Latest news with #Pikeville
Miami Herald
12-08-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Former HBCU Coach Loses Decade-Long Battle With Cancer
The Bethune-Cookman University athletics community is mourning the loss of former bowling head coach Chelsea Gilliam, who died Thursday, Aug. 7, after a nearly decade-long battle with cancer. She was 35. Known for her bright, bubbly spirit and unwavering determination, Gilliam joined the HBCU in October 2018 to lead the Wildcats' bowling program. She arrived from Youngstown State University and made history as the school's first bowling head coach. Gilliam took over Bethune-Cookman's HBCU bowling program during the 2018-19 season, navigating a year marked by roster challenges due to injuries. Her leadership and resilience left a lasting impression on the Maroon and Gold family. Before her collegiate coaching career, Gilliam was a standout student-athlete at the University of Pikeville. As a 2012 Pikeville women's bowling team member, she helped capture the program's first NAIA national championship. The team's accomplishment earned them induction into the Bears Hall of Fame in November 2018. That season, Pikeville entered the year ranked No. 1 in the NAIA Coaches Poll and secured the No. 3 seed in the national tournament. Gilliam and her teammates twice defeated Webber International, a team they had previously lost to, to clinch the historic title. Gilliam graduated from Pikeville in 2012 with bachelor's degrees in mathematics and psychology. Gilliam's coaching journey began at Union College in Kentucky. From 2012 to 2015, she led both the men's and women's bowling teams. She guided the men's squad to back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Mid-South Conference Tournament and was named the league's Women's Co-Head Coach of the Year in 2014. Gilliam spent her first year building the program from scratch at Youngstown State. She recruited the inaugural roster and set the team schedule. The Penguins debuted in 2016-17 and quickly rose to prominence, earning Top 25 rankings in her two seasons at the helm. Gilliam was first diagnosed with breast cancer at just 23 years old in 2013. She fought through treatment, only to be re-diagnosed in May 2016. Her resilience inspired many, both inside and outside the bowling community. She appeared in a commercial alongside WWE superstar Roman Reigns, sharing her cancer journey and encouraging others facing similar battles. Gilliam also documented portions of her chemotherapy on social media, aiming to inspire courage and perseverance. Earlier this month, a fundraiser was held in her honor near her home in Ormond Beach, Fla., as she continued her treatments. Bethune-Cookman University officials, former players, and colleagues across the HBCU bowling community remember Chelsea Gilliam for her coaching achievements and the grace and determination with which she faced life's greatest challenges. The post Former HBCU Coach Loses Decade-Long Battle With Cancer appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kentucky leaders react as Trump announces US attack on three Iranian nuclear sites
KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Kentucky lawmakers are responding to news that President Donald Trump has authorized a US bombing attack on three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday, June 21. 'A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' In the wake of the announcement, Rep. Thomas Massie of the Commonwealth's 4th district posted on X, calling the decision to authorize a US attack on Iran 'not constitutional.' Kentucky leaders react as Trump announces US attack on three Iranian nuclear sites Indiana woman killed in Perry County ATV 'accident' Pikeville man's excavation trip to Israel cut short amid conflict with Iran Sen. Andy Barr posted on social media in support of the president, asking God to bless him and the US. Before the attack was announced, Sen. Rand Paul said the direct decision by the Commander-in-Chief on Saturday would be nothing new. 'If he wages war unilaterally, Trump will only be the latest of many presidents to do so,' Paul wrote. The majority of the GOP reportedly supported the president's actions against Iran. This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 56 News for updates. The Hill contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY man in Jerusalem sees flight home canceled as Israel-Iran fighting breaks out
A Kentucky man was listening to sirens and alarms in Jerusalem on Friday night, as fighting between Israel and Iran flares in the Middle East. Tommy Chamberlin, of Pikeville, has been on an archaeological dig in Israel and was supposed to catch a flight back to Kentucky on Saturday morning. He said, though, his flight was canceled because of the conflict. Chamberlin texted with a Herald-Leader reporter via Facebook Messenger on Friday night — early Saturday morning in Jerusalem. He asked for prayers as Iran launched missile attacks against Israel. 'It's been mostly calm here in Jerusalem, but tonight there's been a series of rocket sirens,' he wrote. 'I am thankful for Israel's iron dome system and pray I can get a way out to get home to my family soon. 'Generally we feel very safe here, but this is a difficult unexpected situation.' The Associated Press reported that buildings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv shook and explosions that might have been from Israeli interceptors boomed overhead as Iran launched ballistic missiles in response to attacks by Israel on Iran late Friday and early Saturday. Chamberlin, who works as chief assistant Pike County attorney, said he was in a hotel in Jerusalem. While he said he has not seen any fighting and had felt safe while working in Israel, the missile attacks occurring early Saturday morning were unsettling. 'I'm ready to get out of the country as soon as possible,' he wrote. Chamberlin said he hoped to make his way to Jordan on Sunday morning 'when the border crossings open.' He said he planned to travel with a film crew that he knows that is also there. Once in Jordan, he said, 'the plan is to wait for a flight from Amman airport to open.' Chamberlin said he was in Israel to work at an archaeological excavation sponsored by Associates for Biblical Research at Tel Shiloh. Shiloh is an ancient city north of Jerusalem that served as a center for Israelite worship before the temple was built. Chamberlin said there were many other Americans working on the dig as well, including two other Kentuckians. Since May 31, he has shared videos on social media from Israel in conjunction with the nonprofit Expedition Archaeology, pointing out sites and artifacts that figure significantly in the Bible. Chamberlin said this is his sixth season of archaeological excavation in Israel. Israel's attack on Iranian nuclear sites and military leaders on Friday killed 78 people and left 320 injured, according to The Wall Street Journal citing an Iranian official. The return strike by Iran injured 34 people in Tel Aviv, according to The Wall Street Journal. At least one person had died in Israel, The New York Times reported.
