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Montgomery Co. school system launches investigation into principal after allegations of sexual harassment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

A Montgomery County high school principal is reportedly on extended leave over complaints of bullying and sexual harassment from a number of people, including teachers.The Washington Post reported Joel Beidleman, who had been promoted to run Paint Branch High School in June, was placed on leave after the Post submitted questions to the school system about his reported harassment. According to the Post, Beidleman is the subject of at least 18 verbal or written reports submitted to the school district over the past seven years.Reportedly, 39 current and former staffers said they had been harassed or bullied by Beidleman, and one Farquhar Middle School teacher — where Beidleman most recently served as principal — lodged a complaint detailing 20 alleged cases of misconduct by Beidleman.In a statement emailed to WTOP, school district spokesman Christopher Cram wrote the school system works to provide “a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for our students” and that the sc...

Jessica Pegula beats doubles partner Coco Gauff in Montreal quarterfinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

MONTREAL (AP) — Jessica Pegula beat doubles partner Coco Gauff 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in an all-American match Friday to advance to the National Bank Open semifinals for the third straight year.Tied 5-5 in the third set, the sixth-seeded Gauff double-faulted for a ninth time while defending a breakpoint to give the sixth-seeded Pegula the edge. Pegula served out to improve to 2-1 in the rivalry and end a four-match losing streak against top-10 players.“That was a good match,” Pegula said in her on-court interview. “It’s always tough to play your doubles partner — you know exactly what you’re trying to do. It just came down to the wire and who was going to compete better.”Gauff was coming off a victory Sunday in Washington.Pegula will play the winner of the night match between top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland and American qualifier Danielle Collins.In doubles Friday, the top-ranked tandem of Pegula and Gauff advanced to the semifinals with a walkover over Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Jap...

Texas Tech track coach Kittley gets new contract, is set to become school’s longest-tenured coach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech track and field coach Wes Kittley has agreed to a new $3.8 million, seven-year contract.Kittley is heading into his 25th season, which will make him the longest-tenured head coach in any sport at the Big 12 school.The contract approved Thursday by Texas Tech regents also includes performance bonuses for the 64-year-old coach. Kittley has been at Texas Tech since 1999, and the men’s team won the outdoor national championship in 2019.Kittley’s son, Zach, is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Red Raiders’ football team. Marsha Sharp, a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, was a head coach at Texas Tech for 24 seasons until she retired after the 2005-06 season. The Lady Raiders won the 1993 national championship.Under Kittley, the men’s and women’s track and field programs have won 11 Big 12 team titles and 31 individual NCAA titles. There have been 200 Big 12 individual champions and 19 Olymp...

Lucas Glover with a 64 leads Jordan Spieth by one shot in the PGA Tour playoff opener

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Sloppy mud one day, broiling heat the next. Lucas Glover is playing his best golf no the matter the conditions on the ground or in the air, posting a 6-under 64 on Friday for a one-shot lead over Jordan Spieth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.Glover holed three putts longer than 25 feet, one of them for eagle on the par-5 16th, and has made only one bogey through 36 holes going into the weekend of the PGA Tour’s postseason opener at TPC Southwind.It was the 19th time in his last 20 rounds Glover has shot in the 60s. A week ago, he was No. 112 in the FedEx Cup and looking at a month off. Now he’s moving closer to making it all the way to the Tour Championship.“I’m old enough to know it can change the other way in a hurry, too,” the 43-year-old Glover said. “So kind of ride the wave and just don’t overthink it. Keep going and play until it runs out, and then figure it out after that.”Glover was at 10-under 130.Spieth was up to his tricks...

Maui wildfires projected to be the 2nd costliest disaster in Hawaii history. Follow live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.MAUI WILDFIRES PROJECTED TO BE THE 2ND COSTLIEST DISASTER IN HAWAII HISTORYThis week’s wildfires are expected to be the second costliest disaster in the history of Hawaii, second only to damages from 1992’s Hurricane Iniki, according to a Friday statement from a prominent disaster and risk modeling company.Karen Clark & Company said in the statement that approximately 3,500 structures were within the perimeter of the fire that torched the popular tourist town of Lahaina in west Maui. Officials said Thursday that fast-moving flames destroyed 1,000 buildings and killed 55 people, although both numbers are expected to in...

Valencia wins 2-1 at Sevilla on Spanish league’s opening day. Bounou plays amid talk of Madrid move

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Valencia team featuring young players earned a 2-1 win at 10-man Sevilla on the opening day of the Spanish league on Friday.Twenty-year-old substitute Javi Guerra, who emerged as a talent last campaign, scored the 88th-minute winner after Sevilla had lost defender Loic Badé to a red card.“I am very happy not just for the goal but for the win by the team,” Guerra said. “There is no better way to start the season.”Hugo Duro was key to the win. He was breaking clear when Badé fouled him from behind with only the goalkeeper to beat and saw the direct red card in the 80th. And the striker helped recover the ball near Sevilla’s box before he assisted Guerra to slot home the winner.Valencia barely avoided relegation last campaign and lost several players in the summer with Samuel Lino, Edinson Cavani, Yunus Musah, Justin Kluivert, Ilaix Moriba, and Nico González all leaving the club. Few signings were made by the club owned by Singaporean businessman Peter L...

McLaren boss tells team IndyCar championship leader Alex Palou has reneged on 2024 contract

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

The long contractual saga surrounding IndyCar championship leader Alex Palou took another wild twist Friday when the head of McLaren Racing told his team the Spaniard has “no intention of honoring his contract” with the team next year. In a letter sent to the Arrow McLaren Racing employees by boss Zak Brown, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, Brown wrote that Palou had given him multiple assurances he’d be wearing papaya in 2024 and has already received an advance on his salary. The letter was sent to McLaren employees shortly after Friday’s final IndyCar Series on-track session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Palou holds an 84-point lead over Josef Newgarden in the standings with four races remaining this season. Palou starts eighth on Saturday on the Indianapolis road course. Palou last July upended the free agent market when he publicly rebuked Chip Ganassi Racing’s attempt to pick up the option Ganassi held on him for 2023. Palou said he inst...

Loncor Gold: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — TORONTO (AP) — Loncor Gold Inc. (LONCF) on Friday reported a loss of $837,000 in its second quarter.The Toronto-based company said it had a loss of 1 cent per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LONCF at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LONCFSource

Protesters demand answers in man's killing at Tesla charging station

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — The family and friends of Adam Michael Fresquez marched in front of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office on Friday. They are upset no charges have been filed or arrests made in his killing at a Tesla charging station in Edgewater.That was three months ago. His mother is pleading for justice.“This has been terrible. I mean, the worst thing a mother could ever have happen. I don’t think we’ve actually got a chance to mourn because we are still trying to fight for justice for Adam,” Fresquez’s mother, Lena Mendez, said.Officers found Fresquez with fatal gunshot wounds. FOX31 was told the shooter left the scene and later called 911 to turn himself in.“We don’t understand why he was released two hours later after shooting and killing my son and leaving him in the parking lot to die,” Mendez said.“We want accountability. We are looking for justice. We want some answers,” Fresquez’s father, Juan Mendez, said.Adam Michael Fresquez was killed May 3 after a s...

Death toll from Maui wildfires rises to 67 as survivors begin returning home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:42 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The death toll in Maui rose to 67 on Friday as officials confirmed another 12 fatalities from a massive blaze that turned large swaths of a centuries-old town into a hellscape of ashen rubble.Maui County officials said in an online statement that firefighters continued to battle the blaze, which was not yet fully contained. Meanwhile, residents of Lahaina were being allowed to return home for the first time to assess the damage.Associated Press journalists witnessed the devastation, with nearly every building flattened to debris on Front Street, the heart of the Maui community and the economic hub of the island. The roosters known to roam Hawaii streets meandered through the ashes of what was left, including an eerie traffic jam of the charred remains of dozens of cars that didn’t make it out of the inferno.Incinerated cars crushed by downed telephone poles. Charred elevator shafts standing as testaments to the burned-down apartment buildings they once served....