Latest news with #Stovall
Chicago Tribune
28-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Big Catch group's first female Angler of the Year ‘blessed with talent I didn't know I had'
Paula Stovall, 62, of Country Club Hills, became the first female to win Angler of the Year in the Big Catch Angler Association, a south-suburban organization which was established in 2004. Her 'Pops' would be proud. Stovall was presented with the award in front of friends and family on her birthday, April 13, at a BCAA meeting in Chicago Heights. 'She loves fishing,' said Sam Steele, one of the founders of the organization. 'She catches a lot of fish, and we are really proud of her for that.' But Stovall went an overwhelming majority of her life without knowing the joy she could experience casting lines into the water. She said that changed about 12 years ago. 'I was 50 years old and didn't even know how to put a worm on a hook,' she said. 'I started at Monee Reservoir and ever since then, I caught a fish every single time.' She got hooked on the activity thanks to her godfather, Ellison Fisher, who was known to her and other family members as 'Pops.' Fisher loved fishing but was dying of cancer. Friends and family members joined him for one last outing 12 years ago. That's when she started to take an interest in the sport, even though that day she abstained. 'We wanted to take Pops fishing before he died,' Stovall said. 'I didn't get a chance to fish, then. We took all the grandkids, and I was busy with the kids and cooking hot dogs and all of that kind of stuff.' Fisher's spirit, and fishing equipment, stayed with Stovall. So, after he died, she and a group of novices took his poles and headed to the Monee Reservoir. 'I didn't even know how to set up a pole,' she said, but they caught the eye of more experienced anglers who saw them 'and knew something didn't look right.' 'They said we had to do this, that and the other,' Stovall said, 'and they helped us set our poles up.' Little did those kind strangers know that day that they may have helped change a life. In the years since, Stovall has enjoyed great success angling. And she believes she might be getting a bit of a boost from above. 'Every time I fish it's in honor of my godfather,' Stovall said. 'Yeah, he's there with me. He would always bless the heavens and say 'thank you, God' every time he caught a fish. He would thank the Lord and when I fish I look up at the heavens, and I catch a lot of fish. 'The Lord has blessed me with a talent that I didn't know I had.' Steele said the Angler of the Year award goes to those who accumulate the most points. Certain fish that are caught are worth more points based on difficulty of catching them and other criteria. Stovall had such a big lead in the point standings for 2024 that Steele said he couldn't remember who finished second and third. 'She made a really big splash,' Steele said. Meanwhile, Stovall admits that she probably could have earned this honor earlier. She unwittingly hurt her own cause by not always turning in the paperwork on the fish that she caught. But in 2024, Stovall decided to turn in all the information on the fish she caught and ultimately won the honor. There is a little luck to fishing. There is also a lot of skill. And there is determination and Stovall has plenty of that. 'Paula is very consistent,' Steele said. 'I know we've been on certain overnight trips where some of the other anglers get tired at a certain point and go in. But Paula would still be out there until 2, 3 or 4 in the morning catching fish. 'And her technique is really good.' The BCAA has more than 100 anglers, Steele said. While the group mainly fishes in the South Suburbs, they take six-to-12 overnight trips a year. They fish all over the Midwest on those trips. 'You name a place and we've probably been there,' Steele said. Stovall said she loves the 'peace and tranquility' of fishing. And she obviously loves to bring in big hauls of fish. 'I have a niche for fishing for some reason,' she said. 'The fish just come to me, I don't know why.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man whose body was found in Mass. river remembered for his ‘remarkable resilience'
A Massachusetts man whose decomposing body was pulled from a river in Taunton late last month is being remembered for his 'remarkable resilience in overcoming adversity.' Samuel Stovall, 51, who Taunton police knew to be homeless, was pulled from the Mill River on April 25, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said previously. People walking by the water behind 43 Chandler Ave. noticed his body around 3:40 p.m. and contacted authorities. Investigators soon noticed that Stovall's body had 'obvious signs of decomposition,' the district attorney's office said. His death is not believed to be suspicious. Samuel C. Stovall was born in Holyoke on Jan. 31, 1974, to Eugenia and Leroy Stovall, according to his obituary. He was raised in Springfield with his siblings. The Stovall children were brought up in Holy Ghost Temple Church — which was located in Springfield at the time — where their father served as pastor, according to his obituary. Stovall was also skilled in mixed martial arts, which he began studying as a teenager to learn self-defense. 'Despite life's obstacles and difficult choices, Sam showed remarkable resilience in overcoming adversity, and his spirit never gave up. If he believed he could do it, no one could convince him otherwise,' his obituary reads. 'Such was the case when Sam rededicated his life back to Christ. With childlike faith, he pressed his way to church, read the Word more diligently and attended bible study with the community group at Christ Community Church. Yet the closer he drew to God, the harder the obstacles became.' Stovall leaves behind his wife of eight years, his father, five brothers, four children two grandchildren and many other beloved friends and relatives, according to his obituary. Family 'meant everything' to him, it says. 'People are complex, and nobody is perfect. We are all imperfect in varying degrees. All we can do is seek God's forgiveness, for none but Jesus is perfect,' his obituary reads. Springfield informational meeting about the 'X' construction scheduled for Wednesday Council votes to support MGM Springfield union Suveillance of WMass. man leads to fentanyl trafficking charge How to claim a portion of major child booster seat class action settlement Mass. weather: Heavy clouds possible Wednesday before nighttime rain Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Not enough money': Local leaders ask for urgent state funds in road maintenance
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Local leaders are asking for serious state help in the form of the Oregon Transportation Reinvestment Package this legislative session. The mayors of Troutdale, Wood Village, Fairview, and Gresham joined Multnomah County Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon Monday to urge state lawmakers to pass this transportation package. 'Bock bock, you next': Man harassing peacocks tried to murder man who confronted him They want to improve conditions they believe are dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike, and the mayors said they need state funding to get it done. On top of that, they argued road maintenance will improve the local economy as well. 'State investments in transportation infrastructure directly support our local businesses, attract new employers, and create good paying construction and infrastructure jobs right here in east Multnomah County,' Troutdale Mayor David Ripma said. Fairview's mayor Keith Kudrna said they have plans for new developments that serve the community's needs, but without good roads they cannot get done. 'Like Sandy Boulevard, where residents at the senior manufactured home park must walk along roadside ditches to catch the bus or to cross the street at an unmarked crosswalk,' he said. 'The problem is that we do not have enough money to finish these visions.' The county's road fund pays for road maintenance, but the upcoming budget proposes cutting close to $2 million from it. Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall called that proposal unacceptable. 'There has to be an overinvestment, an oversized investment, in East County starting now,' he said. 'There has been tremendous years of underinvestment that includes transportation and these that– it's challenging for us to be able to bring our folks from poverty to prosperity. We have to make these investments. We have to.' New express routes will take Portland-area residents on day trips to the coast If they are not able to get financial help from the state in this package Stovall said they will carry on, but it will not be easy. He said roads across the county will be underprepared. 'They won't be maintained,' Stovall said. 'Will new roads and new infrastructure not be delivered? Yes, that will be the case. Will we be able to move forward as communities? Absolutely. Is it going to be more challenging? Of course. That's the critical response to the question is it will be more challenging to deliver the things that we need to deliver.' Jones-Dixon said he is definitely looking to make sure those cuts to the county's road fund are not made in the upcoming budget. And later this month the Joint Committee on Transportation is holding a public hearing for the transportation package. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Comparing stock market trends under Trump, Biden and other recent presidents
The US stock market has been on a rollercoaster during President Donald Trump's second term. The S&P 500 posted its third-worst 100-day start to a presidential term in US history, only behind Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon. The S&P 500 initially surged after Trump's reelection in November on expectations for a pro-business boom. Yet as the president unveiled his plan for tariffs and has gone back and forth on trade policy, Wall Street has been shaken by historic levels of uncertainty and volatility. CNN is tracking the S&P 500's performance each day across Trump's second term to see how it compares to past presidents since World War II. As the benchmark US stock index, the S&P 500 tracks the 500 biggest public companies in the United States by market value. Even if you don't own individual stocks, retirement plans like 401(k)s are invested funds that track the S&P 500, meaning you might be invested in these top companies through your employer. About 62% of US adults held stocks in 2024, whether through an individual stock, a mutual fund or a retirement savings account, according to an annual Gallup survey. Since the end of World War II, the S&P returned an average of 2.1% during a president's first 100 days, according to Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. An above-average return for the S&P during a president's first 100 days corresponded with an average gain that year of 21.1%. Meanwhile, a below-average return for the S&P during a president's first 100 days corresponded with an average loss that year of 5.5%. 'History is a guide, but it's never gospel,' Stovall said. Investors this year will be focused on how Trump's tariffs might continue to impact the economy and markets. 'I think a lot of people on Wall Street were expecting tariffs to be more rhetoric than reality,' Stovall said. 'In fact, it ended up being reality. We have yet to find out what the longer-term outcome will be.' Sign in to access your portfolio
CNN
02-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Comparing stock market trends under Trump, Biden and other recent presidents
The US stock market has been on a rollercoaster during President Donald Trump's second term. The S&P 500 posted its third-worst 100-day start to a presidential term in US history, only behind Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon. The S&P 500 initially surged after Trump's reelection in November on expectations for a pro-business boom. Yet as the president unveiled his plan for tariffs and has gone back and forth on trade policy, Wall Street has been shaken by historic levels of uncertainty and volatility. CNN is tracking the S&P 500's performance each day across Trump's second term to see how it compares to past presidents since World War II. As the benchmark US stock index, the S&P 500 tracks the 500 biggest public companies in the United States by market value. Even if you don't own individual stocks, retirement plans like 401(k)s are invested funds that track the S&P 500, meaning you might be invested in these top companies through your employer. About 62% of US adults held stocks in 2024, whether through an individual stock, a mutual fund or a retirement savings account, according to an annual Gallup survey. Since the end of World War II, the S&P returned an average of 2.1% during a president's first 100 days, according to Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. An above-average return for the S&P during a president's first 100 days corresponded with an average gain that year of 21.1%. Meanwhile, a below-average return for the S&P during a president's first 100 days corresponded with an average loss that year of 5.5%. 'History is a guide, but it's never gospel,' Stovall said. Investors this year will be focused on how Trump's tariffs might continue to impact the economy and markets. 'I think a lot of people on Wall Street were expecting tariffs to be more rhetoric than reality,' Stovall said. 'In fact, it ended up being reality. We have yet to find out what the longer-term outcome will be.'
