Latest news with #Valentine'sDays
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Family-owned florist closes shop after 124 years in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — After 124 years of weddings, funerals, Valentine's Days and proms, a university area staple has closed its doors. The 5th Ave Floral Company made its final sale Saturday, closing so owner Kim Fitz could retire. Fitz and her husband purchased the shop from her parents, Ralph and Carol Barber, in 2006, making Fitz the third generation of family florists at the Columbus shop. 'We are saddened to say goodbye but the memories will last forever,' 5th Ave Floral Co. wrote. 'But a big congratulations to the owners who are onto retirement and spending lots of time with their grandchildren!!' Family-owned central Ohio steakhouse closes Gahanna location Despite its name, 5th Ave Floral Co. is located at the intersection of Kenny and Kinnear roads near the southwest campus. However, the shop originally opened in 1901 on Fifth Avenue in Harrison West, now the site of Battelle's headquarters. According to research by the Columbus Historical Society, the shop moved in 1945. Columbus Historical Society board member Brad Funk dove into 5th Ave Floral Co.'s history and found the shop was part of multiple historic celebrations. In 1912, it donated thousands of salvia plants for Columbus's centennial, and 1,000 tomato plants so unused lots around the city could grow extra food. It also supplied flowers in 1919 when the city welcomed back World War I veterans. With such a long legacy of flower sales, 5th Ave Floral Co. lived through two pandemics, both COVID-19 and the Spanish Flu 100 years earlier. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shop implemented contact-free delivery to keep sales up. The shop racked up accolades in its 124 years and was voted the No. 1 Columbus Florist four years in a row. In 2022, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose selected 5th Ave Floral Co. as the August Ohio Business of the Month. Ohio liquor division ditches paper, moves permitting process online 'The company began by growing its own flowers and then making them into bouquets for customers. Some of the company's most popular and well-known items were poinsettias and Easter lilies,' LaRose said in 2022. 'Today, 5th Ave Floral Company continues to be one of the only 'truly' locally grown florist shops in Franklin County.' Funk found 5th Ave Floral Co. had its own greenhouses for generations, even after moving from Fifth Avenue 80 years ago. The greenhouses were retired in 2015 after specific curved glass panels became more and more difficult to replace. According to an old postcard of the flower shop, the greenhouses used 10,000 feet of glass by 1945. In closing, the 5th Ave Floral Co. said it was grateful for the decades of support throughout its many years of business. The company celebrated with a final sale, offering 50% off items from flowers to ribbons. 'All of us here at 5th Avenue would like to thank our many, many (many) customers throughout our 124+ years of your wonderful and much appreciated business, loyalty and friendships,' the shop said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Austin weather history: The hottest, coldest, wettest and snowiest Valentine's Days
This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available. Editor's Note: The video above shows the latest from the KXAN First Warning Weather team. AUSTIN (KXAN) — What kind of weather does Austin typically see on Valentine's Day? A high of 66, a low of 46, and about 0.07″ of rain. But what about the extremes? The National Weather Service has weather data for Austin dating back to the 1890s. KXAN dug through the archives to find the hottest, coldest, wettest and snowiest Valentine's Days in history. While Austin typically sees a high in the mid 60s on Valentine's Day, several have been much warmer than that. In fact, the city has reached the 80s on 11 occasions, including a record-high 86° in 2014. On the opposite end, three Valentine's Days failed to get out of the 30s, with 2021 below freezing all day long. The high that year was a frigid 30°, as Austin — and the rest of Texas — was in the grips of the deadly February 2021 winter storm. That year, temperatures dropped to 13° in Austin on Feb. 14. Believe it or not, Valentine's Day in 1899 was even colder. Austin recorded a low of just 10° that day. In total, Austin has recorded a freeze on Valentine's Day in 14 separate years. Austin has seen snow on Valentine's Day on three separate occasions: an inch in 1951 and 2021, and a record 1.6″ in 2004. Austin's wettest Valentine's Day in history was in 1969, when almost 1.5 inches of rain fell at Camp Mabry, the city's official weather reporting site. Three other years saw more than an inch of rain on Feb. 14: in 1903, 1959 and 1951. More recently, 2017 ranks as the fifth-wettest Valentine's Day in Austin history, with 0.86″ recorded. More from our Austin Weather History series: St. Patrick's Day 4th of July Austin City Limits festival Halloween Christmas Eve and Christmas Day New Year's Eve and New Year's DayCopyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
In a day of love, 30 Florida couples join together for a group wedding in historic courthouse
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Thirteen Valentine's Days later, Cher and Joey Wilson made a last-minute choice to finally get married. The two have never been traditional, they said. They met in the '90s when Cher worked as a bartender at a classic rock bar, and Joey played his guitar on stage with his band. They dated, broke up, got married to other people and had kids — but that was a lifetime ago for them. Now, the couple has spent thirteen years raising their family together in Louisiana, the past three in Florida — even wearing rings and changing last names. Yet about two weeks ago, Cher, 52, surprised Joey, 51, by saying she signed up for an annual group wedding held by the Palm Beach County clerk's office. 'The fact that it's in this historical courthouse and the fact that this place that is like our paradise now is where we actually are able to live the rest of our lives, it was to me, it wasn't any guess. It was a for-sure thing that it would be so memorable and special and cool too to be able to get married with all these people, and in West Palm, which is where we bought our little house together,' Cher Wilson said. On Friday, Cher wore a white dress colored in florals and Joey wore his plaid flat cap and vest adorned by a red rose, and they held each other close as clerk Joe Abruzzo recited vows for them to speak to one another. 'I promise to love and cherish you, to give you my strength, to help you in good times and bad, and to make our home of love and understanding. I will give you all of my trust and all of my tomorrows for all of my life,' the couples recited together. Within ten minutes, the more than decadelong commitment to their love, their family, the band they are in together and the home they've created in West Palm Beach was celebrated in a moment surrounded by 29 other couples starting a new chapter, married. To them, that moment was perfect. All the 30 couples shared that moment in the front of the courtroom with Abruzzo leading their ceremony, with couples matching colors in red or black, or some with spectacularly elegant white gowns. This is the 12th year that the clerk's office has hosted this free group wedding, with multiple local florists or photographers volunteering to put together this once-every-year Valentines Day event. 'We have over 1,000 different statutory duties in our office, and this is by far the most fulfilling, exciting, and then you have the caveat of doing it on Valentine's Day, the day of love, that you get to share this special moment with these couples and watch their passion,' Abruzzo said. Couples rushed along the wooden floors covered with white and blue petals, down the original marble steps that have been in the county's first courthouse since the beginning, and went on to their brunch plans or honeymoons ready to start a new chapter of their lives.
The Guardian
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I've ended up in the ER twice': stories of Valentine's Day gone horribly wrong
Ah, Valentine's Day. An occasion for love, romance and same-day flower deliveries. There are plenty of delightful stories about wonderful 14 February experiences: sweet gestures, thoughtful words, serendipitous encounters. But sometimes it doesn't go quite to plan. Guardian readers shared tales of their worst Valentine's Day with us. If you're feeling down this 14 February, just think – at least you're not dating someone wanted by Interpol. Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity. Twenty years ago, my husband, 1.5-year-old son and I were living in California. My husband, very sweetly, decided to make me a Valentine's Day lunch, including a ham sandwich. With a flourish of the knife, he opened the plastic packaging of the ham. He also took off the top of one of his fingers. There was a lot of blood, so I ran around finding things to wrap the hand in. It was clear he had to go to [the emergency department], but where was the top of the finger? We weren't quick enough, and the dog ate it. The rest of the day was spent at the 58, British Columbia One Valentine's Day in college, I was dumped over Zoom by my long-distance boyfriend. On the call, I opened the package he'd sent me. It was a dating advice book. Three years later, a different partner and I had booked a trip over Valentine's Day. The day we were meant to leave, he told me he had cancelled the reservation. When I asked what he wanted to do instead, he said: 'Stop seeing each other.' Two Valentine's Days later, my long-distance girlfriend and I were supposed to call each other and cook a meal at the same time. I got a surprise delivery of ice-cream and she cancelled our call. We broke up. Eventually, my wife broke my curse, and we have enjoyed many uneventful Valentine's Days together 28, Missouri In second grade, the teacher got mad at us because we were so excited to pass our Valentine's cards to each other. She told us that Valentine's Day was cancelled, and she proceeded to rip up all our cards in front of the class. Very traumatic for 75, Arizona On our first Valentine's after six months of dating, he gave me a box of protein bars and a pizza Illinois On Valentine's Day 2021, I was sat with my husband of nearly 20 years – my partner and father of my children – watching David Niven in A Matter of Life and Death. I had just found a heart-shaped crisp in the bowl and was feeding it to him lovingly when his phone pinged. Up came an image of a Valentine's card and the words: 'Is this from you?' He had sent a Valentine's card to his 23-year-old colleague, a young woman who had not been born when we first got together. The day did not end well. Our divorce will be finalized in the next few 54, Lytham St Annes I had been dating a colleague slightly senior to me, and quite a bit older. He invited me to Madrid for Valentine's weekend, and I booked a lovely hotel. We flew in on Friday evening. On Saturday, while sightseeing, we were stopped by two members of Interpol. They questioned my partner at length and demanded to see his passport. My Spanish was rudimentary at best, but from what I could glean, they thought he was a drug dealer. Later that afternoon, we went to a large art exhibition, and realized we were being followed. That evening, we went to dinner and I made a comment about maybe introducing him to my parents. But we had a heated discussion which continued through the following morning on to the plane, where we finally split up. It turned out he had a second driver's license with a different name in his wallet, so who knows who he even Back in the 1970s, I was working in a public library – my first job after leaving library school. I thought I knew it all, and was not popular with my fellow workers. There was one girl I rather fancied, and on Valentine's Day she called me and said she would like to go on a lunch date with me. In eager anticipation, I waited on the library steps for her to turn up. And waited. And waited. I kept seeing my colleagues in the background laughing. Eventually I realized they had organized this 'date' to bring me down a 77, Guisborough Sign up to Well Actually Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life after newsletter promotion Ten years ago, me and my then partner were living in separate countries, and I was just about to move to hers. I had the romantic idea of flying over on Valentine's Day, which fell on a Friday, to surprise her. I waited on the lawn outside the hospital where she worked, dreaming of her delight. She was surprised, but not in a good way. She made some excuse about being tired after her shift, which was understandable. I felt like a douche. Later that day, when her mood was still weird, I pressed her and found out that she had arranged for her ex-girlfriend to come and stay with her that weekend. Anonymous My partner said he was going to cook a meal for me: a starter and a pudding, the works! I arrived home from work around 6.30pm, and was surprised to see the kitchen exactly as I left it. No sign of shopping or cooking. And no sign of him. I went upstairs and into our bedroom, and he was sat up naked in bed, eating a pot noodle. He said there was one in the kitchen for me. Apparently, on his way to do the shopping, he had met up with a pal, and they spent the day in the 63, Blackford My then boyfriend and I were three years into our relationship and living together. His favorite band was playing in the city on Valentine's night. Rather than stay in with me or get me a ticket too, he went to see the concert and left me at home on my own. I enjoyed the peace and quiet. That is, until I woke up to find him drunkenly urinating in the dirty clothes hamper in the corner of the room. I marched him off to sleep on the couch. He didn't remember a thing the next morning. That was our last Valentine's Day together. Anonymous I've ended up in the ER on Valentine's Day twice so far. The first time, I was at a friend's house attending a singles-only party. This friend had a stripper pole mounted in her living room. At one point, I swung around it on my way to the kitchen for another drink. I didn't so much swing as continue straight along, with the pole in tow. I hit my head on the corner of the coffee table, and ripped my ear in half. The second time, I was in a long-distance relationship and was attempting to use one of those mould kits so I could send her a copy of my privates. I was naked, except for a ring around my parts to keep everything firm. I was using an immersion blender to mix the mould material. It thickened too fast and jammed the blender. I neglected to unplug the blender before clearing the blade with my thumb. I managed to wrap my hand in a towel, pull some clothes on, and have my roomie take me to the hospital for stitches. I didn't realize until after I got home that I still had the ring California My husband and I were preparing to go out to dinner. While he was in the shower, I went to put a sweet Valentine's Day card on his desk. On his computer was an email he had just sent to a woman he was having an affair with. When confronted about it, he lied. That was the end of Valentine's Day, and the end of our marriage. I am now remarried to a much nicer, younger, more handsome and more nurturing man, so every Valentine's Day, I want to send my ex a thank you note!Margaret, 55, California
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain could dampen Phoenix on Friday. That's uncommon for Valentine's Day, records show
A Valentine's Day storm could give Phoenix romance seekers a moment to share a romantic kiss in the rain this year — or provide the moody aesthetic for those lamenting spending the holiday alone, singing "Stormy Weather." The National Weather Service forecasts showers on Friday, with a 70% chance of precipitation. Although it won't be a washout — nothing on the order of "Singin' in the Rain" — with 0.1 of an inch of rain possible, it would be one of the few Valentine's Days on record with rain in Phoenix. "The best chance for rain this week will be on Friday," said Katherine Berislavich, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Phoenix. "It's going to be all across the Southwest, with better chances north of our area, but Phoenix has a pretty good chance too." Flagstaff is likely to see a white Valentine's Day, with snow showers starting Thursday and 1 to 2 inches possible on Friday. This Valentine's Day could join the ranks of some love day weather standouts over the last century, when temperatures were hotter than a whirlwind romance or chillier than usual, reminding us that love can sometimes leave you out in the cold. This year's Valentine's Day won't be a scorcher, but temperatures have heated up in previous years. The high temperature on Friday will be 69 degrees, just shy of the normal high temperature of 70 degrees for Feb. 14. Cupid summoned a winter heatwave with record highs of 85 degrees in 2014, 1957 and 1947. The coolest high temperature was 52 degrees in both 1978 and 1942. Valentine's Day isn't always steamy in Phoenix. This year's low temperature will be around 49 degrees, but it's been even colder in other years. The record-low temperature was 28 degrees in 1966, bringing frosty feelings to America's hottest city. While the average low on Valentine's Day is 49 degrees, the warmest low was 58 degrees in 1987. Raindrops could outnumber tears this Valentine's Day. A low-pressure system brings a 70% chance of rain on Friday, making this year's holiday one of the few on record with rain. There have been traces or more of rain on 24 of the last 129 Valentine's Days. The rainiest Valentine's Day was in 1931 when 0.92 inches of rain fell. Rain chances will fall to 50% by Friday night, with less than 0.1 of an inch of rain possible. This year likely won't break the record for most rainfall on Valentine's Day, but it will bring much-needed moisture to the Valley after months of drought. Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and Email her with story tips at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: A storm may bring rain to Phoenix on Valentine's Day, but not a lot
