FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Firefighters from the Franklin Fire department acted swiftly to rescue a kayaker from a flooded river after his kayak capsized. The incident took place at Harpeth River in the city of Franklin, Tennessee. In a press release shared on March 28 from the City of Franklin, authorities reported that the Franklin Fire department received an emergency call alerting them to a sportsman who was desperately trying to re-enter his overturned kayak. Emergency crews responded immediately, but it took them around 15 minutes to find the man. In their search assisted by the police, they used a drone and a…
Author: Tn Tribune
On March 20, Fort Worth, Texas, will be in for a treat from two homegrown pugilists with a lot at stake. Dickies Arena will be rocking when former world champion Maurice Hooker (27-1-3) 18 knockouts, faces off against one of boxing’s hottest prospects, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (16-0) 16 knockouts. Hooker will be settling into his new weight class at 147 pounds. He held the WBO title in the light welterweight division and once competed for the unified championship in that class. And even though Hooker came up short, his performance and the amount of heart he showed during that bout…
WASHINGTON — Situated east of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., Ward 8 is historically one of the poorest and most violent parts of the city. And while redevelopment dollars are slowly trickling into the area, and crime stats are moving downward, its residents can still fall victim to the social ills that plague many big cities: high unemployment, continued violence, teen pregnancy, poor access to healthcare and homelessness. Yet for the last decade or so Raymond E. Bell has been doing his part to break the area’s cycle of poverty, and give its youth opportunities to launch careers in an…
GUWAHATI, India — In India’s northeastern state of Tripura, where sometimes finding a right adapter means scoping out a dozen shops, Harjeet Nath was determined to build a robot against all odds when Covid-19 struck. Last year, Tripura was declared ‘coronavirus free’ with only three confirmed cases having fully recovered by April. Only to have a pandemic emergency a month later, first with the outbreak of over 100 cases in the Border Security Force battalion in the Dhalai district followed by an influx of stranded residents from different parts of India. Closer to mid-May, Harjeet had already watched videos on the…
NEW ORLEANS — Brian Randolph understands the importance of having a solid foundation. Even though he was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana’s tough 7th Ward, having both parents in his life and being an exceptional basketball player greatly helped Randolph. Basketball was his way out of a dangerous community. It was also his means to return to that same community, but this time his role has been different. He returns as a mentor, motivational speaker and leader of the non-profit foundation Reaching for the Stars, which allows him to reach kids through basketball, the sport at which he excelled. Percy Crawford interviewed…
“King Mo” is checking all the boxes on the combat sports circuit. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal was a decorated freestyle wrestler at Oklahoma State University. As a Cowboy, he would reach All-American status. In 2008, he came up short at the Olympic Trials and soon made his transition to mixed martial arts, where he would win his first seven fights, including capturing the Strikeforce light heavyweight title in just his seventh pro bout in 2010. In 2015, Lawal went on to capture the RIZIN Heavyweight Grand Prix in Japan by winning three fights in three days. During his time fighting…
BALTIMORE — To help students avoid crippling college debt, former United Parcel Service executive and Morgan State University alumnus Calvin Tyler is increasing his $5 million commitment to his alma mater by $15 million to fund academic scholarships. The expanded Calvin and Tina Tyler Endowment Scholarship Fund, created in 2002 to offer scholarships for Baltimore students, will now be used to attract students from around the country to a university eager to distinguish itself as a premier research institution, the university recently announced. “A lot of young people in Baltimore and throughout the country are in need of help right now,”…
Shared suffering has birthed a powerful partnership. Drawing on their shared experiences of discrimination and marginalization, Black and Jewish leaders have formed an alliance to combat racism and anti-Semitism. They are using the power of celebrity as a microphone to call for change, as anti-Semitic attacks have skyrocketed over the past few years and the Black Lives Matter movement has renewed calls for racial justice. More than 170 men and women from the entertainment industry, ranging from film stars to music executives to athletes, signed a February unity statement released by the newly formed Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) in full…
Social media lend a voice to the voiceless — and being heard can be life-changing. Dallas rapper Tonio Hall got the attention of R&B legend Donell Jones when he posted his cover of Jones’ “Life Goes On” on social media. Impressed with Hall’s talents, Jones shared the cover with his Instagram followers, and the exposure has been a career boost. Understanding the importance of feeding his fan base, Tonio hopes to release one single per month until his much-anticipated EP drops later this year. Dallas rapper Tonio Hall got the attention of R&B legend Donell Jones when he posted his…
As an immigrant from Ethiopia, Washington, D.C., businessman Yimaj “Steve” Kalifa is living the American Dream, having built a personal wealth estimated at $100 million. Now at a time when COVID-19 has struck nearly 38,000 residents of the District and killed more than 900, Kalifa is paying back to the community that helped him build his fortune. At the urging of a friend with connections to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office, one of Kalifa’s companies, Capital Medical Supply Inc., donated 30,000 pieces of personal protection equipment to a Howard University virus testing center. The friend was Armstrong Williams, political commentator and…