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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill Reagan plastered his heart along America's highways. He didn't realize everyone would notice
In 1965, William 'Bill' Reagan was a man hopelessly in love. Though Catholic, he ended up at a Jewish party before Hanukkah because his friend needed a ride. That's when he saw Julia. 'She was the most attractive woman in the room,' he said. 'So I walked over and asked her to dance, and she accepted.' They danced several times that night. Three weeks and five dates later, she was Mrs. Julia Reagan. Before she was the cultural phenomenon of 2024/25 with photos and videos of billboards across the nation dedicated to her flooding social media — the lady who popped up on billboards along America's highway system — she was someone's soulmate. After talking with Bill Reagan, now 80 years old, at the headquarters of his billboard company, Reagan Outdoor Advertising, in North Salt Lake, one thing became unmistakably clear: Julia was his muse, and the open sky above the country's highways, his canvas. 'We were soulmates,' he told the Deseret News, and with her now gone, his billboards featuring her help ease what he's lost. 'It's really helped me with my grieving, seeing her on our billboards,' he said tearfully. 'Whether I'm here or Indianapolis or Chattanooga or Austin, Texas, she'll surprise me.' Their love story sounded more like a Nicholas Sparks novel — a whirlwind romance with different religious, political and economic backgrounds standing in their way. But despite it all, they always fought for each other. Almost incomprehensible by the standards of dating today. On their first proper date, Bill took Julia to the Weber State snowball formal. When he called and invited her, she 'gave me a little bit of a hard time,' he said. What he didn't know was that she had a prospective fiancé, a Harvard Medical School graduate, whom her parents were pushing her to be with. She said yes to Bill anyway. After the dance ended at around midnight, 'I took her down and showed her my motorcycle,' he said. 'We then got on the motorcycle, and in my tux and my top hat and her formal, we rode down Washington Boulevard in Ogden, Utah.' On their fifth date, after going out and eating at the Sky Room of the Hotel Utah, they found themselves at the bus station to get a midnight snack. He noted that it was the only place open with food at that time of night. While they were there, Bill said announcements were being called for buses leaving to Wendover, Reno and then San Francisco. 'And as a tease, Julia said, 'Let's go to San Francisco.'' 'And I said, 'Well, if we do that, we better stop in Reno and get married.'' 'And so she said, 'OK,'' Bill said. 'I mean, this is truly how it happened. It was crazy. It was almost like a dare.' 'I got the car and got driving, and I said, 'If I get past the airport, I'm not stopping.' She said, 'That's fine.'' They drove seven hours through the night to Reno, Nevada, taking turns for the other to sleep. When Bill woke up while Julia was taking her turn driving, he said he started wondering, 'What did I get myself into here?' But then, 'I just remember looking at her, and she looked so beautiful driving my 1964 Chevelle Super Sport convertible.' He was hooked. The next morning, they were married at the courthouse then called her parents to tell them what they'd just done. Her folks were so upset that the newlyweds thought about making a run for San Francisco, but ultimately decided against it. 'I don't think we ever could have made a protracted courtship because of the differences of religion, differences of social structure,' he said. They agreed to have a religious ceremony when they returned. 'So we have two wedding dates, the 26th and 29th of December of 1965. Her mother always recognized the second date,' he said, laughing. The genesis of their union was only a preview of the exciting life they would build together. They both kept each other on their toes. For her 30th birthday, he surprised her with a giant surprise party. She returned the favor twice, even faking an entire wedding to trick him into showing up at his own birthday celebration. They had four children together, giving them 10 grandchildren. 'She dedicated her life to me above all, and then to the children, and then to humanity,' Bill said with tears filling his eyes. She was heavily involved in community nonprofits. 'She was liberal left, and of course, I was right (politically),' which at times caused tense discussions, he said, but they always put their love first. Julia used to joke that 'I'm fortunate because I have this right-wing husband, but he allows me to donate where I want,' Bill said. Despite it all, there was one party they had in common: the billboard party. 'Whether someone was a Democrat, Republican, independent, or whatever, if they liked billboards, they were friends of ours.' But, 'We were complete opposites. She was very introverted, quiet, and I was the extrovert,' he said. When asked how she would have felt toward the billboards, he said he didn't know. 'She would have liked the boards, because we would do that for our birthdays and things like that,' he noted, but the length and attention they've been given, she probably wouldn't have loved, he joked. 'She'd have to be dead to tolerate this because she was so private,' he laughed, but 'that's my choice. This is part of my way of grieving her.' 'It's going to be hard on me when the boards go down, really. ... Because I just get a warm and positive feeling when I drive along, and all of a sudden I see one of her boards. So it's going to be hard.' It's almost been a year since Julia died on June 12, 2024, and Bill said the billboards are going to begin coming down soon. Starting on June 15, 25% of the 300 billboards will come down. Then each week, 25% more will come down until they are all gone. But don't worry, Julia won't be gone long. They will all be put back up every year around May 15, right before Memorial Day, and run through mid-June. For Bill, it's a chance to say goodbye. The night that she died, he kissed her good night and went to sleep at their home about five minutes away. 'I walked into the room just as they pronounced her dead.' The whole reason for the billboards, Bill said, 'is I didn't get a chance to say goodbye.' In February, Bill Reagan filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the University of Utah Hospital, alleging that she was not properly treated, causing her 'catastrophic sequelae and consequences, including but not limited to severe prolonged pain, fear, suffering, and death,' the lawsuit, obtained by Deseret News, said. Because the lawsuit is ongoing, the hospital has previously said it will not comment on the proceeding, but did say that 'As always, the care of our patients is our priority.' What started as a man's last love letter to his beloved has become a national-scale sensation. Bill had no idea. After scrolling TikTok for a moment, Bill saw the Halloween costumes ... The tattoos ... Julia Reagan Tattoo by u/Acrobatic-Basket-229 in SaltLakeCity and the playful envy ... 'I'm just so surprised, because it's like unintended consequences,' he said, laughing. 'I mean, they're positive. Now, I have seen some people making fun of them and making some negative comments too, but that's life, and everybody has their opinion one way or the other.' However, he believes that most people have positive feelings toward the billboards. 'Like, you know, 'I'd like to have that happen to me when I die,' type of thing.' He did share a video someone sent him of a girl who wrote a song about the billboards of his wife. 'Julia Reagan, you are the queen of the I-15. ... Julia Reagan we never met, I'll never forget to remember you,' the song goes. With the billboards returning every spring, it's doubtful anyone in a state where Reagan billboards are located will forget Julia. And maybe that's a good thing.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Korman learning on the links
It's been a year of improvements for Cala Korman. The golfer out of Killarney is back in Manitoba after completing her sophomore NCAA Division I season at Weber State University in Utah — and she's come in hot to kick off the 2025 Golf Manitoba championship season. It will be more of a quiet summer tournament-wise for Korman now that she's home, especially compared to her second year with the Weber State team, where she posted the second-best stroke average on the squad at 73.85 across 10 tournaments. She improved nearly two strokes from her freshman average of 75.44, placing in the top five twice and finishing in the top 10 in four events. One of those top-five performances was at the Fresno State Classic in March, where Korman set a program record with a 6-under-par 66 in the final round. She finished the tournament at 1-under 215, earning a fourth-place finish. GOLF MANITOBA PHOTO Cala Korman earned a bye to the quarterfinals of the Golf Manitoba Match Play Championships. 'My season in the spring was really good and I had a solid fall season,' said Korman. 'Overall, it's just fun being with the team and I did improve.' She ended the year by being named, along with two of her teammates, to the 2025 All-Big Sky Conference Second Team, going on to compete at the Wigwam Golf Resort in Arizona April 14–16 and helping the Wildcats secure a second-place finish, the best result for Weber State women's golf since 2001. 'I've gotten way more experience, and knowing that I have more tournaments to play and more opportunities helps lots,' said Korman. 'Just way less pressure, knowing that I'll have more chances and my seasons longer, it helps so much with the mental side.' Now, Korman is taking on the Golf Manitoba Match Play Championships, which are being held at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club this weekend. It's a tournament she has yet to win, but the young golfer is in a strong position after qualifying as the top seed with a 3-under par 68, one stroke clear of Niakwa's Jeri Lafleche. Korman, along with Lafleche and Clara Peake of Minnedosa, thanks to their qualifying placements, all earned automatic byes to the quarterfinals, which are set to go Saturday. 'I don't think there's one thing I'm fully focused on,' said Korman. 'I think if I just continue to stay patient and go for greens, fairways, and then two-putt.' Korman will play Hannah Diamond of St. Charles, who defeated Camryn Thomas on Day 1 of the tournament for the women on Friday. Another player to watch is Addison Kartusch of St. Charles, who is used to dominating the match play championships. Kartusch is looking for her third title in a row and fourth in the last five years. Coming off her freshman year at Bowling Green State University, Kartusch advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday, where she will face India Young. Lafleche is set to take on Charmaine Hayden of Breezy Bend, while Peake will play Jewel Lafleche, Jeri's sister and also of Niakwa. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'It's always fun coming back and just talking about our winters,' said Korman. 'This year, hearing about (Addison's) first year, and Jeri going to her school and Clara at her school. It's all fun to just reconnect and hear everything we missed.' Over on the men's side of things, a new champion will be crowned, as the 2024 winner, Marco Trstenjak of the host course, made it to the big leagues after turning pro this past winter. The quarterfinals, which tee off Saturday, will see No. 1 seed Evan Nachtigall of Shilo face Liam Comaskey of Pine Ridge, Niakwa's Michael Tanchak take on Grady Chuback of St. Charles, Jordy Lutz of Elmhurst play Lyle MacKenzie of Niakwa, and David Spurr of Elmhurst go up against fellow host-course member Kaleb Lambert. In the senior men's division, Rossmere's Rob Oliphant, the No. 1 seed, is playing David Powell of Elmhurst, Carl Lechman of Elmhurst is playing Blair Neal of Rossmere, Cornell Ruddock of Southwood faces Brad Moore of Pine Ridge, and Niakwa's Jay Doyle will meet Jason Groshak of Elmhurst.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Weber State program geared to Spanish speakers experiences ‘staggering' uptick in interest
A unique Weber State program geared to Latino immigrants and other Spanish speakers mustered interest from more than 100 students in the spring 2025 semester, and university leaders think the initiative has a bright future. During the fall 2024 semester, the program's first, just a handful of students took part in Building Puentes, which offers online instruction in Spanish and English, one of its unique features. Then interest ballooned. 'We knew there was a need for this program in Utah, but the leap from four students to more than 100 students was pretty staggering. It just confirms the demand for classes like this and how excited people are to participate,' said Bryan Magaña, spokesman for the Ogden-based university. Weber State has made outreach to Latinos a priority — about 30% of Ogden residents are Hispanics — and the launch of Building Puentes last fall figures in the efforts. In its initial phase, the focus of the bilingual program — geared to those whose primary language is Spanish — has been on helping business-minded students earn certificates of entrepreneurship to aid them in building their own businesses. Now, it also includes programming for those interested in getting early childhood education certificates, with plans in the works to create pathways to associate and bachelor's degrees. 'This program is offering a unique opportunity for individuals who have postponed or perceived higher education as out of reach due to language barriers,' said Yesenia Quintana, who helped develop Building Puentes and leads Weber State's Community Education Center. Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake County also has some class offerings in Spanish. The focus of Building Puentes is to create a pool of professionals to meet the needs that university officials see in the community. Some of the first cohort of students have started businesses that offer care for the elderly, home cleaning, mental health services and more, according to Quintana. Looking ahead, plans are coming together to offer computer science-related certificates while additional elements call for the integration of English-as-a-second-language classes into the programming. Of the students who took part during the 2024-2025 school year, 31 participated in commencement exercises on April 25, though they formally won't finish their classwork to get certificates until the summer semester. 'Seeing the pride in their children's eyes was so moving. It's exciting to think about the ways our graduates will use the skills they learned here to bring new ideas and businesses to Utah,' Magaña said. University officials characterize Building Puentes as helping serve Utah's Spanish-speaking population. 'These classes are for anyone who speaks Spanish, so we've seen people from all over, from Utah and beyond,' Magaña said. But it's hardly Weber State's only effort targeting Latinos. The university is also striving to become an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution with at least 15% of its students Latino. Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution, with a student body that's 25% Latino, opens the door to additional federal funding. A $2.5 million grant from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity and private donations fund Building Puentes. It still faces years of development, as university officials describe it, but they're optimistic. 'It's an innovative program that has expanded access to higher education in our region,' said Doris Geide-Stevenson, interim dean of Weber State's John B. Goddard School of Business and Economics. 'We're thrilled to recognize this milestone and look forward to expanding the program in the years ahead.'
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Where does Damian Lillard hail from? Exploring the childhood of Milwaukee Bucks star
Damian LillardImage via Damian Lillard's Instagram account Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, also known as Dame Time, has had an incredible run as an NBA player. His journey started back in California, where he attended high school. He played professional basketball at Weber State, finishing his journey as the number 2 scorer in the history of the college. We are taking a deep dive into the ethnicity of the star athlete while also taking a look into the relationship that he shares with his family. Exploring the ethnicity of Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard Damian Lillard was born on the 15th of July, 1990, to his parents, Houston Lillard and Gina Johnson. The happy couple shared three children who were raised with love in Oakland. He boasts the number 0 on his jersey. His relationship with the number 0 is something that he holds very close to his heart. It represents his homeland, Oakland in California, as well as Ogden in Utah, where he played for Weber State during college. It also represents his first NBA team Portland Trail Blazers , based out of Oregon. However, it was not an easy upbringing in the neighbourhood of Oakland, which was heavily influenced by drugs and violence. While speaking about the negative influences in an interview with Lillard said, 'Ah, there's too much. I can go on and on, man.' Speaking about the same, Lillard's mother Gina also opened up about the difficulties of raising her children in the streets of Oregon. In an interview with Court-side Moms, she shared, 'Living in Oakland was not so easy. So, us putting them in basketball was basically saving their lives because it kept them off the streets and it kept them from being around the wrong crowd." Also Read: "I just beat Damian Lillard": Fan wins Mrbeast Logo Shot Challenge for $100,000 Damian Lillard continues to share an extremely close bond with his mother. Back in 2012, when he was signed under the NBA with a massive $13.8 million deal, he stormed into his mother's office and asked her to quit her thankless job. In an interview with ESPN, he shared, "First thing I did, all right, I'm a millionaire now so I went to my mom's job and was like, 'Quit'". He added, "I literally went and helped her pack up her desk, everything. 'They ain't been doing you right. They've been on your a*s about every little thing. We ain't coming back.' So that was kind of just my initial thought." Damian Lillard has not only proven himself to be a great son but also a great father to his son, Damian Jr. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bearcat Softball falls in first NCAA Game in Eugene Regional
EUGENE, OREGON (WIVT/WBGH) – The Binghamton Bearcats faced off with the Stanford Cardinal in their first NCAA Tournament game in a decade in Eugene, Oregon. The Cardinal would have the bats going early, and Binghamton couldn't come back as they lost, 9-2. They now face off with Weber State, which fell to Oregon 8-0, in the elimination game on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., and with a win would play again at 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
