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Minnesota paid Whalen buyout after ex-coach opted not to stay in admin role

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Lindsay Whalen has decided not to remain in an administrative role at Minnesota following her dismissal as women’s basketball coach.According to the release agreement between the university and Whalen, first reported Wednesday by the St. Paul Pioneer Press and obtained by The Associated Press, she received a $215,000 buyout that was in her contract for termination without cause.When the university announced the change on March 2, athletic director Mark Coyle framed the decision as mutual. “Together, we just felt like now is the right time for her to step down,” Coyle said then. “She’s still going to be part of our program.”The release agreement language referred to it as a firing: “The University determined it was in the best interests of the University to make a change to the head coaching position.”Coyle said at the time the plan was for Whalen to work as a special assistant on fundraising and name, image and likeness opportunities for the Gophers at the s...

Live updates | Zut Alors! Pavon makes hole-in-one at US Open

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Follow along for live updates on the opening round of the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.___HOLE-IN-ONEMatthieu Pavon of France made short work of the shortest hole at the U.S. Open.Pavon hit wedge on the 124-yard 15th hole at Los Angeles Country Club that had enough spin and rode the slope right into the cup for a hole-in-one.That put him back to even par, still plenty of ground to make up on Rickie Fowler, who was at 6-under par as he was finishing up his final five holes.Pavon is the first Frenchman to make an ace at the U.S. Open. The last French player with a hole-in-one at any major was Thomas Levet at Turnberry in the 2009 British Open.___WHAT TO KNOW:— US Open a source of uncertainty on and off the course— US Open raises prize money to $20 million with $3.6M to winner— Chaos rules the day as US Open comes to the glitz of Los Angeles— US Open barranca offers beauty, danger at LA Country Club— Scottie Scheffler arrives at US Open looking to solv...

Nuggets celebrate their 1st NBA title with parade through the streets of downtown Denver

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic rode atop a firetruck with people who mean the world to him — his teammate Jamal Murray, his family — and the NBA trophy. Jokic and the Denver Nuggets soaked in the moment and were soaked, too, by champagne spray on Thursday during a parade through downtown Denver to celebrate their first NBA title.His young daughter, Ognjena, stole the show as she sat in front of him on the firetruck, at times wearing Jokic’s championship hat. Jokic turned in some big assists, too, shielding her from champagne showers.This celebration has been a long time in the making and swarms of fans showed up. It took 47 seasons in the NBA for the franchise to finally make Denver the home of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.Near the end of the parade route, an officer was struck by a firetruck, the Denver Police Department announced on social media. The officer was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The crash remains under investigation.The Nuggets capped off an impress...

Worker struck by lightning in New Jersey revived by police officer

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey (WABC) — A public works employee is lucky to be alive thanks to the quick actions of a police officer after the worker was struck by lightning in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey.It happened at Iselin Middle School on Panther Road in Iselin just before 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, as weather radar images showed thunderstorms popping up in the area.Eric Baumgartner, an 18-year veteran of the Woodbridge DPW and Parks Division employee, was repainting lines on the school’s soccer field when he was struck by a single bolt of lightning.The strike was heard for miles around.“It was like a bomb, a huge bomb,” said Iselin resident Jay Heday. “Then out of the window I saw the guy go down, flat on the floor.”Baumgartner’s co-workers called 911 to report the emergency.Woodbridge Police Officer Robert “RJ” McPartland, a 3-year veteran of the department and certified EMT who is assigned to nearby J.F.K. High School, arrive...

Family of deceased who donated bodies to Harvard Medical School speaks out, says 350 families affected by body part thefts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

The family of a man who donated his body to Harvard Medical School is speaking out after getting mixed messages on whether their loved one was affected by a disturbing body parts trafficking ring.Nicholas Pichowicz worked as a sheriff’s deputy while his wife, Joan, was a police officer. When the two retired, the Plaistow, New Hampshire, couple drove their camper across the country and enjoyed warmer weather. They also made plans that when they died, they would donate their bodies to HMS for research and education.“That’s what they wanted, so we honored their wishes,” said daughter Paula Peltonovich.Nicholas passed away in 2019 while Joan passed earlier in 2023, but on Wednesday, the plan turned into a nightmare for their kids when they learned that from 2018 to 2022, the morgue manager at the school stole donated body parts and sold them.“I’m furious! I could say worse, but I’m furious,” Paula said. “To think that somebody might ...

Prudential Center skyline observatory ‘View Boston’ opens doors to visitors

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

A skyline staple is returning as a new attraction in Boston. View Boston in the Prudential Center officially opened its doors to the public Thursday morning.View Boston is the new, three-floor observatory that starts with the sights you can see from more than 700 feet over Boston, through 24-foot windows wrapping all around the building. Patrons can also eat some food and enjoy a drink from their cocktail bar.It also features immersive exhibits that show the city’s different neighborhoods and landmarks.Tickets can be bought on their website.

Off-duty firefighter, other good Samaritans help pull driver to safety after fiery crash in Beverly

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

Rescue crews said good Samaritans jumped in to help a driver Thursday after a fiery crash in Beverly. The crash happened Thursday morning on Route 128. In the aftermath of the incident, crews said one of the people who helped get the driver to safety was an off duty firefighter just days into his career with the Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Department.“Right place right time to be able to help out,” said Manchester-by-the-Sea Probationary Firefighter Shane Stephenson7NEWS spoke with Stephenson, who downplayed his role jumping into action. Stephenson said he was on his way to work when he spotted flames shooting from a car that went off the road, got hung up on a guardrail and burst into flames. The driver was trapped inside and in trouble. “I think anybody else would have done the same thing,” Stephenson said of his response.In addition to Stephenson, two other good Samaritans scrambled to help. Stephenson has been an EMT for more than 10 years....

Ravens coach John Harbaugh sends message to absent running back: ‘I expected J.K. [Dobbins] to practice’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

The Ravens were second in the NFL in rushing last season with 2,720 yards, but they might have a reason to be at least a little concerned about their ground game going into this one.Starting running back J.K. Dobbins reported to the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp earlier this week, but the 2020 second-round pick did not participate in any of it. He also skipped three weeks of voluntary organized team activities before that.Following the final practice of the offseason Thursday, which Dobbins was also absent from, the message from coach John Harbaugh was clear.“I expected J.K. to practice,” he said. “It wasn’t in the cards apparently.”Though Dobbins was at the team’s facility in Owings Mills on Monday and even appeared in a promotional video put out by the team, he missed the first practice on Tuesday because of an apparent minor soft tissue injury. Then he didn’t participate in the next two practices, either.Harbaugh said he didn&...

Danilo Gallinari set to return to Celtics for 2023-24 season after exercising player option, per report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

Danilo Gallinari will be back for another season with the Celtics after the veteran forward opted into his $6.8 million player option on Thursday to return to Boston, according to a report from ESPN.The decision was not surprising after Gallinari missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. Gallinari signed a two-year deal with the Celtics last July and was expected to be a big part of their plans before he suffered the injury while playing for Team Italy in a FIFA World Cup qualifying game in August.Gallinari had surgery in September and rehabbed with the Celtics all season while traveling with the team and serving as a veteran voice on the bench throughout the regular season and the playoffs. He was hopeful of a return during the playoffs as he ramped up his workload but while he was participating in full-court workouts when the Eastern Conference Finals began, he couldn’t get his conditioning up to speed in time and hadn’t yet been cleared for full contact...

Theme parks bounce back

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:25:06 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. — Last year marked a return to normal for the theme park industry around the world with operators reporting revenues, and in some cases attendance, at par or above pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report.Globally, the theme park industry hit a peak in 2019, the year before the spread of the COVID-19 virus forced many parks and attractions to shut down temporarily and then reopen with restrictions on attendance.Many operators focused on improving visitor experiences through adapting app-based technologies and that paid off with revenues in 2022 that surpassed 2019 levels, even if attendance had not bounced back in the same way, according to the report released Wednesday by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM, the design and engineering firm.“The pandemic revealed a sophisticated consumer base that is willing to pay more for out of home entertainment and experiences. However, consumers also demand more in terms of comfort, ease, quality, and satis...