We’re sad to report that Della Reese has died. Probably best known today as Tess, the supervisory angel on the treacly, inspirational 90s TV show, “Touched By An Angel,” we prefer to remember her as a big-voiced jazz singer. Originally a gospel singer (she was discovered by Mahalia Jackson), she was also influenced by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Here’s her version of Duke Ellington’s classic “Mood Indigo”
Duct tape is known for its versatility, but we doubt this was one of the uses the manufacturer had in mind. A 72-year-old woman in Shalimar, Florida used it to store the body of her recently murdered husband in the closet. The NY Post reports she taped his arms and legs to his body, wrapped him in a tarp, then rolled tape around the body. When done, she hid it behind a false wall in a closet, which she then blocked off with drywall. He might still be there, if the woman had not told her adult children what happened to dad. Authorities said that before the elaborate wrapping, she shot him in the head.
Finally, the gang problem in Los Angeles has receded from the headlines, but a story in the Los Angeles Times shows how it still plagues parts of the city. The longish read points out that the Harvard Park neighborhood in South LA is the deadliest for African-Americans in the city; this year, the homicide rate had nearly tripled, from three in 2016 to eight so far this year. The article focuses on four killings that occurred on a single corner: Harvard Boulevard and 62nd Street. An urban tragedy.
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