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Bowling Green State University student in critical condition after alleged fraternity hazing incident

• No Comments • National News

kali9/iStockBy MARLENE LENTHANG and NICHOLAS CIRONE, ABC News

(BOWLING GREEN, Ohio) — A Bowling Green State University student is in critical condition after an alleged hazing incident involving alcohol.

The student has been identified as Stone Foltz, family attorney Sean Alto told ABC News.

Foltz was hospitalized after “alleged hazing activity involving alcohol consumption” at an off-campus Pi Kappa Alpha event in Bowling Green, Ohio, the university said in a statement.

He is currently in critical condition, according to the ProMedica Toledo Hospital. Doctors treating Foltz are going through the organ donation process, Alto said.

The Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity told ABC News in a statement they were “horrified and outraged” by the incident.

The fraternity erroneously said that Foltz had died in its initial statement.

“We extend our deepest and sincere sympathy to the student’s family and friends and all of those affected by this tragic loss,” the organization said. That statement was later updated to remove any reference to the student’s death.

In response to the initial statement, Alto told ABC News, “It’s insensitive and inappropriate to put out a statement that he has passed away when he hasn’t. The info is still coming out, just wait and gather the facts. It’s horrible to do this in advance of the family. They are solely focused on their son, their brother, their grandson.”

The Delta Beta Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha at BGSU has been placed on administrative suspension following the incident, per the international fraternity.

“As more details are confirmed, we will also pursue permanent suspension of Delta Beta Chapter as well as expulsion of all chapter members from the International Fraternity,” the organization said.

The international fraternity said it will cooperate fully with authorities in the matter.

The university said it is aware of the incident and the fraternity would be placed on interim suspension as they work with law enforcement to investigate. “We want to express our care and support of our students and community affected,” university spokesperson Alex Solis said.

ABC News’ Jamie Aranoff, Mona Kosar Abdi and Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

NFL hires Maia Chaka as 1st Black female on-field official

• No Comments • Sports News

ABCBy HALEY YAMADA and ERIC NOLL, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Maia Chaka will become the first Black female on-field official in NFL history, the league announced on Friday.

Chaka, who has officiated college football and XFL games, will begin her new role this upcoming season.

When not on the field, she’s a teacher for at-risk youth at her home in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Chaka told ESPN she wants to inspire young girls both on and off the field.

“It gives those girls an opportunity to see, ‘OK, I can see my teacher works with people who don’t look like her, and maybe it gives me an opportunity to work with people who don’t look like me also,'” Chaka told ESPN.

Chaka will join Sarah Thomas, who broke the league’s gender barrier among officials in 2015 and went on to become the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, earlier this year.

“As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Maia is a trailblazer as the first Black female official and inspires us toward normalizing women on the football field,” NFL Vice President Troy Vincent said in a statement.

Chaka told “World News Tonight” about the moment she received the call. She said she couldn’t believe the good news.

“I’m so excited to be a member of the National Football League’s officiating staff. I will always remember that day,” she said. “My response was, ‘I think I’m getting punked!'”

Chaka said she owes the opportunity to working hard and helping others work hard.

“As long as you put in the work and you have a strong work ethic, and you strive for greatness and strive to get better, all your dreams and goals and aspirations will always come true,” she said.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

"It's OBSCENE" — former 'Suits' co-star Patrick J. Adams defends Meghan Markle against Royal family bullying accusations

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Shane Mahood/USA Network(LOS ANGELES) — Ahead of Oprah’s much-hyped sit-down with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on Sunday, the Duchess of Sussex’s former Suits love interest, Patrick J. Adams is coming to her defense. 

Markle was recently accused of bullying by former Royal aides, in what some, including Adams, think was royal revenge for the Oprah tell-all. 

For his part, Adams was having none of it. In a lengthy Twitter chain, the actor let Buckingham Palace have it, claiming, “It’s OBSCENE that the Royal Family, whose newest member is currently GROWING INSIDE OF HER, is promoting and amplifying accusations of ‘bullying.'”

“Meghan Markle and I spent the better part of a decade working together on Suits,” the actor continued, claiming he was “sickened” by, “endless racist, slanderous, clickbaiting vitriol spewed in her direction from all manner of media across the UK and the world.”

He added of his friend, “She fell in love, moved to a new country, became a household name across the entire globe and began the difficult work of trying to find her place in a family dynamic that can at best be described as complicated and at worst, seemingly archaic and toxic.”

Adams said, “IMO [in my opinion], this newest chapter and it’s timing is just another stunning example of the shamelessness of an institution that has outlived its relevance, is way overdrawn on credibility and apparently bankrupt of decency.”

He warned the haters, “Meghan [is] stronger than people realized or understood and they would regret underestimating her.”

Oprah with Meghan and Harry airs at 8 p.m. Eastern time Sunday on CBS.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Famous brave teddy bear picture becoming Dwayne Johnson-produced feature film

• No Comments • Entertainment News

Alex Panagopoulos – Courtesy of Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the case of a famous one — an illustration of a brave little teddy bear wielding a wooden sword to protect a sleeping child — it’s worth turning into a movie.

Greek fantasy artist Alex Panagopoulos’ illustration, which shows the little bear defending his young owner from a toothy monster as the little girl sleeps, has become grist for a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson-produced family adventure for Netflix called Teddy and the Guardians of the Night.

Seven Bucks Productions President of Production Hiram Garcia first noticed the picture years ago, and it sparked the idea for the project. 

“In Teddy and the Guardians of the Night, stuffed teddy bears from around the world secretly come to life in order to protect children everywhere from all the things that go bump in the night,” according to Netflix.

“From the moment I saw Alex’s incredible drawing, I knew there was something special there that our global audiences could respond to,” Garcia said in a statement. “We’re excited to add to our growing slate with Netflix and share this story with the world.”

Johnson’s company, co-founded with partner Dany Garcia, has co-produced projects for the big and small screens, like their latest Young Rock on NBC, the Jumanji movies, and Disney’s upcoming Jungle Cruise — as well as high-profile content for Netflix including Red Notice, which will also star the former wrestling star and Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot.

Evan Almighty writing team Bobby Florsheim and Josh Stolberg are re-writing the script, based on a screenplay by Luke Passmore.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

“Truth Be Told”: Carly Pearce spotlights faith, vulnerability in her new duet with Christian artist Matthew West

• No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Matthew West & Carly PearceCarly Pearce makes a guest appearance on a new duet version of “Truth Be Told,” a song that was previously a hit for Christian artist Matthew West.

On the new version, Carly and Matthew trade verses, harmonizing over the song’s message of choosing honesty in a world where so many people choose to share only the “highlight reels” of their lives.

That’s an especially timely message for Carly, who confronts the pain of her divorce from Michael Ray in her newly-released project, 29. In her own recent work, the singer has doubled down on how important it is to tell the truth in her music.

Plus, she’s been vocal about what an important role faith plays in her life, and Carly adds that collaborating on “Truth Be Told” felt like a great way to highlight that side of her identity.

“I’ve been praying for the right opportunity to share more of my heart, and ‘Truth Be Told’ felt meant to be,” the singer says. “Not only am I such a fan of Matthew’s, this lyric has been the anthem of my life over the last year. Being transparent and vulnerable is how we connect with others. I’m so excited to be a part of this collaboration!”

The original version of “Truth Be Told” comes off of Matthew’s 2020 album, Brand New.


By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.