Latest news with #Prowse
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pulaski County Fair organizers emphasize safety as top priority amid controversy on social media
PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. – If you miss the sounds and smells that come with the fair, get ready to smile because the Pulaski County Fair is back for another year. According to marketing director, Susan Prowse, the county fair brings in 'on average 20,000 people a year.' Pulaski County Fair set for Friday start The large numbers are causing safety concerns and according to social media, potentially leading people to sit this year out. The fair will run through Monday, May 26. The gates will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 11 p.m. on weekends. Gates will be closed on Monday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 20. 'I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised with how safe and fun and wholesome this feels down here on the river,' Prowse said. People in the comment section on the KARK 4 News Facebook page shared different outlooks. Some comments read, 'We should all take bets on when the first shooting will happen,' and 'You better get your bulletproof vest on.' 'The Munsters' star Butch Patrick to appear at Pulaski County Fair in North Little Rock 'I hope to change that perception as we continue,' Prowse said, adding that the fair 'hadn't had any major issues' in the five years of the event. The North Little Rock Police Department echoed that the comments on social media don't reflect the safety of the fair in the past. Prowse said the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office and the North Little Rock Police Department are both working this event. 'I hope people at home understand that this has been safe and it is fun and wholesome,' Prowse added. 'For five years, we've seen consistent smiles and happiness, and I'm addicted to watching people have fun.' The fair showcases the P.B.J. Happee Days Shows carnival midway, featuring rides, games, a petting zoo, a large beer garden with live music, an array of novelty and arts vendors, delectable food options and a selection of adult beverages. Butch Patrick, who played Eddie Munster on the iconic 60s The Munsters sitcom, will make a personal appearance with the famous Dragula and Eddie's Chopper on May 16 & 17. Make sure to check the Pulaski County Fair's social media pages to stay up to date on any weather-related decisions that are made. Hot Springs motel named to USA Today's 10 best roadside motels list For more information, head over to Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ABC News
22-04-2025
- General
- ABC News
Canberra members of the Catholic Church mourn Pope Francis as a 'compassionate and great leader'
Pope Francis has been described as merciful and humble by members of the Catholic Church in Canberra following his death yesterday at the age of 88. The Pope was still recovering from double pneumonia when he died from a It came as a shock, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Canberra Christopher Prowse said, as the Pope had made an appearance at St Peter's Square to bless those gathered for Easter Sunday in Rome. "The passing of Pope Francis has been a bit of a shock, although we knew he was very very ill, but there he was on Easter Sunday, he gave his blessing to Rome and to the world," Archbishop Prowse said. An angelus was held at St Christopher's in Manuka today, to mourn the leader of the Catholic Church. A coach to the world Archbishop Prowse said the Pope was akin to the Holy Spirit in the way he "comforted and disrupted" the Catholic Church. In the same year, the Pope made a landmark ruling by allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples. An angelus service was held at St Christopher's Cathedral in Manuka, with dozens of Canberra residents attending. ( ABC News Joel Wilson ) "Pope Francis in his leadership comforted especially for those on the periphery and with refugees," the Archbishop said. "But he also disrupted, he took us up and said 'no no no, we've got to go closer, to see the light from those who are on the periphery, the lost, the last and the least' and that's exactly what he taught us and will continue to teach us." The Archbishop also remembered the Pope's accessibility and closeness with Catholics across the world. "If I could use a football analogy, he wasn't so much a boundary umpire, he was more of a coach and the coach here is not just to the Catholic Church, but also to the world," he said. "He coached the world, onto deeper principles on what truly makes life dignified, and gives hope to the hopeless," he said. 'The church is a place for everyone' Canberra residents attended an angelus at St Christopher's to pray for the Pope. Aidan Pitt attended, he said Pope Francis had a resounding impact on his spirituality. "He encouraged me to reach out to the entire flock of the world… [he reminded us] that the church is a place for everyone," he said. Aidan Pitt attended St Christopher's today to remember and pray for Pope Francis. ( ABC News Jade Toomey ) Director at a Canberra Catholic Preschool, Beth Lehmenisch agreed. "He really lived the values of Jesus by reaching out to the outcasts, those who are on our margins, people in prison, women, the LGBTQI community as well and just making sure we're treating people as humans first," she said. Tony Bracken, Deputy Director of Catholic Education Canberra- Goulburn, said the Pope's joining in in Easter events demonstrated his dedication. Tony Bracken said he valued Pope Francis's presence and leadership. ( ABC News: Jade Toomey ) "Thinking about it, the fact that he actually attended the Easter services and then passed away is incredible, a last act of service from a very popular, very charitable, compassionate, great leader," he said.
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The love song to Liverpool that moved Radio 1 DJ John Peel to tears
Ian Prowse was standing in his local pub literally crying into his beer about the end of a relationship when someone came in to tell him one of his songs had just been played on Radio it was "a song about a train", Prowse, the former frontman of 1990s band Pele, was perplexed. At the time he had no record deal and the song he knew it must have been, Does This Train Stop On Merseyside? had not been would then find out that BBC DJ John Peel had got hold of a copy, and had told his listeners that the song – a poignant love letter to Liverpool, warts and all – had moved him to tears. Twenty years on from its release, it has been covered by Irish folk star Christy Moore, championed by Elvis Costello, and has become an anthem for the city - not least for its raw reflections on the Hillsborough disaster of 1989, whose 36th anniversary will be commemorated this month. Prowse, now 61, had been the frontman of the 1990s band Pele, and was playing with his new outfit Amsterdam when Does This Train Stop On Merseyside? came to him as he sat at home one inspiration came from the story of William McKenzie, a Victorian merchant who rests in a pyramid-shaped tomb in the graveyard of St Andrew's church in Liverpool, supposedly buried sitting upright clutching a winning hand of that germ of inspiration, which gave the song its opening lines, the rest of the verses quickly flowed."I was on the floor at this point," he says. "The music industry had changed with the likes of the X Factor, and if you were over 30 you were essentially dead in the water."I was really struggling, and then John Peel started playing the song and then suddenly we had a record deal again." The song was to receive an even bigger break when Irish folk star Moore came across it after a gig in Manchester, when a CD containing it was posted through the open window of his car by a fan as he left the Bridgewater Hall."By the time we got to London, I was in love with the song," says Moore."One of the great privileges of my life has been that I get to sing the songs of people like Ian Prowse."For Elvis Costello, some of the song's charm lies in Prowse's "acute sense of the history of the city".There are references in Does This Train Stop On Merseyside? to the Atlantic slave trade, of which Liverpool was the home; the influx of Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine of the 1840s and 1850s, and the events of 15 April 1989, reflected in the lyrics "Yorkshire policemen fold their arms while people try and save their fellow fans".Prowse adds: "For people of my generation. Hillsborough was the central event. I had so many friends who were survivors, I could not write a song that's talking about Liverpool without including that."For the city it was a double tragedy: there was the horror of 97 people losing their lives, then there was the city being smeared in the media."There's still righteous fury about that in the city, and although the truth has come out, there's never been any justice really." Journalist Paul Du Noyer, who has written extensively about Liverpool and the Beatles, says of the song that it manages to encompass "the very worst things in human history to the sheer fun of being out in Matthew Street".He adds it "ranked as one of the great Liverpool songs in that it was explicitly about Liverpool in the way that – to put it in distinguished company – Strawberry Fields Forever was, and Penny Lane".For Prowse, who on 12 April will be performing the song at The Arts Club in Liverpool with the full seven-piece Amsterdam band to mark the 20th anniversary of its release, it is always humbling to see how well the song is received both on Merseyside and further afield."It's great to see how it travels so well," he says. "It's always people's favourite song of mine whether I'm playing in Dublin or Glasgow, but also if I'm doing acoustic shows in Stroud or Perth or wherever."But there is no doubt that the most full-throated appreciation comes when Does This Train Stop On Merseyside? is played to a home crowd that knows the city and feels about it the way Prowse himself does."For all the darkness, and the bad things that have happened, it's still my favourite place in the whole world and it's somewhere I'd rather be than anywhere else," he says."The spirit, the heart of the place is amazing, and not necessarily despite of the bad things that have happened, but in some ways because of them." 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.
CBC
09-03-2025
- General
- CBC
Prayers and hope: Jasper's historic Anglican church looks ahead to building a new future
Social Sharing Bright and early on a Sunday morning in March, Christian hymns ring out from the headquarters of Jasper's Masonic Lodge, where the Anglican church has been holding its weekly service. St. Mary & St. George Anglican Church hasn't been absorbed by the world's largest fraternity. Instead, the Freemasons lent their lounge to the congregation after the nearly century-old church burned in the July 2024 wildfire that ravaged Jasper National Park and its historic townsite. There are plans to rebuild. Some in the parish's leadership, including people's warden Nancy Addison, have put forward an idea for a new worship space for people of all faiths. "I would really dearly love to see a multi-denominational church," said Addison, speaking by phone from Ontario where she is staying with family after losing her Jasper home in the fire. "A place for Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Jews, anybody from any background to come and use," she added. As people's warden, Addison's role includes managing the church's Facebook page and replying to emails from all over the world. She says rebuilding the church as a more inclusive space should be a priority. "In this time of division and hate and distrust in the world, I think you tend to hate things you don't understand and things that you don't know. If we were all sharing a building, that would facilitate conversations and build bridges. We could be an example for the rest of the world," she said. "That's my magical dream." Early community connections The roots of the Anglican church in Jasper date back to 1909. A small wooden boxcar was donated in 1913 to act as the first building to hold services. Other timber additions were added over the next several years. Inside Jasper's archive building, retired Rev. David Prowse, flips through photos of the original church from the 1910s. "The two railways were being built through the Rockies, and the first church was a log church building. One of the leaders of the construction of one of the railways arranged to have B.C. cedar logs brought in," said the 84-year-old. In 1928, a more permanent parish was built primarily from stone. It was declared a provincial historic resource in 1985, as an example of the 14th-century English Gothic revival architectural style in Canada. It was a recognizable town landmark, tourist attraction and community gathering space until it was destroyed in last summer's fire. WATCH | Reimagining Jasper's Anglican Church for future generations: That's the building Prowse remembers from his childhood in Jasper. His father helped maintain it, and David sang in the choir and was an altar server. As an adult, he spent decades as a military chaplain around the world, before ending his career as the rector of his childhood parish. Even after retiring, Prowse maintained strong connections to the building and occasionally led services there. "My vestments, my robes, all went up in flames. The stained glass probably never will be able to be replaced," he said. Prowse has countless memories from within the church walls, including leading a Sunday morning service attended by Queen Elizabeth II during a 2005 royal visit to Alberta, which included an overnight stop in Jasper. In recent years, the church played host to the local food bank, numerous plays and concerts and regular community club meetings. A rebuilt space that can accommodate all of those things once again is on the wish list of church leadership. But there is also something new on the list. "A place for people to recognize the community, the first responders and the young man that lost his life," said church vestry member Glenda Cornforth, who has lived in Jasper since 1942. Cornforth was referring to 24-year-old firefighter Morgan Kitchen, who was killed by a falling tree while battling the Jasper wildfire. The idea of a dedicated space to remember Kitchen has wide support in the church community. Several of the church's stone pillars are still intact, and there are hopes to salvage them for the new building. Early estimates peg the cost of a rebuild incorporating all of these ideas at close to $6 million. Since the church's insurance payout won't cover that, there are ongoing discussions to possibly pool financial resources with Jasper's United Church, which also burned, to rebuild together. Officials from both congregations have met with Jasper's municipal planning department to discuss what a joint rebuild might look like, and hope to have more clarity this spring about the possibilities.
