Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Carol Ann Heer 2025 after a courageous 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother A proud graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School she completed her general studies at the University of Texas at Austin and then received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Houston a profession that perfectly reflected her heart for service and care for others Her passion for helping those in need was evident in every aspect of her life and her kindness touched the lives of everyone she met they shared a beautiful and devoted marriage of nearly 40 years building a beautiful family that she loved unconditionally.  Doug Zetterlund and his wife Debbie and Roger Zetterlund; her children; Jonathan and Whitley Heer of Cameron Brandon Heer and Skyler Strickland of Sulphur Springs and Dustin and Ashleigh Heer of Sulphur Springs She was the proud grandmother to nine grandchildren who brought her endless joy and pride.  infectious personality that could light up any room Her laughter and kind spirit left a lasting impression on everyone she met pouring her love and energy into creating a home filled with joy Carol was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed She touched the lives of everyone she met with her caring character Her legacy of love and service will live on through her family and the countless lives she impacted A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday at Murray-Orwosky Funeral Home in Sulphur Springs Visitation will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m Her family finds comfort knowing she is at peace her love and impact enduring forever in their hearts the family kindly asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Carol’s memory Donations can be made by visiting the following link: https://act.alz.org/goto/Carol_Heer Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Georgia Heers is a vocalist and composer hailing from Greer she graduated from the Fine Arts Center in Greenville and began her undergraduate studies in Jazz at Oberlin College and Conservatory She moved to New York to pursue her graduate studies at The Juilliard School Georgia’s voice has taken her to many legendary venues throughout the city She has had the pleasure of bringing her bands to places like Mezzrow Dizzy’s and Minton’s Playhouse and has collaborated with musicians at venues such as The Jazz Gallery and Smalls She’s had the blessing of working with inspirational artists like Terrell Stafford Some of these collaborations have taken Georgia to prestigious venues outside of NYC such as Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Philly The Kennedy Center in DC and Bebop Club in Buenos Aires Georgia Heers has been awarded a grant through Chamber Music America’s Performance Plus program funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Foundation she will record her debut album under the artistic direction of Cécile Mclorin Salvant George Clooney makes his Broadway debut in the stage adaptation of the 2005 film of the same name this month I found myself sitting in the front row at the Bug Bar at the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake I was waiting for the Bug Bar to open and serve up some insects This was the first day of the museum’s annual Bug Festival and the lobby was full of interesting displays and presenters But the one that intrigued me the most was the one that suggested we should be bringing insects into our kitchens walked onto the stage along with the museum director She began by telling us North America and Europe were the only two places on earth where people did not routinely eat insects they can be raised with a lot less water than other foods Megan was here to prove that insects can also be very tasty “Are you ready to chow down?” the museum director shouted First up on the menu was Spicy Giant Water Bug Pasta Small samples were handed out and I glanced cautiously into the paper cup Megan told us the water bugs had been ground up and hidden in the imported Thai chili paste It was the water bugs that gave the pasta a bit of a musky flavor but more or less hidden in the raspberry jam Megan told us it was the ants that gave the pastry its citrus kick Then it was time for the ‘Apple Slaw with Candied Crickets.’ The crickets had been toasted in melted butter and then tossed into an apple and cabbage slaw There was a slightly unnerving crunch when I bit into this sample The dehydrated grasshoppers had been sauteed in olive oil with garlic A quick look and I could clearly see the grasshopper It was predictably crunchy – and also delicious Megan had proved her point that eating insects could be very tasty she got us thinking that it was time to consider this sustainable source of protein that can help curb food insecurity in our rapidly growing world Megan wrapped up with a caution about eating the insects that live around our homes There’s no telling what these insects have been eating Better to stick with the ones farmed in controlled environments I whipped out my phone and ordered some black ants and some toasted crickets online Then I pinned on one of the museum’s “I Ate a Bug” buttons and proudly wore it home This is Mary Heers and I’m Wild About Utah Wild About Utah, Mary Heers’ Postings Natural History Museum of Utah, Rio Tinto Center, University of Utah, https://nhmu.utah.edu/ Bugfest, Natural History Museum of Utah, Rio Tinto Center, University of Utah, https://nhmu.utah.edu/programs/bugfest Edible Insects, Entosense, Inc, https://www.edibleinsects.com/ Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInSPRINGFIELD (KY3) - A person died after being shot overnight in a parking garage in Springfield Springfield police say officers were called to the Heer’s Parking Garage at Campbell Avenue and West Olive Street around 2 a.m said he’s grieving for the families impacted by the shooting but said he still feels downtown is a safe area I actually feel safer down here than I have anywhere else I’ve had a lot less incidences around here Anytime I’ve had incidents at the restaurant they have constant patrol cars going around the square There’s always two or three cop cars that are sitting right outside the Heer’s building...” they found a gunshot victim in the parking garage and two more victims at the intersection of Campbell and McDaniel Street All three victims were taken to the hospital Springfield Police have identified the man who died as 18-year-old Klayton Hagan We are still waiting to hear back on the current conditions of the other two victims Police say they have identified everyone involved in the incident and that there is no danger to the public Detectives continue to investigate and ask anyone with additional information about this incident to contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477) or online at p3tips.com. This makes Springfield’s 11th homicide investigation in 2024 To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com Please include the article info in the subject line of the email This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Springfield police are asking the public for information about a shooting early Sunday that left one man dead near the Heer's Parking Garage Police officers were dispatched at 2:12 a.m Sunday after reports that multiple people were shot during a disturbance Two men with gunshot wounds were located inside a vehicle at the intersection of Campbell Avenue and McDaniel Street was located at the intersection of Olive Street and Campbell Avenue All three men were taken by ambulance to local hospitals The police said detectives have identified and located all parties involved in this incident No arrest has been made as of Sunday morning the case will be forwarded to the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office for review and a decision will be made regarding the filing of criminal charges Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Springfield Police Department at 417-864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 417-869-TIPS (8477) or online at p3tips.com This is Springfield’s 11th homicide investigation in 2024 Beacon Middle School students with dreams of playing sports in college learned first-hand Nov 12 what it takes to get noticed and recruited from four seniors at Cape whose hard work has led them to future spots on NCAA rosters With fall sports fading in the rearview and preparations for the winter season underway students learned what awaits them on the road to a collegiate career from Ronan Pressler (Tiffin) Joseph’s) during an athletic panel hosted by Assistant Principal Dontez Collins Collins asked what coaches look for after the panel established grades are the top priority “You want to be coachable; you want to be open to receiving feedback and criticism,” Frederick said “Another thing is showing that you have a personality that is outgoing and also showing that you're a team player,” Heers said “If you're on a team with people who don't want to work together and coaches start looking for that; they want someone who will carry a bucket or who will pick up all the trash.” Heers recalled a rule she had growing up requiring cleats to literally and figuratively be on in the car so as soon as you open that door and start walking out she came ready to play.’ A lot of colleges look for that; you don’t want to be the player that shows up in their pajamas and Crocs still on,” Heers said Students learned the differences between DI and what level of financial assistance they can provide and whether it is academic or athletic The panel encouraged students to play more sports outside of their favorite “It shows that you're a well-rounded athlete; you have the ability to play other sports while still performing well in your main sport,” Frederick said Donahue let kids know they need to be proactive during the recruiting process but I also filled out questionnaires on the website of the college,” Donahue said “I emailed the coach my grades first – they are the most important – then added some achievements through wrestling.” Frederick and Donahue said students should go with a school they feel comfortable attending even if they cannot play their chosen sport any longer Pressler told the middle schoolers money is available to help cover tuition He had just recently applied for and was awarded a scholarship “The guidance counselor sent out a giant list of lots of scholarships that give money,” Pressler said “It’s based on grades and community service; it has nothing to do with your sport.” the panel reminded students their college choice is incredibly important and they should weigh factors like distance from home and majors offered at the school before committing Aaron Mushrush joined the sports team in Summer 2023 to help cover the emerging youth athletics scene in the Cape Region After lettering in soccer and lacrosse at Sussex Tech he played lacrosse at Division III Eastern University in St Aaron coached lacrosse at Sussex Tech in 2009 and 2011 Mush played in the Eastern Shore Summer Lacrosse League for Blue Bird Tavern and Saltwater Lacrosse He competed in several tournaments for the Shamrocks Lacrosse Club which blossomed into the Maryland Lacrosse League (MDLL) Aaron interned at the Coastal Point before becoming assistant director at WMDT-TV 47 ABC in 2017 and eventually assignment editor in 2018 “It didn’t make any sense and it doesn’t now,” the former Fox News anchor tells John Heers of the “Christianities?” YouTube channel Tucker Carlson says he was mauled by a demon in a video that was released on Thursday When asked if the demon attack happened “in the milieu of journalism,” former Fox News anchor told John Heers of the “Christianities?” YouTube channel in my bed at night and I got attacked while I was asleep with my wife and four dogs in the bed and mauled “In a spiritual attack by a demon?” asks the interviewer The two men are standing in a woodsy setting when the camera cuts to a humble cabin implying that that’s where the alleged incident took place a year and a half ago We see footage of a few black and white dogs — who apparently fell down on the job as watch dogs — followed by Carlson shooting a rifle from inside the cabin at … whatever’s out there He says that his attacker was “something unseen that left claw marks on my sides,” and that the marks are “still there.” He adds that he woke up but found that his wife and dogs — who are very light sleepers — had not woken up “I had these terrible pains on my rib cage and my shoulder,” and saw that he had “four claw marks on either side underneath my arms and on my left shoulder and they’re bleeding… actual claw marks.” And [the marks] didn’t fit my hands anyway The newsman continues that he’d never heard of anything like that happening “I knew it was spiritual immediately.” He says he still does not understand “to this day” exactly what happened People are attacked in their bed by demons.” Carlson relates that he was then “seized with a very intense desire to read the Bible.” Nowhere in the nearly 4-minute clip does Carlson show off his supposed scars from the hellish nocturnal encounter There is an internal server error on Cloudflare's network entering the trendy sporty-chic watch with an integrated bracelet market Although Oceanmaster Oliver Heer Ocean Racing is not specifically a diving watch it boasts impressive capabilities that make it a worthy contender in any seafaring adventure The Oliver Heer Ocean Racing edition is based upon the Delma Oceanmaster Automatic series and has a 500m water-resistant stainless steel cushion-shaped case with satin-brushed surfaces and polished bevels measuring 44mm in diameter and 13.8mm thick The easy-to-grip nautical unidirectional bezel is marked with a 360-degree scale the screw-down crown sits protected by the guards there’s a helium escape valve on the case side at 9 o’clock and the solid caseback is engraved with Oliver Heer Ocean Racing theme The white full lume dial makes this Oceanmaster Oliver Heer Ocean Racing stand out; it is the only watch in the Oceanmaster line that offers this dial colour the hour and minutes hands and the tip of the contrasting red seconds hand are treated with Super-LumiNova while the Super-LumiNova on the dial glows blue The red and blue rectangular and triangular marks along the dial’s perimeter are points of sail indicators used with the nautical bezel to guide a boat The minutes/seconds track in black print runs the dial’s periphery and the framed date window at 6 o’clock completes the functionality The Delma Oceanmaster Oliver Heer Ocean Racing is powered by the automatic Sellita SW200-1 movement; it has a 41-hour power reserve and operates at 28,800 vibrations/hour This calibre offers a quick date set and hacking seconds feature and a bidirectional ball-bearing winding system with the customized Delma rotor The Oceanmaster Oliver Heer Ocean Racing has a stainless-steel three-link bracelet with a brushed and polished finish, closed with a deployment clasp. It is limited to 200 pieces and costs EUR 1,500. For more, visit delmawatches.com. White hands on white dial? I’m not sure how legible this is meant to be… Can you tell something more, or give indications as to where to find info, about the use of the nautical bezel, and the horizontal line with +/- marks? Thanks! Volume 6 - 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2018.00140 Flapping flight is the most power-demanding mode of locomotion associated with a suite of anatomical specializations in extant adult birds many developing birds use their forelimbs to negotiate environments long before acquiring “flight adaptations,” recruiting their developing wings to continuously enhance leg performance and How does anatomical development influence these locomotor behaviors Isolating morphological contributions to wing performance is extremely challenging using purely empirical approaches musculoskeletal modeling and simulation techniques can incorporate empirical data to explicitly examine the functional consequences of changing morphology by manipulating anatomical parameters individually and estimating their effects on locomotion To assess how ontogenetic changes in anatomy affect locomotor capacity we combined existing empirical data on muscle morphology and aerodynamic force production with advanced biomechanical modeling and simulation techniques to analyze the ontogeny of pectoral limb function in a precocial ground bird (Alectoris chukar) Simulations of wing-assisted incline running (WAIR) using these newly developed musculoskeletal models collectively suggest that immature birds have excess muscle capacity and are limited more by feather morphology possibly because feathers grow more quickly and have a different style of growth than bones and muscles These results provide critical information about the ontogeny and evolution of avian locomotion by (i) establishing how muscular and aerodynamic forces interface with the skeletal system to generate movement in morphing juvenile birds and (ii) providing a benchmark to inform biomechanical modeling and simulation of other locomotor behaviors both across extant species and among extinct theropod dinosaurs This flightless to flight-capable progression is well known but difficult to interpret because functional attributes of transitional features are challenging to reconstruct How do such changes influence wing-based locomotion on both ontogenetic and evolutionary time scales there is a gradient of flight capacity and the degree of anatomical specialization necessary for adult-like “avian” locomotion is not clear Much of this uncertainty stems from the difficulty in experimentally determining how specific morphological features contribute to locomotion extant adult birds may not offer enough variation in anatomy and aerial performance to clearly reveal form-function relationships because most volant adults share a similar array of anatomical specializations Morphology varies much more through ontogeny but wings and skeletons develop simultaneously and can only be altered to certain extents (e.g. using empirical approaches to isolate morphological contributions to flight capacity and to extrapolate these form-function relationships to extinct animals is extremely challenging Figure 1. Modeling overview. Colors indicate different types of data used as simulation inputs or outputs; techniques used to collect or simulate each type of data are italicized. SIMM, Software for Interactive Musculoskeletal Modeling; XROMM, X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology. The drawing of a propeller apparatus is modified from Crandell and Tobalske (2011) We used our musculoskeletal models and simulations to examine how anatomical specialization influences the mechanics of flap-running on 65° inclines by testing the following hypotheses concerning relationships between wing capacity and skeletal they do not appear to increase wingbeat frequency to increase aerodynamic force output and ascend steeper inclines testing these hypotheses offers insight into ontogenetic and potentially evolutionary construction of the avian body plan and feathers interact with each other and the environment to accomplish locomotor tasks during flightless to flight-capable transitions we scaled each segment mass so that the sum of all segment masses matched the total body mass of the specimens used to develop the models (baby segments scaled by 1.31 total mass 34.6 g; juvenile segments scaled by 1.03 total mass 84.8 g; adult segments scaled by 1.11 total mass 500 g) and inertial tensor for each segment were included as model parameters Following step (i), we added representations of muscle-tendon units to the skeletal models using SIMM software. A total of 30 muscles were modeled, representing all of the major muscles acting around the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. Individual muscle-tendon actuator dynamics were defined using Hill-type models (Zajac, 1989; Millard et al., 2013) For the “Millard Equilibrium Muscle” employed here the force developed by a muscle and transmitted through tendon to bone (fM) depends on (i) the size and fiber architecture of the muscle which dictates its maximum isometric force (foM) normalized by optimal fiber length (fL(l~M)) normalized by maximum contractile velocity (fV(ṽM)) (v) the passive force-length curve (fPE(l~M)) Calculations of maximum isometric force (i) are based on dissections and detailed below • Models muscle fiber performance using an active force-length curve (iii), force-velocity curve (iv), and passive force-length curve (https://simtk.org/api_docs/opensim/api_docs/classOpenSim_1_1Millard2012EquilibriumMuscle.html) • Models tendon elasticity using a force-length curve consisting of a non-linear toe region and a linear region with a slope set such that tendon strain is 4.9% of tendon slack length at the maximum isometric fiber force • Assumes a constant muscle volume and varies α to maintain constant muscle height (no muscle bulging) and insertions of the 30 forelimb muscles modeled Muscles acting mainly at the shoulder are numbered in blue; muscles acting mainly at the elbow are numbered in green; muscles acting mainly at the wrist are numbered in purple Although many flight muscles have broad origins and/or insertions for this analysis we modeled all muscles with a single point origin and single point insertion To assess the effects of modeling large muscles as a single muscle with a path through the center of the volume of the muscle vs multiple smaller muscles with different origins and paths we compared simulations of WAIR where the pectoralis muscle was modeled as a single muscle with simulations where the pectoralis was modeled as three smaller muscles Given that the adult bird on which we measured fiber lengths and pennation angles (“measured” in Equation 2) was slightly more muscular than the adult birds we used to construct the musculoskeletal model (“modeled” in Equation 2; total forelimb muscle mass of measured bird was 1.18 times greater than average of modeled birds) we assumed that length is proportional to mass1/3 and scaled the modeled fiber lengths to ~95% of their measured value where total muscle mass is the sum of the masses of the major forelimb muscle-tendon units (pectoralis we were unable to clearly see individual fascicles either with the naked eye or under a dissecting microscope We therefore assumed that across age classes and fiber lengths would be proportional to muscle lengths: where MTU length is the muscle-tendon unit length (calculated in SIMM) for the muscle of the fiber in question, averaged over one wingbeat cycle of WAIR (average kinematics during 60–65° WAIR for baby and juvenile, 70–80° WAIR for adult, to standardize for level of effort—see Heers et al., 2016) Following previous studies (Hutchinson et al., 2015 and references therein) N) is proportional to the physiological cross-sectional area of the muscle (Aphys which is slightly smaller than our chukar (average body mass 422 g average pectoralis mass 28.8 g) but has proportionally shorter muscle fibers and therefore a larger Aphys For the minimum and maximum values of Lmt, we used the minimum and maximum lengths associated with maximal effort WAIR or ascending flight (= full range of motion; kinematics from Baier et al., 2013; Heers et al., 2016; values of Lmt calculated in SIMM), and assumed that the normalized fiber lengths associated with these minimum and maximum muscle-tendon unit lengths were 0.5 and 1.5, respectively (Manal and Buchanan, 2004) we chose to use averaged kinematics rather than the kinematics of one individual for one trial due to the difficulty of using XROMM to measure skeletal kinematics in juvenile birds Incorporating aerodynamic forces into the models required two basic steps: (1) empirically measuring total force production, and (2) estimating the distribution (magnitude and position) of forces along the wing (steps summarized in Figure 3) Figure 3. Aerodynamic force calculations. Stepwise procedure showing how the magnitudes and positions of aerodynamic forces were calculated for each model. Data in the graph is from Heers et al. (2011); the drawing of the propeller apparatus is modified from Crandell and Tobalske (2011). Resulting model inputs are shown in Table S3 (1) To measure total aerodynamic force production during WAIR, we dried wings in a mid-downstroke posture and spun them like a propeller, attached to a force plate via a motor, to measure both lift and drag [two wings per age class; data from (Heers et al., 2011) consistent with PIV measurements on live birds (Tobalske and Dial, 2007)] To scale the measured forces to the sizes of our model animals we multiplied the weight of each model animal (baby adult) by the aerodynamic force measured for its age class (2) To estimate how (scaled) aerodynamic force was distributed along each wing segment (brachial we calculated the proportion of the resultant force that would be produced by each wing segment: Note that Equation (9) assumes angular (flapping) and translational (running) velocities are perpendicular to one another—this is a conservative estimation of total wing velocity that can be applied to future models. Any resulting discrepancies between the total aerodynamic force calculated using (Equations 9–11) and the total aerodynamic force measured by the force plate (Heers et al., 2011) were rectified by scaling and assuming that angular velocity is proportional to wingbeat frequency and wing segments are roughly proportional in chukars and pigeons we would expect the manual-to-antebrachial force ratio to be ~2 times higher in chukars than in pigeons (aerodynamic force ∝(Ωr)2+VT2; see Equation 9) Following musculoskeletal model construction, we imported our models and experimental data into OpenSim (Delp et al., 2007) and used the built-in inverse dynamics and static optimization algorithms to estimate patterns of muscle activation and force development For a given set of kinematics and external loads (in this case inverse dynamics determines the net joint moments required to produce the motion Static optimization then resolves net moments into individual muscle moments (muscle force times muscle moment arm) at each time step by minimizing the sum of squared muscle activations We made three adjustments before running simulations: Model joints must be constrained either by skeletal geometry and ligaments or by muscles Previous studies have incorporated skeletal and ligament constraints by limiting various rotations or by defining bone translation as a function of bone rotation such that muscle activity only affects unconstrained rotations and/or translations Rather than characterizing soft-tissue and skeletal constraints that limit translation in each wing joint—which would have been extremely challenging given the complexity of the avian forelimb—we instead initially constrained joint translations to match the experimentally observed values only bone rotations were driven by muscle activity Because our aim was to examine how the avian wing functions through ontogeny we focused on the three main wing joints (shoulder wrist); for other body joints (coracosternal we initially prescribed all translations and rotations to match experimental data so that the animal's body would be moving at the correct speed and orientation without requiring additional muscles in the model to drive those movements simulations with the prescribed motions and simulations containing only rotations at the shoulder “locked”) yielded very similar results; thus here we report on simulations using only wing rotations Kinematics were low-pass filtered at 53–56 Hz Reserve actuators, which contribute joint moments if model muscles are not strong enough (Hicks et al., 2015; Rankin et al., 2016), were set at an optimal force representing 50% of the maximum moment (based on inverse dynamics) at a joint in a given direction, for each model (Table S4); smaller reserve actuators resulted in simulation failure since the body was “locked” into position In addition to simulating 65° WAIR under in vivo conditions, we simulated 65° WAIR for the baby and juvenile models under five theoretical conditions (Table 1) designed to test our two hypotheses by assessing whether the pectoralis and supracoracoideus muscles of baby and juvenile birds were capable of flapping more effective Treatments 1 and 2 were designed to represent a baby or juvenile bird flapping a wing with adult-like feathers (adult value of aerodynamic force in terms of percent body weight and lift-to-drag ratio; no change in wing size or position of aerodynamic force) and 4 were designed to represent a baby or juvenile bird flapping a wing with adult kinematics (adult wingbeat frequency and adult rotations at the shoulder and wrist; all other kinematics unchanged) and different amounts of aerodynamic force (in vivo or adult magnitudes) Treatments 4 and 5 were designed to represent a baby or adult bird flapping a wing without producing any aerodynamic force Additional sensitivity analyses where joint locations, muscle geometries, flapping kinematics, and aerodynamic force locations were adjusted within the range observed among chukars or within the range calculated under different assumptions (e.g., joint location determined by joint anatomy vs. joint location determined by kinematics) could not eliminate the need for the reserve moments (Table S6) This suggested that the limitation was inherent to using a static approach which likely (and unsurprisingly) cannot completely characterize dynamic muscle function during flapping Static approaches are nonetheless a valuable first start that more dynamic approaches can build upon Previous studies have suggested that the storage and release of elastic energy by tendons and ligaments likely plays an important role in the high frequency flapping kinematics of birds (e.g., Tobalske and Biewener, 2008) These dynamic contributions cannot be captured by static optimization Given that peak joint moments occurred at wing turnaround (upstroke-downstroke and downstroke-upstroke transitions) we hypothesized that the remaining moments contributed by reserve actuators most likely represent moments that would be contributed by elastic tendons / ligaments that are stretched during downstroke or upstroke and then spring back into place at wing turnaround Regardless of the limitations of a static approach it is very unlikely that our ontogenetic comparisons would change with dynamic simulations because all models were constructed the same way and thus faced the same limitations associated with static simulations so for the purposes of this study we herein report results with all muscles modeled as single muscles our simulated activations of most forelimb muscles (14 out of 16 for which comparisons were possible) either (a) qualitatively matched EMG signals recorded in vivo with no or low offset in timing [pectoralis supinator (second peak of activity in vivo very low magnitude) or (b) differed only moderately (biceps brachii—simulations did not capture second EMG burst; triceps—summed activity of scapulo- and humerotriceps identical to in vivo data but model did not discriminate between different heads; flexor carpi ulnaris—constant but low activity) our simulations predicted an additional peak of activity in the juvenile model our simulations differed substantially across age classes and occurred at different points in the stroke cycle Figure 4. Muscle activations. Simulated patterns of muscle activation during wing-assisted incline running on 65° inclines (red, green, and purple lines) are broadly similar to the timing of muscle activity during ascending flight in pigeons (gray bars, from Dial, 1992a); for explanation of exceptions the upstroke-downstroke transition is defined as the point at which the tip of the manus begins moving downward and the downstroke-upstroke transition as the point at which the tip of the manus begins moving upward For the pectoralis and supracoracoideus (data not available for other muscles), in addition to similarities in the timing of muscle activation, simulated patterns of muscle-tendon shortening vs. lengthening and force development were qualitatively similar to patterns reported for muscle fibers in flying (Tobalske and Biewener, 2008) or flap-running (Jackson et al., 2011a) pigeons (Figure 5) For both the pectoralis and supracoracoideus simulated muscle activation began mid-muscle-lengthening The pectoralis and supracoracoideus shortened and lengthened in opposition to one another and both muscles began developing force while lengthening Peak force occurred when the muscle-tendon units were relatively long Figure 5. Patterns of muscle activation, changes in length, and force development. Simulation estimates of muscle activation, shortening vs. lengthening, and force development are qualitatively similar to patterns reported for flying (Tobalske and Biewener, 2008) or flap-running (Jackson et al., 2011a) pigeons Simulated chukar data is in purple; in vivo/in vitro pigeon data is in gray; solid lines flap-running on 65° inclines; dashed lines Gray regions indicate simulated shortening of the pectoralis muscle Lengths represent muscle-tendon lengths in chukars Pigeon forces and lengths are expressed as stresses and strains respectively; pigeon muscle “activity” is actually muscle excitation (EMG) which precedes activation; axes for pigeon data are not shown elbow and wrist muscles had higher average and/or peak activations than shoulder muscles consistent with expectations for the adult model had relatively low activations (generally <0.5) The pectoralis and supracoracoideus are distinguished by lighter brown coloring in the top rows Differences in muscle action across age classes occurred in 7 (out of 30) muscles the scapulohumeralis caudalis had high potential to contribute to humeral elevation in the adult model but little capacity to do so in the baby and juvenile models This muscle could also contribute to humeral protraction in the adult and baby models the pronator had capacity for antebrachial supination in the adult and baby but not the juvenile model while the humerotriceps had capacity for antebrachial supination in the baby and juvenile but not the adult the ulnimetacarpalis ventralis had potential to flex the wrist in the juvenile but not the adult or baby models and to supinate the manus in the adult and baby models The extensor metacarpi radialis could contribute to manual abduction in the adult and baby models but not the juvenile the flexor carpi ulnaris could supinate the manus in the adult and baby but not the juvenile model and the flexor digitorum could supinate the manus in the baby but not the adult or juvenile models All other potential actions were similar across age classes (A–C) Muscle moment arms and potential functions Whereas moment arms represent the potential for a muscle to perform an action inverse dynamics and static optimization analyses provide timing and intensity of muscle activity and thus suggest specific functional roles for each muscle during wing flapping we defined the upstroke-downstroke transition as the point at which the tip of the manus began moving downward (i.e. closer to the sternum in a transverse plane) and the downstroke-upstroke transition as the point at which the tip of the manus began moving upward both transitions were initiated at the shoulder joint and progressed proximal to distal (shoulder elbow wrist) at the start of downstroke (as defined by position of the manus) the humerus was already being depressed and pronated whereas the tip of the manus was just beginning to reverse direction extensor digitorum communis) occurred as well but preceded wrist abduction initiating the downstroke-to-upstroke transition in preparation for tucking in the wing during the downstroke-upstroke transition extensor metacarpi radialis; small contributions from brachialis extensor carpi ulnaris) and then wrist (flexor carpi ulnaris and the wrist began to adduct (flexor digitorum biceps brachii; small contributions from entepicondyloulnaris) also occurred but preceded wrist adduction beginning in late upstroke and continuing into mid-downstroke Long axis rotation at the elbow and wrist was more complex, generally acting in opposition (see note on washout in Heers et al., 2016) and reversing directions several times, which would allow the bird to fine-tune the angle of attack along the wing (Biewener, 2011) Elbow pronation was likely achieved by the tensor propatagialis brevis and biceps brachii and elbow supination by the flexor carpi ulnaris Wrist pronation seemed to be driven by the flexor carpi ulnaris and flexor digitorum and wrist supination by the extensor metacarpi radialis and extensor digitorum communis As with the shoulder muscles, the simulated functions of muscles spanning the elbow and/or wrist were consistent with data on live birds (Dial et al., 1991; Dial, 1992a; Poore et al., 1997a; Biewener, 2011; Robertson and Biewener, 2012), with one informative exception (Table S8) Our models suggested that the pronator muscles did not actually contribute to pronation at the elbow: although the pronator profundus and pronator sublimis were activated while the elbow was pronating they had a supinating moment and thus helped to stabilize against excessive pronation standardized by body weight and moment arm lengths of the pectoralis and supracoracoideus (averaged over one wingbeat); all models were simulated under identical conditions (adult kinematics and no aerodynamic force) Joint moments increase from baby to juvenile to adult These relatively low activations—particularly in the power-generating shoulder muscles—suggest that flapping performance in developing chukars is more limited by other Kinematic and morphological manipulations (Table 1) revealed several trends. First, for all age classes, improving feather and wing quality (represented by increased aerodynamic forces) increased activation of the pectoralis muscle during the downstroke (Figures 8C,E,G) but decreased activation of the supracoracoideus muscle during the downstroke-upstroke transition (Figures 8D,F,G) aerodynamic force helped to slow the wing in late downstroke and thus reduced the role of the supracoracoideus muscle in deceleration (reduced activation by 13% in adult model) Manipulations in aerodynamic force and kinematics: effects on pectoralis (A,C,E,G,H) and supracoracoideus (B,D,F,G) activation levels increasing aerodynamic force production to adult levels (in terms of percent body weight) in the baby and juvenile models increases activation of the pectoralis muscle during mid-downstroke because increased aerodynamic force production helps decelerate the wing and prepare for upstroke (A,B) In vivo kinematics and aerodynamic force production; (C–F) baby or juvenile model simulated with different combinations of aerodynamic force (BF in vivo activations for adult and baby or juvenile still shown; (G) in vivo kinematics with (solid lines) or without (dashed lines) aerodynamic force production pectoralis indicated by lighter colors (red and supracoracoideus by darker colors (maroon indigo); (H) activation due to aerodynamic force production: in vivo kinematics with no aerodynamic force production subtracted from in vivo kinematics with adult aerodynamic force production to account for ontogenetic differences in inertial properties Second, for the baby and juvenile models, simulating WAIR with adult kinematics reduced peak activation of both the pectoralis (Figures 8C,E) and supracoracoideus (Figures 8D,F), presumably because adult chukars use a lower angular velocity during WAIR [61 vs. 66–69 rad s−1 (Heers et al., 2011)] This suggests that baby and particularly juvenile chukars are capable of flapping more aerodynamically effective wings the underutilized potential of the baby and especially juvenile pectoral muscles is somewhat surprising our models and simulations suggest that chukars acquire a number of compensatory mechanisms by the time they become flight capable such that 18–20 day old juvenile birds are not hampered by muscle morphology Proportionally, developing chukars have much smaller muscles than their adult counterparts, especially for muscles acting around the shoulder (Figure S6) smaller animals tend to be relatively stronger than larger animals because the ratio of muscle area (proportional to force) to body weight declines with size as does moment arm length relative to the inertial moments that must be opposed All of these features are absent in developing chukars but allow for long moment arms perpendicular to the long axis of the limb in adult birds The juvenile model tends to have relatively long moment arms and muscle lengths compared to the adult and baby models (A) Moment arms for muscles crossing the shoulder averaged over the stroke cycle and standardized by notarium length Red lines: moment arm is greatest (most positive or most negative) in the baby model; green: moment arm is greatest in the juvenile model; purple: moment arm is greatest in the adult model; gray: no ontogenetic trend The juvenile has proportionally long z (elevation-depression or extension-flexion) and y (protraction-retraction or abduction-adduction) moment arms and the adult has long x (supination-pronation) moment arms at the shoulder (B) Muscle-tendon unit (MTU) length through one wingbeat cycle (0–100%) standardized by notarium length; different colors represent different muscles crossing the shoulder Maximum isometric muscle force as a percentage of body weight for the pectoralis and supracoracoideus (both sides of the body) The juvenile model has the highest maximum force exaggerated angle between the head and shaft of the humerus (#2) indicating that muscles in the juvenile model were effective for the model's (small) body size Maximum potential joint moments (positive or negative muscle moment arms (in z and x directions) multiplied by maximum isometric muscle force summed for all muscles at each 1% of the stroke cycle then averaged over the stroke cycle and normalized by notarium length and body weight) are greatest in the juvenile model for more than half of the possible joint motions baby has the greatest (most positive or most negative) joint moment; green bars juvenile has the greatest joint moment; green hashed bars juvenile and adult have similar joint moments; purple bars depression (−) (shoulder joint) or extension (+) vs retraction (−) (shoulder) or abduction (+) vs adult model (>100 days) during wing-assisted incline running; AF Feather morphology therefore seemed to limit flapping performance more than muscle morphology in developing chukars: accounting for body size our models suggested that the feathers of immature chukars produced proportionally less force than their muscles and that baby and especially juvenile chukars would be capable of flapping better suggesting that muscles are more functionally developed than feathers in baby and juvenile chukars our musculoskeletal models and simulations appear to be reasonable at least qualitative approximations of the chukar flight apparatus because muscle activity and functional roles are largely consistent with data from live birds For the seven muscles showing differences between simulated and in vivo muscle activity discrepancies could be real—due to differences in kinematics and/or muscle morphology (WAIR vs pigeons)—or may reflect model simplification muscle origins and insertions were modeled as points scapulohumeralis caudalis originates from the entire lateral surface of the scapula but was modeled as a “point” origin midway along the scapula) Limitations of static optimization might also have contributed to differences between modeled vs optimizing to minimize squared muscle activations; assuming that prior/future events in a cycle do not influence others; tendon elasticity ignored) Future analyses can discriminate between some of these possibilities our simulated muscle activations during WAIR were similar to patterns of muscle activity in live birds This similarity is interesting because the simulations involved rapid intense behaviors that would be expected to be very non-static and hence potentially result in large discrepancies between experimental (i.e. Forward dynamic analysis is beyond the scope of this study but will be done in follow-up analyses Although the pronator muscle pronates the forearm in humans “pronator” is probably a misnomer in birds functional discrepancies between in vivo and our simulated data occurred but likely reflect kinematic differences between WAIR and flight or nomenclatural inaccuracies The magnitudes of simulated muscle activations during WAIR were generally low for all three age classes, particularly at the shoulder. This is consistent with previous work demonstrating that WAIR is an “easy” flapping behavior compared to flight, at least for adult birds (Jackson et al., 2011b). However, even in the adult model the simulated activations of some muscles, particularly the supracoracoideus (~0.5; Figure 4) This is probably due to simulation limitations namely the inability of static optimization to account for dynamic effects given that the pectoralis and supracoracoideus are stretched substantially prior to the downstroke and upstroke but this has not been explored experimentally and dynamic events such as wing clapping at the end of upstroke could reduce active muscle contributions by passively restricting the range of motion at joints Future analyses will assess these possibilities locomotor performance in developing chukars may be limited more by wing morphology and aerodynamic force production than by muscle morphology and contractile velocity) but converged on adult levels between 9 and 20 days post-hatch indicating that juvenile chukars should be able to flap adult-like wings even if their muscles are not quite as mature as our models assumed and muscle size begins to increase more rapidly Feather development thus may be a case of “something is better than nothing”: it is likely better to grow a poorer quality wing quickly than a higher quality wing slowly and to compensate by growing longer feathers at 18–20 days and then molting feathers later on Muscles and bones are not constrained by this style of growth such that aerodynamic force production would not actually increase much and increasing wingbeat frequency would offer little improvement to performance our simulations suggest that baby and particularly juvenile muscles are strong enough to flap wings with better quality feathers The approach outlined here provides a framework for constructing musculoskeletal models of other birds or extinct theropod dinosaurs and future analyses addressing the relationship between wing vs muscle limitations across a wide range of body sizes and exploring the effects of muscle origin and insertion positioning would provide great insight into the biomechanics and evolution of avian locomotion Our models and simulations allowed us to estimate muscle function under different combinations of aerodynamic force and kinematics and feathers interact with each other and the environment to accomplish locomotor tasks during bird ontogeny Although static approaches are limited in their ability to account for dynamic effects such as tendon elasticity the simulated patterns of muscle activation and force development reported here are broadly similar to patterns previously reported for flap-running and flying birds A static perspective is thus useful for estimating musculoskeletal biomechanics in flapping chukars and provides a valuable first start that more dynamic approaches can build upon Static simulations offer several new insights into development of the avian flight apparatus and suggest that (i) feathers are more limiting than muscles in young birds likely due to their unique style of growth and that (ii) small animals do not need large muscles to produce at least moderate amounts of aerodynamic force (>60% of body weight) This study was carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the IACUC guidebook University of Montana Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the Royal Veterinary College Ethics and Welfare Committee The protocol was approved by the University of Montana Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee All relevant data are contained within the manuscript. The adult musculoskeletal model will be made publicly available in 2019 at https://simtk.org/ Prior to this date all models are available upon request to the primary author AH and JH designed the musculoskeletal modeling and simulation protocol JH and JR provided feedback and guidance on modeling and simulation procedures JR and JH reviewed and edited manuscript drafts Funded by NSF PRFB 1308952 to AH; JH was supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement #695517) The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest We thank the Delp laboratory for modeling and simulation advice and manuscript reviewers for their time and feedback The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Ashley M. 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Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience about the role of evil in the world and what Carlson described as a demonic attack that left him bloodied shortly before he departed Fox News in 2023 | Screenshot/YouTube/The Orthodox EthosThe documentarian who recently went viral after Tucker Carlson told him he was "physically mauled" by a demon pushed back against skeptics who dismissed the former Fox News host's claims about spiritual warfare John Heers, who founded the nonprofit First Things Foundation told The Christian Post that people who deny the unseen realm are deceiving themselves unless they literally don't think they've ever loved anyone or ever will," he said There's never been a human who doesn't believe in things unseen "You think pride is actually just a series of cellular activities in your brain So the fact that they don't believe in a demon just means that they've been taught how to think like the Enlightenment taught us," he added Carlson was met with ridicule from some critics after a clip posted on Heers' YouTube channel went viral on X last Thursday (also Halloween) which showed Carlson claiming he had "a direct experience" with supernatural evil in 2023 .@TuckerCarlson: 'I Was Mauled By A Demon!' Clip from my upcoming doc @ChristianitiesXpic.twitter.com/tyrK4sw3Hs Carlson told Heers that he woke up one night last year suffocating and bloodied with claw marks on his body in what he claimed was an encounter with a demonic entity Carlson confirmed to The Christian Post last week that he believes the nighttime demonic attack happened which was two months and four days before Fox News fired him without explanation "Ephesians 6 is real," he told CP referencing the chapter in the New Testament that teaches mankind is engaged in warfare "against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." The clip of Carlson's exchange with Heers will feature as part of Christianities? a documentary Heers is working on with filmmaker Steven "Scooter" Downey who also worked on the Tucker Carlson Originals documentaries on Fox Nation before Carlson was sacked as "a massive canvas" that aims to document the various interpretations Christians around the globe have of their faith people don't know what Christianity is," Heers said they don't fully understand why there are so many [forms of it] They don't fully understand the differences It's very confusing who's with who and why." whose nonprofit First Things Foundation he described as "an Orthodox Christian Peace Corps," said he was raised Episcopalian and wandered down the path of agnosticism before finding his way to the Orthodox Church He noted that his journeys have taken him to far-flung parts of the world such as Mozambique He observed that most cultures are not as dismissive of the spiritual realm as the West which he said has been overtaken by materialists who are "Puritans without God." "They have the same Puritan problems," he said of the reigning materialists "Overseas and all these different cultures which is slated for a tentative release next year will feature reflections on Christianity from "famous and not so famous people," but said "a door opened" through Carlson's relationship with Downey offering him the opportunity to travel to Carlson's home to seek his insight Carlson opened up about his supernatural experience after Heers probed whether the presence of evil is "kickstarting people to wonder about the good," which Heers said is a question he has been asking many people "The spiritual world and material world are connected and Tucker's just trying to figure it out," he said "And these people [questioning Carlson's story] are jerks Since the demonic attack in 2023 and his subsequent ouster from Fox News, Carlson has been increasingly outspoken about his belief that the world's political battles are fundamentally spiritual "Clarifying for sure," Carlson said of the attack to CP Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage. one of India’s leading music distribution and artist development companies is helping shape a growing shift in how music supports and elevates storytelling on streaming platforms—most recently with the release of The Royals on Netflix India releases his latest single ‘Eeja’ — a powerful India: India’s podcasting scene marks a landmark moment this week as The Chill Hour no-filters podcast hosted by creator and entrepreneur Deepak Pareek MUMBAI: The world of jazz witnessed a groundbreaking moment at the 2025 edition of International Jazz Day made her unforgettable debut on the global stage MUMBAI: Get ready to groove to the rhythm of India's trending songs Radioandmusic presents ‘Trending in India: RnM's Top Picks’ a weekly showcase of the best tracks that have dominated the charts over the past seven days an Amazon company and the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling is proud to announce its association with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for the release of a curated series of 10 audiobooks based on works of national importance and India’s c MUMBAI: Gigi Hadid has finally made her romance with Singer-actor Bradley Cooper Instagram official the world’s largest music label and India’s leading entertainment company owned by Bhushan Kumar proudly announces a spiritual and visionary collaboration with Prarthana – The Sound of Sanatana a newly launched devotional music label founded by celebrated lyricist and writer MUMBAI: Maroon 5 has dropped their brand-new single “Priceless,” featuring BLACKPINK’s Lisa — marking the first time the pop-rock band has collaborated with a K-pop artist MUMBAI: K-pop sensation Jackson Wang and Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh are joining forces for an explosive new single titled BUCK Atlantic Records has unveiled the full artist line-up for the soundtrack of Apple Original Films’ upcoming F1 movie The soundtrack brings together some of the biggest global names MUMBAI: To further propel India's music artists onto the global stage, YouTube announced a suiteread more MUMBAI: Spotify isn’t wasting any time following the recent court decision in Epic Games v.read more MUMBAI: Known for his pace, fire, and fierce on field attitude, Harshit Rana has quickly become read more MUMBAI: At the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit [WAVES] in Mumbai, YouTubread more MUMBAI: India's first private FM station Radio City is collaborating with Triton Digital, thread more MUMBAI: Battle lines were drawn, alliances shattered, and emotions ran high as Battleground entered one of the most explosive week yet, streaming...read more MUMBAI: Believe, one of India’s leading music distribution and artist development companies, is helping shape a growing shift in how music supports...read more MUMBAI: Audible, an Amazon company and the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, is proud to announce its association with the...read more MUMBAI: The world of jazz witnessed a groundbreaking moment at the 2025 edition of International Jazz Day, hosted in Abu Dhabi, where India’s...read more MUMBAI: Mumbai, India: India’s podcasting scene marks a landmark moment this week as The Chill Hour, the soulful, no-filters podcast hosted by...read more On Feb. 19 the U.S. Equestrian Federation announced the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team For FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4* which will take place March 3-7 in Wellington so we’re bringing you this story from our Feb she remembers being plopped in front of the television to watch the Grand Prix of Aachen (Germany) The young pony jumper rider was enthralled and immediately announced to her parents: “That’s my goal.” These days it’s her parents on the West Coast getting up early to cheer on her rounds in Europe or on the East Coast “My mom actually gets my whole family involved,” said Heers “For the last four-star here in Wellington [Florida] before Christmas All of my family who was watching was texting me to congratulate me After a strong 2020 season that saw Heers picking up checks across the East Coast she started 2021 sitting fourth on the Rolex/USEF rankings list as of press time That’s given Heers the confidence to set her sights on her next goal: a pinque coat “With ‘Antidote’ this season I would like to be consistent and competitive and hopefully we can have a chance at making some teams,” said Heers and try to do the best I can with the amazing horses I have.” Bliss Heers and Antidote De Mars topped the $50,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 4 during Week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) so of course I got on the pony,” said Bliss but it wasn’t long before she caught the bug Irish show jumpers Eddie and Stevie Macken Bliss made her first trip to Spruce Meadows (Alberta) as a spectator when she was a child She returned to California determined that she’d be back with her riding boots she made her debut in the pony jumpers at Spruce Meadows having driven with her father the 12 hours from southern California to Calgary As a teenager Bliss found her way to Hap Hansen who profoundly influenced her early career “He put me on every horse and let me ride from sun up to sun down,” said Bliss “To this day I go back to the things that Hap said Trust yourself!’ It was fascinating coming from the jumpers as a kid and running around with my hair on fire having to be educated about proper position so we bought horses very young and made money selling them,” she continued With that first horse it was the same story and I eventually got a fancier equitation horse and a jumper.” Bliss traveled east to compete at the fall indoor circuit in the equitation and she was accepted into a good university But when her father asked if she wanted to make a go of it as a rider rather than attending university she didn’t hesitate to say yes To Bliss and her family the next step was obvious: Europe Never mind that she didn’t have extensive contacts there or that her language skills were limited to English and a smattering of Spanish Her father encouraged her to think of her time in Europe as her university education and an adventure So Bliss packed her trunks for a six-week stint she called her father and asked if she could stay another six weeks After that she asked to extend again until that six-week trip turned into six years Susanne Behring approached Bliss after a round and asked if she’d like to train in Germany with Otto Becker “At that point they had one of the best flat riders in history—Manfred Kötter—there and he took me under his wing and taught me so much.” She started showing in bigger and bigger classes including competing Prado K in her first five-star grand prix at Wiesbaden (Germany) in 2012 praying over every fence I can’t tell you how many times But I jumped the grand prix qualifier with 1 time fault and we qualified for the grand prix where we were clear until the last line.” Riders like Laura Kraut also encouraged Bliss while she was in Europe “Bliss is a really hard worker who loves her horses,” said Kraut She’s been doing a great job in the States with her plan and program “She’s also a genuinely nice person,” added Kraut “She’s been consistently winning and placing on more than one horse Bliss showed horses across Europe for Becker alongside fellow stable rider Andreas Kreuzer One of the highlights was getting to ride a young horse named Calle who went on to jump around at the Aachen CHIO with Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum Bliss stayed at Becker’s for four years before striking out on her own in the Netherlands One day in May of 2018 Bliss was trotting a young horse at home in the Netherlands She broke the wings on her L1-L5 vertebrae “God was looking out for me,” she continued “The internist said the last time he’d seen an accident like that with the same breakage they were completely done.” she headed to her parents’ home in Arizona “I was pretty set in my mind that I was fine I was fully convinced that I was going to get back on a horse As soon as they said I could walk with crutches I went back to Europe and immediately got back on a horse first going to physical therapy and eventually moving on to the gym on her own She decided to spend the winter at the Winter Equestrian Festival (Florida) for the first time And while Bliss has a special place in her heart for developing young horses her father pointed out that he’d like to see her have a partner ready for the main ring Stevie suggested she try a special stallion he thought would be a good fit she and the Selle Français (Diamant De Semilly—Tilda De Mars and he seemed to sense that he needed to take special care with his rider Bliss credits that unusual beginning with the strong bond she formed with Antidote When it came time to get back in the show ring so I ended up having to slow down quite a bit again,” she said and by the end I was jumping ranking classes.” She paired up with Eric Lamaze that winter traveling with him to Europe and then to Spruce Meadows that’s the guy to go to,” said Bliss of the Olympic champion “He just has the ability to send you into the ring and you’re going to go win; you have a winning mindset no matter what For being a little bit timid and insecure coming off the accident—there’s none of that.” At Spruce she scored her first five-star win with Antidote when she topped the $56,357 Canadian Utilities Cup over riders like Steve Guerdat and Lamaze And in Europe she and Antidote jumped in their first five-star grand prix together She applied to get into the first five-star of the season at WEF but she got a phone call Monday night before the competition offering her a spot At the beginning of that year I was literally saying to myself ‘I don’t think it gets any better than this Bliss had started working with Michael Matz and he taught her daily lessons for two months at the start of the pandemic “I tried to absorb that and use it all summer long,” said Bliss and I’m proud of myself that I could retain and apply a lot of that information It was incredible to see the horses develop over the summer and be able to say ‘Hey I really learned something.’ My horses were jumping well and happy.” Matz said that part of Bliss’ success comes from her relationship with her horses “One of her strengths is that she’s very delicate with the horses,” said Matz “It’s so good that she has respect for everything—she’s not a know-it-all and I think she’s going in the right direction.” Bliss spent the summer jumping clear rounds at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (Michigan) and Tryon (North Carolina) circuits thanks in no small part to rounds on Antidote He doesn’t have the biggest stride in the world He’s so athletic; he can get himself out of any situation if I let him do his job Since I’ve been working with Michael we’ve been working on flatwork and how to ride the turns better.” When Bliss and Antidote aren’t in the show ring you can find them hacking out around the canals in Wellington and working on the trails as she tries to limit his ring work to once a week She jokes that everyone in the neighborhood knows her by now “It’s amazing how fit they get [hacking out],” said Bliss “I started [riding out] primarily with him They really want to go out and just enjoy the open space.” While Bliss is realistic about how competitive it is to get on a team She plans to keep working hard to prove herself “I’ve always wanted to ride on teams and jump the big sport so to represent my country would be incredible,” said Bliss “Now that I have Antidote I feel like I have a shot but nothing of his caliber—he’s incredible I really look forward to the opportunity if I’m given it I think some people would be quite nervous Subscribers may choose online access to a digital version or a print subscription or both, and they will also receive our lifestyle publication, Untacked. Or you can purchase a single issue or subscribe on a mobile device through our app The Chronicle of the Horse LLC you’re missing so much great unique content Each print issue of the Chronicle is full of in-depth competition news probing looks at issues within the sports of hunter/jumper What are you missing if you don’t subscribe? you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse Copyright © 2025 The Chronicle of the Horse We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in 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how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Arts Mary (second from right) and her husband Art (third from right) pictured here with Caine College of the Arts Dean Nicholas Morrison (right) and Dane Graham believe so firmly in the Caine Lyric Theatre’s importance that they have provided the lead gift for the building’s critically needed restoration feeling or thinking – a theater performance has the unique ability to make people feel alive At Utah State University’s Caine Lyric Theatre located in historic downtown Logan patrons are exposed to an environment that provides a connection to the past while also fostering a current sense of community through the many productions held in the space “I learned everything I needed to succeed at my career from the Lyric,” said Mary quickly fell in love with both the community and beauty of the valley as she wanted to earn a teaching credential to add to her previous degrees including a bachelor’s from Stanford University and a master’s from Middlebury College While on the Logan campus exploring her options Mary peeked her head into the Theatre Arts Department in the Caine College of the Arts Vosco Call would put her on the trajectory for her next calling – the theater and founder of the Old Lyric Repertory Company inspired Mary to follow her dream of becoming a high school teacher She immediately volunteered for a job doing “anything” at the Lyric Her first assignment as assistant to the props manager provided her opportunities to work behind the scenes in multiple ways for one of the summer season shows Mary worked with four different directors on four shows “There are so many threads that weave together to make a live performance complete,” Mary said to the actors and the director – has to be ready to go to hit that high on opening night.” Mary’s love for the theater didn’t dull her dream of becoming a teacher Her teaching credential gave Mary the opportunity to teach high school theater and she also served as coach of the academic decathlon team that won two state championships during her 17 years with Preston High School in Preston arts are important because they allow students to use their imagination while helping them actively engage in new concepts The arts are also proven to provide advantages to a student’s social and emotional wellbeing stage performances are an essential part of attaining a theatre arts degree USU theatre arts majors perform their craft on the three main stage types they will encounter as professionals The performance venues not only enhance the educational experience but are critical to ensuring job placement opportunities for USU students and alumni One of the main stage venues for USU students is the Lyric a 378-seat proscenium theatre listed on the Historical Register Constructed in 1913 by the Thatcher family the building is known as the crown jewel of Center Street the building was used for performances for those living in Cache Valley until World War II when it was closed and then fell into disrepair Vosco began working to save the Lyric and guide its restoration the Lyric reopened with a production of “Hamlet” and Vosco founded the Old Lyric Repertory Company The Lyric Theatre became the Caine Lyric Theatre in 2001 following an expansion project supported by the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation “It is special to be able to say that we have this jewel right here in Logan,” said Richie Call grandson of Vosco and USU associate professor of theatre arts and artistic director for the Old Lyric Repertory Company “The university’s decades of providing live theater at the Lyric speaks to the importance of the venue It adds greatly to the quality of life in Cache Valley.” The synergistic relationship between USU’s Caine College of the Arts and Logan City is a benefit that allows for promotion of accessible and engaging programming to create a healthier economy as well as more involved members of society “Every summer I look forward to attending shows at the Lyric,” Mary said “There is not a bad seat in the house and it is such a magical environment.” Mary believes so firmly in the building’s importance that she and a graduate of Stanford and a senior engineer at Campbell Scientific have provided the lead gift for the building’s critically needed restoration Richie is grateful to the Heers for their generosity and foresight with this gift “In order to continue providing the kinds of quality programming and entertainment that has been enjoyed by performers and patrons for more than a century including the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment to bring the Lyric up-to date who both serve on the Caine College of the Arts Board believe that providing the gift of learning is a priority “I love meeting the students who work at the Lyric many of whom receive scholarships,” Mary said “A highlight of the year is sitting down to dinner with the students and hearing their stories Art and I both know that every penny that goes into supporting a scholarship is money well spent because it is so appreciated.” lives her life dedicated to one of her favorite quotes from William Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice,” when thinking of giving to students: It droppeth as the gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath It is twice blest;It blesseth him that gives and him that takes… “A performance brings people together and has the ability to impact people by opening themselves to looking at subject matter from a different point of view,” Richie said live theater always teaches her something --- whether through insight or emotion I would drive by it just to be near it,” Mary said “The theater is such an immersive experience and when a season closes you have to grieve – something that was alive and vibrant doesn’t exist anymore And then I patiently wait for next summer.” she has continued to donate her time at USU’s Utah Public Radio where she has worked on various projects “I will always be on a journey of learning,” said Mary Learn more about Utah State University’s Caine Lyric Theatre renovation project, by contacting Senior Development Director Dane Graham at 435-797-0447 or dane.graham@usu.edu Your support will inspire the generosity of other visionary donors who share the goal of providing enriching arts education and entertainment as well as preserving the heritage of this historic gem to follow her dream of becoming a high school teacher One of the main stage venues for USU students is the Caine Lyric Theatre Dane GrahamCCA, Development Director435-797-0447dane.graham@usu.edu Submit Story USU Alumni Center1540 Old Main HillLogan, UT 84322435-797-1320 or 1-888-653-6246Fax: 435-797-1364advancement@usu.edu How to Give Update Your Info Connect on SocialGift Investment Fee Info When he crossed the finish of the Vendée Globe solo non-stop race around the world this Monday afternoon off Les Sables d’Olonne at 1729 hrs UTC to secure 29th place overall Swiss German solo racer Oliver Heer fulfilled a childhood dream one which he has harboured since growing up sailing as a youngster on Lake Zurich But although he grew up with posters of his ocean racing idols on his wall it was only four years ago that he launched his own Vendée Globe project Following the premature death of his sailing mad father Heer was inspired to give up a burgeoning business career in the Far East to start professional sailing in England He rose to become boat captain for British skipper Alex Thomson a role he held during the last Vendée Globe Indeed it was during the delivery back from Cape Town early in 2021 on Thomson’s freshly repaired IMOCA that he was actively encouraged by the two times Vendée Globe podium finisher to move on and take on the Vendée Globe in his own right That conversation lit the blue touch paper and after a decidedly tough two year qualification process which saw the Swiss racer only just make the cut to be included in the 40 boat line up at the start,  today Heer now completes an accomplished 3 days hrs after 28th placed Antoine Cornic In finishing the course he delivers on his sole primary goal completing the course and thereby creates a track record that he now hopes to step up from and take on the next edition on a more competitive footing great determination and resilience and the technical skills – as befits a boat captain turned racer – to preserve his Farr designed 2007 generation in good shape He was unlucky to be caught in calms several times most notably losing touch with the boats in front of him when he was snared by light winds in the western Pacific again in the South Atlantic and then made a strategic error approaching Rio which let Cornic and the group he was with escape And since late December his attack has been compromised by a keel ram hydraulic issue which has meant he has not been able to cant his keel to port and so thereby not able to sail at max speed on port tack Heer made a good start but then – in something of a foretaste of the bad timing which was to mark his race – he hit a wind hole which saw his competitors slip away in front of him He crossed the equator in 37th place after taking a two-hour penalty for a sail unloaded pre start after the authorized time cut off the first major problem was a flooded engine he damaged his mainsail before the keel ram issue appeared As he rounded the Cape of Good Hope he celebrated his first Great Cape moment with a cigar and a sip of whisky In the heart of the Pacific he saw an iceberg as he passed near Point Nemo he started to relay his feelings about the enormity of the challenge he has taken on Then comes Cape Horn an iconic landmark that he has dreamed of since his sailing trips on an Optimist on Lake Zurich and read about in all the ocean racing books and magazines he devoured as a youngster Read the full article https://www.vendeeglobe.org Tracker Interested in seeing more Offshore News plus all the latest on yachting regattas and offshore adventures around the world While this has been a significant problem in some communities on the mainland Hawaiʻi has not had the same types of problems with lead contaminated drinking water Public water systems in Hawaiʻi do not historically have lead contamination it is possible for lead to contaminate drinking water through fixtures and piping within a school This project will investigate the drinking water taps at risk for lead and identify any problem areas to prevent children from being exposed to lead All COVID-19 safety procedures will be followed by the project team. For more information, please see: WIIN Project COVID-19 Safety Plan The islands are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to our location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean Expected impacts include higher temperatures These changes endanger our food and water sources Health threats from climate change are widespread but may affect some areas and populations more than others Please see the resources below to learn more about how Hawaiʻi’s public health is threatened by the climate crisis and what the State is doing to protect our communities Graphic: Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in Hawaiʻi (Adapted from California Department of Public Health and CDC) Elizabeth Kiefer gave an informational briefing on the health impacts of climate change in Hawaiʻi to the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection as it is a clear introduction to this public health issue for Hawaiʻi Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Climate & Health Impacts Timeline of Progress in Hawaiʻi Heat Safety Tips Climate & Health News Additional Resources For Health Professionals 2024 DOH Climate Change & Health Conference is turning heads by training a unique animal that they've grown to love like family - water buffalo Mary Heers said her love for water buffalo started when she was a young girl "In the beginning I think I saw a picture of a Vietnamese boy playing a flute on the back of a water buffalo," Heers explained "Since I was in high school I thought it would be wonderful to own one of the majestic animals." she had opportunities to try water buffalo milk and ice cream When she and her husband Art Heers retired they started researching where they could get their hands on one of the beasts "I found a water buffalo dairy in California where this very nice lady was milking a herd of water buffalo making mozzarella cheese and of course she was very happy to find a good home for the boys," Mary said She and her husband started by purchasing one water buffalo where they have plenty of space to roam around Mary explained that when they got their first water buffalo their family became rather attached to him and his friendly demeanor "He would come when you called him and [it] was just fun to take a book out to the pasture.. and just lean against him and read," Mary said Mary and Art were connected to a trainer that specialized in training camels They decided to train their beloved Andrea to ride and pull a wagon "Art really took on the challenge," Mary said "He bought a saddle from a neighbor and takes him out for a ride pretty much every day." "It's quite unusual and it's kind of become sort of a new little fun hobby," Art Heers said The couple has a goal in mind for their precious water buffalo They hope to get it well trained enough to walk in the Mendon Pioneer Day parade Art is working on getting the animal acclimated to other people "We really have it in the back of our minds to see if we can get him into our Mendon July 24 parade," Art said "In order to do that he has to get used to vehicle and kids and other people without spooking." the couple is enjoying turning heads with their unique animal "When anyone sees a water buffalo walking down the sidewalk," explained Mary "They're inclined to run out of the house and take a picture" And even though these water buffalo may look a little intimidating Mary and Art assure that their special pets are gentle giants A North Dakota-based real estate investment group is buying the historic Heer's building and its luxury apartments on Park Central Square officials from Edgewood Real Estate Investment Trust and TLC Properties announced the building had changed hands For years, the property has been owned by the Kansas City area Dalmark Group, which was responsible for turning the vacant former department store into an 80-unit luxury apartment complex with commercial space starting in 2014 The group filed public documents for the property under the "Heer's Luxury Living which state records say was run by a representative from the Dalmark Group a new business license for "Heer's Luxury Living" was issued to a representative with a Fargo Monday's announcement is the latest development in a saga of the Heer's building that started when its namesake department store closed in 1995 after 79 years in business changed hands several times and went through multiple development attempts and the Great Recession before the Dalmark Group broke ground in 2014 on a $15.8 million renovation for the luxury loft-style apartment project The acquisition will increase Edgewood's ownership portfolio to 5,432 multifamily units in five Midwestern states is a Springfield-based management company that runs several large apartment complexes in the area Katie Kull covers local government for the News-Leader. Got a story to tell? Give her a call at 417-408-1025 or email her at kkull@news-leader.com. You can also support local journalism at News-Leader.com/subscribe Add to Calendar Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory – This might be the most shocking home assessment increase News10NBC has heard about this year The reassessment on an old country home in Wayne County went up a quarter of a million dollars That kind of money gets the attention of Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean but when Billie Joe Heers got her reassessment letter The new assessment is $321,000.Billie Joe Heers: “I was shocked to begin with and then I thought I’m being taxed right out of my home because there’s no way I could pay that much tax money.” The letter estimates Heers would pay an extra $300 dollars a month in taxes.Berkeley Brean: “If you wanted to sell your house right now do you think you could sell it for $321,000?” Billie Joe Heers: “I don’t think I could but if someone wants to give me the money come on in and buy it I thought she had the numbers wrong.” Diane DeJohn is one of Billie Joe’s daughters.Berkeley Brean: “Have you thought what this house might be worth?” Berkely Brean: “And that’s a sentiment we hear a lot: there’s no way I could sell my house for this assessed value there might be something to that thought.” Berkeley Brean found a house comparable to Billie Joe’s house  Billie Joe Heers: “We could turn some lights on.” Billie Joe grew up in Kentucky but raised her family in Arcadia Wayne County and this has been her home for 40 years The assessment was done by a firm called Gar we contacted Gar and got them to call her family Gar promised to review her case and share the properties it used to calculate her assessment by the end of the day Friday.Billie Joe Heers: I pay my share of taxes But to raise something that high is impossible for a lot of people to pay “Part of the problem is this was the first reassessment in the town in 18 years The town of Lyons hasn’t done one since 2016 See the last time your town did a reassessment here Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Richard Reingold at rreingold@whec.com or 585-546-1701 This old building on Olive Street was demolished in order to expand Heer’s Inc The demolition was part of Heer’s expansion program which made the department store one big unit Adjacent to the demolished structure was a building that previously housed Sedwick’s Furniture Store this building had undergone its own transformation being reduced from a seven-story structure to a mere two stories The building in the foreground of the image had a diverse history The photograph was taken during the demolition phase with workers anticipating the complete dismantling of the building within a two-week timeframe Plans for the new construction included a full basement envisioned the building to be robust enough to support an additional five stories in the future aligning with the company's long-term aspirations This photograph was published in the Leader & Press on April 28 USA’s Bliss Heers has spent the majority of her competition years in Europe – based with some of the most respected horsemen and horsewomen in the sport Otto Becker and Eric Lamaze are among those heavy-weights Heers has been lucky to learn from Heers relocated back to the US – basing herself in Wellington Impressing with consistent results during this year's Winter Equestrian Festival Bliss was last week selected to the US short list ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo with her 11-year-old stallion Antidote de Mars (Diamant de Semilly x Jarnac).  the 34-year-old tells about her lessons learned during her years in Europe how her new trainer Michael Matz has brought her riding right back to the basics and how she wishes the focus of the sport would shift back to where it truly belongs: On the horse Bliss was introduced to horses through her parents because my dad was very good friends with an Irish horseman called Damien Gardner,” Bliss recalls “I had all the opportunity in the world to watch the likes of Eddie Macken and the Whitakers compete at Spruce Meadows to see Anne Kursinski in action and all the other top riders My dad was very invested in the sport and loved watching He would have video tapes of Jos Lansink that he studied even though I was not even riding at the time.” my mom took me for a riding lesson as a fun mother-daughter thing,” Bliss recalls with a smile “I had one lesson and didn’t want to do anything else after!” “When I was 17 and the option of going to university came up When I went to Europe and was based with other people I was being educated: That was my university,” Bliss says Bliss has been captivated by the endless learning aspect of the sport and the special bond between a horse and rider but it is more than a sport; it is really about you and the horse – something I really love,” Bliss says I love that there is so much to learn: You are growing every day with your horse.” “The horse should be the focus of the sport but we seem to drift away from that a lot,” Bliss says “Many seem to forget that our sport is about the animal I would love to see more focus on horsemanship: Whether it is from the riders themselves or the horse shows.” Bliss has been training with Michael Matz – who has brought her back to the basics with his simplified methods “He is amazing,” Bliss tells about Matz – team silver medallist at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 team gold medallist at the World Championships in Aachen in 1986 and a six-time gold medal winner at the Pan-American Games everything is so simple: It is all about the horse Getting your horse to move around your leg and to stay light in the bridle – which basically all comes from your seat and position Michael has more emphasis on the simple things: Being forward If you are in a good position and your horse is forward you are more likely to jump the jump and leave it up than not it is because one of those things is missing.” Bliss had the opportunity to learn from some of the very best Otto and Eric are all very different when it comes to what I learned from each of them,” Bliss says about her former trainers “Both Helena and Eric are very competitive They really give you this feeling that you can do anything To walk into a big class – having never done something like that before – with one of them by my side They just filled me with so much confidence I understood the dedication it takes to win Everything from the basic flat work and gymnastics all the details when it comes to working the horses – I learned most of that from Otto who came to Otto’s to help with the flat work was a huge part of that learning experience Michael has brought it all back to simplicity how to eliminate big bits and simplify my connection with the horse – to achieve the maximum result but with very basic flatwork,” Bliss tells there is not one system that works for all of them,” Bliss says especially when you are moving around like I have done but you can learn so much from different people and different systems I think moving around more of an opportunity rather than getting stuck in one system.” “The amazing thing with all of them has been the timing of each person in my career: Each of them has been absolutely vital,” Bliss continues when talking about her trainers I really needed that boost from Helena: To have the confidence to jump in Europe and to be competitive and she really helped me go compete and do my thing After getting badly hurt in an accident in 2018 and spending most of the year out it was Eric Lamaze who helped Bliss gain back her confidence “I had a young horse flip over on me and I broke five vertebras and my pelvis as well as dislocating my hip,” she tells about the accident getting hurt did not really change anything for me when it comes to my love for riding But it does not change what you love to do; things happen But if you can just take it a day at the time The timing of the people involved in Bliss’ career has been vital “From my first pony that bucked me off every single day that alone was perfect timing,” she laughs I was going to get bucked off and I would have to deal with that – and learn how to not get bucked off I got very lucky with the horses in my life the two horses that have made the biggest difference have been Prado K (Prado x Dynast) and Antidote de Mars (Diamant de Semilly x Jarnac).” Prado K was so difficult in the ring that I was scared of him,” Bliss continues to jump big fences and deal with this animal that was out of control… that was special Not only was I intimidated of just being in Europe I had this horse that I felt I could not ride though: He jumped clear in our first ranking class And now Antidote: The timing is incredible If you would see the video of me trying him He was very kind and I felt he wanted to do good we have built this relationship where I feel like I could jump anything in the world with him Considering I did not know what I was going to do or what he was going to be I feel like I am just doing what I love,” Bliss smiles when asked what she loves most about her day-to-day life the young horses are probably the most rewarding for me every day when I go out it just feels like a dream opportunity and I can’t say it’s work Just the joy that comes from being on a horse and being with them Bliss’ dedication to the sport does not come without a downside “My family is very close-knit and being away from them is one of the hardest parts,” she tells “I am very lucky that they come to visit often they love the competitions and what I do – for me that is huge For sure I would love to settle somewhere permanently and have more family-time A dream scenario would be to be able to stay in Europe during the summer and in Wellington for the winter.”  While the Covid-19 pandemic has forced Bliss to stay in the US she believes there are a multitude of positives “Obviously for the world and for the economy it has been very hard and there has been a lot of sad and bad – but we can also take a lot of good from it,” she says “If you see the appreciation for everything we have now compared to how we lived just a year ago: We took for granted all the shows we were going to just to be able to leave the house and go see your parents and friends I was so grateful just having the opportunity to jump.” you never really know,” Bliss says about her future plans “We were very lucky to have a full schedule at the Winter Equestrian Festival and to have all these amazing classes every week I hope everything gets back to normal: we’ve made the Olympic short list and I’m so excited to be going back to Europe but the fact that I can once again put on the pinque coat Right now we are going day by day and enjoying every moment and opportunity I am doing the best I can and we will see what happens.” No reproduction without written permission copyright © World of Showjumping.com  © 2025 World of Showjumping - All rights reserved Powered by Artionet - Generated with IceCube2.Net Subscribe or login to read the rest A podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers We tried in the Swiss parliament to cut the funding of UNRWA by 20 million but unfortunately we didn’t have a majority in December and we were at least able to cut it by 10 million Swiss francs of course happened before we had proof that UNRWA is really supporting the terrorists that they are teaching in school hatred against Jews and glorifying terrorism And we hope that there will be a change in Swiss parliament and that we will have in the future a majority to cut the funding and maybe to replace UNRWA – to replace it by another organization And we hope that cooperation with Israel and other Arabic speaking countries could replace this organization and I think we have also to be able to speak with people from other countries And I’m also a member of the Council of Europe We hope that we also can make pressure from the side of the Council of Europe that this organization will be abolished UN Watch is a non-profit organization dedicated to holding the United Nations accountable to its founding principles UN Watch is funded entirely by charitable donations we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information may adversely affect certain features and functions TECUMSEH — When Ken Heers saw the engagement numbers of a Facebook post teasing the opening of the city's newest burger joint "We might need to control traffic," he thought So Heers called the city and they were in agreement Tecumseh police would help control traffic in the event of a backlog of customers stretched out the parking lot of Doll n' Burgers up North Wyandotte Street most of the afternoon and early evening "I'm ecstatic," co-founder John Burtka said but I've had people come up to me happy as a lark." next to the east side Perky Pantry gas station and store The restaurant specializing in locally sourced burgers is the idea of Heers and a trio of others with experience in local eateries Burtka is the founder of Grand River Brewery He's also the founder of Cherry Creek Winery The latter is a hospitality consultant and former chef Doll n' Burgers is a nod to their namesake CEO of Lenawee Fuels and owner of Perky Pantry gas stations A quality burger joint," Heers said Saturday reenacting the conversation that started it all That's the simple origin story of a restaurant chain with national aspirations Doll n' Burgers offers made-to-order burgers with ingredients that are made fresh each day The ingredient list is printed on every bag The beef is ground daily and comes from within 50 miles Substitute chicken or try the black bean vegan burger option Burtka said any burger can be a lettuce wrap Milkshakes are made with ice cream and whole milk made with cheese from the Cambridge Cheese Co Making the trip from Grand River Brewery is its poutine There's a nostalgic feel inside that customers can experience once dine-in options are available white and black color scheme coupled with pictures of classic cars on the walls offer a '60s vibe and pay homage to Michigan automotive culture The group intends to open up two more locations this year Jackson is confirmed to be the next location But Tecumseh was first and for a specific reason "We feel like Tecumseh is where we can open up and participate in the community," Burtka said Burtka said they intend to get involved in the community through various boards and groups Other locations will have the same philosophy too As soon as Doll n' Burgers rung up its first customer it was already giving back Saturday's opening was also a fundraiser for Community Learning Connections of Tecumseh The first day of business raised $1,000 for the nonprofit said she was "blown away" by Saturday's turnout "This community always supports its businesses and non profits and that was clearly demonstrated this weekend," she said in an email "We are so grateful to the Doll n' Burgers team for choosing Tecumseh as their first location and supporting the important mission of Community Learning Connections on their opening day." The founders are working with Tecumseh High School about a possible hospitality program that would teach culinary basics "We want to help and really excite students to enter the field of hospitality as a whole," Heers said Burtka also aims to provide an education to his employees He said any employee interested can be taught the business side of operations and there's always a seat at the table for employee ideas "It also plays a big part in knowing how they're involved," he said Burtka said he'd like to see store locations be employee owned "Our goal is superior food and service and to be a great place to work," he said The restaurant will expand its hours once dine-in services are allowed.