Latest news with #Willoughby
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Drumming circle to honor Superior High School class of 2025
Jun. 3—SUPERIOR — A new song will celebrate the Superior High School class of 2025 during graduation Friday, June 6. A Native American drumming circle, consisting of past and present Superior students, will perform an honor song at the ceremony. "It's super exciting and a little bit like a relief, just that our students finally get to be honored in their culture at their ceremony," said Rebecca Scherf, the district's Indigenous family engagement coordinator. On Dec. 9, the Superior School Board approved adding drumming to the ceremony. "I'm glad. I'm really excited, happy that all this got approved, and hopefully throughout the years this will continue," said Troy Howes, American Indian Education drum instructor and cultural teacher. Early Childhood and Family Engagement Coordinator Jennifer Willoughby, the Indian education coordinator for the district, likened it to any other musical send-off. "At SHS graduation, it's just one of the multiple songs. The choir will perform, the band will perform, the drummers will perform an honor song," Willoughby said. It's more than just a song for Native American students, who make up 18% of the student body. Drumming is an integral part of that culture, Willoughby said. It's as important, Scherf said, as language. "Representation is super important," said Scherf, who graduated from Superior High School in 2004. "It's been proven time and again that when youth have access to their culture in school, they just do better in school. And being able to recognize that and honor that through graduation is just the next step in continuing the recognizing of their culture in their spaces." A focus on drumming and a series of community events have brought more visibility to the district's American Indian Education program this year, Willoughby said. In November, Howes started offering drumming practice twice a week at Superior Middle School. A student from Superior High School initiated a drumming club in February, which Howes also leads. "In the Ojibwe culture, only males drum on the big drums," Willoughby said, but females can use hand drums. Girls interested in joining the high school club made hand drums out of elk hide, sinew and steam-bent wooden frames. On May 20, Howes and a trio of students gathered at Superior Middle School to practice. Seventh grader Jeffrey Stratioti and Jack Pierce, a third grader from Cooper Elementary School, kept a steady beat on the large powwow drum with Howes. Behind them, sophomore Abby McKone followed on her hand drum. "I grew up around the drum," Howes said. "It means a lot to me to be able to teach the young ones and keep that tradition going, culture going, because in my mind I don't want it to be lost, so they don't think that we're not here, so we're not forgotten. I just want to teach them so that this generation can continue the ways, the tradition." Future plans for the district's American Indian Education program include hosting a powwow, possibly in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The leaders said they're hoping to one day offer Ojibwe language classes. "We've had more visibility this year, more communication to families to get involved ... we're hoping to keep growing," Willoughby said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lucky Pick 4 ticket in NE Ohio wins $20K
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio (WJW) – A lucky Ohio Lottery player chose a winning combination when he played the numbers 1-2-1-4 in a recent Pick 4 drawing. The game typically has a top prize of $5,000, however, this lucky player more than quadrupled those winnings. According to press release, the customer of the Convenient Food Mart in Willoughby placed a $1 'straight' bet (numbers drawn in exact order) on four wagers and a 'box' bet (numbers drawn in any order) on a fifth wager ahead of the evening Pick 4 drawing held May 20. Ohio woman wins $80K a year for 25 years: Here's how much she really gets The combination won $20,400. According to the Ohio Lottery, the odds of matching all Pick 4 numbers in exact order are 1 in 10,000. The odds of matching all numbers in a 12-way box bet are 1 in 833. CLICK HERE to learn more about the game. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
Pair of hammer-wielding, masked crooks steal thousands of dollars worth of Pokémon cards from 2 stores
Cops are on the hunt for a pair of hammer-wielding masked bandits who stole thousands of dollars worth of collectible Pokémon cards from two Detroit-area stores over a five-day crime spree earlier this month. The card thieves hit both stores in the early morning before either was open and caused massive damage to one by smashing the glass displays showcasing the cards, according to cops and reports. In the first heist, the duo — dressed in all black and wearing full face coverings — hit RIW Hobbies & Gaming in Livonia on May 16 around 5 a.m., Fox 2 Detroit reported. 4 Police are on the hunt for two masked, hammer-wielding bandits in the Detroit area stealing Pokémon cards. FOX 2 DETROIT Store owner Pam Willoughby came in to open the shop later that morning and discovered her glass cases shattered and her Pokémon cards missing. She checked her security cameras and watched the footage in horror as the two Pokémon perps smashed her display cases with a hammer, grabbed the cards, and stuffed them in sacks before running off. 'When I actually watched them just standing in the building by themselves swinging a hammer, it was a little unnerving — it was an invasion,' Willoughby told WXYZ. She told Fox 2 that the bandits cost her $12,000 between the damage to her store and the price of the cards. She believes the sticky-fingered duo may have taken the stash to sell at the Motor City Comic Con, where hundreds of vendors gather to trade Pokémon and other similar cards — which began the very same day of her break-in. 4 Pam Willoughby, the owner of RIW Hobbies & Gaming, watched her security footage in horror as two bandits smashed her display case to steal Pokémon cards. FOX 2 DETROIT A few days later, on May 20, again around 5 a.m., a similarly dressed hammer-wielding suspect broke into Eternal Games in Warren, where he stole more Pokémon cards, security footage shows. That time, the bandit leapt over the display case, crammed the cards into a sack, and escaped, according to WXYZ. 'They didn't smash out the showcase but hopped the showcase, opened up the showcase and then crouched down and took, took, hopped over and left,' Eternal Games assistant manager Dakota Olszewski told Fox 2. 4 Owners of collectible card stores in the Detroit area are worried they might be the next victims of the Pokémon bandits. FOX 2 DETROIT Olszewski said they stole $3,500 worth of singles — rare cards that are nearly impossible to restock. 'I don't think we are going to find the cards specifically, which is a bummer because they're pretty cool,' she said. This isn't the first time that Pokémon cards have been at the center of criminal activity and violent behavior. 4 The smashed display case where the Pokémon bandits struck in the Detroit area. FOX 2 DETROIT In January, cops were nearly called to a Costco in Los Angeles when bedlam broke out between customers jostling over the coveted cards. Wild footage captured an older customer wrapping a younger customer in a bear hug during the brawl. The younger man smashed the attacker in the face with his elbow while a female shopper yelled at him. 'Get the f–k off of me bro,' one shopper said, according to a video posted on X by YouTuber DisguisedToast. A few months later, a not-so-friendly Spider-Man was arrested after security camera footage caught him breaking into a store in northern Virginia. Joel Brown, 20, was accused of robbing a family-owned collectibles store wearing a Spider-Man suit to conceal his true identity and making off with rare, limited edition Pokémon cards. With tariffs hurting the market, Pokémon and other trading cards are seeing a surge in demand as investors seek out alternatives beyond the traditional mix of financial standbys. The trading card industry is valued at more than $15 billion as of 2024.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A new law in this state bans automated insurance claim denials
As some health insurance companies have come under fire for allegedly using computer systems to shoot down claims, an Arizona law will soon make the practice illegal in the Grand Canyon State. Republican Arizona House Majority Whip Rep. Julie Willoughby sponsored the legislation, and it was recently signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. House Bill 2175 requires a physician licensed in the state to conduct an "individual review" and use "independent medical judgment" to determine whether the claim should actually be denied. Proposed Ballot Measure In Blue State Raises Eyebrows Over Who It's Named After: 'Road Side Lunatics' It also required a similar review of "a direct denial of a prior authorization of a service" that a provider asked for and "involves medical necessity." "This law ensures that a doctor, not a computer, is making medical decisions," Willoughby said in a statement. "If care is denied, it should be by someone with the training and ethical duty to put patients first. That decision must come from a licensed physician, not an anonymous program." Read On The Fox News App The law will go into effect in July 2026, so insurers will have time to be ready for the changes, if any. New Bipartisan Proposal Targets 'One Of The Most Egregious' Kinds Of Fraud Ravaging Healthcare Industry "Arizona families deserve real oversight when it comes to life-changing medical decisions," Willoughby said. "This law puts patients ahead of profits and restores a layer of accountability that's long overdue." The bill passed both chambers with nearly unanimous support. Several healthcare companies, like Cigna and United Healthcare, have faced accusations of using computer systems to deny claims in past years, according to ProPublica and FOX Business. Medical Schools 'Skirting' Scotus Ruling Rejecting Race In Admissions: Report Fox News Digital reached out to Hobbs' office for comment. Similar legislation was signed into law in California last year, which was dubbed the "Physicians Make Decisions Act." The lawmaker in the Golden State was specifically concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence. "Artificial intelligence has immense potential to enhance health care delivery, but it should never replace the expertise and judgment of physicians," Democratic state Sen. Josh Becker said in a December statement. "An algorithm cannot fully understand a patient's unique medical history or needs, and its misuse can lead to devastating consequences."Original article source: A new law in this state bans automated insurance claim denials
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Pokémon trading cards are a hot item for Metro Detroit thieves
The Brief Pokémon cards are making a comeback and even leading to some criminal activities. Novelty shops had them swiped from their shelves, with thieves using hammers to get at some Warren police and investigators in Livonia are on the case. DETROIT (FOX 2) - A popular trading card from the 90s, Pokémon, is making a comeback, especially for thieves. What they're saying Everyone remembers Pokémon cards, a huge thing in the 90s, and now in 2025, they are a hot ticket item for thieves. Novelty shops had them swiped from their shelves, with thieves using hammers to get at some high-dollar cards, and they hit not one but two stores in Metro Detroit. The duo used a brick from the shop's own lot to bust in last week, making a beeline for the Pokémon cards tucked into glass cabinets bludgeoned open at RWI Hobbies in Livonia. Pam Willoughby is the owner of the shop. "I think it's going to settle in somewhere between $10-$12,000," Willoughby said. Willoughby says Pokémon cards are hot this year, making them hard to come by with resales being 3 to 4 times what you pay, especially the coveted Charizard card. "He can be anywhere from $5-$12/$1,300. They did drop a Charizard on the way out the door," Willoughby said. In 27 years, this is only the second time they've been targeted at RWI. "There was no need, they could have filled out an application, they could have gotten a job," she said. Willoughby says there is only a matter of time before they're caught. "I certainly don't want to ruin anyone's life, and I've already given the detective basically my restitution and all I'm asking for is my insurance deductible back," she said. Dig deeper The same duo showed up days later with a hammer in hand at another shop, Eternal Games in Warren. Dakota Olszewski is the assistant manager of the shop, and she tells FOX 2 they stole $3,500 worth of singles. Insurance is expected to cover the losses at both places, but Pokémon cards are almost impossible to restock. "I don't think we are going to find the cards specifically, which is a bummer because they're pretty cool," Olszewski said. What you can do Warren police and investigators in Livonia are on the case. If you can help, give them a call.
