Latest news with #GraceMaxwell
ABC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Outback children learn as they recreate bilby's comeback story in Corner Country
In the remote community of Tibooburra, nine hours' drive north of Adelaide, about 25 children gather to perform in the local hall for about 100 people. The children have made the journey from across Corner Country to tell the story of the return of the bilby five years earlier. Nine-year-old Grace Maxwell is playing the star character of the show, Tilby the bilby, and her sister, Sophie, 12, is playing an ecologist. The performance tells the story of how the bilby, driven to extinction by cats, foxes and rabbits, was successfully reintroduced to the conservation area, Wild Deserts, in Sturt National Park in 2020. Across two enclosures at Wild Deserts, the small mammals' numbers have grown to more than 400. The performance is the result of a 12-month collaboration between the Broken Hill-based literacy charity Big Sky Stories, Wild Deserts and children from outback stations. Ecologist Rebecca West and her husband, project coordinator Dr Reece Pedler, live and work on the conservation area at the intersection of the New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland borders. After raising her three children at Wild Deserts, Ms West, a former science teacher, said the project brought together all her passions. "My motivation for working on the Wild Deserts project has been to make sure that these animals are here for future generations," she said. "What's really driven me with this collaboration is being able to offer that opportunity to give children the right chance to learn the story and then tell the story through their own words and action." As part of the experience, children had an opportunity to attend a quoll and bilby day at Wild Deserts. Bernadette Maxwell, from Mt Shannon station, said Grace and Sophie found the quoll workshops an immersive learning experience. "They learnt not just literacy but how to move like a quoll," she said. "We learned maths because quolls don't have symmetrical spots. "It was really wonderful to put all that learning together and to bring it all together today." Christy Stafford, from Orientos station in Queensland, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Tibooburra, also brought her children to the quoll day. "We didn't really know much ourselves, so there wasn't a great deal we could tell them, but Bec and Reece are just so full of information and it's fantastic that they've been able to do what they have for the area and to let the kids all in and know about it too," she said. At the end of the performance, all the children were given a copy of the picture book, Little Tilby Bilby, written by Ms West and the children. "This story just started naturally flowing and the kids were coming up with their ideas and feeding into the story and we're like, 'Wow, we should just write this into a book,'" she said. Big Sky Stories co-director Jane Vaughan said the book was illustrated by Mia Dyson. "Quite a long time ago [she] was in my year one and year two class and now she's at university," she said. "She is an artist in her own right and we can't wait to see what else she will produce." Ms West is also in the process of writing a story on the quoll. It's been three years since the not-for-profit bookstore Big Sky Stories opened on the main street of Broken Hill. "We very quickly have become part of the far west community and it's not surprising, because I think when you want to stand up and advocate for children in the far west, the community want that too," Ms Vaughan said. The recently released 2024 Australian Early Development Census shows that more than 30 per cent of children in the far west are developmentally vulnerable in at least one of the physical, social, emotional, language or communication domains. "A big part of what Big Sky stories does is create a conversation and engage in a conversation and make books and reading and families gathering around storytelling really important and normal everyday activities," she said.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Services today for Wichita plane crash victim
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Family and friends will gather Tuesday afternoon to remember Grace Maxwell. The Wichita woman was on American Airlines Flight 5342 when an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into it in Washington on Jan. 29. All 67 people involved in the crash died. Maxwell was returning to school after visiting her home in Wichita. She was a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering at Cedarville University in Ohio. She hoped to graduate in 2026. She took WSU Tech classes during her high school years. 'Grace was part of our extended community,' WSU Tech posted on social media. 'Our thoughts are with all who are grieving this heartbreaking loss. May her loved ones find comfort in the memories they shared with her.' Homeless Outreach Team struggles to get Wichita's unhoused into shelters The memorial service is at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at First Evangelical Free Church, 1825 N. Woodlawn, Wichita. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Services set for Cedarville University student killed in plane crash
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Funeral arrangements have been set for a local college student who died in the Jan. 29 Washington D.C. plane crash. Cedarville University student Grace Maxwell, 20, was one of 67 people on PSA American Airlines Flight 5342 who died when it collided with a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River. Her service will be Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. EST in Wichita, Kansas. It will take place at her home church First Evangelical Free Church. Service is open to family and friends. It will be live-streamed online here. Maxwell was described by family and friends as 'a testament to joy, perseverance, and an unwavering faith that inspired all who knew her.' She majored in mechanical engineering with double minors in biomedical engineering and Bible studies. She was a campus DJ and tutor. She volunteered with multiple different organizations. She was a tutor, a YMCA lifeguard and served meals at Via Christi St. Francis. During her time at Cedarville, Maxwell was an active member of Grace Baptist Church. In her obituary, her family members shared about her short life and massive impact. 'Being home and eating dinner together each night, catching fireflies on summer evenings, raking leaves, watching movies, reading books and going to church were the everyday things that strengthened our bond with one another,' said Maxwell's family. 'We will never be the same without Grace, but we cherish the time God gave us.' Her family also thanked the first responders. 'We also wish to thank American Airlines, the Red Cross, NTSB, Washington DC Medical Examiner, DC Fire & EMS along with others who went above and beyond to help the families of this tragedy,' said her family. In lieu of flowers, her family requested that any gifts in the memory of Maxwell be given to Cedarville University. Donations can be made online or by mail to Advancement Divisions, 251 North Main Street Cedarville. Cheques can be made payable to 'Cedarville University' with 'Grace Maxwell' in the memo line. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Funeral arrangements announced for local university student killed in D.C. plane crash
The funeral arrangements for a Cedarville University student who died in the crash between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight at Reagan Washington National Airport last month. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A memorial service for Grace Maxwell will be held on February 18 at 1 p.m. at First Evangelical Free Church in Wichita, Kansas, a Cedarville spokesperson confirmed. TRENDING STORIES: Ohio National Guard member sentenced for rape conviction involving a minor Rumpke truck involved in Darke Co. crash; 2 injuries reported More than two dozen people injured when car crashes into Munich strike Maxwell was a 20-year-old mechanical engineering major from Wichita. She was returning from her grandfather's funeral and was supposed to catch a connecting flight from Washington, D.C. to Ohio when her American Airlines flight was involved in the crash. Maxwell was one of 67 people who were killed in the crash on Jan. 29. She's remembered in her obituary as someone whose 'life was a testament to joy, perseverance, and an unwavering faith that inspired all who knew her.' 'Her persistence and tenacity were evident in all her endeavors, complemented by a sense of humor that could light up a room with her infectious laughter,' her obituary read. On top of her classes at Cedarville, she also worked as a DJ at the college radio station and as a grader and tutor. Her family also expressed their thanks for all the support and prayer they've received across the country since Maxwell's death. 'We will never forget your love and kindness and the way that you have been the hands and feet of Christ to us,' they wrote at the end of her obituary. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Baptist University Mourns Loss of Student in DC Plane Crash
A Baptist university in Ohio held a prayer service on Friday, January 31, for one of the victims of the Washington, DC, plane collision that killed 67 people. The service was held at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, for Grace Maxwell, an engineering student at the school who was among the 64 people aboard American Airlines flight 5342, according to a local news report. Footage of portions of the service were taken by journalist Rochelle Alleyne and posted on X on Friday. In the clips, Cedarville University President Thomas White speaks to the students and prays for them. Other clips show students singing together. According to a local news outlet, Maxwell had been in Wichita, Kansas, to attend her grandfather's funeral and was on her way back to Cedarville on Wednesday when the plane collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. Credit: Rochelle Alleyne via Storyful
