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TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lifeist Wellness Inc. ("Lifeist" or the "Company") LFST (FRANKFURT: M5B0) LFSWF , a health-tech company that leverages advancements in science and technology to support wellness in innovative ways, today announced a reorganization of its Board of Directors. As part of Lifeist's ongoing efforts to enhance corporate governance and further strengthen its leadership structure, Meni Morim, a director of the Company and the former CEO of the Company, has been appointed Chairman of the Board, while Branden Spikes, a director of the Company, has transitioned to the role of Lead Independent Director. Meni Morim, who has been the driving force behind Lifeist's transformation and successful realignment of the Company's business strategy, assumes the role of Chairman. In this capacity, Meni will continue to provide strategic guidance to Lifeist's executive team and Board, ensuring the successful execution of the Company's long-term vision. Branden Spikes, who served as Chairman of the Board since 2019, and has been instrumental in guiding the Company's strategic direction, takes on the role of Lead Independent Director to act as the effective leader of the Board and to ensure that the Board's agenda will enable it to successfully carry out its duties. In this role, Branden will continue to play a critical role in overseeing the Board's discharge of its duties together with the Chairman, corporate governance, strategic initiatives, and Lifeist's operations while providing valuable independent oversight of the Company's management. These appointments reflect Lifeist's commitment to a strong governance framework, ensuring that both executive leadership and independent oversight remain robust as the Company continues to focus on growth in its health and wellness portfolio. In addition, the Board's Compensation Committee has initiated a comprehensive review of board compensation to ensure it aligns with the Company's evolving structure, size, and strategic direction. This review underscores the directors' continued commitment to the long-term success of the Company and their willingness to prioritize the organization's needs over personal gain, as demonstrated throughout their tenure. Lifeist also reports, as required by the TSXV, in connection with the Consulting Agreement originally announced on June 30, 2023, renewed effective August 1, 2024, and as terminated on October 31, 2024, entered into by the Company with Singular Narrative Management Ltd. ("Singular") for the provision of strategic business consulting, product development, and brand marketing services to the Company as well as other services that do not include investor relations or promotional activities, that it has issued an aggregate of 747,305 common shares and 747,305 common share purchase warrants to acquire up to 747,305 common shares as payment to Singular of the monthly fee of $20,000 for services provided in the months of August, September and October 2024, calculated in accordance with the amended Consulting Agreement. The common shares were issued at deemed prices per share ranging from $0.06-$0.09. The warrants have an exercise price ranging from $0.06-$0.10 per share and expire 5 years from their respective date of issuance. About Lifeist Wellness Inc. Sitting at the forefront of the post-pandemic wellness revolution, Lifeist leverages advancements in science and technology to develop innovative products that support human wellness and transform lives. Lifeist's key asset is its U.S. biosciences subsidiary Mikra Cellular Sciences Inc. ("Mikra"), a biosciences and consumer wellness company focused on developing and selling innovative wellness products. Information on Lifeist and its businesses can be accessed through the links below: www.lifeist.com https://wearemikra.com/ Contact: Andrea Judge CEO Lifeist Wellness Inc. Ph: 888-291-8311 Email: ir@lifeist.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. Source: Lifeist Wellness Inc. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Babacar Faye's 19 points helped Western Kentucky defeat Evansville 79-65 on Saturday. Faye had 12 rebounds for the Hilltoppers (5-3). Don McHenry scored 17 points and added three steals. Julius Thedford shot 4 for 7 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line to finish with 16 points. The Purple Aces (3-6) were led by Cameron Haffner, who posted 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Gabriel Pozzato added 19 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Evansville. Tayshawn Comer finished with 12 points. Western Kentucky used a 10-0 run in the second half to build a 14-point lead at 55-41 with 12:30 remaining before finishing off the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
200 Additional Boeing Engineers Receive Layoff NoticesShohei Ohtani wins third MVP award, first in NL. Aaron Judge earns second AL honor in 3 seasons NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with a broken left leg Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks. The Washington Capitals confirmed Ovechkin’s injury and prognosis Thursday after he was evaluated by doctors upon the teams’ return from a three-game road trip. This prolonged absence puts a pause on Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. He scored 15 goals in his first 18 games this season to move just 27 away of passing Gretzky. Ovechkin was on pace to break the record in February before his shin-on-shin collision with Utah’s Jack McBain on Monday night. NFL issues security alert to teams and the players' union following recent burglaries The NFL has issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union following recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets. QB Daniel Jones disagrees with the Giants' decision to bench him and says he wants to play EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With tears occasionally welling in his eyes, Daniel Jones disagreed on Thursday with the New York Giants' decision to bench him earlier this week and perhaps end his five-plus tenure as the team’s quarterback. The 27-year-old Jones said he gave the team everything he had after being taken sixth overall in the 2019 draft and he believes he still has a future in the NFL. He held himself accountable for the Giants making the playoffs once in his tenure as the starter. President Biden welcomes 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics to White House WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden welcomed “Coach Joe” Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics to the White House to celebrate the franchise’s unprecedented 18th NBA championship. The tradition is believed to have begun when Bill Russell’s 1963 Celtics met with President John F. Kennedy. Biden welcomed the NBA’s 2024 champions and gave them a tour of the Oval Office. In all, the league’s most-decorated franchise has won at least one title in eight of the last 13 presidential administrations. Biden noted that his secret service code name is Celtic as a nod to his Irish heritage. Guardiola signs a 2-year contract extension at Man City and eyes 'more trophies' MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola has committed himself to Manchester City for another two years and he quickly set his sights on adding to his record-breaking reign. Guardiola ended uncertainty about his future by signing a contract extension that would prolong his tenure as City manager to 11 seasons. Guardiola’s contract was due to expire at the end of this season. The four-time defending Premier League champions announced the deal Thursday. The Catalan coach has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining City in 2016. He has gone on to win six Premier League titles in seven years and also lifted the Champions League among 15 major trophies at the club. Jannik Sinner leads Italy back to the Davis Cup semifinals and a rematch against Australia MALAGA, Spain (AP) — No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner has led defending champion Italy to a comeback victory over Argentina for a return to the Davis Cup semifinals. A rematch of last year's championship matchup against Australia now awaits in the final four on Saturday in Malaga, Spain. Italy fell behind 1-0 in the quarterfinals when Argentina's Francisco Cerúndolo defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1. But two-time Grand Slam champion Sinner overwhelmed Sebastián Báez 6-2, 6-1. Then Sinner teamed with Matteo Berrettini in the deciding doubles match to win 6-4, 7-5 against Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez. Australia eliminated the U.S. to reach the Davis Cup semifinals for the third consecutive year. Drama surrounds final 3 races of F1 season as drivers voice displeasure with recent FIA decisions LAS VEGAS (AP) — There’s three races remaining in the Formula 1 season and Max Verstappen is inching so close to a fourth consecutive world championship he could wrap it up Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But all is not smooth sailing headed into this final month of racing. There’s a new race director following the shock sacking of Niels Wittich that blindsided the Grand Prix Driver’s Association so badly they created an Instagram account to rebuke the lack of FIA transparency. It’s the lone post on the account. Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media said last week he was stepping down from his position and F1 furiously denied over the weekend that Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One Management, was also on the move. St. Petersburg council rejects immediate repair to Rays' ballpark roof after first giving approval ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The St. Petersburg City Council has reversed course on whether to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark. The council initially voted Thursday to approve the repair and later changed its mind. The reversal came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo. The Rays will play the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field, spring training home of the New York Yankees in Tampa. It's getting harder to stay on the PGA Tour. Here's why The PGA Tour is making sweeping changes to its eligibility and it's only going to get more difficult to keep a tour card. Since 1983, the top 125 on the money list or the FedEx Cup points list have kept their cards. That changes in 2026 to only the top 100 in the FedEx Cup. Making it even harder is the size of the fields. They're shrinking by about a dozen players depending on the daylight hours available. The PGA Tour believes the changes will give everyone with a card a better chance to compete. The tour also hopes it helps with pace of play.Faye's 19 help Western Kentucky defeat Evansville 79-65
In early 2000, scientists at 3M, the Maplewood-based chemicals giant, made a startling discovery: High levels of PFAS, the virtually indestructible “forever chemicals” used in nonstick pans, stain-resistant carpets and many other products, were turning up in the nation’s sewage. The researchers were concerned. The data suggested that the toxic chemicals, made by 3M, were fast becoming ubiquitous in the environment. The company’s research had already linked exposure to birth defects, cancer and more. That sewage was being used as fertilizer on farmland nationwide, a practice encouraged by the Environmental Protection Agency. The presence of PFAS in the sewage meant those chemicals were being unwittingly spread on fields across the country. 3M didn’t publish the research, but the company did share its findings with the EPA at a 2003 meeting, according to 3M documents reviewed by the New York Times. The research and the EPA’s knowledge of it have not been previously reported. Today, the EPA continues to promote sewage sludge as fertilizer and doesn’t require testing for PFAS, despite the fact that whistleblowers, academics, state officials and the agency’s internal studies over the years have also raised contamination concerns. “These are highly complex mixtures of chemicals,” said David Lewis, a former EPA microbiologist who in the late 1990s issued early warnings of the risks in spreading sludge on farmland. The soil “becomes essentially permanently contaminated,” he said in a recent interview from his home in Georgia. The concerns raised by Lewis and others went unheeded at the time. The country is starting to wake up to the consequences. PFAS, an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, has been detected in sewage sludge, on land treated with sludge fertilizer across the country, and in milk and crops produced on contaminated soil. Only one state, Maine, has started to systematically test its farms for PFAS. Maine has also banned the use of sludge on its fields. In a statement, 3M said the sewage study had been shared with the EPA, and was therefore available to anyone who searched for it in the agency’s archives. The agency had sought 3M’s research into the chemicals as part of an investigation in the early 2000s into their health effects. 3M also said it had invested in “state-of-the-art water treatment technologies” at its manufacturing operations. The company is on track to stop PFAS manufacturing globally by the end of 2025, it said. The EPA did not respond to detailed questions for this article, including about the 3M research. It said in an earlier statement that it “recognizes that biosolids may sometimes contain PFAS and other contaminants” and that it was working with other agencies to “better understand the scope of farms that may have applied contaminated biosolids” and to “support farmers and protect the food supply.” Farmland contamination has become a contentious environmental issue in red and blue states. In Oklahoma, Republican voters ousted a longtime incumbent in a state House primary in August after the lawmaker drew criticism for the use of sewage sludge fertilizer on his fields. The victor, Jim Shaw, said he planned to introduce legislation to ban sludge fertilizer across the state. “There are other ways to dispose of excess waste from the cities,” Shaw said in an email. “Contaminating our farmland, livestock, food and water sources is not an option and has to stop.” This year the EPA designated two kinds of PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, and it mandated that water utilities reduce levels in drinking water to near zero and said there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS. It also designated PFAS as “an urgent public health and environmental issue” in 2021, and has said it will issue a report on the risks of PFAS contamination in sludge fertilizer by the end of the year. The decades-old research by 3M and the record of the company’s interaction with the EPA were found by the Times in a cache of tens of thousands of pages of internal documents that the company released as part of settlements in the early 2000s between the federal government and 3M over health risks of the chemicals. Reusing human waste to fertilize farmland, a practice that dates back centuries, keeps the waste from needing other ways of disposing of it, such as incineration or landfill dumping, both of which have their own environmental risks. But the problem, experts say, is that sewage today contains a host of chemicals, including PFAS, generated by businesses, factories and homes. The federal government regulates certain heavy metals and pathogens in sludge that is reused as fertilizer; it has no limits on PFAS. “There’s absolutely enough evidence, with the high levels of contaminants that we see in the sludge, for the EPA to regulate,” said Arjun K. Venkatesan, director of the Emerging Contaminants Research Laboratory at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. ‘It’s insidious’ The turn of the century was a turbulent time for 3M. After decades of hiding the dangers of PFAS — a history outlined in lawsuits and peer-reviewed studies based on previously secret industry documents — in 1998 it alerted the EPA about the potential hazards. The company had already found high levels of PFAS in the blood of its employees, and was starting to detect the chemicals in the wider population. It had also long tracked PFAS in wastewater from its factories. Then in a 2000 study, 3M researchers noticed something alarming. While testing for PFAS in cities with “no known significant industrial use” of the chemicals, including Cleveland, Tennessee, and Port St. Lucie, Florida, they found surprisingly high concentrations in sewage sludge. A question weighed on the researchers’ minds: If there were no PFAS manufacturers present, where were the chemicals coming from? Hints lay in 3M’s other research. The company had been studying how the chemicals could be released by PFAS-treated carpets during washing. And they were also studying how PFAS could leach from food packaging and other products. In an interview, Kris Hansen, a former chemist at 3M who was involved in the research, said the presence in sludge “meant this contamination was probably occurring at any city” that was using 3M’s products. The study showed, moreover, that PFAS were not getting broken down at wastewater treatment plants. “It was ending up in the sludge, and that was becoming biosolids, being mixed into soil,” Hansen said. “From there it can run into the groundwater, go back into people. It’s insidious.” In September 2003, 3M officials met with the EPA to discuss the company’s study of sludge contamination and other research, according to the internal records. At the end of the meeting, the EPA requested “additional background information supporting this monitoring data,” the records show. Sewage sludge has now been spread on millions of acres across the country. It’s difficult to know exactly how much, and EPA data is incomplete. The fertilizer industry says more than 2 million dry tons were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018. And it estimates that farmers have obtained permits to use sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about a fifth of all U.S. agricultural land. “If we really wanted to figure this problem out because we believe it’s in the interest of public health, we really needed to share that data widely,” said Hansen, who has become a whistleblower against 3M. “But my memory is that the corporation was kind of caught up in the, ‘Oh my gosh, what do we do about this?’” Early warning, unheeded Lewis was a rising star in the late 1990s as a microbiologist at the EPA. He discovered how dental equipment could harbor HIV, winning him kudos within the scientific community. Then he turned his attention to sewage sludge. The EPA was encouraging farmers to use sludge as fertilizer. Humans had used waste to fertilize the land for millennia, after all. But, as Lewis pointed out with his research, modern-day sewage most likely contained a slew of chemicals, including PFAS, that made it a very dangerous fertilizer. He collected and examined sewage samples. He investigated illnesses and deaths he said could be linked to sludge. He started presenting his findings at scientific conferences. “The chances that serious adverse effects will occur from a complex and unpredictable mixture of tens of thousands of chemical pollutants is a virtual certainty,” he said at the time. His research prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue guidelines protecting workers handling processed sewage sludge. The EPA eliminated his job in 2003. He was a prominent voice on the issue at the time, but not the only one. Rolf Halden, a professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University and an early researcher of contamination in biosolids, met with EPA officials at least nine times since 2005 to warn about his own research, according to his records. “The history of biosolids is that it was a toxic waste,” he said. For decades, he noted, sludge from New York City “was loaded on trains and shipped to the back corners of the country,” he said. Farmers often took the sludge without knowledge of its possible contamination. In 2006, an EPA contractor offered him samples of municipal sewage sludge left over from earlier agency testing. The EPA had been about to throw them out. Those samples led to a study that confirmed elevated PFAS levels in sludge nationwide. (The early research into sewage samples eventually led to wastewater testing that has helped researchers track the virus that causes COVID-19.) Another researcher, Christopher Higgins, was starting his academic career in the early 2000s when he began looking at sludge. He presented his work to EPA officials, he said, and was left with the impression that it wasn’t a priority. “I was really surprised by how few people were working for EPA on the topic,” said Higgins, who is now a professor at the Colorado School of Mines. Betsy Southerland, a former director of science and technology in the EPA Office of Water, which oversees biosolids, said the program had been hurt by staffing shortages as well as an arduous process for setting new restrictions. Action has been slow, she said, even though EPA’s surveys of sludge had shown “all kinds of pollutants — flame retardants, pharmaceuticals, steroids, hormones,” she said. “It’s the most horrible story,” she said. A 2018 report by the EPA’s inspector accused the agency of failing to properly regulate biosolids, saying it had “reduced staff and resources in the biosolids program over time, creating barriers.” The Biden administration has said it would publish a risk assessment of PFAS in biosolids by the end of 2024. That would be a first step toward setting limits on PFAS in sewage sludge used as fertilizer. There is another solution, experts say. Under the Clean Water Act, wastewater treatment plants have a legal authority to limit PFAS pollution from local factories. It’s known as the Clean Water Act “pretreatment program,” preventing chemicals from reaching sewage in the first place. In the past two years, two cities — Burlington, North Carolina, and Calhoun, Georgia — have ordered industries to clean up the effluent they send to wastewater treatment plants. In one instance, a textile producer decided to stop using PFAS entirely. Those actions came after a local environmental group sued the cities. “Industry is in the best position to control their own pollution, rather than treating wastewater treatment plants like industrial, toxic dumping grounds,” said Kelly Moser, an attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, which filed the lawsuits. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies, which represents wastewater treatment plants, said more than 1,600 utilities already had pretreatment programs in place, though not necessarily for PFAS. (The group also said research showed that the chemicals were coming from household waste, including human waste, not just factories.) Adam Krantz, the group’s CEO, said many utilities were waiting for the EPA to set standards. That would strengthen treatment plants’ ability to hold the ultimate polluters responsible, he said. “If these chemical companies were aware of PFAS’ potential dangers and kept it quiet,” he said, “then these polluters have to pay.”CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets will be without point guard LaMelo Ball for at least two weeks because of a strained left calf. Ball felt discomfort in his calf after Wednesday night’s loss to the Miami Heat and did not play against the New York Knicks on Friday. The team said he will be reevaluated on Dec. 11, which is two weeks from the date of the original injury. Ball has been hot for the Hornets, averaging 40.3 points in his last four games. He is averaging a career-best 31.1 points and 4.7 3-pointers per game for the season, which ranks second in the NBA. He also is averaging 5.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 18 starts. Ball has had a history of injury problems, mostly to his ankles, since coming to the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The only Hornets player to ever receive a max contract extension, Ball has played in just 202 games with 182 starts in five seasons. The team also said guard Tre Mann’s lower back soreness has been diagnosed as a disk irritation. His absence from the lineup began on Nov. 23 against Milwaukee. He will continue his rehabilitation and be reevaluated in two weeks. “They are competitors and they want to be out there on the court to compete and hoop, but they also want to be out there for their teammates,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said prior to Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks. "I just walked past ’Melo as I was coming in here to do media, and he’s like, ‘I’m going to take care of everything I need to do on this return to play program and I’m going to attack it with the right mindset.’ I have all the confidence in the world in our performance staff and in those guys.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Lument Finance Trust, Inc. Declares Quarterly Cash Dividends for its Common and Preferred Stock and Announces Special Cash Dividend DistributionDallas (5-8) at Carolina (3-10) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX. BetMGM Odds: Panthers by 3. Against the spread: Cowboys 4-9, Panthers 6-7. Series record: Cowboys lead 11-3. Last meeting: Cowboys beat Panthers 33-10 on Nov. 19, 2023 in Carolina. Last week: Cowboys lost to Bengals 27-20; Panthers lost to Eagles 22-16. Cowboys offense: overall (20), rush (28), pass (11), scoring (21) Cowboys defense: overall (25), rush (30), pass (22), scoring (31) Panthers offense: overall (30), rush (22), pass (27), scoring (28) Panthers defense: overall (31), rush (32), pass (12), scoring (32) Turnover differential: Cowboys minus-8; Panthers minus-5. Panthers edge rusher Micah Parsons vs. Panthers offensive line. Parsons seems to be getting better as the season progresses and will be a tough matchup for Carolina's offensive line regardless of where he lines up. Parsons has 3 1/2 sacks over his past three games. WR Adam Thielen. The veteran wide receiver was Bryce Young's favorite option last season and is finally developing into that again this season after battling back from a hamstring injury that left him on injured reserve. Thielen has 17 catches on 21 targets for 201 yards and a touchdown over the past two games. When the Panthers need a first down on fourth down, the pass is almost always going to Thielen. Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle vs. NFL's worst run defense. Dowdle has had the first two 100-yard outings of his career the past two weeks, resetting his career best both times. The undrafted fifth-year player on an expiring contract had 131 yards in the loss to the Bengals. Since taking over as the lead back at the start of November, Dowdle is averaging 16 carries and 81 yards with a touchdown rushing and another receiving. On Sunday, he will face the league’s 32nd-ranked run defense. Carolina allowed Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley to run for 124 yards last week and Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving to run for a career-high 152 yards the week before that. The Panthers are allowing more than 170 yards per game on the ground and 4.97 yards per carry. Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown was set for season-ending surgery on the right knee he injured in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Bengals. The second-year player from Texas missed all of his rookie season after tearing a ligament in his left knee in a preseason game. ... DE DeMarcus Lawrence, who hasn’t played since Week 4, is close to returning from a foot injury. With the playoff hopes all but gone, the question remains whether to press the 32-year-old into action. Lawrence is on an expiring contract. ... Rookie C Cooper Beebe sustained a concussion against Cincinnati.. ... The Panthers are hoping to get WR Jalen Coker back on the field this week after he has missed the past three games with a quad injury. ... Also, No. 1 CB Jaycee Horn has been playing with a groin injury, and that could be problematic against CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys are 7-2 against the Panthers since losing a wild-card game at Carolina 29-10 during the 2003 season, the first of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells’ four years leading Dallas. The Cowboys are 4-2 on the road this season, including victories over playoff contenders Pittsburgh and Washington. ... QB Cooper Rush is 2-3 filling in for Dak Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. Assuming Rush starts, this will be his longest stint as Prescott’s replacement. He went 4-1 in 2022 after Prescott broke the thumb on his throwing hand in the opener. ... Dowdle’s 7.3-yard average per carry on 18 attempts against the Bengals was the highest for a Dallas back since Ezekiel Elliott averaged 7.9 per carry at Philadelphia in 2018. ... WR CeeDee Lamb has just one 100-yard receiving game this season after finishing with eight in his breakout 2023 All-Pro season. But Lamb has five other games with at least 89 yards. He has reached 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first five seasons, the fifth receiver to do that. ... S Malik Hooker’s interception of Joe Burrow was his second of the season. He has seven interceptions in his four Dallas seasons. He also had seven in four years with Indianapolis, where he spent four injury-filled years as a 2017 first-round draft pick. ... The Panthers have endured six straight seasons with at least 10 losses. ... Carolina’s past five games have come down to the last possession. ... Panthers 1,000-yard RB Chuba Hubbard needs one rushing touchdown to pass Stephen Davis for fifth in team history. He is also 9 rushing yards away from reaching 3,000 for his career. ... Rookie WR Xavier Legette had three drops last week vs. the Eagles, including one for a potential go-ahead score in the final minute. ... OLB Jadeveon Clowney is tied for 11th in sacks among active NFL players. ... The Panthers have 15 sacks in the past four games. Carolina’s improved pass rush has coincided with OLB D.J. Wonnum getting on the field after missing the first nine games of the season on injured reserve. Chuba Hubbard is expected to see the overwhelming majority of carries for the Panthers, who are now thin at the position. Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks are on injured reserve and Raheem Blackshear is working through a chest injury. That leaves Mike Boone as the Hubbard's backup. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflWalmart has this mega-sized 75-inch 4K UltraHD Roku TV on sale for less than $480 in a huge holiday deal
Duke vs. Arizona prediction: College basketball picks, odds, best bets Friday
Today, the Hastings Tribune continues its annual look back at local and Tribland news and sports highlights from 2024. The series continues through Jan. 4, 2025. March Adams County Emergency Management had settled into its new offices at 2965 S. Baltimore Ave., on the old Wallace School property, after spending about three decades in the basement at the Highland Park Fire Station in Hastings. ACEM Manager Ron Pughes said the new location would be more conducive to pre-planning for major events, such as disasters. After “a long 2 1⁄2 years,” Adams County officials were looking forward to completion of the new Adams County Justice Center near U.S. Highway 281 and M Street. The facility originally was slated for a fall 2023 opening, but a combination of supply issues and design problems caused significant delays. Adams County voters approved a bond issue not to exceed $38 million for the construction project in 2020. Construction price increases forced the project to be scaled back to a 154-bed jail without court facilities on the premises. The Adams County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 to outsource county human resources functions to Zelle HR Solutions of Lincoln. Those duties previously were handled by the Adams County Clerk’s Office, but Clerk Ramona Thomas had told the board the human resources responsibilities had become an undue burden on her staff. Several county officials told the commissioners that outsourcing HR would not work well, but commissioners said establishing a free-standing HR office would be too expensive and outsourcing was worth a try. The Hastings College men’s basketball team defeated Morningside University 77-61 at Lynn Farrell Arena to win its first-ever Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament title. The Adams County Board of Commissioners appointed Danielle Wahl to finish the unexpired term of office of former Assessor Jackie Russell. Wahl had 17 years’ experience as an employee in the office and most recently had held the title of senior clerk. Russell resigned to take a job with the Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Commission. Todd Raridon, head coach of the Hastings College men’s basketball team, was honored as Great Plains Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Reggie Thomas, a sophomore guard on the Broncos men’s basketball team, was named Player of the Year. Sam Dunn, superintendent of Loomis Public Schools and a former teacher and head football coah at Minden High School, was hired as the next principal of St. Cecilia Middle School and High School effective for the 2024-25 academic year. Dunn was to replace the Rev. Cyrus Rowan, who was preparing to be promoted to chief administrative officer of Hastings Catholic Schools. Harold “Hal” Dittmer, Jim Dugan, and the Kim and Tom Dinsdale family were announced as 2024 inductees to the Pro Rege Society at Hastings College. Pro Rege induction is the highest form of non-academic recognition the college bestows and honors extraordinary service to the institution in forms of time, talent and treasure. A new scoreboard was installed at Hastings’ historic Duncan Field in time for the start of the Hastings College baseball campaign for 2024. Unlike the scoreboard it replaced, the new device stands outside the brick outfield wall as opposed to inside it. Based on public input, the Hastings City Council settled on its choices for design of the new east main entrance at the City Building and its aesthetic choices for the inside of the council chambers. The council’s choices were to be made part of the final design before a major building renovation project was let for bids. Lance Creech, former head men’s basketball coach at Hastings College and boys basketball coach at Hastings High School, was hired to replace Liz Vanderpool as head girls basketball coach at HHS beginning in 2024-25. Creech led the boys team from 2013-20 and took the Tigers to the state tournament for the first time since 2004 before leaving the school that spring to enter private business. Dylan Flinn, a business instructor at Hastings High School, was hired to succeed Drew Danielson as head boys basketball coach at Hastings High School. Flinn, who had been part of the basketball staff for six years, had been turned down for the head boys coaching job when Danielson was hired in 2020, but said he felt the timing was better now, anyway. The Shelton High School boys basketball team defeated Maywood-Hayes Center 54-42 in the Class D-2 Nebraska state basketball championship game to capture its first state title since 1919. The Bulldogs were making their first state title game appearance in 96 years. In an effort to enlarge the pool of licensed contractors available for projects in Hastings, the City Council approved changes to municipal code allowing master and journeyman plumbers, gas fitters and mechanical installers, water softener installers and lawn sprinkler installers with a current valid license in another first-class city in Nebraska to be licensed in Hastings on an expedited basis, without having to sit for another test. Reagen Gallaway, a freshman at Hastings, became the college’s second-ever All-American in women’s wrestling at the NAIA national tournament in Jamestown, North Dakota, battling through bronchitis to finish in seventh place at 143 pounds. In a presentation to the Hastings Board of Education, Jeff Schneider, superintendent of Hastings Public Schools, proposed that HPS begin paying college and university students $3,000 for completing their student-teaching experience in the district. Schneider explained that schools now are competing for student teachers and discussions about paying them are occurring in school district across Nebraska. The Hastings College men’s basketball team lost 68-67 to Mid-America Christian in the first round of the NAIA national tournament in Wichita, Kansas, closing out a turnaround season for the Broncos, who ended with a final won-lost record of 23-9. The City Planning Commission recommended City Council approval of Blight and Substandard studies for proposed new city Redevelopment Areas No. 17 and 18, respectively. Area 17 covers the Hastings College neighborhood, and Area 18 stretches from the Crosier Park neighborhood north across the Union Pacific railroad tracks to 26th Street. Blight studies for all redevelopment areas are required by the Nebraska Community Redevelopment Law. The City Council then went on to approve the Blight and Substandard studies in April. City Utilities Manager Kevin Johnson announced his plans to retire from the post in June. Johnson took the helm at Hastings Utilities in October 2017. Mandy Buderus (now Watt) was hired as head coach of the Hastings High School volleyball program after a decade of coaching at Hastings Middle School and working with various local club volleyball programs, plus earlier service as an assistant at Doniphan-Trumbull. She succeeded Allison Soucie, who resigned following the 2023 season. The Hastings City Council approved a new, five-year interlocal agreement with Adams County for emergency ambulance service. The agreement, which runs through June 30, 2029, outlined Advanced Life Support services the city will provide to the county for a set price of $98,436 per year, with annual adjustments to be made based on the actual cost of service delivery and the volume of calls under county authority. The county will pay its bill in bi-annual installments due July 31 and Jan. 31. The Blue Hill volunteer fire department served pancakes to the community on a Sunday morning to celebrate completion of the new Blue Hill fire station in 2022 and raise money for self-contained breathing apparatuses to replace the department’s aging oxygen tanks. Tenants were moving into the new Theatre District on the former site of the Imperial Mall, which is being redeveloped into a new neighborhood with residential, commercial, office, retail and entertainment uses. April Hastings College men’s basketball standout Reggie Thomas was honored as a first-team All-American by the NAIA, becoming the 38th Bronco to get All-American status and the first ever to make the first team. Thomas announced he would leave Hastings College following the 2024-25 campaign to pursue opportunities in the NCAA and later committed to play for North Dakota. The Hastings City Council approved an ordinance rezoning the Grace Life Church property, 1220 W. 18th St., from an I-1 light industrial district to a C-1 local business district, clearing the way for the congregation to open Hastings Christian School there in the fall. The property previously was used for Champions Sports and Recreation and then the Hastings Family YMCA 18th Street location. Around 150 people gathered on the lawn outside Altman Hall at Hastings College to view a partial solar eclipse that was total at many locations in the United States. The Adams Central Schools Foundation announced it would provide a record-breaking $91,000 in scholarships to senior students graduating in 2024. Every AC graduate was to receive a $500 scholarship upon showing proof of enrolling in a post-secondary institution, no matter the type of degree being sought. A Webster County District Court jury awarded a total of nearly $11.5 million in damages to a Red Cloud couple, Michael and Sharon McCartney, following a May 2020 injury crash in which Michael McCartney was struck by a semitrailer truck while driving a backhoe near a bridge construction zone on U.S. Highway 136 west of Red Cloud. McCartney’s injuries led to the amputation of his right leg below the knee and the amputation of part of his left leg. By an 8-1 vote, the Executive Board of the Legislative Council of the Nebraska Legislature handed down an official reprimand to state Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings deploring his conduct in floor debate at the state Capitol in which he read graphic excerpts from a woman’s memoir recounting her memory of a sexual assault perpetrated on her as a young person. During his reading, Halloran periodically interjected the names of other state senators on the floor, one of whom was a woman. The incident caused turmoil in the legislative chamber, with the sense being that Halloran was trying to terrorize his female colleague. Halloran publicly apologized to the woman senator the morning after the incident but also protested that he had received “unwarranted criticism” over the matter, asserted that outrage from fellow senators and the public over the matter was being misdirected toward him, and proclaimed that he would wear his reprimand as a “badge of honor” for trying to protect vulnerable children. The bill up for debate at the time of the floor incident had to do with obscenity laws governing teachers and librarians in Nebraska schools. Rusty bolts on a valve were blamed for a water main leak that created a car-sized, cave-like void beneath South Street in central Hastings and infiltrated and undermined a sanitary sewer main below. The street had to be closed to through traffic between Burlington and Hastings avenues for an extended time to allow for replacement of both water and sanitary sewer main and one deteriorated manhole, followed by street re-paving. The galvanized bolts rusted due to over-tightening at the time the valve was manufactured, said Brandan Lubken, Hastings Utilities director of underground operations. Officials conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new 49,900-square-foot Adams County Justice Center near U.S. Highway 281 and M Street after the builder turned the complex over to the county. A pickup truck left the roadway and took out a utility pole near A Street and Burlington Avenue, causing an electrical power outage that affected about 250 meters for about three hours and momentarily left Hastings residents regular 911 emergency communications service. Burlington had to be closed or partially closed between A Street and Second Street for several hours to make way for repairs. Dana Wiseman, superintendent of Sutton Public Schools, and the Sutton Board of Education reached a settlement agreement in which Wiseman agreed to resign her position effective June 30. Wiseman and the school board issued a joint statement citing “differences of opinion and management philosophy” as reasons for the separation by joint agreement. Wiseman had served the Sutton district for 16 years. She had been placed on administrative leave earlier in the month, with the school board citing a personnel matter. Community leaders celebrated completion of the Garage Flats LLC duplex development project at Third Street and Kansas Avenue. A former auto garage and vacant lot were redeveloped with four, 1 1⁄2-story duplex units in two buildings. The development partners included Queen City Development (Dave, Kristy and Julia Rippe) of Hastings, Cardinal Construction and Cardinal Cabinets (Mike and Sheila Hollister) of Doniphan, and Goodlife Architecture (Patrick and Katie Moore) of Kearney, with key assistance from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development; Hastings Community Redevelopment Authority; and Hastings Economic Development Corp., local administrator of Nebraska’s Rural Workforce Housing Fund. John Walz, a Hastings businessman and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was challenging U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., in a bid for the Republican nomination for the 3rd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Walz, who ran on a “Make America Great Again” agenda associated with former President (now President-elect) Donald Trump, won the endorsement of the Nebraska Republican Party but lost the primary to Smith, anyway. Hastings native Mike Boeve was rising quickly through the baseball minor leagues, playing with the Biloxi Shuckers, a Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers, after being promoted earlier in the spring from the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton.Five years after it was nearly destroyed in a devastating fire, Notre Dame de Paris formally reopened on Saturday with a two-hour ceremony inside the famed cathedral’s gleaming, newly renovated interior. Global leaders and dignitaries including US President-elect Donald Trump , current US first lady Jill Biden, Elon Musk — the world’s richest man — and Britain’s Prince William joined French President Emmanuel Macron in a celebration that fused Catholic tradition with a dash of history and politics. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended last-minute and met with Trump and Macron at the Elysee palace earlier in the day, was welcomed to the church with a standing ovation. Some 170 bishops from around the world and priests from each of the 106 parishes in the Paris diocese were involved in the festivities, but Pope Francis did not attend. The pontiff instead sent a message, describing the cathedral’s reopening as a moment of “joy, celebration, and praise.” Inclement weather forced organizers to move the beginning of the service, which was supposed to take place on the redesigned forecourt in front of the cathedral, inside, where it was sheltered from the rain and the howls of nearly 40 mile-per-hour winds whipping against the building’s exterior. For the hundreds in attendance, the main show was not just in front of them, but all around. It was their first look inside the cherished UNESCO world heritage site following an estimated €700 million ($739 million) restoration. Centuries of grime has been wiped away to reveal an immaculate but aesthetically dissonant house of worship : a Gothic church that glistens. “The world will find again this cathedral rebuilt and embellished,” Macron said. “Tonight, together, we can share joy and pride.” The French president, who is mired in a political crisis following his government’s collapse on Wednesday , attempted to use the global spotlight on his country to showcase French soft power while also stoking pride and patriotism at home, as he did during the Paris Olympics. “We rediscovered what great nations can do: accomplish the impossible,” Macron told the more than 2,000-strong congregation. “The cathedral became a beautiful metaphor for what a nation is, and what the world should be,” he added. And like the Summer Games’ opening ceremony, a wet and windy central Paris felt once again as if it was on lockdown. French authorities brought in an extra 6,000 security officers for the event and closed Ile de la Cite, the island in the Seine River where Notre Dame is located, to everyone except residents, law enforcement and attendees. Saturday’s ceremony kicked off with the tolling of Notre Dame’s bells, located in the cathedral’s tower where Victor Hugo’s hunchbacked bell ringer Quasimodo lived in 1831 novel. Dozens of bishops gathered outside, their white robes whipping in the wind as Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich struck the closed cathedral doors with his crozier, an ornate staff, to officially mark the cathedral’s reopening. Through the doorframe, onlookers saw floodlights beam onto the downpour, providing a cinematic backdrop for Notre Dame’s spiritual leader as he led his clergy in from the cold for the first time since the blaze on April 15, 2019, after what investigators believe was an accident. By the time some 600 firefighters had doused the fire’s final flames, much of Notre Dame, a jewel of Gothic architecture, lay in ruins. The 315-foot spire that had graced the Parisian skyline since 1859 collapsed through the lead roof. “The forest,” an intricate, wooden lattice structure under the lead roof dating back to the 13th century, was completely destroyed. Centuries-old murals and priceless artifacts were covered in soot and lead. Macron had pledged to rebuild, asking that it be done in five years – an ambitious deadline that some experts panned as unrealistic. Yet after a herculean, 2,000-plus day effort involving more than 2,000 workers, “Our Lady of Paris” was ready to welcome visitors before the close of 2024. The world got its first glimpse inside on November 29 , when cameras followed Macron on his seventh and final visit to the construction site. There he met with various artisans and expressed his gratitude to the 1,000-plus craftspeople in attendance who helped him keep his promise. Organizers used Saturday’s ceremony to honor many of the firefighters who responded to the blaze. Dozens were paraded through the nave as guests applauded. Later, the cathedral’s grand organ – France’s largest instrument complete with its 8,000 pipes and five keyboards – was played once more. Following the ceremony, Macron hosted a dinner at the Elysee palace for the 50 or so heads of state and government in attendance. While Saturday’s events marked Notre Dame’s official reopening, the inaugural mass will take place Sunday morning. Masses will be held twice daily for eight days, along with special evening ceremonies. Many of these events will be open to the public but may require reservations in advance. CNN’s Saskya Vandoorne, Sérène Nourrison, Joseph Ataman, Christopher Lamb, Christian Edwards and Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed to this report.
This file photo taken Jan. 22, 2024, shows a construction site in the city of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s construction workforce is aging rapidly, with the average age of construction professionals exceeding 51, up from 38.1 in 2004, according to a report released on Thursday by the Korea Research Institute for Construction Industry (KRCI). The increase of 13 years over two decades highlights a significant demographic shift within the sector. While the average age of all workers in South Korea rose from 39 in 2010 to 43.8 in 2022, construction has aged at an even faster pace. From 2010 to 2023, the construction industry saw an average age increase of 6.2 years, the third-highest among industries, trailing only healthcare and social welfare services (9.6 years) and facility management and rental services (6.4 years). Sharp Decline in Youth Participation The proportion of workers in their 20s and 30s in the construction industry has plummeted from 64% in 2004 to just 15.7% today. With over 80% of the workforce now in the middle-aged or senior demographic, the sector’s core labor force has shifted to workers in their 50s and 60s. This aging trend poses significant challenges. The KRCI warns that entrenched industry practices and cultural norms, combined with declining youth interest, could create a cycle that further deters younger generations from entering the field. Causes and Recommendations In addition to South Korea’s broader demographic changes, the report attributes the decline in youth participation to persistent stereotypes about the construction industry, including perceptions of hierarchical structures and rigid workplace culture. The KRCI emphasized the need for a cultural shift toward horizontal relationships and creativity-based practices to attract young talent. “Adapting to a new era through more open and egalitarian workplace cultures can break the cycle of youth aversion and reinvigorate the construction workforce,” the report stated. As the industry faces a demographic crossroads, addressing these structural and cultural challenges will be essential to sustaining its workforce and future competitiveness. Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)None
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