title: Amsterdam Metro

text: In 1964 and 1965, "Bureau Stadsspoorweg" presented four reports to the municipal government of Amsterdam, which were made available to the public on 30 August 1966. In March 1968, the aldermen and mayor of Amsterdam subsequently submitted a proposal to the municipal council of Amsterdam to agree to the construction of the metro network, which the council assented to on 16 May 1968 with 38 votes in favour and 3 against. Under the original plan, four lines were to be built, connecting the entire city and replacing many of the existing tram lines. The following lines were planned: an east–west line from the southeast to the Osdorp district via Amsterdam Centraal railway station; a circle line from the western harbor area to the suburban town of Diemen; a north–south line from the northern district via Amsterdam Centraal to Weteringplantsoen traffic circle, with two branches at both ends; and a second east–west line from Geuzenveld district to Gaasperplas. The system would be constructed gradually and was expected to be completed by the end of the 1990s.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The first part of the original plan to be carried out was the construction of the "Oostlijn" (East Line), which started in 1970. The East Line links the city centre with the large-scale Bijlmermeer residential developments in the south-east of the city. It opened in 1977. The East Line starts underground, crossing the city centre and adjacent neighbourhoods in the eastern districts until Amsterdam Amstel railway station, where it continues above ground in southeastern direction. At Van der Madeweg metro station, the line splits into two branches: the Gein Branch for Route 54 and Gaasperplas Branch for Route 53. Since 1980, the northern terminus for both routes is Amsterdam Centraal railway station.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Ben Spangberg, an architect from the Government of Amsterdam, was asked to design the stations on the line. After two years of work, he told that it was too much for one person, and was assigned to the project as well. Spangberg said that they avoided sharp corners and used smooth designs intead. He wanted to have elevators in all stations, but initially wasn't allowed due to cost issues and because Nederlandse Spoorwegen didn't want to stay behind. After further discussions, the architects were permitted to design two elevator shafts, with only one of them active. Construction on the tunnels started while the stations were still being designed. The architects frequently visited the construction sites to instruct the workers to do something specific to allow for possible changes in the future. Most underground areas of the line were built by using long caissons. The caissons were built on the spot and lowered into their place by blasting away the soil beneath. This method required the demolition the houses above the tunnel. The Wibautstraat station and the tunnels near it were constructed differently, using the cut-and-cover method.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: During the construction of the metro tunnel, the decision to demolish the Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood in the city centre led to strong protests in the spring of 1975 from action groups consisting of locals and members of the highly active Amsterdam squatting movement. Wall decorations at the Nieuwmarkt metro station are a reference to the protests, which are known as the Nieuwmarkt riots ("Nieuwmarktrellen"). Despite the protests, construction of the metro line continued but plans to build a highway through the area were abandoned. In addition, the original plans for an east–west metro line were cancelled. One of the sites where this line was to connect with the East Line had already been built underneath Weesperplein station. This lower level of Weesperplein station was never opened to the public, but its existence can still be noticed by the elevator buttons. Since the East Line was planned and built during the Cold War, Weesperplein station also features a bomb shelter which has never been used as such.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: In 1990 the "Amstelveenlijn" (Amstelveen Line) was opened, which is used for Route 51. Under a political compromise between the city of Amsterdam and the municipality of Amstelveen, the northern section of the line was built as a metro line while the southern section is an extended tram line. Therefore, Route 51 was originally referred to as a 'sneltram' (express tram) service, and the vehicles were manufactured to light rail standards. The changeover between third rail and overhead tramline power took place at Zuid Station.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: From March 2019 onwards, the Amstelveenlijn as a "sneltram" ceased to exist, and is being replaced by a tram line terminating at Zuid station, including a €300 million rebuild of the original line. For connection to the metro, passengers will have to transfer at Zuid station. Line number 51 was retained for a new circular line between Isolatorweg and Central Station.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: In 1997 the "Ringlijn" (Ring Line), which is used for Route 50, was added to the system. The line provides a rapid transit connection between the south and the west of the city, eliminating the necessity of crossing the city centre.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: In 2018 the "Noord-Zuidlijn" (North–South Line) was added to the network. The line provides a fast connection from the north or the IJ waterway to the south of Amsterdam.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: From 1997 to 2018 the Amsterdam metro system consisted of four metro routes. The oldest routes are Route 54 (from Centraal station to Gein) and Route 53 (from Centraal station to Gaasperplas). Both routes are using the "Oostlijn" (East Line) infrastructure, which was completed in 1977. Route 51 (from Centraal station to Amstelveen Westwijk), using part of the East Line as well as the "Amstelveenlijn" (Amstelveen Line), was added in 1990. Route 50 (from Isolatorweg to Gein) using the "Ringlijn" (Ring Line or Circle Line), which was completed in 1997, as well as part of the East Line infrastructure.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: A fifth line, Route 52 (from Noord station to Zuid station), was added to the network operating the "Noord-Zuidlijn" (North–South Line), which was completed and opened on 21 July 2018.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: There are 33 full metro stations, Since Route 52 on the new North-South Line opened, six additional stations and of route have been added to the metro system, yielding a new combined network length of . In 2019, sneltram Route 51 no longer operates into the metro network. The southern sneltram portion was closed for conversion to be incorporated into the tram network.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: On 14 October 1977, the first metro train ran on the "Oostlijn" (East Line) from Weesperplein to Amsterdam-Zuidoost, with two branches respectively going to Gaasperplas (now Route 53) and Holendrecht (now Route 54). Spaklerweg station was completed as a shell, but opened later. On 11 October 1980, both routes were extended to Amsterdam Centraal Station, which is now their northern terminus. The Gein Branch was extended in southern direction on 27 August 1982, when the section between Holendrecht and Gein was completed. Spaklerweg station was then opened. In some plans for the Gein Branch, an extension to Weesp and Almere was being considered. According to the most recent regional planning study, that now seems unlikely.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: A notable part of the East Line infrastructure is a dual metro overpass on the Gaasperplas Branch in the Bijlmermeer district between Ganzenhoef and Kraaiennest stations. This 1,100 meter long colonnade contains two single crossovers, each consisting of 33 pillars carrying 33 meter long beams. The center-to-center distance between the two overpasses is 15 meters. This exceptional height was necessary because the metro had to bridge the main thoroughfares in the Bijlmermeer district which were built on a system of raised embankments and viaducts.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The stations, the infrastructure and the Diemen-Zuid maintenance facility of the East Line were designed by Ben Spängberg and Sier van Rhijn, two architects at the former Public Works Department of the City of Amsterdam. Their designs in Brutalist style are characterized by large-scale application of bare concrete and excessive space in the underground station halls. It also included a sophisticated use of colour. For example, the red colour of the train doors in the original design was also used at major facilities such as billboards, gates, elevator doors, bins, and the platform signage. For the design of the entire East Line Spängberg and Van Rhijn received Merkelbach Award in 1979. The East Line was also awarded the "Betonprijs" (Concrete Award) in 1981, which is commemorated by the award plaques in the concourses of Centraal station and Gein station.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: As part of the city's policy that one percent of construction budgets for public works had to be spent on art, all stations on the "Oostlijn" have been decorated by different artists. In addition, the western wall of the tunnel was painted with lines and patterns which altered between two stations, providing passengers with a fascinating view during the ride. Over the years, these decorations have completely been covered with graffiti. Some of the station art works have also disappeared. Plans to remove all art works as part of the large-scale renovation of the East Line tunnel in 2012 were altered after citizens' protests stating their historical significance.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Over the years, several stations along the East Line were expanded or renovated. Since 2003, the metro station at Amsterdam Centraal station has been continuously under construction in order to accommodate the new North–South Line station. As part of commercial development of the area surrounding the Amsterdam Arena football stadium, which included a new major business and shopping district, the Bijlmer Arena station was substantially enlarged in order to handle the increasing number of passengers. The new station, designed by Grimshaw and Arcadis Articon Architects, opened in 2007 and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Another East Line station, Kraaiennest on Route 53, was reconstructed and upgraded in 2013 as part of the major urban renewal efforts in the Bijlmermeer district. The station designed by Maccreanor Lavington features a stainless steel facade with a floral design, which, according to the architects, "allows the station to be a lantern for the local neighbourhood, creating a sense of warmth on street level and creating an instantly recognisable feature for the station" at night time. The design was awarded the 2014 EU Stirling Prize.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: A major overhaul of sixteen East Line stations was announced in June 2014. The renovation works taking place from 2015 until 2017 should bring more light and space to the stations. By removing paint layers on the walls, the original Brutalist architecture will become more pronounced. In addition, disused tickets offices are to be removed and lighting and signage will be improved.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Following the Nieuwmarkt Riots in 1975, the next major expansion of the metro network into the bordering city of Amstelveen was politically sensitive. When the decision was made to begin construction of the "Amstelveenlijn" (Amstelveen Line) in 1984, it was originally considered an express tram service rather than a fully-fledged metro route. On 1 December 1990 the section running from Spaklerweg to Poortwachter Station in Amstelveen was completed. As the sensitivity surrounding the metro expansion waned in the 1990s, the route was increasingly being referred to as a metro service. On 13 September 2004 an extension to Amstelveen Westwijk was completed.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Originally, the entire route of the Amstelveen Line from Spaklerweg, where it connects with the East Line, to Amstelveen was to be powered via overhead wiring. Eventually, it was decided to use a third rail between Spaklerweg and Zuid station in order to be able to increase metro service on this section of the line during exhibitions at the RAI convention centre, and overhead wiring on the southern section into Amstelveen.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The line was officially opened on 30 November 1990, replacing the overcrowded bus route 67. The equipment, lightrail series S1 and S2, was built between 1990 and 1994 by Belgian manufacturer BN in Bruges. From 1994, a total of 25 light rail vehicles was in operation. Since the extension to Westwijk in 2004, a number of S3 series trains are sometimes used on this route, raising the total number of vehicles available to 29.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Shortly before the opening, two lightrail vehicles had collided during trial runs, which reduced the number of vehicles available for the route to 11. Because of the lack of equipment and startup problems, the route was initially operated with limited service. In February 1991 heavy snowfall, continuing technical problems and equipment shortages led to the decision to limit the route to the route between Centraal Station and Zuid Station for nearly seven months, with replacement bus services on the remaining route into Amstelveen.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: In 2018, after the completion of the "Noord-Zuidlijn" (North–South Line), there would be no more room at Amsterdam Zuid station for Route 51 to continue as express tram service into Amstelveen. According to a long-term regional planning study of 2011, the "Amstelveenlijn" was to be upgraded to a fully-fledged metro service. On 12 March 2013, however, the regional council of the City Region of Amsterdam decided that Route 51 would be replaced by an improved express tram service running from Westwijk to Zuid Station and a separate metro service running from Zuid Station and Amstel Station. Passengers from Amstelveen would then be required to change at Zuid Station to the metro route for Amstel or to the new Route 52 for Centraal Station. It was also decided that Tram Route 5 would run between Amstelveen and Westergasfabriek. Conversion of the southern section of the Amstelveen Line to tram operation started in 2016.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: On 3 March 2019, the Amstelveen branch (the hybrid metro/tram line) was cut from route 51 as the tunnel connecting the metro line with the tram network had to make way for an underground section of the A10 motorway. In December 2020, the Amstelveen Line would become tram line 25.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: From Centraal Station to Amsterdam Zuid station, Route 51 ran as a full metro service and had no at-grade intersections. The light-rail vehicles on the line were powered by a third rail with the line being suitable for 3 meter (10 ft) wide trams. The BN vehicles, however, had a width of 2.65 meters (8 ft 6in) which was the maximum width on the southern section of the line between Zuid Station and Westwijk. In order to bridge the gap between the trains and the platforms in northern section, the vehicles were equipped with retractable footboards at the doors. In addition, the vehicles were equipped with pantographs in order to retrieve power from the overhead wiring on the southern section. From Zuid Station to Westwijk, the route operated as an express tram service. On the northern half of this section, Route 51 shared tracks with Line 5 of the tramway, with dual height platforms provided at the stops shared by both lines.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Since 3 March 2019, the Amstelveen section of route 51 has been discontinued. Line 51 was upgraded to a full metro line and now runs between Central Station and Isolatorweg. Since December 2020, tram line 25 has been serving the route from Zuid Station to Westwijk.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Opened on 1 June 1997, the "Ringlijn" (Ring Line or Circle Line) is entirely built on embankments and viaducts, and has no level crossings. The line was initially for political reasons called "express circle tram", but since the opening of the Ring Line the transit service on the line is referred to as a Metro Route 50 (from Gein to Isolatorweg). Because it was originally considered a tram line, the light rail vehicle width of 2,65 meters was to be applied; the width that was also used on the Amstelveen Line. The new "trams" (Series M4 and S3) have retractable running boards to bridge the space between the vehicle and the platform at existing stations. Since Route 50 proved hugely popular, the express tram vehicles were insufficient to handle the number of passengers. Instead of ordering additional vehicles, in 2000 the city of Amsterdam decided to adjust the platforms at the stations between Amstelveenseweg and Isolatorweg, whereby the older rolling stock (M1, M2 and M3) serving on the East Line could also serve on the Ring Line. Such an operation was already taken into account during the construction of the stations.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: In 2002, the construction of the "Noord/Zuidlijn" (North–South line) was started. The new metro line is the first to serve the Amsterdam North district, via a tunnel under the IJ. From there, it runs via Amsterdam Centraal to Amsterdam Zuid, which is planned to become the second biggest transport hub in the city, after Amsterdam Centraal. The line includes a mixture of bored tunnels and immersed tunnels under the IJ.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The construction programme experienced several difficulties, mainly at Amsterdam Centraal, resulting in the project running more than 40% over budget and the opening being delayed several times. The project initially had a budget of €1.46 billion, but after several setbacks the total cost estimate has been adjusted to €3.1 billion (at 2009 prices). The original planned opening was for 2011, but eventually the line was opened on 21 July 2018.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The North–South line might be extended to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the future. In August 2014, it was announced that the line was to be equipped with 4G mobile phone coverage, to be funded jointly by the major mobile phone operators.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The tram line to IJburg in the east was originally planned to be a metro line. For this reason, a short tunnel was constructed eastwards from Centraal Station underneath the railway lines. As this line was eventually constructed for tram services, the tunnel was abandoned, and there are plans to use it as part of a chocolate museum. There are still plans for the tram to IJburg to be upgraded to metro and connect to the nearby city of Almere.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: On completion of the north–south metro line, Amsterdam Municipality announced it was analysing a possible east–west line at a projected cost of €7 billion.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: In January 2019, CEO of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Dick Benschop announced that agreements had been reached to extend the north–south line to the airport and Hoofddorp. In June 2019, the province of North Holland outlined plans to extend the metro to Zaandam and Purmerend along with Schiphol and Hoofddorp. A station box has already been constructed for a potential underground station in Sixhaven, on the north–south line between Noorderpark and Centraal, to be opened at a later date.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: As of January 2016, there are 90 electric multiple unit train sets in use within the Amsterdam Metro system. All use standard gauge track and operate on a 750 V DC third rail electrification system.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The original, first-generation fleet consisted of types M1, M2 and M3, designed as four-axle, two-car sets manufactured by the German firm Linke-Hofmann-Busch and delivered between 1973 and 1980. These first-generation trains are nicknamed "zilvermeeuw" (herring gull) because of their body of unpainted steel creating a silvery look. In 2009, all trains were provided with a new interior design by different artists. As they are built to full metro carrying capacity, they were used mainly on the east line services, Routes 53 and 54, with occasional use on Route 50.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: As they neared the end of their life cycle and spare parts no longer became available, the entire fleet of M1-M3 trains was gradually taken out of service permanently from 2012 to 2015, being replaced by the modern M5 trains. The last unit (No. 23) was retired after a farewell tour on 19 December 2015 and has been preserved as a heritage train. All the other units have been scrapped, with the last of these being scrapped in December 2015.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Until the arrival of the new M5 units, the remainder of the fleet consisted of smaller, narrower two section, 6-axle units that could operate both on the main metro network and the light rail ("sneltram") line to Amstelveen. Types S1 and S2, manufactured by La Brugeoise et Nivelles in Belgium, were the first units to be produced for use on this new line. In service since 1990, they currently operate exclusively on Route 51, although they could technically also be used on other lines though this has never been done. These vehicles are equipped with both third rail shoes and pantographs, along with retractable footboards to bridge the gap between the trains and the platforms on sections built to full metro standards. They are due to be withdrawn by 2020 with the conversion of the Amstelveen line to express tram service.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Types M4 and S3 were built by CAF in Spain to expand the fleet and have been in service since 1997. Type M4 was built for the new Ring Line service to Isolatorweg and are hence only third rail equipped. They mainly operate on Route 50 but can also be found on Routes 53 and 54, but never on route 51 due to their lack of pantographs. Four vehicles of the same design, designated type S3, have been equipped with pantographs to also serve on Route 51, but these rarely appear on other lines. As the platforms on the Ring Line were originally built to a smaller loading gauge than those on Routes 53 and 54, M4 and S3 sets were also equipped with retractable footboards to permit boarding on the section that Route 50 shares with Route 54. When the platforms on the Ring Line were narrowed to accommodate the older but wider M1-M3 sets, the boards were permanently removed on all M4 sets, but not on the S3 sets due to the limited loading gauge of the Amstelveen line.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The newest addition to the Amsterdam Metro fleet is the M5 series, manufactured by the Polish manufacturer Alstom Konstal based on its Metropolis family of high-capacity metro trains, variants of which are in use in several foreign metro systems. Delivered from June 2013 onwards, the M5 series departs radically from previous generation units by coming in six-car articulated sets with gangway connections between all cars. Although the trains are suitable for unmanned service, they remain controlled by drivers for the time being. However, the trains are compatible with Alstom's "Urbalis" communications-based train control system which will replace the current signalling system by 2017 and enable automatic train operation across the entire network. The M4 sets have been similarly equipped with this system in early 2016.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The initial order of 28 M5 metro sets, each carrying up to 1,000 passengers, was placed to replace all M1-M3 sets on the East Line as well as to increase overall capacity on the generally overstretched metro network. As such, they are used on all routes except Route 51. For Route 52 on the North–South Line an option was taken on a second series of 12 trains which was originally designated M6. However, the GVB now refers to all trains of this type as the M5 series.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The "OV-chipkaart", a nationwide contactless smart card system, is the only valid form of ticket on the metro system. It replaced the so-called "strippenkaart" system on 27 August 2009, after the two systems had run parallel since 2006. Ticket barriers have been installed in all metro stations, with free-standing card readers where platforms are shared with train or tram lines. Amstelveen Line light rail stations are only equipped with free-standing card readers.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: Signage on the Amsterdam metro system has featured multiple designs stemming from different eras. The original 1974 signage uses the M.O.L. typeface, which was specially designed for the metro by Gerard Unger. The openings within the letters are larger than normal in order to improve the letters' legibility when illuminated. The name M.O.L. refers to the Dutch word "mol" which means mole in English. The idea to use a mole as the mascot for the metro was rejected by city authorities. Other versions are the 1991 version found on the Amstelveen Line, the 1995 version found mainly on Ring Line and the 2009 version which has replaced earlier versions at many stations. In 2016 the City Region of Amsterdam commissioned a new signage system and logo in an effort to harmonize all of the signage and wayfinding elements across all metro lines, in time for the renovation of the East Line and opening of the North-South Line. The new design is based on the already-existing R-net branding, though somewhat modified. It uses the Profile typeface and harks back to the original Unger design by using blue, white and red design elements. All of the wayfinding systems commissioned after the original 1974 one are designed by Mijksenaar.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: A communications backbone for the Amsterdam Metro was installed by Thales, which is also responsible for associated maintenance.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: At midday on December 13, 2009, Steven Koecher (born November 1, 1979) got out of his car and parked at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Anthem neighborhood of Henderson, Nevada, United States, an action recorded on a nearby home's security camera. After returning shortly afterwards, he retrieved something from the vehicle and walked away, with another security camera capturing his reflection in a car window. Koecher has not been seen since, although some activity was recorded on his cell phone over the next two days.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher's absence from his home, work, and church activities in St. George, Utah, was not noted for several days; eventually, the homeowners' association of Anthem, where he had parked, got in touch with his employer and then his parents about the abandoned car, at which time he was reported missing. Police had few leads at first, since it appeared he had intended to return to Utah and did not appear to be involved in any criminal activities. The reason for his trip to the Las Vegas area that day has never been determined; his family believes he was looking for work since he could not make the full rent payments on his apartment with the job he had. Searches in the area around where he was last seen yielded no evidence.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Further investigation found credit card and cell phone receipts and witness statements showing that in the week prior to his disappearance, Koecher had been driving great distances around Utah and Nevada, including almost in one day. The purpose of these trips is also unknown; on one he stopped to visit a former girlfriend's parents and had lunch at their house.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Joshua Powell, a West Valley City man suspected of murder in the disappearance of his wife Susan Powell which took place a week before Koecher's argued along with his father and brother that the two cases were related, suggesting the two were romantically involved and had run off together. Both Susan's family and Koecher's have dismissed that theory. The Koecher case has been the subject of an episode of the Investigation Discovery channel's "Disappeared" series.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Steven Koecher was born in 1979 in Amarillo, Texas, one of four children of Rolf and Deanne Koecher. He was active in the Boy Scouts, eventually making Eagle Scout. After graduating from Amarillo High School in 1998, Koecher, a devout Latter-day Saint, attended first Ricks College (now Brigham Young University–Idaho) and later the University of Utah, where he received a degree in communications. He performed missionary work in Brazil and learned to speak Portuguese.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: After college, Koecher interned in the office of the governor of Utah for nine months. A year and a half later, he went to work for the "Davis County Clipper", a Bountiful-based bi-weekly newspaper edited by his father, as a stringer. Koecher remained there for another year and a half, with some articles he worked on receiving awards from the Utah Press Association.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: In 2007, Koecher began working for the "Salt Lake Tribune"s digital advertising division. He liked the work, according to his mother, but not working the overnight shift. The many temperature inversions in the Salt Lake City area that winter also bothered him, so after a year he decided to leave his job at the "Tribune" and relocate to St. George, in the warmer southwestern portion of the state.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher initially worked with another Internet advertising firm, Matchbin, but that employment ended soon after he relocated. With the Great Recession underway, it was difficult for him to find a new job. Koecher was able to find some work handing out flyers for a local window-washing firm. It did not provide him with enough income to meet his expenses, and by November 2009 he was several months behind on his rent. Greg Webb, the singles' ward president, claims the local electric utility was threatening to terminate Koecher's service for nonpayment, although his mother says that would have been the landlord's responsibility. Because of this, Koecher was actively seeking another job, using connections from the local ward where he volunteered.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: On December 10, 2009, Koecher apparently left St. George in the early morning hours and drove his Chevrolet Cavalier north on Interstate 15 to Salt Lake City, where he bought some gas with a debit card. He then traveled west on Interstate 80 another to West Wendover, Nevada, where he again pulled off the highway to refuel. After that he continued another to the Ruby Valley ranch of the Neff family.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher had in the past dated Annemarie Neff and visited the ranch; he told her parents, who had not been expecting him, that he thought he would stop in to see her. She was not there, but the Neffs served Koecher lunch anyway. He told them he was on his way to visit family in Sacramento, California, but was not certain whether he could continue in that direction due to bad weather. After two hours he left, and decided to return to St. George the way he had come, stopping to buy gas again in Salt Lake City and Springville, followed by dinner at a Taco Time in Nephi. By the time Koecher returned home he had driven nearly .


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: During the day Koecher talked with his mother on the phone. The two discussed his plans for returning to the family's home in Bountiful for Christmas. Koecher's mother said he seemed upbeat about the upcoming holiday and his job prospects despite his financial difficulties. He did not tell her of his road trip that day.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: The next day, while handing out flyers for his employer, Koecher encountered two young girls who had inadvertently been locked out of their family's apartment. Learning of their plight, he tried to call their mother. When she did not answer, he looked for someone in the neighborhood who could take them in temporarily until someone arrived who could let them in. That same day, Koecher spoke with his ward's bishop, who also described Koecher's mood as positive. The bishop was also trying to help him, and had promised Koecher he would have a job available by the beginning of 2010.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: On December 12, Koecher again hit the road. That morning his phone pinged a cell tower near Overton, Nevada, at the north end of Lake Mead. In the evening he bought gas and snacks at a convenience store in Mesquite, Nevada, along I-15, just over the Arizona state line. Why Koecher went to Nevada that day is unknown; three hours after his Mesquite purchase, Koecher bought a baby's bib and cookies, believed to be Christmas gifts for his brother and his family, whose names he had drawn in the family's annual Christmas gift exchange, at a Kmart outside St. George.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: A neighbor of Koecher's recalled seeing him return to his apartment around 10 p.m. A half-hour later, he left again; while he was not seen to return later that night it was possible he could have. The next morning, December 13, Webb called Koecher, saying he was on his way back from Las Vegas and feared he might not make it to St. George in time for the 11 a.m. service, asking if Koecher could lead it in his absence. Koecher said he, too, was in the Las Vegas area, away, but would return home if needed. Webb told him not to worry and that he would try to get back in time. Another ward member called again later that morning with a similar request, which they dropped when Koecher told them where he was. Neither he nor Webb asked Koecher why he had gone to the Las Vegas area that morning; they found nothing unusual about their conversations with him.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: At 11:54 a.m., a home security camera on Savannah Springs Avenue in Sun City, a retirement community in the Anthem development in southern Henderson, recorded Koecher's car driving into the cul-de-sac where it was later found. Six minutes later, a figure believed by his family to be Koecher, wearing a white shirt and slacks, walked the opposite direction down the sidewalk in front, carrying something in one hand that appeared to be a file folder or portfolio. Shortly afterwards another security camera in a garage on adjacent Evening Lights Street caught his reflection as he walked north. Koecher has not been seen since.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher's phone remained active. Around 5 p.m. that day it pinged a tower at the intersection of Arroyo Grande Boulevard and American Pacific Drive, more than northeast of where he had parked. Two hours after that, it pinged another tower near Henderson's Whitney Ranch subdivision, two miles (3.2 km) north of the previous ping. Early the next morning, the phone pinged a tower at the interchange between Interstate 515/U.S. Route 93 and Russell Road, two more miles to the north. Koecher's landlord sent a text, and then an hour later it was used to check Koecher's voicemail. The phone remained in that tower's vicinity for the next two days, suggesting that its battery died. There has been no activity since.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: A day after that last ping, Sun City's homeowners' association parking enforcement took note of the car at the end of the Savannah Springs cul-de-sac and tried to find its owner. Through the windows they saw one of the flyers Koecher had been distributing for the window-washing company in St. George and called the number on it. Eventually they spoke with the owner, who gave them Koecher's cell phone number, where they left a voicemail. Later they called his mother; she returned their call on December 17, and, realizing no one else in the family had talked to him in a week and were unable to locate him, reported him missing. Koecher's brother and sister drove to St. George from the Salt Lake City area to start searching.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: The Koecher family went to jails, morgues, and hospitals in the Las Vegas area in search of Steven Koecher. At one point, when employees at an International House of Pancakes told them that a man fitting Koecher's description had eaten there for three weeks straight, they themselves ate there for four nights. Another employee eventually gave them a more detailed description of the man and his eating habits, which led the Koechers to conclude he was not Steven.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (LVMPD) canvassed the houses in the neighborhood where Koecher's car had been parked. With the help of volunteers, they used helicopters, all terrain vehicles, and sniffer dogs. By Christmas, the media in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas had begun reporting the story. A local dairy put Koecher's picture on a milk carton, and the LVMPD put a video with information on the case on its YouTube channel.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: In April 2010, another party of searchers scoured the open desert south of the Henderson Executive Airport to the west of where Koecher had parked in response to a tip passed along to a former LVMPD officer working as a private investigator for the family. A group of 70 covered about a half-mile (1 km) stretch in two hours. Bone fragments were found, but they were not human.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Rolf Koecher, Steven's father, died in February 2011 after a brief illness that may have been toxic shock syndrome. Rolf had, with his wife and family, recently finished filming an episode of the Investigation Discovery cable channel's show "Disappeared" about Steven's case. It aired two months later.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: A cousin of the Koechers started a Facebook page devoted to the case. It generated not only some tips but suggestions for how to investigate further. Members of the WebSleuths Internet forum also took up the case; they assembled a timeline of events based on newspaper accounts and social media posts by Koecher's family and friends.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: In 2015, a local search and rescue group organized another effort, this time going high up the hills south of Anthem, on a different theory of what Koecher might have been doing. They did not find anything.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher's family believes, given his financial circumstances at the time, that he had gone to Henderson that morning for a job opportunity. Despite the odd location where he parked his car, on the video the neatly dressed Koecher is walking purposefully, suggesting he knew where he was going and what he was going there for. "He doesn't look confused or dazed", Steven's brother Dallin said in 2018.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: But beyond that, there is no evidence to suggest what happened afterwards, nor has anything emerged subsequently which could. "We know about as much now as we did the second we realized he was gone," the St. George police detective in charge of the case said in 2018. Koecher's difficulties notwithstanding, his family does not believe he chose to voluntarily disappear in order to escape them, or take his own life. His mother said that in her last conversation with him, on December 10, he was optimistic about his ability to find another job and the two were making plans for his Christmas visit home.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher's car and its contents also suggest he intended to return to St. George. His father said that the car was in working order and the gas tank was half full when he reached it on December 17, after his wife was contacted the Sun City parking authority. In the car were the Christmas presents Steven had bought for his brother and his family at a Kmart department store the previous day, as well as job applications and the flyers from his employer that had helped the parking authority find his parents. At Koecher's apartment, his clothing and possessions remained where he stored them and had not been disturbed or packed.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher's unusual, and mostly unexplained, travel in the days leading up to his disappearance has led to suppositions that he may have turned to some sort of illicit activity for income. A drug dog was taken to sniff over his car but did not alert on anything. Another vehicle seen on the security camera footage driving up and down the street around the time Koecher parked and walked away from his car was investigated, and turned out to be a local real estate agent showing a house in the area.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Checks of Koecher's financial history and phone records turned up nothing unusual aside from the trips. A single charge to his credit card since the disappearance was just an automatic charge made to webhosting company GoDaddy ensuing from his days at Matchbin. One unknown phone number turned out to be the family of the two girls Koecher had been helping get back inside on the day before he went to Las Vegas.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: A search of Koecher's computer and Internet browsing history found nothing unusual. Investigators also checked his borrowing history at the St. George library and found nothing there that suggested any unexplored leads. Koecher kept a diary, but recorded no problems in his life at the time of his disappearance beyond his monetary issues and his ongoing bachelorhood, neither of which he believed would last much longer.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: The family does not consider Koecher's travel to be particularly unusual, either. One of his reasons for moving to St. George was to research family history in that area; he often went on tours of cemeteries looking for ancestors' graves. Koecher's mother believes the trips were just his way of keeping himself busy despite his underemployment.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: While there is no evidence that would suggest Koecher was murdered or kidnapped, neither the St. George nor Henderson police have found any evidence to eliminate that possibility. "There's nothing that makes us suspicious," Detective Adam Olmstead of the St. George police told the "Las Vegas Review-Journal". "But at the same time, it's a strange situation."


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Koecher disappeared a week after Susan Powell was reported missing from her home in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City. The latter case received much more media attention as suspicion centered on her husband, Joshua, with whom she had been having marital difficulties. The night after a neighbor last saw her in the family home, Joshua had left after midnight to take the couple's two sons camping in Tooele County. Police officers who came to investigate the next morning after Susan did not drop her sons off at daycare forced entry into the house and found two box fans blowing at a wet spot on the couch.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Early in the Koecher investigation, tips were posted to the Internet and brought to the family's attention suggesting a connection between the two disappearances. In 2010, Joshua's family began making those allegations publicly, claiming on a website they had set up to find Susan that she had, with her family's help, framed her husband for murder and eloped with Koecher. Steven Powell, Joshua's father, outlined the theory in a February letter to police and FBI agents investigating his daughter-in-law's case.


title: Disappearance of Steven Koecher

text: Police investigated the connection, but found nothing to support it. A Koecher family friend, who by 2011 had taken over managing the Facebook page on Koecher, called the allegations "nonsense". Joshua Powell moved to Washington, where he died along with his sons in a 2012 murder-suicide; his father Steven, who had been convicted of child pornography and voyeurism after, among other things, explicit pictures he had secretly taken of Susan were found on his computer, died in 2018, a year after finishing his sentence.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told is the third studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on August 4, 1998, by No Limit Records in the United States. It is his first album following his departure from Death Row Records in early 1998. It is the first Snoop Dogg album to have notable affiliates such as Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Warren G and others absent. It was also his first album to be released under a slight change to his stage name "Snoop Dogg" for contractual reasons.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: In September 1996, shortly before the release of Snoop's second album "Tha Doggfather", his friend and label-mate at Death Row Records, Tupac Shakur, was murdered in a drive-by shooting that many fans and other rappers believed to be a part of rising tensions between the East and West Coast hip hop scenes.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: In March 1997, noted East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G., popularly known as "Biggie", was also murdered in a drive-by shooting which was attributed by fans to the tensions between the coastal hip hop scenes.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: Snoop Dogg began to fear for his own safety due to the murders of Tupac and Biggie and also because Death Row Records was acknowledged by its artists in retrospect to be an unprofessional place during this time, with label founder Suge Knight incarcerated and many people with criminal pasts associated with the label.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: In 1997, No Limit rapper Mystikal invited Snoop to be on his record "Unpredictable" on a song called "Gangstas" with label head Master P.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: Snoop developed a good relationship with the No Limit rappers, and after another guest appearance on No Limit artist Silkk the Shocker's LP, Snoop was reported to have been signed to No Limit by Master P in March 1998. Snoop said at the time that "Snoop Dogg is universal so he can fit into any camp-especially a camp that knows how to handmake shit[;] [a]nd, No Limit hand makes material. They make material fittin' to the artist and they know what type of shit Snoop Dogg is supposed to be on. That's why it's so tight." [sic]


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: The lead single, "Still a G Thang," was released on July 3, 1998. It was produced by Meech Wells. It is the sequel to the 1992 hit single "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang", which appears on Dr. Dre's debut solo album, "The Chronic" (1992). The song debuted at number 26 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, marking the first Hot 100 entry as lead artist by Snoop since "Gin and Juice," in 1994. The song peaked at number 19 on the chart.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: The second single, "Woof," featuring Mystikal and Fiend peaked at number 62 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: The album featured mostly No Limit artists and was a departure from Snoop Dogg's first two albums which were strictly West Coast.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: Unlike his two previous two studio albums, "Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told" received generally negative to moderate reviews. "Q" gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "Dogg's vocals can actually verge on the sublime...in glorious slow motion, and the undercurrent vibe is distinctly soulful."


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: "The Source" gave it 3.5 Mics out of 5, saying, "[f]ew MCs from the West have ever gotten as much acceptance and acclaim from outside regions... No Limit's latest soldier isn't trying to rock the boat with his third album... the vibrant vocalist is very happy to be with rap's top squad."


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: Anthony DeCurtis of "Rolling Stone" gave the album 2 out of 5 stars, saying that Snoop's work lacked the confidence and originality displayed on his earlier albums.


title: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told

text: "Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told" debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, selling 520,000 copies in its first week. It is Snoop Dogg's third consecutive number-one album in the United States. In its second week, the album remained at top on the "Billboard" 200, selling 246,000 copies. The album spent five consecutive weeks on the top ten of the "Billboard" 200. The album was certified 2× Platinum on October 22, 1998. On November 18, 1998, the album had sold 1.7 million copies in the United States, ranking as the 39th best-selling album of the year. As of March 2008, the album had sold over 2 million copies in the United States, making it the second best-selling album by Snoop Dogg in the country, behind only "Doggystyle" (1993).


title: Ghosted (TV series)

text: Ghosted is an American supernatural sitcom that premiered on Fox on October 1, 2017. The series debuted via streaming on the social media website Twitter on September 21 and 24, 2017. The show stars Craig Robinson and Adam Scott as two polar opposites recruited to investigate paranormal activity in Los Angeles. On November 29, 2017, it was announced that Fox had ordered 6 more episodes, for a total of 16. On June 28, 2018, Fox canceled the series after one season.


title: Ghosted (TV series)

text: The series follows a sharp-witted skeptic and a genius true believer in the paranormal who are recruited by an organization called The Bureau Underground to investigate a series of "unexplained" activities that are occurring in the Los Angeles area, which are supposedly tied to a mysterious entity that could threaten the existence of the human species. The second part of the season then focuses on conspiracy theories following Leroy and Max finding the Bureau Underground is bugged and questioning if Paranormal activities actually exist.


title: Ghosted (TV series)

text: "Ghosted" was created and executive produced by Tom Gormican (who also serves as writer) with Craig Robinson and Adam Scott (who also star in the lead roles), Naomi Scott, Mark Schuman, Oly Obst, Kevin Etten, and director Jonathan Krisel. On August 30, 2016, Fox commissioned a production commitment for the pilot. On May 10, 2017, Fox ordered the pilot to series. On November 29, 2017, it was announced that Fox had ordered 6 additional episodes, bringing its first season total to 16. It was also announced that Kevin Etten was being replaced as showrunner by Paul Lieberstein which focused on retooling the second part of the first season into more of an office setting rather than a paranormal show. The series was canceled after one season in June 2018.


title: Ghosted (TV series)

text: "Ghosted" is a single-camera series produced by Gettin' Rad Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox Television.


title: Ghosted (TV series)

text: On August 30, 2016, Fox cast Craig Robinson as Leroy Wright and Adam Scott as Max Jennifer. Edi Patterson was cast as Delilah on February 14, 2017. On March 1, 2017, Ally Walker was cast as Captain Lafrey. Adeel Akhtar was cast as Barry on March 9, 2017. On July 12, Amber Stevens West was cast as Annie, who was played by Edi Patterson in the pilot.


title: Ghosted (TV series)

text: The series began to air on Fox's sister network FXX in the weeks following the premiere. In the United Kingdom, it began airing on ITV2 on October 30, 2017. In Latin America, it broadcast the 16 episodes from June to July 2018 on FX.


title: Ghosted (TV series)

text: "Ghosted" received mixed to positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 62% approval rating based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 5.92/10. The website's critical consensus reads "Craig Robinson and Adam Scott's odd-couple chemistry is strong enough to carry "Ghosted" through a first season that finds the show a promising work in progress."


title: Husband

text: A husband is a male in a marital relationship, who may also be referred to as a spouse. The rights and obligations of a husband regarding his spouse and others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between societies and cultures, and have varied over time.


title: Husband

text: In monogamous cultures, there are only two parties to a marriage, which is enforced by laws against bigamy and polygamy. Traditionally, the husband was regarded as the head of the household and was expected to be the sole provider or breadwinner, a role that continues in some cultures (sometimes described as paternalistic). Today, a husband is not necessarily considered the breadwinner of the family, especially if his spouse has a more financially rewarding occupation or career. In such cases, it is not uncommon for a husband to be considered a stay-at-home father if the married couple have children.


title: Husband

text: The term continues to be applied to such a man who has separated from his spouse and ceases to be applied to him only when his marriage has come to an end following a legally recognized divorce or the death of his spouse. On the death of his spouse, a husband is referred to as a widower; after a divorce a man may be referred to as the "ex-husband" of his former spouse.


title: Husband

text: The term "husband" refers to Middle English , from Old English , from Old Norse (, 'house' + , , present participle of , 'to dwell', so, etymologically, 'a householder').


title: Husband

text: At the conclusion of a valid wedding, the marrying parties acquire the status of married persons and, while the marriage persists, a man is called a husband. In heterosexual marriages the woman is called a wife; in same-sex marriages between males, each male is called a husband.


title: Husband

text: Although "husband" is a close term to "groom", the latter is a male participant in a wedding ceremony, while a husband is a married man after the wedding and for the duration of the marriage. The term "husband" refers to the institutionalized role of the married male, while the term father refers to the male in context of his offspring, a state which may or may not indicate that a marriage ceremony has taken place.


title: Husband

text: In some cases of heterosexual marriage, before the marriage, the forthcoming husband or his family may have received a dowry, or have had to pay a bride price, or both were exchanged. The dowry not only supported the establishment of a household, but also served as a condition that if the husband committed grave offenses upon his wife, he had to return the dowry to the wife or her family. For the time of the marriage, they were made inalienable by the husband. He might leave his wife (or wives), then widow (or widows), a dower (often a third or a half of his estate) to support her as dowager.


title: Husband

text: As an external symbol of the fact that they are married, each spouse commonly wears a wedding ring on the ring finger; whether this is on the left or right hand depends on the country's tradition.


title: Husband

text: "Husband" further refers to the institutionalized form in relation to the spouse and offspring, unlike "father", a term that puts a man into the context of his children. Also compare the similar "husbandry", which in the 14th century referred to the care of the household, but today means the "control or judicious use of resources", conservation, and in agriculture, the cultivation of plants and animals, and the science about its profession.


title: Husband

text: In premodern heterosexual unions (ancient Roman, medieval, and early modern history), a husband was obliged to protect and support not only his wife and children, but servants and animals of his domain. The father (as the "patron") was awarded with much authority, differing from that of his wife (in these cultures, no polygamy existed).


title: Husband

text: In the Middle Ages and Early Modern European history, it was unusual to marry out of love, but then doing so became an influential ideal. During this period, a husband in a heterosexual marriage had more opportunities in society than his wife, who was not recognized as legally independent.


title: Husband

text: In contemporary secularized Western culture, the rights of the spouses have been made equal. The civil marriage generally forces the wealthier spouse, ""breadwinner"", to provide alimony to the former spouse, even after separation and also after a divorce (see also Law and divorce around the world).


title: Husband

text: The legal status of marriage allows each spouse to speak on the other's behalf when one is incapacitated (e.g., in a coma); a husband is also responsible for his spouse's child(ren) in states where he is automatically assumed to be the biological father.


title: Husband

text: In Christianity, according to the Bible, a husband in a heterosexual marriage has a number of duties:


title: Husband

text: In Islamic marital jurisprudence, husbands are considered protectors of the household and their wives. As protector, the husband has various rights and obligations that he is expected to fulfill and thus is offered opportunities different from that of his wife or wives, not only in legal and economical affairs of the family but within the family as well. As in most cases in Islam law and culture, everything is being related to the Qur'an.


title: Husband

text: Many Muslims may agree on a perfectly equal relationship. Islam is the only major religion that puts a cap on polygamy, limiting the number of a man's wives to four—provided the husband can do justice to all of them. Although some religions, such as Catholicism for instance, puts a cap on polygamy all together, or even serial monogamy, allowing one spouse until death does them apart, not even accepting divorce. According to the teachings of Islam a Muslim man should have a valid reason and have to get permission from his existing wife (without any force) if he requires to marry again. Islam vehemently abhors any intimate relationship outside the bond of marriage.


title: Husband

text: There is no external sign to show his status as a husband, unless he adopted the tradition of wearing a wedding ring.


title: Husband

text: A Hindu husband traditionally takes his wife to his home. He is expected to provide for her and to prove his abilities to do so. The marriage in Hinduism is a relationship for Seven births (). Before 1951 there was no divorce allowed in Hindu marriage.


title: Husband

text: In modern times once again after 1951, equal rights for women through society and law jurisdiction is given. In Hinduism, based on the different regions, marriage process is observed differently with the same Saat Pheras around agni kund (light pyre) to be taken to become a husband and wife.


title: Husband

text: The "Encyclopædia Britannica" mentions that "In Hindu law, the male members of a joint family, together with their wives, widows, and children, are entitled to support out of the joint property."


title: Husband

text: China's family laws were changed by the Communist revolution; and in 1950, the People's Republic of China enacted a comprehensive marriage law including provisions giving the spouses equal rights with regard to ownership and management of marital property.


title: Husband

text: In Japan, before enactment of the Meiji Civil Code of 1898, all of the woman's property such as land or money passed to her husband except for personal clothing and a mirror stand.


title: Husband

text: Although there is generally an expectation for a spouse not to have sexual relations with anyone other than his spouse(s), historically, in most cultures, this expectation was not as strong as in the case of wives, a situation which was evident in legal codes which prohibited adultery, with male adultery often being criminalized only if "aggravating" circumstances existed, such as if he brought his mistress into the conjugal home, or if there was public scandal. The double standard was also evident in divorce laws of many countries, such as the UK or Australia, which differentiated between female adultery, which was a ground of adultery by itself, and male adultery, which was a ground only under certain circumstances. This double standard continues to be seen today in many parts of the world. For instance, in the Philippines, a wife can be charged with the crime of a"dultery" (for merely having one act of sexual intercourse with a man other than her husband), while a husband can only be charged with the related crime of c"oncubinage", which is more loosely defined (it requires either keeping the mistress in the family home, or cohabiting with her, or having sexual relations under scandalous circumstances).


title: Husband

text: A breach of this expectation of fidelity is commonly referred to as adultery or extramarital sex. Historically, adultery has been considered a serious offense, sometimes a crime. Even if that is not so, it may still have legal consequences, particularly a divorce. Adultery may be a factor to consider in a property settlement, it may affect the status of children, the custody of children, etc.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Derek Anthony Redmond (born 3 September 1965) is a retired British sprinter. During his career, he held the British record for the 400 metres sprint, and won gold medals in the 4x400 metres relay at the World Championships and European Championships.


title: Derek Redmond

text: At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Redmond tore his hamstring in the 400 metres semi-final but continued the race limping and, with assistance from his father, managed to complete a full lap of the track as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Although Redmond was disqualified and listed as "Did Not Finish" due to the outside assistance finishing the race, the incident has become a well-remembered moment in Olympic history, having been the subject of one of the International Olympic Committee's "Celebrate Humanity" videos and been used in advertisements by Visa as an illustration of the Olympic spirit and featured in Nike's "Courage" commercials in 2008.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Redmond was born in Bletchley in Buckinghamshire to West Indian immigrants and educated at Roade School, Northamptonshire, where a multi-use sports hall is named after him. He is a supporter of Newcastle United.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Redmond was married to the British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies in 1994 in Northampton. The couple had two children, Elliott Anthony and Grace Elizabeth. They divorced in 2000.


title: Derek Redmond

text: In August 2014, Redmond was one of two hundred public figures who were signatories to a letter to "The Guardian" opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Redmond first broke the British record for the 400 metres in 1985 with a run of 44.82 seconds. This record was subsequently broken by Roger Black, but Redmond reclaimed the record in 1987.


title: Derek Redmond

text: In 1986, Redmond was a member of the team that won the 4x400 metres relay gold medal at the European Championships. The following year, he was on the team that won the 4x400 metres relay silver medal at the World Championships.


title: Derek Redmond

text: At the 1991 World Championships Redmond was a member of the British team that shocked the athletics world by beating the much-favoured American team into second place to claim the gold medal in the 4x400 metres relay. Redmond ran the second leg in the final and, together with teammates Roger Black, John Regis and Kriss Akabusi, ran what was then the second-fastest 4x400 metres relay in history.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Injuries consistently interrupted Redmond's career. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, he pulled out of the opening round of the 400 metres 90 seconds before his heat because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. Before the 1992 Summer Olympics, he had undergone eight operations due to injuries.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Redmond was in good form by the time of the Barcelona Olympics. He posted the fastest time of the first round, and went on to win his quarter-final. In the semi-final, Redmond started well, but in the back straight about 250 metres from the finish, his hamstring tore. He hobbled to a halt, and then fell to the ground in pain. Stretcher bearers made their way over to him, but Redmond decided he wanted to finish the race. He began to hobble along the track. He was soon joined on the track by his father, Jim Redmond, who barged past security and on to the track to get to his son. Jim and Derek completed the lap of the track together, with Derek leaning on his father's shoulder for support. As they crossed the finish line, the crowd of 65,000 spectators rose to give Derek a standing ovation. However, as his father had helped him finish, Derek was officially disqualified and Olympic records state that he "Did Not Finish" the race.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Redmond's struggle in the 1992 semi-final later became the subject of one of the International Olympic Committee's "Celebrate Humanity" videos, which proclaimed: "Strength is measured in pounds. Speed is measured in seconds. Courage? You can't measure courage". In 2008, Redmond was featured in the "Go World" series of Visa advertisements promoting the Olympic Games. The advertisement highlights his 1992 injury, noting that "he and his father finished dead last, but he and his father finished", narrated by actor Morgan Freeman.


title: Derek Redmond

text: On 10 January 2012, it was announced that his father Jim would be one of the Olympic torch bearers in London for the Summer Games. Redmond Senior died in October 2022, aged 81.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Two years after the Olympics in Barcelona, he was told by a surgeon that he would never run again or represent his country in sport. However, after coming to terms with the loss of athletics as a career, he began to turn his attention, with the encouragement of his father, to other sports that he enjoyed. He went on to play professional basketball for the Birmingham Bullets and the England national team.


title: Derek Redmond

text: In 1994, Redmond won "Celebrity Gladiators", and during the third series of "Gladiators" (1994), he served as "Official Timekeeper" to Referee John Anderson. Redmond has also served as a commentator for Eurosport, and presented a basketball show on ITV.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Redmond raced a motorcycle in the Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club with his team in conjunction with Maria Costello, as Costello Redmond Racing. The team finished second in the 2009 Senior 1000 Tag Endurance championship where three team members raced relay style over a six-hour period at seven national UK circuits.


title: Derek Redmond

text: Redmond currently does motivational speaking on the conference circuit, inspiring people with the story of the 4x400 gold medal triumph and his famous ordeal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He currently co-owns a Superbike team.


title: Derek Redmond

text: In 2015, Redmond joined psychometric assessment provider Thomas International as their Group Performance Director.


title: Stralsund

text: Stralsund (; Swedish: "Strålsund"), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: "Hansestadt Stralsund"), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg and Greifswald, and the second-largest city in the Pomeranian part of the state. It is located at the southern coast of the Strelasund, a sound of the Baltic Sea separating the island of Rügen from the Pomeranian mainland.


title: Stralsund

text: The Strelasund Crossing with its two bridges and several ferry services connects Stralsund with Rügen, the largest island of Germany and Pomerania. The Western Pomeranian city is the seat of the Vorpommern-Rügen district and, together with Greifswald, Stralsund forms one of four high-level urban centres of the region.


title: Stralsund

text: The city's name as well as that of the Strelasund are compounds of the Slavic (Polabian) "stral" and "strela" ("arrow; Polish: strzała, Czech: střela") and the Germanic "sund", a strait or sound. The canting arms of the city make reference to that etymology as well as to Stralsund's Hanseatic past in featuring a silver cross pattée (a Hanseatic Cross) above a silver arrow.


title: Stralsund

text: Stralsund was granted city rights in 1234 and is thus the oldest city in Pomerania. It was one of the most prosperous members of the medieval Hanseatic League. In 1628, during the Thirty Years' War, the city came under Swedish rule and remained so until the upheavals of the Napoleonic Wars. It was the capital of Swedish Pomerania (New Western Pomerania) from 1720 to 1815. From 1815 to 1945, Stralsund was part of Prussia.


title: Stralsund

text: Stralsund's old town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002 alongside Wismar in Mecklenburg because of its outstanding Brick Gothic buildings and importance during the Hanseatic League and Swedish rule. St Mary's Church has been the tallest church in the world from 1549 to 1569 and from 1573 to 1647. The city's other two large churches are St Nicholas' and St James'. Stralsund is the seat of the German Oceanographic Museum ("Deutsches Meeresmuseum") with its satellites Ozeaneum (in Stralsund), Nautineum (on Dänholm Island), and Natureum (on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst Peninsula).


title: Stralsund

text: The main industries of Stralsund are shipbuilding, fishing, mechanical engineering, and, to an increasing degree, tourism, life sciences, services and high tech industries, especially information technology and biotechnology.


title: Stralsund

text: The city of Stralsund is located in northeastern Germany in the region of Western Pomerania in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Stralsund is located south west of Rügen. It is separated by a small body of water named the Strelasund which stretches out to the Baltic Sea.


title: Stralsund

text: Its annual precipitation is 656 mm (25.8 inches) and comparatively low, falling within the lowest third of all precipitation values in Germany. The driest month is February; the most precipitation falls in July. The precipitation varies relatively moderately throughout the year. Only 40% of weather stations in Germany exhibit lower seasonal variation.


title: Stralsund

text: The city lies on the sound of Strelasund, a strait of the Baltic Sea. Its geographic proximity to the island of Rügen, whose only fixed link to the mainland, the Strelasund Crossing, runs between Stralsund and the village of Altefähr, has given Stralsund the sobriquet "Gateway to the Island of Rügen" ("Tor zur Insel Rügen"). Stralsund is located close to the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park.


title: Stralsund

text: Stralsund's city borough includes municipal forest and three municipal ponds (the "Knieperteich, Frankenteich" and "Moorteich". The three ponds and the Strelasund lend the Old Town, the original settlement site and historic centre of the city, a protected island ambience. The highest point of the city is the "Galgenberg" ("Gallows Hill") on its western approaches.


title: Stralsund

text: The city's territory covers an area of 54.07 km, which makes Stralsund, with its nearly 58,000 inhabitants one of the most densely populated cities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (1,480 inhabitants per km).


title: Stralsund

text: The city also possesses estates in the local area as well as on the islands of Rügen, Hiddensee and Ummanz.


title: Stralsund

text: Larger cities in the nearby area are Greifswald and Rostock. In the local area around Stralsund there are also the towns of Barth and Ribnitz-Damgarten.


title: Stralsund

text: Many of the smaller villages in the vicinity, like Prohn or Negast, have grown sharply after 1990 as a result of the influx of those living or working in Stralsund.


title: Stralsund

text: In the Middle Ages the Stralsund area formed part of the West Slavic Principality of Rügen. At that time the Dänholm isle and fishing village, both at the site of the latter city, were called "Strale" or "Stralow", Polabian for "arrow" (this meaning underlies the city's coat of arms, which shows an arrow). The full Polabian name can be rendered in Polish as "Strzałów".


title: Stralsund

text: The village also had a ferry to the island of Rügen. In 1168 the Principality of Rügen became part of Kingdom of Denmark.


title: Stralsund

text: In the course of German Ostsiedlung, many German settlers, gentry and merchants were invited to settle in the principality, and they eventually populated the "Strale" settlement. Merchants from other countries as well as locals were attracted to the area and made up one third of the settlement's population. The Danish navy used the isle as well. When the settlement had grown to town size, prince Wizlaw I of Rügen granted Lübeck law to "our town Stralow" in 1234, although a significant settlement had existed long before the formal founding. In 1240, when the prince gave additional land to the town, he called it "Stralesund".


title: Stralsund

text: The success of the settlement challenged the powerful Free City of Lübeck, which burnt Stralsund down in 1249. Afterwards the town was rebuilt with a massive town wall having 11 town gates and 30 watchtowers. The "Neustadt", a town-like suburb, had merged with Stralsund by 1361. "Schadegard", a nearby twin city to Stralsund also founded by Wizlaw I, though not granted German law, served as the principal stronghold and enclosed a fort. It was given up and torn down by 1269 under pressure from the Stralsund "Bürger".


title: Stralsund

text: In 1293 Stralsund became a member of the Hanseatic League. A total of 300 ships flying the flag of Stralsund cruised the Baltic Sea in the 14th century. In 1325 the Principality of Rügen became part of the Duchy of Pomerania, Stralsund however maintained a considerable independence.


title: Stralsund

text: In the 17th century opposing forces in the Thirty Years' War fought over Stralsund. In the Battle of Stralsund (1628), the Imperial (Catholic) forces commanded by Albrecht von Wallenstein besieged the city after the council refused to accept the Capitulation of Franzburg of November 1627. Stralsund resisted with Danish and Swedish support. The Swedish garrison in Stralsund was the first on German soil in history. With the Treaty of Stettin (1630), the city became one of two major Swedish forts in the Duchy of Pomerania, alongside Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland).


title: Stralsund

text: After the war, the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the Treaty of Stettin (1653) made Stralsund part of Swedish Pomerania. Lost to Brandenburg in the Battle of Stralsund (1678), it reverted to Sweden in the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1679). In the Great Northern War in 1715 Charles XII led the defence of Stralsund for a year against the united European armies. Stralsund remained under Swedish control until the Battle of Stralsund (1807), when Napoleon Bonaparte's army occupied it. Seized by Ferdinand von Schill's freikorps in 1809, it subsequently reverted to French control, with Schill killed in action. With the Congress of Vienna (1815), Stralsund became a part of the Prussian Province of Pomerania and the seat of a government region resembling the former Swedish Pomerania.


title: Stralsund

text: Following the First World War Stralsund suffered the same sort of political unrest and unemployment that afflicted much of Germany. In May 1919 Stralsund workers clashed with police, and martial law was declared. In the early 1920s the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD) became the strongest party in Stralsund, but its political fortunes waned rapidly, and in September 1922 it reunited with the Social Democratic Party (SPD).


title: Stralsund

text: In the national parliamentary election of May 1924, the conservative German National People's Party (DNVP) polled 8,547 votes in Stralsund, the SPD 3,534, the Communists 1,825 and the German People's Party (DVP) of Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann 1,417. However, in keeping with national trends, Hitler's National Socialists made rapid gains in the late 1920s, and by the time of the last free national election in July 1932 the Nazis polled twice as many votes in Stralsund as the SPD.


title: Stralsund

text: During the Nazi period (1933–1945), Stralsund's military installations expanded, and a naval training base opened on the nearby island of Dänholm. In World War II the city was subjected to repeated Allied bombing. Attacks by the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1944 killed some 800 Stralsunders and destroyed an estimated 8,000 dwellings. The 354th Rifle Division of the Red Army occupied Stralsund on April 28, 1945 – 10 days before the end of the war in Europe. Approximately half its population had fled.


title: Stralsund

text: During the period of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Stralsund saw the construction of numerous "Plattenbau" prefabricated apartment blocks. Its economic life centered on the now state-owned shipyard, which largely focussed on building ships for the Soviet Union.


title: Stralsund

text: After German reunification in 1990, the city's historic old town was thoroughly restored, and Communist-era apartment blocks were renovated and upgraded. In 2002 the old towns of Stralsund and Wismar, some 120 km to the west, were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Stralsund's shipyard was privatized, and thereafter specialized in constructing container ships.


title: Stralsund

text: The centre of Stralsund has a wealth of historic buildings. Since 1990, large parts of the historic old town have been renovated with private and public capital, and with the support of foundations. As a result of the contempt for historic buildings in East Germany many houses were threatened by ruin. The Old Town in particular offers a rich variety of historic buildings, with many former merchants' houses, churches, streets and squares. Of more than 800 listed buildings in Stralsund, more than 500 are designated as individual monuments in the Old Town. In twenty years, from the "Wende" (turning point) in 1990 to November 2010, 588 of the more than 1,000 old buildings were completely refurbished, including 363 individual monuments. Because of its historical and architectural significance, in 2002 Stralsund's old town together with the old town of Wismar were added to entitled the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list as the "Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar".


title: Stralsund

text: On the Alter Markt Square there is the main landmark of Stralsund: the Brick Gothic city hall from Hanseatic times. This building from 1278 features a remarkable "show façade" that serves the sole purpose of displaying wealth of the city. Citizens can walk through the city hall and its . It also features one of Europe's largest Gothic . The ensemble of buildings on the Alter Markt Square includes the St. Nicholas Church, the Artushof, the Wulflamhaus, the Commandantenhus, the Gewerkschaftshaus and a new apartment complex.


title: Stralsund

text: The historic houses with their distinctive gables, often renovated at a high financial cost, dominate the scene in the streets of the Old Town. The former Swedish Government Palace is now home to the city construction department. The Museum of Cultural History Museum in "Mönchstrasse", in one of the most important surviving original houses of the Hanseatic era, was refurbished with funds from the German Foundation for Monument Conservation It offers a guide to understanding the city's history over seven centuries.


title: Stralsund

text: Three large medieval Brick Gothic buildings – St. Mary's Church, St. Nicholas Church and St. James Church, point to the medieval significance of Stralsund. Today St. James' is used purely as a cultural venue, its parish being served now by the Church of the Holy Spirit, which also dates from the 14th century. Two other churches on the Alter Markt Square and the Neuer Markt are still used for church services. The tower of St. Mary's on the Neuer Markt offers a panoramic view over Stralsund and the island of Rügen.


title: Stralsund

text: St. John's Abbey, a Franciscan monastery from 1254, now houses the Stralsund City Archives. Regular cultural events also take place here, such as open-air theatre productions.


title: Stralsund

text: Ferries to Hiddensee and Altefähr, as well as harbor tour boats, dock at the port. In the summer months the port is a berthing places for river cruisers. There are several yacht harbors and marinas near the Old Town. Hundreds of yachts and boats tie up along the north mole in summer. Architecturally the pilot station and the harbor warehouse ("Hafenspeicher"), as well as the silhouette of the Old Town, form a unique tableau of different historical eras. The barque and former sailor's training ship, "Gorch Fock" is another tourist attraction at the harbor.


title: Stralsund

text: The Fachhochschule Stralsund is a "University of Applied Sciences" with a modern campus, north of the old town at the Strelasund. It has around 2,500 students and is among the best ranked public universities in Germany in various fields, especially in economics. Other university departments are Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. The FH Stralsund also offers international study programs, such as "Leisure and Tourism Management" and "Baltic Management Studies" (international business management).


title: Stralsund

text: Stralsund is linked to the A20 motorway (towards Berlin and Hamburg), via the B96n dual-carriageway. Other major roads include the B105 (beginning in the city centre and continuing to Rostock) and the B96 (major road to Rügen) and the B194 to the town of Grimmen.


title: Stralsund

text: When travelling by air, passengers usually do so via Rostock-Laage Airport with connecting flights from Munich. A small airport, Stralsund Barth Airport, also serves the city locally.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Survival of the Dead is a 2009 horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Alan van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh and Kathleen Munroe. It is the sixth entry in Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" series. The story follows a group of AWOL National Guardsmen who briefly appeared in "Diary of the Dead".


title: Survival of the Dead

text: The prologue follows the actions of National Guard Sergeant "Nicotine" Crockett, who, along with Kenny, Francisco and Tomboy, desert their posts and rob the protagonists of the previous film. Meanwhile, off the coast of Delaware lies Plum Island, home to two feuding Irish families: the O'Flynns and the Muldoons. The former family, led by Patrick O'Flynn, round up a posse to kill the undead on the island. O'Flynn learns that the Muldoons are keeping their undead loved ones safe until a cure is found. Tensions come to a head when O'Flynn and his posse arrive at the Muldoon house to dispatch their undead children, only to engage in a brief gunfight that leaves a woman dead as well. Unable to put the children down himself, Patrick surrenders his weapons when the Muldoon posse arrives. Seamus Muldoon contemplates killing Patrick until Patrick's daughter Janet suggests he be exiled from the island instead.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Boy joins the National Guardsmen and through him they learn of Plum Island. They watch a video made by Patrick and follow the instructions in it that leads them to a nearby dock. At the dock, O'Flynn and his men attempt to rob the Guardsmen, which results in a shootout. Francisco steals a ferry boat and bites off the finger of an attacking zombie in the process. All of the O'Flynns but Patrick are killed by zombies, and he boards the ferry. During the trip to the island, Patrick says that he sent other people to Plum Island to anger the Muldoons.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: When the group reach the island they discover that the Muldoons have chained up their zombies in imitations of their previous lives. They also see that the people sent to the island by Patrick have been killed. Patrick sees his daughter Janet ride by on a horse, apparently dead and turned into a zombie. Patrick attempts to gather allies when two Muldoons attack them, shooting Crockett and Kenny. The latter dies from his wounds, and is shot in the head by Patrick to prevent reanimation. Francisco realizes that he infected himself when he bit off the zombie's finger, and asks Tomboy to shoot him to keep him from turning. Tomboy shoots him and is then captured by Muldoon.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Patrick finds out that the daughter he saw earlier was actually Janet's twin sister Jane. Janet, still alive, joins Patrick and the Guardsmen in their attack on the Muldoons. A standoff occurs at the bridge that separates the two families' land, and the O'Flynn group is captured; Boy and Janet escape. Muldoon reveals his attempts to persuade the zombies to eat something other than human flesh, and uses Jane as a test case. He tries to persuade the dead woman to bite her horse, but instead she attacks and bites her sister Janet. A melee ensues and captured zombies are released, consuming people from both sides. Muldoon and O'Flynn call a truce that is almost immediately broken when Muldoon shoots O'Flynn, who pulls a hidden gun and kills Muldoon.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Crockett and his group attempt to leave the island. Janet witnesses her sister bite the horse and rushes to tell Crockett's group the news, but before doing so she is shot in the head by Patrick, who wanted to prevent his daughter turning before succumbing to his own wounds. Crockett, Boy, and Tomboy board the ferry and escape the island while the zombies are eating the horse. Crockett muses about the purpose of war as the reanimated O'Flynn and Muldoon stagger toward each other, guns unloaded, and attempt to shoot and kill each other again.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Actors Shawn Roberts, Scott Wentworth, Amy Lalonde, Michelle Morgan, and Joshua Close from "Diary of the Dead" appear in archival footage early in the film.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: The film was inspired by the 1958 William Wyler Western film "The Big Country". Romero would use the film's concept on his sixth zombie film as a message on war and conflict, as stated by himself after being questioned about the film: "No… the idea was to make a film about war or entities that don’t die, conflicts, disagreements that people can’t resolve, whether its Ireland, or the Middle East, or the Senate… that was the idea. And then I decided that was the best way to depict it. And then I had this other idea about an island would be a logical place for people to go, an idea I sort of played with in some of the other films. So I said OK, the best way to tell this story I think is to have a protagonist go to the island only to find out that it’s in the middle of basically a war that won’t die, between these two old guys. And the moment that came together I remembered The Big Country. And I’m always looking for something different sort of stylistically with these films so that they’re not the same which makes it more interesting for us as filmmakers. All the people on the set, production design, DP, good friends of mine, we sort of work as a big family. So we all sat down and I made everyone watch the big country. And then my thought was “Hey why don’t we go full on with this, go widescreen, not mute the colors, really try to make it look like William Wyler”. So that was something we did as a fun exercise to give it a different taste".


title: Survival of the Dead

text: The film was independently produced, and distributed by Artfire Pictures. It had a budget of four million USD. Romero shot the film in Port Dover, Ontario and in Toronto, Ontario with an entirely Canadian cast and crew. Romero cited the tax incentives as a reason to shoot in Toronto.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: In September 2009, "George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead" was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival (where it screened for the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion), Trinity of Terrors, Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, introduced by George A. Romero. The film was released on DVD on March 15, 2010 in the United Kingdom.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: In the U.S., it was released on April 30, 2010, for VOD and was aired for one night only on HDNET Movies on May 26, 2010. "Survival of the Dead" opened in 20 theaters on May 28, 2010 to an opening weekend gross of $43,757 and averaging $2,188 per theater. , the film has taken $101,740 and $41,451 internationally, bringing the total gross to $143,191. The film headlined the Texas Frightmare Weekend, which took place from April 28 through May 1, 2010. There was also a screening of "Survival of the Dead" at Madison Square Park, at a zombie walk on May 16, 2010. George A. Romero attended the event, as well as a screenincludingor the first 300 participants. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 24, 2010.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 30% of 91 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review and the average rating is 4.85/10; the website's consensus is: ""Survival of the Dead" offers glimmers of Romero's savage wit, but not nearly enough to make up for his unusually uninspired directing and a lack of new ideas." Metacritic rated it 43/100 based on 22 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Lesli Felperin of "Variety" called it "steeped in fan-pleasing gore but woefully thin on ideas, originality (beyond new zombie-offing methods) or directorial flair."


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Jeannette Catsoulis of "The New York Times" wrote, "Placidly photographed and lacking in urgency, "Survival" shows us the living flailing at fate and the dead just flailing."


title: Survival of the Dead

text: Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" rated it 2/4 stars and wrote that very little in the film is new except for the deaths. Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting rated it 1.5/5 stars and wrote that the film lacks a clear protagonist, antagonist, and theme.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: On July 30, 2017, film critic Scout Tafoya of RogerEbert.com included "Survival of the Dead" in his video series "The Unloved", where he highlights films which received mixed to negative reviews yet he believes to have artistic value. He stated that the film's "savage" reception from critics could possibly be the reason for the absence of films made before Romero's death, "a tragedy because "Survival of the Dead", a deeply weird but singularly Romero-esque Western, is one of the most searing chapters in the book on tribalism and the search for happiness he'd been writing with every film he made during his career... [Romero's] most endearing quality may have been that he never ceased imagining that there could be a place for the poor and tired to finally find peace. To feel like their own masters, all they had to do was let go of the rituals and cruelties, but some still grip the old world like a life preserver."


title: Survival of the Dead

text: In 2017, Romero would announce a new upcoming zombie film of his titled "Twilight of the Dead". He penned a film treatment with co-writer Paolo Zelati depicting a conclusion to the series that explains the fate of the zombie protagonists from "Land of the Dead" and an ending where humanity has become virtually extinct. Romero had written the beginning of the script, but the project was stalled when Romero died of lung cancer later that year.


title: Survival of the Dead

text: It was announced in April 2021 that the film had been put back into development under the supervision of Suzanne Romero, with Zelati finishing the script with screenwriters Joe Knetter and Robert L. Lucas. Suzanne told "The Hollywood Reporter", "This is the film he wanted to make. And while someone else will carry the torch as the director, it is very much a George A. Romero film."


title: Intercession

text: Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others.


title: Intercession

text: The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Timothy specified that intercession prayers should be made for all people.


title: Intercession

text: The early Christians continued to practice intercessory prayer on behalf of others after Jesus' death. Ignatius of Antioch was one man who exhorted Christians to continue to pray for others, and especially for those who became Docetists or held other heretical beliefs. In his letter to the churches of Smyrna, St. Ignatius exhorts the Christians there to pray for other people: "only you must pray to God for them, if by any means they may be brought to repentance, which, however, will be very difficult. Yet Jesus Christ, who is our true life, has the power of [effecting] this". Throughout all of Ignatius's letters, the word for prayers of intercession appears nineteen times, and Ignatius asks for prayer "for himself (eight times), for the Christian church in Syria (seven times), for persecutors, heretics, and all people generally (once each)".


title: Intercession

text: St. Ignatius and the other church fathers, such as Paul the Apostle, who were keen on intercessory prayer based this practice on Jesus' own teachings which required that one pray for others, especially one's enemies:


title: Intercession

text: According to Lionel Swain, of St. Edmund's College, Ware, St. Paul believed intercession to be one of the most important aspects of faith and praying life, as praying for others is a recurring theme in his works. Prayer acts as a way for St. Paul to acknowledge God's power. Intercessory prayer also acts as a way for the Apostle to "share in ... the Father's redemptive love". Paul believed that prayer transformed the person doing the praying, as much as the one being prayed for, which creates a stronger bond between him and God.


title: Intercession

text: Prof. Dr Johannes van Oort, Professor Extraordinarius in the Department of Church History and Church Polity of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, adds that, in addition to praying for wisdom, the early church was very much involved with different charismas, one of which being healing. Praying for other people's illnesses was another way that intercessory prayer was important in the early church, as healing was a sign of "the power of God's Kingdom". This gift of healing is specifically mentioned, among the other charismata, as a sign of being a true Christian by Irenaeus of Lyons in his text, "Against Heresies". SUIIIIII


title: Intercession

text: Intercession of the saints is a doctrine held by the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches that saints may be asked to intercede (or pray) for others. The doctrine of requesting intercession from saints can be found in Christian writings from the 3rd century AD, such as from Origen and Clement of Alexandria.


title: Intercession

text: In addition to praying for each other in life, early Christians would pray for those who had died. There is no unequivocal evidence that Christians began to pray for the dead before the third century AD. G. F. Hamilton argues that the earliest example of Church prayer on behalf of dead Christians are found in the Sacramentary of Serapion of Thmuis (350 AD). Rather than pray for the departed in regular church services on Sunday, these early Christians would hold special commemorative occasions during the week. There was a sharp distinction drawn between remembering and praying on behalf of the dead, and those who were the faithfully' departed", where Christians would only pray for those who had died as believers. The First Epistle of Clement (95 AD) contains a prayer which, while mainly for protection for the living, also includes the dead. Even quite early, a distinction was drawn between those who had died as Christians, and those who had died as unbelievers. In the "Martyrdom of Polycarp" (155 AD), Polycarp is killed and his bones are taken by fellow Christians and a shrine is set up to him, where they may remember his martyrdom. In contrast, the "Apology of Aristides" shows how those who were not Christians were grieved for, while the dead faithful were rejoiced over.


title: Intercession

text: In an article in "Theological Studies", Catholic theologian Patricia A. Sullivan warns that saints should not be built up in a way that brings down God. Saint Augustine had famously said that we pray not to instruct God but to get our will in line with God's. Sullivan warns away from the dictionary meanings of "intercession" as “intervention, mediation, arbitration, negotiation”, all of which sound like we are dealing with a hostile or unfriendly God, whom we need to manipulate to get what we need. Such is not the meaning of the "hapax legomenon" in the New Testament of the word for intercession. Sullivan goes on:


title: Intercession

text: When we ask a saint to intercede for us, what is happening at a deeper level is that we are taking refuge in the all-enfolding community of the redeemed, approaching God thru saintly symbols of Christ's victory and of our hope. Saints want always what God wants, what is best for us whether we pray for it or not. They are in a perpetual attitude of praise for God’s love and care, to which we join ourselves, praying, more precisely, "with" them rather than to them. The value of our petitions is that they turn us in confidence toward the God who loves us, allowing God’s work to be more effective in us, and thru us in others.


title: Intercession

text: It would be anathema to ask God to try any harder to do good. By invocation of a saint "we take refuge in faith in the all-enfolding community of all the redeemed," where "each is responsible for all". They are "creative models of holiness".


title: Intercession

text: Although the idea of intercession or mediation (Arabic: "s̲h̲afāʿa") has historically played a very prominent role in Islamic thought, it is not universally accepted by all Muslims in the present day.


title: Intercession

text: The Quran says that the pre-Islamic Arab pagan gods will not be able to intercede with God on behalf of humankind, and that "the guilty" ("al-mujrimīn", ) will not benefit from any intercession on the Day of Judgment. Other passages that deny the efficacy intercession include & . Still others say that God is the only intercessor (, ; ; ).