West
Air Force cadet's cause of death blamed on rare bacterial infection
The 19-year-old U.S. Air Force Academy cadet who was found unresponsive in her dorm room in early September died from a rare bacterial infection “associated with a toxic shock-like syndrome,” a coroner has announced.
Avery Koonce had been fighting a cough before dying on Sept. 4 in Colorado from “Paeniclostridium sordellii sepsis complicating parainfluenza laryngotracheobronchitis,” according to an El Paso County Coroner’s Office report obtained by Fox21 News.
Coroner Leon Kelly wrote in the report that Koonce had an abnormal fluid build-up in her left lung along with the bacterium Paeniclostridium sordellii, which can cause “serious disease or death in various clinical settings including airway infection and sepsis,” according to the Colorado Springs Independent.
The bacteria “has been associated with a toxic shock-like syndrome that can rapidly progress to death,” and “It’s likely that the bacterial infection was secondary to the parainfluenza infection… that resulted in… symptoms of severe cough and upper airway inflammation and edema,” the newspaper cited the report as saying.
US AIR FORCE ACADEMY CADET, 19, IS FOUND DEAD IN HER DORM ROOM
Avery Koonce was found dead in her dorm room on Wednesday, the U.S. Air Force Academy says. (U.S. Air Force Academy)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes sepsis as “the body’s extreme response to an infection” that happens “when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body.”
The U.S. Air Force Academy said Koonce, a 19-year-old from Taylor, Texas, was set to graduate in 2028 and was a member of the women’s track and field team.
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A fighter jet is seen on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colo. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“We lost an incredible teammate… While only with us for a short time, Avery positively impacted her unit, her intercollegiate team, and her class – her loss will be felt across USAFA,” Academy Superintendent Lt Gen Tony Bauernfeind said at the time of Koonce’s death. “Our team is focused on providing support to Avery’s family, Cadet Squadron 38, the Track and Field team, and the entire Academy family.”
Koonce attended Thrall High School, according to the Austin American-Statesman, which quoted the district’s superintendent as saying that she was the president of the student council and leader of the National Honor Society.
Tusajigwe Owens demonstrates how to operate an air gun before cadets participate in a training exercise at the U.S. Air Force Academy in September 2023. (Reuters)
U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, who nominated Koonce to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy outside of Colorado Springs, also told the Austin American-Statesman that he was “incredibly saddened to hear about the loss of Cadet Koonce.”
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Miley Cyrus opens up about vocal condition behind her raspy voice
Miley Cyrus has revealed that she has Reinke’s edema, a condition affecting her vocal cords that gives her voice its raspy tone.
unbranded – Entertainment
Move over Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana is coming.
The “Flowers” singer is revisiting her Disney Channel roots, donning the signature blonde look of the fictional popstar ahead of the sitcom’s 20th anniversary in March.
At the Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 3, Cyrus confirmed she is involved with plans for the milestone date.
“Absolutely. We’re working hard on them,” she told Variety.
While she said she couldn’t say more about what’s in store for fans, Cyrus pointed to her blonde hairstyle, adding, “You see the bangs.”
Cyrus starred in the series alongside Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso and father Billy Ray Cyrus, between March 2006 and January 2011, and starred in the 2009 feature film “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” Under the Hannah Montana persona, she also released multiple platinum-selling soundtracks and headlined the Best of Both Worlds Tour, which grossed over $54 million.
What’s happening for the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary?
The Grammy-winning musician first teased plans for the anniversary in a July 22 interview on SiriusXM.
“I want to design something really, really special for it because it really was the beginning of all of this,” she said. “Without Hannah, there wouldn’t really be this me.”
“It’s crazy to think that I started as a character that I thought was going to be impossible to shed, and now that’s something that when I walk into a space, it’s looked at as this sense of kind of, like, nostalgia or something that you have from your childhood,” she added. “So, that’s exciting to get to celebrate that.”
Will there be a Hannah Montana tour in 2026?
Cyrus has not announced plans to tour as “Hannah Montana” for the show’s 20th anniversary.
While exact anniversary plans remain under wraps, a tour seems unlikely, as Cyrus has previously expressed a lack of interest in touring.
During a May 2023 interview with British Vogue, the “Something Beautiful” singer added that while she enjoys performing for her friends, noting that “singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn’t really the thing that I love.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
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