wedding Archives

Maine Wedding Infected 177 People With COVID-19, and Killed 7 People Who Weren’t Even Guests!

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 Covid19, guests, infected, killed, Maine, people, wedding, werent

A Maine wedding reception of 55 people left more than half of its guests infected with COVID-19, affecting a total of 176 people despite Maine’s current public health guideline of a 50-person limit for indoor gatherings. Seven people have already died, but what’s more disturbing is that they did not even attend the wedding.

The management of Big Moose Inn, where the wedding was held, said that they misinterpreted the state’s 50-person cap for indoor events. “We did make an error in the interpretation of that rule,” the management said in a statement. “Our interpretation was that we could take a wedding party of more than 50 persons, and split them between two rooms as long as it didn’t exceed our total capacity or a specific room’s capacity.”

How Did It Spread So Far and So Fast?

According to Dr. Nirav Shah, the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the guests who attended the event infected their parents, who then infected one of their children, who infected their co-workers. All of these events happened within a span of 2 ½ weeks.

Outbreaks at the Maplecrest Rehabilitation and Living Center and the York County Jail were connected to the wedding after one staff member from each facility was found to have attended the event. The York County Jail, which is 200 miles away from the wedding reception, now has 80 cases confirmed while 39 people from the rehabilitation center have tested positive.

Health officials have traced cases linked to the wedding throughout August, with 24 cases initially. By the end of the month, it grew to 123 cases and by September 3, the recorded number was at 143.

Maine has recorded 4,415 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with an average of 29 per day. The US has had 11.3 million cases of COVID-19 to date, with 247,000 deaths and counting.

Mass Gatherings: How Many is Too Many?

Social distancing has been a key phrase in the past months, being the most important factor in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, despite social distancing measures, other factors come into play, such as how susceptible we are to infection, the frequency of contact we have with people, and the duration of those contacts.

Respiratory infections appear to be the most common infectious disease transmitted during gatherings. The World Health Organization has advised governments to seriously consider postponing any gathering that brings people together, potentially amplifying the virus through close contact.

And while everyone wants to know what exact number of people is too many, what really matters is keeping gatherings small and considering the social dynamics that may be involved in the crowd. The sheer size of the group is not the only factor to consider; for example, small groups of five people can be as risky as a big event with 100 people. There is no magic number that we can consider safe for gatherings, but reducing the amount of contact

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India sees 1st arrest under controversial new “love jihad law”

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 1st, arrest, controversial, india, jihad, law, Love, sees

a group of items on display: Activists belonging to various human and civil rights organizations protest against various Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- led state governments pushing for laws against

© Provided by CBS News
Activists belonging to various human and civil rights organizations protest against various Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- led state governments pushing for laws against

New Delhi — Police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state made their first arrest this week under a controversial new law targeting something right-wing Hindu groups call “love jihad” — an alleged religious conversion conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into marriage and away from their faith.

Owais Ahmed, a Muslim man, was arrested on Wednesday after a Hindu man accused him of coercing and trying to lure his daughter away from her Muslim husband and into converting to Islam. Ahmed appeared in court and was remanded in custody for 14 days pending trial.

“This is the first arrest under the new law,” senior Uttar Pradesh state police officer Rajesh Kumar Pandey was quoted as saying by Indian media.

Speaking to Indian news outlet The Print, Ahmad maintained his innocence and said he has no current connection with the woman, a former high school classmate who got married a year ago to a Hindu man and remains in that marriage.

Ahmed was the first person arrested under the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020. The new legislation, which has come to be known colloquially in India as the “love jihad law,” was adopted (only hours before Ahmed’s arrest) this week by the regional government in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with almost 200 million residents.

The law is ostensibly aimed at protecting people against “forced” or “fraudulent” religious conversion. A section of the legislation says no person shall convert or attempt to convert any other person from one religion to another by “use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage nor shall any person abet, convince or conspire such conversion.”

Yogi Adityanath, Yogi Adityanath holding a sign: Activists from various human and civil rights organizations protest moves by various Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state governments to pass laws against

© Provided by CBS News
Activists from various human and civil rights organizations protest moves by various Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state governments to pass laws against

People convicted of violating the law can face up to 10 years in prison without the possibility of bail, along with hefty fines. The law places the burden of proof of innocence on the accused, rather than plaintiffs having to prove their claims to a court.

Critics have called the new legislation Islamophobic, regressive, and politically motivated, and warned that it may lead to harassment of Muslims in the Hindu majority country. Some believe it will drive interfaith couples to hide their relationships.

On Friday, it emerged that Uttar Pradesh police had also stormed a wedding on Wednesday underway between a Hindu woman and a Muslim man in the state capital of Lucknow. They halted the celebrations and brought both families to a local police station, where officers told the families they would need to get permission from the state government before going ahead with the ceremony, to ensure the new law was not being violated.

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Indian police make 1st arrest, break up Muslim-Hindu wedding under controversial new “love jihad law”

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 1st, arrest, break, controversial, Indian, jihad, law, Love, MuslimHindu, Police, wedding

“This is the first arrest under the new law,” senior Uttar Pradesh state police officer Rajesh Kumar Pandey was quoted as saying by Indian media.

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Interabled YouTubers, ‘Cole and Charisma,’ Celebrate Wedding

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 celebrate, Charisma, Cole, Interabled, wedding, YouTubers

As a couple who share a formidable internet following, it may be somewhat shocking to learn that Charisma Jamison and Cole Sydnor met the old-fashion way.

In November 2017, Ms. Jamison, at the time an inpatient rehab technician at Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation Centers in Richmond, Va., noticed Mr. Sydnor working out on the outpatient side of the facility. Mr. Sydnor is a C5/C6 quadriplegic — he’s completely lost function of his hands, trunk and legs, with limited function in his arms, wrists and shoulders. He was injured in 2011, when he struck a rock with his head after diving into the James River in Virginia.

When Ms. Jamison saw Mr. Sydnor across the room, she didn’t see someone with limitations — she saw a friendly smile and a pair of bright, blue eyes.

“It was very easy to look past physical limitations being in my career,” Ms. Jamison, 26, said. “And the fact that Cole was super attractive didn’t hurt.”

Despite not working on the outpatient side of Sheltering Arms, Ms. Jamison found herself offering a helping hand to Mr. Sydnor as he finished working out on an electrical stimulation bike, which helps shock his muscles into operating the bike.

“I had electrical pads on my legs, buttocks, and I was exhausted and sweaty,” Mr. Sydnor, 25, recalled. “It was not the first impression I was looking for.”

They had a friendly, flirty conversation and would meet again a few days later at the Sheltering Arms annual fund-raising gala. Mr. Sydnor’s mother, Kelly Sydnor, met Ms. Jamison at the gala and invited her to sit at their family’s table. She declined, but a good first impression had been made.

“I just thought she was radiant and lovely,” Kelly Sydnor said of their encounter. “When Cole told me about Charisma, I was really glad to hear they were going on a date. I could tell she was so authentic.”

Ms. Jamison and Mr. Sydnor exchanged pleasantries once again at the gala, and later that night, she followed him on Instagram. Mr. Sydnor returned the favor, and then he “slid into my DMs,” messaging each other on the app, Ms. Jamison said.

They became a couple several weeks later, on Dec. 1, 2017.

The questions started to arrive immediately from friends, family, and the occasional judgment from passers-by. What was it like dating a quadriplegic? What is it like being an interabled couple? What is an interabled couple?

“I knew it would be tough for them,” Mrs. Sydnor said. “I told Charisma early on, ‘You know you’re choosing a difficult road, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t travel it.’” Ms. Jamison is very close with her parents, Katrina and Derrick Jamison. When she came to them about Mr. Sydnor, they were cautious at first, but very supportive.

“Charisma has always talked to us and values our opinion,” her mother said. “She came home one day and asked how Derrick and I about an abled person dating someone that has a disability.

wedding

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker calls crowded wedding “very irresponsible” amid spike in COVID-19 deaths

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 calls, Covid19, crowded, deaths, Governor, Illinois, irresponsible, Pritzker, spike, wedding

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized the hosts of a large wedding in the Chicago area as the state saw a near-record number of COVID-19 related deaths reported Thursday.

State officials said 238 deaths were reported on Wednesday, although figures reported each day could include deaths that happened in earlier days but were not immediately reported to the state. Another 192 deaths were reported Thursday, CBS Chicago reports.

The elevated figures come a day after a wedding in Northbrook, Illinois, where hundreds of people gathered without masks, according to a CBS Chicago report.

“I’m deeply concerned for the people who attended that wedding, I understand that people were in very close proximity from one another, I understand that those people will go home or back into their communities and may have infected other people, and that is very concerning to all of us,” said Pritzker. He urged each guest to isolate and get a test.

Pritzker said Cook County, which is where the hotel is located, is taking the lead on enforcement.

Illinois moved to Tier 3 safety measures on November 20, which includes a ban on indoor service at bars and restaurants; the closing of theaters, casinos and museums; a cap of 10 attendees at funerals; and the closure of hotel meeting and event spaces, among other measures.

Pritzker called the decision to go forward with the wedding after the introduction of more stringent safety guidelines “very irresponsible, and it’s also irresponsible of the hotel to host an event like that. They too have breached the rules and they, too, should be held responsible.”

According to a CBS Chicago report, a statement released by Hilton Chicago/Northbrook General Manager Holly Allgauer-Cir said that while the 150-person wedding was booked prior to the state’s latest, more stringent safety measures, “we sincerely regret allowing this gathering to proceed and our family apologizes to our guests, employees, and the Chicagoland community.“

The Illinois Department of Public Health has reported a total of 12,830 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began. The state also reported 10,959 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total to 759,562 cases since the start of the pandemic.

While deaths from the virus have continued to trend upward since early October, when a new surge of the pandemic started in Illinois, new cases started trending downward over the past few weeks. However, they remain far higher than they were at the start of October, CBS Chicago reports.

Illinois is averaging 9,870 new cases per day over the past two weeks, compared to 11,914 per day over the previous two weeks. That’s still more than four times the average of 2,452 cases per day during the first two weeks of October.

As of Wednesday night, 5,653 virus patients were hospitalized in Illinois, including 1,170 patients in intensive care, and 693 patients on ventilators.

While hospitalizations seem to have started trending downward since peaking at 6,175 on November 20, there are still far more COVID-19 patients

wedding

Nursing home residents die. Link to Ritzville wedding unclear

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 Die, Home, Link, nursing, residents, Ritzville, unclear, wedding

Ten residents of Grant County have recently died of COVID-19, including seven in long-term care centers.

Some of the deaths are under investigation for their possible connection to a large November wedding near Ritzville, Wash., that turned into a COVID superspreader event.

Some of the wedding guests worked at long-term care centers and tested positive, but a conclusive link between the wedding and the deaths has not been determined, according to a Thursday evening statement from the Grant County Health District based in Moses Lake.

“Because staff in these facilities care for entire units, direct contact with associated patients is not known,” said the health district’s statement.

The seven deaths reported in long-term care homes do not include four more deaths at the homes for which death certificate reviews are pending.

Outbreaks at the three homes where residents died recently were announced by the Grant County Health District. It previously said an outbreak at an unnamed Moses Lake long-term care home and an Ephrata long-term care home had been linked to the Ritzville wedding.

Lake Ridge Center in Moses Lake had recent deaths of four residents with the death certificate of a fifth resident being reviewed. The deaths confirmed to be caused by complications of COVID include a man in his 70s, a man in his 80s and two men in their 90s.

Lake Ridge Center, Moses Lake.jpg — Lake Ridge Center in Moses Lake had recent deaths of four residents for complications of COVID-19.

Columbia Crest Center in Moses Lake has had recent deaths tied to COVID of two residents, a man in his 80s and a man in his 70s.

McKay Healthcare and Rehab Center in Soap Lake had a recent death of a man in his 80s due to COVID, with three more deaths under review.

On Nov. 20, the health district reported there had been nine deaths from the outbreak at McKay, with just five confirmed and others under review.

At the time Lakeview had 49 residents and 12 staff who had tested positive for COVID-19 and Columbia Crest had 25 residents and 22 staff who had tested positive.

November COVID deaths

Grant County has had 54 COVID-related deaths to date, with about half of those deaths in November alone.

“Your choice to gather with those outside your household could lead to additional cases of COVID-19 and even death,” the health district said Thursday. “Please protect those you love, by staying home.”

The Ritzville-area wedding also has been blamed for a school outbreak in Grant County, and the Benton Franklin Health District said it was responsible for at least four Tri-Cities area cases.

There could be more, but many people reached by public health contract tracers deny they had contact with anyone outside their household or will not take the call, according to the Benton Franklin Health District.

On Nov. 7, more than 300 people attended a wedding in an airplane hanger in a rural area of Eastern Washington north of the Tri-Cities between Ritzville and Moses Lake, even though at the

wedding

A canceled wedding left a $5,000 catering deposit. This couple used it to serve Thanksgiving meals.

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 canceled, Catering, Couple, deposit, left, meals, serve, Thanksgiving, wedding

Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis lost their $5,000 catering deposit when their wedding was canceled due to coronavirus restrictions. But they got married anyway and their non-refundable deposit went to charity.

a person sitting at a table in front of a car: Emily Bugg prepares Thanksgiving meal packages for delivery to Thresholds clients.

© Elizabeth Boschma, Thresholds
Emily Bugg prepares Thanksgiving meal packages for delivery to Thresholds clients.

It’s a novel and humanitarian way to deal with a problem that couples occasionally face in the COVID-19 pandemic, when their weddings are canceled or re-scheduled.

“We’ve had a couple cancellations, but nobody’s ever said, ‘Hey, I’ve got an idea. Put my deposit toward a charitable cause,'” said Heidi Moorman Coudal, the owner of Big Delicious Planet catering company. Coudal agreed to use the Illinois couple’s deposit toward 200 Thanksgiving meals for Thresholds, a nonprofit whose clients include people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders in the state.

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It’s something the catering company had never done before in 26 years of operations, Coudal told USA TODAY. It was bit of good news in an otherwise rough year for the company, which typically caters 60 weddings per year, she said. Like other caterers this year, Big Delicious Planet has been hit hard by protocols designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Christmas lights even before Thanksgiving: There’s a reason behind the ‘act of kindness,’ experts say

Big Delicious Planet, a Chicago-based caterer, prepared meals that included turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, salad, bread and butter, and a desert, Coudal said. Grace Hamilton, the company’s director of weddings and events, brought Bugg’s idea to Coudal, the owner said.

Coudal said she and her employees jumped at the chance to help. Four Big Delicious Planet employees cooked the meal and boxed it up. Bugg and other volunteers hand-delivered the food, Coudal said.

a bunch of food on a table: Big Delicious Planet of Chicago prepares 200 meals for donation to Thresholds clients.

© Courtesy Big Delicious Planet
Big Delicious Planet of Chicago prepares 200 meals for donation to Thresholds clients.

“My initial reaction was like, ‘Wow, that’s different,” Coudal said.

She added, “I thought this was a really nice cause and a nice idea and I think it was kind of refreshing to do something nice when so many bad things are happening right now and too many people are in need. I was like, ‘Sure, let’s do it.'”

Bugg, 33, works for Threshold as an outreach worker, the company said in an email. She and Lewis, 34, got married on Oct. 1 at City Hall in Chicago. The couple also spoke with the venue Salvage One, which agreed to put their deposit toward a future event for the Epilepsy Foundation, another cause Bugg has a connection to, Thresholds said.

Red Kettle bells are still ringing: Salvation Army braces for fewer donations

“In the grand scheme of things, canceling a big wedding isn’t the worst thing that could happen,” Bugg said in a statement. “We’re happy to be married, and we’re so happy that we could help Thresholds’ clients feel the connection of a Thanksgiving meal as a result

wedding

Detroit Lions coach Darrell Bevell did not spoil wedding proposals

December 4, 2020 [email protected]_84 Bevell, coach, Darrell, Detroit, Lions, proposals, spoil, wedding

Free Press sports writers Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez weigh in Nov. 28, 2020, after the Detroit Lions fired Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn.

Detroit Free Press

Darrell Bevell appeared to make his first mistake asDetroit Lions coach Monday, when he told the world his two future son-in-laws asked him last week for permission to marry his daughters.

But upon further review, no surprises were ruined.

Bevell said Thursday that his daughters knew their boyfriends’ intentions when they traveled together to Detroit for Thanksgiving.

Detroit Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell speaks to the media on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020. (Photo: WCIT)

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“They had an inkling of it, yes, because they brought them out here,” Bevell said Thursday. “I mean, there’s only small windows to be able to talk to Dad. So they both came out here on Thanksgiving weekend to do that, so they know. They just, they still don’t know when it’s coming.”

Bevell, who was appointed interim head coach after Matt Patricia was fired Saturday, was sharing details of a whirlwind weekend that included a family trip to Henry Ford Museum and another to the emergency room when he mentioned the pending engagements.

“Kind of a funny story,” Bevell said. “So my middle daughter’s a softball player at BYU and when she came up here, she’s like, ‘I haven’t got enough hitting in, I want to go hit.’ So we went out and hit, and one of them took a softball off the eye, so he asked me while we were in the emergency room getting it stitched up, if you can believe it.”

[ 5 candidates to replace Matt Patricia as Lions coach ]

A few minutes later, after answering a question about how players responded to his first Zoom as head coach, Bevell said, “I do have to say one thing, though. So the two guys asked me for my permission, they haven’t officially asked them yet, so that’s where that was. It was just permission, so I don’t know when that’s coming, just to be clear.”

Bevell’s comments were broadcast live on the Internet, and prompted what’s believed to be the first appearance by a Lions coach on TMZ, with the celebrity gossip site running a story with the headline, “Detroit Lions Head Coach Spoils Daughters’ Marriage Proposals… In Epic Slip-Up.”

Said Bevell Thursday, ” Yeah, TMZ! I mean, didn’t know I’d be on TMZ, but pretty cool.”

[ How the fake Matt Patricia burner account, @EddyPLionsFan, came to be ]

Hockenson tops Pro Bowl voting

The NFL will not host a Pro Bowl this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the league still is naming Pro Bowl teams and one Lion has an inside track for a spot.

T.J. Hockenson leads all NFC tight ends with more than 88,000 Pro Bowl fan votes and ranks third overall at the position, behind the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis

wedding

JoJo Fletcher Says She’ll Marry Jordan Rodgers ‘No Matter What’ After Pushing Back Wedding Date

December 3, 2020 [email protected]_84 Date, Fletcher, JoJo, Jordan, Marry, Matter, Pushing, Rodgers, shell, wedding

After pushing back their wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic, JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers are more determined than ever to tie the knot.

Jordan Rodgers et al. posing for a picture: Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher

© Provided by People
Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher

The former Bachelorette star recently gave an update on her upcoming nuptials, revealing that the couple now hopes to wed in May 2021.

“I got reminded today that our new wedding day is actually six months away, and that came as a shock to me because I couldn’t believe that it’s six months away we’re getting married,” she told Extra correspondent and fellow Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay. “Our new day is May of next year, and who knows what the state of our country and this world will look like, and I’m hoping at that point we are able to celebrate.”

Bachelorette Replacement Host JoJo Fletcher Picks Her Favorite Men for Tayshia Adams

UP NEXT

RELATED: Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher Celebrates 4 Years with Fiancé Jordan Rodgers with Sweet Montage

Jordan Rodgers et al. posing for a picture: Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher

© Provided by People
Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher

But knowing how unpredictable the future can be, Fletcher, 30, said even if their wedding is once again canceled, they will “get married no matter what.”

“I think that Jordan and I have decided, like, if it’s not going to work out to have this huge, extravagant wedding that we really have dreamed up, we’ll still do it on our own, together,” she said. “We’ve been engaged — it will be five years by our new wedding day. If we have to push it another year — six years, crazy — we will get married no matter what!”

RELATED: JoJo Fletcher Recalls Exchanging ‘I Love You’s’ with Ben Higgins on The Bachelor — ‘Dear Lordy’

The couple got engaged on Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette in 2016. This past June, Fletcher and Rodgers, 32, celebrated their original wedding date.

“6.13.20 … Happy ‘What would have been Wedding Day’ to us!” she captioned a photo of the pair cuddling up together.

“As you guys know, we have spent the last 11 months planning the wedding of our dreams but given the circumstances of 2020, we had to make the difficult decision to postpone our special day,” she wrote. “Even though I don’t get to marry you today @jrodgers11, I know it will be all more worth the wait.”

And although Rodgers had already gotten down on one knee, he re-proposed last summer with a new ring while they were scoping out wedding venues.

“The show brought us together and set us up for a truly amazing proposal the first time around, but this time was all YOU,” Fletcher captioned a photo of the Cash Pad stars after the sweet moment. “And that means everything and more to me. I can’t wait to marry you! Thank you for loving me so purely and protecting my heart in a way I always used to pray for.”

S…

wedding

Detroit Lions coach Darrell Bevell did not spoil daughters’ wedding proposals

December 3, 2020 [email protected]_84 Bevell, coach, Darrell, daughters, Detroit, Lions, proposals, spoil, wedding

Darrell Bevell appeared to make his first mistake as Detroit Lions coach Monday, when he told the world his two future son-in-laws asked him last week for permission to marry his daughters.

What’s ahead now that Detroit Lions have cleaned house? Our experts weigh in

UP NEXT

But upon further review, no surprises were ruined.

Bevell said Thursday that his daughters knew their boyfriends’ intentions when they traveled together to Detroit for Thanksgiving.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

[ RB Swift out of concussion protocol; Adrian Peterson helps him through it ]

Lang Whitaker wearing a hat: Detroit Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell speaks to the media on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.

© WCIT
Detroit Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell speaks to the media on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.

[ 5 candidates to replace Matt Patricia as Lions coach ]

Said Bevell Thursday, ” Yeah, TMZ! I mean, didn’t know I’d be on TMZ, but pretty cool.”

[ How the fake Matt Patricia burner account, @EddyPLionsFan, came to be ]

Hockenson tops Pro Bowl voting

The NFL will not host a Pro Bowl this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the league still is naming Pro Bowl teams and one Lion has an inside track for a spot.

T.J. Hockenson leads all NFC tight ends with more than 88,000 Pro Bowl fan votes and ranks third overall at the position, behind

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