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Dane Mizutani: Brian Flores is learning what Ed Donatell lived. This is a flawed defense for the Vikings.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

The biggest move of this offseason for the Vikings came in the days leading up to Super Bowl LVII. They weren’t playing in the game and still managed to make new that week by somehow convincing Brian Flores to be their new defensive coordinator.The move was viewed as a coup for the Vikings and brought a lot of optimism to Minnesota in the process. Not only did the presence of Flores seem to outshine the arrival of free agents like cornerback Byron Murphy and pass rusher Marcus Davenport, he also seemed to singlehandedly nullify the departures of fan favorites like cornerback Patrick Peterson and linebacker Eric Kendricks.As long as the Vikings had Flores leading the charge, they were bound to succeed, right? He was going to bring a new scheme fully equipped with exotic blitz packages that would instantly improve a unit that ranked near the bottom of the NFL last season.Not quite. The defense hasn’t shown much improvement so far this season with the Vikings sitting at 0-3...

Bruce Yandle: Are Americans in a funk? It’s time for ‘The Little Engine that Could’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

Trust in institutions is declining, expectations for small business outcomes are diminishing and real household incomes are sinking; it is fair to say that Americans seem to be in a funk.The University of Michigan’s September Consumer Sentiment Index is sitting at 71.6 points, which is well above the June 2022 all-time low of 50 but well below the 101 achieved in February 2020. While the index is mired at pandemic levels, the economy has marched ahead. According to a related Economist magazine study, for the first time in more than 40 years, the sentiment index no longer tracks traditional measures of economic activity such as employment, income and GDP growth. Instead, the index seems to be locked in a cellar.The consumer funk is deep and difficult to understand. Could it be worry about inflation? Is it falling personal income? Or lost trust in government and other institutions that help people cope in times of trouble and that are celebrated in better times? Perhaps we need ...

For Twins pitcher Sonny Gray, success this season stems back to work this offseason

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

As he did one extra rep, one extra sprint in April and May, strength and conditioning coaches Aaron Rhodes and Chuck Bradway had a message for him.“This one is for September. This one is September. Go do one more,’” they told Twins starting pitcher Sonny Gray. “’Do one more for October. Do one more for October.’”Their urging and insistence — as well as the work Gray started last year as soon as the offseason began — paid off: Gray, who went on the injured list three separate times last season, hasn’t missed a start this season, and his performance this year has put him in conversation for the Cy Young Award.The talk in February, when players first report to spring training, is always brimming with optimism. But Gray, 33, who showed up well ahead of schedule after seeing how last year went down, was able to spin that into performance and carry it through the entire season.“Going into the offseason, and toward the end of last season, it was like, ‘You know what? I know how to go out a...

Minneapolis fitness instructor Leslie Fhima to compete on ‘The Golden Bachelor’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

Minneapolis fitness instructor Leslie Fhima is one of the 22 women competing for the hand of 72-year-old retired restaurateur Gerry Turner on the new reality show “The Golden Bachelor,” which debuts at 7 p.m. Thursday on ABC.“The Golden Bachelor,” a spin-off of the reality TV warhorse “The Bachelor,” boasts a cast of boomers ages 60 and older, including the 64-year-old Fhima.A former professional figure skater, Fhima was previously married to local restaurateur David Fhima. According to her ABC biography, Fhima has run 10 marathons and is the mother to three kids and “glama” to three grandchildren: “She also loves spending time with her mini Aussiedoodle, Billie. Leslie is looking for a real man who will enhance her life, and she’s ready to put it all on the line to pursue love.”Turner lives in Indiana and has two daughters and two granddaughters. He married his high school sweetheart Toni in 1974 and stayed with her until she died in 2017.According to one popular online spoiler, Fh...

As student mental health needs leap, Minn. schools seek a next generation of counselors

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

School counselors and psychologists have been in short supply throughout Jen Voge’s 25-year career, but she says the need seems greater now than ever.Student mental health problems have become chronic in the COVID-19 era, with school disruptions and family illnesses taking a toll. It’s not possible to reach all the kids who need help.At Bemidji High School, Voge handles a caseload of 600 students — more than twice the recommended ratio but about average for Minnesota.“Just this morning, I had two students, they were tearful, knocking on the door trying to get in that we had to turn away. That’s a daily occurrence,” Voge said recently. “Kids are saying, ‘Hey, help me, I’m anxious. I’m crying in class, I don’t know what to do. I need to talk about this.’ And we don’t have the resources to talk to them.”Hoping to ease some of those pressures, the Bemidji school district and 17 others across Minnesota and North Dakota are working with Minnesota State University Moorhead to get more coun...

Monarch butterflies pass through St. Louis on migration to Mexico

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Migratory monarch butterflies recently passed one year on the endangered species list and, with their numbers decreasing, seasonal monarch migration could become a rare sight.Cooling temperatures and shortening days are the environmental cues that trigger monarchs to migrate ahead of the freezing weather. They’ll travel from Canada to Central Mexico, where they’ll spend the winter.Chris Hartley, the science education coordinator at the Butterfly House, says we’ll be seeing an increase of monarchs over the next few weeks but the North American population is threatened.“There are monarchs in Central America, in Southeast Asia. Same species of butterfly, but the North American population right here, where we live in Missouri, is the one that migrates. That is a unique behavior. And that population of monarchs we have seen decline in numbers over the past several decades,” Hartley said.The reason for the decline is broadly due to habitat loss both here and in Mexico. Close...

Colorado high school football rankings, Week 6: Cherry Creek keeps plugging along atop Class 5A

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

A look at this week’s Post Preps Top 10 for Class 5A, 4A and 3A:Class 5ATeamRecordPvsLW1. Cherry Creek5-01W (47-28 at No. 10 Regis Jesuit)Comment: Bruins begin Centennial League play this week and will try to do something Creek’s last two 5A champions did not: Win an outright league title. This week: vs. Cherokee Trail, 7 p.m. Thursday.2. Pine Creek5-02W (35-0 at Mullen)Comment: After posting back-to-back shutouts, Eagles get tough test with unbeaten FFC set to visit. This week: vs. Fountain-Fort Carson, 6 p.m. Thursday.3. Columbine5-03W (57-13 vs. Fort Collins)Comment: Trap game alert: Rebels get a winless but competitive Pomona team before next week’s showdown with Ralston Valley. This week: at Pomona, 6 p.m. Thursday.4. Ralston Valley4-14W (22-21 vs. Valor Christian)Comment: After suffering a pair of heart-breaking losses to Valor last season, Mustangs got their revenge. This week: at Lakewood, 7:30 p.m. Friday.5. Arapahoe4-15W (24-0 at Rock Canyon)Comment: What...

The Denver Post wins 18 first-place awards, General Excellence designation from Colorado Press Association

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

The Colorado Press Association honored the staff of The Denver Post with 29 awards — including 18 first-place prizes — over the weekend, and awarded the newspaper three coveted sweepstakes wins in the General Excellence, Editorial, and Photo and Design Categories.The sweepstakes prizes are awarded based on a news organization’s overall performance in its class, which is determined by the number of original stories published each month.The Post won first-place awards across the newsroom, with the staff’s “The Big Payout” series — a multi-part investigation into Colorado’s federal pandemic aid — taking the top prize in the Best Public Service Project and Best Data Journalism Reporting categories, as well as second place in the Best Investigative Story Package category.The judges considered journalism published in Colorado between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022.The Post’s other first-place awards included:Best Arts & Entertainme...

After swastika incidents, Steamboat police chief worries about local youth identifying with supremacist ideology

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

Steamboat police believe they know who burned a large swastika into a picnic bench at Memorial Park late last month, and a rash of similar incidents have left local officials concerned about a wider trend involving a contingent of local high school students who subscribe to supremacist ideology.According to Steamboat Springs Police Chief Mark Beckett, the department submitted a criminal mischief charge to the District Attorney earlier this week in relation to the Memorial Park incident, which he said happened in the after-school hours of Aug. 30 and involved a male Steamboat Springs High School student.Beckett said detectives were able to identify the student “within a couple of days” before working through the process of collecting witness statements and contacting parents.Routt County District Attorney Matt Karzen’s office confirmed it received the police report of the juvenile suspected of committing a “bias motivated crime and criminal mischief.” In a statement, however, Karzen ...

7 L.A. small businesses named best in America by U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:51:58 GMT

Nine California small businesses have been recognized by the United States Chamber of Commerce as the best in 2023.Among those nine businesses, seven are in the Greater Los Angeles area, one is in the Central Valley and another is in San Francisco.The businesses range from security technologies to restaurants and family-owned automotive repair companies.The Chamber releases its "America’s Top Small Business Awards" each year to celebrate "pioneers of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement."Seventy businesses were chosen for 2023 and will be honored during a ceremony on Oct. 19 in Washington D.C.The businesses were chosen from a wide-ranging field that included companies from all of the nation's 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and D.C.The Chamber evaluated each business based on its business growth, innovation, community engagement and ability to overcome challenges. Seven small businesses will ultimately be chosen as finalists, officials said.U.S. Chamber of Commerce Pre...