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St. Cloud State University president will step aside next summer

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Robbyn Wacker, the president of St. Cloud State University since 2018, will leave the institution when her contract is completed in June.“When I arrived, the task that I had in front of me was pretty clear: Improve the enrollment, re-engage with alumni and donors, and add a little bit of Husky pride to the place,” Wacker said Monday.Enrollment at St. Cloud State ticked upward this year for the first time since 2015. Fall 2023 enrollment was 10,134.A SCSU collaboration with a for-profit online instruction company called Academic Partnerships has generated controversy on campus: The Save St. Cloud State group and some faculty believe it will replace faculty members.Robbyn Wacker was named president of St. Cloud State University on May 16, 2018. (Courtesy of Minnesota State)Wacker, 66, is SCSU’s 24th president and its first female permanent president. She also is the first openly LGBT president in the university’s 154 years. She took over in 2018 for Ashish Vai...

Cash-strapped Rochester district to close 3 schools, restructure attendance options

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

ROCHESTER, Minn. — In the wake of mounting financial pressures, Rochester Public Schools has announced its intent to close multiple schools in addition to a slew of other changes as part of a larger overhaul of its attendance options.RPS announced the intent Monday morning in a press release. The district’s school board is set to discuss the situation further on Tuesday.“The Attendance Options Redesign proposal is the result of two years of planning and analysis,” Superintendent Kent Pekel said in Monday’s statement. “While the narrow failure of the technology referendum that Rochester Public Schools placed on the ballot on November 7, 2023, increases the urgency of finding savings in the school district’s transportation budget and in every other area of the district’s work, this proposal is not a kneejerk reaction to the defeat of the referendum earlier this month.”RPS intends to close both Pinewood and Riverside elementary schools, as well as Mighty Oaks Early Learning...

Woman spits at pro-Palestine protesters in San Jose, says 'F***ing Black people' after confrontation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

(KRON) -- Video from the scene of a pro-Palestine protest Friday in San Jose showed a woman spitting at protesters. After she was confronted by a Black man about the spitting, she said, "F***ing Black people." The whole incident was caught on video, which you can see using the player above. The swear word in the video was edited out. Protests calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war broke out across the Bay Area on Black Friday. The incident in the video happened at San Jose's Westfield Valley Fair mall. San Jose parents appear in court after fentanyl kills baby The protesters were walking across the mall's lobby while the woman in question was overlooking them from an upper level. After sticking middle fingers at the protesters, she spat at them. A man standing nearby then confronted her, and she responded, "Don't tell me what to do." The man, who was holding a young girl's hand, told the woman she was spitting near his daughter. The woman denies it, appearing to clarify ...

Reinhart and Bobrovsky lead Florida Panthers past Ottawa Senators 5-0

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Sam Reinhart scored two goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves, helping the Florida Panthers beat the Ottawa Senators 5-0 on Monday night.Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for Florida, which had dropped two in a row. Carter Verhaeghe and Eetu Luostarinen also scored, and Aleksander Barkov had three assists.Bobrovsky’s second shutout of the season and No. 40 for his career helped Matthew Tkachuk get the better of his brother, Ottawa forward Brady Tkachuk.Ottawa struggled early and never managed to get on equal footing with the Panthers. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 33 shots after missing the last two games with a minor injury.Trailing 3-0 in the third period, the Senators started to pick up their play, but also let their emotions get the best of them.“You know, I just thought at 3-0 we came up with some really good shifts. We were aggressive. We were, you know, in the game, lots of game left and then we take a five-minute major and that takes you right o...

Johansen scores twice, Avalanche beat Lightning 4-1 for 4th straight win

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Ryan Johansen scored twice, Alexandar Georgiev made 37 saves and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.Cale Makar added a goal and an assist, while Valeri Nichushkin sealed the win with an empty-net score. Makar now has 20 assists in November, moving the Avalanche defenseman one away from matching the most in a month in franchise history. Peter Stastny holds the mark with 21 assists in October 1983.Nathan MacKinnon suited up despite being under the weather and missing the morning skate. He recorded two assists to become the third player in Colorado/Quebec history to notch at least a point in each of the opening 10 home games to start the season. Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning. They had a goal from Michael Eyssimont negated in the second period when the Avalanche challenged the play for offside.Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots in his second game back. He missed the start of the season after und...

Today in History: November 28, Boston’s Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire kills 492

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

Today in History Today is Tuesday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2023. There are 33 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Nov. 28, 1942, fire engulfed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, killing 492 people in the deadliest nightclub blaze ever. (The cause of the rapidly spreading fire, which began in the basement, is in dispute; one theory is that a busboy accidentally ignited an artificial palm tree while using a lighted match to fix a light bulb.) On this date: In 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name. In 1919, American-born Lady Astor was elected the first female member of the British Parliament. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began conferring in Tehran during World War II. In 1961, Ernie Davis of Syracuse University became the first Black college football player to be named w...

Pickorama: Predicting this year’s champions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

It seems like just yesterday that we were sifting through the top games of the opening weekend of the high school football season.Twelve weeks have come and gone, leading into championship week. Eight state titles as well as a pair of vocational championships are on the line and we’d like nothing better than to end it on a perfect slate.We will start with the Division 8 state championship and pick them in chronological order.DIV. 8 CHAMPIONSHIP: West Boylston over CarverCarver’s lethal passing attack has put up some eye-popping numbers over the course of the regular season. But they will be facing an imposing West Boylston team who knows what it takes to win at Gillette, having captured the Div. 7 title last year.LARGE SCHOOL VOCATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Blackstone Valley over Bay PathThis should be one of the better vocational championship games in recent memory. Just going on a hunch that this might very well be the year of Blackstone Valley.SMALL SCHOOL VOCATIONAL CHAMPIO...

North County coach, school counselor pleads not guilty to sex act charges with minor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A North County school counselor and water polo coach was arraigned on four charges Monday, related to sex acts with a minor.According to information discussed in court, 27-year-old Conner Chanove was a counselor at a school in the Vista Unified School District. Information from authorities have described his employment as a substitute teacher."He's charged with two counts of committing a lewd act on a minor under the age of 14, he's also charged with initiating a meeting with a minor and also the fourth charge is actually going to that meeting to meet with a minor in order to commit a sexual act," Deputy District Attorney Jessica Stehr said.Chanove entered a not guilty plea and denied all allegations. He faces up to 12 years in state prison if convicted on all four charges.Stehr said the victim is a 13-year-old eighth grade student at the school Chanove was a counselor at, and the two had talked on Snapchat and agreed to meet at an Oceanside Park, where the victim's mot...

Tuberculosis warning: County of San Diego reports exposure at Golden Hall shelter

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Residents, employees, contractors and volunteers at the Golden Hall shelter in downtown San Diego have been notified about a tuberculosis exposure, county officials said Monday.The potential exposure dates were between Sept. 5 to Sept. 28 at 1101 First Ave., the County of San Diego said on its website. Tuberculosis is bacteria that spreads through coughing, speaking, singing or breathing, according to the county. Those experiencing homeless are more vulnerable to the airborne disease. Naked guy spotted on iconic Disneyland Ride “Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., County public health officer. “Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. This is called latent TB infection. Some who become infected with tuberculosis will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later, if their latent TB infection is not treated. For people who thi...

High stakes and glitz mark the vote in Paris for the 2030 World Expo host

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:48:00 GMT

PARIS (AP) — In a high-profile showdown, Rome, Busan, and Riyadh are the top contenders as the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) prepares to vote on Tuesday in Paris for the host city of the 2030 World Expo. With the stakes high, each city has escalated its campaign efforts, showcasing unique visions and ambitious promises to secure the rights to this globally prestigious event.Rome has enlisted actor Russell Crowe, who appeared in a promotional video echoing his “Gladiator” persona, to underscore the city’s readiness for the Expo. The Rome campaign also hosted BIE delegates at Paris’ luxurious Plaza Athénée hotel, complete with a Michelin-starred meal and gifts of extra virgin olive oil. Rome’s bid also includes plans for the world’s largest urban solar park and a green corridor connecting the Expo site to historic landmarks like the Appia Antica (Appian Way), one of the oldest and most important roads of the Roman Empire. South Korea’s Busan has brought in cultural heavyw...