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Celebrity Banquet Center's Christmas toy drive brings joy to families in need 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Back in April, Jessica Palmer's family lost everything in a house fire. It all happened on her brother Allen Carter’s 19th birthday. "My bed, my room, everything went boom,” Carter said.  “All of everybody's beds and everybody's rooms were destroyed in the fire,” Palmer said. Allen has Down syndrome and eagerly looks forward to Christmas each year. “When he got to come here today and see how awesome this is and see Santa and experience this with our family and the amazing people that work here, it means a lot."  City officials saw bodycam footage after police SUV crashed into bar – Source Despite the challenges they faced this year, Jessica and her family feel grateful for the Moore’s who hosted this special Christmas brunch. "I'm the owner of Celebrity Dining and Celebrity Banquet Center,” Steve Moore said.  This is the fifth year that the Celebrity Banquet Center has hosted this toy drive and giveaway. Moore said his ultimate goal is t...

Air Force grounds out 31-21 win over No. 24 James Madison in the Armed Forces Bowl

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Emmanuel Michel rushed for a career-best 203 yards and two 1-yard touchdowns and Zac Larrier passed for one TD and ran for another score, leading Air Force to a 31-21 win over No. 24 James Madison in the Armed Forces Bowl on Saturday.Air Force (9-4) posted its fifth consecutive bowl win after losing its last four games of the season.James Madison (11-2) lost in regulation for the first time this season while playing in the program’s first bowl game. The Dukes, who are completing their transition to the FBS level from FCS after being a two-time national champion in the lower division, earned the bowl berth after there weren’t enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all the spots.Air Force’s triple-option running attack got the better of the top run defense in the FBS. The Falcons entered second in team rushing at 275.8 yards per game, and ground out 351 yards in the victory. JMU came in allowing 61.5 rushing yards, with a high of 146 yards....

Seaworld invites guests to meet endangered baby penguin

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

For the first time ever, Seaworld San Diego is inviting visitors to go behind the scenes on ice to meet their penguins.The new experience comes as the park celebrates its newest addition: an endangered baby Emperor penguin named Pearl. 2 Southern California cities among ‘Grinchiest’ in U.S. "You'll get to meet our VIP, little Pearl," Melissa Ramsey, Supervisor of Birds at Seaworld said about the new on ice experience. Pearl is three months old, and officials say she's thriving, weighing in around 25 pounds. "The adults are just smitten with her. Some of them will even regurgitate food over the walls, so it gives us hope for the future that this population is getting excited to breed and we'll have more Pearl's in the future!" Ramsey said. Alabama woman with rare double uterus gives birth to two children Pearl is currently in a warming enclosure while her adult feathers grow in. She's only one of three baby Emperor penguins being raised by zoologists around the world, and the onl...

Duke comes up with late pick to outlast Troy in Birmingham Bowl

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Freshman Grayson Loftis threw for 183 yards and Duke’s defense came up with a final stop to beat Troy 17-10 in the Birmingham Bowl on Saturday.Jeremiah Lewis intercepted Troy’s Gunnar Watson at the 50-yard line with 1:22 remaining to secure the victory for the Blue Devils (8-5).Troy (11-3), the Sun Belt Conference champion, fell short of finishing the season on an 11-game winning streak for the second straight year. The Trojans couldn’t find an offensive rhythm against a Blue Devils lineup altered by transfer portal departures.Jaylen Coleman ran for Duke’s only touchdown. Todd Pelino kicked three field goals for the Blue Devils.Both teams were playing with interim coaches after Duke’s Mike Elko departed for Texas A&M and Troy’s Jon Sumrall took the job at Tulane.CAMELLIA BOWLNORTHERN ILLINOIS 21, ARKANSAS STATE 19MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Rocky Lombardi passed and ran for touchdowns and Northern Illinois held on to beat Arkansa...

11th-hour holiday shoppers brave the mall on ‘Super Saturday’ to secure last-minute gifts

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

The last Saturday before Christmas — also known as Super Saturday — was expected to be busy, according to research firm Sensormatic Solutions. Such was the case at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland, where there was no shortage of last-minute shoppers seeking gifts for friends and family.Rick Mullett told WTOP he was shopping for his entire family today. He said his schedule caused him to wait until the last minute.“Especially after work because sometimes you don’t get out till about 8 o’clock,” Mullett said.He urged everyone trying to squeeze in some last minute shopping to “be calm.”Teddy Ament said he was shopping for his friend and looking at some last minute deals for himself. He added that last minute additions to Christmas wish lists could be why people wait so late to shop.“Maybe their kid asked for something last minute that they really want, and they’re like, oh, this is my last chance to get it,” Ament sai...

Eagles try to snap three-game losing streak on Monday vs Giants

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

NEW YORK GIANTS (5-9) at PHILADELPHIA (10-4)Monday, 4:30 p.m. EST, FOXOPENING LINE: Eagles by 11 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.AGAINST THE SPREAD: New York 5-8-1; Philadelphia 6-5-3.SERIES RECORD: Eagles lead 89-85-2.LAST MEETING: On Jan. 21, 2023, the Eagles routed the Giants 38-7 in an NFC divisional round playoff game.LAST WEEK: Giants lost at New Orleans, 24-6; Eagles were defeated at Seattle, 20-17.EAGLES OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (8), PASS (16), SCORING (7).EAGLES DEFENSE: OVERALL (22), RUSH (7), PASS (28), SCORING (26).GIANTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (15), PASS (32), SCORING (31).GIANTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (29), PASS (19), SCORING (25).TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Giants plus-6; Eagles minus-6. EAGLES PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Jalen Hurts threw two late interceptions at Seattle, finishing 17 of 31 for 143 yards and no touchdowns through the air. Hurts tossed a pick on a deep ball intended for Quez Watkins with 8:08 remaining and the game-clinching INT by Julian Love on...

Duke holds off Troy 17-10 in Birmingham Bowl, a matchup of schools led by interim coaches

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A day before the Birmingham Bowl, Duke interim coach Trooper Taylor loaded his team on buses for a crack-of-dawn trip to Selma, Alabama. While most coaches ensure their team gets rest the day before a game, Taylor wanted his to retrace historic footsteps.A day later, Duke capped its visit with a 17-10 Birmingham Bowl victory against Sun Belt Conference champion Troy. The Blue Devils (8-5) built a 17-3 lead but needed one final stop late in the game to preserve victory.“I wasn’t going to miss something they might never have the opportunity to do again,” explained Taylor of the site of “Bloody Sunday,” a key date in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.Freshman quarterback Grayson Loftis threw for 183 yards and cornerback Chandler Rivers earned the Fred Sington MVP trophy as Duke capped a roller coaster season that included the loss of starting quarterback Riley Leonard to injury (later transferring to Notre Dame), a lineup decimated by transfer portal depart...

Craig Smith and Jani Hakanpaa rally Dallas Stars over Nashville Predators 3-2

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Craig Smith and Jani Hakanpaa scored in the final 15 seconds, rallying the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday.Evgeni Dadonov also scored in the third period as Dallas improved to 5-0-1 in its last six games. Scott Wedgewood made 19 saves.The Stars became the first team in NHL history to secure a victory after scoring a tying and go-ahead goal in the final 15 seconds of regulation.“We talked at the end of the second period and we felt that there were still points to be had here tonight if we could play a good 20 minutes,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “We had some frustration setting in in the second period. We kind of reset and came out in the third and gave ourselves a chance.”Michael McCarron and Colton Sissons scored for Nashville in the second. Juuse Saros made 31 stops.“It’s a learning experience, unfortunately it’s a tough one,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “I don’t think I’ve ever lost a game like this, bu...

Osimhen sent off for Napoli in loss at Roma hours after renewing contract. Inter beats Lecce

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

Victor Osimhen followed his contract renewal with Napoli in the worst possible way as he got sent off in a 2-0 defeat at Roma in Serie A on Saturday.Defending champion Napoli ended the match with nine men as Matteo Politano was also red-carded shortly before Lorenzo Pellegrini scored the opener.Romelu Lukaku sealed the match for Roma, which moved up to sixth, a point above Napoli and three points below fourth-placed Bologna.Napoli was looking to bounce back from a 4-0 humiliation at home to Frosinone in the Italian Cup on Tuesday.The tension was high at the Stadio Olimpico with both coaches booked for dissent in the first half amid a large number of fouls and protests. It was of little surprise when Politano was shown a straight red card in the 66th minute for kicking out at Nicola Zalewski after having his jersey tugged by the Roma midfielder.Roma broke the deadlock 10 minutes later when attempts by Sardar Azmoun and then Stephan El Shaarawy were charged down but the latter turned ...

Zion Williamson returns from illness for Pelicans versus Rockets

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:47 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been activated for Saturday night’s home game against Houston after missing his team’s previous contest with an undisclosed non-COVID illness.Williamson is averaging 22 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season for the Pelicans, who entered Saturday with a 17-12 record after winning five of their previous six games — the lone loss in that span coming on a last-second basket by Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant on Tuesday night.Williamson has missed six games this season, sometimes as planned rest nights during back-to-back games.However, his past two missed games have been due to what the Pelicans have described as a “bug” that had affected a number of team personnel in recent weeks.___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaSource