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AP Top 25 Takeaways: Alabama is a national title contender again; Michigan may have its next man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

Remember when Alabama benched quarterback Jalen Milroe against South Florida in September and it looked as if Nick Saban’s dynasty was maybe not dead, but definitely trending in the wrong direction?Ha! Fooled ya.The Crimson Tide have won eight straight since losing to Texas at home in Week 2, including that wonky win at USF, and Milroe is now playing well enough to seriously ask the question: Is this guy a Heisman Trophy candidate?After sharing the marquee with LSU’s Jayden Daniels last week, Milroe was the star of the show as No. 8 Alabama routed Kentucky on Saturday. Milroe accounted for six touchdowns, three through the air and three on the ground. That had never been done by an Alabama player.The Tide have clinched the SEC West with two regular-season games left, and Alabama is most definitely a threat to win a seventh national championship under Saban.“This team has come a long way,” said Saban, who locked up his 10th trip to the Southeastern Conference title game w...

Woodbridge boys cross country wins first Virginia state title since 1990

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

Kelly McGreal gave her runners specific instructions following the end of Saturday’s Class 6 boys cross country meet at Oatlands in Leesburg.If Woodbridge won the state title, the boys would unzip their jackets and reveal the state champion t-shirts McGreal bought for the team and had them put on after the race was over.But if the Vikings lost, the boys needed to keep those jackets zipped.McGreal was confident enough in her team’s chances to buy the shirts in the first place. And she thought it had clinched the title. Still, McGreal wasn’t taking any chances until the official announcement.No worries. The boys were able to discard their jackets with a convincing victory that gave Woodbridge its first state title in boys cross country since 1990. The Vikings finished with 62 points followed by Lake Braddock with 86 and Chantilly with 110.“They ripped those jackets off and did their little reveal,” McGreal said.Woodbridge ran the race it wanted to without interruption. Hayden Goodman ...

Vattiato throws 4TDs to lead Middle Tennessee to 40-6 shellacking of Florida International

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Nicholas Vattiato threw for 275 yards and four touchdowns and Middle Tennessee beat Florida International 40-6 on Saturday night.Vattiato threw a 24-yard touchdown to Elijah Metcalf for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. He connected from 32 yards out to Holden Willis and 72 yards to DJ England-Chisolm in the second quarter for a 31-6 halftime lead.Defensively, the Blue Raiders (3-7, 2-4 Conference USA) added to the scoring cause when Richard Kinley returned a fumble 23 yard for a touchdown to make it 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.Vattiato closed the scoring with a 20-yard scoring pass to Jeremy Tate Jr. with 10:22 left to play. Keyone Jenkins completed 22 of 35 passes for 226 yards for FIU (4-6, 1-6).___Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballSource

Aho, Burns and Kochetkov lead Hurricanes to 4-0 win over Lightning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns each had a goal and an assist, Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 shots for his fifth career shutout and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 on Saturday night.Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen also scored as Carolina won for the sixth time in eight games.Jonas Johansson, who shut out the Hurricanes in their first meeting, made 28 saves for the Lightning. Tampa Bay played without forward Nikita Kucherov, who entered the game second in the NHL with 23 points, because of illness. His absence showed, as Tampa Bay struggled to generate offense for long stretches.Kochetkov, who was 0-3-0 this season and took the loss in Tampa Bay’s 3-0 win against Carolina on Oct. 24, was sharp when he had to be and got plenty of help from his teammates, who controlled play for most of the game.Carolina took a 1-0 lead when Teravainen beat Johansson with a power-play one-timer from the top of the right circle 3:09 into the game.Aho made it 2-0...

Cochran’s 18 lead Toledo past Louisiana 87-78

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Tyler Cochran’s 18 points helped Toledo defeat Louisiana 87-78 on Saturday night.Cochran went 8 of 12 from the field for the Rockets (2-0). Ra’Heim Moss scored 16 points and added five rebounds. Sonny Wilson shot 7 of 11 from the field and 1 for 4 from the line to finish with 16 points.Themus Fulks led the Ragin’ Cajuns (1-1) in scoring, finishing with 25 points and five assists. Kentrell Garnett added 14 points, five assists and two steals for Louisiana. Kobe Julien also had 12 points.NEXT UPToledo’s next game is Tuesday against Wright State on the road. Louisiana hosts Louisiana College on Wednesday.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

In Maryland Politics: Seeing similarities between Manchin and Hogan; Jewish group to honor CASA organization

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) got headlines this week that former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) could only envy.Manchin’s announcement that he wouldn’t run for reelection in 2024, all but guaranteeing that Republicans will pick up his seat — and move that much closer to grabbing control of the chamber in the next Congress — was national news. U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney — well known to Marylanders from his time in the state Senate and as chair of the Maryland GOP — is among the Republicans seeking Manchin’s seat, though he’s trailing Gov. Jim Justice in the polls.But Manchin’s news was also of supreme interest to another Maryland Republican, Hogan, who, like Manchin, continues to promote the idea that a centrist, independent ticket can compete with President Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 White House election. In his videotaped announcement Thursday, Manchin said he plans to tour the country to try to “unite the middle.”&...

Kent State defeats Fresno State 79-69

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

KENT, Ohio (AP) — Jalen Sullinger scored 17 points as Kent State beat Fresno State 79-69 on Saturday night.Sullinger was 5 of 12 shooting, including 3 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 5 from the line for the Golden Flashes (2-1). Chris Payton scored 13 points while shooting 4 of 9 from the field and 4 for 6 from the line and added seven rebounds. Cli’Ron Hornbeak had 11 points and shot 5 of 6 from the field.Xavier Dusell led the way for the Bulldogs (1-1) with 18 points and six rebounds. Fresno State also got 13 points and two steals from Isaac Tavares. Isaiah Hill also had 11 points, eight assists and two steals.NEXT UPKent State plays Friday against Hampton, and Fresno State hosts Morgan State on Wednesday.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.Source

There’s probably no monster in Loch Ness. But we did find one of its best-kept secrets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

Drumnadrochit, Scotland (CNN) — It’s not the volume of water in Loch Ness that impresses, although that’s substantial. It is, after all, 23 miles long with steep walls that plunge into a 754-foot abyss deep enough to submerge Edinburgh Castle twice over.It’s the unsettling darkness that stands out. Peat washes into the loch from surrounding rivers and streams, creating water as rich a brown as the tea that flows from pots in guesthouses in the nearby village of Drumnadrochit and the Highlands beyond. But it’s cold, bitterly cold, averaging around 40 F (4 or 5 C) year-round.“You could be swimming next to a 400-foot submarine, it would be two feet in front of you, and you would not see it,” says Alan McKenna, social worker by day and, in his free time, founder of the Loch Ness Exploration research group. “It’s like a lost world down there.”90 years since the first ‘monster’ photographUnless you’ve been hiding under a rock in a water-filled valley formed by the shifting of tectoni...

‘They took Pork Chop away’: West Palm Beach woman’s 400-pound pig confiscated by animal control

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

A West Palm Beach woman’s 400-pound pet pig confiscated by animal rescue after several reports regarding its health.The loss of Pork Chop was heartbreaking for owner Kelly Jacobson.“I don’t know what else to say right now. They took Pork Chop away from me,” she said as she wiped away tears.Jacobson’s pig, estimated at 400 pounds, was led away — not easily — by Palm Beach Animal Care and Control during an eviction in Northwood Village, Thursday night.Officers were concerned about the animal’s weight and overall health and are now looking to gain custody.Annette Wrubleski runs a pig sanctuary called Laughing Pig, located about two and a half hours away in Central Florida. She said they can help pigs like Pork Chop there.“It’s going to be a long process, so if he can’t walk, and he can’t, he doesn’t have that activity level to exercise, but it will come in time,” she said.

South Florida Wildlife Center undergoing renovations by nonprofit Rescue Rebuild

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:51 GMT

The South Florida Wildlife Center in Fort Lauderdale is getting a major makeover.Quite the face-lift is coming for the center, which houses hawks, tortoises, pelicans and more.The good deed is being done by Rescue Rebuild, a nonprofit community-driven program of Greater Good Charities.Projects include dig protections, native landscapes and large sand mounds for Florida’s native gopher tortoise.“It’s so important to take care of wildlife, because every individual species plays a part in our bigger ecosystem, and so, when one species is struggling, it affects others,” said Zach Baker, vice president of Greater Good Charities. “For example, like bees. When bees are not thriving, our food is affected, and there’s implications like that, all the different species.”The enclosures fell into disrepair after Edgewater’s historic flooding last April.Renovations are expected to be completed by Nov. 16.