Latest news with #CooperJr.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Niagara Gospel Mission's John Cooper nominated for state Senate Veterans Hall of Fame
The leader of a local shelter for homeless men will soon be recognized by the state of New York for his years of military service. New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, has nominated the Rev. John Cooper Jr., executive director of the Niagara Gospel Mission in Niagara Falls, for induction into the New York Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. Nominees are chosen based on their service to the nation, their contributions to their local communities and their achievements in civilian life. 'I'm honored and thankful for this nomination,' Cooper Jr. said. 'My family has served in the business community and local organizations for decades. We've fought in our nation's wars and as part of the Underground Railroad. My family and faith have taught me to care for those in need.' A Town of Wheatfield native and a graduate of Niagara-Wheatfield High School, Cooper Jr. served as a sniper in the U.S. Army for six years. His military service included active duty in Afghanistan from 2015 to 2021. In February 2022, he joined the shelter's staff as development director. The ordained Baptist pastor and Clarks Summit University in Pennsylvania graduate has served as the rescue mission's executive director since the end of 2023. Cooper Jr., his wife Elizabeth and their four boys live in Niagara Falls. During his tenure at the mission, Cooper Jr. helped establish the Liberty Suite for homeless Veterans at the Mission, the Re-Deploy Veterans Recovery Program, and the RECON Recovery Program; provided community symposiums to educate the community about homelessness and mental illness, and initiated Code Blue for homeless men attempting to survive winter on the streets. In addition, Cooper is spearheading a campaign to raise funds to open a women's shelter for homeless women in Western New York. Ortt submitted Cooper's name for approval based on the 'incredible' work he's done with gospel mission, which runs a homeless shelter for men in the Falls at its location on Portage Road. 'I have learned about how they serve as a Code Blue shelter, feed and clothe the community, offer a special program for homeless veterans, and are getting ready to construct a women's only shelter. John has selflessly served both his country and his community— he embodies all of the values we look for in nominees to the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame, and it's an honor to select John Cooper Jr. as my candidate from Senate District 62.' Senators from each New York district have submitted their choice for an inductee into the hall of fame, a practice that began in 2005. Cooper Jr. will join the other hall of fame nominees during a ceremony scheduled for Tuesday at the State Capitol building in Albany.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Forever''s Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone Reveal the Funny Way They First Met But Didn't Realize It (Exclusive)
Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone star in the new Netflix adaptation of Judy Blume's 1975 novel Forever as childhood friends who reunite as teens and fall in love How the actors met for the first time is actually something of a rom-com in itself, as Cooper Jr. and Simone tell PEOPLE about the silent plane ride they took seated next to each other before they were both cast in the series "I felt like from the beginning it was just giving the Keisha and Justin parallels of their dynamics," Simone saysIt seems like fate played a role in Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone embodying Justin and Keisha in the new Netflix adaptation of Forever. Cooper Jr., 23, and Simone, 26, star in Mara Brock Akil's adaptation of Judy Blume's 1975 novel, and the way that they first met — before either realized they were in the running for the roles — was something out of a rom-com in its own right. "So, Lovie is actually from Atlanta as well — we were both living in Atlanta at the time — so we sat on the plane next to each other, not even knowing who each other were [on the way to L.A.]," Cooper Jr. tells PEOPLE. "We had our headphones on, locked in. So we literally sat by each other, did not speak a word. Isn't it crazy?" Related: Judy Blume Talks Inspiration Behind Her Controversial Teen Novel Forever, and the Change Happening at Home When She Wrote It The actors only put it together when both of their cars departed LAX and arrived at the same hotel, piquing both of their interests. "My car dropped me off at the hotel and her car pulled up right after. We both kind of looked at each other like, 'Wait, what?' It was a whole thing." Simone recalls the plane ride similarly. "My first impression of Michael was, this guy gets the window seat? Okay, all right. And then it was, wait a second, he's also going to the same hotel as me? What's going on?" she tells PEOPLE. Cooper Jr. eventually suggested that they run lines together, because he saw other actors vying for Justin and Keisha pairing off to do the same to try to "bond" and develop "chemistry." Related: The Best Shows on Netflix to Stream Now By the time they both ended up doing a chemistry read with each other, a few rounds in, Simone says, "We kind of had a rapport similar to how Justin and Keisha knew each other when they were in elementary school. Going into the chemistry read, it was like, okay, this is like, we kind of know each other — but I hope you get it. I felt like from the beginning it was just giving the Keisha and Justin parallels of their dynamics." "It's insane because it's also like, okay, so maybe things are destined to be," Simone says. Cooper Jr. agrees, given they were on the journey together "from the get-go." "It's incredible," he says. "That was an exciting time." Simone learned that she had been cast as Keisha before Cooper Jr. got the call about Justin, and he recalls the actress, who is "notorious for sending memes," sending him some funny texts. "She's sending me memes and stuff and we just start freaking out over text." Related: Beloved YA Books That Have Been Adapted Into Films In Forever, the actors play childhood friends who are reunited as teens and "fall deeply in love, experiencing the joy and heartache of a first romance that will change their lives forever." In real life, though, Simone says her dynamic with Cooper Jr. is "very cool." "It feels like a big sis-little bro [dynamic] in a way," she says. "He's just so open. So I appreciate my relationship with Michael. It's fresh and fun and exciting and unpredictable." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Forever is now streaming on Netflix. Read the original article on People
