New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's husband passes away at just 55 years old



New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's husband Jason has died at the age of only 55 years old.

"It is with great sadness and heartache that we announce the passing of First Gentleman Jason Cantrell," director of communications Gregory Joseph said in a statement.

"He was a devoted husband and father, as well as a dedicated public servant who valiantly served the residents of this city not only alongside Mayor Cantrell but also as an experienced family, civil and criminal attorney. First Gentleman Cantrell will forever be missed and cherished by his beloved family, the legal community and the entire City of New Orleans. May he rest in God's eternal peace," the statement continues. "Our love and prayers remain with Mayor Cantrell, their daughter RayAnn and the entire Cantrell family. We ask that you please respect their privacy during this challenging time."

The statement did not mention the man's cause of death.

LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat, has been serving as the city's mayor for more than five years.

The couple was apparently nearing their 24th wedding anniversary because the mayor had posted on social media about their 20th anniversary in 2019. "20 years! I couldn't let this day pass without wishing my husband a very happy anniversary! Jason, I love you! God is good!" she wrote in a September 4, 2019 tweet.

— (@)

New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell issued a statement in which he noted that he had known Jason Cantrell for almost two decades. "He was an exceptional attorney and father, whom we will all miss," Morrell noted. "I send my condolences to Mayor Cantrell, their daughter, RayAnn, his father, Judge Harry Cantrell (retired), as well as the entire Cantrell family during this extremely difficult time."

N.O. Mayor Latoya Cantrell's husband, Jason Cantrell has died www.youtube.com

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New Mexico State University soccer player dies not long after turning 20 years old



New Mexico State University soccer player Thalia Chaverria passed away not long after turning 20 years old.

According to text posted Tuesday on the City of Las Cruces website and on the Las Cruces Police Department's Facebook page, the woman's death is being investigated, but there has been no indication of foul play.

"Las Cruces police and the New Mexico medical investigator's office are investigating the death of New Mexico State Women's Soccer player Thalia Chaverria who was found unresponsive at her residence Monday morning," the post notes. "At this point, investigators have no reason to believe Chaverria’s death is suspicious or the result of criminal activity. However, LCPD and OMI are continuing their investigation and hope to learn the cause of her death."

Members of the school's community mourned the soccer player's death.

"The sudden loss of Thalia has completely rocked our Aggie soccer families' world," head soccer coach Rob Baarts said in a statement. "T was an inspiration and rock to this team. She will be missed but not forgotten. Her spirit will be with us everyday, on and off the pitch. I will always love you T!"

Director of Athletics Mario Moccia said in a statement, "We lost an amazing young woman, and we are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of a member of our Aggie family. Thalia had a vibrant personality and those who were fortunate enough to spend time with her knew she had a bright future ahead of her. The New Mexico State community is very tight-knit, and this tragedy is felt throughout. Our most sincere thoughts and prayers go out to Thalia's family and friends in this time of mourning."

A Go Fund Me fundraiser to help Chaverria's family has raised more than $27,000. "This is to help with it all and the transport of Thalia in New Mexico to get her back home to California and to help the family while they take this time to process," the fundraiser page states.

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Actor Brad William Henke dies in his sleep at age 56



Actor Brad William Henke has died at the age of just 56 years old.

The man's agent, Sheree Cohen, informed the Hollywood Reporter that Henke passed away in his sleep on Tuesday.

"Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy," Henke's manager, Matt DelPiano, noted in a statement, according to E! News. "A very talented actor, he loved being a part of this community….and we loved him back. Our thoughts are with his wife and family."

Henke, whose acting career included a role on "Orange Is the New Black," previously played in the NFL — he got to play in the 1990 Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos, who lost the game, according to a 1998 Tucson Citizen piece.

According to the actor's IMDb page, he appeared in one episode each of shows such as "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "MacGyver," "The Office," and "ER" — he was in multiple episodes of "Lost." He even appeared in "Space Jam," a movie that stars basketball legend Michael Jordan.

"I'm fortunate I've found something I love to do a million times more than playing football," Henke said, according to the decades-old Tucson Citizen piece. "I was kind of lost for a while after my football career ended, and I'm so glad I found this. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with the best of my life already behind me."

"I kind of regret not starting acting sooner," he said. "But I think my life experiences before I found my calling have really helped me. I'm building my career by myself, on my own merits, not for what I did on the football field."

Bengals offensive analyst Adam Zimmer dies at 38



Cincinnati Bengals offensive analyst Adam Zimmer died on Monday at the age of 38 years old.

"I can't believe I'm writing this. I lost my big brother yesterday. The kindest, sweetest, family loving, sports obsessed soul there ever was," one of Adam Zimmer's sisters, Corri Zimmer White, wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post. "My heart is shattered and it hurts so bad. I don't know how to juggle being a mom to one year old twin boys and the grief of losing my brother so unexpectedly. I'm so lost, I'm so overwhelmed, I'm so heartbroken. My brother was one of my best friends, especially after my mom died, we became so close."

"There was nothing suspicious [about the death], and there didn't appear to be any evidence of foul play," Mendota Heights Police Department spokesperson Wayne Wegener said, according to the Star Tribune.

Zimmer was the son of former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, according to the Associated Press. Adam Zimmer spent years working with the Vikings during his father's time there, but when Mike Zimmer was fired, most of his staff was also let go, according to the outlet. Adam Zimmer was among those dismissed, according to the Star Tribune.

"Disregard the familial connection. It's really just about him being a good coach," former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway told the AP. "It wouldn’t have mattered who the head coach was. Adam was a good coach no matter what."

"He was respectful of the game and the career that I had before that he got there," Greenway noted. "He was always working with you and not coaching at you, always trying to make the individual better and the team better. He was really smart when it came to the scheme, but more importantly he was a great person who always cared about you as a person."

Oprah, Obama, Biden, and many others issue statements praising Sidney Poitier, a trailblazing actor who has passed away at the age of 94



Sidney Poitier, who made history in 1964 when he became the first black person to win the Oscar for best actor, has passed away at the age of 94-years-old.

President Barack Obama awarded the trailblazing actor a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

"I made films when the only other Black on the lot was the shoeshine boy," Poitier said in a 1988 Newsweek interview, according to the Associated Press. "I was kind of the lone guy in town."

In the wake of Poitier's passing, many people have issued statements praising him.

"Sidney was my inspiration, my guiding light, my friend," Morgan Freeman said on Twitter.

"Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors," Obama said in a statement posted on social media

President Joe Biden, who served as vice president during Obama's tenure in office, issued a statement describing Poitier as a "once-in-a-generation actor" who "helped open the hearts of millions and changed the way America saw itself."

"My honor to have loved him as a mentor. Friend. Brother. Confidant. Wisdom teacher. The utmost, highest regard and praise for his most magnificent, gracious, eloquent life. I treasured him. I adored him," Oprah Winfrey declared.

"The grace and class that this man has shown throughout his entire life, the example he set for me, not only as a black man but as a human being will never be forgotten. There is no man in this business who has been more of a North Star for me than Sidney Poitier," Tyler Perry said on social media.

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