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Childhood vaccinations falter ahead of crucial fall season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

(The Hill) – Childhood vaccine coverage across the U.S. has hit a measurable decline once again as health authorities hope to avert major surges in diseases such as RSV and COVID-19 this winter.Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the rate of vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) for kindergarteners has fallen below the healthy target rate of 95 percent for the second year in a row to 93 percent."While this is a small decline, this is the lowest MMR rate reported in almost a decade and leaves approximately 250,000 school children unvaccinated and unprotected against measles, one of the world’s most contagious viruses," KFF said in a recent brief.It’s still too soon to fully ascertain the cause of this decline, though some factors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic may be at play.“We do know that early in the pandemic some children missed some appointments or delayed some primary care, which could be contributi...

$700K gone: Casino employee suspected of embezzlement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

HARTFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A woman is accused of walking away with $700,000 from the Michigan casino where she worked. But even with a suspect in custody, the money is still missing. Investigators say 38-year-old Danika Young took the money from Four Winds Hartford Casino in Hartford, Michigan, on the afternoon of July 30. She was later found in Gary, Indiana. The sum of money, however, was not found.Young told investigators that she got a call from a number that she didn't recognize telling her to bring the money to Gary."She counted out $700,000 and put it in a bag and walked out of the casino," an officer testified in court.She met someone in Gary and gave them the money, police said. It's not clear who the other person is or if police have a lead on them.A file image of Four Winds Hartford Casino. Young was arrested in Gary and had to be extradited back to Michigan. She was booked into the Van Buren County Jail on Wednesday and charged with embezzlement by an employee of ...

Hot and dry, what else can we say?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures soared again on Sunday with highs into the triple digits for the 30th day in a row. Relative humidity levels continue to plummet setting us up for another day with a high wildfire danger. BLOG: Forget the heat: Here's when cooler air usually comes The Excessive Heat Warning runs from until 9 p.m. for most of Central Texas with feels-like temperatures as high as 105° to 109°. The Heat Advisory remains in place for Blanco and Gillespie Counties for possible heat index readings up to 111°. Both the warning and advisory have been re-issued for Monday from noon - 9 p.m.Heat alerts continueRed Flag Warnings continue until 11 p.m. for high fire danger and will return on Monday from noon until 11 p.m. for a similar wild fire risk.Red Flag Warnings continueWe'll be in for a mostly clear sky tonight with lows dropping into the upper 70s again.All week we'll have mostly sunny skies with temperatures around 106º or 107º coming close to tying or breaking records ...

Vikings sign former first-round pick N’Keal Harry to add more receiver depth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is once again buying the dip.After hosting receiver N’Keal Harry for a workout at TCO Performance Center, the Vikings announced Sunday that they have signed him to a contract. It’s the latest example of Adofo-Mensah taking a flier on a young player who hasn’t exactly panned out to this point.After being selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Harry struggled to gain traction with the organization. He eventually was released, then spent some time with the Chicago Bears last season. He has 64 catches for 714 yards in 40 NFL career games.This is probably the last chance Harry has to make it in the NFL. He will join a group of receivers that doesn’t seem to be set in stone outside of Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn and Jordan Addison.There’s a small chance the 25-year-old Harry could have some untapped potential. His massive 6-foot-4, 225-frame is certainly intriguing as a poten...

Hot mic catches Gophers coach P.J. Fleck’s guarded approach in camp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

As usual Saturday, head coach P.J. Fleck wore a portable microphone as he zipped around the Gophers’ open practice at Huntington Bank Stadium.It provided dividends — and a rare, insightful moment.Fleck was able to readily give out coaching tips — in particular teaching a young wideout proper hand placement to reel in a low throw — as well as bursts of praise for standout plays, including one from top cornerback Justin Walley.“Good job, Walley!” Fleck bellowed, and his voice carried throughout the stadium.Later in that same 11-on-11 period, Fleck’s mic became hot.“Not showing Big Ten Network our … offense!” Fleck bellowed toward that unit.The Gophers had stripped down its offensive playbook with the conference’s TV partner, local media members and fans in the building for the first time this preseason.While its not atypical to keep schematic details private, the hot mic situation was a continuation of Fleck’s modus operandi to not share many, if any, details of how his team will look...

What will Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto’s second year bring after modest rookie campaign? “Definitely a more confident guy”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

In the middle of his rookie season, Nik Bonitto looked primed to break out.Inactive in Week 2 and used only sporadically early in the season, the Broncos needed their rookie second-round pick to step up after Randy Gregory sustained a knee injury in Week 4.After a couple weeks of steadily increasing playing time and an injury to Baron Browning, Bonitto logged a half sack against the New York Jets and another sack the next week in London against Jacksonville. He looked fast off the edge as a complementary piece.But upon Denver’s return, Bradley Chubb got traded to Miami. Defenses could pay more attention to the former Oklahoma standout. The Broncos’ pass-rush dried up overall and Bonitto went without a sack and logged just eighth tackles (one for loss) total over the team’s final nine games despite playing substantial snaps in all but one of them.On a hot August morning at training camp in the midst of a week spent flashing his speed off the edge and refining his technique, Bonitto s...

Austin Gomber leads Rockies to first series win in St. Louis since 2009

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

The last time the Rockies won a series in St. Louis, Austin Gomber was a sophomore at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Fla.Barack Obama was president, Michael Jackson died at age 50, and “Mad Men” was a sensation on TV.That was 2009.But Gomber’s six-inning gem on Sunday afternoon was the foundation for the Rockies’ nail-biting 1-0 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, enabling Colorado to take two of three games over the weekend.Gomber, the former Cardinal who came to Colorado in the infamous Nolan Arenado trade in 2021, delivered another stellar start. The lefty scattered six hits, walked three, and fanned two. Over his last seven starts, Gomber has posted a 2.51 ERA.“It felt good, and I made pitches when I had to,” Gomber told AT&T SportsNet. “I put myself in a couple of tough spots but made pitches to get out of it. I just continued to roll.”In three games previous games against his former team (one start), Gombe...

Suspect found with over 35 pounds of drugs in Orange County 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

Officers with the Garden Grove Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit announced the seizure of a large cache of illegal drugs from a suspect. According to an Instagram post from the GGPD, officers were originally conducting an investigation into an individual selling MDMA in Orange County. With the help of K9 Rocky, investigators were able a search warrant at the suspect’s home.  Car set on fire with homeless man inside in Green Meadows By the time authorities completed their search, they had located over 19 pounds of MDMA, 14 pounds of counterfeit Adderall, 2.3 pounds of cocaine and 1,260 Alprazolam (Xanax) pills. The suspect, who was not identified by police, was arrested and booked at the Orange County Jail for transportation and sales of narcotics. 

Rodriguez, Joe slug homers to power Pirates past Brewers 4-1, spoiling Woodruff’s return

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Endy Rodriguez and Connor Joe homered to spoil the return of Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff after four months, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the NL Central-leading Brewers on Sunday.Woodruff (1-1) was activated off the 60-day injured list (right shoulder inflammation) on Sunday and was making his first start for the Brewers since April 7. He retired the first six hitters, striking out the first five, before Rodriguez opened the third inning with his second homer.Joe opened the fourth with his eighth homer of the season to make it 2-0.Bryan Reynolds had a pinch-hit, two-run homer, his 14th of the season, off Abner Uribe in the eighth to make it 4-0.Milwaukee scored an unearned run in the ninth off Carmen Mlodzinski when William Contreras walked and Carlos Santana singled. Contreras scored from third on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.Johan Oviedo (6-11) allowed just two hits, both by Contreras, in seven innings and ...

Gomber shuts down former team, pitches Rockies past Cardinals 1-0 for rare series win in St. Louis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:42 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Austin Gomber pitched out of trouble for six innings against his former team and Ezequiel Tovar had a sacrifice fly to lift the Colorado Rockies over the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 on Sunday.In a matchup of last-place clubs, the Rockies took two of three games and won a series in St. Louis for the first time since sweeping the Cardinals in June 2009.St. Louis went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 overall. The Cardinals have lost four of six.Gomber (9-8) gave up six hits and struck out two. The left-hander was part of the trade that sent star third baseman Nolan Arenado from Colorado to St. Louis in February 2021. Gomber escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Tyler O’Neill to ground out in the fifth.Colorado took the lead in the third. Tovar’s sac fly brought in Brenton Doyle, who doubled with one out.Tyler Kinley, Brent Suter and Justin Lawrence finished an eight-hitter for the Rockies. Lawrence earned his ninth save in 12 chances.Doyle had...