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Blues open training camp with eye on bounceback season, more physicality

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. - Hundreds have gathered at Centene Ice Community Center to enjoy the first two days of St. Louis Blues training camp. The new season begins in nearly three weeks, and the Blues are motivated to bounce back from last year's tough luck. The Blues missed playoffs for just the second time in 12 seasons last year and only the 10th time in 56 seasons. Behind new captain Brayden Schenn, the Blues hope to prove last year's misfortunes were a fluke. "We're going to put it in the rear-view mirror and focus on this year," said Schenn. "If you look at our locker room right now, guys are showing that we are not happu with last year. That's step one. We have a lot of work to do." Brayden Schenn named new captain of St. Louis Blues, 24th in franchise history Physicality has been a big focus in the early stages of preseason, with several drills emphasizing the importance of conditioning, forechecking and puck battles. By promoting Schenn as captain, plus reuniting with Sam...

Rare mountain lion sighting confirmed in rural Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

SHANNON COUNTY, Mo. - Conservation officials confirmed a rare sighting of a mountain lion in rural Missouri earlier this month. The Missouri Department of Conservation received a report of a possible mountain lion sighting on Sept. 12 in Shannon County, nearly three hours southeast of St. Louis. 38 car parts distributing centers joining UAW strike Agents did not confirm the exact location of the mountain lion, but confirmed its presence due to an attack on an adult elk. (Photo provided by: Missouri Department of Conservation)Agents reviewed surveillance footage and determined that a mountain lion was roaming around the area and feeding on an elk. FOX 2 shared a cropped photo of what MDC officials shared of the mountain lion after preying on the elk. “Mountain lions are natural predators to elk, and this scenario is nothing to be concerned about,” says MDC Furbearer Biologist Nate Bowersock. “Here in Missouri, we have an abundant of natural foods for mountain lions. While we do get...

Jamestown Mall demolition date announced, scheduled for September 26

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – According to the St. Louis County Facebook page, the demolition of Jamestown Mall will start on Tuesday, September 26. On their page, they have asked residents to share their favorite memories of Jamestown Mall.The St. Louis County Port Authority has revealed that it has accepted a bid from Target Contractors LLC, based in South Carolina, for the demolition of the property.Jamestown Mall, which opened in 1973, was forced to close down in 2014 after years of challenges. It has remained abandoned since then. St. Louis County invested one million dollars to purchase all the property parcels, making it easier for potential developers.“This is exciting news for North County,” stated St. Louis County in their Facebook post. “However, this mall holds many special memories for people throughout our area, from shopping at Stix Baer & Fuller to playing games at Aladdin's Castle Arcade.”Stix Baer & Fuller was a department store chain in St. Louis, Missouri, operating...

Kaiser Permanente employees in Colorado say they plan to strike Oct. 4 if no deal reached

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

A union representing Kaiser Permanente Colorado employees announced Friday that it plans to strike for three days in early October, though it’s possible negotiators could still reach a deal before that happens.Services Employees International Union Local 105 announced that it had sent Kaiser Permanente Colorado a notice that workers intended to strike from Oct. 4 to 6, if they haven’t agreed to a new contract by then.The union represents about 3,000 of Kaiser Permanente’s 6,800 employees in Colorado, including technicians, licensed practical nurses and office workers. About 99% of those who cast ballots in late August said they were in favor of authorizing a strike this fall.Kaiser Permanente Colorado has about 500,000 members and runs 33 medical offices. At the time of the strike vote, it said in a statement that negotiations were progressing and dismissed the vote as a pressure tactic.Nationwide, about 75,000 workers could go on strike, with walkouts also planned...

Broncos S Justin Simmons ruled out for Sunday’s matchup against Dolphins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

Denver will be trying to slow down a prolific Miami offense without one of the best safeties in football.Broncos veteran Justin Simmons was ruled out of Sunday’s game at the Dolphins with what the team is calling a hip injury.Veteran outside linebacker Frank Clark (hip) is also out, while defensive lineman Mike Purcell (ankle) is questionable.Simmons dealt with a groin strain throughout training camp but was not listed on the team’s injury report Week 1 or Week 2 and played in both games. He played the entire way against Washington last weekend, but then did not practice at all this week.That left little mystery about his status against the Dolphins.“We’ll have a plan either way,” head coach Sean Payton said shortly before Simmons was officially ruled out.Until last year, Simmons had barely missed a snap in his career due to injury. But then he injured his quad in Week 1 against Seattle and missed four games on injured reserve. He came back and went on ...

49ers give contract extensions to coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

By JOSH DUBOW (AP Pro Football Writer)SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers gave coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch multi-year contract extensions on Friday.The duo joined the 49ers together in 2017 and by their third season built up a team that had won just two games the year before they arrived into a consistent contender.The Niners made it to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season before losing to Kansas City and the NFC title game in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022. San Francisco is off to a 3-0 start this season after beating the New York Giants 30-12 on Thursday night for their second 3-0 start in the past 25 seasons.San Francisco is 55-46 in six-plus seasons under Shanahan and Lynch with six playoff wins. The Niners are 45-25 since the start of the 2019 season and rank fifth in scoring (26.4 ppg) and second in yards per play (5.94). Shanahan’s innovative offensive schemes have helped overcome the lack of a top quarterback on the roste...

Mother gets 78-year prison term for killing daughters, 15 and 5, in Virginia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

By MATTHEW BARAKAT (Associated Press)FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia mother who sedated her two daughters with melatonin-laced gummy bears before fatally shooting them was sentenced Friday to 78 years in prison.Veronica Youngblood, 38, was arrested in August 2018 after shooting daughters Sharon Castro, 15, and Brooklynn Youngblood, 5, in their apartment in McLean. Castro survived long enough to call 911 and tell a dispatcher she had been shot by her mother. Jurors heard a recording of that call during a two-week trial that was so traumatic that jurors inquired about whether they could receive trauma therapy.Youngblood told detectives that she planned to kill them and herself following a protracted custody dispute. Ron Youngblood, her ex-husband, told The Associated Press after the hearing that he had wanted to move to Missouri with both daughters but had reluctantly agreed to take only Brooklyn after his ex-wife objected.Authorities said she fed her daughters the sleep...

The fight over Arizona’s shipping container border wall ends with dismissal of federal lawsuits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Two federal lawsuits filed over former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s decision last year to place thousands of shipping containers along the U.S.-Mexico border have been dismissed after the state said it would pay the U.S. Forest Service $2.1 million to repair environmental damage.The Sept. 15 dismissal of the cases in U.S. District Court in Phoenix ends the fight over the double-stacked containers that were placed as a makeshift border wall in the summer of 2022. Ducey, a Republican, sued in U.S. District Court seeking to stop the federal government from preventing placement of the containers. The U.S. Department of Justice then sued Ducey and other Arizona officials, saying the wall interfered with federal control of the land along the international boundary. Many of the 3,000 containers were placed in the Yuma area of western Arizona and in the remote San Rafael Valley in southeastern Cochise County.Ducey agreed in December to remove the container wall short...

Judge overseeing case to remove Trump from Colorado ballot agrees to order banning threats, intimidation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

DENVER — The Colorado judge overseeing the first significant lawsuit to bar former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential ballot on Friday issued a protective order prohibiting threats and intimidation in the case, saying the safety of those involved — including herself and her staff — was necessary as the groundbreaking litigation moves forward.“I 100% understand everybody’s concerns for the parties, the lawyers, and frankly myself and my staff based on what we’ve seen in other cases,” District Judge Sarah B. Wallace said as she agreed to the protective order.The order prohibits parties in the case from making threatening or intimidating statements. Scott Gessler, a former Colorado secretary of state representing Trump in the case, opposed it. He said a protective order was unnecessary because threats and intimidation already are prohibited by law.It was sought by lawyers for the liberal group Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which is s...

These are the states with the highest and lowest obesity rates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:30:25 GMT

Obesity is becoming more prevalent across the United States, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In 2021, 19 states saw at least 35% of adults with a body mass index of 30 or more, the government's obesity threshold. In 2022, that increased to 22 states. The data was gathered through a variety of sources based on self-reported height and weight, the CDC said. BMI is calculated by dividing the two.In 2022, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Louisiana had the highest rates in the nation with more than 40% of adults considered obese. Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio weren't far behind.2022 Obesity Prevalence Map. (CDC)On the other end of the spectrum, Washington, DC., Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, the Virgin Islands, Massachusetts and California had the lowest prevalence of obesity.Regionally, the Midwest and South had the highest prevalence, followed by the Northeast and the West, the CDC said.Other CDC findings:From 1999 through March 2020, obesity p...