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Old oil palms are not as productive as young ones, as the old stock tends to be of a taller variety, harder to reach for the fruit harvesters. — Bernama file photo I AM happy to know that there exists an Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP) in Sarawak. It has a branch headed by Mr Ling Chia Yi ( The Borneo Post – Dec 3, 2024). Hello! I am not sure if this is the same society formed by the rubber planters in Malaya during the colonial days. Whatever it is, this kind of organisation is good for the plantation managers in the state. Many oil palm plantations have been established here in the past 50 years. This society of planters serves as a club where members may meet and relax and talk about other problems connected with the plantation industry, as well as the current affairs. One difficult problem faced by the oil palm industry in Sarawak is the shortage of labour. There are plenty of fresh fruits growing on the palms, but harvesters are few. That has been a blight on the industry. Perhaps, the leaders of ISP Central branch may, if they have not done so, get together with the various organisations such as the Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa). As a larger grouping, they can make strong representations to the federal government, urging it to help devise a scheme by which foreign labourers could be recruited for the industry on a regular basis. When you are talking about replanting, you still need enough workers to cut down the old trees and plant new ones. True-blue planters will tell you which trees ought to go. Old oil palms are not as productive as young ones. The old stock tends to be of a taller variety, harder to reach for the fruit harvesters. Things will improve once more mechanical harvesters, such as the ‘Lipan’, are available cheaply. Not next year, not the next harvesting season for most plantations in this part of the world, considering the type of terrain in this state. Yes, it is true that the edible oils market is good. More palm oil and its derivatives are required by many countries other than China and India. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are the founding members of this inter-governmental bloc) are potential buyers of our products as long as we keep producing the oil according to the international quality standards set by the Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and our own Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO). Other edible oils will always be there to compete with our product, but buyers know what is better for them. My locus standi for this account of the plantation industry is minimal. I learned the basics of plantation management from the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) and BAL Estate in Tawau in the early 1970s. It was in Tawau that I learned that the land in Sabah and Sarawak would be suitable for the planting of the palms on a large scale. Come to think of it: what the managers at BAL were telling me made sense. Apparently, they were up to date in terms of the latest information on the trade in edible oils in the world: China and India, potential big buyers of our palm oil. “Money on these trees, Sidi,” said veteran planter Mr Walker, pointing to the young palms at the nursery ready for field planting. These gave me ideas: what to do with Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in Sarawak? Another story, 15 years in Lubok Antu; another article, God-willing. ‘Rubber, cocoa, rice’ It appears that there has been a revival of interest among the people in authority in terms of rehabilitating the rubber plantations in Malaysia. They are talking about doing something about rubber trees that have remained untapped for a long time. It is said that there are about 47,000 hectares of land planted with rubber trees that have not been tapped regularly, according to the Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang. And now, ‘RisSmart24’. What’s that? The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) has all sorts of ideas by which the rubber industry may be revived. One new initiative is called the ‘RisSMart24’. I would like to see how the scheme will work in Sarawak. Two areas in the state have been earmarked for this scheme – one in Betong, and the other in Samarahan. As of today, I have not been able to get details of the scheme. Who among the owners of the trees, which need to be rehabilitated, are eligible for assistance? Whether or not trees planted on NCR land are eligible for rehabilitation? I wish the authorities would organise a series of talks on the scheme as soon as possible for those interested in it. What about the rubber trees planted under the settlement schemes at Triboh, Melugu, Skrang, Meradong, Sebintek, Lambir and Lubai Tengah? Are they qualified for assistance under this scheme? I used to visit them when I was Secretary of the Sarawak Land Development Board in 1972. I do not know about the condition of the trees now; I hear that parts of the rubber land are now under palms. I won’t be surprised, given the attractive lure of the golden crop. Whatever crops – rubber, or cocoa, or rice, or oil palm – planted on a large scale in this country, aiming for the world market, will face difficulties if there are not enough workers. The rubber tappers are old; the village youngsters are away working in the cities. The rice planters are getting old; the young ones in the village or longhouses will not work in the sun. You need workers from outside, like it or not, and we require them badly. If the government has no new concrete plan for recruiting foreign workers, the planters in the country cannot do much on their own. Perhaps, this is where members of the local branch of ISP could assist in lobbying the federal government for the recruitment of foreign workers. And do not forget to consult the Sarawak government in respect of matters relating to workers entering and working in the state. Give them ideas that the state should have its own agency for the recruitment of foreign workers, and a proper system for registering and monitoring them. You can do all sorts of things with artificial intelligence (AI), but you cannot grow a crop on a computer. That needs human hands – lots of them! * The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist’s own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper.NoneMutual of America Capital Management LLC Increases Stock Position in Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday's . Purdy underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage but the shoulder didn't improve during the week and Purdy was ruled out for the game. Coach Kyle Shanahan said star defensive end Nick Bosa also will miss the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. This will be the first time Purdy has missed a start because of an injury since taking over as the 49ers’ quarterback in December 2022. Brandon Allen will start in his place. The Niners (5-5) are currently in a three-way tie for second in the NFC West, a game behind first-place Arizona, and have little margin for error if they want to get back to the playoffs after making it to the Super Bowl last season. Purdy has completed 66% of his passes this season for 2,613 yards, 13 TDs, eight interceptions and a 95.9 passer rating that is down significantly from his league-leading mark of 113 in 2023. Allen has been mostly a backup since being drafted by Jacksonville in 2016. Allen last started a game in Week 18 of the 2021 season for Cincinnati and has thrown just three passes the last three seasons — including none since joining San Francisco in 2023. Joshua Dobbs will be the backup on Sunday. AP NFL:
NexPoint Comments on Cancellation of United Development Funding IV (UDF IV) 2024 Annual MeetingCURTIS JONES got a text from Jurgen Klopp proving that while he may be gone those he left behind are far from forgotten. The midfielder found the Liverpool legend’s message after making his 100th Premier League appearance in Thursday’s 3-1 comeback win over Leicester. Jones, who marked the occasion with the goal that put the runaway leaders in front , revealed his dressing-room surprise and said: “Normally I would text family. “Then I saw a text from Jurgen Klopp saying, ‘Congratulations on 100 games and here’s to 500.’ "I was like, ‘What’s he on about?’ — then I checked and I’m so proud. “It was him who set up the team we have now — the foundation was there and Arne Slot has carried it on.” READ MORE ON FOOTBALL The Dutchman is storming English football and the Champions League in his first season on these shores. And Jones, 23, has become a crucial component of Slot’s machine that is swallowing the opposition both at home and abroad. Now he has the stats to prove it having declared after only a few weeks working with Slot that he had “never been happier” as a player. The former Feyenoord boss also regularly namechecks his predecessor over the stars he inherited. Most read in Football FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS Indeed, he was so happy with what he had that his only outfield buy after arriving was Federico Chiesa, 27, from Juventus for £10million. Yet he has done so much more than just “carrying on” with a squad that by the end of Klopp’s nine-year reign last season looked spent and won just the League Cup. He is in the process of lifting them up to new levels as they top the Prem with a game in hand and lead the Champions League table. That text may have left Jones totally gobsmacked at first. But he is one of the players Slot has transformed after bringing in his version of the adventurous Total Football philosophy pioneered by Dutch coaching legend Rinus Michels in the 70s. Jones made his England breakthrough this year after being encouraged to be more careful with the ball — but he is far from alone in profiting from Slot’s new slant of Klopp’s heavy metal football. Bought last season by the German from Bayern Munich for £34.2m, Ryan Gravenberch , 22, was a ball-carrying attacker whose dribbling style made him too inconsistent under Klopp. Slot has reinvented his countryman into one of the best holding midfielders in Europe. Another Holland international in Cody Gakpo , who arrived from PSV Eindhoven for £37m two years ago, was in and out of Klopp’s side. Last season the left-sided attacker scored 16 goals in 53 games. His brilliant equaliser against the Foxes was already his tenth goal this term, in just 26 appearances, and showed the new confidence the 25-year-old has under Slot. There were fears in Klopp’s final season that Virgil van Dijk had passed his peak as the best central defender in the world. Now he is not only Holland captain but Slot’s skipper, too, after Jordan Henderson left, and is thriving once more. The Leicester clash was his 50th Prem game in a row and having played in every minute of them, the 33-year-old is only getting better with age . Andy Robertson , too, had begun to look past his sell-by date and even after Slot came in was struggling to maintain his old feisty, attacking full-back style. But the Scotland skipper, 30, is another now revelling under the new manager’s methods — and he was only denied a goal against Leicester after popping up in the box with a header that hit a post. Like all football-loving youngsters back home, Slot — born four years after Holland’s enthralling 1974 World Cup campaign saw them beaten 2-1 by West Germany in the final — grew up on Total Football. The philosophy was based on any outfield player being able to take over the role of any team-mate no matter the position. To maintain fluidity, each player should be able to play a variety of roles during a game. Johan Cruyff used it as manager of Barcelona; Pep Guardiola won the Champions League twice at the Nou Camp as his disciple. As a player, Slot was a worshipper of the pair before he began honing his coaching skills in charge of SC Cambuur in 2016, before moving on to AZ. As he was making Feyenoord 2023 Dutch champions, he said: "Guardiola gives me the ultimate pleasure in football. “I’d rather watch Manchester City than any other team in the world.” Guardiola, of course, is now in a desperate battle to help his side rediscover their metronomic passing game that led City to becoming Prem champs for a record fourth season in a row last campaign. Slot may have started out using his inner-Guardiola but now he is outgunning his tactical hero. His methods look to be increasing both the number of goals and points his slick side are picking up. At the start of November, Liverpool were a point behind Manchester City — now they are 14 points ahead having played a game less, with a trip to West Ham next up this evening. They are also scoring for fun and have hit an incredible two or more goals in 13 of their last 14 games. READ MORE SUN STORIES Under Guardiola, City seemed invincible for so long. Now Slot, after just one defeat in his reign, is giving Liverpool that same unbeatable aura. And none of what he teaches is double Dutch to his happy squad.Google executives held a 2025 strategy meeting with employees last week, setting the stage for a year of increased competition, regulatory hurdles and advancements in AI. CEO Sundar Pichai said Google will introduce a number of AI features in the first half of the year. He also warned it would be a challenging year, as "we are facing scrutiny across the world." Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees last week that "the stakes are high" for 2025, as the company faces increased competition and regulatory hurdles and contends with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are At a 2025 strategy meeting on Dec. 18, Pichai and other Google leaders, donning ugly holiday sweaters, hyped up the coming year, most notably as it pertains to what's coming in AI, according to audio obtained by CNBC. "I think 2025 will be critical," Pichai said. "I think it's really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems." Some employees attended the meeting in person at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, and others tuned in virtually. Pichai's comments come after a year packed with some of the most intense pressure Google has experienced since going public two decades ago. While areas like search ads and cloud produced strong revenue growth, competition picked up in Google's core markets, and the company faced internal challenges including culture clashes and concerns about Pichai's vision for the future. Additionally, regulation is now heavier than ever. Money Report How five top CEOs described the AI boom in 2024 If interest rates remain ‘higher for longer,' the winners are those with cash accounts In August, a federal judge ruled that Google illegally holds a monopoly in the search market. The Justice Department in November asked that Google be forced to divest its Chrome internet browser unit. In a separate case, the DOJ accused the company of illegally dominating online ad technology. That trial closed in September and awaits a judge ruling. That same month, Britain's competition watchdog issued a statement of objections over Google's ad tech practices, which the regulator provisionally found are impacting competition in the U.K. "It's not lost on me that we are facing scrutiny across the world," Pichai said. "It comes with our size and success. It's part of a broader trend where tech is now impacting society at scale. So more than ever, through this moment, we have to make sure we don't get distracted." A Google spokesperson declined to comment. Google's search business still has dominant market share, but generative AI has served up all sorts of new ways for people to access online information, and has brought with it a host of new competitors. OpenAI's ChatGPT kicked off the hype cycle in late 2022, and investors including Microsoft have since propelled the company to a $157 billion valuation. In July, OpenAI announced it would launch a search engine of its own. Perplexity is also promoting its AI-powered search service and recently closed a $500 million funding round at a $9 billion valuation . Google is investing heavily to try and stay on top, principally through Gemini, its AI model. The Gemini app gives users access to a number of tools, including Google's chatbot. Pichai said "building big, new business" is a top priority. That includes the Gemini app, which executives said they see as Google's next app to reach half a billion users. The company currently has 15 apps that have hit that mark. "With the Gemini app, there is strong momentum, particularly over the last few months," Pichai said. "But we have some work to do in 2025 to close the gap and establish a leadership position there as well." "Scaling Gemini on the consumer side will be our biggest focus next year," Pichai later added. At the meeting, Pichai showed a chart of large language models, with Gemini 1.5 leading OpenAI's GPT and other competitors. "I expect some back and forth" in 2025, Pichai said. "I think we'll be state of the art." He acknowledged that Google has had to play catchup. "In history, you don't always need to be first but you have to execute well and really be the best in class as a product," he said. "I think that's what 2025 is all about." Executives took questions that were submitted by employees through Google's internal system. One comment read aloud by Pichai suggested that ChatGPT "is becoming synonymous to AI the same way Google is to search," with the questioner asking, "What's our plan to combat this in the upcoming year? Or are we not focusing as much on consumer facing LLM?" For the answer, Pichai turned to DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, who said that teams are going to "turbo charge" the Gemini app and that the company has seen progress in the number of users since launching the app in February. He said "the products themselves are going to evolve massively over the next year or two." Hassabis described a vision for a universal assistant that "can seamlessly operate over any domain, any modality or any device." Project Astra, Google's experimental version of a universal assistant that the company announced in May, will be updated in the first half of the year. Another employee question asked whether Google will be able to get AI products to scale without charging $200 a month "like other companies." "Right now, we don't have any plans for this kind of subscription level," Hassabis responded, adding that he thinks the $20 monthly charge for Gemini advanced is a good value. "I wouldn't necessarily say never but there are no plans for that at the moment." Toward the end of the meeting, Google welcomed to the stage Josh Woodward, the head of Google Labs. He took the microphone as the Zombie Nation song "Kernkraft 400" played loudly in the background. "I'm going to try to do six demos in eight minutes," said Woodward, who's known for his high level of energy. Woodward started by showing off Jules, a coding assistant that's in a trusted tester's program. He said, "It's where the future of software development is headed." Woodward then shifted to AI notetaking product NotebookLM, which featured a series of updates in 2024, including a podcasting tool. Woodward demonstrated how the company is trying a new feature that allows the user to "call in" to a podcast. He then moved onto Project Mariner, an AI-powered multi-tasking Chrome extension. Woodward asked it to add the top restaurants from Tripadvisor to the Maps app. After a brief pause, the demo successfully worked, leading employees in attendance to erupt in applause. Throughout the meeting, Pichai kept reminding employees of the need to "stay scrappy." Google has gone through an extensive phase of cost cutting that included eliminating about 6% of its workforce in 2023 and a continued focus on efficiency. As of the end of the third quarter, Alphabet had 181,269 employees, down about 5% from the end of 2022. At one point, Pichai referenced Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin , who started the company 26 years ago, long before cloud computing or AI tools existed. "In early Google days, you look at how the founders built our data centers, they were really really scrappy in every decision they made," Pichai said. "Often, constraints lead to creativity. Not all problems are always solved by headcount." WATCH: Will AI stocks push higher in 2025? Also on CNBC Google CEO Pichai struggled to navigate a pressure-filled year OpenAI says it needs 'more capital than we’d imagined' as it lays out for-profit plan Waymo dominated the U.S. robotaxi market in 2024, but Tesla and Zoox loom
It’s been awhile since Niagara Wheatfield went into the season not knowing who was going to score late in games — they’ve graduated a 1,000-point scorer three years in a row. But, things are different now. After losing nine seniors at the end of the 2023-24 season, many of whom played a part in winning Class A1 in 2022, it became clear that there was some rebuilding needed at Niagara Wheatfield if they want to be crowned champions anytime soon. The loss of Luke Walck, a two-time All-Niagara Frontier League player who was one vote away from player of the year last season, is sure to not only hurt, but change, the Falcon’s offense. Now 1-6 on a three-game skid, Niagara Wheatfield is off to its worst start since the 2019-20 season, when the team went 2-5 and finished the season 9-12 overall. There's only one starter with varsity experience, Cameron Gruarin, who made it into the lineup after an injury halfway through his junior season. Starting besides him is a seventh-grader and three juniors. “We played so well the other night against North Tonawanda and then all of a sudden we just kinda had this moment and it was like, ‘Holy cow. What are we doing out there?,’” Niagara Wheatfield head coach Erik O’Bryan. “And it's just a lack of experience.” The team is very inexperienced, but that doesn’t mean good things can’t happen, it just might take a little longer because they have growing pains to work through. There’s no big man like the 6-foot-5 Walck to rely on this year so the team has more shooters so they’re looking at a quick concept on the court. The Falcons weren’t able to all get together over the summer either, as so many of the players are multi-sport athletes. While it helps to have a team of athletes, it is no doubt a struggle when the group lacks individual experience, and experience playing as a team. While Gruarin’s experience makes him the unquestioned leader, he’s still learning with the rest of the group. With the Falcons all being thrown in the fire, they have the opportunity to rise or burn, but either way it is something they will do together. The lack of experience allows for the opportunity to be coached and learn things the way the coaches intend, hopefully minimizing bad habits and building team chemistry along the way. Niagara Wheatfield has a history of turning it around in recent years. O’Bryan’s teams have gone 20-16 before Jan. 1 dating back to 2019-20 — excluding the COVID-19 spring season in 2021 — and have rebounded to go a combined 46-17 in the New Year. “Obviously losing is definitely not the goal, but at the end of the day as long as we’re getting better, and each game has been much better,” Gruarin said. “Right now losing is fine, as long as we keep growing, I'm sure we’ll start winning by the middle of the season.” The energy presented at practices and games each day also helps NW stay focused and positive, two things that can help them improve their slow start to the season. The team is seeing improvement the more they play together and as team chemistry gets stronger. There are shots they trust each other to make now that they might’ve been hesitant with at the start of the year, and the team has already improved since their 37-77 loss to McKinley High School to open up the season. “As the season goes on our games keep getting closer and closer and I can see the fight and energy in our team as we keep going along and keep building this team,” Gruarin said.Tim and Joan Pieper enjoyed their first Christmas at the house they purchased 21⁄2 years ago for $5. It took 21⁄2 years to restore this Dutch colonial house, which had been scheduled to be demolished. It was about to be demolished when they bought the Dutch colonial and had it carted about a mile to a 3-acre section of a farm they own near Mitchell. “We moved it and restored it to save it,” Joan said. With Brad Shaul of Shaul Construction as the main contractor, the house was gutted to the studs and then plumbing, electrical, HVAC, windows and new floors were added. “Everything is new but the entry, the staircase and the pocket doors from the living room and dining room,” Joan said. “We put in a new basement.” Landscaping will be done this spring. Rob Bullock of Furniture Medic by Cowboy Wood Doctors in Cheyenne, Wyoming, did a phenomenal job restoring the doors and some of the woodwork, Joan said. She and Tim visited antique stores in places like Crofton and Newman Grove to replace missing hardware for the doors. Joan cooked them in a crockpot and scrubbed them up the next day. It wasn’t a cheap project, but it was fun, Joan says. Omaha World-Herald The dining room of the Piepers’ renovated house. “It’s not like HGTV when they do it for $100,000,” Joan said. “Once you are into it, you can’t stop.” They’re not sure what they’ll do with the house. They live across the border in Torrington, Wyoming. They’ve watched a few Nebraska football and volleyball games there with friends, and three of their four children and their families will be there for Christmas. Joan said it’s surreal that the renovation is finished. “I love it,” she said. “It really turned out wonderful.” The house was scheduled to be torched when the Piepers bought it for just $5. They’ve since spent more than $70,000 to prep it for moving, build a basement at its new home and to purchase new windows. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
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Inc. Names PROLIM as a 2024 Power Partner Award WinnerAdd to the list of directors who ban cell phones on their sets. The recently sat down with for a larger conversation about creating movies, in which he discussed technology and his relationship to it on set and off. “I feel that human beings are ruled by algorithms right now,” he said. “We behave like AI circuits. The ways we see the world are narrow-minded binaries. We’re disconnecting from each other, and society is crumbling in some ways. It’s frightening.” Like most people, Villeneuve admitted that he finds the concept of cell phones “addictive” because someone can have access to any information at any point. “It’s compulsive,” he added. “It’s like a drug. I’m very tempted to disconnect myself. It would be fresh air.” The noted that, like Christopher Nolan, he also bans cell phones from his sets because it distracts from the project at hand. “Cinema is an act of presence. When a painter paints, he has to be absolutely focused on the color he’s putting on the canvas,” he said. “It’s the same with the dancer when he does a gesture. With a filmmaker, you have to do that with a crew, and everybody has to focus and be entirely in the present, listening to each other, being in relationship with each other. So cell phones are banned on my set too, since day one. It’s forbidden. When you say cut, you don’t want someone going to his phone to look at his Facebook account.” While there were previously claims that Nolan didn’t allow chairs on his sets, Villeneuve shared that he and his cinematographer did, in fact, refuse to sit while on the set of the Timothée Chalamet-starring franchise. But it was for a different reason. “When I did , I had a back problem because I was sitting a lot,” he told the publication. “So for the movies ... [we] decided to stand, to have minimal footprints so we could be flexible and go fast, to keep the blood flowing, to be awakened.” THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter
Media keeps society alert: VCNo. 2 Ohio State takes control in the 2nd half and runs over No. 5 Indiana 38-15
For all its speed and centrifugal force, all its peril and push-the-envelope ingenuity, stock-car racing for decades subsisted on its array of characters. Guys named Fonty and Fireball, the Intimidator and the King, Foyt and France. They were an ensemble of ruffians and renegades, booze runners and barrier crashers, united by a critical common denominator. All were mavericks. Now, their audacity and achievements have been recounted in a sleek, photo-filled coffee-table book. “NASCAR Mavericks: The Rebels and Racers Who Revolutionized Stock Car Racing,” was been released. Published by Motorbooks (an imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group), it’s available at various online sites including Amazon and . H.A. “Herb” Branham and Holly Cain, both former Tampa Tribune motorsports writers, spent 10 months on the project, interviewing roughly 100 sources. “What does it mean to be a maverick?” three-time NASCAR champ Tony Stewart asks rhetorically in his foreword. “Speaking from personal experience, it’s doing what you think is right, even when others say you’re wrong. And it’s being told you can’t, so you go even harder just to prove them wrong.” What ensues over the next 192 pages is an illustrated digest of sorts; character sketches in simple, unapologetic prose of those who embodied the maverick approach. “We talked to just about anybody that was relevant to the stories that were still alive, including obviously the people themselves,” Branham said. The mavericks include visionaries who helped propel the sport from red-clay tracks to major speedways (i.e. Bill France Sr.), crew chiefs who bent the rules to nearly their breaking point (i.e. Smokey Yunick), and drivers who had developed their automotive chops by running from the law in the South’s nether regions (i.e. Curtis Turner). The group also features those who sped full-throttle into what was once deemed a Southern-male sport. Among them: Wendell Scott, the first Black racer to win a NASCAR Cup Series race; and Sara Christian, the first female driver in the Strictly Stock Division (forerunner to the NASCAR Cup Series). Of course, the stars of NASCAR’s heyday — such as Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty — get their due, as do modern-day mavericks such as Stewart, Kurt and Kyle Busch, and Hall of Fame crew chief Chad Knaus. Even maverick-style developments (a tobacco company becoming a corporate sponsor, the network TV takeover, the creation of a street race in Chicago) are chronicled. “It was a little bit of Wild West-style,” said Branham, who worked in NASCAR’s communications department nearly two decades. “It’s really not a corporate book at all. NASCAR, I think, is consciously just trying to ungloss what we did during my time there, where we just put lacquers over all of the history, at times which was deemed maybe not the type of stuff that mainstream America would like. And I think NASCAR now is trying to put it in reverse a little bit, and they’re really trying to recapture that great history.” Complementing that history are hundreds of photos — some iconic — that help bring the characters and cars to life. Noticeably absent is Michael Jordan’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR — a maverick move in itself — but Branham said the book had been completed long before that litigation arose. “We would’ve dealt with it,” he said. “We would’ve mentioned it, because there’s really not a whole lot of punches pulled in this book, which kind of makes it a little bit different.” Kind of a hardcover maverick. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Sutton scores 23, Omaha knocks off Sacramento State 70-60
Baltimore (8-5) at New York Giants (2-11) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 16. Against the spread: Ravens 6-6-1; Giants 4-9. Series record: Ravens lead 5-3. Last meeting: Giants beat the Ravens 24-20 on Oct. 16, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. Last week: Ravens had a bye; Giants lost to Saints 14-11. Ravens: overall (1), rush (2), pass (5), scoring (3) Ravens defense: overall (22), rush (1), pass (32), scoring (23) Giants offense: overall (26), rush (15), pass (28), scoring (32) Giants defense: overall (16), rush (29), pass (6), scoring (T14) Turnover differential: Raven plus-2; Giants minus-8. K Justin Tucker is having the worst season of his outstanding career, and the potentially windy conditions in East Rutherford could post another challenge for him. Baltimore would love to see some signs that he's rounding into form as the playoffs draw closer. QB Tommy DeVito. He is probably going to get his second start of the season with Drew Lock in a walking boot. The New Jersey product didn't do much in a 30-7 loss to Tampa Bay in his first start. He was 21 of 31 for 189 yards and no touchdowns. Playing without Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence and fellow defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, the young line held its own against Alvin Kamara and the Saints last week, limiting the team to 92 yards rushing on 33 carries. Slowing down the league's No. 1 offense and No. 2 running game led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will be a lot tougher. Ravens: WR Rashod Bateman (knee) practiced this week, and Balticmore is generally pretty healthy following its open date. NT Michael Pierce (calf) and LB Kyle Van Noy (hamstring/neck) practiced as well. Giants: CB Deonte Banks (ribs), ILB Bobby Okereke (back), Nunez-Roches (shoulder-neck), T Chris Hubbard (knee), CB Dru Phillips (shoulder), LT Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) all missed last week and could be out again. ... QB Drew Lock (heel), LG Jon Runyan Jr. (ankle) and CB Tre Hawkins (back) were hurt in the game. Hawkins and S Tyler Nubin (ankle) were placed on injured reserve. Runyan is week to week. Lock is unlikely. T Evan Neal (hip-ankle), T Josh Ezeudu (knee), S Dane Belton (knee), WR Malik Nabers (hip), DL Jordon Riley (knee) are on the injury report. The Giants have won the past three games, including the most recent one in Brian Daboll's first season as coach. The Ravens won the biggest game, beating New York 34-7 in the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 28, 2001. The Ravens are coming off a bye week. ... Baltimore averages an NFL-leading 422.5 yards of offense. ... Jackson has had an NFL-best eight games of two or more touchdown passes and no interceptions. He's had no picks in 6 of 7 road games this season. ... WR Zay Flowers leads the team with 74 catches. ... Mark Andrews is tied for second among NFL tight ends with seven touchdown receptions. ... LB Roquan Smith aims for his fourth game in a row with at least 11 tackles. He is tied for fifth in the league with 121 tackles. ... LB Kyle Van Noy recovered a fumble for touchdown in his only game against the Giants. ... LB Odafe Oweh has had a sack in his past two road games. ... Nabers leads the Giants with 80 catches, 819 yards and three touchdown receptions. Fellow rookie RB Tyrone Tracy leads the team with 664 yards rushing and five TDs. ... WR Wan’Dale Robinson is second behind Nabers with 67 catches. The Giants are the only team with two players with at least 67 receptions. ... The Giants have an NFL-low eight touchdown receptions. ... Nubin led all rookies with 97 tackles before going on IR. ... Hawkins had an interception last week, the Giants' first since the season opener. ... OLB Brian Burns had a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble against the Saints. .... ILB Micah McFadden had a team-high 11 tackles, including five for losses last week. He is the fifth player in the past five seasons with five TFLs in one game. ... OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux had sack and two TFLs last week. Ravens RB Derrick Henry. He rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns in only road game against the Giants. He is tied for the NFL lead with 15 overall TDs, 13 rushing. The 30-year-old is second in the league with 1,407 yards rushing and 1,532 yards from scrimmage. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflThe Houston Rockets against the Los Angeles Clippers is one of 12 strong options on Sunday’s NBA menu. Info on how to watch Sunday’s NBA action is included for you. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. Watch ESPN originals, The Last Dance and more NBA content on ESPN+. Use our link to sign up for ESPN+ or the Disney bundle. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .
It’s been awhile since Niagara Wheatfield went into the season not knowing who was going to score late in games — they’ve graduated a 1,000-point scorer three years in a row. But, things are different now. After losing nine seniors at the end of the 2023-24 season, many of whom played a part in winning Class A1 in 2022, it became clear that there was some rebuilding needed at Niagara Wheatfield if they want to be crowned champions anytime soon. The loss of Luke Walck, a two-time All-Niagara Frontier League player who was one vote away from player of the year last season, is sure to not only hurt, but change, the Falcon’s offense. Now 1-6 on a three-game skid, Niagara Wheatfield is off to its worst start since the 2019-20 season, when the team went 2-5 and finished the season 9-12 overall. There’s only one starter with varsity experience, Cameron Gruarin, who made it into the lineup after an injury halfway through his junior season. Starting besides him is a seventh-grader and three juniors. “We played so well the other night against North Tonawanda and then all of a sudden we just kinda had this moment and it was like, ‘Holy cow. What are we doing out there?,’” Niagara Wheatfield head coach Erik O’Bryan. “And it’s just a lack of experience.” The team is very inexperienced, but that doesn’t mean good things can’t happen, it just might take a little longer because they have growing pains to work through. There’s no big man like the 6-foot-5 Walck to rely on this year so the team has more shooters so they’re looking at a quick concept on the court. The Falcons weren’t able to all get together over the summer either, as so many of the players are multi-sport athletes. While it helps to have a team of athletes, it is no doubt a struggle when the group lacks individual experience, and experience playing as a team. While Gruarin’s experience makes him the unquestioned leader, he’s still learning with the rest of the group. With the Falcons all being thrown in the fire, they have the opportunity to rise or burn, but either way it is something they will do together. The lack of experience allows for the opportunity to be coached and learn things the way the coaches intend, hopefully minimizing bad habits and building team chemistry along the way. Niagara Wheatfield has a history of turning it around in recent years. O’Bryan’s teams have gone 20-16 before Jan. 1 dating back to 2019-20 — excluding the COVID-19 spring season in 2021 — and have rebounded to go a combined 46-17 in the New Year. “Obviously losing is definitely not the goal, but at the end of the day as long as we’re getting better, and each game has been much better,” Gruarin said. “Right now losing is fine, as long as we keep growing, I’m sure we’ll start winning by the middle of the season.” The energy presented at practices and games each day also helps NW stay focused and positive, two things that can help them improve their slow start to the season. The team is seeing improvement the more they play together and as team chemistry gets stronger. There are shots they trust each other to make now that they might’ve been hesitant with at the start of the year, and the team has already improved since their 37-77 loss to McKinley High School to open up the season. “As the season goes on our games keep getting closer and closer and I can see the fight and energy in our team as we keep going along and keep building this team,” Gruarin said.
Ange Postecoglou searching for answers over Tottenham’s injury crisis