Latest news with #Southard
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Widow's powerful response to Army general goes viral on Memorial Day
For most military families, Memorial Day is a holiday marked by quiet moments of reflection, but for widows like Ashley Southard, Memorial Day is every day. Southard lost her husband, U.S. Army Sergeant Andrew 'Andy' Southard, on November 10, 2023, during a routine air refueling mission with Special Forces Unit 160th SOAR in the Mediterranean Sea. He was 27. Each year, SGT Southard is honored at the Fort Campbell Boots Display Memorial, a powerful visual memorial for those who paid the ultimate price – but a new base policy intends to halt the somber display altogether. 'After a decade of standing as a powerful testament of sacrifice and selflessness, the Fort Campbell Boots Display Memorial will conclude after its final scheduled display May 19-26, 2025. The intent is to transition to the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on post, where Families can reflect and heal, year-round and at a time of their choosing,' a Facebook post announcement read. 'We hope you will join us here to celebrate the memory of each servicemember represented and honor their sacrifice. The military family and community are unlike any other. It is a community filled with resilience and resolve. While the Boots Display will conclude after this year, its significance will endure beyond this farewell as we carry forward the spirit of the memorial in new ways.' Southard took to social media to voice her digust. 'There will always be a boot display for him here. MG Brett Sylvia, I hope your hotdogs taste like shit and you get a sunburn this weekend,' Southard captioned the now-viral video which amassed more than two million views. Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia is the commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ashley Southard | Author (@ashleynsouthard) More than 1,600 users weighed in on the video in the comments. 'This Fort Campbell fam is hugging you guys tight, mama. We owe him, and every one, everything (IMO, boots need to be placed on Brett Sylvia's front lawn. Let him get a good look at what he's doing. What a disgrace.)' one user wrote accompanied by an American flag and broken heart emoji. Another added, 'This was a straight gut punch to the feels. Thank you for being strong enough to share his memory.' At time of publication, We Are The Mighty did not receive a response to our request for comment from Fort Campbell.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Terre Haute teen returns home after 16 months in Riley Children's Hospital
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— After spending 513 days in Riley Children's Hospital, a Terre Haute teen has finally made her way back home. 16-year-old Brilea Southard has been released from the hospital after being critically injured in a car crash before Christmas in 2023. Her family was hit head-on by an impaired driver while looking at Christmas lights. Southard suffered broken bones, injuries to her abdomen, and an aortic tear that nearly resulted in the loss of her legs. After almost 30 surgeries, Southard has beaten all the odds and headed home Friday. Dozens of doctors and nurses lined the hallway as Southard bid farewell to the hospital. In a news release from IU Health, the family said that their faith has carried them through the journey and that they are grateful for the community's support. 'All the grace goes to her,' said Riley Children's Health hospitalist Dr. Hank Knouse. 'She's a rock star. To be as mentally tough as she is every day is impressive. She's probably one of the most resilient people I've ever met, especially at her age. It's been so impressive watching her and her family go through the ups and downs but never give up … after what can be a life-ending injury.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Celebrated author to host Dayton Literary Peace Prize event
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – An award-winning author will visit Dayton to host the Dayton Literary Peace Prize 20th Anniversary Event this May. Susan Southard, the 2016 Nonfiction Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winner, will host the event at the University of Dayton's Roger Glass Center for the Performing Arts. It will run from 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 15. Southard's book, Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War (2015), will be heavily discussed in preparation for the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. Southard's work explores extreme human violence and its effect on people. She will teach the audience about the history of the bombing. Shigemi Fukahori, who survived Nagasaki bombing and spent his life advocating for peace, dies at 93 A pre-event reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. People interested in attending are asked to RSVP. Visit the library's website or call their 'Ask Me Line,' at 937-463-2665 with any questions. If you need accessibility services like a sign language interpreter, assistive device or language translation, please call the Library's Ask Me Line or fill out this form ahead of the event. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Toddler killed in ‘horrible' dog attack in Alabama
ALABASTER, Ala. (WIAT) – A 6-month-old girl died after being attacked by a dog in Alabaster, Alabama, last week, police confirmed. Alabaster police said the attack happened around 10 a.m. Friday at a family member's home. According to police, there were two dogs at the home at the time. Both were taken into a 10-day quarantine by animal control. More US and World News Anna Southard, the mother of 6-month-old Ember Renee Southard, said her daughter was attacked by an 11-year-old American Bully. The dog had no history of violence or aggression toward children, she said. Southard said she hadn't even been gone 20 minutes when she got the call. By the time she saw Ember again at the hospital, she 'already looked dead,' Southard said. According to Bibb County Coroner Patrick Turner, the victim was taken to a children's hospital after being attacked. The coroner said the baby was from Bibb County, though the attack happened at a family member's home in Shelby County. Alabaster police are investigating the case but are not pursuing charges at this time. They are leaving it up to the Shelby County district attorney and grand jury. Southard did not wish to do an on-camera interview but answered questions via email. The questions and responses are as follows: 'My family isn't holding up,' Southard replied. 'We lost a perfect baby. My daughter. We lost my daughter in a horrible accident within 20 minutes.' 'Friday morning, I went to take my grandmother to a doctor's appointment at 9:40, I was going to just take my daughter with me but my family said 20 minutes would be fine,' Southard wrote. 'We hadn't even checked in at the doctor, we hadn't even been gone 20 minutes, before we got a phone call from the family member watching her. I raced home, and got there just behind the ambulance. My daughter already looked dead. I hit my knees in the driveway hard enough to make them bleed. I heard dog attack. My grandfather got there the same time I did. They got Ember in the ambulance, and I rode upfront. I kept begging for her to be okay but I already knew my daughter wasn't going to live. I knew it the moment I saw her blue and unmoving. She was with this family member for 20 minutes. She was attacked by an American Bully, an 11 year old dog that had been around countless children, and has never harmed one before.' 'My first thoughts were rage,' Southard stated. 'The family member fell asleep with my daughter on their chest, my daughter fell from their chest and was mauled by the dog. They then called my nanny, and then 911. The family member is epileptic and had a seizure AFTER my daughter was in the ambulance. Trauma at Children's did their best, and before she went up to the OR they told me it was very touch and go, and unlikely my daughter would live. I still begged them to. At 1:10 Ember passed away despite over a dozen doctors best interest.' 'My daughter was so sweet,' Southard replied. 'She had the sweetest smile, the cutest squeal. Ember was such a joy. Such a good baby. She always had a little smile and big beautiful eyes. She hated to be cold, or wet. I can't even describe the feeling of cleaning the blood off my daughter. Of wrapping her body in warm blankets so that she wouldn't be cold. Only me, and my grandparents saw her first after she passed. I didn't allow anyone else to see her until she was as clean and warm as she could be. 'Ember's nickname was noodle. Because as a newborn she had little noodly- toes and the name just stuck. A wittle noodle. A perfect noodle. She was loved by so many people. Ember was an expert at smiling at you before spitting up on you, she had the sweetest voice. She had just learned how to roll over. There wasn't a soul that met her that didn't absolutely love her. She had wild blonde/red hair, big bright eyes. There was never a more perfect baby than my noodle.' More US and World News 'At first, when I was angry, yes I wanted charges pressed,' Southard wrote. 'There is an investigation, but I am not going to push it one way or the other. I will NEVER forgive this family member for falling asleep with my daughter on their chest. Never. My daughter is gone forever because they couldn't follow a simple [expletive] rule. I follow safe sleep rules to the letter, and I never allow my children around dogs like that. Always supervised with me holding them. I don't believe charges should be continued, and I will not be actively pressing them. I think the punishment of knowing what their neglect did to my daughter will haunt them for the rest of their life, as it should. It was an accident. An avoidable accident, is still an accident.' 'The GoFundMe is to help with funeral costs for my daughter, and everything surrounding,' Southard stated. 'Flowers, headstone, burial plot. I didn't make the GoFundMe, my aunt did. The GoFundMe names the car wreck I had Thursday morning, where I hit two deer and damaged my car. I could care less about my car.' 'Community wise? I don't know honestly,' Southard replied. 'The GoFundMe is open for donations, they can also donate via cash app or venmo. But the main the the community can do for me is hold their babies closer. Follow safe sleep. Keep dogs, ALL DOGS, away from your baby. Any dog can kill an infant. There's no reason to risk it. It's never worth it. Please, please keep your children away from dogs and follow safe sleep. This dog was 11 years old and had never harmed a human, much less a child.' 'The only extra thing about Ember, is she was hardly called Ember,' Southard wrote. 'She was, is and always will be my little noodle baby.' A link to the GoFundMe can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mother of 6-month-old girl killed in dog attack calls it a horrible but avoidable accident
ALABASTER, Ala. (WIAT) – A 6-month-old girl died after being attacked by a dog in Alabaster, Alabama, last week, police confirmed. Alabaster police said the attack happened around 10 a.m. Friday at a family member's home. According to police, there were two dogs at the home at the time. Both were taken into a 10-day quarantine by animal control. Anna Southard, the mother of 6-month-old Ember Renee Southard, said her daughter was attacked by an 11-year-old American Bully. The dog had no history of violence or aggression toward children, she said. Southard said she hadn't even been gone 20 minutes when she got the call. By the time she saw Ember again at the hospital, she 'already looked dead,' Southard said. According to Bibb County Coroner Patrick Turner, the victim was taken to a children's hospital after being attacked. The coroner said the baby was from Bibb County, though the attack happened at a family member's home in Shelby County. Alabaster police are investigating the case but are not pursuing charges at this time. They are leaving it up to the Shelby County district attorney and grand jury. Southard did not wish to do an on-camera interview but answered questions via email. The questions and responses are as follows: 'My family isn't holding up,' Southard replied. 'We lost a perfect baby. My daughter. We lost my daughter in a horrible accident within 20 minutes.' 'Friday morning, I went to take my grandmother to a doctor's appointment at 9:40, I was going to just take my daughter with me but my family said 20 minutes would be fine,' Southard wrote. 'We hadn't even checked in at the doctor, we hadn't even been gone 20 minutes, before we got a phone call from the family member watching her. I raced home, and got there just behind the ambulance. My daughter already looked dead. I hit my knees in the driveway hard enough to make them bleed. I heard dog attack. My grandfather got there the same time I did. They got Ember in the ambulance, and I rode upfront. I kept begging for her to be okay but I already knew my daughter wasn't going to live. I knew it the moment I saw her blue and unmoving. She was with this family member for 20 minutes. She was attacked by an American Bully, an 11 year old dog that had been around countless children, and has never harmed one before.' 'My first thoughts were rage,' Southard stated. 'The family member fell asleep with my daughter on their chest, my daughter fell from their chest and was mauled by the dog. They then called my nanny, and then 911. The family member is epileptic and had a seizure AFTER my daughter was in the ambulance. Trauma at Children's did their best, and before she went up to the OR they told me it was very touch and go, and unlikely my daughter would live. I still begged them to. At 1:10 Ember passed away despite over a dozen doctors best interest.' 'My daughter was so sweet,' Southard replied. 'She had the sweetest smile, the cutest squeal. Ember was such a joy. Such a good baby. She always had a little smile and big beautiful eyes. She hated to be cold, or wet. I can't even describe the feeling of cleaning the blood off my daughter. Of wrapping her body in warm blankets so that she wouldn't be cold. Only me, and my grandparents saw her first after she passed. I didn't allow anyone else to see her until she was as clean and warm as she could be. 'Ember's nickname was noodle. Because as a newborn she had little noodly- toes and the name just stuck. A wittle noodle. A perfect noodle. She was loved by so many people. Ember was an expert at smiling at you before spitting up on you, she had the sweetest voice. She had just learned how to roll over. There wasn't a soul that met her that didn't absolutely love her. She had wild blonde/red hair, big bright eyes. There was never a more perfect baby than my noodle.' 'At first, when I was angry, yes I wanted charges pressed,' Southard wrote. 'There is an investigation, but I am not going to push it one way or the other. I will NEVER forgive this family member for falling asleep with my daughter on their chest. Never. My daughter is gone forever because they couldn't follow a simple [expletive] rule. I follow safe sleep rules to the letter, and I never allow my children around dogs like that. Always supervised with me holding them. I don't believe charges should be continued, and I will not be actively pressing them. I think the punishment of knowing what their neglect did to my daughter will haunt them for the rest of their life, as it should. It was an accident. An avoidable accident, is still an accident.' 'The GoFundMe is to help with funeral costs for my daughter, and everything surrounding,' Southard stated. 'Flowers, headstone, burial plot. I didn't make the GoFundMe, my aunt did. The GoFundMe names the car wreck I had Thursday morning, where I hit two deer and damaged my car. I could care less about my car.' 'Community wise? I don't know honestly,' Southard replied. 'The GoFundMe is open for donations, they can also donate via cash app or venmo. But the main the the community can do for me is hold their babies closer. Follow safe sleep. Keep dogs, ALL DOGS, away from your baby. Any dog can kill an infant. There's no reason to risk it. It's never worth it. Please, please keep your children away from dogs and follow safe sleep. This dog was 11 years old and had never harmed a human, much less a child.' 'The only extra thing about Ember, is she was hardly called Ember,' Southard wrote. 'She was, is and always will be my little noodle baby.' A link to the GoFundMe can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
