AMERICAN Pickers star Robbie Wolfe has been spotted working at his car shop just days after the sad passing of his beloved friend Frank Fritz.
Frank passed away on Monday, September 30, two years after suffering a debilitating stroke.
The U.S. Sun has obtained exclusive first photos of Robbie, 57, at his car shop United Motors in Davenport, Iowa on Wednesday, October 2.
Robbie appeared somber as he spoke to customers and friends who stopped by the shop.
He spent the day working, as he was in and out of the store all day.
Robbie wore a gray t-shirt and blue jeans with a cap for the work day.
He appeared visibly downcast while speaking to others at the shop.
Robbie purchased the commercial building for $200,000 in March 2021.
The U.S. Sun also obtained exclusive first photos of Mike in Le Claire, Iowa, just miles away from Robbie’s store.
Mike kept busy most of the day by finishing up renovations on his Iowa vacation rental, Two Lanes Guesthouse.
Robbie Wolfe announced the passing on Instagram.
He captioned a photo of the longtime friends, “It’s with a heavy heart I’m sad to say my friend Frank Fritz has passed away last night.
“You all knew him from TV. But I knew him from traveling, fishing and family. He was the godfather to my twin girls. His smile was contagious and his laughter will be missed.
“Most of all just time sitting in a fishing boat talking about life. I know you’re in a better place…
“Love you buddy hope you catch the big one until we see each other in heaven hold the boat steady.”
Robbie replaced Frank on American Pickers in 2020.
He took time off to recover from back surgery.
During his time off the show, he entered rehab for alcohol addiction in Iowa for 77 days.
Frank had a falling out with Mike, as he had not been asked to return to the show.
Frank previously told The U.S. Sun in a 2021 interview, “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.
“I think Mike wants to get his brother Robbie in there to replace me. I don’t know why he’s behaving like that towards me.”
Though he had been open about wanting to return to the series after his hiatus, Mike confirmed he was officially let go in 2021.
The two reconciled after Frank suffered the stroke.
Frank suffered a stroke in his Iowa home in July 2022.
Frank was unable to recover from the stroke, as he was rushed to the hospital four times in 2022 and 2023, for pneumonia and a seizure.
The History Channel star’s close friends even filed for a conservatorship and guardianship for him in August 2022.
MidWestOne Bank acted as Frank’s conservator, as his friend Chris Davis served the his guardian.
“Because of his stroke, Mr. Fritz’s decision-making capacity is so impaired that he is unable to care for his own safety or to provide for necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, or medical care without which physical injury or illness may occur,” documents obtained by The U.S. Sun read.
“Mr. Fritz’s decision-making capacity is so impaired that he is unable to make, communicate, or carry out important decisions concerning his own financial affairs.
“Decisions must be made for Mr. Fritz’s care and placement while he continues to recover and receive treatment for his injuries.”
The appointment of a guardian and conservator was deemed “necessary” to “avoid immediate harm to him.”
Frank was wheelchair-bound after suffering the stroke.
A ramp was installed outside of his Iowa farm home, though he wasn’t there for long before returning to rehabilitation.
“He can walk, but he’s always going to need the wheelchair because he can’t walk long distances,” a source previously told The U.S. Sun.
“Basically, you lose motion. He lost motion. A stroke can affect your left or your right side, it affected his right side.”
But the insider insisted Frank never lost his lovable personality, as the source said at the time, “He’s the same old Frank. He has a good attitude and a great sense of humor.
“We crack jokes all the time. You gotta make the best of the situation so he’s come to terms with all of that.
“His mind is right, he’s a happy guy and his sense of humor is there.”
Then in his final months, Frank’s condition got worse.
A source previously told The U.S. Sun, “He has been bad since the stroke and he had been getting worse.
“He was unable to move the right side of his body. He needed 24-hour care.
“There was no way he was getting better. He was in a home.”
In July 2024, conservator MidWestOne demanded Frank’s finances be transferred to them, as the star needed “skilled” and “long-term” nursing care at the time, court papers revealed.
Frank Fritz was placed under a conservatorship in August 2022, just weeks after he suffered a stroke.
Frank’s guardian and close friend, Chris Davis, exclusively revealed to The U.S. Sun funeral plans for Frank.
“There will be a celebration of life in the future. It will be big. Fans can attend.
“We already have several bands who want to play in it, including my band. This will probably take place in the spring.”
Chris added of his close friend, “I will say Frank loved his fans and he passed away peacefully with friends at his side.”
FAMILY Dollar is adjusting its payment options to better serve low-income customers.
This comes after the chain announced thousands of closures because of financial struggles.
Family Dollar has partnered with Instacart, a leading grocery delivery service, to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (SNAP/EBT) payments for online orders.
The new partnership allows SNAP/EBT users to shop for eligible items on Family Dollar’s mobile app, storefront page, and on Instacart’s website and app.
Through this collaboration, SNAP customers can benefit from same-day delivery.
“Family Dollar takes great pride in delivering quality and value on family essentials through our convenient locations across the country,” said Larry Gatta, Chief Merchandising Officer for Family Dollar in a press release.
“Now, through our Instacart partnership, that convenience extends even further to our customers with same-day delivery on SNAP-eligible items.”
Sarah Mastrorocco, Vice President and General Manager of Health at Instacart, also spoke on the partnership.
“Now, nearly 98% of SNAP households can shop for groceries and essentials on Instacart with fast, same-day delivery,” he said.
“By expanding our partnerships with retailers like Family Dollar, we’re making it easier for families to get what they need from their preferred stores.”
This move comes during a turbulent time for Family Dollar, which recently announced the closure of nearly 1,000 stores.
Similarly, 99 Cents Only, another major player in the discount retail space, is going out of business altogether.
Both companies cited inflation and increased shoplifting as significant contributors to their financial struggles, squeezing profits and affecting operations.
While these challenges have impacted dollar store chains, analysts point to long-standing strategic issues.
Family Dollar, which has approximately 8,000 locations across the country, has faced ongoing difficulties since its acquisition by Dollar Tree in 2015 for $8.5 billion.
The acquisition was intended to help Dollar Tree compete against larger rivals, but the integration has been rocky.
Food stamps are a voucher issued by the US government to low-income communities that can be exchanged for food and products.
The SNAP program is available in all 50 states, with benefit amounts varying depending on an individual or family’s income, size, and other expenses.
According to Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, Dollar Tree misjudged the deal, leaving Family Dollar as a burden on its parent company.
“Basically, almost ten years on, Dollar Tree is still sifting through the mess it inherited and has not been able to completely turn around,” Saunders explained in a note to clients.
Despite renovating thousands of stores in recent years, Family Dollar continues to struggle with maintenance issues, with many locations still in poor condition, according to CNN.
Earlier this year, the retail chain was hit with a record $41.6 million fine by the Justice Department for violating product safety standards.
This penalty followed reports that items were sold from a rodent-infested warehouse in West Memphis, where live and decaying rodents were found.
However, Family Dollar executives remain optimistic.
The company, now under a new CEO and management team, has been taking steps to improve.
These include lowering prices to attract more customers, expanding private-label brands, and investing in supply chain improvements.
“While we are in the early stages of our transformation journey under our new management team, we are proud of the progress we’ve made to date, and see a long runway for growth ahead for our business,” said a company spokesperson.
CEO Rick Dreiling echoed this sentiment, stating that a “well-run and well-located Family Dollar store is a powerful retail force.”
JASON Duggar has married girlfriend Maddie Grace in a breathtaking wedding.
Jason, who is the 12th child of Jim Bob and Michelle, finally said “I do” to Maddie in front of 300 guests at The Estate at Sweetwater Creek in her native Tennessee.”
Maddie looked stunning as she walked down the aisle in a chic white wedding gown.
The couple first met less than a year ago in December 2023 and became engaged in August of this year.
Speaking to People magazine on the big day, Maddie said: “Just having everybody together just to celebrate us, because you never get another day in your life where all of your loved ones are together.”
However, it appeared that the Duggar clan broke one of Jim Bob’s biggest rules during the celebrations.
The family and friends in attendance all ended the evening with a huge dance party – a major no-go for the religious Duggar family.
Jason and his closest relative all partied the night away in a rare move for the family.
None of the family were allowed to dance or listen to secular music growing up in their devout Baptist household with it being strictly off-limits as per Jim Bob and wife Michelle’s rules.
But it seemed the rule went out of the window in order to celebrate Jason’s big day.
During the ceremony, Maddie walked down the aisle to Sleeping at Last’s romantic ballad Turning Page.
Her longtime pastor officiated the ceremony with many of Jason’s TV siblings in attendance.
Jedidiah acted as best man with Jason’s other brothers James, Justin and Jackson also being groomsmen.
The reality TV star’s sister’s Johanna, Jennifer, Jordan and Josie all acted as bridesmaids’s for their new sister-in-law.
The big day’s wedding reception consisted of a full Italian menu ahead of their pair’s upcoming honeymoon to the country.
Guests also tucked into cheesecake and ice cream for dessert after the pair opted to forego the traditional wedding cake.
Speaking about what drew them to one another, Jason recalled: “We really became each other’s best friends and it just kind of built from there.
“The journey is what has showed us that we are just perfect for each other.”
Speaking of their future life, the 19 Kids and Counting star said: “I think for both of us, we’re pretty simple people really. It’s like just doing life together.
“Just being able to enjoy the next seasons of life and just be able to take those next steps.”
How many children and grandchildren do Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have?
A SCHOOLBOY was killed in a horror crash as he went to get his football from the road, an inquest heard.
Taylen Ireton, 13, was playing footballer near the Cherry Tree pub in Colchester, Essex, when he was struck by a car.
The youngster was rushed to hospital following the September 21 horror but sadly couldn’t be saved.
An inquest heard how Taylen’s cause of death was given as abdominal injuries pending further investigation.
Area Coroner Michelle Brown said: “Taylen was playing football when he went into the road. As he went to retrieve it [the ball] he was hit by a vehicle.
“He was taken to hospital where he died.”
The full inquest was adjourned pending the results of a criminal investigation.
Two men, both aged 19, were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision.
Another man, 18, was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of a collision.
All three have been released on bail until December 4.
Tributes flooded in for Taylen, who played for Wivenhoe Town FC’s Under 14s team.
The club said: “[We] are incredibly sad to hear that Taylen who plays for our Under 14s was involved in a RTC last night and sadly passed away.
“Everyone at the club sends their condolences to the family and friends at this very difficult time.”
Ipswich Town also held a minute’s applause in honour of the keen footballer during their clash with Aston Villa.
While headteacher of Thomas Lord Audley School, Simon Essex, said the “popular” Year 9 student was “loud, funny and full of life”.
He added: “Taylen was a remarkable young boy, full of energy, kindness and had an infectious laugh.
“He had a way of making even the simplest moments feel memorable and he wore his heart on his sleeve. We will miss the cheeky grin that he always wore.
“His popularity was a testament to the kind of person he was – warm, generous and always ready to stand by his friends. Though his time with us was far too short, the impact he made on our lives is immeasurable.
“He will forever be remembered not just for his big personality but for the kindness and love he shared with those lucky enough to be in his life.
“Our world feels emptier without him, but his spirit will continue to live on in our hearts, memories, and the stories we will share for years to come.”
The central bank, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has released the latest interbank foreign currency exchange rate and prices for gold coins and digital gold-backed tokens. The tokens represent the digital form of the actual gold held by the RBZ. The value of a ZiG is quoted daily on the RBZ website. Institutions and individuals […]
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