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Catholic priest in Nebraska dies after attack in church

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Catholic priest in a small Nebraska community died Sunday after being attacked in a church rectory, authorities said. The Rev. Stephen Gutgsell was assaulted “during an invasion” of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, the Archdiocese of Omaha said in a Sunday statement.Gutgsell was taken to an Omaha hospital, where he died from his injuries, church officials said. Fort Calhoun, with a population of about 1,000 people, is roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Omaha.Police received a 911 call of an attempted break-in at the church just after 5 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Gutgsell injured and an alleged attacker inside. Authorities took the suspect into custody, Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson said in a statement. “This is an ongoing investigation, and the name of the suspect or manner of death will not be released,” Robinson said. In 2007, Gutgsell pleaded guilty to theft by deception for embezzling $127,000 from ...

Caitlin Clark scores 28 points to help No. 4 Iowa beat Wisconsin 87-65

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored 28 points, Hannah Stuelke added 21 and No. 4 Iowa beat Wisconsin 87-65 Sunday in the Big Ten opener for each team. Iowa (10-1, 1-0) has won seven straight. It gained control with a 12-2 run midway through the third quarter, going in front 57-41 on Kylie Feuerbach’s 3-pointer. The Hawkeyes pushed the lead to 70-51 entering the final period en route to their 28th consecutive victory over Wisconsin.Clark, the reigning Player of the Year, hit 11 of 19 shots, including 4 of 8 beyond the arc, and had nine rebounds. Sydney Affolter had 12 rebounds for the HawkeyesRonnie Porter had 17 points, Serah Williams 15 and Sania Copeland 13 for Wisconsin (5-4, 0-1), which lost its second consecutive game. The Badgers had no field goals over the final 5 minutes.The Badgers entered leading the Big Ten in opponent field goal percentage at 34%, but the Hawkeyes shot 50%, hitting 33 of 66 shots. Iowa shot 60.7% in the second half, connecting on 17 of 28.Clark’s f...

Tristan da Silva scores 22, Colorado pulls away from No. 15 Hurricanes for 90-63 win at Barclays Center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Tristan da Silva scored 16 of his 22 points during a decisive second half to help Colorado pull away from No. 15 Miami 90-63 on Sunday in an NABC Brooklyn Showcase game at Barclays Center.KJ Simpson scored 20 points while Luke O’Brien scored all 13 of his points during the game-ending 47-17 run for Colorado (7-2). J’Vonne Hadley, Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Julian Hammond III all added 11 points apiece.The Buffaloes won without star freshman guard Cody Williams, who is day-to-day with a wrist injury.Matthew Cleveland scored 17 points, Norchad Omier had 12 points and Wooga Poplar added 11 points for Miami (7-2), which lost a homecoming for coach Jim Larranaga, who was born in the Bronx and graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens.The Buffaloes held a trio of eight-point leads and never trailed in the first half, but Miami pulled within 37-36 by heading into the locker room on a 10-3 run fueled by Cleveland. The junior opened the surge with a 3-pointer and capp...

Battles rage across Gaza as Israel indicates it’s willing to fight for months or more to beat Hamas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Battles raged across Gaza on Sunday as Israel indicated it was prepared to fight for months or longer to defeat the territory’s Hamas rulers, and a key mediator said willingness to discuss a cease-fire was fading.Israel faces international outrage after its military offensive, with diplomatic support and arms from close ally the United States, has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians. About 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, where U.N. agencies say there is no safe place to flee.The United States has lent vital support in recent days by vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution to end the fighting and pushing through an emergency sale of over $100 million worth of tank ammunition to Israel.Russia backed the resolution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed dissatisfaction with “ant...

Woman arrested after driving her vehicle through a religious group on a sidewalk, Montana police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A woman has been arrested after she drove her vehicle several times at or through an unspecified religious group gathered on a sidewalk, hitting and injuring one man, Montana police said Sunday.Genevienne Rancuret, 55, was pulled over by police in Billings on Saturday a few hours after the episode and taken to jail on charges of felony assault, felony criminal mischief and driving under the influence, police said. It is not known if she has a lawyer representing her yet.The 45-year-old man who was struck suffered minor injuries, police said.A police spokesperson did not return a call or email asking for details about what kind of religious group was involved and what Rancuret’s alleged motive was. However, an update from police said that the FBI was also reviewing what happened, along with local prosecutors, suggesting the federal agency was looking into whether it could be a bias-motivated crime.

Week 14 updates: Chicago Bears will have receivers Velus Jones Jr. and Tyler Scott active vs. Detroit Lions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

The 4-8 Chicago Bears will play the 9-3 Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in a Week 14 matchup.Inactives announcedBears wide receivers Velus Jones Jr. and Tyler Scott are both active for Sunday’s game against the Lions after they were listed as questionable Friday.Jones missed practice Friday with an illness and Scott was limited in practice with hamstring tightness.Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue also will play after he dealt with a knee issue during the week.The Bears previously declared out wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who has a pectoral injury. Safety Quindell Johnson, offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter, wide receiver Collin Johnson and defensive end Dominique Robinson are also inactive. Quarterback Nathan Peterman is inactive and will serve as the emergency third quarterback.For the Lions, center Frank Ragnow was previously declared out because of injuries. Cornerbacks Steven Gilmore and Chase Lucas, wide receiver Antoine Green and linebackers Charles Harris and Tr...

Nikki Haley would beat Joe Biden in a landslide, polling shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

President Joe Biden better hope it’s Donald Trump and not Nikki Haley on the ballot next November.A Wall Street Journal poll of 1,500 registered voters released over the weekend shows that, were the election held today, former President Trump would beat Biden by four points. That’s more than enough for the 77-year-old Trump to cover the 2.2% margin of error, but not an insurmountable lead for the slightly-older Biden to overcome with just under a year left in the election cycle until the actual election.However, the same poll shows former U.N. Ambassador Haley clobbers the sitting president by double digits.“Poll after poll shows Nikki Haley is the best candidate to beat Joe Biden. This time, the Wall Street Journal poll shows Haley beating Biden by a whopping 17 points,” her campaign said in a statement.Despite Haley’s theoretical strength against the presumptive Democratic nominee, she has a long road ahead of her if she hopes to unseat the 45th President from his perch atop...

MSTCA Small Schools track: Meet kicks off season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

The top indoor track stars in Massachusetts have had a lot of time to train, but not an opportunity to showcase their talents on a grand stage in a few months.That finally changed Sunday morning, when hundreds packed the Reggie Lewis Center for the MSTCA’s annual Winter (Small School) Festival to officially open the winter campaign.“There’s a lot of teammates, lot of rookies,” said Littleton girls track coach April Liles. “The goal today is to have a lot of fun, get the experience, but we’re going to bring the heat in February when it counts.”Liles’ group at Littleton was just one of a handful of programs that stood out during the day’s competitions. Along with teammates Amelia Taylor, Savannah Liles and Chabenta Bradshaw, Emma Fellows anchored her squad to a victory in the girls 4×200-meter relay with a combined time of 1:52.94, while placing second in the 300-meter run with a personal record time of 42.85 seconds.“I think we’re starting off really strong,” Fellows said afterw...

Two suspects sought after young man shot in west end neighbourhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

Police are searching for two suspects after gunshots rang out in the Davenport neighbourhood of the city.Investigators were called to the area of Shaw Street and Wychcrest Avenue just after 5 p.m. Sunday for reports of gunshots. Paramedics say a young adult male was taken to a nearby trauma centre via emergency run with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries. Police say two suspects were seen fleeing the area wearing grey and black bomber jackets and black masks.

Petrochemical giant’s closed salt mine partially collapses in northeastern Brazil

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:24 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A closed rock salt mine belonging to Brazilian petrochemical giant Braskem partially collapsed Sunday in the northeastern coastal city of Maceio, the city’s civil defense authority said.Video distributed by the authority shows a sudden murky bubbling of the water in the Mundau lagoon in the city’s Mutange neighborhood, reflecting the mine’s rupture.The area had previously been evacuated and there was no risk to any people, the agency said in a statement. It quoted Mayor João Henrique Caldas as saying the mine was expected to stabilize following the partial collapse.The development came as no surprise to residents in Maceio, where Braskem’s 40 years of rock salt mining has caused the displacement of tens of thousands of people, hollowing out communities.The company alerted officials on Nov. 28 of the imminent risk the mine could collapse. Land around the mine had been steadily sinking ever since, falling a total of 2.35 meters (7.7 feet) as of ...