INGLEWOOD, Calif. —

After Matthew Stafford's wife leaped into his arms, he took a moment to soak it all in — this victory, this confetti-strewn field, this remarkable year of his life.

One year to the day after the quarterback agreed to join the star-studded Los Angeles Rams for a shot at a ring, their chances were dimming rapidly when they headed into the fourth quarter of the NFC championship game down by double digits to the mighty San Francisco 49ers.

But with three gritty scoring drives followed by a cathartic defensive stand, the Rams secured the right to stay home for the Super Bowl — and Stafford shone the brightest in this impressive constellation.

Travin Howard made a game-sealing interception with 1:09 to play, and the Rams roared back in the fourth quarter to secure a spot in the Super Bowl at their home stadium next month with a thrilling 20-17 victory Sunday night.

“You can’t write the story any better,” Stafford said. “I’m at a loss for words. I’m just having a blast playing ball with these guys and, shoot, we’ve got one more at the home stadium. Let’s get it done.”

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/la-rams-san-francisco-49ers-nfc-title-play-super-bow-bengals/38935919

Despite reports that he is retiring, Tom Brady has told the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he hasn't made up his mind, two people familiar with the details told The Associated Press.

ESPN first reported Brady’s retirement on Saturday, citing unidentified sources. Brady’s company posted a tweet indicating he’s retiring, and reaction came from around the world congratulating Brady on his career. But the tweet was later deleted, and Brady's agent, Don Yee, said the 44-year-old quarterback would be the only person to accurately express his future.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/tom-brady-retiring-from-nfl-patriots-legend-january-29-2022/38931582

FILE - This July 1, 2016, file photo shows Mega Millions lottery tickets on a counter at a Pilot travel center near Burlington, N.C. After nearly three months without a winner, the Mega Millions lottery game has climbed to an estimated $654 million jackpot. Unfortunately, even as the big prize for its drawing Tuesday night, Oct. 16, 2018, increases to the fourth-largest in U.S. history , the odds of matching all six numbers and winning the game don't improve. They're stuck at a miserable one in 302.5 million. 

SOURCE: Gerry Broome/AP

Why do you think they're called fortune cookies?

After his weekly meal at a Chinese restaurant, a North Carolina man used the numbers in his fortune cookie to play the lottery.

And now he is $4 million richer.

"I don't usually play my fortune cookie numbers but I tried them on a whim," said Gabriel Fierro, 60, of Cornelius, a disabled combat veteran who served 32 years in the Army, in a release from the North Carolina Education Lottery.

Fierro and his wife had their weekly meal at Charlotte's Red Bowl restaurant. He then used the numbers to buy a Mega Millions ticket online and added $1 to make it a Megaplier ticket. So when he matched all five white balls on Jan. 18 to win $1 million, it was quadrupled.

His $4 million prize became the largest win in the history of Online Play in North Carolina, the lottery said.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/fortune-cookie-gives-man-lottery-numbers-to-win-dollar4-million/38932320

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Universal Orlando's newest theme park, Epic Universe, will be opening to the public in 2025.

Corporate officials broke the news during an earnings call Thursday, saying the park should open by that summer.

"It's not opening soon enough. I'm super excited for it," Maddy Kraftchick, a theme park fan, said.

Construction is already well underway for the new park.

Officials say it will be one of Universal's largest parks and packed full of fan favorites.

"The only one that has been confirmed is Super Nintendo World which we are already seeing being constructed at Universal Hollywood. It's already at Universal Japan,” Alessa Dufresne, a reporter with Inside the Magic, said.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/epic-universe-universal-orlando/38924671

Travis Caldwell and Sarah Moon, CNN

A bronze statue of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna was placed Wednesday at the crash site in Calabasas, California, where the Bryants and seven others were killed.

Wednesday marked two years since the helicopter crash, which was determined by federal investigators as having been caused by pilot disorientation due to foggy conditions.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/kobe-gianna-bryant-statue-crash-site-2-year-anniversary-of-deaths/38905418

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. —

David Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first turn on the ballot, while steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were denied entry to Cooperstown in their final year under consideration by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Ortiz, a clutch slugger and 10-time All-Star over 20 seasons mostly with the Boston Red Sox, was named on 77.9% of ballots unveiled Tuesday night, clearing the 75% threshold needed for enshrinement. He’s the fourth primary designated hitter voted into the Hall.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/david-ortiz-baseball-hall-of-fame-2022/38889571

Picture credit CNN posted through WPBF

Actress Kathryn Kates, who appeared in hit TV series including "Orange is the New Black" and "Seinfeld," has died.

"Our mighty @officialkathrynkates has passed away. She will always be remembered and adored in our hearts as the powerful force of nature she was," Kates' representatives at Headline Talent Agency said in an Instagram post on Monday.

"She loved this craft and had enough patience to fill 10 ships. A true icon. We will miss you," the agency added.

Kates was 73, according to Deadline, which was the first outlet to report her death.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/kathryn-kates-dead-at-73/38894662

BOCA RATON, Fla. —

Brightline celebrated the company’s groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday afternoon in Boca Raton.

It is Brightline’s fifth station in the state and second in Palm Beach County.

Executives with the company were joined by city, state and county leaders.

Mayor Scott Singer called the new station a “game-changer,” while others said it was a milestone in the city’s history - providing new infrastructure, about 500 jobs and more tourism once the project is complete.

The station is located just minutes from Mizner Park, across from the downtown library and will feature a lounge and high-speed Wi-Fi. There will also be a parking garage which will be shared with the library.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/brightline-boca-raton-station-construction-begins/38884068

A car that can transform into a small aircraft has passed flight tests with flying colors in Slovakia, developers say.

The "AirCar" was awarded an official Certificate of Airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority after completing 70 hours of "rigorous flight testing," according to Klein Vision, the company behind the "dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle."

The test flights — which included more than 200 takeoffs and landings — were compatible with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, the company said in a press release on Monday.

"The challenging flight tests included the full range of flight and performance maneuvers and demonstrated an astonishing static and dynamic stability in the aircraft mode," the company said.

A spokesperson for Klein Vision told CNN that a pilot license is required to fly the hybrid vehicle, and added that the company hopes to have the "AirCar" commercially available within 12 months.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/flying-car-cleared-for-take-off-but-you-ll-need-a-pilot-s-license/38884314

Bob Spalding, left, and Don Wilson of The Ventures perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York, March 10, 2008. Don Wilson, co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the instrumental guitar band The Ventures, has died. He was 88. The News Tribune reports Wilson died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 in Tacoma of natural causes, surrounded by his four children. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow) 

SOURCE: Jason DeCrow

Don Wilson, co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the instrumental guitar band The Ventures, has died.

He was 88.

Wilson died Saturday in Tacoma of natural causes, surrounded by his four children, The News Tribune reported.

The band’s hits included “Walk, Don’t Run,” and the theme song for “Hawaii Five-O.” They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

“Our dad was an amazing rhythm guitar player who touched people all over world with his band, The Ventures,” son Tim Wilson said in a statement. “He will have his place in history forever and was much loved and appreciated. He will be missed.”

In the 1960s and early 1970s, 38 of the band’s albums charted in the United States.

The Ventures had 14 singles in the Billboard Hot 100. With over 100 million records sold, the Ventures are the best-selling instrumental band of all time.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/don-wilson-the-ventures-dies/38859713

A new survey, conducted by U.K. company MIST, has shown that one in three British smokers have seen their pet fall ill as a result of their second-hand smoke.

As we know, tobacco smoke contains carcinogens, a group of chemicals that can cause cancer. Animals inhaling second-hand smoke are also at risk of contracting cancerous cells in the lungs, mouth and nose.

With an estimated 4 million pets living in smoking households across the U.K., the data shows that there are potentially over 1 million (1,356,864) animals living with second-hand smoke-related illnesses right now.

More specifically, the calculations estimate that there are 642,960 dogs, and 676,800 cats at risk of suffering ill health at the hands of their smoking owners.

Pets are particularly susceptible to picking up illnesses as they love to snuggle up with their owners and typically spend more time in the house lounging around on the furniture – which could also be covered in carcinogenic particles.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/dogs-smoking-owners/38860761

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates a touchdown scored by Tyreek Hill #10 against the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 23, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. 

SOURCE: Jamie Squire

The conference championship games are set after a wild weekend of NFL divisional playoff matchups.

One game went into overtime and the other three came down to the final play of regulation.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/nfl-conference-games-set/38867934

WASHINGTON —

Video above is News To Go - a look at your headlines.

Count 30-year-old Ethan Miller among that subset of Americans who are actually eager to file their taxes once income tax filing season opens on Monday.

The financial planner who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, is looking forward to claiming the new deductions that will come from buying a home. He also wants to get a jump on a tax season that promises to bring lots of extra headaches and delays for filers this year.

“I’m trying to get a head start on my taxes as much as possible,” Miller said, adding that he is not too nervous about forecasts of extra delays because he will file online and will not be waiting for too big a refund.

Plenty of other filers, though, may be in for more heartburn.

An IRS worker shortage, an enormous workload from administering pandemic-related programs and stalled legislation that would have given the agency billions of dollars for more expeditiously processing returns will combine to cause taxpayers pain this filing season.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/taxpayers-face-overloaded-irs-as-filing-season-opens-monday/38859846

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. —

Video above: A look at Friday's headlines and weather

A man who was trying to protect his dogs was injured by a bear in Daytona Beach Wednesday.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the man sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while the dogs were unharmed.

Stay informed: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

Law enforcement and bear biologists captured the bear, which was humanely euthanized, per FWC policy.

The FWC said despite this incident being the second within a week, a bear injuring a human is extremely rare in Florida.

The first incident involved a woman who said a black bear 'tackled' her while she was walking her dog.

"I took off running that way and then she was running behind me. And she grabbed me by my shoulders and, I mean, I fell to the ground," the woman said.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-bear-attack-dog-daytona-beach/38844065

Actor Louie Anderson, winner of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for 'Baskets,' poses in the press room at the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. 

SOURCE: Dan MacMedan/WireImage

LOS ANGELES —

Louie Anderson, whose more than four-decade career as a comedian and actor included his unlikely, Emmy-winning performance as mom to twin adult sons in the TV series “Baskets,” died Friday. He was 68.

Anderson died at a hospital in Las Vegas of complications from cancer, said Glenn Schwartz, his longtime publicist. Anderson had a a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Schwartz said previously.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/louie-anderson-dead/38842975

NEW YORK —

Meat Loaf, the rock superstar loved by millions for his “Bat Out of Hell” album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” has died. He was 74.

The singer born Marvin Lee Aday died Thursday, according to a family statement provided by his longtime agent Michael Greene.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/meat-loaf-obit/38838171

M&M's branding is getting a refresh.

The candy's anthropomorphized chocolate characters are being made over, and the logo is also getting a tweak.

But the most noticeable change is to the six M&M characters: new shoes. Green has swapped her go-go boots for sneakers. Brown is sporting lower, more sensible heels. Red and Yellow's shoes now have laces. Orange's shoes laces are no longer untied. And Blue's shoes, while little changed, resemble what Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America, described as "a bad version of Uggs."

Mars Wrigley, which owns M&Ms, is trying to make the characters — particularly the female ones — more "current" and "representative of our consumer," Vincent said. The revamped footwear is "a subtle cue, but it's a cue people really pick up on," he added, noting that Mars gets a lot of feedback on the characters' shoes.

The logo adjustment is also slight: Instead of resting on its side, it's set up straight. The new orientation is designed to emphasize the ampersand. The logo was last tweaked in 2019.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/m-ms-beloved-characters-are-getting-a-new-look/38823524

The Bronx Wanderers

Tuesday, January 18, 2022, 8:00PM   I   $39

One family. One dream. One Rockin’ Roll show you’ll never forget! With superlative vocals and musicianship, dynamic enthusiasm and a genuine love of the music they perform, The Bronx Wanderers recreate the magic of the era and build an energetic bond with their audience, guaranteeing an evening of toetapping, hand-clapping and dancing in the aisles all night long. 

Visit The Bronx Wanderers website

Call 561-207-5900 to Subscribe today and save!
Single Tickets on sale November 1, 2021.

Volunteers across South Florida are coming together to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and raise awareness.

Events on Monday include:

West Palm Beach:

Surface 71, a student-run organization, is raising awareness about plastic pollution. The group will be holding a cleanup event at Currie Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in honor of King.

Palm Beach Atlantic University:

Volunteers will clean up Coleman Park and the surrounding neighborhood Monday. They will also sort and pack toiletry kits and bagged lunches for homeless people and supplies for students in schools serving low-income families.

Boynton Beach:

The city is hosting a celebration in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Sara Sims Park. The event will be held outdoors and is free. There will be music, history, education, food trucks and children's activities. It'll be from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Boca Raton:

The City of Boca Raton will honor King with a day of free community events and celebrations, themed, “Engaging Our Youth to Follow the Dream." The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lake Worth:

The annual MLK Interfaith Breakfast will be held at the Bryant Park Amphitheater and will become a brunch at 11 a.m. The amphitheater is located at the Intracoastal Waterway, just south of the Lake Worth Bridge.

The program will feature school-aged performers, along with music and inspiration from interfaith leaders.

At 5 p.m, near the steps of City Hall, a Civil Rights sings-along with Mel & Vinnie will take place, followed by the 28th annual Candlelight March through downtown Lake Worth. The procession will end at the MLK “Ball” Memorial in the Cultural Plaza, M Street and Lake Ave. A brief program will be held there to recognize the accomplishments and legacy of King.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/martin-luther-king-jr-day-events-in-palm-beach-county-and-treasure-coast/38788967

A corporal with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office captured a video of a tornado traveling north toward U.S. 41 Sunday morning.

Multiple tornados were spotted Sunday as Florida was hit with severe weather, particularly in Southwest Florida.

The National Weather Service determined that an EF2 tornado touched down in the south Fort Myers area Sunday morning around 8 a.m.

In Charlotte County, north of Fort Myers, an EF1 tornado with winds of 110 mph left behind a path of destruction, according to the weather service.

WATCH: Viewer video shows what appears to be a tornado near Marcos Island

In Lee County, at least 28 homes were destroyed, with an additional 62 homes damaged and unlivable. More than 7,000 were without power and as many as 200 people were displaced.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-video-tornado-highway-us41/38791552

LOS ANGELES —

Jason Momoa and wife Lisa Bonet have ended their 16-year relationship.

A joint statement posted on the "Aquaman" star's Instagram page Wednesday said that he and his wife were parting ways.

"We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times… A revolution is unfolding (tilde) and our family is of no exception," the post said, adding that they were announcing the split so "as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty."

Momoa, 42, and Bonet, 54, met and started dating in 2005 and officially married in late 2017. They have a son and daughter together.

Bonet, who rose to fame playing one of Bill Cosby's daughters on "The Cosby Show" and its spinoff, "A Different World," was previously married to rocker Lenny Kravitz.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/jason-momoa-and-lisa-bonet-split/38751825

BOCA RATON, Fla. —

Jump for joy! A 13,000 square foot bounce house will be making its way to Boca Raton this month.

The Big Bounce America Tour will feature a variety of attractions, including the 13,000 square foot bounce house, a customized sports arena, a 900-foot obstacle course, and a unique, space-themed wonderland called airSPACE.

The event will take place Jan 21 through 23 at the Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/boca-raton-worlds-largest-bounce-house/38739359

The IRS said Monday it would start accepting 2021 federal tax returns on Monday, January 24.

The tax filing deadline this year is Monday, April 18. That's the day by which you must have filed your 2021 individual return and paid any remaining federal income taxes owed for last year.

Normally, the tax-filing deadline is April 15, but this year that is when Emancipation Day will be observed in Washington, D.C. In two states — Massachusetts and Maine — the federal filing deadline will be April 19 due to the observation of Patriots Day on the 18th.

The federal filing deadline will be extended for anyone who files for an automatic 6-month extension. (Note: you will only be granted an extension to file your return. But you will not be given an extension to pay what you owe.)

In addition, the tax filing and payment deadlines will be extended for anyone living in counties declared federal disaster areas due to recent natural calamities.

These include tornado and storm victims in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as wildfire victims in Colorado. They will have until May 16, 2022, to file various individual and business tax returns and make their payments. (This IRS page offers a complete listing of who is granted disaster-related tax extensions.)

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/here-s-when-you-can-start-filing-your-2021-federal-tax-returns/38711783

INDIANAPOLIS —

The Latest on the College Football Playoff championship game (all times local):

11:57 p.m.

Stetson Bennett threw two touchdown passes to lead Georgia to a 33-18 win over Alabama on Monday night for its first national championship in 41 years.

Bennett, a former walk-on, threw scoring passes of 40 yards to Adonai Mitchell and 15 yards to Brock Bowers.

Georgia again leaned on its defense. The clinching touchdown came on cornerback Kelee Ringo’s 79-yard interception return of Bryce Young's pass with less than a minute remaining.

Georgia won its first national title since 1980. Vince Dooley, the 89-year-old coach of that team, attended the game.

The Bulldogs lost to Alabama 41-24 in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 4.

Bennett’s lost fumble set up an Alabama touchdown for an 18-13 lead with about 10 minutes remaining. Georgia dominated the remainder of the game.

It was the first win for Georgia coach Kirby Smart, the former Alabama defensive coordinator, in five meetings with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/college-football-playoff-championship-alabama-georgia-2022/38729044

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Bob Saget, the actor-comedian known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom “Full House” and as the wisecracking host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” has died, according to authorities in Florida. He was 65.

Deputies in Orange County, Florida, were called Sunday about an “unresponsive man” in a hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando and found Saget dead, according to a sheriff’s statement on Twitter. Detectives found “no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.”

Saget was in Florida as part of his “I Don't Do Negative Comedy Tour.” After warm audience receptions to his gigs Friday in Orlando and Saturday in the Ponte Vedra Beach resort area, he celebrated online.

“I’m back in comedy like I was when I was 26. I guess I’m finding my new voice and loving every moment of it," he posted Saturday on Instagram.

Fellow comedians and friends praised Saget not only for his wit, but his kindness.

“I am broken. I am gutted. I am in complete and utter shock. I will never ever have another friend like him,” wrote John Stamos, who co-starred with Saget on “Full House." “I love you so much Bobby.”

“I have no words. Bob was one of the best human beings I’ve ever known in my life. I loved him so much," said Candace Cameron Bure, who played Saget’s daughter on “Full House."

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/bob-saget-star-of-full-house-dies-at-65/38705398

MIAMI —

The Miami Dolphins announced Monday it released head coach Brian Flores.

Flores finished the 2021-2022 season, his third with the team, with a 24-25 record.

"I made a decision today to part ways with Brian Flores," said Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross. "After evaluating where we are as an organization and what we need going forward to improve, I determined that key dynamics of our football organization weren't functioning at a level I want it to be and felt that this decision was in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins. I believe we have a talented young roster in place and have the opportunity to be much better in 2022. I want to thank Brian for his hard work and wish him nothing but the best in his future."

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/miami-dolphins-head-coach-brian-flores-fire/38710119

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 09: Songwriters Alan Bergman (L) and Marilyn Bergman on stage at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony during the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the Wilshire Ebell Theater on February 9, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. SOURCE: Rick Diamond/WireImage

NEW YORK —

Marilyn Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with husband Alan Bergman on "The Way We Were," "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and hundreds of other songs, died at her Los Angeles home Saturday. She was 93.

She died of respiratory failure not related to COVID-19, according to a representative, Jason Lee. Her husband was at her bedside when she died.

Read More:

http://NEW YORK — Marilyn Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with husband Alan Bergman on "The Way We Were," "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and hundreds of other songs, died at her Los Angeles home Saturday. She was 93. She died of respiratory failure not related to COVID-19, according to a representative, Jason Lee. Her husband was at her bedside when she died.

Uber driver DaVante Williams got a hotel for a teen passenger after being stuck on I-95. 

SOURCE: Courtesy DaVante Williams

DaVante Williams was just focused on getting his teenage passenger home safely to her parents during the more than five hours they were stuck on Interstate 95 in Virginia along with countless other vehicles.

The part-time Uber driver told CNN he didn't know that Monday's severe winter storm had created a 50-mile-long backup that left some motorists stranded for more than 24 hours when he agreed to make the trip from Washington, DC, to Williamsburg, Virginia.

Williams, 32, said he picked the girl up at Union Station at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday, after her train had been canceled because of the weather conditions.

They were about 20 miles into the two-and-a-half hour trip when Williams realized there was a problem.

"I noticed trucks and cars, there's a ton of red lights ahead of me," he said.

He tried taking an alternate route, but police directed him back onto the Interstate because those roads were also closed due to downed trees and power lines.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/uber-driver-who-helpsr-teen-passenger-after-being-stuck-on-highway-gets-offered-a-new-job/38702405

HARRISBURG, Pa. —

The butter sculpture at the 2022 Pennsylvania Farm Show has been unveiled.

The sculpture depicts a dairy farmer in a rural community sharing a glass of milk with urban gardeners in front of a city skyline, celebrating how they come together to feed communities.

The sculpture was crafted over 14 days by Jim Victor and Marie Pelton.

The artists used more than 1,000 pounds of butter donated by Land O' Lakes in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

After the Farm Show, the butter will be converted into renewable energy at Reinford Farm in Juniata County.

The 106th Farm Show's eight-day run kicks off Saturday and continues through Jan. 15.

More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/i-cant-believe-it-is-butter-this-sculpture-is-made-of-pounds-of-it/38695903

Sidney Poitier, one of the last stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age whose barrier-breaking career spanned more than seven decades, has died. He was 94.

Clint Watson, press secretary for the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, confirmed to CNN that Poitier died Thursday evening.

In 1964, he became the first Black man to win an Oscar for best actor for his performance in “Lilies of the Field.” Some of his other major films of the decades were “A Raisin in the Sun,” “To Sir, With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.”

Many of his best-known films explored racial tensions as Americans were grappling with social changes wrought by the civil rights movement.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/sidney-poitier-dies/38695469

Christmas lights and ornaments are pictured in a house in Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, on December 11, 2021. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images) SOURCE: KENA BETANCUR

Homes adorned with twinkling holiday lights are a common sight in December, but by January, many lights are gone.

Not this year. Many people are looking to keep the holiday spirit going.

In communities big and small, people are calling on their fellow neighbors to keep their lights hung through the end of January.

Brian Mittge, a longtime resident of Chehalis, Washington, wrote a letter that appeared in his local paper, asking that people keep their lights up for another month. His town is located about an hour and a half south of Seattle.

It has been a dark couple of years, so people need light, he told CNN.

Read More:

https://www.wpbf.com/article/holiday-lights-not-just-for-december-in-these-communities/38685488