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O’Mahony set for 100th test and Ireland glad he’s on their side at Rugby World Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

PARIS (AP) — The low-down on Peter O’Mahony is he’s a dream to play with and a nightmare to play against.He’s an old school, heart-on-the-sleeve type, who’s beloved in the Ireland setup. But when the same teammates cross him in provincial games, there’s no love lost.“As an opponent he was a nightmare, as a teammate the best,” former Ireland captain and Ulsterman Rory Best said. Present teammate and Leinsterman James Lowe can vouch for that: ”You definitely hate to play against him but love to have him in your team.”O’Mahony follows Best to 100 tests for Ireland on Saturday in the decisive Rugby World Cup match against Scotland at Stade de France. He’s played with all of Ireland’s nine other centurions, including John Hayes, who retired from internationals before O’Mahony’s debut in 2012. O’Mahony played beside Hayes in his last months at Munster. The 100 club includes Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Paul O...

Baltimore’s Kyle Bradish starting Game 1 of ALDS against Texas; Rangers’ Scherzer faces live hitters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles are starting Kyle Bradish in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against Texas and rookie Grayson Rodriguez in Game 2.The Rangers’ picture is a bit murkier.Texas still hadn’t announced a starter early Friday evening for a series opener that was beginning about 18 hours later. The Rangers used Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi in their sweep of Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Series, which would seem to make Dane Dunning the likely starter to begin this matchup with Baltimore.The other big question for Texas right now is the health of Max Scherzer, who faced hitters Friday. The 39-year-old right-hander said he’ll have to see how he recovers Saturday.“I’m coming out of a shoulder problem here, and I’m learning what my shoulder can and can’t do,” Scherzer said. “So much of this battle, me getting back, has been in the recovery process from throwing. Obviously a positive sign to be able to go out there and throw again...

Insurance claim denied for Denver music venue flooded by burst pipe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — An independent live entertainment venue is once again asking for help after insurance denied its claim for flood damage.HQ was flooded with 10-12 feet of water after a pipe broke outside its building in August. The venue has been closed ever since.“Any music venue in the country will tell you October is the most profitable month of the year, and we’ve lost it all,” co-owner Scott Happel said.Over the past several weeks, the basement has been cleaned and gutted. Now, Happel and his team are waiting for a structural wall to be torn out and rebuilt before they can allow patrons inside the building. ‘Turkey lady’ confronted while helping neighborhood birds cross the street The construction costs fall on the property owner. However, the cost to remodel the space and replace all of the equipment and inventory falls on HQ.“We received a complete denial from insurance. Water from outside of your structure is a common exception in all insurance policies in Colorado, not jus...

Funeral home owner where 115 decaying bodies found claimed he was doing taxidermy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (AP) — The owner of a Colorado funeral home where 115 decaying bodies were found after neighbors reported nauseating smells tried to conceal the improper storage of corpses and claimed he was doing animal taxidermy at the facility, according to a suspension letter sent to him by state regulators.The Return to Nature Funeral Home facility in the small town of Penrose had been unregistered with the state for 10 months on Wednesday when owner Jon Hallford spoke by phone with a state regulator. Ghost town discovered on Colorado’s Western Slope A day earlier, an “abhorrent smell” from the facility was reported, launching an investigation.Hallford acknowledged that he had a “problem” at the property, though the Colorado Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration document obtained by The Associated Press didn't explain what Hallford meant with his taxidermy claim or how he tried to conceal improper storage of human remains.Text messages and phone calls were not a...

100 gallons diesel fuel spill on I-76 ramp in Jefferson County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the location of the spill.DENVER (KDVR) -- A ramp on Interstate 76 in Jefferson County was closed Friday because of a fuel tank that spilled approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel.The off-ramp from eastbound I-76 to Sheridan Boulevard closed due to a ruptured fuel tank that caused the spill, Colorado State Patrol in Golden tweeted at 10:42 a.m. Friday. At least 115 bodies found at ‘green’ southern Colorado funeral home Emergency crews were at the scene. As of 10:53 a.m., there was no word on how long the cleanup would take.The I-76 ramp reopened later on Friday.

AI-generated K-pop groups created by tech companies are ready to take over the world

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

The K-pop industry is no stranger to pushing the boundaries in music, and now companies are using AI-generated stars to front bands and connect with audiences.They’re K-pop confection! Girl group Eternity is taking over the music scene!One of their videos got more than 6 million views on YouTube in just nine months.However, these pop music sensations don’t exist.Zae-in: “My name is Zae-in. (in Korean) I’m from the world’s first virtual K-pop girl group.”Zae-in and the rest of the pop group are all AI-generated. They’re characters created by tech-tainment company Pulse9.Eternity members (singing): “I’m for real.”The company face swaps them over human actors to create their realistic movements.Zae-in (translation): “Of course, we cannot be seen in person, but if you have a device, you can communicate with us anywhere at any time. As a virtual group, we are not limited by location. We can broadcast anywhere. The only thi...

Candy, resilient dog who survived shooting in Hallandale Beach, heads to ‘fur-ever’ home in Lighthouse Point

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

An animal lover has come forward and said, “I want Candy.”One day after a plea to the public to save her from euthanasia, a dog that survived a shooting in Hallandale Beach is heading to her new home sweet home.7News cameras on Friday afternoon captured the resilient pooch, named Candy, as she was walked to her new owner’s car outside Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center in Fort Lauderdale.Police said the 2-year-old mix came under fire along the 200 block of Northwest Third Avenue on Sept. 4. Officers found her shot in the head, neck and leg.Her story first aired on 7News Thursday evening.Among those watching was Chris Boan.“When we saw her, we knew that this dog needed a home,” he said.Boan became emotional when discussing the violent circumstances that led to his adoption of Candy.“It just breaks my heart, it makes no sense. This world’s gone through so much, and these animals, they don’t deserve this treatment,” he s...

School bus monitor charged with assaulting Methuen boy with autism appears in court

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

A Lawrence woman accused of assaulting a 10-year-old boy with autism while on a bus appeared in court on Friday where she was ordered to be released, but required to wear a GPS monitor.During a dangerousness hearing, prosecutors told the court that bus monitor Nancy Vasquez, 56, regularly abused a 5th grade boy living with autism during his one hour drive to and from school.“Every single day, she does, in fact, abuse this 10-year-old special needs child,” prosecutor Erin McAndrews said. “She hits him with a sandal, she hits him with her cell phone multiple times. She pinches him, she twists his arm – she continuously smacks him in the face.”The prosecution said the abuse was only exposed because the boy’s father, Anthony Amero, reported his child seemed to be terrified every time he got in the van each day.Both Vasquez and a bus driver, Marlene Cruz, 38, were recently arrested by Methuen police, with Vasquez charged with Assault and Battery on a D...

Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry face an uphill battle, but the young Chicago Bulls guards are working for playing time

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

The Chicago Bulls rotation is a tough one to crack for a young guard.Dalen Terry knows that better than anyone. A first-round draft pick in 2022, Terry struggled to get on the court last season, averaging 5.6 minutes in 38 appearances.For Terry and rookie Julian Phillips, getting into the Bulls rotation this season will be an uphill battle as they fight for minutes in the secondary rotation behind Jevon Carter, Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu. But both have begun to make their case in training camp.Phillips had made a strong impression during summer league, shooting 56.3% (9-for-16) from the field and 44.4% on 3-pointers in four games. After practice Thursday, coach Billy Donovan praised Phillips for his ability to pick up the nuances of the professional game quickly, making a visible jump in his readiness to be on the court over the last four months.“Julian’s been the guy that to me has really — from where he was at the start of summer league practice to where he i...

Unbeaten Watertown hands Reading girls first field hockey loss

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:49 GMT

WATERTOWN – The route the Watertown field hockey team took in a battle of unbeatens on Friday was different from any other this year, but the destination was the same.The No. 1 Raiders (10-0) used a dynamic attack and smothering defense to topple No. 5 Reading (10-1) in a 7-0 win at Victory Field. Molly Driscoll was at the forefront with a flashy hat trick, and Rachel Egan added two more as four different players scored for Watertown in its 64th straight win.The Rockets got much more offensive pressure and held up defensively far better than any other team has against Watertown this year, but it didn’t seem to get in the way. After tight finishes between them over the past two seasons, the Raiders made a statement to win by seven in a game that felt much closer.“That’s (a part of) our development from the beginning of the season and all those tough scrimmages,” said Watertown head coach Eileen Donahue. “Our alignment has changed several times, our people on the field have changed se...