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Prep roundup: Sequoia softball ends regular season with an upset and cupcakes

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

NEW: PREP SPORTS MAILBAGThe Bay Area News Group is introducing a high school sports mailbag in May. Get your questions in as soon as possible. Our debut edition is an open forum. Got questions about spring sports playoffs, coaching changes, an early peek at football season, etc.? Send them to [email protected]. Please include “mailbag” in the subject line.SoftballSequoia 7, Carlmont 2REDWOOD CITY – Sequoia pitcher Ainsley Waddell throws a pitch in the first inning. Sequoia and Carlmont played in a high school softball game at Sequoia high school in Redwood City, Calif. on Friday, May 12, 2023 (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group) The stakes for Carlmont were straightforward: win at Sequoia and claim sole possession of the PAL Bay Division title. Sequoia appeared poised to contend for that crown at one time, but dropped three of its last six games to PAL opponents to end that possibility. All the Redwood City school had to play for was the satisfaction of being...

Cupertino investigation triggers removal of two councilmembers from their committees, referral of former mayor to the DA’s office

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

In the wake of an independent investigation into the conduct of the Cupertino City Council, two councilmembers have been removed from their committee assignments and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has been asked to look into the actions of former Mayor Darcy Paul.The investigation — which included the review of more than 1,500 emails, and interviews with 16 former and current executive and management staff and several councilmembers — found “abusive and controlling behavior” from Paul and noted that Councilmembers Liang Chao and Kitty Moore have been governing by sending “voluminous emails.”The report from Santa Rosa-based employment attorney Linda Daube is the third of its kind in the last several years that points to governance issues and the poor treatment of city staff by councilmembers. One of the reports noted that such behavior increased the financial risk to the city.The fallout has resulted in deep consequences fo...

San Jose to clear around 200 people from Coyote Creek homeless camps. ‘We’re gonna go to the streets’

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

Angelica Lopez has been here before. A notice from the city. Visits from outreach workers. Thirty days to pack up her belongings and move along.But this time, Lopez and hundreds of other homeless people living along Coyote Creek in central San Jose are being warned that they no longer can set up camp on much of the waterway — a grassy floodplain where many have lived for years.Starting Monday, the city will begin clearing a roughly four-mile section of the creek to make way for a long-planned flood-protection project. Anyone still there after that date will be considered trespassing.But with limited shelter options and a severe lack of affordable housing, San Jose faces the prospect of a surge of unhoused residents unmoored from encampments emptying into nearby neighborhoods.RVs, cars, trash and personal belongings are visible at the homeless encampment along Coyote Creek near Old Oakland Road on May 11, 2023, in San Jose, Calif. The City of San Jose has given until Monday, Ma...

Newcastle held 2-2 by Leeds, manager Howe accosted by fan

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

LEEDS, England (AP) — Newcastle dropped more points in its push for Champions League qualification by drawing 2-2 at Leeds, which remained in the Premier League’s relegation zone on Saturday.The match was marred late on by a spectator walking up to Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and giving him a push in the chest before being escorted away by security.Rasmus Kristensen’s deflected shot in the 79th minute earned Leeds a point but the team now managed by Sam Alladryce will come away from the match with big regrets because of errors by Patrick Bamford and Junior Firpo.Leeds was leading 1-0 through Luke Ayling’s seventh-minute goal when Bamford was given a chance to double the advantage from the penalty spot after Firpo was tripped by Joelinton.Bamford saw his penalty saved by goalkeeper Nick Pope and, three minutes later, Newcastle striker Callum Wilson converted a spot kick at the other end after Alexander Isak was bundled over by Max Wober.Firpo then had a moment of madness when he rai...

President Biden to deliver Howard U. commencement speech

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

President Joe Biden will be giving a commencement speech to Howard University’s Class of 2023 at D.C.’s Capital One Arena.He will also get the honorary Doctor of Letters from a university that has been a main focus of the president and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a Howard alum, during their time in office.“We are excited to receive the President as this year’s distinguished guest and recognize him for his relentless work uplifting our communities that have been historically left behind,” University President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a statement. “I look forward to honoring President Biden, our honorary degree recipients, and graduating seniors at the Commencement Convocation.”It comes at a time after he announced his 2024 bid for reelection in which the campaign will focus on turning out Black and young voters, which were largely responsible for his presidential victory in 2020.HBCUs are still a priority for the Biden administration ...

Rublev beats Molcan and the rain for spot in Italian Open 3rd round

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

ROME (AP) — Sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev beat Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4 in the only match completed so far on a rainy Saturday at the Italian Open.The start of play was delayed for nearly two hours and there was also a brief interruption due to rain during the first set of the Rublev-Molcan match. Then there was a downpour during the final points, as Rublev hurried to close it out before a tarp was pulled out over the red clay court.“I can rest now and I can rest tomorrow. I don’t need to stress waiting,” said Rublev, who won the Monte Carlo Masters last month. “It’s very lucky when you are able to finish just before the rain and you know that most of the players still didn’t play.”Several other matches were suspended before they were completed, with play scheduled to resume later.Rublev’s third-round opponent will be either 27th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Guido Pella, who were scheduled to play later.Also later, second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz was slated to make his Rome debut aga...

Minnesota Lynx player Bridget Carleton excited for 1st WNBA game in Canada

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — The WNBA’s first game in Canada is a full-circle moment for Bridget Carleton.The Chatham, Ontario, native will be suiting up for the Minnesota Lynx in a preseason game Saturday against the Chicago Sky at Scotiabank Arena.“I think growing up, I never really even dreamed about playing in the WNBA,” the 25-year-old Carleton told The Canadian Press. “I didn’t think I was going to be that good, I think because I knew it was such a small league and only the best of the best, so I was always just kind of focused on college and Team Canada and the Olympics.“A lot of people still live in Toronto who have helped me get to where I am and they always believed in me. … So a huge credit to them for seeing things in me that I didn’t see and to get me to where I am today and (it) kind of comes full circle.”The 6-foot-1 forward who played at Iowa State in college returned to Minnesota on Monday after playing for Perfumerias Avenida in Spain.Perfumerias was swept by Valencia in t...

‘We’re at your side,’ Italian president tells Zelenskyy in Rome before Ukraine leader meets pope

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Rome before talks on Saturday with Pope Francis at the Vatican, received assurances from Italian leaders of continued military and other aid as his country fights to liberate itself from Russia’s military invasion launched last year.Francis recently said that the Vatican has launched a behind-the-scenes initiative to try to end the war launched last year by Russia.In a tweet, sent shortly after his arrival in the Italian capital late Saturday morning, Zelenskyy cited his schedule of meetings with Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. ” An important visit for approaching victory of Ukraine! ” Zelenskyy tweeted. When Zelenskyy arrived at a military airfield at Rome’s Ciampino airport, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was on hand to greet him. Tajani told reporters that Italy will continue to support Ukraine “360 degrees” and press for a just peace, one that safeg...

Surrogate grandmother, daughter reflect on family history

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

REISTERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — It was a week before College Decision Day and Kai Hammond still hadn’t made up his mind.Kai, 18, a Carver Center senior and the second oldest of the Hammond triplets, had narrowed down his college choices to Berklee College of Music and Howard University. His mother, Camille, thought the choice should have been made by then. Kai’s siblings, Aaron and Simone, had decided to go to Morehouse College and Spelman College, respectively, more than a month earlier. But Hammond said Kai, her “creative,” was “keeping her on pins and needles.”“Two of my kids knew last month. But there was a last-minute negotiation and compromise figuring out where the next step would be for him,” the Reisterstown mother and physician said.The family set an in-house decision date of April 30, and Kai ultimately decided to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C.“As a parent at the end of the day, all you have is your best intention and hopes for the kids as to what they will do next...

Space Rabbit Coffee hops into changing part of Christiansburg

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:13 GMT

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) — Lindsey and Tanner Ratcliffe noticed during their time living out West that coffee shops with only a drive-thru are quite common in that part of the country.So when the time came to open their own business, the couple already had a good idea of what they ultimately wanted to do.“We always knew we wanted to have a West Coast style on the East Coast,” said Lindsey Ratcliffe.That plan finally came to fruition this past winter when they opened Space Rabbit Coffee, a drive-thru shop on Christiansburg’s Roanoke Street that’s modeled after many of the spots they saw during their time out West.The drive-thru operates out of a nearly 1,000-square-foot building that formerly housed a LoanMax Title Loans location. One of the business’ distinguishing features is a mural on one of its exterior walls of a sunglasses-wearing rabbit dressed in an astronaut suit. The rabbit is painted against a mountainous backdrop, and coffee is shown floating around its helmet.The mural ...