Secretariat Triple Crown celebration at Belmont subdued by death and air quality

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Secretariat Triple Crown celebration at Belmont subdued by death and air quality This was supposed to be the year thoroughbred racing celebrated the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s magnificent Triple Crown triumph as the current crop of 3-year-olds finished their run on center stage.Heading into the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, the racing has become almost an afterthought as the public has focused on a recent spike in deaths of horses at racetracks and air quality problems in the northeast caused by wildfires in Canada. And there is no Secretariat on the scene to make everyone forget the issues.A highly competitive field of nine led by 2-year-old champion Forte and Preakness winner National Treasure is set to run in the 1 1/2 miles test of champions on a card that features almost all stakes races.At least one problem disappeared Friday as live racing resumed at Belmont Park thanks to a major improvement in air quality. The heavy smoke had forced the track to cancel Thursday and prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to warn Saturday’s racing cou...

Blue Jays cut pitcher Anthony Bass after latest anti-LGBTQ+ comments

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Blue Jays cut pitcher Anthony Bass after latest anti-LGBTQ+ comments TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays cut pitcher Anthony Bass on Friday, one day after the right-handed reliever said he didn’t think an anti-LGBTQ+ social media post he shared last month was hateful.The team now has seven days to trade Bass or put him on waivers.The move came hours before Bass was set to catch a ceremonial first pitch from Toronto LGBTQ+ activist leZlie Lee Kam before Friday’s game against Minnesota as the Blue Jays begin their fourth annual Pride Weekend celebration.The Blue Jays said pitcher Kevin Gausman would catch the first pitch instead of Bass.Bass apologized before a May 30 game against Milwaukee, one day after sharing a post on his Instagram calling for boycotts of Target and Bud Light over support they showed for the LGBTQ+ community. Both companies are dealing with fallout from those campaigns, which have included hostile and homophobic criticisms and calls from LGBTQ+ activists not to cave to the pressure.Bass, who was booed by Toronto fans in his two h...

Pigs run loose on metro highway after semitruck tips over in Minnesota

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Pigs run loose on metro highway after semitruck tips over in Minnesota LITTLE CANADA, Minn. (AP) — Pigs ran loose on a metro highway after a semitrailer truck that was carrying 50 hogs overturned, causing an hours-long shutdown Friday morning in Minnesota on Interstate 694.State troopers tried to corral several loose pigs that cameras showed running through traffic, the Star Tribune reported.The truck tipped over around 7:35 a.m. and caused morning rush hour traffic to back up for more than a mile, Minnesota Department of Transportation cameras showed. The truck driver was not hurt, according to Lt. Gordon Shank with the Minnesota State Patrol. Ten pigs died in the crash.Authorities rounded up the pigs, some of which were injured.Investigators are looking into what caused the semi to tip on its side as it navigated the curve on I-694 where it joins with northbound Interstate 35E.Nearly five years ago, more than 20 pigs spilled onto the roads in a more rural part of the state after a semitruck overturned at a highway interchange near Mankato. About 90 p...

MLB homer leader Pete Alonso to IL with bone bruise, sprain in wrist

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

MLB homer leader Pete Alonso to IL with bone bruise, sprain in wrist PITTSBURGH (AP) — New York Mets star first baseman Pete Alonso will miss 3-to-4 weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.The Mets placed Alonso, whose 22 home runs lead the majors, on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener.The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an ...

14-year-old killed by Aurora police had pellet gun

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

14-year-old killed by Aurora police had pellet gun DENVER (KDVR) — The 14-year-old killed by police last week in Aurora had a pellet gun, the police chief revealed on Friday.Jor'Dell Richardson's family and dozens of supporters were already waiting outside the Aurora Municipal Center when the information was made public. Watch: Aurora PD releasing video of teen’s death after being shot by officers Protesters on Friday afternoon held up fists while shouting words attributed to Assata Shakur: "It is our duty to fight for our freedom! It is our duty to win! We must love each other and support each other! We have nothing to lose but our chains!"State Rep. Elisabeth Epps, a community organizer and abolitionist, was among several others who addressed the crowd."You cannot train your way out of police brutality," Epps said to applause from the crowd.Teen had replica pellet gun, chief saysInterim Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo addressed the media on Friday afternoon, stressing that he's aiming for transparency as he shared information a...

Video shows thief at Town Center at Boca Raton stealing valuables from SUV of man studying to be pastor

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Video shows thief at Town Center at Boca Raton stealing valuables from SUV of man studying to be pastor A thief was driven to steal after he was caught on video breaking into a luxury SUV in the parking lot of a South Florida shopping center and stealing several valuables, including his laptop containing extensive data. Now the vehicle’s owner wants his belongings back.The victim, a Deerfield Beach resident, showed 7News on Friday where the bag containing his laptop was located.“My bag was right there,” said the victim, who asked not to be identified, as he opened rear driver’s side door of his Mercedes-Benz SUV.The victim said the bag was taken from his SUV, which was parked at the Town Center at Boca Raton, at around 5:45 p.m. on May 29..Inside the bag, the victim said, were irreplaceable items and data.“I was leaving the mall, and when I left the mall, I came to my car, and when I came to my car, I realized something was wrong,” he said, “and I saw my glove compartment open, and then I realized someone came into my car.The victim soon disco...

Mother trapped with 5 children inside SUV after rollover wreck in Hillsborough County shares ordeal

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Mother trapped with 5 children inside SUV after rollover wreck in Hillsborough County shares ordeal HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – A Florida mother is speaking out about the terrifying moments when she and her five children were trapped inside their SUV after they were involved in a rollover wreck. Mindy Bosshart said she is grateful to be sharing her story after she and her children survived the crash that took place Tuesday afternoon, an ordeal that she hopes to never experience again.The minivan had overturned after the crash and landed on an incline, on its side, with her children still stuck inside.“I could be sitting here without my kids,” said Bosshart.She said the crash happened in the middle of a busy day.“We had vacation bible school in the morning, and the girls had rehearsal for a dance recital,” she said.Bosshart said the wreck happened during rush hour, while they were heading home.“So, the two lanes closest to me had paused so that I can pass, and I was inching out, and there was no one there, so I pull out, and then someone w...

Window panes shattered in second recent report of shots fired at TD Garden 

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Window panes shattered in second recent report of shots fired at TD Garden  An investigation continued Friday after several windows at TD Garden in Boston were found shattered earlier in the morning.Boston police said officers first alerted around 10:35 a.m. after receiving a report of shots being fired by the sports arena. Later in the day, officials confirmed this was not the first such similar incident to happen in the area.Multiple police cruisers could be seen in the area of Causeway Street as officers responded and located several, damaged glass windows on the side of the Garden facing I-93 on Friday. SKY7-HD over the scene also captured a view of the cracked windows.Boston police said their department’s crime lab and analysts were on scene but that a preliminary investigation found no evidence of anything penetrating the windows. No one was hurt. 7NEWS sources said that, as of midday, the damage to the windows appeared to have been caused by a BB gun, rather than actual bullets from a firearm.Friday’s events, indeed, came just a matte...

Improving Just In Time

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Improving Just In Time Another unsettled day is nearing an end. We’ve been under the influence of the same Low Pressure for just about a week!I mentioned this in my blog this past Monday about how Low and High Pressure systems can move slow this time of year and that’s exactly what happened this week! Thankfully, that Low Pressure begins to drift away from us over the weekend…Weather map for tomorrow does indeed show the weak storm farther away but it will still produce a few isolated showers (even a thunderstorm) tomorrow afternoon…The locations that are most likely to be affected by the brief shower or storm tomorrow afternoon are along the I-95 corridor…That map does not imply everyone in the deep green shading sees rain for 3 continuous hours but rather just the area that is most likely to see a brief shower or t-storm. Temps tomorrow will be closer to our normal high temps for this time of year….around 70. Saturday, for the most part, is a decent weekend day but Su...

Aaron Boone says Yankees-Red Sox rivalry still has ‘juice’ despite how the AL East standings look

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:22:54 GMT

Aaron Boone says Yankees-Red Sox rivalry still has ‘juice’ despite how the AL East standings look As the author of one of the more notable moments in Yankees-Red Sox history, Aaron Boone has some authority when speaking about the rivalry’s ferocity over the years. And if you ask the Yankees’ manager, games between the American League East enemies are still a “heavyweight match.”“Any time Red Sox, Yankees get together, whether it’s [in the Bronx], whether it’s at Fenway, there’s something special about that,” Boone said Friday before his team’s series-opener against Boston at Yankee Stadium. “I’ve gotten to experience it quite a bit now as a player and manager. You feel fortunate to be a part of such a historic sports rivalry, and I have a lot of respect for them. We’ve been through our battles over the years.”Boone, of course, famously won one of those battles for the pinstripers as a player in 2003 when he hit a walk-off home run off Boston’s Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the 2003 American Le...