Latest news with #LisaPeterson
Epoch Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
‘An Iliad': A One-Man Triumph at the Court Theatre
CHICAGO—Imagine being in a room with the most famous poet in antiquity, the man whose storytelling influenced literature for ages, and listening to him regale you with events that took place during the most important event in ancient Greek history: the siege of Troy. This unforgettable experience is unfolding at the Court Theatre in Chicago. Based Homer's 'The Iliad,' (circa 850 century B.C.), this work, titled 'An Iliad,' is co-authored by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare. It's a one-man play of Homer's epic poem that tells the story of the 10-year war between two civilizations. It's also a perfect choice for the Court's mission to reimagine classic works for contemporary audiences. A Classic Work of Great Depth For the longest time, scholars believed that Troy was a mythological place, but recent archeological excavations have led many archeologists to believe that Troy really existed. Its remains are at Hisarlik, a city situated in modern-day Turkey.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ogden police discover 152 dogs in ‘extremely poor' conditions
The Ogden Police Department's animal control team discovered 152 dogs living at a home following a report of possible neglect and has removed the animals for care and evaluation. "All 152 dogs were safely removed from the property and are currently receiving veterinary care, evaluations and shelter support," Ogden police said in a statement Wednesday. Ogden animal services officers went to a home in the 3000 block of Jefferson Avenue in an older residential neighborhood of Ogden on Tuesday after receiving the report of the conditions. "Upon arrival and further investigation, officers discovered 152 dogs living in extremely poor and overcrowded conditions," reads the statement. Given the scale of the situation, representatives with the Weber County, Roy and Draper animal services offices assisted. The dogs are getting veterinary care and shelter support. The case remains under investigation and additional details surrounding the circumstances that led to the situation or the specific condition of the animals were not provided. The operation echoes a similar situation in 2012, when 149 sick and starving dogs were found in an Ogden home, apparently the same one that was the focus of Tuesday's rescue efforts, according to a KSL-TV report from the time and neighbors. The police statement hints that the animals, at least some of them, would soon be put up for adoption, possibly on Monday, April 21, following proper care and attention. "Community members interested in adopting are encouraged to monitor Weber County Animal Services for updates on availability and adoption procedures," the police statement said. Lisa Peterson, who lives in the neighborhood, happened upon the operation Tuesday evening as she was trying to find the owner of two dogs she found wandering near her home. The strays she encountered were not from the Jefferson Avenue home and she was able to reunite them with their owner. "Animal control officers were putting on their hazmat gear. Officers were spraying their pants with Lysol trying to disinfect from being in the home. One of the fire department gentlemen put on full hazmat gear with an oxygen tank and mask and everything," she said. "I can only imagine the state of the home." She didn't see the dogs coming out but saw officers carry kennels into the home to hold the animals. However, as a foster care provider for animals in Weber and Davis counties, she called around after the fact and gleaned some information on the dogs found inside the Jefferson Avenue home. "There are a lot of small breed and a lot of puppies. They're all malnourished and needing medical attention," she said. Reps from Weber County Animal Services, which operates the main animal shelter in the county, didn't immediately respond to a query seeking comment but referenced the situation in a post on its Facebook page. "This is an ongoing investigation. We will release information as we are able to. Please give animal control, police, and the shelter time to work and get this taken care of," the message reads. Peterson, though, said help will be needed in caring for the animals. "We are quickly looking for foster placement homes for these animals. We need donations of food, medicine, blankets, people to volunteer. We need adopters and foster homes," she said. Likewise, Weber County Animal Services reposted a message on its Facebook page calling for foster care providers. The original message was posted on the Weber County Animal Shelter Foster Animals Facebook page in light of the removal of the 152 dogs. "We already have so many dogs available for adoption at Weber County Animal Services. Fostering one of them even for a couple of weeks will open up kennels and give staff the time they need to get this figured out," reads the message. Weber County Animal Services posted details online on how the public can make donations to assist the organization in coping with the influx of animals. Neighbors said Tuesday's operation resulted in the temporary closure of Jefferson Avenue, where the home containing the dogs is located, as officials removed the animals. Nerik Guerrero said a trailer was parked in the driveway of the home during the operation, apparently to hold the animals after they were removed. "That's a lot. How can you handle that much?" Guerrero said. He lives a few homes down from where the animals were removed but said he had no inkling that many dogs were inside. According to the 2012 KSL-TV report, the occupant of the home where the 149 dogs were removed at that time had asked for help in contending with the critters. 'He fed the animals instead of paying his electric bill,' one of the rescuers said at the time.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Larger facility will feed more children around the world
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) in Chanhassen has moved to 18732 Lake Drive East, in the same office park. The larger space will nearly double the number of volunteers who can pack meals, and increase annual meal production from 20 million to 31 million. The move began in late December, and the new space is expected to be operational Jan. 2, according to Lisa Peterson, Chanhassen site manager. In the meantime, the facility remained open for all scheduled packing sessions. The larger space and two additional production lines will accommodate more volunteers, from the former maximum of 60 to 114 per session. The new space also has three loading docks instead of one, and will require hiring three additional part-time team leaders to lead volunteer packing sessions. 'This move will increase meal capacity at Chanhassen by more than 10 million a year for a very small increase in production costs,' Mark Crea, executive director/CEO of FMSC said in a news release. Though additional staff will be added within a week or two, Peterson said that the Chanhassen location will ease into its larger space gradually to work out any logistics. 'We want to be good stewards and ensure that our volunteers have the best experience while they're here.' Seven locations FMSC is a Christian non-profit which was founded in 1987 to address world hunger by sending volunteer-packed, nutritious meals to nearly 70 countries where they're used to operate orphanages, schools, clinics and communities in need. Currently, there are seven permanent locations that include Chanhassen, Coon Rapids, and Eagan in Minnesota; Aurora, Libertyville, Schaumburg, in Illinois, and Tempe, Ariz. Feed My Starving Children also hosts mobile pack events across the country. FMSC opened its Chanhassen site in 2006. The Minnesota-based charity has earned the highest four-star rating from Charity Navigator for seven consecutive years. According to Holly Donato, national marketing director, FMSC's two largest facilities are in Coon Rapids and Libertyville each with capacity for up to 140 volunteers at a time. Chanhassen is second, now accommodating up to 114 per session. An opportunity FMSC noticed last year that the larger space next door was empty. It prompted its leadership to think about the Chanhassen site's future growth. 'Our volunteer capacity was stretched from 60 to 70 because the demand was so great,' Peterson said. 'Typically our evening and Saturdays are booked two to three months in advance. Our Wednesday 6 p.m. session is next in popularity and books out nine months ahead. It's a night when many church groups meet and they come to pack as their meeting.' At first FMSC considered only expanding its warehouse. But with 4,000 additional square feet, directors looked at the next five years. 'No obstacles or roadblocks came up,' Peterson said. 'Because all our decisions are based on a Christian foundation, we felt it truly was part of God's plan for us, to challenge us to feed more kids.' On a mission With several FMSC locations in the Twin Cities, the Chanhassen site draws mostly volunteers and groups from the nearby communities including Edina, Bloomington, and Eden Prairie and throughout Carver County. But volunteers often show up from out of state. 'We have families who come every summer from places like Missouri or Nebraska, even church groups. They may be in the Twin Cities for another reason, but will volunteer as part of that trip. We get people from throughout the five state area.' FMSC in Chanhassen has the same phone number, (952) 937-2329, and volunteers pre-register online at It is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday.
