Latest news with #Stapp
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stapp staying in Aggieland to walk on at Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (FOX 44) — Recent College Station High School graduate dual-sport athlete Wilson Stapp is staying home but trading in the patented Cougars purple for Maroon as a preferred walk-on for Aggie football next year. 'I've been an Aggie my whole life,' Stapp said. 'It's cool to be the next guy [to play for A&M] and continue playing.' The All-State running back for the Cougars tallied 1,308 all-purpose yards with 12 touchdowns last season for College Station, helping lead them to a Regional Semifinal appearance. 'I'm a really hard worker, put my head down and go to work,' Stapp said. '[I] also understand the stop that I'm in and I'm lucky to be on the team. I think it's just being grateful to be there but continue to work hard and have confidence in yourself.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
West Australian
21-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Volunteer Week: Calls to join the quiet heroes caring for WA's wildlife
From possums with burnt feet to joeys with nowhere else to go, one of WA's biggest animal rescue organisations roll up their sleeves every day to put animals in need first. Every week wildlife carers from the South West wildlife rescue FAWNA take in sick, injured and orphaned animals from across the region giving a lifeline to hundreds of native animals in need. FAWNA president Suzanne Strapp said the group was founded on the belief 'every life matters'. But, the organisation could not operate without their backbone of volunteers. Mrs Stapp said National Volunteer Week was a time to recognise all the individuals behind the rescue. She is also inviting anyone who cares about the natural world to join their mission. 'Australia's unique wildlife faces growing threats from habitat loss, extreme weather events, and human activity,' Mrs Strapp said. 'By volunteering with FAWNA, you play a direct role in rescuing and rehabilitating native animals — from possums and kangaroos to birds, reptiles, and more. 'Every hour you give can help save a life.' Mrs Stapp said volunteering with FAWNA wasn't just about helping wildlife, but forging connections with people passionate about conservation. 'Whether you're a student exploring a career in conservation or a retiree looking to stay active and engaged, volunteering with FAWNA is a chance to learn new skills, build confidence, and expand your horizons,' she said. 'You don't have to be an animal expert to get involved — FAWNA offers a range of volunteer roles suited to different skills, interests, and levels of commitment.' Mrs Stapp said across their hubs in Busselton, Bunbury, Margaret River, Dunsborough and Manjimup, there were countless roles filled by volunteers, from wildlife rescue and transport to feeding and caring for wildlife at the Possum Finishing School, Flight Academy and Kooljak Castle. 'Whether you can offer a few hours a month or more regular support, every contribution helps FAWNA continue its vital work,' Mrs Stapp said. 'Volunteering is not just an act of giving — it's a powerful way to grow as a person, connect with your community, and leave a positive mark on the planet.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Headliner change announced for local Ribs-N-Rock Festival
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) — A change in lineup has been announced for the Ribs 'N Rock Festival this summer in Boardman. Fuel will replace headliner Scott Stapp, who is unable to perform due to a scheduling conflict, the event announced on its Facebook page on Monday afternoon. Stapp is the lead singer of the band Creed. Fuel is a rock band known for such hits as 'Hemorrhage (In My Hands),' 'Shimmer' and 'Falls on Me.' The band got its start in 1993 in Harrisburg, Pa., and returned more recently to tour with longtime lead guitarist Carl Bell and drummer Kevin Bell, as well as Aaron Scott [lead vocals, guitar] from The Voice, Mark Klotz [guitar, vocals], and Tommy Nat [bass, vocals]. Fuel performs on June 21. 'We're grateful for Scott's support of Ribs-N-Rock in the past and look forward to having him return in the future,' read the post on the festival's page. Also performing during the week are local country music artist Chris Higbee (performing on June 19) and area-favorite The Clarks, which will headline on June 20. This year's festival returns to the DeBartolo Commons at the Southern Park Mall. Gates open each day at noon, and admission is free until 3 p.m. Anyone entering the festival after 3 p.m. will pay a $10 admission cover on Friday and Saturday, or a $7 admission on Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How ‘The Fastest Man on Earth' tested supersonic ejection seats on himself
On Dec. 10, 1954, John Stapp, a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon and researcher, hopped into an experimental decelerator sled. It would be his last ride in the sled, testing the limits of gravitational forces on the human body as it accelerates and decelerates. He reached a speed of 632 miles per hour that day, experiencing 46.2 g. It was then the most ever experienced by a human and it made Col. John Stapp 'The Fastest Man on Earth.' Stapp, his Air Force colleagues and other researchers in the field were experimenting with the physical effects of gravitational forces on the human body for myriad reasons. First and foremost, the jet engine was a relatively new technology, and was being improved all the time. The Cold War was in full swing. Competition with the Soviet Union and the communist bloc was essential for maintaining American air supremacy in a potential conflict. Most importantly, however, man was beginning to slip the surly bonds of earth via rocket. At the end of World War II, the newly-formed Air Force began testing the limits of powered flight. Consistent technological breakthroughs in manned flight meant that we needed to know just what effects the technology would have on the men who were flying the new technology. Then-Capt. John Stapp, an Air Force doctor who once had dreams of being a pediatrician, instead became aviation's self-made guinea pig. He tested how men could function at high altitudes, including the extreme cold, the lack of air and even the possibility of decompression sickness from pressure changes. Not content to experiment on some poor airman, he volunteered himself. The case of the ejection seat was no different. Physicists, doctors and engineers needed to know what happened to a person during both rapid acceleration and rapid deceleration – and deceleration meant testing for what could happen in an aircraft crash. When Stapp joined the Aero Med Lab, it was widely believed that 18 g was the maximum a human body could withstand. Accident reports made during World War II directly contradicted this assumption. Air Force engineers built a rocket sled to test the gravitational forces on real human bodies, aircraft seats and protective harnesses. The 2000-foot long track with a series of hydraulic brakes at the end was dubbed the 'Gee Whiz,' and could slow the sled from 150 miles per hour to half that in a fraction of a second. This reproduced the gravitational forces experienced during aircraft crashes. The test subject was supposed to be a dummy named Oscar Eightball. On the first tests, the brakes failed, sending Oscar and the sled into the desert. When they figured out the braking system, the first operational test sent Oscar, secured in just a seatbelt, through one-inch canopy glass at 30 g-forces, shredding the glass (and the dummy's face) like it was a paper bag. After 35 shocking tests, the sled was ready for a manned test. Not only did Stapp test it on himself first, he personally performed more of the harness tests than any other human subject. By 1948, Stapp had already survived more than 18 g. His limit after 16 tests was, in fact, a whopping 35. He wasn't immune, either. The tests tore out dental fillings, cracked ribs and broke bones. He reportedly reset bones on his way back to his office after test runs. As Stapp ran his tests, neither the Aero Med Lab nor the Air Force knew he was gathering data by testing on himself. When they found out, he was warned to stop using humans, himself included, and was promoted to major in the hopes that he might actually listen. The data he gathered was used to create new air transport procedures, replace harnesses and develop a side-saddle harness for paratroopers. He would need to go faster if he was going to make real progress. Pilots were breaking the sound barrier by then and Stapp needed to expand his testing. At Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, he began using a sled system that was once used to test missiles. For his 29th and final test run, the sled would go transonic, 0.9 Mach, and Stapp would endure the most g-forces of any human so far, protected by only a helmet and visor. The sled shot off like a bullet – faster than a bullet, actually – subjecting Stapp to 20 g at 632 miles per hour. The brakes stopped the sled in a fraction of a second. When ambulance crews got to Stapp, he was not only alive, he was reportedly smiling. His eyes were filled with blood but it was only temporary. He'd proven that a pilot could eject at 40,000 feet while flying 1.6 Mach. After Stapp's ride to become the 'Fastest Man on Earth' came to an end, the colonel himself still believed that the human body could withstand more. The Air Force refused to let him test his theory, of course. He told reporters the gravitational force on his head felt like the forcible removal of a tooth – a sensation he felt in his eyes. But he had no lasting medical issues associated with the experiments. He was correct about the body withstanding more force. In 2003, race car driver Kenny Brack felt the highest horizontal g-forces by a human being ever, when a crash propelled him to 214 g at Texas Motor Speedway.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fairbanks legislator proposes far-north Nanuqsaurus as Alaska's state dinosaur
This artist's depiction shows a female Nanuqsaurus near the prehistoric Colville River in northern Alaska. (Image by Raven Amos/Not for republication) In an effort to boost awareness of the University of Alaska's research success, a Fairbanks Republican has proposed that the state name an official state dinosaur. Nineteen other states have official state dinosaurs, said Rep. Will Stapp, R-Fairbanks, who has proposed picking Nanuqsaurus, a carnivorous dinosaur whose remains were discovered in the North Slope Borough in 2006. 'It's a chance to talk about all the great research that UAF does. So that's why I introduced the bill, because, if nothing else, we can have a conversation bringing up the visibility of our university system and some of the work that they did,' he said. Other states with an official state dinosaur made their declarations to honor local scientific or paleontological feats. Idaho and Washington state are the most recent of those. In 2023, Washington declared the Suciasaurus rex as its official state dinosaur to honor the first dinosaur fossil discovered in the state. That same year, Idaho named the Oryctodromeus as its state dinosaur. Both state legislatures passed the dinosaur-naming legislation by wide, bipartisan margins and little debate. Alaska, like other states, has a list of official state symbols in law, including an official fossil (wooly mammoth), mineral (gold), sport (dog mushing) and bolt-action rifle (pre-1964 Winchester Model 70). Nanuqsaurus, literally 'polar bear lizard,' is one of a number of dinosaur species whose remains have been discovered in Alaska in recent decades. 'If you look at all the dinosaurs and megafauna and stuff like that we have in Fairbanks, that's something that's really exciting and it's not really well known, and we should get some visibility on that,' Stapp said. Pat Druckenmiller, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North and a paleontologist who has studied Nanuqsaurus, had limited comment when reached by email on Monday. He suggested a different dinosaur species might be a better fit. 'All I am ready to say is that there are existing problems with this species scientifically speaking (a long story), and for that reason alone, I don't think this is a good choice,' he said by email. Stapp's legislation picking the state dinosaur, House Bill 82, has been referred to the House State Affairs Committee. No hearing date has been set. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
