jackpot casino slots PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller sat for a long interview with the NCAA as it looked into concerns about unusual gambling activity, his lawyer said Friday amid reports a federal probe is now under way. “Hysier Miller fully cooperated with the NCAA’s investigation. He sat for a five-hour interview and answered every question the NCAA asked. He also produced every document the NCAA requested,” lawyer Jason Bologna said in a statement. “Hysier did these things because he wanted to play basketball this season, and he is devastated that he cannot.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.None

Crossnore Communities for Children is the recipient of a combined $5.55 million in financial commitments that will allow the Winston-Salem nonprofit group to expand statewide its professional foster parenting model known as Bridging Families. The Leon Levine Foundation is providing a $3.75 million grant, while the latest in a series of funding from the state Department of Health and Human Services comes in the form of a two-year, $1.8 million contract. Brett Loftis, Crossnore’s chief executive, said there are about 12,000 children in foster care in North Carolina. Crossnore has locations in Winston-Salem, Avery County, Hendersonville and, eventually, the metropolitan area around Charlotte. Crossnore’s Winston-Salem campus serves about 100 foster children. About 60 of them live on the Reynolda Road campus. Children typically are placed into temporary foster care because their homes are unsafe or because their families provide inadequate care. People are also reading... They can come from families who face alcohol or drug addiction, homelessness or possibly a grave illness. While in foster care, children receive professional mental health services, medical services, case management and educational assistance. Crossnore launched the Bridging Families model in 2021 with 10 affiliated homes as of March. The purpose of Bridging Families is to “address North Carolina’s current child welfare crisis by providing innovative, purpose-driven care for children and their families.” With the DHHS contract, the state has adopted Bridging Families as the state’s model for professional foster parenting. “This innovative model of care, utilizing professional foster parents, could change the face of foster care in our state,” Loftis said. “It moves beyond a volunteer-based foster parent system and completely reimagines how families whose children have been removed experience the foster care system. “Bridging Families alleviates many structural barriers of the current child welfare system, focusing on shared parenting, collaboration, quality time as a family, resource networking, and accelerated reunification,” Loftis said. “It also addresses a critical need for sibling groups, who are at risk of being separated if placed in traditional foster homes.” In Bridging Families, foster parents are salaried organization employees whose sole responsibilities are parenting the children in their care. “Bridging Families’ support for birth parents is increasing the chance that children in foster care can return home,” Katheryn Northington, a Crossnore board trustee, said in a March opinion article in the Winston-Salem Journal. Northington said the program shortens the length of time children stay in foster care, reducing the number of placements and the number of foster parents needed by the system.” “Instead of having to work outside the home, foster parenting is their work,” Northington said. “It also calls on foster parents to assist birth parents working to meet the conditions for reunification.” “Bridging Families supports the ultimate goal of foster care — to help families be stronger and healthier and live together again,” said Susan Osborne, NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Opportunity and Well-Being. “This program, specializing in reunification of sibling groups, partners with families providing the supports they need so children can be reunified safely with their family as soon as possible.” To find out more about Bridging Families, go to crossnore.org/bridging-families . The grant and the DHHS contract are the latest in a series of financial contributions to Crossnore. In May, Crossnore received the largest gift — a $5 million anonymous pledge — in its more than 110-year history. The anonymous gift also enables Crossnore to secure an additional $3 million in matching funds for its charter school. The gift will be directed toward its $41 million The Promise of Home comprehensive campaign, specifically toward a charter school in Winston-Salem. The campaign is Crossnore’s first as a multi-campus organization. It is designed to provide support for its existing locations, as well as future efforts in the Metrolina region. The target date is August 2025 for opening the Crossnore charter school in the Edwards Building for kindergarten through fourth grade. Middle school building renovations will likely begin the following year, with plans to achieve full capacity for K-8th grade by August 2028. It expects to eventually reach an enrollment of 180 students. Loftis said more foster children than ever are dealing with trauma that might include abuse and neglect. The new charter school will specialize in helping children dealing with such trauma, with a staff trained in providing a healing environment, he said. The three main campaign components are: * $19.5 million for sustaining and strengthening Crossnore’s everyday systems and operations through investments in donor engagement, scholarships, technology, safety, transportation and diversity. * $12.75 million for renovation, new construction and re-purposing of buildings and other physical properties of Crossnore in Winston-Salem, Avery County and Hendersonville; * $8.75 million toward expansion and bolstering of Crossnore’s programs and services. Rep. Jeff Zenger, R-Forsyth, filed House Bill 950 on May 1, which would commit up to a $5 million grant for Crossnore to help address the foster care crisis in the state. However, the bill was not heard in committee. In May, Crossnore received a $4 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for its Center for Trauma Resilient Communities initiative. The funds come from the ReCast: Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma grant program. Crossnore said the grant will support a four-year project titled We Heal Together, which utilizes a community-driven “resilience framework” to mitigate the impact of trauma and violence that continues to afflict the East Winston community. The nonprofit said the grant could assist up to 1,200 residents with services. In March, DHHS awarded a contract to Crossnore to expand its Homebuilders services in a 15-county region that includes all of the Triad. The Homebuilders initiative involves an evidence-based intensive family preservation service, working with children who are at highest risk of entering or reentering the foster care system. The program debuted in October 2021 in Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford and Surry counties. The other participating counties are Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davie, Durham, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes and Yadkin. The goal is to remove the risk of harm to the child, instead of removing the child. Program staff work within a family’s home roughly 10 hours each week, three to five days per week, to reduce or remove risk factors and improve child safety to ensure children can stay safely at home with their family of origin. rcraver@wsjournal.com 336-727-7376 @rcraverWSJ Get local news delivered to your inbox! {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Germany tighten laws on people-smugglers in ‘action plan’ with UK

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad , but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. “You will see there are skills" among the rebels, al-Sharaa said in a video shared on a rebel messaging channel. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Assad , a decision made by President Vladimir Putin . Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons , security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. “Don’t be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!” In southern Turkey , Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. “I haven’t seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he’s alive.” Prime minister says government is operational, but UN official says it's paralyzed Jalali, the prime minister, has sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a U.N. official said some government services had been paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” Britain, U.S. considering removing insurgent group from terror list Britain and the U.S. are both considering whether to remove the main anti-Assad rebel group from their lists of designated terrorist organizations. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham began as an offshoot of al-Qaida but cut ties with the group years ago and has worked to present a more moderate image. The group's leader, al-Sharaa, “is saying some of the right things about the protection of minorities, about respecting people’s rights,” British Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said, adding that a change would be considered “quite quickly.” But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking later during a visit to Saudi Arabia, said it was "far too early” to make that decision. In Washington, a Biden administration official noted that HTS will be an “important component” in Syria's future and that the U.S. needs to “engage with them appropriately.” Another administration official said the U.S. remains in a “wait and see” mode on whether to remove the designation. Both officials requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing internal deliberations. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that such designations are constantly under review. Even while it is in place, the designation does not bar U.S. officials from speaking with members or leaders of the group, he said. The U.S. also announced it was sending its special envoy for hostage affairs to Beirut to seek information about the whereabouts of Austin Tice, a journalist who vanished in Syria 12 years ago and who President Joe Biden has said is believed to be alive. Israel confirms it struck suspected chemical weapons and rockets Israelis welcomed the fall of Assad, who was a key ally of Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, while expressing concern over what comes next. Israel says its forces temporarily seized a buffer zone inside Syria dating back to a 1974 agreement after Syrian troops withdrew in the chaos. “The only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters Monday. Saar did not provide details about the targets, but the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said they included weapons warehouses, research centers, air defense systems and aircraft squadrons. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria in recent years, targeting what it says are military sites related to Iran and Hezbollah . Israeli officials rarely comment on individual strikes. Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpile in 2013, after the government was accused of launching an attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people . But it is widely believed to have kept some of the weapons and was accused of using them again in subsequent years. Turkey says its allies have taken northern town Officials in Turkey, which is the main supporter of the Syrian opposition to Assad, say its allies have taken full control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij from a U.S.-supported and Kurdish-led force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. The SDF said a Turkish drone struck in the village of al-Mistriha in eastern Syria, killing 12 civilians, including six children. Turkey views the SDF, which is primarily composed of a Syrian Kurdish militia, as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey. The SDF has also been a key ally of the United States in the war against the Islamic State group. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday warned against allowing Islamic State or Kurdish fighters to take advantage of the situation, saying Turkey will prevent Syria from turning into a “haven for terrorism.” ___ Mroue reported from Beirut and Goldenberg from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Mehmet Guzel at the Oncupinar border crossing in Turkey, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, and Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow the AP's Syria coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/syria Sarah El Deeb, Bassem Mroue And Tia Goldenberg, The Associated PressGeneral Mills’ (GIS) Strategic Moves and Market Outlook: Pet Food Acquisition and Earnings Update

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CEO killer suspect: golden boy who soured on US health systemWASHINGTON (AP) — When President Joe Biden visited Angola last week, one of the highlights was his pledge of hundreds of millions of dollars for an ambitious trans-Africa rail project that would bring copper and cobalt from central Africa to the Atlantic port of Lobito. The project is possible because of the commitment of a $553 million direct loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, created in 2019 during the first Trump administration to counter through infrastructure projects, such as the mega-port in Chancay, Peru, inaugurated just last month. On Monday, the U.S. agency celebrated its five-year milestone by vowing to advance U.S. foreign policy and strategic interests through projects around the world such as the one in Angola. It also seeks re-authorization from Congress and a greater ability to invest in more countries when there’s a strategic need to compete with China. “We need to be good partners while offering an alternative based on our values,” said Scott Nathan, the chief executive officer of the development agency, who was in Angola last week with the president. “Quite simply, we need to continue to show up.” Nathan is set to leave the post. President-elect Donald Trump is yet to name his pick to lead the agency. Over its first five years, the agency has developed a portfolio of more than $50 billion in 114 countries, including solar panel manufacturing in India, a power plant in Sierra Leone, and digital infrastructure in South America. To do that, the agency has leveraged government funding to partner with private investments. Last year, the agency committed to $12 billion in new transactions, using the roughly $800 million in appropriations, Nathan said. Investments by the agency are having a “transformational impact on economic development while concretely advancing U.S. strategic interests,” Nathan said. In Angola, for example, the rail project would help secure the supply chain by cutting both time and cost in transporting critical minerals. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the agency was created when the U.S. was “ceding the field” to China in a new era of geopolitics. The U.S. needed a vision “calibrated to new geopolitical realities” and that matched ”the scope of the transformational challenges we faced.” It was in 2013 when Beijing launched the massive Belt and Road Initiative to gain markets and influence around the world by building roads, railways, power plants, transmission lines and ports, usually in less-developed regions. A recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office said China provided $679 billion for international infrastructure projects such as those in transportation and energy between 2013 and 2021, compared with the $76 billion the U.S. provided in the same period. Western politicians have criticized these Beijing-backed projects for creating debt traps, but Beijing argues that they have brought tangible and much-needed economic benefits to the host countries. In 2018, Congress passed a bipartisan bill that created the U.S. development agency, aimed at bringing private investments into low- and middle-income countries through tools such as equity investment, loan guarantee and political risk insurance. On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the agency for “reimagining how the U.S. does development” and said, through its work, the U.S. has “shown countries that they don’t have to resort to projects that are poorly built, environmentally destructive, that import or abuse workers, that foster corruption or burden countries with unsustainable debt.” “We really are the partner of choice,” Blinken said. As challenges lie ahead, Blinken said the agency needs to do even more and in more countries than before.

Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris has opted out of the remainder of the 2024 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft, according to a report by 247Sports.com . The 6-foot-1 sixth-year senior from Chicago has recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups in 10 games for the Hawkeyes this season. That includes a pick-6 in a 38-21 win over Troy earlier this season. Iowa (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) plays at Maryland on Saturday before closing out its regular season at home against Nebraska on Nov. 29. The Hawkeyes are already bowl eligible, so Harris is likely opting out of three games in total. After missing the entire 2022 season due to an ankle injury, Harris was suspended for two games of the following season for his involvement in the gambling investigation into Iowa athletics. He later emerged as the Hawkeyes' top cornerback, earning the team's comeback player of the year award after compiling 42 tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups. Harris will finish his college career with 105 tackles and eight interceptions. --Field Level MediaPrediction: 2 Stocks That'll Be Worth More Than Coca-Cola or Disney 10 Years From NowPresident-elect Donald Trump touted several products on the campaign trail, including sneakers, NFTs, and other items, but he has been silent on how he will keep those endeavors while serving as president again. The president-elect's brand had been used to sell products long before he entered politics. He resigned from the Trump Organization before first taking office in 2017, but he did not divest from his business . Before he became president, Trump announced he would put his personal holdings in a trust and had an ethics adviser ensure compliance with conflict of interest laws. As he prepares to enter the White House again, he will likely find himself in a similar situation. In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC News's Meet The Press, Trump avoided the question of whether he would divest from the Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates the social media platform Truth Social. "Well, I don’t know how I can divest," Trump said . "What does that mean? I’m not allowed to open it and use it? I mean, all I do is ... I don’t openly look at the company. I’m not even on the board of the company. I didn’t want to be on the board. I have other people, and they run it, and they run it very well because Truth has become a very, very successful platform." Trump did tell the outlet that he would not accept the presidential salary, just as he did not accept it during his first term. "I’m not going to accept a salary, no," Trump told the outlet. "And I’m giving up a lot of money, you know. Do you know — it amazes me, and maybe this isn’t right, but other than George Washington, and they’re not sure about that — every president has accepted their salary, except me." In addition to his social media network, Trump also has stakes in hotels, golf clubs, and other real estate, as well as cryptocurrency and other items, such as clothing and cologne. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER After years of not doing so, Trump has resumed posting on other social media platforms, including X and Instagram, but most of his posts still originate from Truth Social. The president-elect will likely provide more details about how he will handle his business interests before he takes office on Jan. 20, 2025. In 2017, he offered details on how he would separate himself from his business just over a week before being sworn in.

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This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets. European markets are heading for a negative open as traders await the latest U.S. inflation data Wednesday. The U.S consumer price index data will likely influence how the Federal Reserve proceeds on interest rates at its Dec. 17-18 meeting. Economists polled by Dow Jones forecast that headline inflation rose 0.3% in November and 2.7% over the prior 12 months. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Wednesday, after major Wall Street benchmarks declined Tuesday ahead of the data, while U.S. stock futures were near flat Tuesday night. Earnings are set to come from Inditex and OPEC releases its latest monthly oil market report Wednesday. CNBC Pro: What's behind Siemens Energy's 300% rise this year — and what's next? Spun off from its parent company during the Covid-19 pandemic, Siemens Energy has been on a roller coaster over the past 18 months — from a near-death drop to a dizzying climb of over 310% this year. Despite these gains, investors and analysts remain bullish on the company's shares rising even further. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao European markets: Here are the opening calls European markets are expected to open in negative territory Wednesday. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 33 points lower at 8,244, Germany's DAX down 52 points at 20,295, France's CAC down 14 points at 7,372 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 21 points at 34,524, according to data from IG. Earnings are set to come from Inditex and OPEC releases its latest monthly oil market report Wednesday. — Holly EllyattOn paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerized Americans. The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatized US medical system. The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country's labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero. It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder. News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald's triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back. After a surfing lesson, Mangione was "in bed for about a week" because of the pain, Martin told CNN. Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he'd had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays. Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America's "most expensive health care system in the world." "He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry," New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC. According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." video game character Luigi. Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. Mangione hails from the Baltimore area. His wealthy Italian-American family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, according to local outlet the Baltimore Banner, and cousin Nino Mangione is a Maryland state delegate. A standout student, Luigi graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. A former student who knew Mangione at the elite Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," the person said. Mangione attended the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage. On Instagram Mangione shared snapshots of his travels, and shirtless images of himself flaunting a six-pack. X users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo includes an X-ray of a spine with bolts attached. Finding a political ideology that fits neatly onto the right-left divide has proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on online site Goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out multiple bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, in a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline, and retweeted posts on the impact mobile phones and social media have on mental health. ia/abo-mlm/nro

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OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority approved a resolution to increase tolls on all turnpikes in the new year. The proposal, with new toll rates being implemented Jan. 1, was unanimously approved during a Tuesday meeting of the OTA. OTA is trying to increase its revenue 15% through the higher tolls, which vary for each turnpike depending on the distance being traveled. It will cost a small vehicle with Pike Pass $5.40, an increase of 90 cents, to travel the Will Rogers Turnpike or Turner Turnpike from end to end. Without a Pike Pass, the toll on both turnpikes will increase 16.7%, to $10.50 from $8.75. The increase for small vehicles on the Muskogee Turnpike and Creek Turnpike will be about 13-14%. OTA is also simplifying its classification of vehicles. Instead of five classifications based on the number of axles, vehicles will either be in the small, medium or large category. Vehicles with two axles will be in the small category. Vehicles with three or four axles will be in the medium category, and vehicles with five or more axles will be classified as large. People are also reading... Berry Tramel: Will Mike Gundy now learn to get along with his bosses? Bill Haisten: There still is no resolution, but a Gundy-OSU divorce seems imminent Berry Tramel: Jackson Arnold shows OU should save its high-end shopping for the portal Court 'bulldozes' tribal law in Tulsa case over jurisdiction, attorney says How did Oklahoma flip Cowboys QB commit less than 48 hours before signing day? Bill Haisten: As OSU regents meet, Mike Gundy’s contract should be a hot topic Meet the 2024 Tulsans of the Year: These people worked hard to make Tulsa better Deep into Week 2, new names emerge in Tulsa football coaching search Four-day school week discussion: BA school officials release feasibility study findings 10 potential candidates to replace Kasey Dunn as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State These 11 new restaurants are coming to the Tulsa area soon — and 8 that just opened Cooper Parker secures Bixby's seventh consecutive state title in OT thriller versus Owasso Final OU football bowl projections before Sooners' postseason destination is revealed Meet Oklahoma's complete 2025 class. 5-star OT commits to Oklahoma Bill Haisten: Union's search heats up, and Owasso’s Antonio Graham has Union ties The resolution also includes automatic adjustments for inflation. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, toll rates will increase 6% every two years to keep up with inflation. OTA will be required to review and approve each increase. The money from the increased tolls will go to fund the ACCESS (Advancing and Connecting Communities and Economies Safely Statewide) plan. “Since 1953 the Authority has only raised tolls 11 times, typically in conjunction with a large project,” said Wendy Smith, director of finance for OTA. “This is no different. The ACCESS program is the largest reinvestment the authority has ever done.” The ACCESS plan considers the infrastructure needs of the state for the next 15 years. The program was announced in December 2021, and OTA will be funding the plan through bonds and higher toll rates. The ACCESS plan was designed by OTA to address significant transportation needs in the turnpike system, including solving increased congestion in the Interstate 35 corridor. In a previous meeting, OTA approved $1 billion in revenue bonds to help pay for the ACCESS project. Tulsa World is where your story lives

Published 5:20 pm Thursday, December 26, 2024 By Jim Gazzolo Last Sunday, the Cowboys traveled to Lafayette to play their annual game against the Ragin Cajuns. It has been a holiday tradition for fans of both teams since Louisiana-Lafayette left the Southland Conference. The two teams have played at least once every season since the 1998-99 campaign. ULL holds the series lead, 63-37. The Cowboys won Sunday’s contest 64-56 in a hard-fought, hard-played game. It wasn’t always pretty, but there was a lot of intensity on both sides. It is the perfect pre-league contest. Excited crowds, cheap travel, local interest. Yet Sunday’s game was the last in the current series, and while both sides have said they want to continue, no contract has been signed. “We have talked to them and hope we can continue to play them,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “It makes sense we play them every year.” Maybe the sides can soon sign a new four-year deal for home-and-home contests. That would solve each side’s problem of getting games. Scheduling has been a major problem for several if not most, mid-major programs. It was easy for McNeese to find games before Will Wade hit town, but now nobody is lining up to play a team that has been 36-9 over the last two seasons. Regarding scheduling, the Cowboys have become too good for their own good. During the offseason, Wade’s schedule maker, Brandon Chambers, had difficulty getting games, especially at home. In November, an invitation to the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands helped. A couple of other solid mid-majors, Santa Clara and North Texas, were willing to sign for home-and-home games that started this fall in Lake Charles. Those are great additions, but staples are what make a good schedule. ULL playing McNeese is a staple. There should be others. It would be nice for fans and players alike from all Louisiana programs if they played each other. The Cowboys should schedule games against UL-Monroe and Louisiana Tech every year. Schroyer would like even more. He would love to see home-and-home games each year between state rivals. He would love to see the Cowboys play LSU, but let’s be honest, that doesn’t happen while Wade still calls McNeese home. Imagine the egg on the Tigers’ faces if they lost that game or it was even close. Louisiana Tech used to play McNeese. The two teams even matched up last year in Ruston during a small event. Tech won that game. There are other good teams in Texas to play as well outside the Southland Conference. Sam Houston State, Texas-San Antonio, and Texas-Arlington come to mind. Those games are all driveable for McNeese fans, who continue to show they will travel to watch their Cowboys. Sunday’s game was the most attended in the Cajundome this year. A total of 2,407 fans showed up, 995 more than for any other ULL home game this season. Last year, when the teams met in Lake Charles, a crowd of 4,307 was in the sold-out Legacy Center. Compare that to the 1,187 who watched the Cajuns host Louisiana Tech this season or the 1,391 who showed up to see the Sun Belt Conference opener last Wednesday against Appalachian State, and you realize it makes dollars and common sense to play local games. Let’s hope all involved in scheduling understand the economic value and community pride that can go with these games. And how much the players love to play in them. “It’s a great rivalry,” McNeese forward Joe Charles said. “Both groups of fans are intense about this game.” Charles should know he played for ULL for three years before transferring to McNeese this year. “They are fun games to play in,” Charles said. They have also been fun to watch. Let’s hope we get that chance again next year in Lake Charles. Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@yahoo.com

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller sat for a long interview with the NCAA as it looked into concerns about unusual gambling activity, his lawyer said Friday amid reports a federal probe is now under way. “Hysier Miller fully cooperated with the NCAA’s investigation. He sat for a five-hour interview and answered every question the NCAA asked. He also produced every document the NCAA requested,” lawyer Jason Bologna said in a statement. “Hysier did these things because he wanted to play basketball this season, and he is devastated that he cannot.” Miller, a three-year starter from South Philadelphia, transferred to Virginia Tech this spring. However, the Hokies released him last month due to what the program called “circumstances prior to his enrollment at Virginia Tech.” Bologna declined to confirm that a federal investigation had been opened, as did spokespeople for both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that authorities were investigating whether Miller bet on games he played in at Temple, and whether he adjusted his performance accordingly. “Hysier Miller has overcome more adversity in his 22 years than most people face in their lifetime. He will meet and overcome whatever obstacles lay ahead," Bologna said. Miller scored eight points — about half his season average of 15.9 — in a 100-72 loss to UAB on March 7 that was later flagged for unusual betting activity. Temple said it has been aware of those allegations since they became public in March, and has been cooperative. “We have been fully responsive and cooperative with the NCAA since the moment we learned of the investigation,” Temple President John Fry said in a letter Thursday to the school community. However, Fry said Temple had not received any requests for information from state or federal law enforcement agencies. He vowed to cooperate fully if they did. “Coaches, student-athletes and staff members receive mandatory training on NCAA rules and regulations, including prohibitions on involvement in sports wagering," Fry said in the letter. The same week the Temple-UAB game raised concerns, Loyola (Maryland) said it had removed a person from its basketball program after it became aware of a gambling violation. Temple played UAB again on March 17, losing 85-69 in the finals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. League spokesman Tom Fenstermaker also declined comment on Friday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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