The debates are certainly heating up. While it was somewhat surprising that there was no discussion based on the $35 million bond issue that will appear on the April ballot. It was definitely good to hear everyone’s opinion on year-round schooling, as overcrowding is most definitely a problem in our school system. The next debate will be very interesting to hear, and I hope that Lane, Fay, Dorman, and Corino discuss the bond issue more.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Moore, Fresno Pacific Defeat Springfield in 1st Round
TULSA-- James Moore scored 24 and Ty Amundson added 18 as Fresno Pacific (24-7) defeated Springfield College (29-6) 81-56 in the 1st round of the NAIA tournament in Tulsa, OK.
(It was an impressive—and unexpected—effort from the 12th seeded Cougars who were able to knock off the heavily favored 5th seeded Bears. Fresno Pacific was able to jump out to a 13 point lead early and never looked back, leading by 33 points at one point in the 2nd half.
“If we can stay consistent on offense, then I like our chances in the tournament,” said Coach Bruce Barton of Fresno Pacific. The Cougars came in a little-known team from California, and have a chance of emerging as the story of the tournament.
“We just didn’t have it tonight,” said Springfield point guard Leon Ross. “The shots weren’t falling and they just wanted it more than we did tonight.”
For senior power forward Anthony Muldrow, losing in the first round is a huge disappointment. “This definitely isn’t the way I wanted to end my career,” he said.
Fresno Pacific completely dominated the game statistically.
Fresno Pacific was able to shoot 55.9% (33-59) from the field as compared to Springfield shooting 29.7% (22-74). Fresno Pacific was also able to outrebound Springfield 44 to 35, as well as have 22 assists as a team as opposed to just 10 by Springfield.
Lache, 63, Passes Away
SPRINGFIELD -- Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Ronald H. Lache, 63, died Monday at his home here after a battle with cancer.
Lache was born November 3, 1943 in Philadelphia to Harry and Thelma Curry Lache.
He was married Delores Carney who passed away on March 7th of this year.
The family moved to Springfield five years ago from Dayton, Ohio.
In retirement, he was a member of the Newman Center and the Rock Bridge Lions Club. “Ronald always took pride in whatever he was doing,” said his mother Thelma Lache. “Whether it was his work in the Air Force, being at the Newman Center and the Lions Club, or just raising his children, Ronald took every aspect of his life seriously and taught his children and grandchildren to do the same.”
One story Thelma wished to share was one where Ronald promised his son, Ronald Jr., at a young age that he would have a tree house built in time for his birthday. “There was terrible weather leading up Ronald Jr.’s birthday, yet Ronald Sr. was out there every day working on that tree house until it was finally complete.”
A service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on 44 Smith Street in Springfield. Visitation will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Parker Funeral Service on 606 Washington Ave in Springfield.
He is survived by his mother, Thelma Lache of Springfield; his son, Ronald Lache of Springfield; three daughters-Barbara Ann Peck of Dayton, Ohio; Patrice Louis Wylie of Indianapolis, IN.; Cynthia Lache of San Mateo, CA; and his granddaughter Jennifer C. Peck of Springfield.
Dry Weather Leads to Fires in Prathersville (Updated)
The spell of hot, dry weather that has held the area in its grasp for the last few weeks is taking its toll on the grasslands and fire fighters.
Saturday, in the wake of 15 and 25-mph winds and a high temperature of 99 degrees, fire protection agencies from across the area responded to sixteen calls.
At the largest of those, a 25-acre grass fire on Peabody Road north of Prathersville and west of Route 19, paramedics treated on sight at least five of 35 fire fighters for heat exhaustion, county fire chief Debra Schuster said.
Three more of the heavily-clad firefighters were hospitalized for heat exhaustion, and two of those were flown to Springfield Hospital by helicopter. All were treated for about one hour and released.
Dennis Sapp, fire captain of Station No. 1, said the blaze at Peabody Road, that burned out of control for an hour before it was contained, probably was started by a trash fire. The blaze endangered some nearby farmland and the barn on it, but was extinguished before anything but grass was burned.
Schuster said that fires like the one on Peabody Road have been starting all day, especially in the northern part of the city and county. Schuster said some of the fires could have been the work of an arsonist, but careless burning was a more likely cause.
“We don’t have any evidence there is an arsonist,” Schuster said. “We sure hope we don’t have someone running around starting fires on purpose, but there is that possibility.”
Breaking News: Shooting in St. Joseph, Officer Dead
St. Joseph, Missouri-A shooting rampage killed a police officer and the gunman, and injured three others near 22nd and Frederick Streets yesterday.
A police officer responding to the scene was killed when bullets hit his window seven times, striking him in the back of the head and killing him. Officer Bradley Thomas Arn, 28, became the first officer to die on duty since 1991.
The identification of the gunman has not yet been determined.
Another officer, whose name is not yet released, shot and killed the gunman moments later. Roger Liberty of St. Joseph witnessed the gunman being shot, and stated that he was seconds away from shooting the man himself with his own deer rifle. “My kids are behind the door, and I’ve got to think about them,” Liberty said.
According to Officer Connors, there is an investigation going on with this shooting, and with the officer who shot the gunman, although he said that investigating an officer is typical for any shooting. “They did a good job,” Connors stated on behalf of the officers, “They did what they’re supposed to do.”
An eyewitness who was driving by the scene saw the fatal shot at Officer Arn. “I saw the officer fall to the left. He must have hit the accelerator because his car lurched forward and hit a boat in the parking lot,” said George MacFeat.
The gunman also hit MacFeat’s car, as the passenger side window of the car was shattered and MacFeat’s head was cut by the glass.
The motives of the gunman are unknown at this time according to police. “I don’t think he cared about what was in front of his gun,” stated Officer Connors.
While the shooting was a shock, some see it as a sign of the times. “This is the world we live in now, even in St. Joes,” said Roger Liberty.
A press conference will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m.
School Board Debates Heat Up (Updated)
School board candidates met and talked about year-round schooling and teacher unionization at the Lenoir Retirement Community Center Tuesday night.
School board candidate Henry Lane discussed his approval of year round schooling. According to Lane, year round schooling would reduce the need for trailers. It would also help get rid of overcrowding in schools, reducing the number of students in daily attendance by 25%.
School board candidate Larry Doman said that he solely wishes to stop overcrowding in the schools and to increase teacher’s salries.
The incumbent school board candidate, Kerry Corino, discussed the difficulty of counteracting large class size: “Private schools can pick up who they want; public schools cannot pick up who they want,” Corino said.
Fay argued that the cost of educating children will increase by saving on construction costs of additional buildings. “This community does not want schools on totally different schedules,” Fay also said.
Unlike previous debates, little to no discussion was placed on the $35 million bond issue that will appear on the April ballot.
School board candidate Henry Lane discussed his approval of year round schooling. According to Lane, year round schooling would reduce the need for trailers. It would also help get rid of overcrowding in schools, reducing the number of students in daily attendance by 25%.
School board candidate Larry Doman said that he solely wishes to stop overcrowding in the schools and to increase teacher’s salries.
The incumbent school board candidate, Kerry Corino, discussed the difficulty of counteracting large class size: “Private schools can pick up who they want; public schools cannot pick up who they want,” Corino said.
Fay argued that the cost of educating children will increase by saving on construction costs of additional buildings. “This community does not want schools on totally different schedules,” Fay also said.
Unlike previous debates, little to no discussion was placed on the $35 million bond issue that will appear on the April ballot.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Concussions in High School Football
Pete Stenhoff used to be a standout football player with dreams of playing football in college. That all changed with one hit.
Stenhoff was a physically fit, 210 pound linebacker for Chula Vista High School when he rammed his head into an opposing player’s chest two years ago. Medics rushed Stenhoff to the hospital that night, where he learned he had a cracked vertebra. He hasn’t walked since.
Confined to a wheelchair since then, Stenhoff not only lost the ability to play the game he loves, but also found himself struggling elsewhere. He has lost 38 pounds since the accident, and was unable to graduate from high school with his class.
Confined to a wheelchair since then, Stenhoff not only lost the ability to play the game he loves, but also found himself struggling elsewhere. He has lost 38 pounds since the accident, and was unable to graduate from high school with his class.
Football injuries are often one of the most overlooked aspects of the sport. In high school alone, there are 20,000 injuries, with 2,400 of them resulting in permanent disabilities. 13 high school players died this past year because of these injuries, with most critics blaming the football helmet.
Stenhoff’s injury was blamed on his helmet, as he planted his head into an opposing player’s chest to make a tackle. While helmets are supposed to provide safety for players, these helmets often end up causing many injuries themselves.
According to Alan Schwarz of the New York Times, there is a significant flaw in the way that helmets are designed and used.
“The industry, which receives no governmental or other independent oversight, requires helmets for players of all ages to withstand only the extremely high-level force that would otherwise fracture skulls.”
The argument that he and many other critics make is that football players commonly think their bodies are indestructible wit these helmets on, and do not fully know of the dangers involved in playing football.
While Stenhoff may never be able to play the game of football again, he is graduating this year from high school and is trying to move on from his injury.
“I knew the risks involved when I decided to play football,” says Stenhoff, “but I wish I would have known just how bad it could be.”
Jordan Still Among Richest Athletes
: Retired from the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan’s still on the first team in the game of endorsements.
According to a 2010 study of the top sports brands and athletes, Michael Jordan earns over 30 million from endorsements deals alone, despite the fact that he has not played a game of basketball since 2003.
According to a 2010 study of the top sports brands and athletes, Michael Jordan earns over 30 million from endorsements deals alone, despite the fact that he has not played a game of basketball since 2003.
It is even more remarkable when one considers Jordan has not won an NBA MVP award (given to the league’s most valuable player) since the 1997-1998 basketball season.
The three major companies that are the reason for Jordan’s continuing legacy and brand are Nike, Gatorade, and Hanes.
While everyone associates Nike and Gatorade with sports, it’s the Hanes brand that keeps Jordan in commercials the most often, and allows viewers to see the more human side of Jordan.
“We use Michael in a different way than Nike or Gatorade does,” said David Robertson, the director of marketing for Hanes. “They use him as the basketball player, we’ve always used him as the person and we’ve found that his stardom transcends the game.”
Being able to see Michael Jordan the person, as opposed to Michael Jordan the athlete has been critical for Hanes’ success. “Michael’s appeal is extraordinary,” stated Sidney Falken, the senior vice president of Hanes. “He is able to appeal to such a wide range of people, men and women, young and old.”
The fact that Jordan has appeared in over 25 commercials for Hanes the past 20 years speaks volumes to the strong relationship that Hanes has built with Jordan.
It speaks even more volumes when one thinks of the fact that as of 2010, Michael Jordan was voted as the United States’ second favorite athlete of all time. “If you think about the fact that Michael could have endorsed any product he wanted and he stayed with us, that’s a pretty powerful statement,” Falken said.
There is no questioning the stardom and the popularity that is Michael Jordan. While Michael made his mark on the basketball court, the fact that it was, and still is, felt on the endorsement market really speaks volumes to the type of person and player that Jordan really is.
The statement, “Michael Jordan was the greatest endorser of the 20th century,” by Nike president Phil Knight only beings to scrape the surface of Jordan’s appeal to the American people.
From the Gatorade advertisement slogan of “Be like Mike” to his still famous “Air Jordan” shoe brands from Nike, it has been impossible the last 20 years for one to not be influenced in some way by the great Michael Jordan.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Breaking News: Springfield barn catches fire, 15 horses dead
SPRINGFIELD--Fifteen horses are dead after a fire set a barnyard ablaze here early this morning.
Flames engulfed the one-story barnyard, killing 13 thoroughbreds and two saddle horses. Ten horses escaped, two them with their backs on fire.
Only charred wooden supports remain from the barn, which burned from 4 a.m. until about noon.
The fire started in the middle of the barn, Fire Chief Perry said. The electrical outlets and heaters were at the end of the barn, according to assistant track manager Dan Bucci. Fire officials are considering arson in their investigation.
The only remains from the fire were some charred wooden supports, and broken hearts. “Those are my best friends,” said jockey Albert Ramos pointing at the horses with glassy eyes, “I love horses more than I do people. I feel like I want to cry.”
All other available employees declined comment, but expressed their dismay at the possibility of an arsonist starting the fire.
This is the first fire of its kind in Springfield, and the first fire in the state to involve the killing of horses since 1987.
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