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East Metro volleyball player of the year: Nova Classical Academy’s Ava Ball

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

Ava Ball has long been a talented player posting gaudy numbers for a strong program. But her junior year of volleyball at Nova Classical Academy marked significant growth for the outside hitter.Because she was asked to do it all, all the time.Graduating six seniors — including two all-state players and a libero who Knights coach Tom Dobbs believed also could have earned that distinction — from a year ago, much of the onus for this year’s squad fell on Ball’s shoulders.“She’s the hub of the wheel. Everything revolves around her,” Dobbs said. “I think everyone knows that.”Which can be a major burden for a player. But Ball answered the call every time. The end result was a wildly successful season by team and individual standards. Despite the massive roster turnover, Nova Classical Academy returned to the Class 2A, Section 4 final.As for Ball? The South Dakota commit finished this season with a jaw-dropping and state-best 633 kills. That is why she is the 2023 East Metro volleyball pla...

Laura Washington: Nikki Haley is on the rise. Can she take on Donald Trump?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

“‘The rise is real’: Haley’s breakout is jolting 2024’s undercard race,” an Oct. 29 Politico report was headlined.That is Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina legislator and governor, United Nations ambassador and now the Republican presidential candidate to watch. Haley is surging in the 2024 GOP primary sweepstakes; in a new poll, she is tied for second place in the pivotal state of Iowa.Yes, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Haley, with 16% each, are still far behind former President Donald Trump, who was favored by 43% of likely voters in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses, according to a Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll conducted Oct. 22-26.Since a similar poll in August, DeSantis has lost three percentage points while Haley has gained 10 points. The change is “driven in part by increasing support for Ms. Haley among independent voters,” The New York Times reported.Haley’s rise, Politico notes, is a...

Social media post leads to gun found at St. Paul high school, 15-year-old girl arrested

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

A social media post led to a gun being found at a St. Paul high school Tuesday and police arresting a 15-year-old girl.Harding Senior High School on the East Side received a tip Tuesday morning about a post that a student might have a gun, according to a letter sent to families from Principal Tony Chlebecek.Officers went sent to Harding about 9:15 a.m. and met with school security who had two students detained in an office. During a search, a handgun was found inside the 15-year-old’s backpack, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman. She was taken into custody after a minor struggle, during which she kicked an officer, according to Ernster.“No threats were made and no one was injured,” Chlebecek wrote of the incident. “As soon as a report of a weapon was made, administration and our on-site security staff quickly responded, followed our safety procedures, which included putting the school into a hold in place.”He urged members of the “...

Monster Jam returning to MVP Arena in April

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Monster Jam is returning to MVP Arena in Albany on April 13 and 14. The show features champion athletes and their 12,000-pound monster trucks. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Each day starts with a Monster Jam Pit Party from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Attendees can meet the drivers and crew, see the trucks up close, and get autographs. Pit Party activities include the Sand Box play area, tire demonstration, coloring and temporary tattoo station, and photo ops.The main event includes head-to-head monster truck battles in Freestyle, Skills, Donuts and Racing competitions. The event is at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Comedian Randy Rainbow coming to Schenectady Monster truck lineupGrave Digger driven by Brandon VinsonJurassic Attack driven by Dalton WidnerMegalodon driven by Ashley SanfordEarth Shaker driven by TBAVelociraptor driven by TBATBD driven by TBAThose who want to go to the Pit ...

Forest Park breaks ground on its first basketball courts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Forest Park and St. Louis City officials gathered Tuesday to celebrate the groundbreaking of new basketball courts. Forest Park has never had basketball courts, but St. Louisans have wanted them for several years. Once finished, it's the first time Forest Park will have courts in its nearly century and a half history. Incriminating comment helps solve 1993 cold case Arnold, Missouri murder Crews are working to install two full courts and two half courts, in addition to benches, lighting and 35 trees. They also plan to enhance the tree canopy along Lindell Boulevard. The new courts are named after Nicholas Booker, a former St. Louis-area high school basketball player who collapsed and died on a court during his freshman year of college in 2018 after an asthma attack. His family was on hand for the groundbreaking. “It’s a very special day for our family,” says Britt Booker, Nick Booker’s father. “We think about Nick every day and try to be the type of person that he was...

Broncos excited to face former Denver edge rusher Von Miller: “It’s going to be great”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

Cornerback Pat Surtain II’s time playing with former Broncos edge rusher Von Miller was short.As a rookie in 2021, Surtain played in seven games with Miller before the eight-time Pro Bowler was traded away to the Rams, who would go on to win Super Bowl LVI. But during Surtain’s short time with Miller, he remembered the veteran’s leadership and wisdom.Miller, who is now with the Buffalo Bills, will play against the Broncos for the first time on Monday Night Football, and Surtain is looking forward to the opportunity of facing his old teammate.“It’s gonna be different not seeing him in orange and blue, but it’s going to be great,” Surtain said Tuesday.Miller played 10 seasons in Denver, becoming one of the best defensive players in franchise history. He is the franchise leader in sacks (110.5) and quarterback hits (225). But more importantly, he was named MVP of Super Bowl 50, as he helped lead the Broncos to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.After Miller helped the Rams be...

World Series 9-inning games averaged 3 hours, 1 minute — fastest since 1996

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

By RONALD BLUM (AP Baseball Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — If you think the World Series sped by, it did.Nine-inning games averaged 3 hours, 1 minute, the fastest since 1996, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The first postseason of the pitch clock also included defensive shift limits and larger bases, leading to increased stolen bases and appearing to contribute to higher batting averages.“From what I’ve heard of people that pay attention to our games, it’s really more interactive and the pitch clock is good for baseball,” said first baseman Nathaniel Lowe of World Series champion Texas.Postseason nine-inning games overall averaged 3:02, down from 3:23 last year and 3:37 in 2021, the last season before the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device. That mirrored a regular season with an average game time of 2:40, the lowest since 1985.Just one postseason game topped 4 hours, when the Rangers beat Arizona in an 11-inning World Series opener. Six of 40 postse...

Man involved in altercation with Jewish demonstrator who died called 911, sheriff says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

Southern California authorities investigating the death of a Jewish man following a fight with a pro-Palestinian demonstrator over the Israel-Hamas war haven’t determined whether a crime occurred and on Tuesday asked for the public’s help to unravel what happened.Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said deputies determined that Paul Kessler, 69, who died early Monday at a hospital, had fallen backward and struck his head on the ground at a pro-Palestinian demonstration Sunday afternoon in Thousands Oaks, a suburb northwest of Los Angeles. Moorpark man questioned in Jewish demonstrator’s death The pro-Palestinian demonstrator stayed at the scene and told deputies he had called 911, Fryhoff said. Fryhoff said investigators were getting conflicting information from witnesses on both sides about what took place before the fall and had not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime. No arrests have been made, and officials were asking for people to provide video footage if they have any....

Disney guests allegedly poop while waiting in line for rides

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

Some Disney Parks fans have seemingly taken the saying “When you gotta go, you gotta go” to the extreme.A Disney Parks urban legend, claiming that parks guests poop while standing in line for rides, is apparently true, SF Gate reported.Two former Disneyland custodial team workers, known as cast members, wrote about the unsavory topic in their 2015 book “Cleaning the Kingdom: Insider Tales of Keeping Walt’s Dream Spotless.”In the chapter “Disgusting Things,” authors Ken Pellman and Lynn Barron share details about such instances.They describe how these incidents have occurred all over the theme park, most notably in the stand-by queue for the “Indiana Jones Adventure” ride at Disneyland. While standing in this particular queue, many guests think the restrooms are far away, but that isn’t the case. Disneyland announces opening date for Adventureland Treehouse “There’s a pair of individual-use restrooms just backstage from the north unload. It was mainly for cast members, but guests c...

Baskin-Robbins rolls out turkey-dinner ice cream

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:32 GMT

This week saw Kraft Heinz announcing a new pickle-flavored ketchup. Not to be outdone in the goofy-food sweepstakes, Baskin-Robbins is stepping up with a Thanksgiving-themed ice cream.As in much of what you might find on the table at a typical feast.The new flavor, dubbed "Turkey Day Fixin's," features the untraditional ice-cream sensations of sweet potato, spice, cornbread pieces and swirls of cranberry sauce.No, really."We continue to push the boundaries of flavor innovation at Baskin-Robbins and wanted to bring a unique scoop to the table that deliciously encapsulates all the sweet and savory flavors from your favorite Thanksgiving sides," Hannah Suits, Baskin-Robbins' director of brand marketing, said in a statement.She called Turkey Day Fixin's "a delicious and innovative take on holiday favorites."And if you're wondering if that's potentially the biggest misfire in the company's history, think again.A case study of Baskin-Robbins' growth noted "a lot of failures" on the compan...