascimento' (1990), complete the bill's repertory by Parsons, with the 2024 work 'Juke,' by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater resident choreographer Jamar Roberts, completing the program. 7:30 p.m. April 12 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; tickets $30-$120 at 312-341-2300 and Twyla Tharp Dance Twyla Tharp Dance hasn't been here in a while, either, not since her 2017 lecture demonstration on some of her earliest works called 'Minimalism and Me' visited the Museum of Contemporary Art. Now, Tharp brings something brand new to the Harris Theater as part of her company's 60 th anniversary season. 'Slacktide,' which premiered last year, is set to music by Philip Glass, realized and played on stage live by Third Coast Percussion and Constance Volk, all from Chicago. 'The Glass is a piece of music I've admired for a while in a different format,' Tharp said. 'When I was introduced to Third Coast and saw that they could make something old new again—that was very attractive.' It's the first time Tharp has used the composer's music since 'In the Upper Room,' which premiered in 1986 at Ravinia Festival before it had a title. Tribune critic Richard Christiansen called it a 'breathtaking, big buster of a dance.' Indeed, 'In the Upper Room' has long been considered one of Tharp's greatest dances. 'Slacktide' begins where it left off. The front half of the program is taken up by Tharp's 1998 work 'Diabelli,' set to Beethoven's theme and variations of the same name. 'Theme and variation is a natural form, in that it makes a statement and then it examines the breadth, depth and issues around the theme,' she said, 'which provides a natural dramatic unity. It's both contrast and similarity, and that's a very attractive thing.' Tharp wrote a theme 'as simple and useful' as composer Anton Diabelli wrote for Beethoven, took it apart, examined it, and put it back together every which way. Unlike Mozart's one-upping of Antonio Salieri in the film 'Amadeus' (which Tharp choreographed), Beethoven wasn't cynical in his approach, she said. 'There is a lot of humor,' she said. 'He does do parodies. But he's always respectful of the material.' She's talking about Beethoven, but the sentiment is easily extrapolated to Tharp's decades of dancemaking. 'The juxtaposition of what's old and what's new is always a pretty thorny problem,' she said. 'It becomes kind of meaningless: Old, new, used or not used, A.I., fresh, original — all things that I've always had a kind of sense of the mortality of this concept.' April 10-12 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; tickets $74-$225 at 312-334-7777 and CSO x Joffrey Ballet Lest you think that's enough dance for one weekend, don't sleep on the Joffrey Ballet's two world premieres performed alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Harry Bicket. It is the third such collaboration — an unconventional challenge involving an assigned piece of music and an atypical dance space on the CSO's home turf. At first, Joffrey rehearsal director Nicolas Blanc was taken aback by his selection: Darius Milhaud's 'Le Boeuf sur le Toit' (literally translated from French to mean 'the cow on the roof'). 'Despite the fact that it's written by a French composer, I didn't know the piece,' said Blanc, a Frenchman himself. 'To be frank, when I listened to the piece, I thought, this is really fun, but I'm not sure it's corresponding to my personality. I've been more doing serious works like ' Under the Trees Voices,' more nostalgic, more lyrical. It became a lot of fun, actually, to do my research.' The result is 'Les Boeufoons' (pronounced like 'buffoons, a theatrical tribute to the piece's origin story. Milhaud intended 'Le Boeuf' to be incidental music in a Charlie Chaplin film. Chaplin didn't want it. Neither did Serge Diaghilev, the impresario overseeing the wildly popular Ballet Russes in 1920s Paris. Choreographer Jean Cocteau, who had pitched 'Le Boeuf sur le Toit,' premiered his ballet without Diaghilev's help. Blanc employs references to Cocteau, the famous Ballet Russes ballet 'Parade' and the haute couture of the era. It's fun and hedges on ridiculous, without crossing the line into farce. That is miles away from Amy Hall Garner's work 'Second Nature' with visualizes music by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, an American composer whose connection to dance is concretized in the score to Alvin Ailey's 'For Bird with Love.' For Blanc, it's been a welcome project that has pushed him outside his comfort zone — particularly with dancers he sees every day. 'I'm really excited this project is happening,' he said. 'It's not been easy to conceive. I'm hoping all my hours of research and thinking and brainstorming are fruitful for what's going to be presented to the audience. But I do think that in the particular context we live in at the moment, a lighthearted piece is very welcome.' April 10-13 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; tickets $55-$399 at 312-294-3000 and Also of note: In her newest piece, Praize Productions artistic director Enneréssa LaNette Davis suggests a slow-down in this work-obsessed chaotic world. Called 'Complexions,' the multi-disciplinary piece features dance made by Davis, former Deeply Rooted Dance Theater co-founder Kevin Iega Jeff and two former powerhouse Chicago dancers, Dominique (Atwood) Hamilton and Monique Haley, who have found their choreographic sea legs since leaving the stage. Musicians Junius Paul and Isaiah Collier join for the multimedia performance.
