John Shipley: It’s almost December, time to defend Gophers’ P.J. Fleck — again

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

John Shipley: It’s almost December, time to defend Gophers’ P.J. Fleck — again It’s been less than a calendar year since Minnesota’s football team wrapped up its second straight victory over Wisconsin, plus a fourth bowl victory in five years. The Gophers also are a week away from accepting a bowl invitation they don’t deserve.So, naturally, it’s time, again, to explain the college football landscape to any Gophers fans who haven’t been paying close attention since, say, Glen Mason won 10 games at Kansas in a conference called the Big 8.You might not like P.J. Fleck’s schtick, or believe it’s real. You might find it impossible to defend all of his in-game decision-making, or his radio plea for the regular folks to start buying NIL-sponsored apparel. But in terms of program building, the man is doing his job.Some of us are old enough to remember way back to 2019, when Fleck’s team finished 11-2 and ranked 10th in the final Associated Press poll — 10th! — after beating ninth-ranked Auburn in the Outback Bowl. For a program like Minnesota’s, in what was then a 12...

Timberwolves’ chances of advancing in in-season tournament are slim. But here’s how it could happen

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

Timberwolves’ chances of advancing in in-season tournament are slim. But here’s how it could happen After falling to Sacramento at home on Saturday, Minnesota’s hopes of advancing in the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament are in shambles.That’s an interesting spot to be in considering the Timberwolves are 2-1 in group play and can improve to 3-1 with a victory Tuesday over Oklahoma City.But only eight of the NBA’s 30 teams reach the in-season tournament quarterfinals. You have two paths to advancing to that point: You can win your group or claim your conference’s one wildcard spot.The Timberwolves would have clinched Group C with a win Saturday over the Kings. Because Sacramento won that game, the Kings are in the driver’s seat in the group. If the Kings beat Golden State on Tuesday — and they’ll be favored to do so — they’ll win the group outright.If they lose to the Warriors, the door cracks open for the Timberwolves.If Golden State beats Sacramento and Minnesota beats the Thunder, the Warriors, Timberwolves and Kings would all finish 3-1 in group play, and all three teams wou...

Have an opinion on finalists for Minnesota’s new flag? Now’s your chance to share.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

Have an opinion on finalists for Minnesota’s new flag? Now’s your chance to share. The commission tasked with choosing a new flag and seal for the state of Minnesota is taking public input on its final designs as its end-of-year deadline approaches.Anyone interested in leaving a comment on the six flag submission finalists and five seal submission finalists can now do so on the State Emblems Redesign Commission website.Last week, the 13-member commission narrowed down finalists from the more than 2,600 design submissions it received in October. State lawmakers earlier this year passed legislation to change the state’s symbols, and created the commission to handle the process.One of the finalists for the Minnesota state flag design as selected by the State Emblems Redesign Committee in St. Paul on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2022. (Courtesy of the State Emblems Redesign Commission)Critics of the current state flag, which shows the state seal on a blue background, say it’s unmemorable, unoriginal due to its resemblance to many other state flags and offensive for its dep...

Schuyler time capsule exhibit opening at Albany Institute

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

Schuyler time capsule exhibit opening at Albany Institute ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany Institute of History and Art announced the upcoming launch of a new exhibit showcasing the time capsule uncovered from the base of the Philip Schuyler statue formerly in front of Albany City Hall. The exhibit opens to the public on December 6. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The time capsule was unearthed on June 10 following the statue's removal. The exhibit, titled “The Time Capsule: What We Found Under Philip Schuyler”, will include all the objects found in the box as well as enclosed documents, photographs and publications. “The box placed under the Schuyler Statue was a gift to ‘future Albany’ and its contents offer a glimpse into our rich past. The day our tireless Department of General Services crew unearthed the time capsule was very exciting, and now the entire City of Albany has an opportunity to see all the objects and a significant portion of the documents, photographs, and publi...

Seven of eight businesses sold alcohol to a minor in this small Illinois town

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

Seven of eight businesses sold alcohol to a minor in this small Illinois town MT. VERNON, Ill. -- The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days for drinking and partying all year. Police in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, decided to test several bars and liquor stores to see if they were checking IDs. They found that seven of the eight establishments they checked sold alcohol to a 19-year-old.All the establishments that sold alcohol to the undercover agent now have citations. Mayor John Lewis says that more compliance checks will be conducted in the future. Mizzou Football poised for New Year’s Six bid: Which bowl game might they play? In the United States, the legal age to purchase and publicly possess alcohol is 21, as mandated by the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This law aims to curb the negative impacts of underage drinking on public health and safety. While exceptions may exist for private consumption under parental supervision, the purchasing and public possession restrictions are consistently enforced. Violations can lead to legal ...

AP men’s college basketball poll, Week 4: CSU Rams enters at No. 20, CU Buffs falls just outside Top 25

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

AP men’s college basketball poll, Week 4: CSU Rams enters at No. 20, CU Buffs falls just outside Top 25 Purdue is back atop The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll, right where it spent so much of last season.The Boilermakers ascended to No. 1 on Monday after an impressive run through a loaded field at the Maui Invitational. They beat Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette — three of the top 11 teams in the nation — in consecutive days, and that was enough to earn 60 of 63 first-place votes from the national panel of Top 25 voters.It took the Boilermakers until Dec. 12 to reach No. 1 last year, where they spent seven weeks over two different stints.“Our guys were resilient, I thought they hung in there, and I thought at times we didn’t play our best basketball in the three days, but I thought we played really hard,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the Maui Invitational. “We competed, and that is what you got to do. You got to just sometimes hang in there and just keep competing and make one more play.”Purdue replaced preseason No. 1 Kansas, which fel...

Kiszla vs. Gabriel: Is the AFC playoff field big enough for both Broncos and Texans?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

Kiszla vs. Gabriel: Is the AFC playoff field big enough for both Broncos and Texans? Kiz: Raise your hand if you had this trip to Houston to play the Texans as the biggest game of 2023 for your Denver Broncos when the NFL schedule came out back in May. And if I see any hands raised in Broncos Country, I have a one-word response: Liar! With C.J. Stroud playing like the best rookie quarterback this league has seen since Andrew Luck, the Texans are legit. On a five-game winning streak, the Broncos are talking playoffs. But can both these 6-5 teams get there from here?Take Our Poll(function(d,c,j){if(!d.getElementById(j)){var pd=d.createElement(c),s;pd.id=j;pd.src='https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/plugins/polldaddy/js/polldaddy-shortcode.js';s=d.getElementsByTagName(c)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(pd,s);} else if(typeof jQuery !=='undefined')jQuery(d.body).trigger('pd-script-load');}(document,'script','pd-polldaddy-loader'));Gabriel: Oh, it’s possible, though I certainly don’t have the math skills to give you the long-hand proof. In the simplest terms, though, who...

Millennials are moving to these cities the most, study says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

Millennials are moving to these cities the most, study says Two California cities are among the top 10 places millennials moved to the most in 2022, according to a recent study from Smart Asset.Researchers at the financial technology company looked at 268 cities included in the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey to determine where millennials were moving to the most.The study defines millennials as adults between the ages of 25 and 44. This is how much money each generation needs to be ‘happy,’ new study says Here is where millennials moved to the most in 2022Cambridge, MassachusettsSanta Clara, CaliforniaSeattle, WashingtonSunnyvale, CaliforniaDenver, ColoradoArlington, VirginiaBellevue, WashingtonKilleen, TexasAustin, TexasSandy Springs, GeorgiaThese cities attracted millennial movers due to the vast number of opportunities, Managing Editor for Economic Analysis for Smart Asset Jaclyn DeJohn told Business Insider. This is how much money is needed to be considered ‘wealthy’ in California Some millennials may have c...

Man Charged With Manslaughter In Death of Sheriff’s Recruit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

Man Charged With Manslaughter In Death of Sheriff’s Recruit The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced felony manslaughter charges against a man believed to be responsible for a wrong-way crash that killed an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department recruit in Whittier.Sheriff Robert Luna said the charges were a “significant step toward bringing justice” to the family and friends of recruit Alejandro Martinez-Inzunza. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna added that its department was committed to “holding accountable,” the suspect in the incident.“The felony filings today are a step towards justice for the family of Deputy Alejandro Martinez and all the LASD Recruits who were injured, many of whom have life-altering injuries sustained because of this tragic incident,” Luna said. “The collaborative efforts among the California Highway Patrol Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team and our Homicide Bureau detectives illustrates our commitment and diligence in holding the individual accountable for this horrific incident.”The crash o...

10 Freeway Repairs Continue Through Reopening

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:44 GMT

10 Freeway Repairs Continue Through Reopening The 10 Freeway area near downtown Los Angeles reopened weeks ahead of schedule after a suspected arson fire.An initial estimate given by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Nov. 14 saw a three to five-week timeframe for repairs, which was later changed to Tuesday, Nov. 21 and ultimately Monday, Nov. 20.“What began as months has turned into days — before Angelenos hit the road on Monday, we’re opening the 10 back up,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement. “Thanks to the tireless work of Caltrans and union construction crews and with help from our partners — from the Mayor’s office to the White House — the 10’s expedited repair is proof and a point of pride that here in California, we deliver.”Now all lanes going both ways have been opened and deemed safe to drive on by Los Angeles and California officials, only eight days after the blaze broke on the weekend of Nov. 11.The construction has not stopped, however, as a full repair is still expected to take mon...