Latest news with #Prather
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Big Brother Big Sisters of Siouxland appoints new executive director
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland will soon have a new executive director. Ciarra Prather will be taking over as executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland (BBBS), as Kristie Arlt will be relocating to Omaha. Prather brings a background in sales, leadership, marketing, public relations, strategic communication, and community engagement into her new role. Some of this experience was fostered here at KCAU 9. 'Originally from Utah and raised in Iowa, I've always felt connected to the values of hard work, integrity, and community,' said Prather. 'I'm honored to lead Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland and look forward to building on the strong foundation Kristie has created.' Story continues below Top Story: Local band to be featured on Saturday in the Park Main Stage Lights & Sirens: Part of roof collapses during fire at Dakota City boat dealer Sports: Construction of multi-sport complex west of Lewis and Clark Park proposed Weather: Get the latest weather forecast here Prather's appointment will be effective starting on June 30, and Arlt will be around until the end of July. Arlt voiced support in BBBS's decision. 'After nearly seven incredible years leading Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland, I am moving to Omaha with a heart full of gratitude,' Arlt said. 'It has been the greatest privilege to witness the impact our mentors have made on the lives of so many children. As I pass the baton, I am filled with confidence and joy knowing that Ciarra will lead with the same passion, determination, and heart. Her experience, energy, and vision will be an amazing gift to the organization and the community.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Winthrop Police officer credited with saving man's life while on vacation in Spain
A Winthrop Police officer is being recognized for his heroic efforts while on a family vacation last month. Officer Guy Prather is being credited with saving a man's life on April 28 in Arcade, Spain. According police, on that day around 9:45 a.m. Central European Time, Prather and his wife were on a hike when they noticed a man had fallen and was bleeding from his forehead. After approaching the injured man, Prather realized the man was in cardiac arrest and had no pulse. Prather immediately began CPR, providing chest compressions for six minute until paramedics arrived at the scene and took over. He also continued to assist with a bag valve mask until additional medical units arrived. The man regained a pulse and was taken to a local hospital via medical helicopter, according to police. Prather and his wife continued their hike and heard nothing of the man's condition, until a day later. On Tuesday, April 29, in the town of Caldas de Reis, Prather and his wife were approached by two men who were friends of the victim. They told Prather the victim, Alberto, survived, and that Prather's application of CPR likely saved his life. According to police, Alberto was part of a group of hikers who were participating in the same multi-day hike to the Cathedral of Saint James in Santiago. After exchanging contact info with Alberto's friends, Prather and his wife were able to meet up with him and spent two days with Alberto and his wife, Ana, even going out to dinner with them and some friends. 'This was a truly incredible, emotional experience,' said Prather. 'I feel lucky to have been in the right place at the right time to help.' Prather was presented with two badges from friends of Alberto, who work as police officers in Spain. In return, Prather intends on sending them Winthrop Police patches. 'I couldn't be more proud of Officer Prather, and the example that he sets for others,' said Chief John Goodwin. 'Even off-duty, our officers remain committed to saving lives and helping others.' Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fort Myers, Jacksonville make list of 10 best dinner theaters in United States
USA Today just announced its 10 best dinner theaters in the country — and two of them have Southwest Florida connections. Fort Myers' popular Broadway Palm came it at No. 10. And another dinner theater owned by the same company — Fort Myers-based Prather Productions — made it all the way to No. 3: The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Prather Productions CEO Will Prather, who also manages Broadway Palm, says he has 'no idea' how they got nominated, but he appreciates what he calls 'a very nice accolade.' 'Our family's been in this industry now for multiple decades…' he says. 'It's a testament to how resilient our family's been.' The ranking was announced Wednesday by the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, an ongoing series that highlights the best in travel, dining and lifestyle. For the series, USA Today invites a panel of industry experts to nominate their favorites in a wide variety of categories. Then 10Best editors select the nominees to be presented to the voting public for four weeks. Broadway Palm wasn't the only Florida place to land in USA Today's 10 best dinner theaters. Jacksonville's Alhambra Theatre & Dining took the top spot at No. 1. Not bad, considering there are only three professional dinner theaters left in the state, according to Prather. Naples Dinner Theatre along Immokalee Road closed in 2007 after opening in 1975. He says he appreciates the national attention for an industry that used to be much more widespread. There were 10 dinner theaters in Florida, he says, when he moved to Fort Myers in 1993. 'It was nice to see our industry acknowledged,' he says. 'These dinner theaters have survived all these ups and downs —- and the recessions, and COVID — and they've been able to keep their doors open and they're growing. They're maintaining their customer base.' USA Today's announcement described dinner theaters as 'a brilliant fusion of culture, cuisine, comfort and community.' 'There's no pairing more iconic for an evening out than dinner and a show,' said the article announcing the winners. 'And dinner theaters provide both fine dining and top-shelf entertainment under one roof.' Here's what the 10Best Readers' Choice Awards had to say about Broadway Palm, the Dutch Apple and the Alhambra: The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre has been putting on dinner theater shows for more than 30 years. Buffet meals are served before each show, and guests can order plated dinners on Friday and Saturday nights in the Main Theater. Menu offerings change with each show, and there's even a special kids' menu for productions in the Children's Theatre. The Main Theatre puts on concerts and Broadway shows like "Annie" and "Legally Blonde: The Musical." Since 1987, the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre has entertained the people of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The theatre's dining room only seats 320 people at a time and presents shows that range from "A Chorus Line" to "Hairspray" and "The Full Monty." Buffet-style meals include a wide range of options, and there's a full-service bar on hand as well. America's longest continuously-operating dinner theater, Jacksonville's Alhambra Theatre & Dining began putting on shows back in the 1960s. With a winning combination of concerts and Broadway favorites like "My Fair Lady" and "West Side Story," the theater's season runs year-round. They offer three-course gourmet meals, which are served as soon as the theater is open to seating. Many shows sell out quickly, so if you're going to Jacksonville on vacation, be sure to plan ahead for this much-beloved local experience. The News-Press and Naples Daily News are owned by Gannett, the same company that owns USA Today. Both papers are part of the USA Today Network. Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@ Follow or message him on social media: Facebook(@ Instagram and Threads (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells) This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: 10 best dinner theaters: Fort Myers, Florida's Broadway Palm makes cut
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Representative Lindsey Prather on how her region is faring six months after Hurricane Helene
Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe Co.) It was six months ago that Hurricane Helene devastated much of western North Carolina with record-breaking rainfall and flooding. Since that time, federal, state and local officials have worked in determined — often heroic — fashion to help communities recover. Today, however, the situation is best described as mixed. As NC Newsline learned in a conversation with Buncombe County State Representative Lindsey Prather, while much of the region is back up and running, the situation varies widely from place to place. While most roads are clear and many homes and businesses back to normal, huge needs remain, and Prather says much more is needed from state government — particularly in the way of grants — to help get the region's economy back on its feet. Click here to listen to our full interview with Rep. Prather.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Signs of hope and great need six months after Hurricane Helene
An Asheville cyclist pedals toward a "WNC Strong" billboard moving past an enormous debris pile from Helene on his right. (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline) Residents of western North Carolina are reflecting today on the progress that's been made and the challenges that remain, six-months after Hurricane Helene brought torrential rains, flooding, landslides, and unimaginable destruction to the region. The unprecedented storm caused an estimated $60 billion in damage and left thousands of homes and businesses in need of repair or a complete rebuild. This week to mark the 'anniversary,' NC Newsline spoke with state Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe) who, like many others, has worked tirelessly since September to make sure the region she represents is not forgotten. The drinking water has been restored. Major roadways have reopened. Cell phone service and internet access are once again widely available. But progress looks very different from locale to locale across the region. 'Some places, you can see a big difference. A lot of the debris has been removed, places are back open, parking lots are open, people are shopping. And then in other places, there's still, feet-high boulders and there's still some, you know, a few roads that are closed. I-40 still isn't fully open at the Tennessee line. So, it really does look a lot different in a lot of places,' Prather said. One bright spot that came out of the tragedy is the way that the community came together, according to Prather. 'We haven't lost that. There have been community groups popping up like every week, mutual aid organizations popping up every week and those long-term efforts are really taking place, and it gives me a lot of hope for the next couple of years as we continue to recover.' Prather said North Carolina expects about $15 billion in recovery funds to come from the federal government. And with the most recent relief bill from Raleigh, the state has spent nearly $1.5 billion. 'We know that we're going to have to get more from the federal government and we're also going to have to get more from the state government as well. We have a rainy-day fund at the state level and we're going to have to start tapping into that because this was a very rainy day.' Housing remains a chief concern. More than 3,900 households are receiving rental assistance according to the state Department of Public Safety. More than $28.7 million has been paid in disaster unemployment assistance. There is an urgency to restore both stable housing and the employment picture. House Bill 47 — the most recent relief bill that Gov. Josh Stein signed into law last week — failed to include small business grants, which industry leaders and business owners have pleaded for. Veteran western North Carolina journalist Sara Murphy recently chronicled that many child care centers remain closed with young children reeling from the disruption. Murphy shared with Newsline that until the childcare outlook improves, many parents are going to have difficulty returning to work themselves. 'It's one thing to promise money, and it's another to actually facilitate and expedite that delivery. And that's the key here, because every day you wait, that's another family who maybe decide they can't stay another day in this region,' said Murphy. 'The motto of Buncombe County is 'People to Match Our Mountains.' The beauty and strength of this region is our community. We don't want to lose people because of funding that is promised but hasn't been delivered on time,' she said. So even as a sense of normalcy can be felt with Helene in the rearview mirror, Prather understands her resilient community will be in recovery mode for years to come. 'As a legislator, I'm really trying to send the message down in Raleigh that the recovery funds for direct disaster relief are incredibly important, and we've got to get that stuff done and out on the ground. But we cannot let that overshadow the other long-term issues that we have been and will continue to face like child care, like housing, like women's health resources in rural areas. We've got to make sure that we're walking and chewing gum at the same time.' Click below to view some recent images of Asheville's River Arts District, which was among one of the hard hit areas. Six months after Helene, some buildings along Old Lyman Street in the River Arts District show heavy damage. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) Torrential rains from Helene caused the roof on this structure in the River Arts District to collapse. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) A one-time entry way to studio space in the River Arts District left almost unrecognizable after Helene. Porta-johns remain on their side amid a collapsed building six months after Helene. A shattered boat remains six months after Helene. An abandoned minivan amid rubble, six months after Helene. Some businesses in Asheville await state or federal help to determine how they will recovery from Helene. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) French Broad Outfitters needs to make sure its building is safe before it can reopen. They hope to resume business this summer. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) An abandoned, water-logged car remains on this lot near the Asheville Waste Paper company. An Asheville cyclist pedals toward a "WNC Strong" billboard moving past an enormous debris pile from Helene on his right. (Photo: Clayton Henkel) The French Broad River shows signs of recovery six months after Helene. Signs of hope as North Carolina artists return to work and open studio space in the River Arts District six months after Helene. (Photo: Clayton Henkel)
