Latest news with #Zachary
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather for Memorial Day Ceremony at Louisiana National Cemetery
ZACHARY, La. (Louisiana First) — Hundreds gathered at the Louisiana National Cemetery for a Memorial Day ceremony to honor those who gave their lives in combat for our freedom. As a bagpiper performs 'Amazing Grace,' loved ones of fallen soldiers and those who want to give thanks for our military take time to remember the cost of speaker, Colonel Darren Spears, a decorated war veteran, said the day has personal meaning for him, since he lost his good friend in battle.'Doc Stevens was killed in action,' Spears said. 'He was killed in action by an improvised explosive device, or I.E.D., as you may know it, that detonated under the left rear tire of the Hum-V he was riding in on that morning patrol. My heart sank. My mind raced in a thousand different directions. I immediately thought of his wife and now four-month-old baby girl. Many other service men and women have similar stories as I do, but they are nowhere near the level of importance of the sacrifice of one to lay down his or her life in defense of the country they love.' The day's events included the pledge, national anthem, prayers and wreath laying ceremony. Organizer Ryan Hannon served in the military as well. 'It's important to keep everybody's memory alive,' Hannon mentioned. The ceremony began at 11 a.m. and lasted for an hour, ending with a gun salute and who lost loved ones laid flowers on their graves, while honoring their sacrifice.'Every hot dog, every hamburger, every spin around the lake or drink with friends and family, is a debt purchased by others,' Spears said. Organizers of the ceremony said they work year-round to make the event meaningful. Hundreds gather for Memorial Day Ceremony at Louisiana National Cemetery IMS opens ticket renewal for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Three Orleans Parish Jail escapees recaptured on Monday, two still at-large Florida man survives alligator attack before being fatally shot by deputies What if the most exciting cars today are Korean? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bay Area fallen hero's legacy lives on in his hometown
The Brief Spc. Zachary L. Shannon was killed in March 2013, along with four other service members, in a helicopter crash during Operation Enduring Freedom. His hometown of Dunedin is honoring his legacy, making sure his sacrifice is not forgotten. DUNEDIN, Fla. - Kimberly Allison raised four brave boys. Each one proudly served their country in the military – but her youngest, Spc. Zachary L. Shannon, never made it home. What they're saying "We have a military wall. So I see his face every day. I live it every minute of every day," said Zachary's mom, Kimberly. She also keeps him close to her heart. "I wear his dog tag, I have his bracelets on, I have the necklace he gave me that says army mom. I talk to him all the time and I know I'll see him again," said Kimberly. Zachary wasn't home long after a 12-month deployment in Korea, when he volunteered to go to Afghanistan. "He said, 'I want to go because then a soldier with a family gets to go home,' So he was home for 3 months. Then he deployed on December 14, 2012, in Afghanistan," said Kimberly. Three months later, on March 11, 2013, Zachary's helicopter crashed, killing him and four other service members in Operation Enduring Freedom. "I think if I knew he was scared it would have hurt even worse. He was not scared; it was where he wanted to be," said Kimberly. "He knew he had a job to do and he'd be home as soon as he's done." His hometown of Dunedin, where he chose to be laid to rest. It's where he played little league baseball, on a field now named after him. A portion of Alternate 19 also bears his name. So does the local VFW, now known as "SPC Zachary Shannon Memorial Post 2550." "A lot of people don't know who Zack is and what he stands for: freedom and free," said Kelly McKinley, VFW Auxillary Patriotic Instructor. Twelve years after his death, the community continues to keep his memory alive. Throughout the month of May, a display at the local library reminds people of the hero who called Dunedin home. "People need to associate a face and a name. He was a Dunedin kid. A hero. I think he represents what its all about," said Kelly. Kimberly finds comfort in knowing the community backs all military families. "You're never truly gone until you're forgotten," said Kimberly. Thanks to people like Kelly McKinley, Specialist Zachary Shannon's legacy will continue to live on. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Epstein. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Shazam star Zachary Levi says he has been shunned by Hollywood after supporting Donald Trump: ‘It's unfortunate'
American actor Zachary Levi has revealed that individuals within Hollywood are hesitant to work with him due to his controversial opinions. In a recent interview with Variety, the Shazam! actor stated, "I know that there are people that would prefer not to work with me now because of my opinions. My team has let me know." "They haven't given me any specific names, but there are people who prefer not to work with me at this time. And it's unfortunate.I knew that was probably going to happen. I didn't make this decision blindly or casually," he was quoted as saying. Zachary, a vocal supporter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who endorsed Donald Trump in 2023—has steadily distanced himself from Hollywood's dominant political narrative. His alignment with RFK Jr. and agreement with far-right stances have sparked controversy, especially on social media. In 2023, the 43-year-old actor posted 'Hardcore agree' in response to a tweet calling Pfizer a 'real danger to the world,' prompting backlash from both fans and public health advocates. He also faced criticism for downplaying the SAG-AFTRA strike, despite the fact that he took his statement back about the strike. Since voicing these opinions, Zachary says he has experienced a noticeable shift in how he's perceived within the industry. Several of his Shazam! co-stars, including Rachel Zegler, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Asher Angel, along with director David F. Sandberg, have unfollowed him on social media. Broadway actor Laura Benanti, his former co-star in She Loves Me, openly slammed him, saying she 'never liked' him and criticised his anti-vaccine stance with, 'F**k you forever.' In December 2024, during an appearance on Bill Maher's Club Random podcast, after Bill suggested that Zachary had been "canceled" for his support of Trump, Zachary laughed off the notion, saying, "Have I been canceled? I hope I haven't been canceled yet." He emphasized that none of his ongoing projects had been compromised. Earlier this year in February, Zachary appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show, where he discussed his political journey. He explained how Tulsi Gabbard influenced his decision to support current American President during the 2024 election. Reflecting on the potential impact on his career, Zachary had said, "I felt peace because I knew that this was more important than saving my career." He elaborated, "I think we too often fall into these paradigms, these thought processes of self-preservation, and it is not good. We need to be wise and we want to survive and we want to live and flourish and all those things, but we can't merely make decisions off of, 'Well I hope nothing bad happens to me.' You got to sacrifice."
Buzz Feed
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Zachary Levi Says Politics Affected His Career
You know Zachary Levi — even if you maybe wish you didn't. Zachary has worked steadily since his role as Chuck in, uh, Chuck — if not quite successfully. His last two big projects, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Harold and the Purple Crayon, were critical and commercial disappointments, to say the least. More recently, Zachary has gained attention for his political stances rather than his acting abilities. He endorsed Trump and emerged as a vaccine skeptic, and Broadway legend Laura Benanti came forward to say that she basically hates him in response to all of his public shenanigans. Brutal. Now, Zachary is far from "canceled." He just starred in the faith-based film The Unbreakable Boy and has several projects currently in post-production. He's also currently filming the action film Hotel Tehran. But, as Trump-supporting Hollywood types often do, Zachary is now claiming that his career's been hurt by his political opinions — specifically, in a new profile that Variety recently published. 'I know that there are people that would prefer not to work with me now because of my opinions. My team has let me know,' he said in the profile, apparently gesturing towards Beverly Hills in conversation. 'They haven't given me any specific names, but there are people who prefer not to work with me at this time. And it's unfortunate. I knew that was probably going to happen. I didn't make this decision blindly or casually.' Oh well! You can read the entire profile here.
American Press
14-05-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Bonding over baseball: Cassard, Hebert final meeting
Nearly two decades ago, Sam Houston head coach Chad Hebert and Live Oak head coach Jesse Cassard's friendship began on Glenn Cecchini's staff at Barbe High School. In 2006 they helped the Bucs win the Class 5A state title. Each have become successful head coaches, and along the way they shared tips and insights, checking on each other's family and played some intense games over the years. Cassard announced his retirement two weeks ago, so this week will be the final time the two coach against each other. And the setting will be perfect. The No. 1 Eagles (32-6) and No. 11 Broncos (35-7) will face off in the first game of a three-game series at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for the Non-select Division I baseball championship at the state tournament in Sulphur. 'We're really good friends,' Cassard said. 'Just following Griff, his son, and I know he loves Cal, and he's always checking on Cal, my son. We've been friends since we coached together, and we've always stayed in contact. 'At this point, both of us are going to get our kids ready to play, and whoever plays best is going to win. It'll be a good, clean series. We both have really good teams, and we both have experience at this point in the playoffs, so it'll be fun.' Even after Hebert and the Broncos swept Live Oak in the quarterfinals for a second year in a row last season, they still talk strategy. 'Honestly, before the season, I had asked him, I said, 'Hey, what's some of the things you do for practice that we can change some things up?'' Cassard said. 'And he's sending me 15 videos at a time. Like, 'Hey, why don't you try this?' So we bounce things off of each other a lot.' Head-to-head, Hebert is 7-3 against Cassard. 'We're both super competitive,' Hebert said. 'He and I are close enough personal friends to where we realize it's just a game and we're going to compete hard against each other and words are going to fly and things are going to be done and said. 'At the end of the day, it's a baseball game. It's not going to dictate our friendship or our love that we have for each other.' Hebert said many of the things he learned from Cassard at Barbe and two seasons as his assistant at Zachary in 2010 and 2011 have stuck with him throughout his career. 'I don't feel like Jesse as a competitor was ever scared of anybody,' Hebert said. 'When we were at Zachary, he was always overly aggressive and trying to put pressure on people to get them to fold under the pressure and make them beat themselves at times, and we kind of stuck with that model. '(I) picked up a lot of good things in the run game from him, just things throughout the years, and he and I bounce things off each other yearly.' After a five-year stint at Barbe as an assistant, Cassard took over the Zachary program and led the Broncos to three consecutive Class 4A state championships from 2007 to 2009. He coached Sulphur to the quarterfinals in 2017, and since 2019, Cassard has led Live Oak to a 182-59 record and has them in the final for the first time since 2014, when the Eagles lost 7-1 to Barbe. It is the sixth and final time Cassard will take a team into the state tournament. He is retiring after 18 seasons as a head coach with a 476-120 record. 'My son, he's a senior, and he's going on to play college baseball,' said Cassard, who played two seasons at McNeese State. 'I want to go and watch him play and just be a dad and not have to feel bad about missing my games to go watch his games and stuff like that. I've loved coaching. It's been great.' Under Hebert, the Broncos have played at the state tournament seven times since 2017. They lost a round shy in the quarterfinals in 2022, and the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the tournament in 2020. Hebert is 270-53 in seven seasons. 'I think he's a player's coach,' Cassard said. 'He gives them some leeway to play their own way and play their own style. 'He kind of sets out a plan for them, and they really get behind him. I've never heard him throw a kid under the bus. He's always got his kids back. That's why they play like they do because they're on their coach's side. I think that's the biggest thing. He's always been a student of the game. He's always wanted to learn more. He gets his guys playing well at the right time, and they play a really consistent brand of baseball.'
