Cedar Point debuts new record-breaking coaster

Cedar Point debuts new record-breaking coaster

SANDUSKY

The “roller coaster capital of the world’ is showing off its newest addition this weekend.

Cedar Point, in Sandusky, is home to the new roller coaster that opened to the public Saturday, the same day the park opened for the season.

Valravn gives riders a sweeping view of Lake Erie before dropping them more than 200 feet on a 90-degree free fall that hits a top speed of 75 mph.

It also turns riders upside down three times.

The roller coaster already has broken records. It’s recognized as the world’s tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster.

Valravn is Cedar Point’s 18th roller coaster. Only Six Flags Magic Mountain, in Santa Clarita, Calif., has more roller coasters with 19.

Stevie Wonder, Eric Benet, more honor Prince in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES

Stevie Wonder, Faith Evans, Aloe Blacc and Eric Benet paid tribute to Prince with words and music at a public memorial Friday in Los Angeles.

Thousands of Prince fans gathered in front of Los Angeles City Hall for the celebration, where the entertainers performed songs from Prince’s vast catalog. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused his unexpected death last month at age 57.

Benet, who is married to Prince’s ex-wife Manuela Testolini, sang “Raspberry Beret,” Evans performed “I Feel for You” and Blacc sang “Diamonds and Pearls.”

“My wife and I had just dropped off our daughter, little Lucia, at school and we got the news,” Benet said. “It was a difficult time, and it still is and I think for the rest of the world it’s one of those things where you can’t really wrap your brain around it.”

Blacc said he admired Prince’s humanitarian work as much as his musical gifts.

“As popular and famous as he was, he was always still doing things unseen to make the world a better place,” he said.

Wonder closed the evening with a performance of “Purple Rain.”

Associated Press