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MLB Notes: Boston K Men celebrating 25 years of strikeouts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

It started with a couple of teenagers from Wayland and a stencil.When Pedro Martinez joined the Boston Red Sox in 1998, then 16-year-old Kirk Carapezza and his best friend Ryan McCarthy made sure they were in the building for his first start at Fenway Park. The energy in the ballpark that day was electric, but the two couldn’t help but notice something was missing.“No one was keeping track of his Ks in the bleachers,” Carapezza said. “So we went home and printed out 27 and came back for his next start, and then we never missed one of his starts.”In the months and years that followed the group grew in size and notoriety, and before long the Boston K Men were born.A quarter-century later they’re still going strong.This year marks the 25th anniversary of the K Men, who have now counted thousands of strikeouts recorded by the best Red Sox pitchers of the modern era. In the process they’ve become a Fenway Park institution and the sight of their &...

Why the 155 mm round is so critical to the war in Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 155 mm howitzer round is one of the most requested artillery munitions of the war in Ukraine. Already the U.S. has shipped more than 1.5 million rounds to Ukraine, but Kyiv is still seeking more. A look at why this particular munition is so commonly used, and why it’s been so critical to the war in Ukraine.WHAT IS THE 155 MM? Essentially, the 155 mm round is a very big bullet, made up of four parts: the detonating fuse, projectile, propellant and primer. Each round is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long, weighs about 100 pounds (45 kilograms), and is 155 mm, or 6.1 inches, in diameter. They are used in howitzer systems, which are towed large guns that are identified by the range of the angle of fire that their barrels can be set to. The 155 mm shells can be configured in many ways: They can be packed with highly explosive material, use precision guided systems, pierce armor or produce high fragmentation.Past variants have included smoke rounds to obscure t...

Unprepared for long war, US Army under gun to make more ammo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — One of the most important munitions of the Ukraine war comes from a historic factory in this city built by coal barons, where tons of steel rods are brought in by train to be forged into the artillery shells Kyiv can’t get enough of — and that the U.S. can’t produce fast enough.The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant is at the vanguard of a multibillion-dollar Pentagon plan to modernize and accelerate its production of ammunition and equipment not only to support Ukraine, but to be ready for a potential conflict with China.But it is one of just two sites in the U.S. that make the steel bodies for the critical 155 mm howitzer rounds that the U.S. is rushing to Ukraine to help in its grinding fight to repel the Russian invasion in the largest-scale war in Europe since World War II.The invasion of Ukraine revealed that the U.S. stockpile of 155 mm shells and those of European allies were unprepared to support a major and ongoing conventional land war, sending them scram...

Freeze Watch Sunday Night; Freezing Conditions Could Damage or Kill Tender Vegetations and Crops

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

A Freeze Watch is in effect Sunday 10:00 PM- Monday 8:00 AM for the entire region outside of the Chicago metro.Clearing skies and decreasing winds will lead to the potential of sub-freezing temperatures Sunday night.  Lows could drop into the upper 20s in some locations.  Widespread frost is possible and freeze conditions could damage or kill tender vegetation and crops.  Outdoor water pipes are also susceptible to freezing and possibly bursting.We'll continue to see upper level troughing across the and another upper-level low as we head into next weekend.  This will continue to keep us cool with the potential for more showers. The forecast jet stream patterns shows the warmer air to the south of the cooler air that unfortunately will be sticking around here for a while longer.  6-10 day OutlookThe animation below shows the progression into next weekend starting Friday April 28 through Tuesday May 2, showing the cooler air still entrenched over the MidwestApril 2...

Cooler with periods of rain and storms for Sunday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Isolated strong to severe storms continue to move through the Hill Country. These storms have produced up to tennis ball size hail northwest of our area as well as wind gusts to 75mph. These storms have struggled to get closer to I-35, but as the night goes on we'll see gradually increasing rain chances in the Austin Metro as a cold front slides south through the area.A new Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Gillespie, Blanco, Hays and Caldwell Counties until 5 a.m. as the risk for large hail, damaging winds and an isolated tornado threat continues. The risk is mainly tied to a supercell thunderstorm that was moving through Gillespie County. Severe thunderstorm watch until 5amThe severe weather risk is lower for the Austin Metro which has an environment not as conducive to severe weather.Severe risk overnight (SPC)Storms may produce heavy enough rain to cause localized flash flooding. The Austin Metro and most of the Hill Country are at a Slight (2 out of...

Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin not with team in Seattle, misses Game 3 vs. Kraken due to “personal reasons”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

SEATTLE — Valeri Nichushkin missed Game 3 of the Avalanche’s first-round series against the Kraken due to “personal reasons,” coach Jared Bednar said after Colorado’s Game 3 win.Nichushkin was taken to the airport and is no longer in Seattle with the team as of Saturday night, a team spokesperson told The Post. Bednar said Nichushkin’s absence is not team discipline related.Nichushkin did not join the Avs for morning skate Saturday before Game 3, but Bednar said at the time that Nichushkin’s absence was due to maintenance. When reached by The Post before the game, the team initially said Nichushkin was not playing due to injury. Nichushkin has been battling an off-and-on ankle injury since undergoing surgery in November.The top-six Avalanche forward played in 53 regular-season games, scoring 17 goals and 47 points.Nichushkin scored the tying goal in a 3-2 series-knotting Game 2 win at Ball Arena on Thursday. He plays power play and penalty k...

LeBron's Lakers beat Grizzlies 111-101, take 2-1 series lead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and the Lakers came out in front of this franchise's first sellout playoff crowd in a decade and immediately produced one of the greatest first quarters in team history. Los Angeles leaped to a 35-9 lead amidst one raucous ovation after another from fans eager for a return to playoff success.Not even Ja Morant could carry the Memphis Grizzlies all the way back to prevent the Lakers from seizing Game 3.Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds, James finished with 25 points after Dillon Brooks was ejected for striking him in the groin, and Los Angeles survived Morant's 24-point fourth quarter to beat the Grizzlies 111-101 Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.Rui Hachimura scored 16 points in another strong effort off the bench for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who came out impressively in this long-awaited return to a true playoff atmosphere for a franchise with 17 titles. Los Angeles tied an NBA record by taking a 26-point ...

Special forces swiftly evacuate US embassy staff from Sudan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. special operations forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the American embassy in warring Sudan on Sunday, sweeping in and out of the capital, Khartoum, with helicopters on the ground for less than an hour. No shots were fired and no major casualties were reported.With the last U.S. employee of the embassy out, Washington shuttered the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely. Left behind were thousands of private American citizens remaining in the east African country. U.S. officials said it would be too dangerous to carry out a broader evacuation mission. Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders entered their ninth day Sunday, forcing continued closing of the main international airport and leaving roads out of the country in control of armed men. Fighting has killed more than 400 people.In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan “to the...

MacKinnon, Avalanche spoil Kraken’s home playoff debut, 6-4

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar weren’t interested in being side characters to a historic night for the Seattle Kraken. The trio took center stage and reclaimed home-ice advantage for the defending Stanley Cup champions. MacKinnon and Rantanen scored in a 1:28 span early in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche spoiled Seattle’s first home playoff game with a 6-4 victory Saturday night in Game 3 of the first-round series. Tied at 3 after a wild first 40 minutes, the defending Stanley Cup champions relied on their best players to take a 2-1 lead in the series. “I think scoring in the playoffs on the road is awesome. It’s a cool feeling, no matter how you get them. They feel great,” MacKinnon said. “A lot of guys scored some big goals tonight.”MacKinnon scored his first two goals of the playoffs, Makar added his first of this postseason after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of last year’s championship run, and Rantanen scored for t...

LeBron’s Lakers beat Grizzlies 111-101, take 2-1 series lead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:24:34 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and the Lakers came out in front of this franchise’s first sellout playoff crowd in a decade and immediately produced one of the greatest first quarters in team history. Los Angeles leaped to a 35-9 lead amidst one raucous ovation after another from fans eager for a return to playoff success.Not even Ja Morant could carry the Memphis Grizzlies all the way back to prevent the Lakers from seizing Game 3.Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds, James finished with 25 points after Dillon Brooks was ejected for striking him in the groin, and Los Angeles survived Morant’s 24-point fourth quarter to beat the Grizzlies 111-101 Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.Rui Hachimura scored 16 points in another strong effort off the bench for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who came out impressively in this long-awaited return to a true playoff atmosphere for a franchise with 17 titles. Los Angeles tied an NBA record by taking...