Tony Dow, the actor who portrayed Wally Cleaver on the iconic sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” has been diagnosed with cancer.
Dow and his wife of nearly 42 years, Lauren Shulkind, announced the news Thursday, according to TMZ. The couple did not divulge what form of cancer Dow, 77, has, but said they’re thankful in advance for prayers from fans.
News of the ailing actor’s health struggles first emerged in August last year when he was hospitalized with pneumonia. Shulkind revealed that Dow spent 24 hours waiting in the emergency room due to a shortage of beds caused by a surge in COVID-19 cases. Shulkind further explained that her husband had tested negative for COVID-19 five times while in the hospital.
Dow starred in all 234 episodes of “Leave It to Beaver” until the show ended in 1963. From there he went on to appear in dozens of other shows, including “The Greatest Show on Earth,” “Never Too Young” and “Lassie,” as well as guest roles in “Knight Rider,” “Quincy M.E.,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Love Boat” and “Mod Squad.” Dow also directed episodes of “Babylon 5” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” according to IMDb.
With food prices already skyrocketing in the US, concern about the large number of food processing plant fires in the country is growing at a rather alarming rate. Some of the shortages are caused by other factors such as supply-chain issues, shipping issues, etc. But, now there is the threat caused by American food processing or fertilizer plants burning, leaving the cause of the blaze unknown.
The shortage of food and fertilizer that is the result of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and the sanctions of the West in response was already a major player in the causation list of the food shortage. Since Russia is a major manufacturer of fertilizer, farmers in the US are alarmed that they won’t be able to get sufficient fertilizer to produce their usually bounteous crop.
Now, the food processing plant fires add to the situation.
One analyst calls these fires “the next slow-moving disaster to hit the world.”
A News story says, “There have been more fires and other major accidents at food processing facilities in the last few weeks than in the previous decade. The odds of it all these fires being a coincidence seems infinitesimal.”
Most of the news reports about each of these fires contains the phrase, “…with the cause of the fire unknown….”
I wonder if anyone can adequately explain why these massive fires keep erupting again and again at critical facilities all over America?
Here is a list of food processing plant fires that have occurred as of April 24, 2022. It is possible that there have been other fires since this list was created that I don’t know about.
#1 Salinas, California
“About 85% to 95% of the building is a total loss,” Deputy Fire Chief Sam Klemek.
#2 Hermiston, Oregon
City officials are concerned what the fire could mean for the community and local economy.
#3 Conway, New Hampshire
Neighbors banded together to support crews as they battled a fire in Conway for about 16 hours Monday night.
#4 San Juan, Texas
On March 31, 2022, a structure fire significantly damaged a large portion of the largest fresh onion packing facilities in South Texas.
#5 Jonesboro, Arkansas
Nestle opened the plant in 2002 and in December 2020 the company unveiled plans to invest more than $100 million to expand the frozen foods plant, including the addition of 90,000 square feet and a new production line for Hot Pockets frozen sandwiches. In addition to Hot Pockets, Nestle makes products under the Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, DiGiorno, Tombstone and Sweet Earth brands at the plant.
#6 Mauston, Wisconsin
A portion of Mauston’s Wisconsin River Meats burnt down during an overnight fire Feb. 2-3.
#7 Fayetteville, Illinois
A Jan. 11 fire destroyed a 75,000-square-foot processing plant in Fayetteville, about 40 miles southeast of them.
#8 Belfast, Maine
Fire crews from several towns have been battling a fire at the Penobscot McCrum potato processing plant in Belfast.
#9 Leoti, Kansas
The Ford County Regional Hazardous Materials Team deployed to Leoti for the fire and was fighting the blaze and removing hazardous material, Wichita County Clerk Lynda Goodrich said.
#10 Claypool, Indiana
Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) said on Wednesday a fire had broken out in a bag house at its Claypool, Indiana, soybean processing and biodiesel plant on Tuesday and the affected systems had been suspended. LDC says Claypool is the largest fully integrated soybean processing and biodiesel plant in the United States.
#11 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
An uncontrolled fire at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina forced thousands of people to evacuate as firefighters stood back Tuesday because of the danger of a large explosion.
#12 Sunnyside, Washington
A smoldering pile of sulfur quickly became a raging chemical fire just after 1 p.m. Monday at Nutrien Ag Solutions, 1101 Midvale Road, Sunnyside Fire Chief Ken Anderson said.
#13 Lecompte, Louisiana
A fire started at the Cargill-Nutrena feed mill in Lecompte, LA in the early hours of Thursday morning and burned for 12 hours, coverage by local television news station KALB said. An explosion reportedly occurred as firefighters were working the scene.
#14 Maricopa, Arizona
It’s a long road to recovery for Maricopa Food Pantry after a fire destroyed around 50,000 lb of food. The fire happened just 15 minutes after their food bank closed on Monday morning.
#15 Dufur, Oregon
The headquarters of Azure Standard, the nation’s premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire overnight. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation.
#16 Planfield, Indiana
Investigators from the ATF’s National Response Team began its on-scene investigation on Friday into the massive fire at a Walmart facility in Plainfield.
#17 Norfolk, Virginia
No one was injured in the fire at a Perdue soybean plant in Norfolk, Virginia, according to WAVY-TV, and the cause had not yet been determined.
#18 Fresno, California
fire broke out at a Saladino’s food processing plant in Fresno, California, according to KFSN-TV.
#19 Covington, Georgia
“A plane apparently crashed at a General Mills plant … in Covington, Georgia. Six tractor-trailers were reportedly on fire … This is the second time in a week that something like this has happened,”
My friend, Greg Yoder of Keys for Kids Ministries sends the following personal note on Facebook about the Russian invasion of the Ukraine:
“This has been a very difficult month. For the first time in a while I’m struggling. I KNOW God is in control. I KNOW God has a plan. I KNOW this world is not my home. But people’s suffering and evil men have me frustrated and discouraged. The plight of the Ukrainian people has affected me personally. I have friends that have been displaced. Friends relatives are in harms way. I also have dear friends in Russia who can’t say a word for fear they’ll be arrested and face 15 years in prison. I’ve never, ever understood evil and tragedy. I know the Bible verses. I know God’s ways aren’t our ways. I also know God gives people over to their own evil desires after rejecting Him over time. But people suffer. People are dying without Christ. Innocent children are suffering. I find myself more frustrated than hopeful today. The ONLY answer to these issues is Jesus. While many of us believe that, how many of us live this? My faith means everything to me. I don’t know where to turn apart from that. I’m sure there are others feeling similarly. That IS our only hope and the hope I’m resting in. There are some things we can do physically. We can help. My friend Sergey Rakhuba is at the border representing his ministry Mission Eurasia. $50 provides food and Scripture for a family of four for one week. Go here to watch a video and give. https://www.missioneurasia.org“
Russian forces have captured Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant after striking it with a “projectile” causing a fire, leading to worries of a nuclear catastrophe that could affect Europe for decades.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia’s latest prize, a key holding point near Enerhodar, Ukraine. It was seized by Russian troops Friday morning after a dangerous and incredibly risky attack.
After some anxious overnight hours, threats of any nuclear danger were extinguished with reports the fire had been put out, and the reactor unit wasn’t damaged.
The nuclear plant operator reports managers are working at gunpoint. Safety experts warn that waging war around nuclear facilities could mean extreme risks for the site which happens to be Europe’s biggest nuclear plant.
Friday, ministers of NATO met for an emergency meeting in Brussels to address the mounting crises.
“Every ally in one way or another is helping to strengthen NATO itself,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “And as the Secretary-General (Jens Stoltenberg) said, ours is a defensive alliance. We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us, we are ready and we will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
Ukraine is surrounded from all sides. Looming warships seen off the coast of the Black Sea threaten the city of Odessa, while inching closer to strategic southern port cities.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin crosses himself while bathing in the icy water in -4 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures during an Epiphany celebration near Moscow, Jan. 19, 2021. Water that is blessed by a cleric on Epiphany is believed to have special powers of protection and healing. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
What does Russian President Vladimir Putin believe about God? That’s a fascinating question the world can’t answer “with any certainty,” according to Mark Tooley, president of The Institute on Religion and Democracy.
After all, there’s a difference between what Putin says and what he does — and there’s strangely a great deal of uncertainty and confusion intermingled with both.
“He had a devoutly Christian mother and has worn a crucifix around his neck for most of his life,” Tooley told Faithwire. “Certainly, he has embraced the patronage of the Russian Orthodox Church and used it to advance his own political purposes domestically and internationally, but that is a centuries-long tradition for Russia.”
Tooley explained that Russian Orthodoxy, to the outside world, might seem to position Putin’s country to be in perfect alignment with Western religious ideals, though fundamental differences between the cultures reveal stark incompatibilities.
Rather than spiritual compatriots, the Christian faith seen in many Western countries is radically different from the Russian rendition of self-described, government-aligned religiosity.
A megachurch in Alabama has voted to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church several months before the denomination will hold a legislative meeting that might lead to a schism over theological differences.
Frazer United Methodist Church, a congregation of about 4,000 members in Montgomery, voted on Jan. 30 to disaffiliate from the mainline Protestant denomination.
Their decision to depart the UMC will be voted on in June at a scheduled session of The UMC Alabama-West Florida Conference, which is the regional body that Frazer Church belongs to.
The church said in its statement to CP that the congregation intends to join the Free Methodist Church: “[W]e believe that the Free Methodist Church is a better fit for our present identity and future fruitfulness.”
It further explained that they “look forward to this new chapter in our history once this decision is ratified by the Annual Conference in June.”
“We pray for continued blessings on our Bishop, our Conference, and all UMC churches around the world, knowing that God’s Kingdom transcends all denominational lines,” they added.
In response to the church’s decision, the Alabama-West Florida Conference expressed its praise for Frazer Church in an emailed statement to CP.
“Frazer Church is a remarkable witness for Jesus Christ. For many years they have been a leader in the United Methodist Church and in the Alabama-West Florida Conference,” stated the conference.
“While we are saddened that they are exploring denominational options, it is our strong desire and prayer that each church and clergyperson honor what God is genuinely calling them to do.”
The conference added that it “will follow all guidelines outlined in our United Methodist Book of Discipline” regarding the June process of confirming the disaffiliation.
Frazer Church’s decision to disaffiliate from the UMC comes as the denomination prepares to hold its General Assembly meeting Aug. 29 – Sept. 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delegates at the UMC General Assembly will consider measures aimed at ending its decadeslong debate over whether to consider homosexuality a sin and to ban the blessing of same-sex unions.
Many believe that the churchwide legislative meeting will result in a splitting of the UMC along theological lines, with large numbers of traditionalists possibly leaving to form their own denomination while most progressives will remain to change the stance of the UMC on LGBT issues.
‘A Fighting Spirit’: CBN News Captures Powerful Ukrainian Moments of Seeking God as Deadly Russian Assault Rages
CBN News’ senior international correspondent George Thomas continues to be in the middle of the Ukrainian war zone, sharing videos and images of the troubling, traumatic — and inspiring — events unfolding on the ground.
Amid the chaos of Russia’s invasion, Thomas has shown viewers what is happening in real-time, capturing the Ukrainian people’s spirit, grit, and determination.
“The general tone is one of determination, of courage, of a fighting spirit,” Thomas told Faithwire, noting that many of those he has spoken with on the street are in awe of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Somebody said to me, ‘He hasn’t even shaved, and look at the way he’s rallying the country, rallying the troops … he’s in the trenches.’”
Thomas said the Ukrainian forces’ success in holding back Russian troops thus far has “motivated the nation” as citizens rally to sustain their country from the ongoing Russian onslaught.
Courtesy CBN News
While Translating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Speech, A veteran interpreter broke down in tears as she relayed the leader’s remarks after the country survived yet another night of attacks by Russian troops.
“Russia is on the path of evil,” Zelenskyy said. “The world must deprive Russia of the right to vote on the U.N. Security Council.”
The interpreter then choked up when translating this comment from Zelenskyy: “Ukrainians, we know exactly what we are defending. We will definitely win. Last night was brutal in Ukraine. Again, the shelling, again the bombing of residential areas and civilian infrastructure.”
The unnamed interpreter for the German news outlet WELT could not translate the remainder of the Ukrainian president’s comments. After breaking down once more, she reportedly apologized before going off the air.
For his part, Zelenskyy — who has refused to flee his country despite threats against his safety — said Ukraine will fight as long as necessary to ensure its citizens’ freedom and autonomy from Russia.
“The night was hard,” he said Sunday. “The people rose to defend their state, and they showed their true faces. This is terror. They are going to bomb our Ukrainian cities even more. They are going to kill our children even more insidiously. This is an evil that has come to our land and must be destroyed.”
“If children are born in shelters, even when the shelling continues, then the enemy has no chance in this — undoubtedly — people’s war,” Zelenskyy continued. “To victory! Glory to Ukraine!”
Courtesy Faithwire
Russia warns a third World War would involve nuclear weapons
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that if a third World War were to start, it would involve nuclear weapons and be destructive, Reuters reported, citing Russian state media.
Lavrov also reportedly said that it would be a “real danger” if Kyiv obtained nuclear weapons.
Courtesy Fox News
Russia claims to capture city of Kherson, but Ukraine denies
Russia on Wednesday is claiming to have captured the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, which has around 250,000 residents, according to Reuters. But an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the news agency that “the city has not fallen, our side continues to defend” and that street fighting is ongoing there. Overnight, the regional governor of the area reportedly said Kherson was surrounded and under fire while Russian forces were looting businesses.
Courtesy Fox News
China may emerge as the primary beneficiary of the Russia-Ukraine war
A former FBI special agent who worked on China and North Korea tells Fox News Digital. “Ultimately, China is the big winner in the Russia-Ukraine War,” Steve Gray, a former FBI special agent who is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District, said. “They’ll be the primary beneficiary of the sanctions against Russia, the yen will benefit from the decline of the ruble, and they have been given a case study of what the world’s response would look like if they were to invade Taiwan.” “It would not be surprising at all to learn that this is shaping up exactly as China planned,” Gray, who spent 10 years working as a supervisory special agent focused on China and North Korea, added.
Courtesy Fox News
Assassination Attempt On Zelensky Foiled After Tip-Off From Russian Spies, Ukrainian Official Claims
An assassination attempt on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was foiled and a Russian hit squad was “destroyed” after Ukrainians were tipped off by Russian spies, a Ukrainian official said Tuesday on Ukrainian television.
Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said “that his country received information about a planned assassination attempt on President Volodymyr Zelensky from agents of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB),” National Review reported.
“I can say that we received information from representatives of the FSB, who today have no desire to take part in this bloody war,” Danilov said.
“The Kadyrovites’ elite group, which came here specifically to eliminate our president, was directly destroyed,” the official added.
“Kadyrovites refers to a Chechen paramilitary group accused of a number of human-rights violations and abuses,” National Review noted. “They serve at the pleasure of Razman Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic and a close ally of Vladimir Putin.”
Posters in a truck read ‘We will not kneel’ and ‘I will not comply’ during the gathering ahead of the departure of the People’s Convoy in Adelanto, Calif.
America’s trucker convoy could become the next Tea Party — just in time for the midterms.
Canadian truckers captivated headlines and drove Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mad. American truckers could do the same to President Joe Biden with a convoy departing Wednesday. Organizers report more than 1,000 trucks signed up to travel cross-country from California to Washington, DC, and anticipate the convoy will grow as it heads east.
Inspired by our neighbors to the north, organizers say, the convoy is going to the capital to seek an end to the federal emergency declaration.
The potent Tea Party made its mark in America’s 2010 midterm elections fighting bloated taxation. Could truckers fighting COVID mandates and restrictions spark a movement as powerful in November’s midterms? Polling is on their side, with heavy-handed rules steadily losing support.
Think of it this way: Tea Party = no taxation without representation. Truckers = no vaccination without self-authorization. The People’s Convoy organizer Mike Landis noted in a launch video that the group isn’t anti-vaccine, but it opposes mandates’ encroachment on civil liberties. (Even Trudeau conceded that 90% of Canadian truckers are vaccinated, though the American Trucking Association estimates 50% to 60% of US truckers are.)
“It’s up to you,” Landis said. “You want a vaccine? Take it. That’s the whole point of this. It’s about freedom, your freedom to choose what you feel is best for your life within the morals and the guidelines of our Constitution.”
So many refuse to go to church if it’s raining or if the weather is stormy or if the cat got sick…..so, how many would attend if America was being bombed?
God, please bless and strengthen your people in the Ukraine. Help them to be able to pray and worship you. And, we pray for their deliverance from the Russians who are trying to conquer their country. In the name of Yeshua, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Boris Johnson says Ukrainians fleeing the warzone can join their families in the United Kingdom.
“As tensions remain high with Russia’s invading troops and tanks driving deeper into Ukraine, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday that Ukrainians fleeing the invasion will be welcomed into the country if they have family in Britain. “The U.K. will not turn our backs in Ukraine’s hour of need,” Johnson said in a statement, announcing that visa restrictions are being eased for Ukrainians who have immediate family in Britain, Reuters reported. The prime minister also said at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Mayfair, London, Sunday night that the U.K. would be “very generous” toward Ukrainian refugees, The Telegraph reported. Speaking to a group of Ukrainians at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, Johnson promised a system that would allow people to enter the country due to fear of persecution, to reunite with family or “other purposes.” Family members eligible to apply for these visas are a spouse or civil partner, an unmarried partner of at least two years, children younger than 18, a parent if their child is younger than 18, and adult relatives who are carers, according to the BBC. Johnson also announced that the U.K. would send over $53 million (£40 million) in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including medical supplies to support those fleeing the invasion. “We are providing all the economic and military support we can to help those Ukrainians risking everything to protect their country,” he was quoted as saying.”
Norfolk, VA Food Processing Plant Fire
