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MATCHDAY: Expensive Chelsea lineup goes to West Ham; Barcelona ‘home’ at Olympic Stadium

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:ENGLANDChelsea’s new-look team gets a second run in the Premier League with an away match at West Ham. There could be a debut for Moises Caicedo, the central midfielder bought from Brighton for around $145 million — a record for a transfer in Britain. Right back and captain Reece James is out, however, after sustaining an injury in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last weekend. Aston Villa and Everton opened the season with defeats so will be looking for their first points when they meet at Villa Park in the day’s other game.SPAINBarcelona plays its first competitive home game away from Camp Nou when it hosts Cadiz. Barcelona is playing this season at the Olympic Stadium, the main arena for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It can hold 49,000 people compared to the 99,000-seat Camp Nou, the largest soccer stadium in Europe. Atletico Madrid travels to Seville to play Real Betis with both seeking a second victory in as many ...

Scheffler, Fitzpatrick share lead with a big chasing pack at BMW Championship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler made a few short birdie putts at the start and then kept making a lot more Saturday on his way to a 6-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick in a BMW Championship that is wide open.Fitzpatrick had a 66, falling into a tie on the 18th when he went from the bunker to the rough, punched out under a tree to the collar of the green and had to make a 5-foot bogey putt to at least get into the final group. They were at 11-under 199, one shot clear of British Open champion Brian Harman (67).But that’s not the only way to keep score in the final round.At stake for more than a half-dozen players is making sure they finish in the top 30 in the FedEx Cup that allows them to advance to the Tour Championship next week at East Lake. Among those on the bubble is Jordan Spieth.At stake for a few Americans is trying to earn one of six automatic spots in the Ryder Cup, with the BMW Championship as the final qualifying event....

Mookie Betts hits 2-run single as Dodgers beat Marlins 3-1 in doubleheader opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts hit a two-run single in Los Angeles’ three-run eighth inning, and the Dodgers beat the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Saturday in the opener of a split-doubleheader.The NL West-leading Dodgers bounced back nicely from an 11-3 loss on Friday night, improving to 16-2 in August. Ryan Yarbrough (6-5) pitched two perfect innings for the win, and Evan Phillips got three outs for his 19th save.The doubleheader was scheduled by Major League Baseball out of concern over the forecast for Hurricane Hillary, which likely will cross into the southwest U.S. as a tropical storm. The twin-bill takes the place of the previously scheduled series finale on Sunday.Miami wasted a terrific performance by Eury Pérez, who struck out 10 while pitching six innings of two-hit ball. The Marlins, fighting for an NL wild card, had won four of six.Bryan De La Cruz hit an RBI double in the fourth against Ryan Pepiot, and Miami carried the 1-0 lead into the eighth. But it quickly fell ap...

Twins’ Buxton could return to the outfield ‘on occasion’ upon his return from the injured list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Byron Buxton could play in the outfield “on occasion” when he returns from the injured list, after making all of his starts for Minnesota this season at designated hitter in an effort to keep him healthy.After appearing in 85 games, Buxton is currently rehabbing a right hamstring strain. Once he’s back, the former Gold Glove center fielder could play the outfield for the first time this season.“If it’s going to happen this season, it’s going to be after recovering and building himself up,” manager Rocco Baldelli said Saturday. “And it’s going to be now. This is going to be his best opportunity.”Baldelli said playing the outfield would be determined by how Buxton feels and that any possibility would be only “on occasion.”Buxton once won a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove playing center field. But injuries have kept him from playing more than 92 games in a season since a career-high 140 in 2017, when he won the fielding awards and also received MVP votes.He...

A power outage in New Jersey was due to an unlikely culprit: a fish likely put there by a bird

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

SAYREVILLE, N.J. (AP) — A power outage that cut electricity to a New Jersey community a week ago was due to an unlikely culprit — a fish that was apparently dropped by a bird and landed on a transformer, officials said.Sayreville police said Jersey Central Power and Light Company workers working on the Aug. 12 outage that cut power to a large area of Lower Sayreville found a fish on the transformer in the New Jersey community southwest of New York’s Staten Island.“We are guessing a bird dropped it as it flew over,” police said on their Facebook page. In a later post, they had a bit of fun, asking readers to remember the fish as “the victim in this senseless death,” dubbing him “Gilligan” and calling him “a hard working family man” and “a father to thousands.”The suspect, they said, “was last seen flying south” — and readers were urged not to try to apprehend him because “although he isn’t believed to be armed he may still be very dangerous.”Jersey Central Power and...

Denver weather: Sunny, breezy, warm end to the weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver's weather will stay warm and breezy for the end of the weekend and the start of next week. It will be hot and breezy on Aug. 19, calling for fire weather warnings.Fire weather warnings are set to go into effect on Sunday afternoon due to low humidity and strong wind gusts reaching over 30 mph at times. Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread, so avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.Weather tonight: Clearing, breezyEvening showers and thunderstorms will clear, as will most of the clouds Saturday night. Lows will fall to the low to mid-60s, which is about 5 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, alongside a breeze gusting up to 25 mph.Lows on Aug. 19 are mild.Weather tomorrow: Sunny, hot, breezySunshine will be in full force on Sunday. This plus a southerly breeze gusting around 20-40 mph at times will help to boost high temperatures to the mid-90s. Aug. 20 will be hot across Colorado.Looking...

Lakewood claimed $21.6 million in pandemic relief funds, here's how it was spent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

Joplin officials say they have big plans for $13.8 million of pandemic relief funds the tornado-ravaged southwestern Missouri city received under a two-year-old federal law. Yet the latest federal records show none of the money has been spent — or even budgeted.In fact, about 6,300 cities and counties — nearly 1 in 4 nationwide — reported no expenditures as of this spring, according to an Associated Press analysis of data released by the U.S. Treasury Department. About 5,100 of those listed no projects — either planned or underway.So what gives? Is the money not needed? Are cities just sitting on it? Colorado West Nile virus survivor shares warning with others Local and federal officials told the AP in interviews that the publicly available data is misleading — pockmarked by differing interpretations over exactly what must be reported, lagging in timeliness and failing to account for some preliminary planning. Critics contend it's an indication of a flawed pandemic response.Feder...

Police searching for inmate who escaped from Doral facility

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

Authorities in Miami-Dade County are searching for an inmate on the run.According to the Florida Department of Corrections, 32-year-old Joshua Thompson escaped from the Miami North Community Release Center, located on Northwest 41st Street and 70th Avenue in Doral, just before 5 p.m., Friday.Investigators with Miami-Dade Police said Thompson was spotted leaving the facility and is possibly headed to the area of Northwest 33rd Street and 85th Avenue.Officers with MDPD and Doral Police established a perimeter but were unable to locate the escapee.Thompson had been in jail for burglary and grand theft.If you have any information on Thompson’s whereabouts, call the Florida Department of Corrections at 850-922-6867 or your local law enforcement agency.

Boston couple hoping for a miracle after dog eats groom’s passport days before wedding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

A couple from Boston is looking for help after their dog ate the groom-to-be’s passport just days ahead of their wedding.Donato Frattaroli and Magda Mazri were getting ready for their wedding in Italy when their 1-and-a-half-year-old Golden Retriever Chickie ate several pages out of Donato’s passport.“At the end of the day I just want my passport so I can be present for the most important day of my life,” he said.Frattaroli is hoping the State Department will be able to help him with his request.

Nonprofit program empowers people living with disabilities to learn to sail in Boston

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:11 GMT

Greater Boston-area residents living with disabilities have been heading out for sailing lessons on Boston Harbor thanks to a local nonprofit and a sailing center.The collaborative program between the Piers Park Sailing Center and Triangle Inc. allows participants and their family members to learn lessons on the water.Since 2018, the East Boston program has been teaching participants sailing and water safety skills.Using specialized equipment, all participants are able to board and are given responsibilities.Leaders at Triangle say the confidence participants get from taking part in the sailing program carries over into the rest of their lives.To learn more visit the website.