parks

Guests will be asked to pick a side at Six Flags Magic Mountain’s “DC Heroes and Villains” fest.

(Six Flags Magic Mountain)

The Valencia coaster park this summer is leaning into superhero properties. The likes of Batman, Superman, Catwoman, the Joker and more are taking part in an evening show that marries dance parties, stunt shows and audience participation. Its “DC Heroes and Villains Fest” runs weekends throughout the summer beginning June 20, with festivities starting at 5 p.m.

There’s a plot each night, and it centers on villains trying to spoil a statue dedication to Batman. Audiences are said to be able to align with heroes or villains to see who has control of Gotham City each evening. Expect a stunt show finish and plenty of silliness, such as a dad joke or strength contests. Dance events will center on Catwoman, the Joker and Harley Quinn, nonheroes who will be trying to woo guests with family-friendly entertainment.

While “DC Heroes and Villains Fest” had yet to begin at the time of writing, Magic Mountain is hoping for a theater-heavy experience.

“A lot of my team comes from New York, the Broadway side,” Mike Ostrom, manager of entertainment and events for the park, told immersive podcast No Proscenium. “So we’re trying to bring a lot of theatrical elements and story arc and all those things that involve the crowd, the participants, to really get involved in what they’re seeing.”

Actor Jonathan Joss, whose varied career notably included roles on “King of the Hill” and “Parks and Recreation,” has died. He was killed Sunday in a shooting in San Antonio, according to police.

According to an incident report shared with The Times, officers responded Sunday evening to a shooting at the 200 block of Dorsey Drive where they found Joss near the roadway. First responders “attempted life saving measures” until EMS officers arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. He was 59.

Police did not disclose details about what led to the shooting, but said officers found and arrested the alleged shooter. Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, 56, was booked Monday morning on suspicion of murder. His bond is set at $200,000, according to TMZ, which broke the news of Joss’ death.

The Times could not reach a legal representative for Alvarez Ceja. San Antonio police said it is investigating the shooting.

The actor’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, alleged in a Facebook post shared Monday that he and Joss suffered “openly homophobic” harassment and threats prior to the fatal shooting, which he claimed was also motivated by homophobia. Gonzales wrote that he and Joss had returned Sunday the site of the actor’s San Antonio home — which burned down in January — to check their mail. The actor also lost three dogs in the fire. The men “discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view” and “began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,” Gonzales wrote.

A man approached them, “started yelling violent homophobic slurs” and “raised a gun from his lap and fired,” Gonzales wrote. He said Joss pushed him out of the way, saving his life, and added that his husband “was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.”

“I was with him when he passed,” he wrote. “I told him how much he was loved.”

Joss, born December 1965, is best known for voicing John Redcorn, Hank Hill’s neighbor on the hit Fox animated series “King of the Hill.” Joss lent his voice to the series from 1997 to 2009, taking over from original voice actor Victor Aaron. He also voiced John Redcorn for the show’s video game tie-in in 2000.

Joss spoke about his ties to his longtime character in April as he lamented not being invited to an event promoting the “King of the Hill” revival. Hulu announced Friday that Season 14 of “King of the Hill” will premiere in August. The voice cast touts Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick, Stephen Root, Lauren Tom, and Toby Huss. Joss recorded lines for the revival prior to his death, according to Variety.

“This show was a part of my life for many years,” he wrote on Facebook. “That character, that voice, that story…they were my home, my pride, my connection to something bigger than myself.”

Joss, who studied acting at Our Lady of the Lake University, began acting in the mid-1990s with minor roles in TV projects including “Walker, Texas Ranger” and the miniseries “Dead Man’s Walk.”

In addition to “King of the Hill,” Joss is known for portraying Wamapoke elder and casino owner Chief Ken Hotate in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” where he appeared alongside star Amy Poehler. In the series, Joss’ Ken dissuades Poehler’s peppy protagonist Leslie Knope from hosting a local festival on sacred burial grounds.

“There are two things I know about white people,” he jokes in the series. “They love Matchbox Twenty and they are terrified of curses.”

His television credits also include the Paramount+ drama “Tulsa King,” “Ray Donovan,” “Friday Night Lights,” “ER” and “Charmed.”

Joss’ resumé includes films “The Magnificent Seven,” “True Grit” and “8 Seconds,” among others. He also lent his voice to several video games, including “Red Dead Redemption,” “Days Gone,” “Wasteland 3” and “Cyberpunk 2077.”

The actor embarked on several fan events, including meet-and-greets and Q&As, in the months before his death. On Sunday morning, he recalled meeting fans at Tribe Comics and Games in Austin: “Last night’s gig was amazing — huge thanks to everyone who came out and showed us love!” In the same post, Joss told followers he was seeking a ride to San Antonio.

Joss is survived by his husband. They got married this year on Valentine’s Day. Joss referenced the devastation of losing his home in April, writing in his Facebook post he has since “been rebuilding, piece by piece, soul by soul.”

He added, addressing fans: “You’ve been the ones to lift me up, to remind me of the impact I’ve made, and to carry me through some of the darkest day[s] of my life. Your love means more than I can ever say.”

Gonzales wrote in Monday’s statement he and Joss were were in the process of finding a new home and “planning our future together.” He thanked Joss’ fans for their support and vowed to protect and carry on the actor’s legacy.

“Jonathan saved my life. I will carry that forward. I will protect what he built,” Gonzales wrote.

HUGE plans to create the UK’s first garden city in a century are underway.

The ambitious proposals will transform unused land into a bustling green city and are slated to be finished in the next decade.

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The idea for Ebbsfleet Garden City was born in 2015 following soaring demand for more houses in Kent.

Costing almost £4 billion, the plans aim to create the first garden city in 100 years across 2,500 acres of brownfield land on the Kent Thames Riverside.

Ebbsfleet will feature a staggering 15,000 new homes with 50 new parks and open spaces.

Green and blue space will comprise 40% of the city by 2035, which is when the project is expected to be finished.

It will, according to developers, become a place for Brits to “grow a family, build a business, socialise, and enjoy a unique city-country lifestyle on the edge of London and Kent.”

The planning application is expected to be submitted later this year.

It will be made up of a collection of brownfield development sites within Dartford and Gravesham Boroughs.

Three major projects comprise the Ebbsfleet Garden City: Ebbsfleet Central, Northfleet Embankment and Community buildings and spaces.

Ebbsfleet Central will be a mixed-use residential and commercial area and will feature around 2,100 homes, of which 35 per cent are Affordable Housing.

It will also include up to 100,000 square metres of office floor space and 10,000 square metres of retail floor space.

This will be for restaurants, bars, cafes and supermarkets.

A great option for commuters, Ebbsfleet Central is just 17 minutes from Central London.

It is hoped that the revamped area will become a “magnet for inclusive economic growth” and a “destination of choice for investment and innovation”.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation submitted the outline of the plans for the first phase of new development in Ebbsfleet Central in 2022.

This includes building new leisure facilities, a new school and more open spaces for future residents.

It also involves building the Eastgate Community Building in the middle of Springhead Park.

This will be a church and a local community centre.

It comes after Britain’s newest town – built next to a major motorway – was set to cost a whopping £2.5billion with restaurants, shops and sports facilities.

The Elms Park development, located in the north of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was approved by local authorities yesterday.

Councils have given the go-ahead to the massive new town serving almost 9,000 people.

It will be situated on the outskirts of the Cotswolds, just off junction 10 of the M5, and will feature roughly 60 acres for employment land.

Tewkesbury Borough Council described the approval of the 4,115 homes as the “biggest decision” it had ever made.

The plans include a 25-acre business park, a hotel, shops, cafes, new schools, healthcare facilities and a transport hub.

Elms Park Consortium, led by house builders Bloor Homes and Persimmon, claims that the project will create as many as 8,000 jobs in the area.

It estimates that the development will provide 1,000 affordable homes while generating up to £300m for the local economy each year.

Rob White, agent for the applicant, said: “Approximately £25m will be spent on community infrastructure.

“It will contribute £300 million a year into the sub-regional economy, creating and supporting over 8,000 new jobs, with 30 apprenticeships a year during construction over 20 years.

“Over 4000 new homes will be built, providing for a new community of around 9,000 residents, many of whom will already be living in the area.

“Approximately £50 million pounds will be spent on providing new schools, including a secondary school and two primary schools on site.

“A sports hub containing new facilities for cricket, football, tennis, and an all-weather 3G pitch will be provided on site along with significant contributions to local rugby and hockey clubs.

“They are committed to bringing forward Elms Park as a well-designed, sustainable and healthy place where the new community can thrive.”

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May 23 (UPI) — State parks in Florida are now protected from commercial construction after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the State Park Preservation Act into law Thursday.

The act, which will take effect in July, prevents developers from constructing hotels, golf courses or other commercial enterprises in any of Florida’s 175 state parks.

Pinellas County Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross, who also is an environmental scientist, posted to social media Friday that the act establishes “protections for all 175 state parks against commercial development,” and also thanked “everyone who fought for this bill, and who stood up to preserve our home.”

Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, Highland Beach, called the passage of the act a “bipartisan, bicameral legislative victory,” on her X account Thursday, and then quoted “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss to close her post with “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.”

The new law came after a backlash caused by a purported plan proposed by the state in 2024 and allegedly leaked by the Florida Wildlife Federation to allow commercial development at nine different state parks. All future developments are not completely banned but will instead need to be conservation-minded, and support nature-friendly activities such as camping, hiking and kayaking.

The Florida Wildlife Federation posted a note of appreciation to its website Thursday, with thanks given to the Florida Senate and House “for their unanimous support of this legislation every step of the way,” and it called the law “a massive win for wildlife, outdoor spaces, and future generations who will get to experience Florida’s natural wonders just as they should be: wild and natural.”

Paultons Park in Hampshire has unveiled its new £3.5m dark ride, Ghostly Manor, as it also looks ahead to the addition of a new £12m themed-world which opens to the public in 2026

Paultons Park in Hampshire has pulled the wraps off its spooky new £3.5 million dark ride, Ghostly Manor, which opened its doors to the public on May 17. But that’s not all – they’ve also spilled the beans on a whopping £12 million themed-world that’s in the pipeline.

Valgard – Realm of the Vikings is set to be Paultons Park’s biggest splurge yet and is squarely aimed at families with older kids and teens.

The Viking-themed extravaganza, due to open in spring 2026, will be home to Paultons Park’s first-ever inverting rollercoaster. ‘Drakon’ promises to be the park’s most adrenaline-pumping ride yet, boasting a vertical lift hill and two twists that’ll flip riders head over heels.

Valgard will also play host to a brand-new Vild Swing that’ll send thrill-seekers spinning 12 metres into the air. The Vild Swing will make Paultons Park the first UK theme park to install a thrilling swing by ART Engineering.

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But it’s not just about the new rides. Valgard will also see the Cobra, a much-loved classic at Paultons Park, reimagined as a bobsled adventure. The ride will take on a new identity as Raven, adding to the immersive Viking village experience. Valgard will also feature a themed restaurant with plenty of seats and a new playground for the little ones to explore.

While keeping their cards close to their chest, Paultons Park did let slip that another major thrill ride is on the horizon for Valgard in 2027, hinting at a splashy water-based experience.

Paultons Park is set to take its visitors on an epic Viking adventure with the introduction of Valgard – Realm of the Vikings, adding to its trove of over 80 rides and attractions spanning six themed worlds. Valgard joins the ranks alongside the Midwestern America-themed Tornado Springs, renowned for its exhilarating ‘Cyclonator’ and the twisting ‘Storm Chaser’ coaster, as well as dinosaur-themed haven — Lost Kingdom.

James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: “We are thrilled to share our plans for our largest and boldest investment to date, and on the day that we welcomed guests into our brand-new Ghostly Manor. As an independent, family-owned theme park, we’re incredibly proud of the investments we make to deliver the very best guest experience. We’ve opened two brand-new rides in the last two years and with the build of Valgard firmly underway, we’re excited to open a further three, bigger-and-better-than-ever-before rides, between now and summer 2027.”

Mancey also expressed his excitement over the new additions, adding: “Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans. The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly ups the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven’t forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village.”

Ghostly Manor, the latest indoor ride sensation, has upped the ante at Paultons Park with its five minutes of gameplay and an extra dose of pre-show excitement, adding to the park’s already stellar roster of over 70 rides and attractions.

Ghostly Manor’s interactive gameplay is suited for thrill-seekers aged five and up, with those aged eight and older allowed to ride unaccompanied.

As soon as guests step into the queue for Ghostly Manor, they’ll encounter all sorts of spectral sights and haunted objects while navigating the abode of the famed ghost hunter, Dr Kinley. Riders hop into four-seater carriages and are equipped with their very own Phantom Phaser. The nifty gadget lets them snag sneaky spectres and troublesome phantoms.

The ride is a feast for the senses, featuring cutting-edge haptic interactive tech and LED lights on the handheld Phaser, enhancing the experience across eight digitally decked-out scenes. At the journey’s end, each ghost hunter’s score is tallied, crowning the most skilled spirit snatcher.

James added: “We have worked with the very best technical and theming experts in the attractions business to create Ghostly Manor. Our teams and partners have done a remarkable job at creating our very own haunted house, brimming with entertaining paranormal activity. Ghostly Manor really does look like it’s always been part of Paultons Park, and I’m sure it’s going to be an enormous hit with our guests.”