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A 34-year-old man died of his injuries after diving from an embankment into the shallow end of Lake Gladewater in Texas. The embankment was 40 feet (12m) up, but the water was only 4 foot (1.2m) deep. Local police report that numerous witnesses saw him jump headfirst into the water and tried to help him, and that alcohol might have been a factor. — Read the rest
When an adjacent property went up for sale next to a young family of five, they bought it in order to create their dream Hideaway House. They hired Cera Stribley who utilized the excavated lot to design an underground living space that could house everything an adult could dream of, including an indoor pool, bar and lounge, gold room, and gym. The original home’s basement has been converted into a new guest suite and connects the house to the new underground space.
In order to maintain privacy in the subterranean space while bringing in natural light, a tall wall is spaced far enough away to allow light to filter down through the windows. A planter box adds nature to help soften surrounding hard surfaces. Whether lounging by the pool or swimming laps, the greenery makes one feel connected to nature.
Behind another wall of glass windows is a sitting area and bar, both of which benefit from the plants and natural light.
A glass-fronted wine cellar lives behind the massive marble bar. Blue leather bar stools complement the blue Cassina chairs and rug featured in the seating area.
In addition to the original basement’s transformation, the ground floor of the Hideaway House has been reconfigured to seamlessly join the backyard, which includes a tennis court.
Paola Navone brass pendants hang above the dining table, which is rounded out with Mies van der Rohe’s cantilevered chairs.
The design purposefully disguises all TVs in order to minimize the family’s screen time.
Architecture & Interior Design by Cera Stribley.
Landscape Design by Eckersley Garden Architecture.
Styling by Jess Kneebone.
Photography by Timothy Kaye.
“This isn’t a bunch of Black people in a pool,” remarks Nic Askew, the coach of the all-Black swim team at Howard University. “It’s young Black men and women succeeding in a sport that, for years, has shut them out of this experience.” For Sports Illustrated, Robert Sanchez spends time with Askew, a 44-year-old Howard alum and record-setting swimmer who agreed to take over the university’s swimming program. An inspiring coach, Askew has slowly but steadily breathed life into the program, creating, reports Sanchez, “arguably the most electric collegiate swimming environment in the U.S.”
Today, Black Americans are 5.5 times more likely to drown than white ones, and historically, racism has made pools across the U.S. — and swimming as both a sport and leisurely activity — less accessible to Black communities. While other HBCUs have cut programs over the decades, Howard’s swim program still stands, and stands proudly.
Askew is a font of positivity, a never-ending seeker of the good that’s just around the corner. It’s an attitude that dates to his time two decades ago as a record-setting swimmer and all-conference tennis player at Howard. “He always wants to know what’s next,” says King, Askew’s former teammate, who once starred as a distance freestyler. “And he’s bringing you with him.” Askew often talks about overflowing cups, about using his cup to fill others’, about the big idea he has for the Bison pool, about the team’s schedule, about winning, about the idea that America’s only all-Black college swim team could become a touchstone for underserved communities across the country.
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