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Review: ‘Spelling Bee’ at TheatreWorks is just d-i-v-i-n-e

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

Spelling as a competitive bloodsport lives in its own stratosphere. The ability to memorize and spell the most obscure words is certified after a few critical questions — “What’s the country of origin,” or, “Are there any alternate definitions,” and the granddaddy inquiry of them all — “Can you use it in a sentence?”Once the juggernaut of sporting life, ESPN, got hold of the competition, it turned brainiac, memorization hounds into legends, heroes in their communities, boons for the local news rag and worthy of all the savings bonds their ink-stained, dictionary-wielding hands could muster.“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ” now being presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, is a wild and wacky tribute to the underdog. There are no deified quarterbacks amongst these denizens of dork, just quirky kings and queens who are revered because words like syzygy and capybara vault them into stinger stardom.What makes the wonderfully joyous production of the small...

Breaking down the top Pac-12 football assistant coaches and coordinators of 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker on Tuesday was honored as the 2023 Broyles Award winner, given to the nation’s top assistant coach or coordinator.The news was expected. Iowa fielded an offense straight out of the Stone Age but went 10-3 because Parker’s unit held opponents to 13 points per game.The group of five finalists included one Pac-12 coach, Oregon offensive playcaller Will Stein. But there was plenty of stellar coaching across the conference footprint this season.Here’s the Hotline’s ranking of the top staff members.(Note: Several head coaches serve as playcallers. They were not included.)1. Oregon State offensive line coach Jim Michalczik: Over the years, Michalczik repeatedly has turned two- and three-star prospects into all-conference performers at the heart of OSU’s superb running game. A longtime Pac-12 assistant — he first joined the conference in 1999 — Michalczik has been, for our money, the finest assistant (or coordi...

SF Giants need ‘star power,’ according to new manager Bob Melvin

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Growing up on the Peninsula, Bob Melvin watched the twilight of Willie Mays and Willie McCovey’s careers with the Giants. He played against Barry Bonds, then managed against him and Buster Posey.“San Francisco’s a star-power town,” the Giants’ new manager said Tuesday during his mandatory media session at the MLB Winter Meetings. “So I think we need some players, one, two or whatever, that the fans really identify with. Whether it was the Willie Mays days, the Barry Bonds days (or) Buster Posey, star power is important to San Francisco.”Few would know better than Melvin, whose duties now are recruiting the next high-profile player to the Bay Area.There’s no shortage of candidates in a top-heavy free-agent market, and the Giants are believed to be in on many of the top players. They are in a holding pattern as they await decisions from Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, their top two priorities, but have been conne...

SF homicide victim identified as 27-year-old tech worker

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A woman who was found dead in a Presidio Heights apartment last week has been identified as Kimberly Wong, a 27-year-old San Francisco tech worker. Wong was found dead during a well-being check at an apartment on the 3200 block of Clay Street. DVC coach accused of assaulting women on bus converted into ‘dungeon’ in court today Her identity was confirmed by the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Wong was an employee at Plaid, where she worked as a product designer, according to her LinkedIn profile.The financial services company provided a statement on her passing, saying:“We are devastated at the news of Kim’s passing. She was smart, talented, positive, and a valued member of our team who made an impact on everyone who worked with her. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to her family and her friends.”Prior to Plaid, Wong worked for several years at Splunk, where she started as an intern and became a user experience designer. A comp...

Blinken anuncia una nueva política de restricción de visados dirigida a extremistas israelíes y palestinos en la Ribera Occidental

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

(CNN) — El secretario de Estado de EE.UU., Antony Blinken, anunció este martes una nueva política para impedir que colonos israelíes extremistas responsables de la violencia en la Ribera Occidental entren en Estados Unidos.“Hoy, el Departamento de Estado aplica una nueva política de restricción de visados dirigida a las personas que se cree que han participado en el menoscabo de la paz, la seguridad o la estabilidad en la Ribera Occidental, incluso mediante la comisión de actos de violencia o la adopción de otras medidas que restringen indebidamente el acceso de los civiles a los servicios esenciales y las necesidades básicas”, dijo Blinken en un comunicado. “Los familiares directos de estas personas también pueden estar sujetos a estas restricciones”, añadió.El Departamento de Estado podrá aplicar la política tanto a israelíes como a palestinos responsables de atentados en Ribera Occidental, dijo Blinken.Blinken no nombró a ninguna persona que pudiera ...

The Angels will not trade 3-time AL MVP Mike Trout, general manager confirms

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels will not trade three-time AL MVP Mike Trout, general manager Perry Minasian confirmed at MLB’s winter meetings on Tuesday.Minasian responded to the annual questions about Trout’s future with the underachieving Angels by providing the same answer he has given in past years — and the same answer given by owner Arte Moreno’s previous general managers.“Mike Trout will not be getting traded, 100%,” Minasian told MLB.com and other outlets.Trout is under contract through 2030, and he makes $35.45 million annually with a full no-trade clause. But even after he missed significant portions of the past three seasons due to injuries, his future in Anaheim remains an annual topic of debate due to his formidable talent and the Angels’ annual failures to achieve any team success.The 32-year-old Trout has participated in one playoff series and has never won a postseason game in a 13-year career spent entirely with the Halos. Los...

Frida Formann scores 23 points and No. 8 Colorado beats UT Arlington 95-74

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Frida Formann scored 23 points, matching a school record for 3-pointers in a game with seven, and No. 8 Colorado never trailed in beating UT Arlington 95-74 on Tuesday.Quay Miller had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Aaronette Vonleh added 14 points for Colorado (9-1), which has won three in a row. Jaylyn Sherrod scored 11 points to go with a career-high 13 assists that fueled the inside scoring of Miller and Vonleh. Formann also had seven 3-pointers in a game earlier this season in Colorado’s victory over then-No. 1 LSU on Nov. 6.Keiori Lee had 18 points to lead UT Arlington, which lost its third straight since its lone win of the season.The Buffaloes did have a down note, losing guard Tameiya Sadler to lower right leg injury with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter. She and a teammate were both scrambling for a rebound when they became entangled and Sadler fell to the floor, losing one of her shoes in the process. She was tended to by team trainers and as...

Owners of a Colorado funeral home where 190 decaying bodies were found are due to appear in court

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The owners of a Colorado funeral home where 190 decomposing bodies were found are set to appear in court Tuesday, facing allegations that they abused corpses, stole, laundered money and forged documents.Jon and Carie Hallford own Return to Nature Funeral Home, which has a facility in Penrose where investigators in early October discovered dozens of stacked bodies, some that had death dates as far back as 2019, according to a federal affidavit.Family members had been falsely told their loved ones were cremated and had received materials that were not their ashes, court records said.Several families who hired Return to Nature to cremate their loved ones have told The Associated Press that the FBI confirmed to them privately that their loved ones were among the decaying bodies.The Hallfords were arrested in Oklahoma last month, after allegedly fleeing Colorado to avoid prosecution. They have been jailed on a $2 million bond. Both have been charged with ap...

Miramar police seek help from public in identifying porch pirate caught on camera

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

Miramar Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a porch pirate caught on camera stealing packages in the River Run community. The suspect, who police said is responsible for at least three thefts, may be linked to additional incidents.The thefts were captured on camera on Nov. 21 at residences along the 2400 block of Riverdale Drive, the 9800 block of Miramar Blvd and the 9700 block of Bosque Lane in Miramar. The suspect was observed exiting the passenger door of a black SUV and swiping packages from front porches.If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

68-year-old woman dead following house fire in SW Miami-Dade

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:02 GMT

An investigation is underway following a house fire in Southwest Miami-Dade that left a woman dead, Tuesday morning.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue rushed to the scene, located in the 10900 block of Southwest 138th Court, at around 6:45 a.m. 7SkyForce showed just how extensive the effort was to maintain the fire.Miami-Dade Police confirmed that a body was located and that foul play is not suspected at this time. The deceased was identified as 68-year-old Donna Darreff.“She was a nice person, you know, she took care of her mother and her father,” said Arturo Perez, a neighbor. For Perez, she was a neighbor and a friend. “I knew her from walking my dog. We would say hello,” he said. “I feel sorry for her, especially around this time of year.”A video taken by another neighbor, showed smoke billowing out from the house as firefighters tried desperately to save her.The smoke marks were still visible before Dareff’s boyfriend came to help clean up the scen...