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‘A day of joy’: Brittney Griner opens 1st WNBA season since detainment in Russia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For the first time since last season, Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard opened her pregame comments without announcing how many days Brittney Griner had been jailed in Russia.Griner has been free since December when she was part of a high-profile prisoner swap. She hit the court for warmups about 90 minutes before the Mercury’s WNBA season opener against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night, and she was in the starting lineup, grabbing an early rebound and knocking down a jumper.“Until the day we got the news in the morning that she was on her way home, no one thought that it was going to happen,” Nygaard said. “We did our jobs probably with less joy than professional athletes do. It was heavy every day.”Not anymore.“Today is a day of joy,” Nygaard said. “An amazing, amazing thing has happened.”Griner and the Mercury were greeted with a standing ovation when they came on court for pregame warmups, although the biggest cheers were reserved for the Sparks.Griner...

Dudamel gets 7-minute ovation after 1st NY Philharmonic concert since music director decision

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic received a seven-minute standing ovation Friday night following his first performance with the orchestra since he agreed to become music director.Dudamel conducted a performance of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony at David Geffen Hall, a program he is scheduled to repeat on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.The 42-year-old Venezuelan has been music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009 and will leave at the end of the 2025-2026 season. He agreed in February to a five-year contract as New York’s artistic and music director starting in 2026-2027.Dudamel will remain music director of the Paris Opéra, a role he’s held since 2021.The Associated Press

Chicago police searching for missing 19-year-old possibly in need of assistance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police are asking for help finding a missing 19-year-old woman who is missing from Calumet Heights.Laila Lai is described as being about 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing about 145 pounds, with brown eyes and pink braids.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesAccording to the Chicago Police Department, she has braces and commonly wears a silver necklace with a clear stone. Police said she may be in need of assistance or medical attention.Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or Area 2 SVU detectives at 312-747-8274.

Showers brought smoke down to the ground Friday, but modeling thins smoke layer Saturday into Sunday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

Sunday could see near 80-degree temperatures inland; more substantial warming next week—could pause lakeside Thursday/Friday? Early indication: a warm Memorial Day weekend may be aheadAnother lackluster day on the precipitation frontJust 0.03” fell at the airports in Chicago in what has been the 10th driest May open of the past 151 years. That places May’s opening 19 days among the driest 6% of all May opens on the books—with the monthly rain tally of 0.42” just 16% normal. The month is running 2.66” below normal.Temps topped out at 74 degrees Friday—2 degrees above normal. While May 2023 is running 1.6 degrees above normal, the month is running 2.6 degrees cooler than the opening 19 days of May a year ago. The day produced only an estimated 34% of its possible sun, reports veteran Chicago NWS observer Frank Wachowski.A cold front has passed and now a gusty north/northwest flow is to bring cooler air into the air Friday night and lead us into a modestly cooler than normal start to t...

Overnight thunderstorms continue, mainly in the Hill Country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Strong to severe thunderstorms continue in parts of the Hill Country overnight with lighter rain showers expected at times in the Austin area.Friday night, Valley Spring near Llano reported egg size (2"-diameter) hail, while Cherokee (San Saba Co.) reported quarter size (1"-diameter) hail. Much of the Hill Country enjoyed 1-2 inches of rainfall.As additional storms arrive overnight, there is a 2 out of 4 risk of flash flooding near the Highland Lakes -- welcome news for the low lake levels, but potentially dangerous for low water crossings. INVESTIGATION: LCRA didn't plan for climate change until KXAN investigation Storms may drift into the Austin area late Friday night and at times overnight, but are less likely to contain damaging hail and wind gusts. The weekend will be cooler behind a May cold front arriving Saturday morning, but also largely dry. Expect a 20% chance of showers Saturday and a slightly higher 30% chance of a bit of light rain on Sunday.FIRST W...

Lawmakers split nursing requirements from larger health bill, exempt Mayo Clinic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

Minnesota lawmakers advanced the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act as a standalone bill Thursday, separating it from the health omnibus legislation and exempting Mayo Clinic from the nurse staffing committee requirement.Two weeks ago, Mayo Clinic’s opposition to KNABA turned into an ultimatum when a lobbyist for the Rochester-based health system said in a May 3 email to lawmakers that Mayo Clinic would move a multibillion-dollar investment out of Minnesota if the state made Mayo Clinic subject to that staffing committee requirement and one other proposal, the Health Care Affordability Board.A source said there are indications that another bill opposed by Mayo — a proposed Health Care Affordability Board — is dead for this session.On Thursday, lawmakers separated KNABA from the House and Senate’s health omnibus legislation and made it a standalone bill under SF 1384 as a delete everything amendment. The committee recessed in the early evening Thursday with the intent to reconvene and...

Vulnerable adult reported missing out of Jackson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

JACKSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New York State Police are searching for a woman reported missing out of the town of Jackson in Washington County. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Ruth Anspach, 96, was last seen around 8 a.m. on Friday, May 19 on Dunbar Road in Jackson. She was driving a 2015 gray Ford Focus with New York registration ANC-3526. Police said she has memory loss and may be in need of medical attention.She is 5'1" and 100 lbs. with white hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing glasses.Anyone who sees her should call the NYSP Greenwich at (518) 583-7000 or 911.

2 dead, 3 injured in two shootings at north St. Louis County store

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - The Uptown Market and Liquor store in north St. Louis County has been the scene of two deaths in the last week, both due to gun violence. "This is kind of like the meeting spot," Teaira Whitfield said, referring to the corner store. "You can find everything here, good and bad." The corner store on Shepley Drive and Spring Garden Drive is a one-stop shop for many in the area. "I be trying to come up here every day for real," Mosty Wayne said. "I be getting drinks, whatever I can get." The store promotes groceries, hot food, and cold beer, but it's now gaining notoriety for what's happening in its parking lot. Two people lost their lives in two different shootings. A vigil now greets customers as they walk in.N Road rage fight sends 73-year-old man to hospital with life-threatening injuries "I had just seen him five hours prior to him lying on the sidewalk, lifeless," said Whitfield, a friend of one of the victims. On Thursday night, Chico...

The Black Rep honors life, legacy of Eubie Blake in musical

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

ST. LOUIS - EUBIE! The Black Rep’s last production of the season is underway at the Edison Theater on the campus of Washington University. The musical, which honors the late great James (Eubie) Blake, is getting rave reviews from theatergoers who say they enjoyed every aspect of the production, from the foot-tapping music to the amazingly talented cast.EUBIE! runs through Sunday, May 21. For showtimes and ticket information, visit www.theblackrep.org or call 314-534-3810. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office, which opens two hours before the production begins. 

“We did it”: Mead wins 4A girls lax champ in its inaugural season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:39:26 GMT

The Castle View defense closed in on Mead lacrosse’s Allie Hartman every time she touched the ball in the Class 4A finals Friday night.No problem.DENVER: Mead’s Allie Hartman runs through traffic against Castle View in the Class 4A girls lacrosse championship at University of Denver’s Peter Barton Stadium Friday, May 19, 2023. (Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)The University of Michigan commit simply dished to her slice-and-dice teammate Lucy Connors for one score after another as the Mavericks built a nice lead at Peter Barton Stadium at the University of Denver. Hartman then started scoring, too.There was just no stopping it.Connors ended up scoring eight times, often being set up by the 4A player of the year candidate, and Mead — ranked second in these playoffs — beat No. 1 Castle View, 13-5, to usher in a state title in the St. Vrain Valley School District team’s first season as a program.“Teams don’t know that when they shut me down, I’m also a good feeder,” Hartman said. “When...