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In trading for kicker Wil Lutz, Broncos coach Sean Payton opts to go with familiar face

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

The Broncos’ kicker situation has been a revolving door since the spring, but head coach Sean Payton hopes he has found the answer with a familiar face.Payton announced Tuesday that the team acquired Saints kicker Wil Lutz for a 2024 seventh-round pick. Denver also sent tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, the shining star in Saturday’s preseason finale, and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Payton said trading away Okwuegbunam was “pretty ordinary.”Payton, who coached Lutz for five seasons in New Orleans, said the 29-year-old kicker has been a target for the Broncos. Lutz has played in 97 career games, posting a career field goal percentage of 84.6%. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019 but sidelined for the entire 2021 season due to a core muscle injury. Lutz returned in 2022, converting a career-low 74.2% of his field goal attempts.Denver monitored three to four kicking battles throughout the league, according to Payton. ...

Ronald Acuña’s encounter and Guaranteed Rate Field shooting raise questions about safety of players, fans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

CHICAGO — A shooting that likely happened inside of Guaranteed Rate Field, followed by a scary moment for Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. in Colorado. Both in a span of four days.While Major League Baseball is on track for a marked increase in attendance this year, the pair of high-profile incidents raised questions about the safety of players and fans inside and outside of big league ballparks.A spokeswoman for the Major League Baseball Players Association said Tuesday that the union takes player safety “very seriously” and that it reviews club and stadium protocols throughout every season “to mitigate the possibility of similar future incidents.”Acuña had an encounter with two fans during Atlanta’s 14-4 win over Colorado on Monday night.One fan got his arms against Acuña during the middle of the seventh inning. Two security people quickly grabbed the fan and, as they tried to drag him away, a third security person approached.A second fan then sprinted ...

L.A. schools locked down over man seen in tactical gear; suspect arrested

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

A man was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in connection with a suspicious incident that forced the lockdown of several Los Angeles schools, police said.Around 9:30 a.m., police received a report of a man riding a scooter wearing full tactical gear near Mount Gleason Middle School in Sunland, an LAPD spokesperson told KTLA.No weapon was seen. However, the incident prompted the lockdown of Mount Gleason M.S., Plainview Avenue Elementary, Verdugo Hills High School, Mount Lukens Continuation High, Apperson Elementary School and Pinewood Early Education Center.LAPD officers arrested a man in connection with the lockdown of several schools in the Sunland/Tujunga area. Aug. 29, 2023. (KTLA)The lockdown was downgraded to a "shelter in place" early in the afternoon and classes were dismissed without incident.Around 3:30 p.m., SWAT officers with their guns drawn surrounded a home on Helendale Avenue near Hillrose Street, roughly two blocks from Verdugo Hills H.S. A man wearing shorts and...

Woman Killed in Hit-and-Run on 21st Avenue [Sacramento, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Bicycle-Auto Collision near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Left Female Bicyclist DeadSACRAMENTO, CA (August 29, 2023) – A hit-and-run on 21st Avenue claimed the life of a woman early Sunday morning.Police responded to the collision at around 1:53 p.m., near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 21st Avenue.According to reports, the woman was riding her bicycle in the area when she was struck by a vehicle.Upon arrival, officers located the woman in the area suffering from significant injuries. Despite the life-saving efforts of the first responders, the woman succumbed to her injuries at the scene.The identity of the deceased woman will be released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office once her family has been notified.Authorities believe that the involved driver immediately fled the scene without rendering aid to the victim.At this time, police have not released any information about the suspect or the suspect’s vehicle. Those who witnessed the inciden...

Josue Mendez-Portillo Killed in Hit-and-Run on West Adams Boulevard [South Los Angeles, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Two-Vehicle Crash near Arlington Avenue Kills 17-Year-Old Driver; Woman HospitalizedSOUTH LOS ANGELES, CA (August 29, 2023) – Early Sunday, a hit-and-run collision on West Adams Boulevard left Josue Mendez-Portillo dead.The deadly crash happened around 1:00 a.m., near West Adams Boulevard and Arlington Avenue.According to reports, a car traveling eastbound on Adams crashed into a car going southbound on Arlington. The impact of the collision caused the two vehicles to crash into a wall nearby.Responding authorities said the occupants of the eastbound vehicle –two women and a man– exited their vehicle and fled the scene on foot.Meanwhile, the driver of the southbound vehicle died at the scene. Officials later identified him as 17-year-old Josue Mendez-Portillo.Paramedics also rushed the teenage boy’s 20-year-old female passenger to a local hospital for unspecified injuries.Currently, South LA Officials urge anyone with more info about the West Adams Boulevard hit-and-run to rea...

Honest Renovation: Where Lizzy Mathis and Jessica Alba Spice Up Homes with Laughs and Luxury

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

In a world where home renovation shows are as abundant as misplaced IKEA screws, “Honest Renovation” emerges as a breath of fresh air, blowing away the dust and cobwebs with a dose of wit, humor, and a touch of Hollywood glamour. Hosted by the dynamic duo of design, Lizzy Mathis and Jessica Alba, this show isn’t just about sprucing up homes; it’s about transforming them into havens of laughter and luxury.The premise of “Honest Renovation” is simple: two charismatic hosts, an arsenal of power tools, and a heap of homes in desperate need of a makeover. But what sets this show apart is its commitment to authenticity – a rarity in a world where even reality TV seems to have a script. With Lizzy and Jessica at the helm, there’s no need for scripted drama; the authentic hilarity and camaraderie between the two hosts are enough to keep viewers hooked.Lizzy Mathis, the queen of designs, brings her signature style that’s equal parts whimsical a...

J.J. Watt: 49ers’ Nick Bosa deserves record deal, but isn’t NFL’s best defender

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

The way J.J. Watt has it figured, 49ers’ edge rusher Nick Bosa has a record-setting contract coming his way but won’t necessarily be the best player on the field in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.Huh?That’s Watt looking out for his brother T.J. Watt, a Steelers edge rusher and a premiere pass rusher in his own right.Watt was available on a CBS conference call advancing the network’s NFL coverage this season since he’ll be put to work as a studio analyst. He is a 12-year veteran, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the Houston Texans, has 114 1/2 career sacks and is a potential first-ballot Hall of Famer.Bosa remains a holdout with the regular season fast approaching on Sept. 10, with the expectation that he will become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. He is the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in 2022 with 18 1/2 sacks in 16 games.“The way the league works, in terms of the salar...

Conservative groups plan to take ‘wrecking ball’ to government

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

By Lisa Mascaro | Associated PressWASHINGTON — With more than a year to go before the 2024 election, a constellation of conservative organizations is preparing for a possible second White House term for Donald Trump, recruiting thousands of Americans to come to Washington on a mission to dismantle the federal government and replace it with a vision closer to his own.Led by the long-established Heritage Foundation think tank and fueled by former Trump administration officials, the far-reaching effort is essentially a government-in-waiting for the former president’s return — or any candidate who aligns with their ideals and can defeat President Joe Biden in 2024.With a nearly 1,000-page “Project 2025” handbook and an “army” of Americans, the idea is to have the civic infrastructure in place on Day One to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the “deep state” bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal wor...

Letters: BART mismanagement | Rein in robotaxis | Won’t save us | Pull tax dollars | Not cheap | Constitutional Convention

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Bridge users needvoice in toll hike talksIncreasing tolls to pay BART is simply taxation without representation. BART has only one crossing while there are three toll bridges. Even if BART ran at capacity across the Bay, we would still have traffic jams on the bridges during commutesThe horribly mismanaged BART cannot justify rate increases, increased sales tax or a bail-out from either the state or federal government. In this scenario, the only way to raise funds is to tax a small unprotected group like bridge commuters.I say take a vote of FasTrak users only and see what they say.Phil ArnoldRedwood CityLegislature mustrein in robotaxis“Increase in robotaxis is driving some people nuts” (Page A1, Aug. 21).Robotaxis are now out of control and dangerous. If I drove like they already have — stopping abruptly for no reason, blocking emergency vehicles, going through stop signs — I would be punis...

Ancient NYC water main fails, flooding subway, streets

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Associated PressNEW YORK — A 127-year-old water main under New York’s Times Square gave way early Tuesday, flooding midtown streets and the city’s busiest subway station.The 20-inch pipe gave way under 40th Street and Seventh Avenue at 3 a.m., and quickly delivered a wet reminder of the perils of aging infrastructure beneath the city’s crowded streets.The rushing water was only a few inches deep on the street, but videos posted on social media showed the flood cascading into the Times Square subway station down stairwells and through ventilation grates. The water turned the trenches that carry the subway tracks into mini rivers and soaked train platforms.It took DEP crews about an hour to find the source of the leak and shut the water off, said Rohit Aggarwala, commissioner of New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection.The excavation left a big hole and a muddy mess in one city intersection where workers dug with heavy equipment to get to the brok...