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TexasTowelie's JournalDallas-Fort Worth metroplex to host entire NIT with 16 college basketball teams
The 2021 National Invitation Tournament will feature 16 teams - with all games being played at two venues in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, according to an announcement Monday on ncaa.com.
Teams of area interest could receive NIT invites if they don't get NCAA Tournament bids.
The Xavier Musketeers last played in the NIT in 2019, losing to Texas in the second round. The Cincinnati Bearcats last played in the NIT in 2010, falling to Dayton in the second round. The Miami RedHawks last played in the tournament in 2006, losing to Butler in the opening round. The Northern Kentucky Norse last played in the tournament in 2018, falling to Louisville in the first round.
More from the release:
Conference USA and the University of North Texas will serve as hosts for the 83rd NIT, and specific venues for each round are being finalized. Games will be played at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas and at UNT Coliseum on the campus of North Texas in Denton, Texas. First-round games will be played Wednesday, March 17, through Saturday, March 20. Quarterfinals also will take place Thursday, March 25. The semifinals and championship will take place Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28. 2021 also will feature a third-place game Sunday, March 28, which hasn’t been played at the NIT since 2003. All 16 games of the 2021 NIT will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
Teams and pairings for the 2021 NIT are scheduled to be released by the NIT Committee at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, March 14, on ESPNU. Because of the reduced field size, all 16 teams will be selected as at-large participants, and there will be no automatic qualifiers for the NIT.
The NIT, which began in 1938, is the nation’s oldest postseason tournament. In 2019, Texas won the NIT title. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/othercolleges/2021/03/01/dallas-fort-worth-host-entire-nit-college-basketball-postseason-tournament-16-teams-frisco-denton/6876712002/
(no more at link)
Union president: AK Steel to change its name
AK Steel will change its name, possibly to match owner Cleveland-Cliffs, according to Neil Douglas, president of IAM Local 1943.
He said Cleveland-Cliffs, which purchased AK Steel for $1.1 billion in 2020, sent out an internal email Friday announcing the name change.
Also last year, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. bought the U.S. assets of ArcelorMittal for $1.4 billion. The deal made Cleveland-Cliffs the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, officials said.
Douglas said the name change “makes sense” since Cleveland-Cliffs has acquired so many companies. He doesn’t believe the name change will impact operations at the Middletown Works.
Read more: https://www.daytondailynews.com/business/union-president-ak-steel-to-change-its-name/7BNDKPDGABFDHGI7EX65NYSEWI/
Ohio announces phase 1C for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility
Ohioans age 60 and older and those with certain conditions or professions that put them at risk of contracting COVID-19 can receive the vaccine starting Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday.
About 246,000 people comprise phase 1C, which includes professions and health conditions that put individuals at risk of COVID-19:
• Those with Type 1 diabetes.
• Pregnant women.
• Bone marrow transplant recipients.
• Those with Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.
• Law enforcement and corrections officers, including active duty police officers with at least 20 hours of service, corrections staff, including probation and parole staff and firefighters with an active certificate.
• Retired, reserve or “special” forces are not included but volunteer firefighters are included.
• Child care services employees, including teachers, administrators and substitutes enrolled in Ohio’s Professional Registry who currently work in child care and pre-Kindergarten programs.
• Funeral services employees, including embalmers and morticians, funeral home directors, crematory operators and apprentices.
On Thursday, Ohioans age 60 and older, which DeWine called phase 2, will also have access to the vaccine. That age group includes about 695,000 Ohioans.
Read more: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/01/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccines-their-way-ohio-ramps-up-shots/6867243002/
(Columbus Dispatch)
Ohio's roads are rated a 'D.' But who will pay to fix them?
Ohio’s 2019 motor fuel tax increase was supposed to boost local and state road and bridge projects, but the COVID-19 pandemic cut travel and, as a result, money for construction projects withered.
That has intensified hopes that Congress will take action. Biden and his team have begun discussions on the possible outlines of an infrastructure package with members of Congress, particularly mindful that Texas’ recent struggles with power outages and water shortages after a brutal winter storm present an opportunity for agreement on sustained spending on infrastructure.
Earlier this month, Ohio’s roads received a D grade and its bridges a C+ in the Ohio Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2021 Report Card for Ohio’s Infrastructure. The nation’s infrastructure received a D+ in 2017.
The report said that 6% of the state’s 44,736 bridges and 17% of its nearly 123,000 miles of public roads are in poor condition.
Read more: https://www.limaohio.com/news/449697/ohios-roads-are-rated-a-d-but-who-will-pay-to-fix-them
Michigan House bill would allow bars to stay open until 4 a.m.
LANSING, Mich.— Those working the late shift could catch last call and bars could pocket extra sales after missing out heavily during coronavirus restrictions under legislation under consideration in Michigan that would allow alcohol sales at bars and restaurants until 4 a.m.
Bill sponsor Rep. Ryan Berman testified in front of a state House committee last week that the measure would allow local municipalities to adopt their own rules to extend the pre-pandemic cutoff of 2 a.m. to make it 4 a.m.
Currently, indoor dining, including bars has a 10 p.m. curfew due to state COVID-19 restrictions. Berman said having the extension ready and waiting for businesses is important to help them financially recover from the pandemic because there's a market for late night alcohol sales.
"Once that is lifted it gives the local establishments, restaurants, bars, the ability to make up some lost time," the Commerce Township Republican said. "Not everybody, in what we're learning, has the same schedule. Not everybody works 9 to 5, not everybody is on the same sleep schedule. People work nights, people work weekends, different shifts."
Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/02/28/michigan-house-bill-bars-stay-open-2-hours-later/6860977002/
FCA Pleads Guilty in Plot to Enrich Detroit Union Officials
DETROIT (AP) — Automaker FCA US pleaded guilty to conspiracy Monday, admitting that it paid off leaders of the United Auto Workers to try to win concessions in negotiations covering thousands of factory workers.
FCA's conviction follows a series of guilty pleas from UAW officials who were showered with more than $3.5 million in cash and items of value from a jointly run training center over an eight-year period.
FCA stands for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which now is part of Stellantis, a company created by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot.
“FCA violated federal labor law and undermined the collective bargaining process and the faith of the UAW’s membership in their leaders,” said acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin.
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-03-01/fca-pleads-guilty-in-plot-to-enrich-detroit-union-officials
Euclid police officer indicted on 7-counts, including attempted rape
A Euclid police officer has been indicted on several charges by a Cuyahoga County grand jury including attempted rape.
Officer Donald Ivory, 47, is facing charges of second-degree felony attempted rape, one count of third-degree felony intimidation of a crime victim, one count of third-degree felony tampering with evidence, three counts of fourth-degree felony gross sexual imposition and one count of fifth-degree felony disseminating material harmful to juveniles.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office, the juvenile victim contacted the Euclid Police Department Nov. 8, 2020 to file a report of sexual assault that occurred a few months prior. Between Aug. 15-31, Ivory allegedly sexually assaulted the victim in the bedroom of his Euclid home while off-duty.
After the assault occurred and became known, he allegedly threatened to take the victim to the juvenile detention center if she did not give up her phone, which contained evidence.
Read more: https://www.news-herald.com/news/euclid-police-officer-indicted-on-7-counts-including-attempted-rape/article_3c5f0976-7aaa-11eb-82c0-0324e1ac0dba.html
(Willoughby News-Herald)
Ohio Sues Biden Administration Over U.S. Census Data
Ohio’s Attorney General is suing the Biden administration over the delay in the release of the 2020 Census data.
The U.S. Census Bureau was supposed to release the data around the first of May but announced earlier this month that it will be released to states on September 30th due to COVID delays. Attorney General Dave Yost is suing to get it earlier.
“The challenge is we’ve got, because of Issue one here in Ohio, we’ve got constitutional deadlines and dates written into our constitution for redistricting and reapportionment," Yost says.
Yost says laws cannot be arbitrarily changed by administrative fiat and adds the agency must do its job, even if it is inconvenient. Ohio could lose one congressional seat based on the upcoming data.
https://www.statenews.org/post/ohio-sues-biden-administration-over-us-census-data
(no more at link)
SNAP, Medicaid Rollback Bill Would Cost Nearly $20 Million in Red Tape, Analysts Say
A legislative proposal to restrict eligibility for social safety net programs like food stamps or Medicaid would cost nearly $20 million to implement, according to state policy analysts.
The Ohio Legislative Service Commission, a nonpartisan arm of the state legislature that evaluates policy proposals, estimated a plan to require photo identification on every Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program card would cost about $15 million to implement and $930,000 annually to maintain.
Senate Bill 17 would end policies known as “categorical eligibility” and “simplified reporting” that lower income reporting burdens on SNAP recipients along with the bureaucratic burden on state government. The new, more onerous income reporting system would cost about $4.5 million to implement, according to the LSC.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster, said the bill is a means to combat benefits fraud and ensure monies only go to the truly needy.
Read more: https://www.citybeat.com/news/blog/21149354/benefits-rollback-bill-would-cost-nearly-20-million-in-red-tape-analysts-say
(Cincinnati Citybeat)
Young Lefty Stefan Knaack Running for Cleveland City Council in "Forgotten" Ward 11
At 23 years old, Stefan Knaack is far and away the youngest candidate for Cleveland City Council in 2021. The recent Cleveland State University alum and diehard Cleveland sports fan has announced his candidacy in Ward 11, a west side ward that includes the eastern sliver of Jefferson, the western sliver of Cudell and the residential streets off of West Boulevard.
"It also has this weird section [North of Madison]" Knaack told Scene in a recent phone interview, "that was pretty much just created to include Dona Brady's house."
Knaack currently works as a delivery driver for Jimmy John's and said his campaign is about elevating residents living on the margins and "forgotten" communities like Ward 11.
"Like a lot of people, I'm disillusioned with the way politics works in Cleveland," he said. "There's very much an 'in-crowd,' both in terms of politicians and neighborhoods. Ward 11 is not one of them."
Knaack is not a lifelong resident of the ward. As the child of divorced parents, he spent his youth in a number of western suburbs and graduated from Brookside High School in Sheffield Lake. He went on to study political science and sociology at CSU, where he was active in a number of left-wing student political organizations and with the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign of 2016. He moved to Ward 11 in 2018 with four roommates, to save money on rent.
Read more: https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2021/02/25/young-lefty-stefan-knaack-running-for-cleveland-city-council-in-forgotten-ward-11
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
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