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His Orland Park basketball program produced pros such as Miami Heat’s Max Strus, now Dave Pygon wants to motivate everyone with new book

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

One tear meant more to Dave Pygon than if he were to receive a million favorable reviews on Amazon.His mother, 79-year-old Norma Pygon of Alsip, got a chance to read Dave’s debut effort as an author, “Win the 16,” a motivational book which was released in early May.The premise of the book is to help readers make the most out of the 16 waking hours that most people get.Norma is one of the inspirations for his career — and for the book. She even received her own chapter.“She raised three kids on her own,” Pygon said. “She worked during the day and went to school at night to get her college degree. That was highly motivating.“Watching that and living that and seeing that was highly inspiring.”So, Dave anxiously waited for his mother’s reaction to his book.Would she like it? Would she hate it? Would she criticize it?It turns out she overwhelmingly approved, much to Dave’s relief.“She had a tear in her eye,” he...

Can the Celtics make history?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

History has already been made. The Boston Celtics just have to make it one more time.A week ago, the Miami Heat were destined for a trip to the NBA Finals. They were alleged world-beaters who hadn’t only dismissed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks in five first-round games, but were on pace to do the same to the Celtics by taking a commanding 3-0 Eastern Conference Finals series lead.Now, in the blink of an eye, the series is even. There will be a Game 7 — in Boston of all places — and now it’s the Celtics who once again look like Goliaths compared to a Heat team devoid of the confidence it once exuded.Only four teams in NBA history have ever come back from down 0-3 to force a Game 7: The Rochester Royals did it to the Knicks back in 1951; the Denver Nuggets came back to force Game 7 against the Utah Jazz in 1994; the Portland Trail Blazers stunned Dirk Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks to force Game 7 after trailing 0-3 in the first round in 2003...

Erdogan holds lead in unofficial count in Turkey’s presidential runoff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Preliminary, unofficial results from Turkish news agencies showed incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead with 95% of ballot boxes counted in a presidential runoff that will decide whether the country’s longtime leader stretches his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.The state Anadolu news agency showed Erdogan at 52.3%, and his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, at 47.7%.Meanwhile, the ANKA news agency, close to the opposition, showed the results at 51.5% for Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu at 48.5%.In Istanbul, Erdogan supporters began celebrating even before the final results arrived, waving Turkish or ruling party flags, and honking car horns.The outcome could have implications far beyond Ankara. Turkey stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and it plays a key role in NATO.Erdogan’s government vetoed Sweden’s bid to join NATO and purchased Russian missile-defense systems, which prompted the United States to oust Turkey from a U.S.-led fi...

Chicago police report 13 more carjackings, robberies targeting vendors, people going to and from work

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police reported at least 13 armed robberies and carjackings targeting food vendors and people leaving for or getting back from work early Saturday morning.All of the reported robberies and carjackings happened in a little less than three hours. CPD: Food vendors targeted in 7 carjackings and robberies Tuesday morning Police have reported dozens of robberies and carjackings targeting food vendors and people leaving for or coming home from work since April across the city.The following incidents were reported on Saturday morning.Between 5:40-5:47 a.m. in the 1200 block of Karlov6:12 a.m. in the 2100 block of North Tripp6:16 a.m. in the 2200 block of North Tripp6:39 a.m. in the 4100 block of West Thomas6:50 a.m. in the 4200 block of West Cortez6:56 a.m. in the 3700 block of West 25th Street7 a.m. in the 2500 block of South Pulaski7:20 a.m. in the 900 block of North Francisco7:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of South Oakley7:36 a.m. in the 1900 block of South Western7:44 a...

Legal migrants arrive in Colonie to seek asylum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Colonie Town Supervisor Peter Crummey states the town learned the bus was originally intended to head to Albany, citing its designation as a ‘sanctuary city,’ but it was then suggested to head to Colonie and arrive at the Sure Stay Best Western on Wolf Road between 12:30 am and 1:30 am early Sunday morning.Crummey says he learned this information from Albany County Executive Dan McCoy late Friday evening. He takes issue with this following Albany County’s State of Emergency regarding the migrant crisis that was declared by McCoy this week, claiming there was not a coordinated effort between county, state, and local officials and that Mayor Adams violated the county’s emergency order. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! But Mayor Kathy Sheehan says that Albany County has already been working collaboratively with Mayor Adams for some time.“This has been something that the Mayor of New York City has been si...

St. Louis among US cities with the dirtiest air

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

Two out of every five Americans—40%, or 137 million people—live in counties with unhealthy air quality, according to the American Lung Association's 2022 State of the Air report. Poor air quality, including unhealthy ozone or particle pollution, can lead to long-term health effects, including respiratory and cardiovascular issues that can lead to premature death.Air quality can be impacted and degraded by industrial emissions, ambient emissions such as those from cars and residential heating systems, and natural events, including wildfires and drought. Air quality can vary significantly by season and by region, even within the same city. In most places, however, there are several sources simultaneously contributing to air pollution.To learn more about where in the country the air is the dirtiest, Stacker analyzed the 2021 Air Quality Statistics Report from the Environmental Protection Agency, released in May 2022 to compile a list of the 50 cities with the dirtiest air.To help track...

That ’70s Dome: Vail throwback house listed for $4M

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

For Boulderite Andrew McBryan and his family, living in “The Dome” in Vail is like perching in a bird’s nest.“You get 360-degree views up and down the valley. It’s pretty amazing,” McBryan said.McBryan owns the top two floors of the raised geodesic dome on the 2900 block of Basingdale Boulevard. The property, built in 1976, is visible from Interstate 70 and was listed for $4 million.“Forget the dime-a-dozen, square-box ski condos. This is unique. It’s a really fun space to be in,” said McBryan, who drove by the property for more than 20 years before buying it in July 2022.“It’s one of those places in Vail that everyone knows.”The dome, built when Vail architecture was more whimsical, resembles a paper-mâché project.Domes were built across the country in the mid-to late 1970s in an effort to create more energy-efficient homes.The home offers 360-degree views of Vail valley. (Provided by Jack Affleck)But the spherical design poses some construction challenges. Most building materials ...

Ignoring the evidence: Is ‘conventional wisdom’ hindering the fight against smoking?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

It’s a question that the European Commission seems unable to answer. Is the campaign to stop people from smoking cigarettes being held back by an impulse to ban all tobacco products? The evidence suggests that nicotine-based alternatives to smoking, such as e-cigarettes have an important part to play, writes Political Editor Nick Powell.The big argument about cigarette smoking is in effect over. No one still suggests that smoking is not an extremely harmful activity and everyone agrees that anyone who still smokes should stop. People who have never smoked should certainly not start and this especially applies to youngsters, who shouldn’t acquire a taste for nicotine from e-cigarettes and other substitutes.Unfortunately, there’s a temptation in some quarters to make a leap from that consensus and make an argument that amounts to saying ‘It’s all bad, so let’s ban it’ or at least make it massively expensive through taxation. That creates a business opportunity for tobacco smugglers, e...

Empowering the people: MEPs hear about constitutional transformation in Kazakhstan and Mongolia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

Two of Asia’s largest countries, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, have recently embarked on major constitutional reforms. A joint event at the European Parliament gave MEPs the chance to hear how both countries are strengthening the voice of the people in their political processes, writes Political Editor Nick Powell.“Constitutional reform can be difficult, it can be slow”, observed the European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, reflecting on the human rights reforms that came only slowly and after a long struggle in his native Ireland. He was one of the keynote speakers at a European Parliament Round Table that discussed how the pace of change in both Kazakhstan and Mongolia has accelerated.The Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Margulan Baimukhan, described how “a systematic transformation of the political system has been carried out, creating a new, more democratic model of government”. The changes that have taken place in little more than a year have strengthened th...

1 dead, 2 children injured in rollover crash in San Bernardino

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:41 GMT

One person died and five others were injured, including two children, after a car crash involving a flatbed truck in San Bernardino early Sunday morning. Fire and emergency crews responded to the northbound 215 Freeway just south of University Parkway around 2:11 a.m. When they arrived on the scene, they found seven victims involved in the crash, one of who was dead at the scene. Video shows fire crews attempting to free a woman who was trapped inside a sedan with major damage. Fatal car crash in San Bernardino (Source: Onscene TV)Fatal car crash in San Bernardino (Source: Onscene TV)Fatal car crash in San Bernardino (Source: Onscene TV)Fatal car crash in San Bernardino (Source: Onscene TV)Fatal car crash involving a flatbed truck with pallets in San Bernardino (Source: Onscene TV)The entire front of the car was crushed and the windshield was shattered and had caved in. After a few unsuccessful attempts to release the woman trapped inside, fire crews began removing and adj...