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Why Parker’s Dale LeMonds built his own “Field of Dreams” in his backyard

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

PARKER — Dale LeMonds looked at a two-acre patch of dirt on his property and envisioned a lifetime of memories.What he saw was a perfectly manicured baseball field carved out of a hill, with views of the Rocky Mountains to the west and downtown Denver to the north.The diamond would be “the best playing surface in Colorado behind Coors Field” — his own “Field of Dreams” on the Front Range, where he and his sons could foster their unbreakable bond with the game.What he built was LeMonds Field, which features the same sod, dirt and warning-track mix as the Rockies’ stadium, plus several other cherished baseball artifacts that make the diamond seem straight out of Universal Studios.“My favorite parts are mornings and nights on the field,” LeMonds said. “Coming out and hitting fungos to the boys, throwing batting practice to them and whoever else wants to come up and join.“They say the game never leaves you. It definitely doesn’...

Miami PD search for 12-year-old boy missing from Little Haiti

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

The Miami Police Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a 12-year-old boy who has been reported missing from Little Haiti. Kemarien Branton stands at 4 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs approximately 105 lbs, and has brown hair and brown eyes.He was last seen wearing a white shirt and black shorts. Anyone with information on Branton’s whereabouts is urged to call Miami PD at 305-603-6300 or 305-579-6111.

1 man in custody following overnight rollover car wreck at Pelican Harbor Marina; Boat ramp shuts down

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

Authorities are investigating a severe rollover wreck in Pelican Harbor Marina, causing the boat ramp to close down Sunday morning.The crash happened along Northeast 79th Street in North Bay Village, where the car resulted being flipped upside down and engulfed in flames.Cameras caught the police extracting a man from the water shortly after the wreck, who is now in custody. Fire rescue also responded to the scene but it’s unclear if anyone was transported for medical attention. A tow truck is standing by as crime scene technicians finish collecting evidence from the vehicle.Police suspect the crash was due to a chase, however, details about what caused it remain under investigation.

Less of the ‘green crap’: UK politicians want to take edge off net-zero pain

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

LONDON — British politicians think they know what the people want this weekend — less of the “green crap.”Senior Conservative and Labour politicians have been assuring voters they want to take the edge off a suite of bold policies designed to tackle climate change and pollution after the ailing Conservatives clinched a surprise victory in an outer-London by-election opposing an ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ), a green tax levied on higher-polluting cars.Allies of Labour’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the architect of that expanded ULEZ scheme, made it clear he is in listening mode after last week’s election result. City Hall is expected to look at new ways to mitigate the financial impact of the policy. It comes after Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Friday urged Khan to “reflect” on the impact of the extension of ULEZ into Uxbridge, the former seat of Boris Johnson where the election was held.Meanwhile, veteran Conservative Cabinet minister Mic...

Netanyahu stuck in hospital as contentious vote nears in Israel parliament

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recovering from an emergency heart procedure on Sunday after being taken to the hospital Saturday night, according to media reports. As Netanyahu recovers from a procedure to implant a heart pacemaker, the Israeli parliament is preparing to vote on a controversial overhaul of the country’s judicial system. Protests over the reforms have roiled the country recently, with demonstrations now entering their 29th week. According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, some are calling the crisis the most severe in the country’s history. Netanyahu’s doctors said on Sunday the pacemaker implantation went smoothly and that the prime minister felt fine, according to an Associated Press report.The vote taking place on Monday in the parliament will curb the Israeli Supreme Court’s ability to stop government policy it finds to be unreasonable. The crisis reached a boiling point over the weekend ahead of the vote. Both business and labor lead...

From scorching heat to deadly storms, Europe has no rest from ‘summer of hell’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

Europe is grappling with extreme weather from soaring temperatures in southern Italy to powerful storms in Croatia and Italy, piling pressure on emergency services and residents, and challenging tourists seeking some summer recuperation.Temperatures have consistently topped 40 degrees Celsius this week across southern and eastern European countries, and for some areas like Sicily there remains no respite. The Italian island was baking in 46 degrees Celsius on Saturday, according to the Met Office, with night temperatures of 29 degrees offering little in the way of comfort.The heat in parts of Greece was also pushing the mercury into the 40s on Saturday; the island of Kefalonia and the western coast of the mainland are continuing to see 40 degrees Celsius.On the island of Rhodes, firefighters continued their battle to bring difficult wildfires under control, according to local media reports. Thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and hotels after fires engulfed large part...

Shintaro Fujinami has ‘electric stuff,’ Rays hitters say. But will he throw enough strikes to bolster the Orioles’ bullpen?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe didn’t want to complicate something simple.The six-year veteran faced Shintaro Fujinami three times when the Rays hosted the Oakland Athletics in early April. Like all of his starts to begin his MLB career, Fujinami showed flashes of the plus stuff that made him an intriguing pitcher out of Japan, but he was inconsistent and struggled mightily with his command.Fujinami allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings in that game, but that didn’t diminish Lowe’s impression of the 6-foot-6 right-hander.“I mean, he throws a 95 mph splitter and a 100 mph fastball,” Lowe said. “I don’t really think there’s a whole lot more I need to add onto that.”That pairing is what intrigued the Orioles enough to make Fujinami the first in-season major leaguer for whom they’ve given up a prospect to acquire in executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias’ five seasons. With nine days until the Au...

Column: Pat Hughes thanks Chicago Cubs fans for making him ‘part of your family’ during an emotional Frick Award ceremony

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

Sitting in the Chicago Cubs radio booth last week with Pat Hughes as he munched on popcorn during his one-inning break, our conversation turned to the baseball grind.Announcers, like players and coaches, are working almost every game during the 162-game season, taking long flights on getaway day, arriving in new towns in the middle of the night and reporting to the ballpark the next day several hours before the game.Lack of sleep is a given for six months of the year, and some days are harder to get through than others.Yet in the 27 years I’ve known Hughes since his arrival at WGN-AM 720 in 1996, I couldn’t recall seeing him in a bad mood at the ballpark.Was I mistaken, or was Hughes just able to disguise a bad day better than the rest of us?“I try to check reality at the door,” he said. “Because this is like a fantasy world. It’s a great form of escapism. I know it is for me, and it was for Harry (Caray) and I know it was for (Ron) Santo and for ...

One dead after shooting in Carlaw and Danforth area

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

One person is dead after a shooting in the Carlaw and Danforth Avenues area on Saturday morning.Police responded to a call at approximately 3:36a.m. of gunshots heard in the area.SHOOTING:Carlaw Ave & Danforth Ave3:36am– gunshots heard in the area– male was located with gunshot wounds– male transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries– male was later pronounced deceased – no suspect info – roads have been reopened#GO1710891^se— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) July 23, 2023A man was located with gunshot wounds and was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries.The was later pronounced deceased in hospital.There is no suspect information available at this time. Roads have been reopened in the area.

Some will get a few showers today

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:30:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Afternoon and evening showers and isolated thunderstorms are part of the forecast today. Much of this rain will fall in our southern viewing area close to a stationary front. The rain chance for this afternoon will be 20%.A few locations will get rain today but there won't be much measuredThe first measured rain in more than two weeks left, on average, .01" to .10". There were a few gauges with more than .10", topped by .40" at Jollyville. Camp Mabry's gauge had .01". CENTRAL TEXAS RAINFALL TOTALS Saturday's highs reached the triple digits for much of the region. Camp Mabry's high was 105°, the 30th day with highs at or above 100°. It's the 30th day of triple-digit heat.Today's "normal" high is 98°Maximum heat indices yesterday topped out at 108° at Cameron, La Grange and San Marcos. Expect pretty similar numbers today.Most heat index readings this afternoon will range from 104° to 108°The National Weather Service is continuing a Heat Advisory but for only five co...