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MTV VMAS 2020 – RECAP

Lady Gaga was the big winner at the MTV VMAs 2020 last night walking away with five awards.

Three of the star’s trophies were shared with Ariana Grande for their collaborative track “Rain On Me,” including Song Of The Year, Best Collaboration and Best Cinematography. The pair also performed the track live for the first time at the socially-distanced ceremony.

Lady Gaga was honored as the first-ever Tricon award winner. She was celebrated for her music and film career along with her activism. Gaga said she failed multiple times as a musician and actress, and noted how philanthropy has become a big part of her career.

BTS walked away with four Moonman trophies for Best Group, Best Pop, Best K-pop and Best Choreography for “On.” The Korean group also gave the debut live performance of their new single “Dynamite.”

Video of the Year went to The Weeknd for “Blinding Lights,” who also won Best R&B for the same track. The star used both of his acceptance speeches to call for justice for Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor.

The ceremony, which was originally scheduled to take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center but was moved to various outdoor locations due to the coronavirus pandemic, was hosted by Keke Palmer. The presenter opened the show by paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who died on Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43.

The night featured buzzworthy performances, like Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s showstopping TV debut of their collaboration “Rain on Me.” BTS, Miley Cyrus, the Black Eyed Peas, and more also took the stage, while A-listers like Drew Barrymore and Kelly Clarkson presented.

This year, the VMAs also added two categories to reflect the current state of music: Best Music Video From Home and Best Quarantine Performance, which went to Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s “Stuck with U” and CNCO’s “Unplugged at Home,” respectively.

WINNER’S MONTAGE: 

 

Winners include:

  • Video Of The Year: The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”
  • Artist Of The Year: Lady Gaga
  • Song Of The Year: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
  • Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
  • Best Group: BTS
  • Push Best New Artist, Presented By Chime Banking: Doja Cat
  • Best Pop: BTS – “On”
  • Best Hip-Hop: Megan Thee Stallion – “Savage”
  • Best Rock: Coldplay – “Orphans”
  • Best Alternative: Machine Gun Kelly – “Bloody Valentine”
  • Best Latin: Maluma ft. J Balvin – “Queì Pena”
  • Best R&B: The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”
  • Best K-Pop: BTS – “On”
  • Video For Good: H.E.R. – “I Can’t Breathe”
  • Best Music Video From Home: Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – “Stuck with U”
  • Best Quarantine Performance: CNCO – Unplugged At Home
  • Best Direction: Taylor Swift – “The Man” – Directed by Taylor Swift
  • Best Cinematography: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Cinematography by Thomas Kloss
  • Best Art Direction: Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – Art Direction by Christian Stone
  • Best Visual Effects: Dua Lipa – “Physical” – Visual Effects by EIGHTY4
  • Best Choreography: BTS – “On” – Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun
  • Best Editing: Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico
  • MTV Tricon Award: Lady Gaga

CHECK IT OUT

Full Story: MTV

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Chadwick Boseman has Died from Colon Cancer at 43

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman has died from colon cancer at age 43. He died surrounded by family after a four-year battle with colon cancer that he managed to keep private, despite starring in and promoting multiple critically acclaimed films while undergoing surgeries and chemotherapy, his team shares. 

On Instagram, they shared: “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV. A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.”

Boseman’s team wrote that his role as King T’Challa in Black Panther was “the honor of his career.”

“He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side,” the post concluded. “The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

Boseman is also beloved for his portrayals of historical figures, such as Jackie Robinson in 42, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall and James Brown in Get On Up.

In 2018, he spoke of his relationship with two fans who died of cancer before Black Panther was released. He told EW: “Throughout our filming, I was communicating with them, knowing they were both terminal. What they and their parents said to me was, they were trying to hold on ’til this movie comes. To a certain degree it’s a humbling experience because you’re like, this can’t mean that much to them. But seeing how the world has taken this on, I realize they anticipated something great. Thinking back now to when I was a kid, waiting for Christmas to come, waiting for my birthday to come, waiting for a toy I was gonna get a chance to experience, or a video game, I did live life waiting for those moments. It put me back in the mind of being a kid and feeling those two boys’ anticipation of this movie.”

Hollywood and beyond shared their grief and shock at Boseman’s death. Marvel wrote: “Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family. Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace.”

He is survived by his wife Taylor Simone Ledward.

Read the Full Story: https://bit.ly/2D8JwTN

Audio Tribute:

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Census Takers are Easy to Spot Across New Hampshire

WASHINGTON — The United States Census Bureau is actively conducting Non-Response Follow Up operations across every city, town, and municipality in the state to ensure a complete and accurate count of everyone living in the United States. By law, the Census Bureau must provide the first results from the 2020 Census by December 31st. To provide complete and accurate results by that deadline, we are doing everything we can to collect a response from every household by September 30th. We are urging households to respond, maximizing staff and production hours, and ensuring data quality along the way. 

Following Health & Safety Guidelines 

To ensure safety of all employees and residents, census takers are wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines. In most cases, census workers will make up to six attempts at each address to count possible residents—this is the same number of attempts we have been planning all along. Census takers will still visit homes during the originally planned hours—between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., local time, including on weekends, to reach people when they are more likely at home. Census takers are also calling some households to help them respond to the census, providing one more way to count hard-to-reach communities and people who have not yet responded. 

We continue to urge households to respond through our multilingual advertising campaign and through the efforts of nearly 400,000 partner organizations. We urge everyone to respond now or when a census taker comes to your door—and to encourage everyone you know to do the same. We are even mailing an additional paper census questionnaire to many households that have not responded yet in low-responding areas. 

Identifying Census Workers 

The Census Bureau is attempting to complete data collection as quickly and safely as possible, while ensuring a complete and accurate count as it strives to comply with law and statutory deadlines. Identifying a Census Bureau employee can be accomplished by checking their ID badge, which includes:  

  • Their name 
  • Their photograph 
  • A Department of Commerce Watermark 
  • An expiration date
Employees will also have an official 2020 Census bag and Census Bureau issued iPhone. If you are still unsure, you can ask the census taker for their supervisor’s contact information or the phone number for the local Census Bureau regional census center. Also, census takers should NEVER ask for any of the following information: 
  • Your Social Security number 
  • Your bank account or credit card numbers 
  • Anything on behalf of a political party
  • Money or donations 
Measuring Quality of Work 

The United States Census Bureau has created a group of experienced field experts to closely monitor, evaluate, and resolve quality issues. Because census takers are using mobile devices instead of paper, we have a great deal of data about how long the census takers spend interviewing each respondent and​where they physically were when the interview was conducted. We are carefully monitoring this information and using it to identify outliers. Based on those outliers, we may re-interview a portion of the census takers’ work to verify quality standards are met. The best way to avoid a visit from a census taker at home is to complete the 2020 Census online at www.2020census.gov. 

 About 2020 Census 

The U.S. Constitution mandates a head count, every ten years, of all residents living in the United States and its territories. Census counts determine how many seats each state is allocated in the U.S. House of Representative as well as how over $675 billion in federal dollars in distributed annually. Individual responses are protected by federal law, never to be shared with any other department, court, or law enforcement agency. Responding to the 2020 Census is easy with four ways to respond: online, by phone, by paper, or with the help of a census taker. 

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Medical Emergency Rescue near Peaked Mountain in North Conway

North Conway:  On Thursday, August 27th shortly after 1:00 PM New Hampshire Fish and Game was notified that a hiker was in distress on the Middle Mountain Trail in the area of Peaked Mountain in North Conway.  The hiker was Theodore Clancy, 76 of Lake Hopatcong, NJ.  Theodore was hiking with his son, daughter in law and grandson.  After hiking for about an hour Theodore began having chest pain and they phoned 911 for assistance.  They were about a mile and a half from the trailhead.

Along with Conservation Officers members of North Conway Fire and Conway Fire departments responded.  Paramedics were able to assess Theodore, provided treatment and monitor his condition.  He was placed in a litter and carried to the trailhead.  He arrived at the trailhead shortly after 4:00 PM and was transported by ambulance to the Memorial Hospital in North Conway.  Ultimately he was transported by DHART to the Maine Medical Center for additional care.

Source: NH Fish and Game Press Release

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NEW MUSIC: Blackpink featuring Selena Gomez – Ice Cream

Blackpink and Selena Gomez have released their “Ice Cream” single and music video.

Gomez portrays an ice cream truck driver in the clip as Blackpink members Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa pose inside colorful, ice cream murals. Gomez dons a bikini and sailor hat in the video.

The collaborative track will appear on Blackpink’s upcoming, first full-length album titled Blackpink: The Album, which will be released on October 2nd. The record also includes “How You Like That,” which the group shared in June after appearing on Lady Gaga’s Chromatica track “Sour Candy.”

Blackpink and Gomez also recently launched an “Ice Cream” merchandise store that sells “Ice Cream” branded apparel and accessories.

In anticipation of the new single, Gomez invested in the ice cream brand Serendipity – which owns the famed NYC restaurant Serendipity3. A flavor called Cookies & Cream Remix (with pink vanilla ice cream) will go on sale today. Watch the video below!

CHECK IT OUT

Full Story: People

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WHO Says Test, Despite CDC’s Recent Flip Flop

LONDON (AP) —The World Health Organization says countries should actively test people to find coronavirus cases, even if they are mild or don’t show symptoms. That’s despite the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently switched guidance to say asymptomatic contacts of cases don’t need to be tested. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead for the coronavirus, says when officials are investigating clusters of COVID-19, “testing may need to be expanded to look for individuals who are on the more mild end of the spectrum or who may indeed be asymptomatic.” She says testing and tracing is “really fundamental to breaking chains of transmission.”

For more information click here.

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Update: Fatal Accident in Conway – Victim Identified

On Monday, August 24, 2020, at approximately 10:30 pm officers from the Conway Police Department, along with Conway Fire and Rescue and Conway Ambulance, responded to a report of a pedestrian who had been struck by a motor vehicle on East Main Street near the intersection of Odell Hill Road.  When officers arrived, they observed a male lying in the eastbound breakdown lane.  The male, a 59 year-old from Conway, was found to be deceased as a result of injuries sustained from being struck by a vehicle.  The victim’s name is Phillip Martin, known by his friends as Phil or PJ. He was an aspiring chef who loved photography and has a daughter named Megan who is a sophomore at Plymouth State University.

The vehicle that struck Martin was identified to be a 2016 Buick SUV operated by a 58 years-old female from Florida named Susan-Rachel Hebert.  Hebert did not suffer any injuries in the collision.  The Conway Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team was called out to investigate the crash.  The preliminary investigation revealed that the male pedestrian was struck in the eastbound travel lane of East Main Street a short distance east of the intersection of Odell Hill Road.  It appeared that Hebert attempted to avoid the collision by swerving into the opposite lane of travel but was unable to avoid Martin who was in her lane of travel.  Martin’s bicycle was found on the opposite side of the roadway in the breakdown lane of the westbound lane.  The bicycle was not involved in the crash.  This portion of East Main street is not serviced by street lights and it was raining with low level fog in the area.     

Immediately following the crash, this portion of East Main Street was shut down for approximately 3 hours to allow the Conway Police Department Accident Reconstruction Team to document the scene.  The road was re-opened at approximately 1:40 am.  This accident remains under investigation but speed and driver impairment and/or distraction do not appear to be a factor in the crash.  Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to contact the Conway Police Department at 603-356-5715.  

The Conway Police Department would like to offer their condolences to Martin’s family and friends for their loss.

Christopher Mattei

Lieutenant

08/25/20

Source: Conway Police Department Press Release