Less than 72 hours after a massive explosion destroyed six condo units in Orion Township and damaged 12 others, donations are still flooding into local churches, everything from clothing to food.

Volunteers at Woodside Bible Church sorted through some of what has already been dropped off Friday afternoon. Boxes and tables were covered with clothing and non-perishable food. The small crew had dozens of bags left to go, and already amassed a wide selection of clothes for men, women, and children of all sizes.

“The kindness of this community, you know, just really rallying — people just want to give,” said Drew Peters, engagement coordinator of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, another local church that was accepting donations.

When it comes adversity, neighbors know how to come together for those in need, residents and officials say. It’s when the community “shines,” said Township Supervisor Chris Barnett.

In 2021, when tragedy struck nearby Oxford when shooter killed four high school students and injured seven others, including a teacher, Orion Township came together to help.

“Our residents stood up, and they are doing that again,” Barnett said during a press conference Wednesday. “Our real heroes we’re going to see in the coming weeks of this tragedy, as we support those 18 families that have been displaced.”

The American Red Cross Michigan Region, meanwhile, on Friday said it’s providing assistance to residents in at least 18 households displaced by the explosion. Its staff interviewed residents at Christ the Redeemer.

“Our assistance includes mental health services, spiritual care, replacing lost items like prescription medications or medical equipment, or additional services,” David Olejarz, regional communications director of American Red Cross Michigan Region, said in an email.

Investigation status

The township’s fire chief, meanwhile, said on Wednesday it would take at least a week to complete the investigation into what caused the fiery explosion at Keatington New Town Association condominiums.

The explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in a two-story building on Pine Ridge Court just off Waldon Road, between Baldwin and Joslyn roads. Six units were destroyed and 12 others were severely damaged.

Fences now stand around the buildings where the units were damaged or destroyed but home siding, insulation and batteries still littered lawns Friday afternoon.

And even after multiple days of rain, a faint burnt odor still hung in the air. Cars slowed down as drivers gawked at the former condominiums, now reduced to piles of rubble. Neighbors did not escape the powerful blast’s impact either.

The next-door unit is partially collapsed and charred while the building across the street lost all front-facing windows. Neighbors said its front, load-bearing wall was displaced 6 inches off the foundation. A deformed black SUV sat parked in the street with its metal chassis folded like paper and a car seat was still visible through the broken windows.

Some neighbors have left out food hoping to find two still missing pet cats.

Destiney Beauvais, 45, usually walks her dog Poky all the way down the street past the blast site, but the pair turned back early Friday afternoon to avoid scattered broken glass. Poky, bundled up in a blue winter coat, does not want to go down there, Beauvais said.

Beauvais has lived in the neighborhood for just over a year and said everyone is still in shock, but they want to be there for each other.

“It’s a really tight-knit community here, a lot of amazing neighbors,” Beauvais said. “I’ve only been here a little over a year, and the neighbors are just, I love them.”

Beauvais is still shaken up and worried.

“The whole house shook like a bomb went off,” said Beauvais, who had just gotten home from work at the time of the explosion. “All I can do is pray, you know … it is a little traumatizing.”

Donations pour in

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church on Waldron Road is only a third of a mile from Pine Ridge Court and served as a kind of community hub in the blast’s immediate aftermath, said Peters, the engagement coordinator. People came there to make phone calls, find food and water, or decompress in a quiet, safe space.

The explosion shook the building and Peters, 48, likened it to an earthquake aftershock. Soon after, the church opened its doors to the public and one displaced gentleman even spent Tuesday night there.

“Then stuff started coming in, like pizza, snacks, bagels, blankets, and water,” Peters, 48, said. “… The initial response was great. It was amazing. … Just being good neighbors, essentially.”

The church has served as a rendezvous point over the last few days for cats lost in the chaos on Tuesday and their owners, Peters said.

The donations, meanwhile, have kept coming, Peters said. Now, the public is encouraged to direct monetary donations for affected families to Love INC of North Oakland County, and food and clothing donations to Woodside Bible Church.

“The kindness of this community, you know, just really rallying — people just want to give,” Peters said.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run Sunday, leading the Detroit Lions to a 24-6 victory at the Indianapolis Colts.

Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight. Detroit has its been 11-game record since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1934.

Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards.

The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson was 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards.

While Indy managed to hold the NFL’s highest-scoring offense largely in check Sunday, it was doomed by its inability to finish drives with touchdowns.

That problem happened right from the start when Richardson took the Colts inside the Lions 5-yard line on the game’s first series before settling for a short field goal.

Detroit answered on its second series, getting a 1-yard TD run from Gibbs to take a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter. Then, after Indy settled for another short field goal, Montgomery spun his way across the goal line for a 6-yard scoring run and a 14-6 lead.

The Lions extended the margin with Gibbs’ 5-yard TD run late in the third quarter and sealed it with a 56-yard field goal midway through the fourth.

Detroit improved to 6-0 on the road as Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 62 yards.

Michael Pittman Jr. had six catches for 96 yards for the Colts despite leaving briefly in the first half with a injured shoulder.

Milestones

Gibbs’ first score extended Detroit’s league record to 25 consecutive games with a TD run, including the playoffs. He’s also the third Lions player with 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs in each of his first two pro seasons with Detroit, joining Billy Sims and Barry Sanders. Gibbs and Montgomery have each scored at least one TD in the same game nine times.

Photo gallery from the Lions’ 24-6 road win over the Colts

Injuries

Lions: Things got ugly during a third-quarter flurry. Receiver-punt returner Kalif Raymond (foot), left tackle Taylor Decker (right leg) and Montgomery (shoulder) all left in quick succession. Raymond and Montgomery did not return. Decker did. CB Carlton Davis II left early in the fourth with what appeared to be a left knee injury.

Colts: Indy deactivated left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee), forcing the Colts to again use three rookie linemen. Receivers Ashton Dulin (ankle) and Josh Downs (shoulder) both left in the second half. Downs returned, Dulin did not.

Takeaways as Lions cruise past Colts, 24-6, despite injuries piling up

Up next

Lions: Host Chicago in its traditional Thanksgiving Day game.

Colts: Visit New England next Sunday.

— By MICHAEL MAROT, Associated Press

 

The Detroit Lions are at the point in their 2024 season where health and recovery are of the utmost importance.

Detroit is currently in the midst of a stretch in its schedule where it will play three NFL games in a span of 11 days.

“That’s where we’re at. Everything that you do that’s in front of you, how well can you recover? How much study can you put into this? Hydration, how well can you sleep at night? Just the discipline of everything,” Dan Campbell told the Lions flagship radio station prior to the team’s Week 12 game against the Colts. “All of that goes a long way. We’re in the time of year where you’re trying to alleviate stress off your guys as much as possible, so that they can go be at peak performance on Sundays.”

Detroit entered its contest against the Colts seeking to earn its ninth consecutive win, in front of many supporters who made the relatively short trip to Lucas Oil Stadium.

After 60 minutes of action, the Lions were able to defeat the Colts, 24-6, improving their record to 10-1. Unfortunately, injuries piled up for Detroit’s roster throughout the course of the hard-fought contest.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ Week 12 victory and ninth consecutive win.

Difficulty with Richardson’s athleticism early

Indianapolis won the opening coin toss, and elected to start the game on offense.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched earlier this season in favor of Joe Flacco, was able to use his athleticism and ability to scramble to aid the Colts’ offense. The physical signal-caller called his own number on a couple of occasions ealry in the game.

On the opening drive, the young quarterback rushed for 35 yards on three carries. The Colts’ six-minute drive stalled out near the end zone, as Matt Gay connected on a 27-yard field goal to give his team an early 3-0 lead.

Detroit’s defense had given up points on its opponent’s opening drive in eight of its previous 10 games.

Jahmyr Gibbs sparks offense

Detroit’s talented running back was an integral part of the team’s first touchdown drive.

Jared Goff faced pressure from the Colts’ defensive line on the Lions’ opening possession, taking the team out of field-goal range.

On Detroit’s opening possession, David Montgomery saw the bulk of the carries.

Gibbs was the back tasked with shouldering the load on Detroit’s second drive. The former first-round pick secured 23 yards on the ground, and capped off a nine-play, 60-yard drive with a 1-yard scamper. It gave Detroit the 7-3 lead, early in the second quarter.

With his touchdown, Gibbs became the third player in franchise history to score 10 or more touchdowns from scrimmage in their first two seasons. He joined a pair of franchise greats in Barry Sanders and Billy Sims as players to achieve that feat.

The former first round pick was able to secure another touchdown rush in the third quarter that extended Detroit’s lead to 21-6.

David Montgomery added a score to put the Lions in front, 14-6, which was his 11th touchdown of the season.

Vildor starts in place of Arnold

After suffering a groin injury earlier in the week, rookie starting cornerback Terrion Arnold was ruled out and replaced in the lineup by Kindle Vildor. Indianapolis quickly began targeting the backup corner with deep passes, and he avoided an early mistake when Anthony Richardson overthrew Alec Pierce.

However, Vildor would later be beaten a pair of times on Indianapolis’ second scoring drive. First, he was beaten on an out-route by Adonai Mitchell. Then, he was beaten on a long pass from Richardson to Pierce.

Fortunately for the Lions, the Colts’ drive stalled out, in part thanks to a drop in the end zone by tight end Drew Ogletree. Two early trips to the red zone for the Colts both ended in field goals, a testament to the Lions’ bend-but-don’t-break style.

Lions’ offense effective on third down

Detroit’s offense was able to march down the field on its opening possession of the second half.

Part of the reason for the success on offense was the Lions’ execution on third down.

Goff was able to lead the offense on a 54-yard drive, all the way down to the Colts’ 14-yard line, to start the third quarter. On third down, the offense was able to start five-of-eight.

Campbell faced a decision on 4th-and-1, and decided to remain aggressive. Unfortunately, the Colts’ defense was able to quickly penetrate into Detroit’s backfield, stuffing Montgomery short and preventing the Lions from extending their 14-6 lead.

Photo gallery from the Lions’ 24-6 road win over the Colts

Injuries pile up

The Lions’ first scoring drive of the second half was a fateful one. On the punt return, Kalif Raymond was injured. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker left just plays later, after getting rolled up on during a sack of Jared Goff. Both players were ruled questionable to return.

After that, Montgomery would also exit the game. Following Gibbs’ second score of the game, Montgomery was taken to the locker room, while Decker was being evaluated on the training table. Montgomery was ruled questionable to return with a shoulder injury.

Decker returned to action on the following drive, while Raymond was eventually ruled out.

Then, in the fourth quarter, cornerback Carlton Davis suffered what appeared to be a left knee injury. He proceeded to limp off the field.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

The Detroit Lions went for their ninth straight win on Sunday, and were able — despite more injuries — to do just enough for a 24-6 win, and stay on top of the NFC standings.

Takeaways as Lions cruise past Colts, 24-6, despite injuries piling up

Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 poll Sunday and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC and across college football in general.

Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks, who are the last unbeaten team.

The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win.

No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots, No. 8 Miami got a three-rung promotion and No. 9 SMU jumped four places for its first top-10 ranking since 1985. SMU has clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and would play Miami, if the Hurricanes win at Syracuse this week, or No. 12 Clemson.

Indiana dropped from No. 5 to No. 10 following its first loss, 38-15 loss at Ohio State. The Buckeyes would play Oregon in the Big Ten championship game if they beat Michigan for the first time in four years this Saturday.

The Southeastern Conference’s hopes for landing four spots in the College Football Playoff took a hit with two of their teams losing as double-digit favorites. Texas, Georgia and Tennessee are the only SEC teams with fewer than three losses after Alabama lost 24-3 at Oklahoma and Mississippi lost 24-17 at Florida.

Alabama and Mississippi each dropped six spots in the AP poll, the Crimson Tide to No. 13 and the Rebels to No. 15.

Texas A&M was the third SEC team to lose, 43-41 at Auburn in four overtimes. The Aggies tumbled five places to No. 20 but would play Georgia in the SEC championship game if they knock off Texas this week.

Losses by BYU and Colorado created a four-way tie for first in the Big 12.

No. 14 Arizona State, picked to finish last in the conference, handed BYU its second straight loss and is the highest-ranked Big 12 team. No. 17. Iowa State earned a five-rung promotion with its win at Utah. BYU is No. 19 and Colorado, which lost to Kansas, is No. 23.

If the four teams each finish 7-2 in conference play, it’s Iowa State vs. Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game.

No. 11 Boise State is first among the four ranked Group of Five teams. The Broncos got a one-spot bump despite struggling to beat a two-win Wyoming team. Tulane is No. 18, UNLV is No. 21 and Army is No. 25.

Poll points

Oregon, which was idle, was the consensus No. 1 team for the fourth straight week. The Ducks will be unbeaten in the regular season for the first time since 2010 if they beat Washington at home Saturday.

Boise State’s ranking is its highest since it was No. 8 in the final poll of the 2011 season. Arizona State’s ranking is its highest since it was No. 12 in the final poll of the 2014 season.

Indiana-Ohio State was the final top-five matchup of the regular season. The five were the most in a regular season since 1996. There also were five in 1936 and 1943.

In and out

No. 24 Missouri, a 39-20 winner at Mississippi State, returned to the Top 25 after a one-week absence.

Washington State’s four-week run in the rankings ended with its second straight loss, 41-38 loss at Oregon State.

Conference call

SEC — 8 (Nos. 3, 6, 7, 13, 15, 16, 20, 24).

Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 10, 22).

Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 14, 17, 19, 23).

ACC — 3 (Nos. 8, 9, 12).

AAC — 2 (Nos. 18, 25).

Mountain West — 2 (Nos. 11, 21).

Independent — 1 (No. 5).

Ranked vs. ranked

— No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: It’s a Top 25 matchup for the first time since 2013. Clemson’s 16-7 victory in Columbia last year was the fourth of five straight wins to end the Tigers’ season.

— No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M: Stakes are high for the first meeting of longtime rivals since both were in the Big 12 in 2011. Winner goes to the SEC title game.

— By ERIC OLSON, Associated Press

DETROIT — An NHL power play typically will hit some rough spots. It’s extremely rare for it to stay hot for a lengthy period of time. Too much scouting is being done, tendencies are learned.

The Red Wings were sizzling for a good, long while. But going without a goal the last two games, seven power-play attempts, has raised a red flag. And especially after a difficult 2-1 loss Saturday to Boston, a divisional opponent who the Wings have to likely pass in the standings to have a shot playoff shot.

Heading into Monday’s game on Long Island against the New York Islanders, the Wings need to get the unit going again.

“You get into (a) period where the puck might go in,” forward Lucas Raymond said. “The last two games the movement we had before hasn’t been there, and retrievals off the shots (is missing), but we know what to do to be successful and it’s just about getting back to it.”

The Wings failed on four power-play attempts Saturday against the Bruins, including in the final minute with a chance to tie the game and at least earn a point in the standings. Moritz Seider hit a crossbar off a shot from the high slot, indicative of the tough luck lately.

Captain Dylan Larkin feels the Wings need to be more crisp.

“We’re moving the puck around too much,” Larkin said. “We have to get back to attacking the net, and we didn’t do enough to set up the next guy. It was all five of us on the ice where we kind of just threw garbage around and let someone else deal with the issues They (the Bruins) kill hard, they pressure really hard.

“We just have to be cleaner, set up the next play, and give someone a good pass so they can do something with it.”

The Wings ranked sixth in the NHL at 28.1% entering Sunday, so it’s not like the power play is, or has been, a major problem. But coach Derek Lalonde did sense a passiveness that needs to be erased.

“The power play was slow,” Lalonde said. “We had good momentum and then it got to the flanks and stopped, and all that does is that allows them (opponents) to get position. When we were clicking on the power play, it was tic-tac-toe and fast moving and we’ve gotten back to very slow.”

Familiar opponent

The Wings face the Islanders for the third and final time this season.

Goaltender Alex Lyon has earned both previous victories, allowing one goal in six periods of tight, defensive-minded hockey.

Lyon and the Wings expect more of the same.

“They play hard, they always play hard, and especially in that building,” Lyon said. “When you beat someone twice, they get a bad taste in their mouth. I’m sure it’ll be a another low-event, low-scoring game. We just have to be ready.”

Lyon doesn’t think about previous success over a team, as much as maybe aspects in the arena that could affect his play.

“For me, it’s more familiarity of the arena,” Lyon said. “You feel good in a place and it does impact (the way you play). Every arena is different in terms of what it looks like. You get better as as you gain experience.”

Lyon has stopped 52 of 53 shots against the Islanders, including 22 in Thursday’s 2-1 victory. Lalonde liked the way Lyon looked in that game, no matter who the opponent was.

“It’s more to do with his last performance, and it just happened to be against the Islanders,” said Lalonde, noting this likely will be another struggle against the defensive-minded Islanders. “It’s going to be hard, not of lot of ice available. The last two games have looked similar, two teams committed to being on top, and not beating themselves.”

Ice chips

Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen both didn’t practice Sunday, in what Lalonde termed “maintenance days.” Both are expected to play against the Islanders.

“Both are battling something upper-body (but), hope to have both (Monday),” Lalonde said.

… Joe Veleno was a healthy scratch Saturday, his third recently. Lalonde said Veleno will be in Monday’s lineup, but Veleno needs to improve his “assertiveness. (Being) hard to play against, win some battles. He gets a little passive in his game and there are times when he’s assertive with his game and he’s a very effective player. That’s his challenge when he goes back in there again and I would expect getting him back in no matter what the scenario is with Kane and Ras.”

… Saturday’s first-period assist on Raymond’s goal was Larkin’s 300th NHL assist. Larkin is the 15th Wings’ player and 12th Michigan-born NHL player to reach the milestone.

By DAVID McHUGH The Associated Press

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany’s technology and services company Bosch said Friday it planned to reduce its automotive division workforce by as many as 5,500 jobs in the next several years in another sign of the headwinds hitting the German and global auto industries.

The company cited stagnating global auto sales, too much factory capacity in the auto industry compared with sales prospects and a slower than expected transition to electric-powered, software-controlled vehicles.

The news comes two days after Ford Motor Co. announced plans to drop 4,000 jobs in Europe, and with Volkswagen employees threatening work stoppages over what they say management has told them are plans to close as many as three factories in Germany. Revenue at Stellantis, created through the 2021 merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, tumbled 27% in its most recent quarter that ended this fall.

Auto sales have slowed this year in Europe as consumers stung by inflation hold back on spending, while automakers have sunk billions into developing electric cars only to see slower sales than expected and new competition from cheaper Chinese brands. The German government abruptly cancelled purchase incentives at the end of last year, sending electric vehicles sales in that country down by 27% over the first nine months of this year.

Some 3,500 of the job reductions at Bosch would come before the end of 2027 and would hit the part of the company that develops advanced driver assistance and automated driving technologies, as well as centralized vehicle software, said Bosch, which is headquartered in Gerlingen near Stuttgart. About half those job reductions would be at locations in Germany.

“The auto industry has significant overcapacities,” the company said in a statement. “In addition, the market for future technologies is not developing as originally expected … At the moment, many projects in this business area are being put off or abandoned by automakers.”

In addition, 750 jobs would be lost at a plant in Hildesheim, Germany by end 2032, 600 of those by the end of 2026. A plant in Schwaebisch Gmund would lose some 1,300 over between 2027 and 2030.

The reductions are still in the planning stage and final numbers would have to be agreed with employee representatives and carried out in what the company said would be a socially responsible way.

While automakers put their names on the cars they sell, most of the car is actually made by a series of suppliers

Some 230,000 people work for Bosch’s mobility division, out of a global workforce of 429,000. In addition to its business as an auto industry technology supplier Bosch makes factory and building equipment and software across a range of products including industrial boilers and waste-heat recovery systems, video security systems, and power tools.

Chippewa Valley United defeated Troy United 6-2 on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Buffalo Wild Wings Arena in Troy.

Chippewa Valley United didn’t have to wait long to get rid of the first-game jitters and find its comfort level.

The Chippewa Valley-Dakota team bounced back from a loss in its opener with a 6-2 win against Troy United in a non-league game Saturday at Buffalo Wild Wings Arena.

“I think we were nervous the first game,” said coach Jim Andonoff. “Now they feel a little more comfortable and as we keep going throughout the year, they’re going to feel a lot more comfortable. The things we work on in practice are going to show in the games.”

Chippewa was flying early, but didn’t get on the scoreboard until getting a pair of goals in the final 1:14 of the first period.

“We all had to bring it as a team,” said sophomore Caleb Petterson, who had a goal and two assists to help Chippewa rebound from a 6-2 loss to University Liggett School.

Ethan Stabnick opened the scoring when he knocked in the rebound off a shot by Christian Pieknik.

Petterson’s first varsity goal came with 7.7 seconds remaining in the opening period and gave Chippewa a 2-0 lead.

Petterson moved into the faceoff circle when a teammate was waved out. He won the draw and moments later found the back on the net.

“I took it right to the net and got it over (the goalie’s) shoulder, then went to the (Troy) student section,” Petterson said. “That was kind of funny. I had to make them a little quieter.”

Andonoff was impressed with Petterson’s goal.

“He jumped into the circle and made a couple moves. It was a great goal,” Andonoff said. “He’s a good kid, works real hard.”

Petterson felt that his strong showing will help him down the road.

“It’s making me real confident for next week,” he said.

Chippewa’s Nolan Young scored the only goal of the second period, assisted by Petterson.

A parade to the penalty box by Chippewa Valley in the third period gave Troy momentum and it capitalized with a pair of power-play goals in the first 4:10 of the period. Ethan Tran got the first at 2:14 with one second left in the Chippewa penalty. Quinten Corbett and Alex Lowry assisted.

Troy had a two-man advantage when Ben Dumas scored to cut the Chippewa lead to 3-2. Lowry and Michael Li had the assists.

“It’s nice when you get some momentum going on those power plays,” said Troy coach Josh Brown. “We just have to bury more, capitalize on our chances.”

Troy had two other 5-on-3s in the third period, but Chippewa killed them off.

“We had a lot of penalties — a lot of 5-on-3s — but the kids did really well and we overcame them,” Andonoff said. “It’s our second game, we’re starting to gel, but then we got a little tired and took the penalties.”

Chippewa got some insurance at 6:11 when Cam Staskowski knocked in the rebound of Petterson’s shot. Andrew Johnson got the second assist.

Photos from Chippewa Valley United’s win over Troy United on Saturday

Kevin Dolney got the first of his two goals on a breakaway at 9:30, assisted by Luke Butina. Dolney completed the scoring when he deflected Pieknik’s shot while Chippewa was shorthanded at 12:25.

Troy opened the season with convincing wins against Bishop Foley and Oxford, scoring a combined 16 goals.

“We had 15 goal scorers in those first two,” Brown said. “It was nice the way we were spreading the wealth, but now we have to play better systematically. You have to be able to adjust when you play teams like Chippewa that are competitive. You have to be able to bounce back a lot faster.”

Both goalies played well. Brown said that Nathan Holmes has come a long way in the last two years.

“He’s our only goalie so the momentum comes from him making those big saves,” Brown said. “Now we have to get it going back the other way for him.”

Chippewa goalie Joe Trachsel didn’t practice Friday because of illness, but was ready when called upon Saturday.

“We had him scheduled as the starter and he played a real good game for us,” Andonoff said.

Chippewa’s Nate Hall had several excellent scoring chances in the first two periods, but he was either robbed by Holmes or rang shots off the goal post.

“I told him to just keep going, the goals will come,” Andonoff said. “When the chances are coming you’re doing the right things.”

Brown hopes to get Troy back on track before its next game.

“We have one practice before we play at Farmington (on Wednesday),” Brown said. “We have to hit our systems hard and be consistent in our practices.”

By ISABELLA VOLMERT The Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s elections board voted unanimously Friday to certify the results of the 2024 election, a stark difference from 2020 when Republican allies of Donald Trump sought to delay certification in an effort to cast doubt on the election.

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted 4-0 to certify the election results. The panel consisting of two Democratic and two Republican members also voted to thank and commend the state Bureau of Elections and election administrators throughout the state for a well-run election.

“Just a note of thanks, publicly, to the team at Bureau of Elections and to all the folks downstate for a fabulous election,” Republican member Richard Houskamp said before the board voted to certify the results.

Four years ago, Trump and his supporters pressured election officials in the state’s largest county and on the state board to not certify the results of the 2020 election as part of his targeted efforts to overturn the election.

Trump personally pressured two Republican officials on the Wayne County Board of Canvassers that year to oppose certification. The county is home to Detroit, a stronghold of Democratic voters in the battleground state.

The state board of canvassers eventually voted to certify the 2020 election with one Republican board member abstaining at the time.

By MARCO DI MARCO and DAVID KEYTON

GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has roared back to life after eight centuries of silence has erupted for the seventh time since December, sending molten lava flowing towards the Blue Lagoon spa, a major tourist attraction.

The eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula started with little warning at 11:14 p.m. (2314 GMT) Wednesday and created a fissure around 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long. The activity is estimated to be considerably smaller than the previous eruption in August, according to Iceland’s meteorological office that monitors seismic activity.

Most of the previous eruptions have subsided within days.

“In the big picture, this is a bit smaller than the last eruption, and the eruption that occurred in May,” Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of geophysics who flew over the scene with the Civil Protection agency to monitor the event, told national broadcaster RUV.

While the eruption poses no threat to air travel, authorities warned of gas emissions across parts of the peninsula, including the nearby town of Grindavík, which was largely evacuated a year ago when the volcano came to life after lying dormant for 800 years.

Around 50 houses were evacuated after the Civil Protection agency issued the alert, along with guests at the Blue Lagoon By Thursday afternoon lava had spread across parking lot of the geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, consuming a service building.

Lava also reached the pipeline that supplies the peninsula with hot water for heating, the meteorological office said, though the pipes were built to withstand lava flow.

The repeated volcanic eruptions close to Grindavík, which is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, and had a population before the eruptions of 3,800, have damaged infrastructure and property, forcing many residents to relocate to guarantee their safety.

“Grindavík is not in danger as it looks and it is unlikely that this crack will get any longer, although nothing can be ruled out,” Magnús Tumi said.

Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, averages one eruption every four to five years. The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed clouds of ash into the atmosphere and disrupted trans-Atlantic air travel for months.

Keyton reported from Berlin.

More women will be able to compete at the highest level of competitive surfing, with the World Surf League announcing recently that the field for 2026 will be bumped up to 24 surfers.

The change increases the number from the current top 18 who make the cut for the World Tour, which is considered the major leagues of the sport.

It’s the latest move by the Santa Monica-based World Surf League, the governing body of pro surfing, to create an equal playing field for women.

Two years ago, the WSL changed the women’s tour to match the same locations where the men compete at and in 2019 made prize money equal, becoming the first professional sport in the United States to have the same winnings across the both genders.

“The women are really pushing high-performance surfing to new levels, and we’re seeing unprecedented levels of engagement and excitement,” said Ryan Crosby, WSL CEO, in an e-mail.  “Expanding the field is a step that allows us to meet that momentum and bring more opportunities for women to compete at the highest level.”

The men’s field starts the competitive year with 36 men.

Women’s surfing in recent years has seen a surge in popularity and a new crop of young competitors are pushing boundaries, drawing in viewers eager to see the female progression unfold during competitions.

“Today’s incredible progression is a tribute to the dedication of every generation, and changes like this continue that work,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL commissioner. “Visibility matters, and it’s exciting.”

Under the new format, the 2026 women’s field will include the top 14 surfers from the World Tour and the top seven qualifiers from the Challenger Series, which is the pathway to the elite-level tour. There will also be two WSL season wildcards, and one event wildcard.

“I’m stoked to see the numbers grow,” Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers, who won the world title in September at Lower Trestles, said in a statement. “Women’s surfing is so special. I want to see more of it and I think a lot of other people do too.

“I’m really looking forward to having more of my friends on tour,” she added. “I think the world deserves to see how epic their surfing is and how hard they charge. I’m really happy that they’ll get more opportunities to go for it.”

Eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore called the WSL’s decision a “sign of the times,” a reflection of the depth of talent within female surfing.

“I’m constantly amazed at the progression and the growing number of women participating in surfing around the world. The future is bright,” she said.

Prior to the 2019 change for equal prize money, women would earn half, sometimes even less, for winning events.

In 2009, for example, Santa Ana surfer Courtney Conlogue won $10,000 for winning the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, while the men’s winner, Brett Simpson, earned a $100,000 check.

It was in 2022 that the WSL implemented a combined schedule for contest events. Prior to that, women had fewer events and most years were not included in some of the heavier, big-wave spots such as Hawaii’s Pipeline or Teahupo’o in Tahiti.

The tides started changing just as San Clemente surfer Caroline Marks joined the World Tour in 2019.

“I’m really excited to hear that more women will be able to be on the (the tour),” Marks said in a statement. “It’s cool too to think that, just as I was able to pursue my career without having to worry about equal prize money, future groms will have a much better chance of being able to join the tour and live their dream knowing that there’s a place for them.”

The  2025 season kicks off on Jan. 27 at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore.

By RONALD BLUM

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026.

MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 but is still working on the shape of the strike zone.

An agreement for big league use would have to be reached with the Major League Baseball Umpires Association, whose collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1.

“I would be interested in having it in ‘26,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday after an owners’ meeting. “We do have a collective bargaining obligation there. That’s obviously a term and condition of employment. We’re going to have to work through that issue, as well.”

Manfred said the spring training experiment will have to be evaluated before MLB determines how to move forward.

“There’s two sides to that test,” he said. “It’s what the clubs think about it and also what do the players think about it? And we’re going to have to sort through both of those.”

Triple-A ballparks used ABS this year for the second straight season, but there is little desire to call the strike zone as the cube defined in the rule book and MLB has experimented with modifications during minor league testing.

The ABS currently calls strikes solely based on where the ball crosses the midpoint of the plate, 8.5 inches from the front and the back. The top of the strike zone was increased to 53.5% of batter height this year from 51%, and the bottom remained at 27%.

After splitting having the robot alone for the first three games of each series and a human with a challenge system in the final three during the first 2 1/2 months of the Triple-A season, MLB on June 25 switched to an all-challenge system in which a human umpire makes nearly all decisions.

During the second half of the season, each team had three challenges in the Pacific Coast League and two in the International League. A team retains its challenge if successful, similar to the regulations for big league teams with video reviews.

“I think we will have a spring training ABS test that will provide a meaningful opportunity for all major league players to see what the challenge system will look like,” Manfred said. “It won’t be in every single ballpark but we actually have a plan where every team will get meaningful exposure.”

By JIM SALTER

ST. LOUIS (AP) — What is now St. Louis was once home to more than 100 mounds constructed by Native Americans — so many that St. Louis was once known as “Mound City.” Settlers tore most of them down, and just one remains.

Now, that last remaining earthen structure, Sugarloaf Mound, is closer to being back in the hands of the Osage Nation.

The city of St. Louis, the Osage Nation and the nonprofit Counterpublic announced on Thursday that an 86-year-old woman who owns a home that sits atop Sugarloaf Mound has agreed to sell it and eventually transfer the property to the tribe.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen plans to pass a resolution in January recognizing the Osage Nation’s sovereignty, Alderman Cara Spencer said. Eventually, the goal is to develop a cultural and interpretive center at the site that overlooks the Mississippi River a few miles south of downtown.

“One step for our tribal sovereignty is reclaiming the lands that we inhabited for hundreds of years,” said Andrea Hunter, director of the Osage Nation Historic Preservation Office in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. “And to be able to at least salvage one mound in St. Louis, on the west side of the Mississippi River — it means a lot to us, to regain our heritage.”

But a sticking point remains. A pharmaceutical fraternity owns the only other house on the mound, and it remains unclear if it is willing to give up the property.

Native Americans built thousands of mounds across the U.S. in the centuries prior to colonization. All were sacred ceremonial sites, but some also were used for housing or commerce. Many were burial sites. Tribal elites sometimes lived on them, Hunter said.

The mounds in the St. Louis area are believed to have been built from roughly 800 to 1450. Even today, many mounds remain in nearby Cahokia, Illinois. Experts believe that at one time centuries ago, Cahokia was home to up to 20,000 people.

Sugarloaf Mound and Big Mound were among the most prominent of the human-made structures in what is now St. Louis, said James McAnally, executive director of Counterpublic, a St. Louis nonprofit that works to affect change through art-based projects and helped facilitate the new land acquisition.

“They were built on the river specifically to be signal mounds,” McAnally said. Native Americans on the western side of the Mississippi could send smoke signals visible to those in Cahokia to let them know if people were seen coming down the waterway, Hunter said.

Mounds still stood prominently in St. Louis at its founding in 1764. Visitors — even members of European royalty — made the trip to the fledgling city just to see them, said Patricia Cleary, a U.S. history professor at California State University, Long Beach, and author of the book “Mound City: The Place of the Indigenous Past and Present in St. Louis.”

Eventually, removal treaties forced Native Americans away from St. Louis. Settlers had little use for the mounds.

“They used them to build up the bank of the Mississippi River and used them as fill for roads and railroads with total disregard for our ancestors’ graves that were in many of those,” Hunter said. “There are even accounts that as they were taking Big Mound down, they were simply throwing the bones into the Mississippi River.”

Today, St. Louis landmarks dot locations where mounds once stood, including several places in Forest Park, where mounds were demolished to make way for the World’s Fair in 1904. By the early 20th century, only Sugarloaf Mound remained.

In 2009, the Osage Nation purchased the first section of the mound, dismantled a home and began work to stabilize it. But two homes remained in private hands.

One of those homeowners, 86-year-old Joan Heckenberg, has agreed to transfer ownership to the Osage Nation once she either moves or dies.

Heckenberg has lived in the house 81 years, since her grandfather bought it and convinced his skeptical wife to move the family there.

“But they fell in love with it,” Heckenberg said of her grandparents.

The agreement with Heckenberg leaves just one other private house on the mound, a building owned by Kappa Psi, a national pharmaceutical fraternity. Heckenberg said students haven’t lived there for years, and homeless people sometimes stay there.

A spokeswoman for the fraternity said a limited liability company manages the house and that selling it would be up to the LLC. She didn’t have the name or contact information for the LLC. McAnally said the fraternity has been approached about selling the home, but “so far they haven’t taken any action.”

Spencer said the mounds are an important and overlooked part of St. Louis, and preserving Sugarloaf is vital.

“This is a really special place to the Osage history and to our Native American heritage in this country, which has largely been erased,” Spencer said.

Every first responder knows that life can change in an instant.

Warren police officer Nick Kott was off duty, hunting with his dad on their property in Gladwin on the afternoon of Nov. 16 when he slipped and fell out of a tree blind. When he did not return to his cabin at the expected time, his father walked to the area his son said he would be and found him conscious and motionless on the ground where he had been for more than an hour.

He was rushed to Midland Hospital, then airlifted to University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor where he is currently in critical condition in Neuro-ICU.

According to his wife, Holli, who spoke to the media during a press conference Thursday, Kott suffered a serious neck injury and is on a ventilator and has no feeling from his neck down. The doctors have told her it is too early to determine if he will regain movement of his limbs.

“He was able to mouth some words to me today which is the first time we’ve been able to communicate,” Holli said. “I’m asking for prayers and I’m asking specifically for prayers for Nick to regain use of his hands and arms so he can play with his son who is his best friend.

“I know this is going to be a very, very, very long road.”

Holli said she and her husband met when they were neighbors and their dogs took a liking to each other and liked to play together. They still live in that same Waterford Township neighborhood in a two-story house Holli said will need major renovations in order for her husband to be able to come home.

“My number one thing I want Nick to be able to do,” Holli said through tears, “is to tuck his best friend in at night and we have a two-story house.

“If we could just get Jack up the stairs to tuck in his baby boy, our 7-year-old son Jack, I need your help and support to do that.”

Holli praised the Gladwin firefighters and police who transported her husband to Midland Hospital, doctors and nurses at both Midland and University of Michigan hospitals, and Warren police for their help during this time of crisis.

“This has been an absolute nightmare that I can’t wake up out of,” said Holli. “I’m only getting through this because of the love and support from the Warren Police Department and the surrounding police departments.”

Holli said one police officer came and fixed a broken backyard swing for Jack while others are coming to clean gutters and do the fall cleanup tasks that Nick usually handles.

Kott joined the Warren Police Department in 2011.

“This department has been his life; they are his brothers and his sisters and they have proved that this week,” Holli said.

Kott’s family will need help paying for medical bills and making home renovations to accommodate Nick when he gets home. A GoFundMe has raised $29,585 toward a $40,000 goal. Donations can be made at gofund.me/6fa96708.

“As police officers, we are good at responding to other people’s emergencies, but it’s a gut check when it is one of your own,” said Warren Lt. John Gajewski.

By PHILIP MARCELO

NEW YORK (AP) — The brooding waltz was carefully composed on a sheet of music roughly the size of an index card. The brief, moody number also bore an intriguing name, written at the top in cursive: “Chopin.”

A previously unknown work of music penned by the European master Frederic Chopin appears to have been found at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan.

The untitled and unsigned piece is on display this month at the opulently appointed institution, which had once been the private library of financier J. P. Morgan.

Robinson McClellan, the museum curator who uncovered the manuscript, said it’s the first new work associated with the Romantic era composer to be discovered in nearly a century.

But McClellan concedes that it may never be known whether it is an original Chopin work or merely one written in his hand.

The piece, set in the key of A minor, stands out for its “very stormy, brooding opening section” before transitioning to a melancholy melody more characteristic of Chopin, McClellan explained.

“This is his style. This is his essence,” he said during a recent visit to the museum. “It really feels like him.”

McClellan said he came across the work in May as he was going through a collection from the late Arthur Satz, a former president of the New York School of Interior Design. Satz had acquired it from A. Sherrill Whiton Jr., an avid autograph collector who had been director of the school.

McClellan then worked with experts to verify its authenticity.

The paper was found to be consistent with what Chopin favored for manuscripts, and the ink matched a kind typical in the early 19th century when Chopin lived, according to the museum. But a handwriting analysis determined the name “Chopin” written at the top of the sheet was penned by someone else.

Born in Poland, Chopin was considered a musical genius from an early age. He lived in Warsaw and Vienna before settling in Paris, where he died in 1849 at the age of 39, likely of tuberculosis.

He’s buried among a pantheon of artists at the city’s famed Père Lachaise Cemetery, but his heart, pickled in a jar of alcohol, is housed in a church in Warsaw, in keeping with his deathbed wish for the organ to return to his homeland.

Artur Szklener, director of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, the Polish capital city where the composer grew up, agreed that the document is consistent with the kinds of ink and paper Chopin used during his early years in Paris.

Musically, the piece evokes the “brilliant style” that made Chopin a luminary in his time, but it also has features unusual for his compositions, Szklener said.

“First of all, it is not a complete work, but rather a certain musical gesture, a theme laced with rather simple piano tricks alluding to a virtuoso style,” Szklener explained in a lengthy statement released after the document was revealed last month.

He and other experts conjecture the piece could have been a work in progress. It may have also been a copy of another’s work, or even co-written with someone else, perhaps a student for a musical exercise.

Jeffrey Kallberg, a University of Pennsylvania music professor and Chopin expert who helped authenticate the document, called the piece a “little gem” that Chopin likely intended as a gift for a friend or wealthy acquaintance.

“Many of the pieces that he gave as gifts were short – kind of like ‘appetizers’ to a full-blown work,” Kallberg said in an email. “And we don’t know for sure whether he intended the piece to see the light of day because he often wrote out the same waltz more than once as a gift.”

David Ludwig, dean of music at The Juilliard School, a performing arts conservatory in Manhattan, agreed the piece has many of the hallmarks of the composer’s style.

“It has the Chopin character of something very lyrical and it has a little bit of darkness as well,” said Ludwig, who was not involved in authenticating the document.

But Ludwig noted that, if it’s authentic, the tightly composed score would be one of Chopin’s shortest known pieces. The waltz clocks in at under a minute long when played on piano, as many of Chopin’s works were intended.

“In terms of the authenticity of it, in a way it doesn’t matter because it sparks our imaginations,” Ludwig said. “A discovery like this highlights the fact that classical music is very much a living art form.”

The Chopin reveal comes after the Leipzig Municipal Libraries in Germany announced in September that it had uncovered a previously unknown piece likely composed by a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in its collections.

Associated Press video journalist John Minchillo in New York contributed to this story.

SAN DIEGO — Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian contractor known as “Fat Leonard” at the center of the U.S. Navy’s worst-ever bribery and corruption scandal, will appeal the 15-year prison sentence that a San Diego federal judge imposed earlier this month, according to documents filed by his attorney.

The prison term imposed by U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino at the Nov. 5 sentencing hearing was more than three years longer than what prosecutors recommended for Francis, who bilked the Navy out of at least $35 million but also provided what prosecutors called “unprecedented” cooperation in identifying corrupt Navy officers who accepted his bribes. Sammartino also ordered Francis to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy.

As part of his plea agreements in three cases, Francis gave up his rights to appeal his convictions but had 14 days to appeal his sentence. On Tuesday, two weeks since his sentencing hearing, defense attorney Douglas Sprague filed notices of appeal in each of Francis’ cases.

The notices are simple, one-page documents that provide no details about the arguments he’ll make.

Francis, 60, remains jailed in San Diego, according to online records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, though Sammartino recommended he serve his remaining time in custody at a medical prison facility. When accounting for credit he’ll receive from time he has already been held in custody, Francis has about 8½ more years in prison, pending the outcome of his appeal.

Francis, who was known as “Fat Leonard” because of his enormous size, spent decades bribing a rotating cast of officers from the Navy’s 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific who in turn steered ships to the Southeast Asian ports controlled by Francis and his company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia. Francis then charged the U.S. government heavily inflated prices for routine services.

Francis was arrested in 2013 in the first of what became a series of bribery, fraud and corruption cases related to GDMA. He pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to defraud the United States and quickly became the government’s key witness, providing what prosecutors described as “unparalleled” cooperation that led authorities to investigate some 1,000 Navy personnel.

At his sentencing hearing this month, Francis also pleaded guilty to a charge related to his 2022 escape from house arrest. For all of his crimes, the federal sentencing guidelines recommended a prison term between 17½ and nearly 22 years. But in large part because of the cooperation Francis provided, prosecutors recommended a sentence just shy of 12 years.

Sammartino, who has presided over almost all of the cases related to Francis and the Navy corruption scandal, said she took into account Francis’ cooperation but called his corruption scheme “insidious” and said the 15-year term was more appropriate.

In a related case, an attorney for retired Navy Capt. David Haas, who pleaded guilty to taking bribes from Francis and recently spent two years in prison, filed a motion on Tuesday indicating Haas will seek to have his felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor. The request stems from prosecutorial misconduct that has resulted in nine other defendants having felony convictions reduced or dismissed.

Earlier this year, prosecutors promised in a court filing to review the cases related to the Navy corruption scandal to determine if any defendants who already pleaded guilty and were sentenced should have their charges reduced or dismissed because of the prosecution issues.

Haas is the first known defendant to seek such relief.

Chuck La Bella, who is representing Haas, sent an email to prosecutors last month asking them to reduce Haas’ felony conviction to a misdemeanor, according to the email exchange contained in a court exhibit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Ko responded in part: “I respectfully do not see a genuine legal concern requiring … relief in his case. For that reason, we cannot agree or consent to a … motion vacating Mr. Haas’s conviction.”

In the document filed Tuesday, La Bella wrote that Haas will instead file a habeas corpus petition — essentially asking the court to review the validity of his conviction and sentence — that’s based on the prosecutorial misconduct.

©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — While Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from the nomination process for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump has picked several other people for his Cabinet and key staff positions who have been accused of some form of sexual misconduct.

Trump himself has long been accused of abusing or mistreating women and once was caught bragging about grabbing women by the genitals. He was found liable by a New York City jury for sexual abuse and defamation and eventually ordered to pay the woman, E. Jean Carroll, $83 million in damages.

Taken together, there are a striking number of incidents in which potential high-ranking government officials in Trump’s second administration face allegations of sexual abuse. Trump and all of his picks for government have denied the claims against them, with some of the people accused arguing the cases are driven by politics.

Here’s a look at what’s known about the cases:

President-elect Donald Trump

Jurors in New York last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, an advice columnist, in 1996.

The verdict was split: Jurors rejected Carroll’s claim that she was raped, finding Trump responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse. Jurors also found Trump liable for defaming Carroll over her allegations. Trump did not attend the civil trial and was absent when the verdict was read.

Carroll was one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of sexual assault or harassment. She went public in a 2019 memoir with her allegation that the Republican raped her in the dressing room of a posh Manhattan department store.

Trump denied it, saying he never encountered Carroll at the store and did not know her. He has called her a “nut job” who invented “a fraudulent and false story” to sell a memoir. He has similarly denied claims by other women.

Pete Hegseth, nominee for secretary of defense

A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public this week.

Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said.

News of the allegations surfaced last week when local officials released a brief statement confirming that a woman had accused Hegseth of sexual assault in October 2017 after he had spoken at a Republican women’s event in Monterey.

Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said in a statement that the police report confirms “what I have said all along that the incident was fully investigated and police found the allegations to be false, which is why no charges were filed.”

Parlatore said a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidential settlement a few years after the police investigation because Hegseth was concerned that she was prepared to file a lawsuit that he feared could have resulted in him being fired from Fox News, where he was a popular host. Parlatore would not reveal the amount of the payment.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for secretary of health and human services

A woman who babysat for Kennedy and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine that he groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation, telling a podcast: “I had a very, very rambunctious youth.” He texted the woman an apology after the story was published.

According to an interview the woman gave this week with USA Today, she said she was babysitting for his children at Kennedy’s home in Mount Kisco, New York. She said that the assault happened soon after she began working there. During a kitchen table meeting with Kennedy and another person, she said she felt him rubbing her leg under the table.

She told the newspaper that another time, Kennedy, then 46, asked her to rub lotion on him when he was shirtless and she obliged because she wanted to get it over with. And he grabbed her in a kitchen pantry and groped her, blocking her exit. She stayed on the job for a few more months before leaving.

Linda McMahon, nominee for secretary of education

A lawsuit filed last month alleges that McMahon knowingly enabled sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment employee as early as the 1980s. She denies the allegations.

The suit was filed in October in Maryland, where a recent law change eliminated the state’s statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims, opening the doors for victims to sue regardless of their age or how much time has passed.

The complaint alleges that Melvin Phillips, who died in 2012, would target young men from disadvantaged backgrounds and hire them as “ring boys” to help with the preparations for wrestling matches. Phillips would then assault them in his dressing room, hotels and even in the wrestlers’ locker room, according to the complaint, which was filed on behalf of five men.

The abuse detailed in the lawsuit occurred over several years during Phillips’ long tenure with the organization spanning from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Because of his death, Phillips is not among the named defendants.

Instead, the complaint targets WWE founders Linda McMahon and her husband Vince, who grew the organization into the powerhouse it is today. The couple was well aware of Phillips’ brazen misconduct but did little to stop him, according to the complaint.

“This civil lawsuit based upon thirty-plus year-old allegations is filled with scurrilous lies, exaggerations, and misrepresentations regarding Linda McMahon,” said Laura Brevetti, Linda McMahon’s lawyer, in a statement. “The matter at the time was investigated by company attorneys and the FBI, which found no grounds to continue the investigation. Ms. McMahon will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit and without doubt ultimately succeed.”

Brevetti confirmed Linda and Vince McMahon are separated.

Elon Musk, Trump’s choice to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency

Tesla and SpaceXCEO Elon Musk was accused of sexual misconduct by a flight attendant contracted by SpaceX who worked on his private jet in 2016. He denied the claim.

A 2022 report by Business Insider said SpaceX paid the woman $250,000 in severance in 2018 in exchange for her agreeing not to file a lawsuit over her claim.

The Business Insider report was based on an account by the flight attendant’s friend, who said the flight attendant told her about the incident shortly after it happened. The report also said the flight attendant was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits her from discussing the payment or anything else about Musk and SpaceX.

SpaceX didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday.

Musk responded to the allegations on Twitter, which he was in the process of buying at the time they surfaced.

“And, for the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue,” he wrote in response to one user who tweeted in support of him.

He replied to another: “In my 30 year career, including the entire MeToo era, there’s nothing to report, but, as soon as I say I intend to restore free speech to Twitter & vote Republican, suddenly there is …”

Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as Trump’s choice for attorney general

The former Florida congressman was embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he had been tapped to lead. He also was under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over allegations including sexual misconduct — until he resigned from Congress this week. He then withdrew his name for consideration.

Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him.

Federal investigators scrutinized a trip that Gaetz took to the Bahamas with a group of women and a doctor who donated to his campaign, and whether the women were paid or received gifts to have sex with the men, according to people familiar with the matter who were not allowed to publicly discuss the investigation.

Two women House investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex and one of the women testified she saw him having sex with a 17-year-old, according to an attorney for the women.

The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021, deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request, and renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation.

Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

CHICAGO — Of the many people whose lives still cast shadows on our history, one of them is that of a little boy, a 14-year-old named Emmett Till who left Chicago full of playful life and returned, as his mother, Mamie, said in 1955, “in a pine box, so horribly battered and waterlogged that someone needed to tell you this sickening sight is your son.”

I hope you know at least some of the details of that boy’s life. I have written about him before, many have, but there are good reasons to do so again, for it is now possible to meet him and learn his sad story in two powerful ways.

On Nov. 23, the Chicago History Museum is opening a new exhibition, “Injustice: The Trial for the Murder of Emmett Till.” It will feature photographs of the youngster’s life in Chicago, his funeral and original courtroom sketches of the trial.

That trial was a sham. Two men — Roy Bryant, owner of Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market and the husband of the woman at whom Till supposedly aimed his whistle, and his half-brother, a hulking, 235-pound World War II veteran named J.W. Milam — were first charged with kidnapping. That became murder after the teenager’s dead body was found.

Neither Bryant nor Milam testified during a trial that lasted five days. In closing arguments, defense attorney Sidney Carlton told the jurors that if they did not acquit Bryant and Milam, “Your ancestors will turn over in their grave.”

The all-white, all-male jury (nine farmers, two carpenters and an insurance agent) deliberated for only 67 minutes. Reporters said they heard laughter inside the jury room. The verdict? Not guilty. One juror later told reporters, “We wouldn’t have taken so long if we hadn’t stopped to drink pop.”

The outrage at the verdict was expressed in headlines across the globe, in part because more than 100 reporters were there, from Chicago, across the country and from Europe. One of them was future Pulitzer Prize winner David Halberstam, who covered the story for a small Mississippi paper. He would come to believe that the murder/trial were “the first great media events of the civil rights movement,” and “at last (could galvanize) the national press corps, and eventually, the nation.”

It should be noted that before the year was out, Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance, this compelled a young pastor named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to call for a boycott of the city-owned bus company.

Another person in the courtroom during the trial was Chicago’s Franklin McMahon, who documented the proceedings in drawings that appeared in Life magazine. His stunning art is among the highlights of the museum show.

Know too that there is a new book that devotes some of its nearly 300 pages to Till but also to the larger sham of American racism. Its title says a great deal, “Ghosts of Segregation: American Racism, Hidden in Plain Sight” (Celadon Books). It is the work of former Chicagoan Richard Frishman, who traveled more than 35,000 miles across America over five years capturing with his camera such things as once-segregated bathrooms, beaches, churches, hospitals, graves and hotels.

In Chicago, he photographed the Dan Ryan Expressway; the Sunset Café, a prominent “Black and Tan” jazz club; as well as the site of the outbreak of the 1919 race riot. He also photographed Bryant’s Grocery, where Emmett’s story began, and the Black Bayou Bridge across the Tallahatchie River, where his dead body was found.

Frishman’s photos are captivating and thought-provoking. The book is beautiful in a haunting way and that was one of Frishman’s aims. In the book, he writes, “Look carefully. These photographs are evidence that structures of segregation and racist ideology are still standing in contemporary America. Our tribal instincts continue to build barriers to protect ourselves from people perceived as ‘other’ while overlooking our shared humanity.”

Critic Hilton Als has praised the book, writing, “Throughout (the book) the heart and mind are full to bursting with depth of feeling and depth of thought. I can’t imagine a more beautiful creation.”

When Emmett Till’s body was returned to Chicago, to the A.A. Rayner & Sons Funeral Home, with services held at the Roberts Temple Church of God, his mother made the brave decision to allow Jet magazine to publish a photo of the mutilated corpse and also decided to have a open casket, and so tens of thousands saw Emmett’s battered body. Some people prayed, some fainted and all, men, women and children, wept.

Now nearly 70 years later, Frishman tells me, “I am on a mission to open peoples’ eyes to the hidden and living legacies that surround us. History does not repeat itself; we repeat history.”

rkogan@chicagotribune.com