Skydiving instructor dies after hitting dust devil during jump with student, family says

Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, died in a skydiving accident in California after encountering a dust devil. (GoFundMe)

A skydiving instructor in California has reportedly died after a tandem skydiving accident.

According to multiple reports, Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, was on a routine jump with a student last Friday when they ran into a pair of dust devils after deploying their parachute.

“She missed the first one, and when she maneuvered around it, she hit the second one,” her husband, Freddy Chase, told KTLA. “She was about 25 to 30 feet in the air … it sent her canopy in a downward spiral.”

Devrey LaRiccia Chase and her student were left with no time to react and ended up slamming into the ground.

Both were rushed to an area hospital. The student reportedly suffered serious injuries while the 28-year-old instructor died.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the tragic passing of our beloved daughter and sister, Devrey LaRiccia,” family members shared through a GoFundMe.

Freddy Chase, also an experienced skydiver, told KTLA that his wife was passionate about skydiving and helped him film videos of his jumps for social media.

Devrey LaRiccia Chase’s family said she moved to California a few years ago and they are now raising money to bring her body back home to Maine.

Babies R Us is reopening in these 200 Kohl’s locations

FILE — Kohl’s is getting ready to welcome Babies R Us at 200 stores that will open later this year. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Kohl’s is opening Babies R Us shops in its existing stores.

The retailer said it plans to open 200 mini-shops nationwide in the fall.

Babies R Us closed its brick-and-mortar locations in 2018 after Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy.

The new shops are expected to carry a variety of baby merchandise including furniture, accessories, strollers, baby gear and more.

Kohl’s will continue to sell baby clothing and said its Babies R Us mini-shops will not take away from its current offerings but create a comprehensive baby shopping experience.

Babies R Us products will also be available online.

The new Babies R Us locations can be found here.

Simone Biles earns her 7th gold medal by winning women’s vault final at Paris Olympics

Simone Biles, of the United States, is congratulated during the women's artistic gymnastics individual vault finals at the 2024 Summer Olympics. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Paris

Simone Biles earned her 10th career Olympic medal on Saturday by taking the women’s vault final for a second time.

Biles has already become the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympics.

She added her seventh gold medal thanks to her performance in the vault final and boosted her medal count at major international competitions to 40, the most by any gymnast.

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade pushed Biles in Saturday’s final but it wasn’t enough.

Andrade ended up taking silver in the competition and American gymnast Jade Carey earned bronze.

Biles, along with her teammates, also took home the gold medal in the women’s gymnastics team final earlier in the week.

U.S. Marine, 26, killed in training exercise

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Jerry Betzold, 26, died on Sunday from injuries he suffered when a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle rolled over. (Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center)

Twentynine Palms, Calif.

A Marine died last weekend in California after a vehicle rolled over during a military training exercise.

U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Jerry Betzold, 26, died on Sunday from injuries he suffered when a Humvee rolled over.

According to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Betzold was severely injured in the rollover that involved a high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle.

He was transported to a hospital in Palm Springs, but he did not survive.

“Staff Sergeant Jerry Betzold represents all that is good and pure in our nation and Corps,” Col. David Hart shared. “He tragically lost his life while working to ensure our combat formations remain ready when the nation needs them.”

Military officials said Betzold joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2016 and was promoted to staff sergeant in March.

His decorations included earning the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a National Defense Service Medal.

“His loss is deeply felt across our Marine Corps family. Our hearts and full support will remain with his family and friends as we all navigate this extremely difficult time,” Hart said.

Aerosmith is retiring from touring due to Steven Tyler’s vocal injury, band announces

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith performs during night one of their "Peace Out: The Farewell Tour" on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Aerosmith is officially retiring from touring, the band announced on Friday.

According to a statement released on social media, the group has decided to cancel the rest of their touring dates as Steven Tyler continues to try and recover from a vocal injury he suffered last year.

“Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury,” the band shared. “We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible.”

The band members went on to say they had made the tough decision to retire from touring.

“We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision — as a band of brothers — to retire from the touring stage,” the statement read.

The band said fans who have purchased tickets for upcoming shows through Ticketmaster would be automatically refunded. Fans who purchased tickets through other sites are instructed to contact those companies directly.

Aerosmith began in 1970. The band was formed by frontman Tyler, guitarists Joe Perry and Ray Tabano, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer.

Aerosmith announced its latest tour -- Peace Out: The Farewell Tour -- in May of 2023 but has played just three shows before pushing dates back since Tyler’s injury.

Last September, the band shared Tyler, now 76, had fractured his larynx, causing the band to postpone the rest of the year’s dates.

In April, the band announced rescheduled tour dates, which were scheduled to begin in September and run through February 2025.

“We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time,” Aerosmith shared. “A final thank you to you - the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.”