Latest news with #Izzy
CBS News
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Wondering what that massive stone truck is on McKnight Road? It's a heartwarming tribute
Sometimes you see something in your daily travels and your brain thinks, "What the heck is that?" That's exactly what a lot of drivers along McKnight Road are likely thinking when they pass a sculpture that now appears on the side of the road. Especially at night, when there is no way that you could miss it. "It's supposed to be full-size, a full-size truck," said David Colosimo. Colosimo is the owner of Barn Landscaping, and he said that the sculpture is made entirely of stone. "Everything on there is the stone that we sell," he said. It isn't just about promoting the business. The driver's door says that it's a tribute to his father, Bobby. "It seemed like the perfect thing to do for him, and so we made a full-size, one-to-one, scale truck in his honor, a nice memorial up there," said Joe Izzy. It's a memorial because Bobby got sick and died unexpectedly last October. Long-time friend and colleague Izzy said there is only one way to describe Bobb Colosimo. "He was larger than life," he said. Bobby Colosimo cherished his family and friends, but he was also a businessman. He once owned parking lots near Three Rivers Stadium, and his 40 Daroco truckers were everywhere, paving, plowing, and hauling. Then there is Barn Landscaping on the terraced hillside at Babcock and McKnight. "He always wanted to do something very special on McKnight Road for the community, something spectacular," Izzy recalled. Izzay said in the wave of mourning after Bobby's passing, the idea of the stone truck was born, and they pulled it off a rock that Peter built. "The deck on the trucks, 23-foot, like our block truck, the cab is the same height, the width, the tires, 44-inch tires on there," Izzy said. "That's what you see on a tractor-trailer." At night, its running lights illuminate the Ross Township corner and can be changed to match the season or the occasion. "He would probably stand on McKnight Road," Izzy said. "Didn't care about the traffic, and just look at it. I know he's somewhere looking at it right now, but you know, this would be the top for him." Over-the-top is a great description of Bobby Colosimo. He actually floated the idea of a full-size Flintstones car for the spot. While it's not quite finished, they have a sign for The Barn that will soon be mounted in the truck sculpture's bed. As for his family, they love it. They are all still very shaken by his passing, but his wife Robin loves the tribute. When my family moved to Pittsburgh, Robin and Bobby were our next-door neighbors, and this truck is a perfect reflection of Bobby.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Flooding victims 'so happy' to finally return home
People who had to move out of their homes and into temporary accommodation due to flooding have been allowed to return home after eight months. Emergency services were called to Bulwer Street in Bootle, Merseyside, on 30 September after water started gushing into people's homes, with many requiring rescue boats to get out safely. It was the second major flooding incident reported on the road in the last 14 years and left dozens of residents effectively homeless as their living spaces became submerged. Some of the residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were glad to be home but worried about the prospect of this happening again in future. "It has happened before, so we kind of knew what to expect, but still, it is a huge shock to have to leave your house when all the sewage water is coming in," said Linda Crilly. "Now that more and more people are back home there is a sense of relief but it's tempered with a bit of caution." She said the response had been "a lot better this time, in the sense that we've had people with contact numbers and names that we can get in touch with if there's been any problems". Sarah, 34, who lives with her 13-year-old daughter Izzy and her guide dog Ronnie, said: "We were living in a hotel for several weeks before we actually got a temporary home, and that was stressful enough, because we were moving from hotel to hotel," she said. She said they were "so happy to be back home but when it rains it does make you worry". Residents held a celebration event on Friday where they presented a representative of the company tasked with the clean-up operation with gifts to thank her for her support. Sarah said Paula Prescott from the Forshaw Group "has been amazing and done so much including giving me a hug", adding that "we'd be lost without her". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Flooding victims not going home for Christmas Floods leave woman's sofa 'floating' in living room United Utilities
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Flooding victims forced out of homes return after eight months
People who had to move out of their homes and into temporary accommodation due to flooding have been allowed to return home after eight services were called to Bulwer Street in Bootle, Merseyside, on 30 September after water started gushing into people's homes, with many requiring rescue boats to get out was the second major flooding incident reported on the road in the last 14 years and left dozens of residents effectively homeless as their living spaces became of the residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were glad to be home but worried about the prospect of this happening again in future. "It has happened before, so we kind of knew what to expect, but still, it is a huge shock to have to leave your house when all the sewage water is coming in," said Linda Crilly."Now that more and more people are back home there is a sense of relief but it's tempered with a bit of caution."She said the response had been "a lot better this time, in the sense that we've had people with contact numbers and names that we can get in touch with if there's been any problems". Sarah, 34, who lives with her 13-year-old daughter Izzy and her guide dog Ronnie, said: "We were living in a hotel for several weeks before we actually got a temporary home, and that was stressful enough, because we were moving from hotel to hotel," she said. She said they were "so happy to be back home but when it rains it does make you worry".Residents held a celebration event on Friday where they presented a representative of the company tasked with the clean-up operation with gifts to thank her for her said Paula Prescott from the Forshaw Group "has been amazing and done so much including giving me a hug", adding that "we'd be lost without her". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Powys County Times
Builth Wells duo ‘climb Everest' by completing Wild Horse
EVEN though I hate the term 'bucket list', climbing to Mount Everest Base Camp is on mine, and my girlfriend's. However, I'm not sure that you really need to make the odyssey to Nepal now, Michelle Woods, after completing the Wild Horse 200 last weekend, organised by the fabulous Pegasus Ultra Running. Starting from Chepstow at 6am last Wednesday, May 21, she and her friend Izzy Watts spent the next four-and-a-bit days running, walking, climbing and at times crawling the 200 miles to the finish line in Rhossili, on the Gower Peninsula, collapsing onto the finish line gate, overlooking Worm's Head, just after 1pm on Sunday. During that gruelling trek, the Builth Wells duo amassed 31,644 feet of elevation. For reference, the summit of Mount Everest is 29,028ft. She's already climbed higher than Everest… so is there really any need to go there now, babe?! To put their feat into even more context, a friend's son mused in the pub on Monday: 'That's the sort of height planes fly at." Izzy 's partner, Gary, and I, had a bird's eye view of the event, as their support crew. Together, we traversed over 500 miles of roads, lanes, dusty tracks, car parks, fire roads and lay-bys in support of the girls – some, though definitely not me, would say our achievements were even more impressive. Kidding aside, their gargantuan slog was truly epic and inspiring. Despite taking every ounce of sweat, blood, tears and effort they had, a cohort of family and friends waiting for them at the finish line was ample reward. There were plenty of tears. Izzy and Chelle at Ponsticill Reservoir. (Image: Matt Jones) I've become something of an ultra marathon runner myself in the last 12 months, completing two. But there's no way I would take on one 200 miles in length. Izzy completed a 100-mile event last year, which almost broke her. So, what on earth possessed her to do one double the distance, I cannot possibly fathom. But, they're made of stern stuff, this pair. It pushed them to physical, mental and emotional breaking point – fuelled by a combination of energy drinks and gels, cake, sweets, cups of tea, salty snacks and bitesize bowls of cheesy mash and beans. Gary and I? Our bodies remain largely constructed of junk food, after we gorged on Maccies, chippies and bacon and sausage baps to get us through the week. The gang at the penultimate checkpoint in Penclawdd, Swansea, ahead of the girls heading off for the last leg, the 17 miles to Rhossili, on Sunday morning. (Image: Matt Jones) It was rewarding experience for us in the van too. Crew life was a mix of keeping the girls fed and watered, bandaged and dosed up with ibuprofen, and keeping them motivated. There was a real camaraderie forged with other runners and the dedicated individuals and teams keeping them going as well. If you like stats, here's some more eye-watering numbers from Chelle and Izzy's Wild Horse buffoonery. Chelle clocked up 446,669 steps over the course of 200 miles. It took them a little over 103 hours to reach the finish line (achieved on the event's fourth day, well ahead of the 6am cut-off on Monday morning). They passed 10 checkpoints, three of which were designated sleep stations, even though they only slept for around six hours in total. The winner, New Zealander Damian Watson, finished in a remarkable time of 51 hours, 51 minutes – smashing the course record by more than four hours. Of the event's starting field of 103 runners, 71 finished, while there were 32 DNFs (did not finish). This included one man found sleeping on a road; so delirious he told paramedics he was sleeping on a bench – he was immediately pulled from the race for his own safety… and sanity. You have to be slightly insane to enter a race like this in the first place. Our girls are recovering this week… but Chelle is already talking about entering the Mid Wales version of the Wild Horse, which is returning next year.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'My 14-year-old daughter's rugby ball-sized tumour was almost misdiagnosed'
At 14 years old, Izzy Pickering was led to believe by doctors that her intense pain was period pain or appendicitis. Weeks later, the teenager learned that she actually had a tumour the size of a rugby ball A mum is urging health officials to introduce ovarian cancer testing for girls after her 14-year-old daughter's excruciating symptoms were dismissed as period cramps – only for a rugby ball-sized tumour to be discovered weeks later. Lisa Pickering says her daughter, Izzy Pickering, from Sawley in Derbyshire, is lucky to be alive after months of pain, vomiting and fear were repeatedly overlooked. 'You hear of children with leukaemia, but you don't hear of young girls with ovarian cancer,' Lisa said. "They should not have to wait until they are sexually active, as this is proof you don't have to be to get cancer in that area.' READ MORE: Davina McCall says 'horrible' ordeal felt like 'Alzheimer's' after brain surgery Izzy first fell ill in November with back pain, stomach aches and vomiting. Her parents took her to the A&E at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham after their GP suspected appendicitis. Doctors suggested it may be period-related and prescribed antibiotics for a possible oesophageal infection. But Izzy's vomiting continued. By March, she was frightened to eat and was growing weaker. On March 19, Lisa and Wayne brought her back to the hospital and demanded more tests, refusing to leave without more tests. 'Something wasn't right, we know our daughter,' Lisa said. An MRI was finally ordered on April 20. The next day, the family received the news no parent wants to hear – Izzy had stage two ovarian cancer. A massive tumour had grown in her ovary, pushing her organs back and anchoring itself to tissue near her spine. 'It was so big, all her organs had been pushed backwards, and it had attached itself to tissue at the bottom of her back.' It had a "stalk growing in the middle,' said family friend Sarahjane Giles. It was causing all the back pain. Izzy underwent emergency surgery on March 17, but began bleeding out during the operation. 'They had to pack her stomach, leave her open, and put her in the ICU to stop the bleeding,' Sarahjane said. She was put in an induced coma for five days – "one small movement and her stitches would've ruptured.' She received multiple blood transfusions and was taken back to theatre the following day. Doctors now believe they removed the cancer successfully. By mid-April, Izzy was slowly taken off sedation. She began eating small amounts of food and even managed a few steps. She started a three-month round of chemotherapy on April 25, undergoing treatment five days a week. 'She will lose her hair, and doctors said she will struggle to have children in the future,' said Sarahjane. 'What makes it really sad is that Izzy is a miracle baby herself and has always wanted to be a maternity nurse.' Lisa is now calling for change. 'Children should have access to screening from when they start their period," she said. Currently, there is no national screening programme for ovarian cancer in the UK. The disease affects around 7,500 people a year, most of them over 50, according to the NHS. A spokesperson for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said: "Current evidence does not support population screening for ovarian cancer, even in adults, as there is insufficient evidence that screening reduces mortality and may lead to unnecessary interventions.' Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham declined to comment on individual cases. Izzy is currently taking time off from school while her parents take unpaid leave to care for her. A fundraiser launched by Sarahjane has raised £8,345 of a £10,500 target, with all funds going toward travel, wigs and whatever Izzy may need during recovery. Sarahjane is also running a half-marathon at Carsington Water in Derbyshire on June 21 to raise further awareness. 'Izzy is really bubbly, outgoing and the kindest and most caring young lady. Sarahjane said, "She loves makeup, handbags, singing and is in a drama group. To support Izzy's fundraisers, click here
