Lucille Désirée Ball was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by Time in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for her work in all four of these areas. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 5, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She earned many honors, including the Women in Film Crystal Award, an induction into the Television Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor, and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Born: August 6, 1911, Jamestown, New York, United States
Died: April 26, 1989, Los Angeles, California, United States
Cause of Death: Acute aortic aneurysm
Net worth: $60 million

Word of the Day: Napery.

Noun
1. Household linen, especially tablecloths and napkins.

Example Sentences.
1. "Cindy had color-coordinated napery for every holiday."
2. "The napery went into the laundry immediately after the dinner party."
3. "Mrs. Snyder has a set of napery she saved from her wedding."

Word Origin.
Old French, 15th century

"Napery," which refers to household linens such as napkins and tablecloths, comes from the Old French "naperie." The root word "nape" means "tablecloth." While "napery" is an old-fashioned word, it lives on as the name of a Sherwin-Williams paint color.

Word of the Day: Auricular

Adjective
1. Relating to the ear or hearing.
2. Relating to or shaped like an auricle.

Example Sentences.
1. "We tried to collect only seashells with a distinctive auricular shape."
2. "This plastic surgeon specializes in auricular surgery."
3. "My favorite pasta is orecchiette, which has an auricular appearance."

Word Origin.
Latin, mid-17th century

This adjective originates from the Latin "auricula," meaning "ear." In human anatomy, the auricle is the projecting outer portion of the ear, also called the pinna.

Word of the Day: Skirr


verb
1. Move rapidly, especially with a whirring sound.

Example Sentences.
1. "Courtney watched the birds skirr into the sky after they were startled by her dog's bark."
2. "The drone skirred high into the air to capture an aerial photo of the wedding."
3. "We ran inside to escape the cloud of insects skirring after us."

Word Origin.
Unknown, mid-16th century

"Skirr" originated from the now-obsolete use of the verb "scour," to mean "move hastily." The idea of skirring may conjure up images of birds hurriedly taking to the air in a flock; however, birds aren't the only animals to move in flocks.

'They watched her die': Teen dies hours after arriving at juvenile detention center in front of employees who did nothing, lawsuit says.



Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center in Dalton, Georgia . Alexis Marie Sluder.

A 16-year-old runaway died after overdosing on methamphetamine in a youth detention center in Georgia hours after she was arrested, and authorities did nothing as they watched her convulse, writhe in pain and cry for help until it was too late, her family alleges in a lawsuit filed this week.

Alexis Marie Sluder died in 2022 at the Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center in Dalton, according to the lawsuit filed on Tuesday in a federal court in Georgia. Dalton is about 90 miles north of Atlanta.

“Instead of monitoring her health and safety, they watched her die,” said Sam Harton, the family’s lawyer, in a news conference . “No one even picked up the phone to call 911 until after Alexis stopped breathing.”

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The lawsuit names five Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice employees as defendants, including an officer, a cadet, a sergeant, a nurse, and the facility’s director. It also names Augusta University, the medical and mental health services provider for juvenile detainees at the facility.

In a statement , the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice said it “is committed to the well-being and safety of the individuals entrusted to our care. We remain deeply saddened by this tragic incident and continue to hold heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the family of the deceased.”

A media representative for Augusta University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The events leading to Sluder’s death began after her arrest for possession of methamphetamine and shoplifting on Aug. 26, 2022, court documents said. She was issued a ticket and jailed before being transferred to Elbert, where she was booked at 9 p.m.

Upon booking, Gilmer County Sgt. Sharon Ellis “failed to note that methamphetamine or any other foreign substance was found on Alexis Sluder’s person,” even though she had noted she saw a white substance on the police vehicle seat next to Sluder earlier, the lawsuit said.

Notes in her medical screening indicated Sluder had “medical problems,” had previously been hospitalized, and was taking medication. Sluder had depression, bipolar anxiety, and schizophrenia, the lawsuit said.

In her mental health screening, when asked why she was at the facility, Sluder said, “because I ran away.” She also said she had attempted suicide, had recently been sexually abused, had been hospitalized for an overdose the previous month and “sometimes sees shadow people that are not there,” court documents said. Her answers warranted four “Warning” and four “Caution” notations.

Sluder’s answers about drug and alcohol use were “explicitly excluded from the ‘Warning’ and ‘Caution’ totals,” court documents said.

Sluder told authorities that just before she was about to be arrested before arriving at the facility, she “ate the meth she had on her when the cops came and she realized she might be going to jail” and “she had taken other unknown items earlier in the day as she felt suicidal over the last 3 weeks and currently feels this way,” court documents said.

Ellis declined to take her to the hospital, saying she wasn’t permitted to because she had already released her into the custody of the state of Georgia, “so she no longer had jurisdiction to transport Alexis Sluder,” court documents said.

Instead, Sluder was placed in a room equipped with a live video feed where she could be constantly monitored.

In her cell, Sluder began to suffer a medical emergency. She convulsed, writhed in pain, thrashed about, sweated profusely, and breathed heavily. The overdose symptoms lasted over four hours, court documents said.

Despite an employee, Rebecka Phillips, being with Sluder the entire time, a second employee, Maveis Brooks, being with her intermittently, and Cadet Russell Ballard watching via the video feed from a control room, no one did anything, the lawsuit alleges.

During the final two hours of the medical emergency, Sluder lay on the ground, nearly motionless. At one point, Sluder even reached out and grasped toward the ankle of Phillips, who stood over her, watched, and did nothing to help her, court documents said.

At another point, Sluder turned to the camera and said, “Someone please help me. I took something,” the lawsuit alleges.

The defendants talked about the girl’s condition but didn’t act, saying they did not have enough officers on staff to take her to a hospital without violating a policy, court documents said.

“There is no policy set forth by the State of Georgia, the Department of Justice, and the Dalton RYDC preventing State employees from calling 9-1-1 or another emergency medical services to transport juveniles to the hospital in a medical emergency,” the lawsuit said. “Alexis Sluder was not suspected of a violent crime. Alexis Sluder was not arrested for a violent crime. There was no legitimate penological interest in keeping Alexis Sluder from going to the hospital.”

At 3:12 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2022, Phillips advised over the radio that Sluder “was not breathing properly,” the lawsuit said.

Brooks went to the cell, assessed Sluder and advised Ballard in the control room to call 911.

“Soon after Sergeant Maveis Brooks advised Defendant Cadet Ballard to call 9-1-1, Alexis Sluder stopped breathing,” court documents said.

The 911 call was made, and Brooks and Phillips began lifesaving measures, but Sluder was pronounced dead from methamphetamine toxicity at 4:26 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2022, court documents said.

The five employees were terminated from their jobs stemming from the death. They were indicted on charges of cruelty to children a year later, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement . Their cases are pending.

The parents have shared their pain over the death of their daughter, who once won an award for “Prettiest Smile,” enjoyed playing softball and was set to graduate from Gilmer High School this year. Instead, her school reserved a seat for her at the ceremony on May 24, where she graduated posthumously.

“I didn’t get to watch her pick out her first car, go to the prom, or graduate this past year with her friends,” her mother, Melanie Hogan Sluder, said in a statement . “I am lost without her, and not a minute goes by that I don’t think about her and what she would be doing.”

1918 Nebraska serial killer poisons her first victim.

Della Sorenson kills the first of her seven victims in rural Nebraska by poisoning her sister-in-law’s infant daughter, Viola Cooper. Over the next seven years, friends, relatives, and acquaintances of Sorenson died under mysterious circumstances before anyone finally realized that it had to be more than a coincidence.

Two years after little Viola met her demise, Wilhelmina Weldam, Sorenson’s mother-in-law, was poisoned. Sorenson then went after her own family, killing her daughter, Minnie, and husband, Joe, over a two-week period in September.

Waiting only four months before marrying again, Sorenson then settled in Dannebrog, Neb. In August 1922, her former sister-in-law came to visit with another infant, four-month-old Clifford. Just as she had done with Viola, Sorenson poisoned the poor child with a piece of candy. The unfortunate Mrs. Cooper, still oblivious to what was happening, came back again in October to visit with yet another child. This time, Sorenson’s poison didn’t work.

Early in 1923, Sorenson killed her own daughter, Delia, on her first birthday. When Sorenson’s friend brought her infant daughter for a visit only a week later, the tiny infant was also poisoned. After an attempt on Sorenson’s second husband’s life left him sick–but not dead–authorities began to think that there might be a connection between these series of deaths.

Finally, in 1925, Sorenson was arrested when she made an unsuccessful attempt at killing two children in the neighborhood with poisoned cookies. She confessed to the crimes, saying, “I like to attend funerals. I’m happy when someone is dying.” Sentiments like this convinced doctors that Sorenson was schizophrenic, and she was committed to the state mental asylum.

Word of the Day: Magnifico.

NOUN
1. An eminent, powerful, or illustrious person.

Example Sentences.
1. "Arthur was considered a magnifico in the publishing industry."
2. "In the book, the evil wizard is a nearly unbeatable magnifico."
3. "Despite her reputation as a magnifico of the art world, she's actually very humble."

Word Origin.
Italian, late 16th century

This word stems from the Italian word "magnificent," originally used as a title for a Venetian magnate. In the 2023 Disney movie "Wish," the sorcerer king who has the power to grant the greatest desires of his subjects is named King Magnifico.

Word of the Day: Boulevardier.

NOUN
1. A wealthy, fashionable socialite.

Example Sentences.
1. "Genevieve was a vivacious boulevardier who was known for her style and throwing exclusive parties."
2. "Daisy Buchanan from 'The Great Gatsby' is a boulevardier and the epitome of the 1920s flapper."
3. "Many boulevardiers attend debutante balls as part of their entrance into society."

Word Origin.
French, late 19th century

This word was originally coined as a French term meaning, naturally, "a person who frequents boulevards." "The Boulevardier" was a magazine edited by American socialite and Vanderbilt family member Erskine Gwynne, created to be a kind of Parisian "New Yorker" for Americans living in Paris in the 1920s. The magazine eventually inspired the name of the boulevardier cocktail, which also originated in 1920s Paris.

Word of the Day: Phlegmatic.

ADJECTIVE
1. (Of a person) Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.

Example Sentences.
1. "Patrick has a phlegmatic temperament; he doesn't anger easily."
2. "Some people mask their emotions behind a more phlegmatic exterior."
3. "Queen Elizabeth II of England was known for her usually phlegmatic demeanor."

Word Origin.
Latin, mid-14th century

This word originates from the Old French "fleumatique," which derives from the Greek "phlegmatikos," meaning "inflammation." Whereas "inflammation" is a bodily reaction to injury or infection, phlegmatic people are noted for their lack of reaction.

Word of the Day: Emeritus.

ADJECTIVE
1. (Of the former holder of an office, especially a college professor) Having retired but allowed to retain their title as an honor.

Example Sentences.
1. "The banquet was held every year to honor the emeritus professors."
2. "The president emeritus of the university was invited back to speak at graduation."
3. "She sometimes still attends meetings as an emeritus director of the organization."

Word Origin.
Latin, mid-18th century

In Latin, the verb "emereri" means "to earn one's discharge by service." "Emeritus" originates from this verb, essentially designating someone who has earned retirement but is still entitled to the honor they've earned. The female form is technically "emerita," but the outdated term is rarely still used. "Emeritus" is most commonly used now in academic settings.