Sunday, October 31, 2021
Five key takeaways from Northwestern’s blowout loss to Minnesota - Inside NU
Like last week in Ann Arbor, there wasn’t a ton to be learned from Northwestern’s game against Minnesota. Most people anticipated a Gopher victory, but there was still plenty to draw about the state of the team and the direction of the program from the 27-point blowout win. Here are five things we learned from Northwestern’s 41-14 loss against Michigan that moved them to 3-5 on the year.
As anyone who has watched Northwestern football in the past two weeks could tell you, Hilinski has been struggling. He hasn’t exactly had a lot to work with, as he’s had to deal with the loss of his two top receivers and an inconsistent offensive line, but he has still had trouble making accurate throws at relatively short distances.
Those troubles bled into today. In his limited action in the first half, Hilinski completed just one of six passes for a total of five yards. He was subsequently benched in the middle of a drive at the start of the second quarter for Andrew Marty, who proceeded to lead the team down the field for a touchdown. Even in that short drive, the senior showed off what separates himself from Hilinski: his ability to tuck and run. This brought an element to the offense that hasn’t really been present with either Hilinski or Hunter Johnson at QB1, and it showed in the second half. With Marty starting, Northwestern had just one three-and-out in four drives compared to Hilinski’s two in two completed drives.
This added dimension that Marty brings to the offense is now desperately needed. He’s not the most accurate passer, which he made clear yesterday, but at the same time, Hilinski hasn’t been any more accurate in recent weeks. Marty’s ability to open up the playbook and scramble when things fall apart is what this team needs if they’re going to find any sort of offensive success in the final weeks of the season.
In the absence of Bryce Kirtz and Stephon Robinson Jr., the door was open on Saturday for the rest of the receiver room to get on the field and step up in their absences. Unfortunately, the passing game stuttered again, as Marty and Hilinski combined for under 100 yards through the air. One player that should make fans hopeful, though, is JJ Jefferson.
The senior — who retains one more year of eligibility due to COVID-19 — caught just one pass for 13 yards, but the stats don’t tell the full story. Jefferson saw more action on Saturday than in any other game this season as he found the ball in his hands a number of times from punt returns and run plays. With an increased role, he showed off his elusiveness and an ability to make defenders miss, a trait that has been absent from Northwestern skill players all year. The receiver did fumble a handoff that ultimately stalled a key drive, but his playmaking abilities with the ball in his hands provided a spark that Mike Bajakian needs to capitalize on.
The Houston native has struggled with injuries in recent years, but his performance today — albeit still limited and with mistakes — shows that he deserves to be a major piece in the offensive game plan in the weeks to come.
The worst part about Northwestern playing subpar football? Northwestern playing subpar football in every aspect of the game. Outside of running back, every position group had its issues against Minnesota and throughout this season. Unlike 2019, the offense and defense seem to be equally bad. From the groups that are young, like the offensive line, or the groups with more experience, like the defensive line, there are more problems than one can count across every position. The younger players that have seen the field have struggled on both ends of the ball, and there really is no evidence that should make fans hopeful that things will be different next year.
The most critical issue is Northwestern’s ailing quarterback room. Hunter Johnson’s career in Evanston seems all but over, Hilinski has been disappointing and Marty’s time as a Wildcat is coming to a close. As it stands, there are no viable options for who will be QB1 in 2022, an issue that stands above the rest when analyzing the state of the program.
Before this season, the bulk of Hull’s time on the field had come against bad teams. As such, it was hard to predict the role he would play in the wake of Cam Porter’s absence announced before the season. However, apparent since the season opener against Michigan State, the sophomore has proven to be one of the lone bright spots of the team week in and week out. Hull had another effective game against Minnesota, running the ball 15 times for 107 yards and catching three passes for 15 yards and a touchdown.
He has seemingly taken over the running back by committee approach that Northwestern began the season with, as he ceded just two carries to Andrew Clair yesterday. He truly has found his groove in the thick of Big Ten play, zooming through holes and making sharp cuts to avoid defenders and find running lanes. The Minnesota native will hope to continue his strong season at home against a stout Iowa defensive front next Saturday under the lights.
A fumble returned for a touchdown on Northwestern’s first offensive possession of the game is telling of how this season has gone for the Wildcats so far. From having punts blocked to giving up touchdowns on the first play of the game, it almost seems that the ‘Cats are stuck in a horrific time loop, destined to make the same mistakes again and again. In stark contrast with the reputations often associated with Pat Fitzgerald’s teams, this year’s squad has not shown itself to be a well-coached, clean unit that does all of the little things right, an issue that was on display once again against the Gophers. Receivers dropped passes, players missed tackles and couldn’t wrap the Gophers up and the defense allowed a linebacker to score a 24-yard rushing touchdown (yes, UMN’s Derik LeCaptain was not an RB). It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s causing all of this, but what seems to be a certainty is that it will keep happening until the end of this forgettable season.
Five key takeaways from Northwestern’s blowout loss to Minnesota - Inside NU
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Canadiens at Ducks: Five things you should know - Montreal Gazette
Montreal has scored only three power-play goals this season and rank 30th in the NHL with a success rate of 9.4 per cent.
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Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Ducks game at the Honda Center on Sunday (4 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN-690 Radio, 98.5 FM) .
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The matchup: The Canadiens were unable to build on their 4-0 win in San Jose on Thursday as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Los Angles Kings on Saturday. Josh Anderson opened the scoring, but the Kings responded with five unanswered goals, including three on the power play. Montreal is 1-2 on the four-game road trip that wraps up with this game and they are 2-7 on the season. The Ducks have been struggling this season and are on a two-game losing streak after dropping a 5-4 overtime decision in Las Vegas on Friday. They are currently seventh in the Pacific Division with a 2-4-3 record.
It’s Sam’s turn: This is the second half of a back-to-back set and that means goaltender Jake Allen will get a rare night off after two wildly inconsistent performances — the shutout in San Jose and Saturday’s debacle in Los Angeles. Sam Montembeault, who was picked up as an insurance policy late in training camp, will make his second start of the season and the hopes are it will be better than his first appearance. He gave up five goals in a loss in Buffalo on Oct. 14. John Gibson, who has a 2-2-2 record with a 3.07 goals-against average, is expected to start for the Ducks.
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Special teams aren’t special: The Kings cashed in on three of their five power plays Saturday as the Canadiens dropped to 30th in the NHL rankings. The Canadiens have killed only 64.3 per cent of their penalties and only Winnipeg and Arizona have worse records. It was strange seeing Phil Danault on the Kings’ power play for two of their power-play goals because he’s one of the players Montreal is missing on the PK along with defenceman Shea Weber and goaltender Carey Price. The Canadiens went 0-for-2 on the power play Saturday and they rank 30th in the NHL with a success rate of 9.4 per cent. Montreal has scored only three power-play goals with Mike Hoffman, Tyler Toffoli and Brendan Gallagher each scoring once.
Firing blanks: The Canadiens also rank 30th in goals scored and fantasy hockey fanatics can tell you there are some disappointing starts to the season. For example, Cole Caufield is second among rookies wth 22 shots and is sixth in ice time among rookie forwards, but he has produced only one assist and is in the longest goal drought of his life. Toffoli has a goal and a couple of assists and his shooting percentage is 5,3 per cent. That’s down from 17.7 per cent last season when he led the team in scoring. Nick Suzuki has five assists, but has yet to score a goal. Other forwards looking for their first goals are Joel Armia, Cédric Paquette and Jake Evans.
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Getzlaf eyes Selanne record: Ryan Getzlaf picked up an assist in Friday’s loss to Vegas and moved into a tie with Teemu Selanne as the Duck’s all-time leading scorer with 988 points. Selanne, who lives in the same neighbourhood as Getzlaf, was in Finland when Getzlaf pulled even on Friday, but he plans to be in Anaheim on Sunday to congratulate Getzlaf if he sets the record. Getzlaf and Selanne were teammates from 2005 to 2014 and combined on 114 goals. The first on Oct. 23, 2005, against the then-Phoenix Coyotes (Petr Sykora with a goal, assisted by Getzlaf and Selanne) and the last on March 24, 2014, against the Florida Panthers — (Getzlaf with a goal, assisted by Selanne and former Canadien Stéphane Robidas).
Canadiens at Ducks: Five things you should know - Montreal Gazette
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FIVE THINGS: That's really the best the Edmonton Elks have to offer? - Edmonton Sun
Technically, the Elks still have one last chance to win a game on home turf this year, but it might look a lot like a tree falling in the forest even if they do
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That’s it? That’s the result we can expect from the Edmonton Elks when they are coming off of two weeks’ worth of rest and playing at home against a .500 opponent.
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Of course, you’d never know the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were a team that had as much bad as they did good over their season prior to coming into Commonwealth Stadium, where it took no time flat for them to look like an absolute Grey Cup contender against an Elks team that might as well have just rolled out a locker-room full of uniforms still on their hangers, given the efforts made by the players who were actually inside of them.
Or lack thereof, might be a better word for any Elks player guilty of going through the motions at a time where their season is quite literally hanging in the balance.
Oh, they all still bring a certain level of individual effort expected from professionals, and some even still care, but it’s clear this team has not been playing for each other for quite a while now. And the result has seen an alarming number of empty seats in the stands with fewer and fewer fans to play for too.
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With Halloween upon us, it’s not hard to look at the Elks inaugural season of rebranding as an absolute nightmare where everything that could have gone sideways, has gone completely off the rails. Here are some of the more haunting things we learned from Friday’s 39-23 loss to the Tabbies:
NICK OF TIME?
Paging Nick Arbuckle …
Your arrival in Edmonton has come far, far too late to make any sort of difference this season.
As the only quarterback to bring down the mighty, mighty Blue Bombers by handing them their lone loss on the otherwise juggernaut of a season they’re putting together, the Elks sure could have used that same success last month when they kicked off a four-game stretch where they had to face Winnipeg three times.
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While it’s likely we will get to see the former Calgary Stampeders pivot get to start, or at least make it onto the field at some point during the playing out of the string here, isn’t nearly as important as whether he will sign a contract extension to be back in green and gold for a fresh beginning in 2022.
HOLY SPIT!
Hey, Kameron Kelly.
You are a full-grown, 25-year-old adult bestowed with the God-given talents and tools to live out every kid’s dream of playing professional sports.
But that doesn’t mean you need to act immature and go all spitting-mad in the middle of a nationally televised football game.
Oh, and also: Hey, pal. We’re in the middle of a pandemic where a virus is being spread by water droplets from the mouth. Who in their right mind thinks it would be a great idea to hock a loogie at another human being at this point in time?
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You were booted from the game. Your actions are an embarrassment to you, your family, your teammates, your club and the rest of the Canadian Football League. Dude, grow the eff up.
QB OR NOT QB?
It was Edmonton’s first game since trading away their former QB1, Trevor Harris. And it went just about as expected.
Not that Friday’s loss can be entirely lumped on the shoulders of Taylor Cornelius. The 26-year-old Oklahoma State product has seen his share of passes dropped by his receivers, but is also no longer raising any eyebrows whenever he overthrows his targets, which happens almost as often as not.
On Friday, he was 19 of 33 for 251 yards and was absolutely taken to the woodshed by another strong performance from Jeremiah Masoli, who never seems to mind returning to the city where his CFL career began, improving his record to 4-0 against Edmonton, completing 17 of 24 passes Friday for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
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But, hey, at least Cornelius finally didn’t throw an interception in this one. So, positives … right?
GETTIN’ WILD
Simoni Lawrence won’t ever win a CFL congeniality contest, but his late hit on Elks running back James Wilder Jr. came back to bite him.
Bending down for an underthrown ball, Wilder was defenceless for the unnecessary shot he took from the Ticats linebacker, who may or may not have deserved getting manhandled and driven backwards into the turf by Edmonton’s six-foot-three, 232-pound back who previously pursued professional-wrestling interests.
It led to a scuffle that raised the notion, if the Elks had shown the same spirit in fighting tooth and nail like that all season long, then perhaps they might not be in this perilous situation now.
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NEXT UP
The visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders will be in Edmonton on Friday for what might as well be a home game inside Commonwealth Stadium, given the chances there will be much more off-green in the stands than gold.
Not only have Elks home crowds been ridiculously down this year, the Edmonton Oilers are also holding the long-awaited banner raising for Kevin Lowe at the same time. And the Saskatchewan faithful always turn out in droves to support their team.
Technically, the Elks still have one last chance to win a game on home turf this year, but it might look a lot like a tree falling in the forest even if they do.
E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge
FIVE THINGS: That's really the best the Edmonton Elks have to offer? - Edmonton Sun
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Five different Bears score in win over Gold Wings - Prince Albert Daily Herald
The Prince Albert Northern Bears returned home on Saturday, looking to rebound from an 8-4 loss in Swift Current on Sunday, and they did so in a big way, taking down the Weyburn Gold Wings 5-1 at the Art Hauser Centre.
“I thought we had a pretty good jump all night,” Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby said after the game. “Weyburn definitely didn’t hand anything to us, and that’s the way you have to play if you’re looking for a win to build your game.”
The win improves the Bears’ record to 3-5 on the season, while Weyburn is left still looking for their first win of the season, dropping to 0-5.
The Bears dominated the first period, outshooting Weyburn 14-3 in the opening frame. They would also find the first goal of the game, as Erin Kirkland potted her second goal of the year on a 4 minute powerplay, after Hailey Verhelst went to the penalty box for head contact. That was the only goal of the first period, and it’s been a rare occurrence for Prince Albert this season, but they headed to the dressing room with a lead after the opening frame.
“I think special teams is always a focus,” Willoughby said. “Whatever the powerplay can do, it just takes a bit of relief off of what you have to do 5 on 5, so if you can get a couple of powerplay goals in a game it helps.”
In the second frame, the Gold Wings responded in quick fashion, scoring just 50 seconds into the period. Paisley Arnsten was somehow able to jam a puck past Bears goalie Paige Fischer, through the legs and into the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1.
However, the Bears pulled in front again on the powerplay. A loose puck in front of the Weyburn goal was knocked into the net by Julia Cey, putting the Bears on top 2-1. The Bears would continue to dominate for the remainder of the second period, and they would head to the dressing room with the lead after the second, also commanding the shots on goal department 31-12.
The third period was when the Bears ran away with the game, scoring three times. 2:17 into the final frame, Sasha Malenfant gave the Bears a bit of a cushion, scoring her third goal of the year, making it a 3-1 lead.
With just over three minutes left in the game, Bears defenceman Brooklin Fry let a rocket go from the point, beating both the traffic in front of the net, and the glove of Wings goalie Lexi Peace, giving Prince Albert a 4-1 advantage. Since returning to the lineup after missing games earlier in the year due to injury, Fry has put up three points in three games since her return, including her goal on Saturday.
“I think we’re going in the right direction,” Fry said after the game. “We’re just going to keep working step by step each practice, but I think we’re getting there.”
Fry also described her play since coming back to the lineup.
“I’m just trying to find open ice and move the puck myself when I can, and trying to take every opportunity on offence that I can.”
The Bears weren’t done there, as Jasmine Kohl made a power move toward the Wings net, stopped up, and flipped a shot over the glove of Pearce, scoring a shorthanded tally, putting the Bears up 5-1.
5-1 would be the final score, and in dominant fashion, the Northern Bears picked up win number three on the season. They also led shots on goal by a convincing 45-18 margin.
“We’ve been putting in hard work,” Fry added. “At the start we didn’t play as good, but we kept putting in effort, and I think that’s definitely showing in our games now.”
Prince Albert gets a little bit of a break before their next game on November 13. They’ll visit the Notre Dame Hounds for a pair of road games on the 13th and 14th.
“I think our 5 on 5 play now becomes our focus,” Willoughby said in preparation for their next game. “We liked our special teams today, but we want to make better connections with our linemates, and just overall consistency.”
The next home game for the Bears is on November 27th, as they’ll welcome the Hounds.
@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca
Five different Bears score in win over Gold Wings - Prince Albert Daily Herald
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Five Reasons To Buy An E-Bike: Late 2021 - Forbes
E-bikes are one of the hottest new tech categories, combining fitness with electric transportation.
I recently tested an e-bike for the first time — the MOSH/CTY from Serial 1, a spinoff from Harley-Davidson.
Here are five reasons I would recommend an e-bike:
(1) A workout or a ride:
The key selling point for an electric bike is that it allows you to switch instantly between an aerobic workout and a motor-powered ride. Or think of it as switching seamlessly between a bicycle and an electric motorcycle (albeit with pedals).
(2) A stand-in for your car:
While an electric bike is hardly a complete replacement for your car, it will provide you with plenty of reasons to drive it a lot less. Local trips to the grocery store — or any local store — with a backpack or a couple of pannier bags makes an e-bike viable as a car replacement. And a local job commute on an e-bike can be a refreshing break from a car. The beauty is, e-bikes can switch instantly to full-electric-assist* or high-electric-assist modes turning it into, in essence, an electric motorcycle.
(3) It’s electric:
E-bikes fall into the EV (electric vehicle) category so you’re part of a bigger trend toward EVs. That translates to no harmful greenhouse gasses (from the e-bike itself) and no trips to the gas station. Any electric vehicle also has quick acceleration (which I can attest to after testing the MOSH/CTY).
(4) Adventure:
When I tested the Serial 1 e-bike, I found myself going to places that I wouldn’t go by foot or car. For example, far above my home are foothills but the distance to access the foothills on foot is prohibitive and the hills are inaccessible by car. But it was easy (using high-electric-assist mode) to get into the foothills on the Serial 1. I found myself going into the upper foothills every day. This is something I would not have done without the e-bike.
(5) Price:
If you think of an e-bike as an EV, it’s not expensive. Think of it as cheaper, slower version of an electric motorcycle. Serial 1 prices range from $3,799 to $5,799. And I would argue for some people it could replace a second car.
——
Notes:
*There are roughly two types of e-bikes: One is pedal assist. That means you have to pedal to propel the bike forward but you get an assist from the electric motor. The other type comes with throttle mode, which is similar to a motorcycle or scooter, i.e., when you engage the throttle the bike propels itself without pedaling.
Five Reasons To Buy An E-Bike: Late 2021 - Forbes
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Saturday, October 30, 2021
BRHD to offer Pfizer vaccine to children aged five to 11, rollout estimated to start Nov. 6 - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily
The Blue Ridge Health District announced it will begin vaccinating children aged five through 11 starting the first week of November in an update released Friday. The Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use for the Pfizer vaccine in this age group Friday.
Previously, the COVID-19 vaccine was only available to those over 12 years of age, meaning about 15 percent of Charlottesville’s population is unvaccinated.
This announcement comes after the University canceled Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn due to concerns over gathering unvaccinated children and high-risk community members in the same space.
According to the update, the BRHD estimates vaccine rollout will begin Nov. 6. A limited supply of vaccines means rollout will be slower in the first three weeks of vaccination. The BRHD plans to prioritize the most vulnerable populations — children at higher risk of poor health outcomes and hospitalization from COVID-19 — when vaccinations begin.
As of Oct. 21, cases in children make up 16.5 percent of COVID-19 cases nationwide — the definition of “child” depends on varying age ranges reported by different states. In Virginia, this range includes individuals between the ages of 0 and 19 — in the BRHD, children account for 21.7 percent of cases.
The Pfizer vaccine will be offered in two doses to children ages five through 11, but in a lower dose than used for individuals 12 years or older — 10 micrograms versus 30 micrograms, respectively.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children between ages five and 11 and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and CDC will meet Tuesday to discuss a recommendation for this age group.
The BRHD will focus on distributing the vaccine to children through three avenues — pediatric and family-practice clinics, school drive-thru clinics and clinics in neighborhoods identified as housing-marginalized. These neighborhoods have been selected due to lower rates of vaccination, areas of low-income housing, large refugee populations and communities of color.
Per CDC guidance, the BRHD and U.Va. Health began offering booster shots and third doses of the vaccine Oct. 18. Individuals 65 years of age or older and individuals 18 years of age or older who live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions and who work or live in high-risk settings are eligible to receive a booster shot.
As of Friday, there are 32 active cases in the University community, 10 of which are students. There are 53 total in-house patients at U.Va. Health.
Vaccine appointments for children can be made on the BRHD’s Vaccine Appointment Scheduling Engine, or VASE. Limited appointments will be available at the Community Vaccination Center at Seminole Square.
BRHD to offer Pfizer vaccine to children aged five to 11, rollout estimated to start Nov. 6 - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily
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Five of Fort Saskatchewan's spookiest Halloween houses - FortSaskOnline.com
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Five of Fort Saskatchewan's spookiest Halloween houses FortSaskOnline.comFive of Fort Saskatchewan's spookiest Halloween houses - FortSaskOnline.com
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Five more climate activists arrested in Vancouver on final day of 'October Rebellion' - Vancouver Sun
Three Extinction Rebellion protesters locked themselves to a block structure in the middle of a busy intersection downtown Vancouver.
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Five more climate activists were arrested Friday as they wrapped up a two-week mass civil disobedience campaign in Vancouver to demand government take more action to address the climate crisis.
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The action comes as delegates from around the world meet Sunday at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, where members of the group Extinction Rebellion are planning high impact “deliberate disruption, according to the BBC.
Three men and two women were arrested after refusing to leave the intersection at Burrard and Pacific and blocking traffic for several hours, said Vancouver police spokesman Sgt. Steve Addison on Saturday.
Extinction Rebellion, the climate activist group that has been staging the series of protests, says three of its members locked themselves to a block structure early Friday evening. The block was covered in chicken wire and blue tarps, painted to represent Earth.
The group alleges police were “rough” with the protesters when removing them from the intersection.
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Addison said three protesters had locked themselves together using some sort of device, but they freed themselves after the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services arrived to cut them out.
Two protesters lying in the middle of the road were removed from the area and arrested, he added.
Friday’s protest marked the end of 14 consecutive days of action in Vancouver, including several roadblocks downtown Vancouver and disrupting traffic to the Vancouver International Airport.
A total of 54 people were arrested over the two weeks, including one arrest in Nanaimo, according to the group.
Extinction Rebellion Canada said it wants a commitment from the provincial and federal governments to end fossil fuel subsidies at the conference in Glasgow.
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The group says it is unacceptable for leaders to claim to be climate leaders when they are still funding companies that are contributing to human-caused climate change.
A recent report from the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change that UN Secretary-General António Guterres called a “code red for humanity,” says crossing the 1.5 C warming above pre-industrial levels threshold is close and will be exceeded unless the world drastically cuts its CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade.
“This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet,” said Guterres, adding there must be no new coal plants built after 2021 and countries should end all new fossil fuel exploration and production and shift to renewable energy.
The IPCC has been been producing reports that assess the science on climate change since 1988. The reports are the consensus of the world’s scientists and governments.
ticrawford@postmedia.com
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Five more climate activists arrested in Vancouver on final day of 'October Rebellion' - Vancouver Sun
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Traffic detoured around crash by Five Mile Hall - My Grande Prairie Now
A Grande Prairie RCMP cruiser (Erica Fisher, MyGrandePrairieNow.com)
Drivers are being asked to avoid the area of Township Road 714 and Range Road 53 by Five Mile Community Hall. The RCMP, EMS, and firefighters are on the scene of a crash involving two pickup trucks.
Traffic is being diverted at Range Road 53 north of Township Road 712, Range Road 53 south of Highway 670, Township Road 714 west of Range Road 53A, and Township Road 714 east of Range Road 52.
An investigation is underway. No further details have been provided.
Traffic detoured around crash by Five Mile Hall - My Grande Prairie Now
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Legislative committee gives seal of approval to changes for 'big five' licenses - The Sheridan Press
SHERIDAN — Months of hard work from the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce may be paying off.
During its Monday meeting in Cheyenne, the Wyoming Legislature’s Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee granted initial approval to the task force’s draft bill, which rethinks the allocation of hunting licenses for the “big five” game animals in Wyoming — moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, bison and grizzly bears.
The task force’s big five suggestions aim to increase local hunting opportunities for some of Wyoming’s rarest and most coveted animals, according to Brian Nesvik, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and member of the task force.
The task force’s approach is twofold, Nesvik said. The first is to limit big five hunting licenses to once-in-a-lifetime events: Once you receive a license for one of these animals, you are unable to apply again.
Currently, hunters who receive a big five license have to wait five years before applying for another one, Nesvik said. That five-year waiting period will still apply for those wishing to hunt cow/calf moose and bison and ewe/lamb bighorn sheep, while all other big five animals will conform with the new once-in-a-lifetime rule.
The second prong of the plan is to institute a 90-10 split for big five licenses, with local hunters receiving 90% of the licenses and out-of-state hunters receiving 10%.
Nesvik said the current splits vary per animal. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats and bison have 75-25 splits while moose are split 80-20. Grizzly bear licenses are currently set at 90-10 and would not change if the legislation moves forward.
The change would have a small but noticeable effect on the number of big five licenses available to Wyoming residents, according to task force co-chair Josh Coursey. For example, 180 bighorn sheep tags were available in the state last year with 135 going to local hunters. Under the recommended change, that number would increase to 162.
Similarly, 340 moose tags were available in the state last year with 255 going to local hunters. Under the recommended change, that number would increase to 306. Based on last year’s tag allocation totals, 27 new bison tags and 17 new mountain goat tags would be available to local hunters.
Nesvik said he didn’t expect the changes to have a major impact on local residents’ probability of drawing a tag for the big five animals, due to the already low number of tags available.
“The increased chances of drawing based on this are very small,” Nesvik said. “…But the testimony we’ve heard is that adding even just a few licenses is something.”
Nesvik said he doesn’t expect the decrease in out-of-state license allocations to impact local tourism, due to the already-low number of tags that are allocated to out-of-state residents each year.
Prior to being considered by the legislative committee, the draft bill received unanimous approval from the task force, Nesvik said. While there was limited public comment on the bill during Monday’s committee meeting, the one comment — from the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association — was supportive of the legislation.
“We’re here in strong support of the portion of the bill pertaining to the once-in-a-lifetime (license) for the big five,” said Bill Novotny, lobbyist for the association. Novotny said the association had not yet officially adopted a position regarding the 90-10 split but supported the idea “in concept.”
The draft legislation has been one of the key pieces of work of the task force in recent months, according to Nesvik. The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce, comprising 18 members including hunters, legislators and landowners from across the state, was formed by Gov. Mark Gordon with direction from the Legislature. The task force's charge is to study top-priority wildlife policy issues facing the state related to the allocation of hunting opportunity, sportsperson access and other issues.
With legislation for the big five complete, the taskforce is now turning its attention to an even more contentious and complicated issue: the allocation of tags for more common game animals like elk and deer, Nesvik said.
“We’re going to hear some strong views, and have heard some, for 90-10 on the other species,” Nesvik said. “But we haven’t reached a conclusion on that yet or a recommendation…At the November meeting, we’re going to hear from the Wyoming Office of Tourism on the economic impacts of the change, and we’ll be deliberating it at this next meeting and probably the December meeting. I don’t expect it will be a quick discussion.”
Legislative committee gives seal of approval to changes for 'big five' licenses - The Sheridan Press
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A World Remembers: Memorials honour COVID-19's five million dead - CTV News
BERGAMO, ITALY -- The Italian city that suffered the brunt of COVID-19's first deadly wave is dedicating a vivid memorial to the pandemic dead: A grove of trees, creating oxygen in a park opposite the hospital where so many died, unable to breathe.
Bergamo, in northern Italy, is among the many communities around the globe dedicating memorials to commemorate lives lost in a pandemic that is nearing the terrible threshold of five million confirmed dead.
Some have been drawn from artist's ideas or civic group proposals, but others are spontaneous displays of grief and frustration. Everywhere, the task of creating collective memorials is fraught, with the pandemic far from vanquished and new dead still being mourned.
Memorial flags, hearts, ribbons: These simple objects have stood in for virus victims, representing lost lives in eye-catching memorials from London to Washington D.C., and Brazil to South Africa.
The collective impact of white flags covering 20 acres on the National Mall in the U.S. capital was literally breathtaking, representing the more than 740,000 Americans killed by COVID-19, the highest official national death toll in the world.
One honoured 80-year-old Carey Alexander Washington of South Carolina, who was vaccinated and contracted the virus while still working as a clinical psychologist in March. His 6-year-old granddaughter Izzy collapsed in grief when she found her "papa's” flag -- a moment captured by a photographer and shared on Twitter.
“Families like mine, we're still grieving,” said Washington's daughter, Tanya, who traveled from Atlanta to see the memorial. “It was important to witness that honor that was being given to them. It gave a voice to all our loved ones that have been lost.”
A memorial wall in London similarly conveys the scale of loss, with pink and red hearts painted by bereaved loved ones on a wall along the River Thames. Walking the memorial's length without pausing to read names and inscriptions takes a full nine minutes. The hearts represent the over 140,000 coronavirus deaths in Britain, Europe's second-highest toll after Russia; like elsewhere in the world, the actual number is estimated to be much higher:160,000.
“It shocks people,” said Fran Hall, a spokeswoman for the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice. She lost her husband, Steve Mead, in September 2020, the day before his 66th birthday. “Every time we are here, people stop and talk to us, and quite often they are moved to tears as they are walking by, and thank us.”
In Brazil's capital, relatives of COVID-19 victims planted thousands of white flags in front of Brazil's Congress in a one-day, emotion-laden action meant to raise awareness of Brazil's toll of more than 600,000, the second-highest in the world.
And in South Africa, blue and white ribbons are tied to a fence at the St. James Presbyterian Church in Bedford Gardens, east of Johannesburg, to remember the country's 89,000 dead: each blue ribbon counting for 10 lives, white for one.
How victims of war, atrocities and even health crises are remembered has evolved through the ages. Victorious statues of generals gave way to tombs of the unknown soldier after World War I, in a bid to remember the sacrifices of ordinary soldiers. Paris' Arche de Triomphe was one of the first.
“World War I was a benchmark, which is particularly relevant because it was followed by the 1918 flu pandemic,” said Jennifer Allen, an assistant professor of history at Yale University who has studied memorial culture.
That pandemic seems to have been little memorialized, partly because of the keen focus on the war dead. “It was a period of mass death,” Allen said. “That is why we talk about the lost generation.”
Holocaust memorials were the next major testaments to mass killing, Allen said. They span big, traditional monuments like Berlin's Holocaust Memorial, and more personalized tributes where victims are named, like the so-called Stumbling Stones outside buildings were Jews lived before the Holocaust.
Not since the AIDS quilt made its way across the United States, with loved ones adding squares for people who had succumbed, has a health crisis been the object of memorials of a scale like those now honoring the COVID-19 dead. The quilt has grown to nearly 50,000 squares, representing more than 105,000 individuals.
Memorials like the AIDS quilt and the Stumbling Stones have helped solidify a trend toward grass-roots remembrances and the desire to honor victims as individuals, Allen said. Both are emerging in the COVID-19 memorials.
“We want to get to the individuals, who make up all of the millions of deaths,” Allen said. “As people so often point out: These were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, neighbors.
Collectively memorializing the coronavirus dead has been complicated by the weight of private grief, which was too often borne alone in the first wave, when funerals could not take place and loved ones too often died without the presence or caress of a loved one.
An Italian Facebook group, Noi Denunceremo, was started as a place to publicly, if virtually, remember the dead during the country's first draconian lockdown, and developed quickly into a collection of data on alleged failures that have been turned over to prosecutors.
In India, one of the world's most affected countries, an online memorial was launched in February, https://ift.tt/3mv6993, inviting submissions verified with death certificates. So far, it has only 250 tributes, a minute fraction of the over 457,000 confirmed dead, which is itself a vast undercount.
“It's not memorializing only, it's how we can pay respect and dignity” to the dead, said Abhijit Chowdhury of the COVID Care Network that started the memorial from the eastern city of Kolkata.
In Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, a bronze statue called “Sad Angel” was placed in March outside a medical school to honor the dozens of doctors and medical workers who died of COVID-19. The sculpture of an angel with his shoulders slumped and head hanging disconsolately is especially poignant because its creator, Roman Shustrov, himself died of the virus in May 2020.
Italy has not dedicated a national monument to its some 132,000 confirmed dead, but it has designated a coronavirus remembrance day. Premier Mario Draghi stood among the first newly planted trees in Bergamo's Trucca Park on March 18, the first anniversary of the indelible image of army trucks bringing dead to other cities for cremation after the city's morgue was overwhelmed.
Bergamo's mayor said the city considered proposals for statues or plaques bearing the names of the dead. One was too monumental; the other ignored that so many dead were not officially counted due to lack of testing.
“The Woods of Memory is a living monument, and it immediately seemed to us to be the most convincing, the most emotive and the one that was closest to our sentiments,” Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori said.
Only 100 trees have been planted so far of the 700 that are planned, facing the hospital's morgue. The rest should be planted by next year's March 18 remembrance day.
There are no plans to add names, but in at least one case, loved ones have claimed a sapling: Roses are planted at the base, with personal mementoes hanging from it and a white rock bearing the handwritten name of a dearly departed: Sergio.
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AP journalists Pan Pylas in London, Phil Marcelo in Boston, Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg, Irina Titova in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Debora Alvares in Brasilia, Brazil, contributed to this report.
A World Remembers: Memorials honour COVID-19's five million dead - CTV News
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World Series: Braves' Ian Anderson pulled after five no-hit innings; manager Brian Snitker explains decision - CBS Sports
In the pivotal Game 3 of the World Series between the Astros and Braves on Friday night at Truist Park, Atlanta rookie right-hander Ian Anderson pitched five no-hit innings before being lifted in favor of reliever A.J. Minter. At the time, Anderson was staked to a 1-0 lead thanks to Austin Riley's one-out, RBI double in the third inning.
Two Braves relievers extended the no-hit bid to seven innings until a third reliever, Tyler Matzek allowed a single to pinch-hitter Aledmys Diaz to lead off the eighth. The Braves added an insurance run on Travis d'Arnaud's solo homer and wound up winning Game 3 by a score of 2-0. They now lead the best-of-seven series by a count of 2-1.
Anderson overcame some early command issues and wound up striking out four against three walks. Of his 76 pitches, just 39 went for strikes. While Anderson notched just five swings and misses on the night, he also allowed just three hard-hit balls.
As it turns out, Anderson's five no-hit innings were the fourth-most ever by a rookie in postseason history:
And here's some even more exclusive company:
While Anderson has yet to work deep in any of his now four starts this postseason, he's thrived at keeping runs off the board -- he's given up just three in 17 innings in these playoffs.
Braves manager Brian Snitker pulled Anderson before he could face the tough Houston lineup for a third time. The temptation to ride Anderson longer must have been strong, given the heavy load lifted by the Atlanta bullpen and the uncertain rotation moving forward, plus the fact that the two teams won't have another off day until Monday (should the series go that long). However, Snitker appeared to have the decision made as soon as Anderson entered the dugout after striking out pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez to end the top of the fifth.
Snitker said he made the decision with his "gut" and noted Anderson's pitch count made the call easier.
"You want the chance to compete, especially on the biggest stage like this is," Anderson told reporters. "Yeah, I knew he wasn't going to budge. It's hard to. You've got guys like Matzek and Minter and Luke and Will at the back end coming in, you can't blame him for going to those guys. Those guys, time in and time out, get it done, and they did it again tonight."
Anderson during the regular season -- his age-23 campaign -- pitched to a 3.58 ERA (124 ERA+) with 124 strikeouts and 51 unintentional walks in 128 1/3 innings.
World Series: Braves' Ian Anderson pulled after five no-hit innings; manager Brian Snitker explains decision - CBS Sports
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