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Dane Mizutani: How will Vikings respond to their first win? That is the real test.

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

For the first time this season, head coach Kevin O’Connell walked into the Vikings locker room after a win, and delivered a postgame speech surrounded by his players.He talked about how the feeling was long overdue after the Vikings escaped with a 21-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. He praised the group for continuing work for each other and ignore the outside noise. He sprinkled in some colorful language toward the end as a way to hammer home the point that there is still a lot of work to be done.How will the Vikings respond to their first win? That is the real test.Truthfully, the Vikings beating the Panthers shouldn’t be overly celebrated, because, well, they were supposed to win that game. Then again, the Vikings were supposed to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this season, and they couldn’t do that, so at least they are showing signs of improvement.There needs to be a continuation of that when the Vikings host to defendi...

Wilder Forest land sold to local foundation after Catholic youth camp plan falls apart

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

The Manitou Fund announced Monday that it has entered into a purchase agreement with the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation to purchase the 600-acre Wilder Forest property in northern Washington County.“I am pleased and relieved that this property – which has been earmarked for conservancy – will now continue to be protected and preserved,” said Manitou Fund Trustee Greg McNeely.The Manitou Fund, based in White Bear Lake, was created by McNeely’s father, Minnesota business magnate Donald McNeely, who died in 2009 at age 94. The fund is a major benefactor of River Grove Elementary School, a K-5 charter school that operated out of Wilder Forest from 2017 until the spring.“For over 50-plus years, my dad committed support for this area,” McNeeley said. “I am enthusiastic about the future for the land being utilized to promote environmental stewardship connecting people with nature. Now, Manitou Fund can continue that legacy of supporting conservation and education platforms that will benefit ...

‘Nothing lasts forever’: Twins eager to tackle 18-game postseason losing streak as playoffs kick off

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

Pablo López learned of the Twins’ miserable recent postseason history very shortly after an offseason trade from Miami. One of the reasons he stumbled onto it, he said, is because his boyhood hero, Johan Santana, was the last to pitch the Twins to a playoff game victory.That game was on Oct. 5, 2004. The very next day was the beginning of heartbreak and disappointment for the Twins that spans 18 games and is the longest playoff losing streak in North American professional sports.While many of the Twins players on the current roster, López included, have not been on the team for any of those games, Twins fans have been waiting patiently for 19 years. And a number of players, López included, have not been shy about talking about it, ready to tackle it head on.In the moments after the Twins clinched their American League playoff berth on Sept. 22, infielder Kyle Farmer proclaimed this was the group that would get the organization’s first postseason win since 2004, ending nearly two dec...

Twins’ Louie Varland ‘just scratching the surface’ on his talent

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

A little more than halfway through the St. Paul Saints’ season, Louie Varland was told he’d be transitioning from a starting pitcher to a reliever so he could join the Twins’ bullpen for the stretch run.He did not balk.“I mean, it’s pitching in the big leagues,” he said.The Twins won’t solidify their postseason roster until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, but it’s safe to assume Varland will be in the bullpen for Game 1 of the The Twins’ American League wild-card series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Since being recalled on Sept. 4, the North St. Paul graduate is 1-0 with a 1.50 earned-run average in seven appearances.Varland, 25, didn’t expect to be here at this moment, pitching out of the bullpen in the major league playoffs.“It was a complete surprise,” the right-hander said. “I guess there were talks about it, but I didn’t know about them.”One thing that has changed for Varland since moving to short work is the velocity of his fastball, as high as 100 mph this season because, he said, he do...

Missing 9-year-old girl Charlotte Sena found alive

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — New York State Police confirm that 9-year-old Charlotte Sena has been found alive. They say she is safe and in good health. State Police also note that a suspect is in custody in relation to the investigation.On scene at Moreau Lake State Park, the family gathered near the entrance to let out a huge cheer. They briefly thanked all the law enforcement and volunteers for their tireless efforts. The focus now is on caring for Charlotte. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The Amber Alert that was sent out at 9:35 a.m. Sunday morning and was canceled around 6:45 p.m. on Monday evening, 21 hours after it had been issued. The announcement of Charlotte's discovery coming just minutes past the 48 hour mark since she was first noticed to be missing.Four hundred search and rescue personnel searched a 46 linear mile area for the young girl Moreau Lake State Park was closed to the public while the search was ongoing. ...

Gaetz moves to oust Speaker McCarthy 

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Monday moved to force a vote on ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), following through with his pledge to do so after the Speaker put a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government on the House floor.A vote on the motion to vacate the chair will have to be brought up within two legislative days. But it is likely that the House, rather than voting on the resolution itself, would first vote on some mechanism to kill or delay it, such as voting to table the resolution.McCarthy, for his part, is exuding confidence amid the effort to oust him. "Bring it on," he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, after Gaetz made the motion.The Speaker told reporters Monday morning that his support within the House GOP conference is “very strong,” and he said Sunday “I’ll survive” if a vote is brought against him.“Let's get over with it and let's start governing. If he's upset because he tried to push us in a shutdown and I made sure governme...

Dispute over noose outside St. Charles County home

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – The FBI is investigating what appears to be a noose hanging from a tree at a home in St. Charles County.“This issue that was brought to my attention, both in an email and text message at first—a picture of a rope appeared to be in the shape of a noose,” John Bowman, president of the St. Louis County NAACP, said.The rope was seen in the front yard of a home on Parr Road. Our FOX 2 news crew recorded video of the hanging rope. Images have also been shared on various social media platforms.“…We clearly know what a noose appears to be like or what it looks like. … We want to make sure we head off anything that could create a very negative impact on communities of color,” Bowman said.A spokesperson for the St. Charles County Police Department said they have not received a complaint.Jeff Brinkley, the property owner, spoke with FOX 2. He said he’s renting the property, adding that the renter has small children and was using the rope as a swing. Close ...

Upon Further Review: Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto created value for himself in win over Bears

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

On Sunday afternoon when Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields put on a throwing clinic, Denver needed a disruptor in the pass rush, and second-year outside linebacker Nik Bonitto stepped up to the challenge.In the fourth quarter, with the Broncos on the brink of overcoming a 21-point deficit, Bonitto burst into the backfield. When Fields turned to his right, preparing to throw the ball, the Oklahoma product forced a fumble. Fellow outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper recovered the ball and scored a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game at 28 with 6:55 remaining.In the Broncos’ 31-28 victory over the Bears, Bonitto’s strip sack was game-changing. According to Next Gen Stats, Denver’s win probability was 3.5% when it trailed 28-7 with 4:18 to go in the third quarter. The Broncos’ chances jumped to 37.2% after Bonitto’s big play.“(Bonitto and Cooper) deserve a lot more credit than they’re going to get,” Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones said. “They’ll get it when it comes time for a pay...

Poudre School District hired paraprofessional despite previous child abuse convictions, lawsuit alleges

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

Poudre School District officials failed to prevent a paraprofessional from physically and sexually abusing disabled children on a school bus, despite receiving parent complaints and knowing the man had pleaded guilty to child abuse, according to a federal lawsuit filed Friday.The lawsuit filed on behalf of six Poudre School District students and their guardians against the district, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado State Board of Education, former paraprofessional Tyler Zanella and unnamed state or district employees alleges repeated abuse carried out by Zanella over the course of the 2022-2023 school year.Zanella, 36, was arrested on suspicion of assault and child abuse in May.The lawsuit also alleges Poudre School District officials lied to a parent about how long school bus surveillance videos were retained and withheld or “cherry-picked” which videos were turned over to law enforcement officers.The children who were allegedly abused range from 6 to 11 years old and wer...

Sean Payton’s “Jets fiasco” dampened some by Aaron Rodgers’ injury and slow starts, but Nathaniel Hackett’s return still will feel “personal”

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:58:04 GMT

Sean Payton already had that feeling as he discussed his first win as Broncos head coach Sunday afternoon that the good vibes wouldn’t last long.“There will be some tough tape,” he said at one point.“We’re going to face a lot better teams,” he said at another.But he did allow a smirk as he encouraged his players to enjoy their first win of the 2023 season, for a few hours at least, before turning their attention to a circled-on-the-calendar Week 5 matchup.“Then, we get ready to go next week and we can dive into the whole Jets fiasco stuff,” Payton said.The fiasco, of course, stems from Payton’s explosive comments to USA Today during training camp. He called the 15-game tenure of former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett — now the Jets’ offensive coordinator — “maybe one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That’s how bad it was.” He suggested the Jets leaned into the Aaron Rodgers hype machine this offseason and could well fall short of expectations. He ques...