Neb.BioRelatedHistoricalAwards & Honors Sophomore (2010-11)Regular SeasonLukow competed in four open tournaments for the Huskers as a sophomore accumulating a 5-8 overall record Lukow responded with three victories at the UNK Loper Open to help even his record at 3-3 Wrestling at 197 pounds for the majority of the season Lukow finished the year in the heavyweight bracket at the Briar Cliff Open where he won his final match of the year with a 5-1 decision over Nebraska-Omaha's Matt Spain.2009-10Lukow did not compete for the Huskers last season as he spent one year in Iraq serving in the military 2008-09 (Freshman)Regular SeasonLukow went 10-12 during his redshirt season for the Huskers Lukow opened the season 0-2 at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open on Nov but went 2-2 at both the Kaufman-Brand Open and Oklahoma Open in late November Lukow had his best showing with a 5-2 performance at the Fort Hays State Open on Dec before ending his season at the Brand and Grand View opens in late January Before NebraskaLukow was a three-sport athlete for Class C Lincoln Christian High School He earned four letters for Coach Tim Negley on the mat and claimed third place at 171 pounds at the state championships his senior year Lukow was also a three-year starter at tight end on the football team He was named a team captain his senior year He also participated in track and field during his senior season Lukow took a year off after high school to enlist as a Marine reserve before receiving specialized training as a generator mechanic in North Carolina Livingston is a marketing major at Nebraska 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 – Chef Ryan Lukow unseated reigning champion Chef Courtney Davenport on Sunday to win the Allentown Fair’s annual Iron Chef cooking competition who works as the sous chef of Savory Grille in Hereford Township executive sous chef at The Shelby in Lower Macungie Township Sharing a temporary kitchen-slash-stage erected within the Allentown Agri-Plex the finalists were tasked with improvising two dishes in one hour incorporating an eclectic basket of surprise ingredients each chef had to include buttermilk pancake mix “The taste of the food is always the most important,” but is not the only thing judges evaluate a judge in Sunday’s contest and an eight-time winner herself technique… and that they stay cool under pressure.” Lukow turned in a Thai-influenced coconut seafood broth with clams he made pumpkin spice cake with salted caramel apple glaze Davenport prepared his take on ramen with pork belly plus a sweet and savory pumpkin and preserves dish Lukow set himself apart with an innovative use of the provided ingredients and strong technique while Davenport fell just a bit short with the presentation of his ramen dish all the way through – even looking back at Friday yesterday and today in this competition – he was very innovative in the way he used the ingredients in the basket and came up with creative and original ways to use those items,” Roth said Lukow had to first best three other Lehigh Valley chefs director of dining services for Fountain View at Logan Square a luxury retirement community in Philadelphia Lukow won the right to face Davenport by making a Spanish-influenced variation on tamales with with a jicama and dragonfruit salsa with a lot of camaraderie between all of us We all know each other from ether working together or we were friends to begin with,” said Lukow “It’s just great to compete with such tough competition.” Davenport said Sunday that he’ll be back next year to try and reclaim his crown BY REUTERS Trump Media’s roller-coaster share price has served as something of a proxy for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s chances of election Now traders are finally at their day of reckoning Traders and investors say the stock is at risk of extreme volatility after the result of Tuesday’s election is known, with its trading detached from its day-to-day business fundamentals The company operates the Truth Social media platform and has launched a streaming service “This stock is insanely overvalued and the economics make no sense whatsoever, even if Donald Trump is elected,” said Brian Lukow, a former Lehman Brothers senior vice president-turned-movie producer who now shorts stocks, a bet that the price of a stock will fall. In Trump Media if Democratic candidate Kamala Harris wins Trump Media reported a loss of $16.4 million and revenue of $837,000 The company has a market capitalization of around $6 billion “The stock is going to crash and burn if Harris pulls out a victory,” said Lukow who said he continues to hold his short position then this bet looks like the greatest bet he’s ever made.” the rise in Trump Media stock has come in tandem with Trump’s surge on election betting sites such as Polymarket where the odds of the Republican’s chances of winning rose as high as 67 percent This movement has drawn scrutiny from social media users and online gambling experts because it came alongside some large bets from a Paris-based trader and diverged sharply from opinion polls On Sunday the odds had Trump at around 54 percent There is no formal analyst coverage of Trump Media which is 57 percent owned by Trump himself The former president’s stake in the company is worth $3.5 billion The Trump campaign referred questions to Trump Media & Technology Group TMTG did not respond to a request for comment Trump Media stock has a fervent online following including those who identify themselves as Trump supporters who vow they will hold the stock long-term The stock’s staunchest proponents often post publicly on Reddit and Truth Social whose online banner is a rocket ship blasting into space told Reuters he was holding his position because he believes Trump Media has a good chance of making media acquisitions and that it could go higher if Trump wins the election Others see the stock as a great short-term trading opportunity “It is maybe one of the best trades of the year,” said Vaughn McNair and was once a moderator on the Wallstreetbets Reddit forum during the GameStop meme stock frenzy of 2021 known as Grandmaster-OBI to his 34,000 followers on his “Making Easy Money” YouTube channel 24 that Trump Media was the “ultimate gamma squeeze,” an options dynamic which can send a stock price sharply higher McNair said he has already cast his ballot for Trump this year but said his investment views are separate from his political beliefs Trump Media’s stock has shown volatility as the election nears the trading was halted five times due to extreme price swings there could be heightened risk of a squeeze A short squeeze occurs when an asset’s rising price forces bearish investors to buy back borrowed shares Trump Media’s stock options have drawn outsized trading volumes in recent days with the stock often featuring on the list of most heavily traded names in the options market some 300,000 DJT options contracts changed hands daily with total options premium traded at about $2.45 billion according to options analytics service Trade Alert Traders expect massive volatility from the stock in coming days with options pricing in about a 50 percent swing in the share price “it’s going to be bad for anyone who holds it.” Reporting by Michelle Conlin in New York; Additional reporting by Noel Randewich in San Francisco and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed in New York; Editing by Megan Davies and Matthew Lewis The super early-rate deadline for the 2025 Inc. Power Partner Awards is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now The daily digest for entrepreneurs and business leaders Learn More 2016 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM CDT Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church 625 College Avenue Racine 2016 3:00 PM CDT Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church 625 College Avenue Racine At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice UW-Parkside departments of visual or performing arts or A Charity of one's choice Margaret—known to many as Peg or Maggie—was born in Evanston to Harry and Louise (née: Knobel) Morrison where she became a life loyal Alpha Chi and met the love of her life She completed her bachelor’s degree in art and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 1991 Maggie was an artist and devoted member of the Racine art community where she helped spearhead the docent program and the museum’s first 10-year plan she helped Wustum Museum obtain professional accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums a certification completed by only a small percentage of U.S Maggie also moved into one of the first 16th St served as a Racine Art Museum board member helped establish the Starving Artists Fair and was a charter member of the Racine Artists Gallery when it was founded in 1998 the community honored Maggie several times She received the Racine Arts Council’s 1987 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts the YWCA of Racine Woman of Distinction Award for Fine Arts in 1999 and an inaugural RAMMY award for volunteer service to the Racine Art Museum in 2009 and an active member of Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church for more than 50 years Maggie and Ken’s home—built in 1967 and one of only two homes in Racine designed by La Verne Lantz—was recently featured on the 2016 Wright & Like tour you have already heard how proud she was of her grandchildren and delicious baking will be dearly missed Left to comfort one another with Maggie’s memory are her husband of 60 years Mark (Luanne Frey) Lukow of Racine and Heidi Anne Lukow and Kathryn Louise Lukow of Tucson and other relatives; and too many friends to mention She was preceded in death by her parents; her baby brother A memorial service will be held at Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church the family suggests donations in Maggie’s memory to the Racine Art Museum the UW-Parkside departments of visual or performing arts (University of Wisconsin-Parkside Foundation The family would like to thank the staff of the TLC unit at University Hospital for their supportive attention to Maggie’s end-of-life wishes JavaScript is disabled. In order to use all of the features on meredithfuneralhome.com, enable JavaScript.Close We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of David Lukow created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Made with love by funeralOne Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Nashville Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music Lukow assumed the position of executive director in 2014 Porchlight Music Theatre has revealed the departure of its first executive director Jeannie Lukow at the end of the 2023-2024 season this August Before she accepted the role she had been a member of Porchlight Music Theatre’s Board of Directors since its inception and served as its president for six years Lukow informed the company and its Board of Directors of her resignation earlier this year The Board of Directors has created a Search & Transition Committee that plans to bring in an interim executive director for a period of time before conducting a national search for a full-time hire some of Lukow’s accomplishments include growing Porchlight’s annual budget from under $500,000 to roughly $2.5 million guiding the company through the COVID pandemic broadening youth education offerings including work with Chicago Public Schools and bolstering the ranks of the staff and it has been an honor and joy to lead it over the past 10 years Now that we are increasingly back on track to recovery after the pandemic I feel it is the time for me to take on a new challenge for the next act of my career,” said Lukow it’s an opportune time for Porchlight to welcome a new leader who will bring fresh perspectives innovative strategies and different experiences to the table for the company's next phase Porchlight is such a unique gem in Chicago’s theatre landscape supporter and fan of this company’s incredible work.” “I first met Jeannie when she was a Board member and I came to Porchlight to interview for the artistic director position. During that conversation I could sense her great dedication and incredible insight into the organization,” said Artistic Director Michael Weber “Porchlight hired me and then Jeannie joined as executive director a few years later both through good times and challenging times my respect and admiration for her have only grown but know that while she is leaving this role “When Jeannie first asked me to join the Board she talked about Porchlight being a family and I felt that immediately Her role in building and maintaining that family is unquantifiable and there will be a huge gap when she leaves,” said Board Chair Gretchen Upholt And I’m eager to help lead Porchlight through this transition as we move forward to celebrate a milestone anniversary and welcome a new leader to continue building on our success and reputation as a legacy theatre in Chicago.”  Photo credit: Brandon Dahlquist Check out brand-new production photos from the world premiere of Jiehae Park's the aves, performing at Berkeley Repertory Theatre now through Sunday, June 8, 2025. Northlight Theatre has announced an additional week of performances of Joshua Harmon's celebrated play Prayer for the French Republic, directed by Jeremy Wechsler in a co-production with Theater Wit. Join Raue Center For The Arts as they host the 7th Annual 6x6 Project Art Auction & Exhibition on Saturday, June 14, 2025, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Raue Center For The Arts, 26 N. Williams Street, Crystal Lake. Definition Theatre will present the world premiere of Black Bone, a bold new satire by Chicago playwright Tina Fakhrid-Deen and the first full production to emerge from the company’s Amplify Series. Learn more! and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy Lukow created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories NEB — Many people say if you are doing something you love everyday it is not really work and that is certainly true for Kristin Lukow the music teacher at Adams Central Elementary School In this segment of all in All in a Days work I visit her class and learn about jump bands and how she is overcoming her own personal medical challenges to keep moving right along with her students Mrs Lukow doesn't waste any time getting the students moving.When the students enter the classroom the song Boogie Shoes was playing "I wasn't sure I wanted to be a music teacher I thought maybe I wanted to be a PE teacher or an art teacher I knew I wanted to be a teacher but I just kind of combine everything all of my loves," said Adams Central Elementary Music Teacher Kristin Lukow The day I was there she was having the students do jump bands She has used them her classroom for more than 20 years "I knew when I saw them that I wanted to use them because they are colorful and bright and fun I start jump bands in second grade and we take it completely apart where we only do the "enders" job or we only do the "insiders" job By the time we get into 4th grade we are adding another kind of step Each year we add something a little bit more complicated," said Lukow "It is not your average music class because some people that don't like music as much they can still be good at this and stuff It is kind of like a sport and like a work out," said fifth grader Wilson Huyser "We are learning how fast or slow the tempo is," said fifth grader Leela Martinez For her lessons she said it is a simple equation Add movement to the music and it ends up being a lot of fun for the students When you just sit all day long you get tired so when I am teaching about beat rhythm and tempo they are going to understand and remember that a whole lot more by actually doing it," said Lukow Doing it means this music class can also be a lot of work You don't think you can get that much of a work out in there You think it is mainly just PE (class) but it is really in there," said fifth grader Merritt Hood "It lets us move around and just getting a work out and that is what is always fun about it," said fifth grader Gus Hemberger Staying active is something she wants for her students but with her own health challenges it has become even more important for her too "I have MS (Muscular Dystrophy.) I count it a privilege to be able to walk and it is and honor and a joy to be able to get up and do something that I love The more that you move your limbs and your spine and your brain the more you create opportunities for yourself to keep moving," said Lukow She says she is in a good spot right now with her health but works every day to stay there while also helping her students enjoy music in ways they might not expect She is a great music teacher," said fifth grader Charlie Coats "You get to sing a lot and she is a great teacher," said Merritt Hood Lukow on their staff because she is looking for new and interesting and different ways to teach kids but she has also got a unique subject matter that makes it even more fun," said Adams Central Elementary Principal Alyson Bohlen "People ask me how much longer I am going to teach and I say as long as I can You just have one day so it might as well be a wonderful day and I love what I am doing so I am going to keep doing it Lukow will be team teaching with the Adams Central Physical Education teacher They will be teaching the Virginia Reel folk dance to the students 2019 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM CDT Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church 625 College Avenue Racine 2019 3:00 PM CDT Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church 625 College Avevue Racine Riverbend Nature Center Web Site Next Act Theater Web Site Following many visits from family and friends at the Hospice Alliance House in Pleasant Prairie to Harry and Gertrude (née: Hoppenrath) Lukow Ken graduated from Purdue University in 1953 earning a chemical engineering degree and an ensign's commission in the U.S He then served as an engineering officer on LST 857 for 15 months at the end of the Korean War where he returned on several memorable trips over the years he was released from active duty as a lieutenant (junior grade) and married Margaret (Peg) Morrison in Wilmette Ken accepted an engineering position with SC Johnson & Son Racine became Ken and Peg’s adopted hometown Ken built a successful nearly 40-year career at Johnson’s where he was universally known as a “good guy.” He was recognized as a Johnson Symposium Fellow for outstanding technical achievements in 1978 and member of Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church for 50-plus years Ken and Peg’s much-loved home—built in 1967 and one of only two in Racine designed by La Verne Lantz—was featured on the Racine Wright & Like tour in 2016 Ken spent decades cultivating its native landscape and enjoyed sharing plants and advice to help others with their own native gardens Mark (Luanne Frey) Lukow of Racine and Heidi Anne Lukow and Kathryn Louise Lukow Meredith and Nathan Lukow; siblings-in-law and Jean Cathcart; and myriad other relatives and dear friends including among his bridge and Wii bowling groups at Primrose He was preceded in death by his beloved wife A celebration of Ken’s life will be held at Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church the family suggests donations in Ken’s memory to Riverbend Nature Center (riverbendracine.org/about/donate) The family would like to thank the many health care professionals across Southeast Wisconsin who provided loving and compassionate care in Ken’s last years « Back Home » Home » POLICE: Robert Lukow Jr. Charged With Murder After Stabbing Father to Death By  //  May 25 has been charged with 2nd-degree murder of his father after Palm Bay police officers responded to a stabbing to the 400 block of Easton Forest Circle SE in Palm Bay Jeff Spears identified the victim as Robert J who suffered multiple stab wounds around 4 a.m Lukow was pronounced deceased on the scene inside the residence,” said Cmdr the victim’s wife said that their son had stabbed Lukow Spears said the victim’s wife awoke to an argument between Lukow and their son Lukow’s wife stated that she walked out of the bedroom and and said that Lukow Jr fled the residence moments before Lukow’s wife exited the bedroom,” said Cmdr A perimeter was established and with the assistance of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit and K9 team was located and apprehended a short distance from the residence I”nvestigators are trying to determine the motive and understand why Lukow Jr The weapon used was recovered and Lukow Jr He has been transported to the Brevard County Jail Complex STAY TUNED to Space Coast Daily for updates Click Here to Sign Up for Text Alerts Czech Republic – Michael Lukow came through one round of elimination on Wednesday in the recurve men open to set up an all-USA meeting with Kevin Mather at the World Archery Para Championships Lukow joins Kevin Mather and Eric Bennett in the 1/24 round of the recurve men open following a 7-1 win over Georgia’s Zviad Dumbadze in his 1/48 elimination round match Mather is seeded 13 after shooting 624 during qualification whereas Bennett tackles Setiawan Setiawan of Indonesia Bennett and Mather will team up in the recurve men open doubles They are sixth seeds and await the winner of Mongolia and Azerbaijan in the last 16 Those elimination rounds will be played out on Friday Jason Tabansky finished eighth in men W1 open qualification after shooting 644 and then won through 130-117 in the 1/16 elimination round over Romania’s Bogdan Raicu He will next tackle ninth seed Paolo Tonon (ITA) on Thursday Teammate Lucas Herro came up short in his 1/16 contest Tabansky and Herro are fifth seeds in the men W1 doubles They meet host nation Czech Republic on Friday in the last eight Kevin Polish and Teresa Wallace got past Ukraine and Turkey in the compound open mixed team competition before losing to Great Britain in the last eight Mather and Candice Caesar lost their 1/12 round 5-4 after a shoot-off with Australia Tabansky and Tracy Otto were edged 129-126 by the Czech Republic in the W1 mixed team at the quarterfinals stage The World Archery Para Championships is the most significant of all the qualifying events for next year’s Paralympic Games in Paris with 78 of the 140 total spots up for grabs This work, US Army commander honored by Italian comrades in western Afghanistan, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright ROCKFORD — Hard work and sacrifice is part of every mother’s job In the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden this week the Register Star asked mothers in the Rock River Valley who raised one — or several — of the men and women who serve in the armed forces or who have served themselves About the mom: Sara Ahrens is a Rockford Police Department sergeant and mother of two Would you want your children to join the military I think that everyone can benefit from some form of service to their church My hope is that my children volunteer their service in whichever manner brings the most glory to God I have trouble even imagining my children grown up Greater challenge: Military service or parenting Parenting is definitely harder than military service I would go as far as to say that serving in the Army was easy I always knew what to do and when; I knew what the expectations were and why; I always felt a strong sense of teamwork and cooperation; discipline was fair and consistent; and I was provided with the best training available Besides the unpredictability of deployment About the mom: Karen Lukow of Rockford is the matriarch of a dedicated military family Elizabeth Vogel served in the Illinois National Guard Herman II retired from the Army as a major after serving 20 years Christopher served in the Army for three years earned the rank of sergeant and was an Arctic paratrooper in Fairbanks attained the rank of sergeant and served as a military policeman in Germany Military Academy graduate and approaching 20 years of military service He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross this year in recognition of an emergency air extraction of 91 Italian and Afghan National Army soldiers Oct About having a son serving in Afghanistan: The last time my husband returned from Vietnam I never thought the day would come when I would send one of my children off to war My four oldest children did not serve during a “conflict.” I managed to hold it together when Ronald was sent to Iraq for two tours; (but) it was much harder to accept it when he left for Afghanistan I pray for his safe return and feel blessed that my extended family and many friends in Rockford pray for his safe return every day Ronald made the commitment to serve his country in 1987 when he entered U.S What should people without children or family members in the military know about military families Not much thought is given to the military unless you have a son or daughter involved Their lives are not easy — it’s the only job in this country where you can end up in prison if you don’t show up for work It is an extremely difficult task to raise children when they know their father is in danger Has having children in the military changed your outlook on life or approach to parenting About the mom: Cheryl Crabtree is the mother of Marine Ryan Curry before he was injured by a roadside explosive device in August 2006 but the lingering effects prevent him from returning to active duty What does it mean to have a Marine for a son It’s one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had with my son Both of his grandfathers were in different branches of the service It makes you very proud to know your son or daughter can take it upon themselves to make that decision What went through your mind the day you found out he was hurt in action Your heart always goes to your toes when you first get that phone call and to think that he was spared and the Lord shined on him and he got to come home to all of us About the mom: Rhonda Curry is stepmother to four children who was 5 years old when Rhonda married his father What was your reaction when Ryan said he wanted to serve in the military My father was a Marine and my father-in-law a naval officer I also felt very proud that he was willing to serve his country How difficult was it to hear the news of his injury When I first got the call from his commanding officer It wasn’t until I knew the extent of his injuries that I was able to calm down a little It truly was one of the worst phone calls I’ve ever received and I sympathize with any parent who has to endure hearing that kind of news What does it mean for you to be the mother of a Purple Heart recipient (It) gives me a feeling of pride I’ve never known before and still he would choose to do it all again and my love and pride in him knows no bounds Staff writer Kevin Haas can be reached at khaas@rrstar.com or 815-987-1410 Villages-News.com Gene Lukow's 1965 Plymouth Belvedere A-990 Superstock sedan may lack some amenities but it sure is fast .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Pete Brekus | The Express-TimesGene Lukow "Richard Petty won with one at Daytona in '64," Lukow says Lukow's Belvedere is powered by a 426-cubic-inch hemi V8 fueled through twin 770 cubic-feet-per-minute Holley four-barrel carburetors giving the power plant an astounding 650 horsepower Lukow was infected with the Mopar racing bug by a neighbor while growing up in East Allentown "I got the motor first and then got the body," Lukow says He rescued the Superstock motor about eight years ago from a Belvedere that was being scrapped after a hard life on the drag-racing circuit He then got the Belvedere sedan and pretty much built the car around the motor to re-create a Superstock with a factory four-speed transmission The Belvedere Superstock's engine is the genuine article a 426-cubic-inch hemi V8 with twin 770-cfm Holley carbs Plymouth produced only 101 Superstock A-990 Belvederes and only 14 were factory equipped with four-speed manual transmissions To complete the car's re-created rarity Lukow had it finished in Plymouth Ruby Red Only one of the '65 Superstock Belvederes wore that color and Lukow says the location or very existence of that car is unknown The car is not a "clone," Lukow says "Once I got connected with people who know these cars I got a set of blueprints They're 3 feet wide by over 90 feet long and show every dimension and bolt-hole on the car My intent was to replicate it exactly as it came off the assembly line." Lukow's success is attested to by some of the heavyweights in stock-car and drag racing "Don Garlits has seen it," Lukow says 'You hit the nail on the head,' as a re-creation." Lukow is a member of Mopar Madness of the Lehigh Valley can often be found at the club's cruises at the Trexlertown Shopping Center Lukow's Superstock re-creation's interior showing added gauges and rare factory four-on-the-floor shifter the car features few of the creature comforts of an ordinary passenger car To reduce weight the Belvedere has lightened power-train and interior parts no radio and sports but one windshield wiper About cruising to the shows in his perfectly re-created '65 Plymouth Belvedere A-990 Superstock We have an Old English sheepdog we named Hemi My wife brings him along in her car." send a photo and information to: Classic Wheels Easton PA 18042; Attn: Pete Brekus; or email pbrekus@express-times.com Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Sign In Subscribe Now For anyone planning on tuning in to The Bachelor Canada in the coming weeks Former Sooke resident Ashley Lukow is one of the of the 20 lovely ladies who will be competing for former MLB pitcher Chris Leroux’s love this season Lukow went to school in Sooke from kindergarten through Grade 12 and said she applied to be on The Bachelor Canada online with a little encouragement from her sisters “I recently went through a breakup and wanted to try something different and fun,” Lukow said “I love adventures and looked at it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something pretty amazing.” She explained that she never expected to make it on the show coming from such a small town I never dreamt I would ever be on TV,” Lukow said She said the audition process lasted a few months and was intense as it required her to complete multiple questionnaires “I have never done anything like this before I am very traditional when it comes to dating,” said Lukow “I never got into using dating apps like Tinder or Bumble She added that dating someone is hard enough let alone having 19 other women live with her who are all competing for the same man “I am nervous about being on camera 24/7 and having my personal life exposed nationwide,” she said “I am really awkward so the thought of a film crew following me around all the time terrifies me.” and Lukow said they will be doing a lot of travelling on the show Although Lukow is nervous to have people see this side of her on television “I went into the experience with an open mind with no expectations other than to have fun,” she said editor@sookenewsmirror.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. 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To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Releasing 1,000 inmates early will place greater demands on Illinois parole agents who already have plenty to do “It is going to be more time-consuming,” said Matt Lukow president of Local 1964 of the American Federation of State which represents about 600 state workers and includes about 40 parole agents in central Illinois Parole agents will need to closely supervise inmates who get out of prison early “We basically have to make sure they’re not out running amok,” he added The released prisoners will be considered inmates and will have to follow stricter rules than parolees the released inmates will be outfitted with electronic ankle bracelets and will be prohibited from drinking alcohol or using drugs Illinois Department of Corrections officials on Friday unveiled plans to release 1,000 non-violent inmates who have less than a year remaining on their sentences Most of the eligible inmates will come from the agency’s transition centers and minimum-security facilities It’s too soon to say whether any will be released from the Logan or Lincoln correctional centers two medium-security prisons in Lincoln where more than 100 employees are slated for layoff Inmates won’t be eligible if they were convicted of homicide or a sex offense if they have a history of violent crimes or domestic violence or if they’re the subject of an active order of protection At a time when the agency must contend with state budget cuts Corrections officials estimate the move will save more than $5 million a year in food clothing and other costs associated with serving inmates That figure doesn’t take into account the $2 million that Gov Pat Quinn set aside so the department can line up drug treatment programs and other community-based resources for the released inmates Quinn also allocated another $2 million for a program to keep non-violent offenders out of prison by sending them into community-based programs Corrections officials have said parole agents will be able to handle the extra cases coming their way because of the early-release program an Elmhurst Republican who formerly worked as a prosecutor “They’re already overworked,” Reboletti said of the state’s 400 or so parole agents “You’re just going to stretch them even thinner than they are.” Lukow said the average parole agent in central Illinois carries a caseload of 110 to 120 parolees checking in once a month with about half of them especially if they’ve had substance-abuse problems or recent run-ins with the law Agents spend most of their time in the field random visits to parolees at their homes or workplaces Corrections officials already have begun the process of deciding which inmates will be eligible for early release The plan has won praise from Hanke Gratteau executive director of the John Howard Association of Illinois Non-violent offenders are better off getting the services they need such as drug treatment or educational programs They’re also more likely to stay out of trouble in the future Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Schmidt said he has no opinion on the early-release program though he called it an indication of the state’s limited resources “I think it demonstrates how precious bedspace is at the Department of Corrections,” he said Adriana Colindres can be reached at (217)782-6292 or adriana.colindres@sj-r.com Metrics details Diverse GABAergic interneuron networks orchestrate information processing in the brain Understanding the principles underlying the organisation of this system in the human brain and whether these principles are reflected by available non-invasive in vivo neuroimaging methods is crucial for the study of GABAergic neurotransmission we use human gene expression data and state-of-the-art imaging transcriptomics to uncover co-expression patterns between genes encoding GABAA receptor subunits and inhibitory interneuron subtype-specific markers and their association with binding patterns of the gold-standard GABA PET radiotracers [11C]Ro15-4513 and [11C]flumazenil We found that the inhibitory interneuron marker somatostatin covaries with GABAA receptor-subunit genes GABRA5 and GABRA2 and that their distribution followed [11C]Ro15-4513 binding the inhibitory interneuron marker parvalbumin covaried with GABAA receptor-subunit genes GABRA1 and their distribution tracked [11C]flumazenil binding Our findings indicate that existing PET radiotracers may provide complementary information about key components of the GABAergic system This intricacy of the GABAergic system poses a challenge to the investigation of the human GABAergic system in vivo that can be both selective and non-invasive The approach involves testing for covariance between the spatial expression pattern of each gene in the AHBA and the spatial topography of neuroimaging measures This results in the identification of specific cellular and molecular candidates which might contribute the most to the spatial variability in the neuroimaging signal using this approach for GABA PET radiotracers will inform how GABAergic system organisation in the human brain may be captured by these existing neuroimaging measures We found that distinct GABAergic inhibitory interneuron marker genes co-expressed with specific GABAAR subunit-encoding genes we observed that a substantial portion of the variation in [11C]Ro15-4513 and [11C]flumazenil binding covaried with the expression of genes encoding specific components of the GABAergic system Our findings provide a framework to bridge the gap between genes cells and macroscopic molecular neuroimaging features of the GABAergic system that may be of help for future in vivo studies in health and disease This indicated that the subsequent analyses including the SST and PVALB clusters were relevant for networks involving GABAergic inhibitory interneuron cell-types Other separate clusters of genes included GAD1 GABRD and TAC4 were all found individually in separate clusters that did not share assignment with any other gene of interest a Co-expression cluster assignment and b bivariate correlations (p < 0.05) between GABAergic interneuron markers and GABAAR subunits Pairwise correlations between c–e somatostatin (SST) and other genes of interest sharing their cluster assignment in the AHBA dataset Our second aim was to decode the links between the co-expression patterns of genes encoding GABAAR subunits and inhibitory interneuron markers (identified through the first aim) and the binding patterns of two gold-standard GABA PET radiotracers we integrated the gene expression data with maps of [11C]Ro15-4513 binding (n = 10 healthy volunteers) and [11C]flumazenil binding (n = 16 healthy volunteers) through a covariance analysis We used partial least square (PLS) regression we used as predictors the eigengenes of each of the clusters we identified in the WGCNA analysis Eigengenes in this context refer to the first principal component of a given cluster thus representing the pattern of regional expression of all genes within that cluster we used as predictors all 15,633 genes that passed our pre-processing criteria and inspected the rank of each of our genes of interest in the ranked list of genes according to their spatial alignment with the radiotracer This would provide a sense of how specific the correlation of each of our genes of interest might be as compared to other non-hypothesized genes and the cluster-wise analysis Z-scored regional brain distribution of a [11C]Ro15-4513 binding b weights of covariance between [11C]Ro15-4513 signal and 52 co-expression clusters from the AHBA and c weights of covariance between [11C]Ro15-4513 signal and expression of genes from the AHBA d Density plot of Z-scored weight distribution of genes from the AHBA in their covariance with [11C]Ro15−4513 signal Z-scored regional brain distribution of a [11C]flumazenil binding b weights of covariance between [11C]flumazenil signal and 52 co-expression clusters from the AHBA and c weights of covariance between [11C]flumazenil signal and expression of genes from the AHBA d Density plot of Z-scored weight distribution of genes from the AHBA in their covariance with [11C]flumazenil signal Our investigation suggests that these findings may not be coincidental and that these two GABA PET radiotracers could provide complementary information about the architecture of the inhibitory system These findings may have important implications for the study of GABAergic dysfunction in neuropsychiatric conditions further study using more precise molecular methodology is required to validate these findings it is plausible that the contribution of radiotracer binding to GABAARs on astrocytes might be insufficient to considerably drive spatial variation in [11C]Ro15-4513 binding across the brain GABRA2 and GABRA3 co-expression was linked to [11C]Ro15-4513 suggests that [11C]Ro15-4513 may be useful to investigate GABAergic system components implicated in anxiogenesis and depressive symptomatology these findings may suggest that SST interneuron dysfunction in the hippocampus and PVALB interneuron abnormalities in cortical and subcortical regions may play a role in the onset of psychosis Future GABA PET studies in early psychosis may address this hypothesis by examining PVALB interneuron-mediated inhibition with [11C]flumazenil and SST interneuron-associated inhibition with [11C]Ro15-4513 while carefully considering the effects of antipsychotic medication because we applied an intensity threshold to the microarray dataset to minimise inclusion of unreliable measures of gene expression we were not able to investigate some genes of interest due to the low intensity of signal for these genes in the AHBA dataset as compared to background Future studies using high sensitivity methods to measure expression of these genes across the whole brain will help to complement our findings in this respect we provide evidence of the regional association between the expression of: (1) SST GABRB2 and GABRG2; and (3) VIP and CCK in the human brain These findings expand our understanding of the canonical transcriptomic architecture of specific GABAergic system components in the human brain we provide first evidence that the expression of distinct inhibitory interneuron sub-types and specific GABAAR subunits covary with [11C]Ro15-4513 and [11C]flumazenil binding in a largely non-overlapping manner While [11C]Ro15-4513 signal covaried with the expression of SST and genes encoding several major benzodiazepine-sensitive GABAAR subunits implicated in affective functioning (GABRA5 [11C]flumazenil tracked PVALB and genes encoding subunits comprising the most widely expressed receptor (GABRA1 These findings may have important implications for existing and future PET studies of GABA dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disease Once corroborated by more direct molecular methods our work has the potential to inform methodological choices for imaging the GABAergic system and to help the interpretation of findings within a framework that bridges the gap between genes cells and macroscopic in vivo molecular neuroimaging features the brain (cerebrum including the brainstem) was sampled systematically across the left hemisphere in all six donors and the right hemisphere in two of the donors Manual macrodissection was performed on the cerebral and cerebellar cortex Subcortical areas and cerebellar nuclei were sampled with laser microdissection in 36 mm2 increments RNA was then isolated from these dissections and gene expression was quantified with microarray where ρ is Spearman’s rank correlation of the expression of a single probe p across regions in two donor brains Next, tissue samples were assigned to brain regions using their corrected MNI coordinates (https://github.com/chrisfilo/alleninf) by finding the nearest region within a radius of 2 mm sample-to-region matching was constrained by hemisphere and cortical/subcortical divisions If a brain region was not assigned to any sample based on the above procedure the sample closest to the centroid of that region was selected in order to ensure that all brain regions were assigned a value Samples assigned to the same brain region were averaged separately for each donor Gene expression values were then normalized separately for each donor across regions using a robust sigmoid function and rescaled to the unit interval Scaled expression profiles were finally averaged across donors resulting in a single matrix with rows corresponding to brain regions and columns corresponding to the retained 15,633 genes The genes of interest that did not pass this intensity-based thresholding were GABRA6 range 22–30) with no history of psychiatric diagnoses neurological illness or head trauma with loss of consciousness were scanned with the radiotracer [11C]Ro15-4513 Scanning was performed on a SignaTM PET-MR General Electric (3 T) scanner using the MP26 software (01 and 02) at Invicro The study was approved by the London/Surrey Research Ethics Committee All subjects provided written informed consent before participation in accordance with The Declaration of Helsinki The radiotracer was administered through the dominant antecubital fossa vein in a single bolus injection administered at the beginning of the scanning session The mean ± SD amount of radiation administered was 307 MBq ± 71 (range: 173–405 MBq) PET acquisition was performed in 3D list mode for 70 min and binned in the following frames: 15sx10 Attenuation correction was performed with a ZTE sequence (voxel size: 2.4 × 2.4 × 2.4 mm3 A T1-weighted IR-FSPGR sequence was used for PET image co-registration (voxel size: 1 × 1 × 1 mm3 The individual parametric maps were averaged using SPM imCalc function and resliced with the Co-register: Reslice function to match the dimensions of the Desikan–Killiany atlas (voxel size 1 × 1 × 1 mm the averaged parametric map of [11C]Ro15-4513 binding was resampled into 83 regions of the Desikan–Killiany atlas space using the fslmeants function from FSL WGCNA uses individual pairwise correlations for the creation of a co-expression network and gene clustering We used both the WGCNA gene clusters and the complete gene expression dataset for our covariance analyses To illustrate how individual pairwise correlations between our genes of interest may be represented in the respective covariance analyses we performed and visualised a bivariate correlation analysis in R 4.0.3 using the Hmisc and corrplot packages All available genes of interest were input into a bivariate correlation analysis The p-value threshold was set to p < 0.05 No correction for multiple comparisons was applied as this was used for illustrative purposes The predictor variable matrix comprised gene expression per brain region in the left hemisphere only since the AHBA only includes data from the right hemisphere for two out of the six donors The response variable matrices comprised [11C]Ro15-4513 and [11C]flumazenil binding in the 42 brain regions of the left hemisphere The analysis was then repeated using the 52 WGCNA module eigengenes as the predictor variables both predictor and response matrices were Z-scored Further information on research design is available in the Nature Research Reporting Summary linked to this article All other source data can be accessed from the public sources used Any other data are available from the corresponding author (or other sources Code used for any part of the project can be made available at request Interneuron cell types are fit to function Three groups of interneurons account for nearly 100% of neocortical GABAergic neurons GABAergic interneurons in the neocortex: from cellular properties to circuits Numbers and proportions of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in different areas of monkey cerebral cortex Brain-wide maps of synaptic input to cortical interneurons The GABA system in anxiety and depression and its therapeutic potential Interneuron dysfunction in psychiatric disorders GABAA receptor subtypes: therapeutic potential in down syndrome The GABAergic deficit hypothesis of major depressive disorder GABAergic mechanisms of hippocampal hyperactivity in schizophrenia Transcriptional and imaging-genetic association of cortical interneurons Dense inhibitory connectivity in neocortex Petilla terminology: nomenclature of features of GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex distribution and function of GABA-A receptor subtypes Quantitative localisation of synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptor subunits on hippocampal pyramidal cells by freeze-fracture replica immunolabelling and clustering of γ-aminobutyric acid A receptor subtypes in hippocampal neurons in vitro GABAAR isoform and subunit structural motifs determine synaptic and extrasynaptic receptor localisation Input-specific synaptic location and function of the α5 GABA a receptor subunit in the mouse CA1 hippocampal neurons GABA-based therapeutic approaches: GABAA receptor subtype functions Positron emission tomography imaging of the γ-aminobutyric acid system Remarkable selectivity of the in vivo binding of [3H]Ro15-4513 to α5 subtype of benzodiazepine receptor in the living mouse brain Imaging the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor subtype containing the α-5-subunit in vivo with [11C]Ro15 4513 positron emission tomography Cell type- and input-specific differences in the number and subtypes of synaptic GABAA receptors in the hippocampus parvalbumin+ GABAergic interneurons: from cellular design to microcircuit function Inhibition of inhibition in visual cortex: the logic of connections between molecularly distinct interneurons The promise of spatial transcriptomics for neuroscience in the era of molecular cell typing Classics in neuroimaging: development of positron emission tomography tracers for imaging the GABAergic pathway Two distinct mechanisms target GAD67 to vesicular pathways and presynaptic clusters The current status of somatostatin-interneurons in inhibitory control of brain function and plasticity Cortical interneurons that specialize in disinhibitory control The mammalian tachykinin ligand-receptor system: an emerging target for central neurological disorders A general framework for weighted gene co-expression network analysis Allen Brain Atlas: An integrated spatio-temporal portal for exploring the central nervous system An automated labeling system for subdividing the human cerebral cortex on MRI scans into gyral based regions of interest Integrative single-cell analysis of transcriptional and epigenetic states in the human adult brain WebGestalt 2019: gene set analysis toolkit with revamped UIs and APIs Cell type-specific gene expression of alpha 5 subunit-containing gamma-aminobutyric acid subtype A receptors in human and mouse frontal cortex An emerging circuit pharmacology of GABAA receptors Human brain transcriptome analysis finds region- and subject-specific expression signatures of GABAAR subunits Lamina-specific alterations in cortical GABAA receptor subunit expression in schizophrenia GABAA receptor subtypes in the mouse brain: regional mapping and diazepam receptor occupancy by in vivo [18F]flumazenil PET Structure of a human synaptic GABAA receptor New insights into the role of the GABAA-benzodiazepine receptor in psychiatric disorder Brain regional distribution of GABAA receptors exhibiting atypical GABA agonism: Roles of receptor subunits Altered markers of tonic inhibition in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia Diverse actions of astrocytes in GABAergic signaling Astrocytes as GABA-ergic and GABA-ceptive cells Transcriptomic and cellular decoding of regional brain vulnerability to neurogenetic disorders and oligodendrocytes: a new resource for understanding brain development and function The glia/neuron ratio: How it varies uniformly across brain structures and species and what that means for brain physiology and evolution Somatostatin-positive gamma-aminobutyric acid interneuron deficits in depression: cortical microcircuit and therapeutic perspectives Disinhibition of somatostatin-positive GABAergic interneurons results in an anxiolytic and antidepressant-like brain state Hippocampal interneurons are abnormal in schizophrenia In vivo measurement of GABA transmission in healthy subjects and schizophrenia patients Is the GABA system related to the social competence improvement effect of aripiprazole Region specific knockdown of Parvalbumin or Somatostatin produces neuronal and behavioral deficits consistent with those observed in schizophrenia Marques, T. R. et al. GABA-A receptor differences in schizophrenia: a positron emission tomography study using [11C]Ro154513. Mol. Psychiatry https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-0711-y (2020) GABAA/Benzodiazepine receptor binding in patients with schizophrenia using [11C]Ro15-4513 a radioligand with relatively high affinity for α5 subunit Region-specific and dose-specific effects of chronic haloperidol exposure on [3H]-flumazenil and [3H]-Ro15-4513 GABAA receptor binding sites in the rat brain Quantification of [11 C]Ro15-4513 GABA A α5 specific binding and regional selectivity in humans The predictive power of brain mRNA mappings for in vivo protein density: a positron emission tomography correlation study Integration of human whole-brain transcriptome and neuroimaging data: Practical considerations of current available methods Imaging transcriptomics: Convergent cellular and molecular neuroimaging signatures in the healthy adult human brain Transcriptional and cellular signatures of cortical morphometric remodelling in chronic pain Markello, R., Shafiei, G., Zheng, Y.-Q. & Mišić, B. abagen: A toolbox for the Allen Brain Atlas genetics data. Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4479293 (2021) A practical guide to linking brain-wide gene expression and neuroimaging data Canonical genetic signatures of the adult human brain Defining clusters from a hierarchical cluster tree: the dynamic tree cut package for R Parametric imaging of ligand-receptor binding in PET using a simplified reference region model A high-resolution in vivo atlas of the human brain’s benzodiazepine binding site of GABAA receptors Adolescence is associated with genomically patterned consolidation of the hubs of the human brain connectome Lukow, P. B. et al. Imaging transcriptomics of GABAergic neurotransmission in the human brain. figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19169663 (2022) Download references This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the commercial or not-for-profit sectors is in receipt of a PhD studentship funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care by the Wellcome Trust [Sir Henry Dale Fellowship 202397/Z/16/Z to G.M.] the author has applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission acknowledge funding supporting this work from the Medical Research Council UK Centre grant MR/N026063/1 are supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust The authors would like to extend special thanks to colleagues from the Neurobiology Research Unit at Copenhagen University Hospital for making their data publicly available as well as Dr Samuel Cooke for his advice on the interpretation of the results Federico Edoardo Turkheimer & Gemma Modinos Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Anthony Christopher Vernon & Gemma Modinos and all other authors edited the manuscript and made contributions to the interpretation of the data The authors declare no competing interests Communications Biology thanks Rosa Maria Moresco and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editors: Christian Wozny and Anam Akhtar. Peer reviewer reports are available Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03268-1 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science &ldquo;The Arabian Nights&rdquo; cast Despite a committed group of leaders early on, including 2008 University of Virginia alums Sasheer Zamata, a new addition to the “Saturday Night Live” cast, and Jonathan Green, founder of Sideshow Theatre Company in Chicago, Spectrum Theatre a student-run independent theater group with a reputation for producing thought-provoking dramas The change in leadership provided the theater with a two options: dissipate Lukow, a fourth-year interdisciplinary arts administration and media studies major reached out to fellow fourth-year arts administration distinguished major Stephanie LeBolt who had been distant from Spectrum since her role as choreographer for their 2012 production While continuing to stage Spectrum’s annual productions “Vagina Monologues” and “Voices of the Class,” Lukow and LeBolt set out to “to reinvigorate the organization with a clearer mission and identity “We’ve worked incredibly hard to develop a brand and an identity for Spectrum who serves as Spectrum’s artistic director George Sampson, a lecturer in arts administration in the School of Architecture and instructor to both Lukow and LeBolt considers this year’s rebirth to be the result of the leadership of the two “[Spectrum has] bonded together more tightly than before created a community of audience and participants who care about Spectrum and who have learned lessons they will apply to post-graduate life experiences ever afterward,” he said Spectrum’s all-student executive board invited 12 students to take leadership positions LeBolt and Lukow have created a more stable model for success while leaving room for the creative flexibility that allows Spectrum to thrive Although Spectrum may have been traveling on uneven ground prior to its rebirth provided LeBolt with insight into what had been an ongoing struggle to keep Spectrum alive “[He said] that the organization had also almost collapsed during his time as an undergraduate is that despite the many challenges that it’s had over its history this speaks to the need for Spectrum in the U.Va We will always need an organization willing to take on the risk of doing new and different material and Spectrum’s tenacity and resilience speaks to that necessity.” Many students who are not arts majors find a home with Spectrum [Spectrum] is about inclusion and diversity Spectrum’s mission does not end at academic diversity but emphasizes a desire to challenge the community through “high quality and excellence and social relevance and community outreach,” Lukow said LeBolt said she believes art should challenge its audience to question their biases and the way they see the world “The Arabian Nights,” especially accomplishes that mission “‘The Arabian Nights’ asks us to consider the place of cultural diversity in our everyday lives and the way forward for cultural heritage in places like Baghdad,” LeBolt said “The Arabian Nights,” a modern adaptation of the ancient Persian tales “One Thousand and One Nights,” runs April 3 through 5 at 8 p.m Spectrum’s productions aim to provide the audience with more than just an occupied hour or pure entertainment; they push the audience to leave “surprised “We want audience members to enjoy and be entertained by our productions but also to think carefully and critically about the subject matter after they leave the auditorium,” Lukow said “I firmly believe that art begins with its audience.” “[The] University has had a robust tradition of independently student-produced artistic enterprises – a cappella groups, improv ensembles, etcetera,” drama professor Richard Warner said unlike other performing and musical arts groups at U.Va. Spectrum has the capability to push the creative envelope because it is not tied to a niche form of entertainment Spectrum provides a variety of outlets for creative expression inviting production proposals at the beginning of each academic year “Spectrum has certainly proven itself as an established and thriving student theatrical enterprise,” Warner said Most recently, Spectrum partnered with Sustained Dialogue to present a series of dramatic staged readings titled “Breaking Grounds.” Sustained Dialogue brings together students at U.Va to discuss important topics that impact the University community “The reading series really gets to the heart of our mission – it provokes and it offers low time commitments for some great actors and directors We also intentionally keep each reading free to try and make them as accessible as possible,” LeBolt said Red Rabbit,” was as exciting for the performer as it was for the audience Graduate student Mike Long was asked to perform a cold read of the play on the opening night of the series he had committed to the gamble of possibly drinking liquid poison as part of the play’s conclusion Audience members were asked to leave while he waited for uncertain death.  audience members were invited to participate often not knowing what their participation would entail Comic relief broke up the thought-provoking moments that the play provided yet audience members still left the play not knowing whether Long would survive the night but rather the private and public discussions that are sparked as a result “What’s really important are the conversations we host following each performance with Sustained Dialogue,” Lukow said “That’s where the real discoveries are made and the real magic happens.” “God of Carnage,” is scheduled for April 13 at 7 p.m While new opportunities add an element of uniqueness to the Spectrum Theatre’s schedule the group remains dedicated to its annual productions Spectrum performs a sketch variety show based on the incoming first-year students’ admissions essays The essays are acted out as a part of life at U.Va Such performances provide real-life experiences that are crucial to developing the classroom experience “[Spectrum productions allow] classes to have a more intelligent deeper and empathic dialogue between arts managers audience members and the greater community of U.Va.,” Sampson said “The techniques we practice in class need to be employed in ‘real-life’ public performance,” he said “An actor can do this in a variety of different ways but the best way is to either create one’s own work or create a place sophisticated work can be explored and presented That’s exactly what Spectrum Theater has done for many years now.” As Lukow and LeBolt prepare to graduate in May they hope they are leaving the theater on firmer footing “My hope is that the baton can be passed to a next generation who will continue to create provocative and important student-driven work,” Warner said Robert Hull /content/spectrum-theater-seeks-inclusive-casts-thought-provoking-productions the heyday of boy bands like ’N Sync and the Backstreet Boys Lukow thought it “looked easy.” He thought it “reeked of money.” So he hired five kids Dream Street was on the verge of superstardom Lukow found himself escaping into a new dream the scale of start-up costs can make it a money pit has sunk at least a million dollars into Huckapoo and as he careers around Town Hall during rehearsals for the band’s first solo concert it is clear he’s spending tens of thousands more: lasers “We’ll be losing money for a while,” he volunteers five 13-to-15-year-old girls in workout sweats and pajama bottoms struggle to hit their marks getting breathless running back to their starting positions after each number they have never before performed on a stage anywhere near this large There’s no reason you should know about Huckapoo yet Maybe your tween daughter can hum one song if she’s listening to the new Radio Disney Jingle Jams holiday CD But even most kids have never heard of Huckapoo unless they happen to attend Long Beach Middle School or Jericho High where the students are still buzzing about how Lindsay Nyman and Brittney Segal were pulled out of homeroom last year to become famous (The other three Huckapoo girls are from Pennsylvania It’s far from obvious that fame is truly in the offing for the members of Huckapoo we’re not going to make it,’ ” says Jordan Price “Maybe all girls think this way,” adds Brittney “but I’ve always known deep inside that I’m going to be famous.” These girls are clearly primed to see their names in lights Lukow couldn’t take a gamble on five ordinary girls becoming famous through nothing more than hard work and varying degrees of talent So he envisioned girls who were already stars “It doesn’t fill my creative jones.” Those girls may play Huckapoo it’s probably much more Village People.” He means it in a good way He keeps a cluttered office in Rockefeller Center and employs only a choreographer and vocal coach full-time It would be hard to paint him as an evil Svengali His manipulative impulses are swamped by his apparent inability or unwillingness to edit himself before speaking He is that rare and strangely likable character Lukow’s first career was as a broker at Lehman Brothers he was comfortable enough to be able to chase his dream in the music business Though his tastes tend mostly toward “what they now call ‘classic rock,’ which just means I’ve gotten really old,” Lukow never really got over the bubblegum pop that was the soundtrack of his childhood “I grew up as a kid never missing The Monkees Never missing it.” And it isn’t only the songs he remembers fondly So when Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys hit Lukow didn’t turn up his nose the way so many people over 14 did Lukow says he doesn’t like to talk a lot about his first foray into teen pop with Dream Street On the successes that justified his initial faith in the project: more than a million albums sold concerts that had to be halted to protect delirious girls from crushing one another And on the traitors who screwed it all up: clueless record executives the “crazy mothers” who all thought they knew best and eventually litigated the band out of existence in a misbegotten attempt to wrest control from Lukow and his production partner Baldonieri emerged from the Dream Street crucible determined never to work with stage moms again but Lukow had an idea he thought was too ingenious not to try Huckapoo wouldn’t be just another girl group as promotional material would later put it “a genre-bending pop collective.” There would be characters based on the types of girls he saw every day on the streets of New York you have to make them something their female fans can aspire to And it was already clear that you could sell these personas to kids “If you walk into a Limited Too store in Any-Mall you’ll see a whole area of preppy clothes and you’ll see a whole area of hippie clothes and you’ll see a whole area of punk and a whole area of hip-hop—right in this one store.” The first thing Lukow did was commission an artist to draw concept sketches of his characters He gave them names he thought of as “larger-than-life,” so as to make fans think These sure aren’t the boring kids who go to my school Lukow was forced to fine-tune some characters for intellectual-property reasons Twiggy Stardom was supposed to be Twiggy Stardust until Lukow’s lawyers warned him that David Bowie wouldn’t be happy about that which turned out to be the name of an actual porn star Ever since the word Huckapoo floated into his head—nothing to do with Huk-A-Poo he insists—Lukow has been almost perversely attached to it That even tween girls wrinkle their noses at the name doesn’t faze him that means somehow that it’s staying up there The creator/producer of teen pop group with Billboard #1-selling album is seeking five girls.” Hundreds responded Lukow sat down with the girls’ parents to make sure they weren’t going to be like the last batch “I think we had tougher auditions than the girls did,” says Bruce Nyman whose daughter Lindsay won the role of Joey Thunders Lukow volunteers preemptively that the girls he ended up with are not or the best dancers.” But he contends that they are the best Huckapoo girls and that the ease with which they’ve melted into their characters bears that out “All of us have become much more like our personas,” agrees Lindsay The girls say they can’t fathom changing parts with one another Concept rendering for the personas of Huckapoo the girls are not all that different from one another Lukow calls the Huckapoo characters “style statements.” Certainly any differences end well before you get to the music Maybe PJ will spit a few lines of rap here and there There is nothing in a Joey Thunders song that approaches punk or in a Groovy Tuesday song that hints of psychedelics Anyone who has heard pop stars come and go through the years will find little in Huckapoo’s music to either impress or disappoint catchy head-bobbers and plenty of shallow but affecting ballads composed by competent songwriters who have fed tunes to Lindsay Lohan There’s nothing about their music that is so blindingly original or brilliant that their success is inevitable but it’s easily good enough that if someone told you that three years from now they’ll be the hottest band in the world Lukow hopes Huckapoo is an improvement over the most recent wave of girl bands really know when they’re being pushed shit “It’s still to be determined whether I can actually do this or whether I just believe my own bullshit.” and Lukow reciprocates—albeit in small ways—by soliciting some input from the girls he will sometimes present them with two songs and ask which they like better she’d be more likely to say “wow” than “whoah.” But that’s about the extent of it The band had only recently formed when they spent a night sleeping over at Brittany’s house One thing they found in common was how much they hated the name Huckapoo “Do we have to be called Huckapoo?” they asked “You don’t have to be called Huckapoo at all Lukow knew that if he couldn’t sell Huckapoo on Huckapoo So he told them it wasn’t just a nonsense word and all good things” in Swahili—“kind of like shalom.” Lukow had secured Huckapoo a spot on a tour called Camplified which the New York Times described as “Lollapalooza for the lollipop set.” The group played fifteen summer camps across the Northeast introducing captive audiences of young tastemakers to their music and the bands were required to chat up campers “They treated us like celebrities,” says Brittney just to make sure the campers knew about Huckapoo at all and the girls recorded messages to be played over the dining-hall loudspeakers as the day of their arrival approached They’d declare how they couldn’t wait to come to the girls tried to distance themselves from their name A typical response was “He gave it to us,” with a head jerk in Lukow’s direction And when the Swahili fib was exposed by a summer-camp girl who inconveniently spoke Swahili Lukow switched to Plan B: Huckapoo isn’t an entry in a lexicon It’s about being true to yourself.” He commissioned a theme song be who you wanna be.” Coming from five thin it may be little more than a style statement but the girls are convinced their fans appreciate it “I think a lot of people can relate to us,” says Brooke ‘I don’t need to be the typical girl in school the girls were getting hints of what the future might hold “We weren’t really sure what the kids would think of us,” says Brittany “And they really took to us.” Lukow hopes it’s a sign of things to come He needs the girls to become full-on superstars or the whole operation goes bust: The girls get a salary no matter what but it escalates only when the money pours in And Lukow and Marks get virtually nothing unless they become fabulously wealthy The biggest risk Lukow is taking is not signing Huckapoo to a record label When their first album comes out in January it will be independently produced and distributed Radio is not the best use of his Huckapoo dollars Deals like the Disney Christmas CD work because he doesn’t have to relinquish any rights “Our business model is really built around controlling the intellectual property and leveraging this brand called Huckapoo,” says Lukow The first thing he wants to sell is a TV movie he pitches as “Grease meets Breakfast Club.” He’s calling it an inverse reality show something to drive sales through the band’s Website and 800 number lotta legs.” Lukow has registered trademarks for toys The Town Hall performance is less an actual concert than an elaborate pitch meeting a chance for potential partners to see what Huckapoo will be about once it holds actual concerts Lukow is throwing in a little of everything The show will open with a two-minute cartoon scored to the “Huckapoo World” theme song and there are sketches in between the songs to spotlight the girls’ personas the boys who have been cast as the girls’ romantic interests help themselves to some food having been firmly rebuffed in their attempts to cast themselves as the girls’ actual romantic interests They had never heard of Huckapoo before booking the gig it’s hard to find anyone among the 1,200 ticket-holders who isn’t a friend or family Other than a handful of kids who fell for Huckapoo on Camplified the reasons people give for being there are all along the lines of “Brittney’s my sister,” “We’re cousins,” “We worked with Groovy,” and “My son grew up with Brian.” It’s “an audience full of shills,” as Lukow reminds his charges three days later when he’s ready for them to stop basking and start working again the concert still feels like a high-school talent show and the mikes pick up too much of the girls’ heavy breathing—though this at least proves they’re not lip-synching the choruses are sweetened to give them more oomph “I make no apologies for that,” says Lukow.) But here’s what counts: Angel and PJ nail their songs and their dance steps and their charisma is brighter than the lasers The autograph table is thronged with squealing girls “That’s a bit of a stretch,” snorts Brittney a week later but there’s no question something has changed for this band “When they cut half the lights and the crowd cheers It was real.” He wipes away an authentic tear the band appears on the New York City WB morning show They perform two songs and chat briefly with the host “How did you come up with the name?” she wants to know “Since all of our characters are based on being different and Huckapoo just seemed to fit.” Twiggy nods Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York Nobody ever said it was easy to make it in Hollywood the entertainment industry tends to be a one-trick pony “I thought it would be an easy pitch,” creator and producer Brian Lukow says of his latest project a music-and-film project revolving around Drama Drama Even the man behind the successful boy band Dream Street at first found it difficult to get his project launched “The music industry saw Drama Drama and wanted to do a record,” Lukow remembers I kept running into the same frustration.” Despite having made money for Dream Street’s home at Atlantic Records Entertainment had trouble understanding the idea behind Drama Drama’s film debut Crazy for the Boys and its attenuating music and marketing offshoots Other companies had the same reaction but that didn’t stop Lukow “It’s a crazy and strange undertaking,” he says “I have a business model to build the biggest band in the world but people looked at me like I was crazy.” Drama Drama was to be a modern Spice Girls a band with history as dreamed by young girls 10-12 Each member of Drama Drama has her own character which Lukow describes as over the top versions of the cast of characters someone might find in a high school cafeteria Crazy for the Boys is the band’s fictionalized back story which Lukow admits is “A 100-minuter commercial to blow up the band.” That someone finally understood is testament to Lukow’s clarity of vision and persistence “You either have to reach critical mass or you fail.” Poland-based poultry group SuperDrob is investing PLN50m (US$13.6m) to build a new feed production facility in the mid-eastern town of Luków and expects to create 40 to 50 jobs from the project Poland-based poultry group SuperDrob is investing PLN50m (US$13.6m) to build a new feed production facility in the mid-eastern town of Luków and expects to create 40 to 50 jobs from the project The company is also seeking to double chicken slaughtering capacity at another site in Lublin SuperDrob estimates its investment at Luków will lead to the production of 20,000 tonnes a month of feed mixtures for broiler chickens The “green” facility is located in the newly-created Luków subzone of the Tarnobrzeg ‘Special Economic Zone’ and will manufacture crops-based feed products SuperDrob specialises in the production and processing of poultry meat with half of its products for sale outside Poland The company currently employs more than 2,500 people across its seven subsidiary companies and booked revenues of PLN1bn last year Its main processing plants are located in the town of Karczew,near Warsaw and in the cities of Lódz and Lublin.  Lublin hosts two sites, SuperDrob’s Poultry Hatchery in the village of Turka and the Poultry Slaughterhouse at Zimna Road in Lublin.  The company’s own-branded products include fresh poultry meat processed pre-seasoned and flavoured poultry Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis the company’s representative for the integration of capital investments said: “We are planning to double the slaughtering and portioning of chickens in our Lublin plant We cooperate with the local breeders and we have very good raw material but at the same time we have to carry on with necessary investment We are going to invest in areas related to environment protection as well as in technologies concerned with the safety and security of a meat-processing plant.” Around 500 workers are based at the Lublin plant and SuperDrob said it is looking to add more jobs Thailand-based food giant Chareon Pokphand Foods took a 33% stake in the Polish firm last year Nominations are now open for the prestigious Just Food Excellence Awards - one of the industry's most recognised programmes celebrating innovation This is your chance to showcase your achievements Don't miss the opportunity to be honoured among the best - submit your nomination today Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Jesse McCartney was one of the most promising young stars in the 2000’s. He had a number of radio hits that many fans still remember to this day and attracted a lot of female followers for his good looks Although McCartney is no longer a huge star like he was back then there are no doubt people who wonder how much money he has made since becoming a pop singer Read on below to find out what McCartney’s net worth is and what he is up to now McCartney’s career started in 1999 when he joined the boy band Dream Street alongside four other teenage guys The group released one album and a few singles from 1999 to 2002 However, Dream Street’s career came to a halt in mid-2002 when the members’ parents sued the band’s creators for engaging “in a wide range of conduct and activities that plainly threaten and impair the minors’ well-being.” The lawsuit claimed that Baldonieri and Lukow were exposing the youngsters to things like alcohol and pornography with Baldonieri saying that the parents who sued were “teaching kids you can sign anything the court ruled against Baldonieri and Lukow effectively releasing McCartney and his band members from their contract While things did not work out well for Dream Street McCartney soon proved that he could become a star all on his own which ended up charting at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum The album came with one of his most famous songs yet – “Beautiful Soul” – as well as other released tracks like “She’s No You” and “Because You Live.” McCartney continued to come out with more music He had a number of other radio hits like “Right Where You Want Me,” “Leavin’,” “How Do You Sleep?,” and “Shake.” He also worked closely with Disney and had many songs in soundtracks for Disney movies and shows He has proven himself capable of taking on acting work as well From 1998 to 2001, he played JR Chandler in the soap opera All My Children he also had a main role in the short-lived show Summerland he has been the voice of Theodore in the Alvin and the Chipmunks film series as well as Terrence in the Disney Fairies franchise Although it has been a while since McCartney last had a song on the radio he is still releasing music every few years he released two singles – “Better with You” and “Wasted.” Fans of McCartney can actually still watch him perform live and the singer will perform several shows in Australia in the coming few months The couple has been together since 2012 when McCartney proposed to her during a dinner date McCartney might not be the most popular singer at the moment, but his net worth is still an enviable one for most people. The 32-year-old is reportedly worth $9 million He currently lives in a house in the Hollywood Hills that is worth almost $2 million.