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Twins exercise 2024 options on Max Kepler ($10 million) and Jorge Polanco ($10.5 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins exercised their 2024 club options on outfielder Max Kepler and infielder Jorge Polanco on Thursday, their two longest-tenured players.Kepler will make $10 million and Polanco will make $10.5 million next season. Both players had a $1 million buyout, but their productivity this year made those prices market bargains for Minnesota. The Twins signed both players as 16-year-old international free agents in 2009, with Kepler from Germany and Polanco from the Dominican Republic.Kepler batted .260 with an .816 OPS with a team-high 24 home runs in 130 games as the regular right fielder for the Twins in 2023. He had a .926 OPS in 66 games after the All-Star break for the AL Central champions. Kepler is 12th in Twins history with 153 home runs over nine major league seasons.Polanco came back from a knee injury to hit .255 with 14 home runs and a .789 OPS in 80 games this season while playing second base and third base. He has the most home runs (112) by ...

Denver scraps micro-community site aimed at addressing homelessness  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the city is scrapping plans to create a micro-community near Yale Avenue and Interstate 25.The proposal was one of 11 potential sites the mayor's office had selected for short-term housing for those experiencing homelessness. Johnston's office sent a letter to people in surrounding neighborhoods Thursday to inform them of the decision. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox "The city spent a lot of time talking to us, mostly hearing rather than responding to our concerns," Alec Baker said. "This is a response to our concerns, and I think at this point, we feel pretty well heard."Baker and dozens of others flooded recent town halls, sharing concerns about the proposed site.Baker said it's far removed from places where people could get food or find work and is nearly surrounded by residential neighborhoods.“We were really kind of taken aback, because the stated criteria for selecting sites weren’t met by the...

Norovirus outbreak closes Denver elementary school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver elementary school will close because of a norovirus outbreak.Teller Elementary, a Denver Public Schools campus in Congress Park, will close on Friday, according to a letter sent to the school community."Over the last two days, we have seen a significant uptick in norovirus cases among our students and staff," reads a letter signed by the principal, assistant principal and dean.The school will be closed "to allow our community to recover," the administrators said, and to deep clean the campus. The school's food pantry will be closed Friday and Saturday, as will after-school enrichments and Saturday school. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's alternately called the "stomach flu" or a "stomach bug," although it's not related to the influenza virus.Norovirus can spread by eating food or drink...

Polis touts budget proposal he says 'fully funds our public schools'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Gov. Jared Polis continues to detail where some of the dollars are set to go next year if lawmakers get his budget proposal into law.On Thursday, the governor spent some time talking about potential funding with local teachers and students. The school Polis visited is receiving some federal money, but as teachers and students found out, the governor is hoping they see more state dollars too. Polis unveils 2024 budget requests: Education, housing and more Aurora Quest K-8 is one of 16 schools in Colorado that will receive $50,000 from the federal Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund.State lawmakers were on hand Thursday to celebrate that funding with teachers and students. Additionally, the governor shared his proposal to allocate more than $564 million to education in next year's budget."Working with our wonderful legislators here, we are also committed to delivering a budget this year that fully funds our public schools here in Colorado," Polis said t...

Fort Lauderdale to host family-friendly Florida Day of the Dead Celebration in downtown area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

Why didn’t the skeleton want to go to the party? He had no body to go with! Speaking of parties, there’s one you’re not going to want to miss, and it’s happening this weekend in Fort Lauderdale. Deco’s Alex Miranda has the scoop — and the body.To celebrate Dia de los Muertos, Fort Lauderdale is hosting its 14th annual Florida Day of the Dead Celebration … and trust me, I feel it in my bones that it’s going to be a fun time.: “Dia de los Muertos has begun!”That’s right! And the city of Fort Lauderdale is putting on its 14th Florida Day of the Dead Celebration.Jim Hammond: “The Florida Day of the Dead Celebration is a downtown, family-friendly festival that takes over corners of Fort Lauderdale and celebrates life through this traditional festival.”The Mexican tradition is meant to celebrate the dead by dressing up and placing their photos and favorite food on an ofrenda, or offering place.But, in the words of Abu...

DeBrusk, Coyle score in shootout, leading Bruins to 3-2 win over Maple Leafs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle scored in the shootout and the Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Thursday night.DeBrusk and Paval Zacha scored in regulation for the Bruins, who lead the Eastern Conference with a 9-0-1 record. Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves.Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov stopped 38 shots.Toronto forward William Nylander extended his season-opening, franchise-record point streak to 10 games. He was credited with an assist on the Maple Leafs goal that tied the game in the second period after Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead.The Bruins, who have not lost in regulation this season, opened the scoring at 18:51 of the first when Charlie Carlo centered a pass from the right circle and Zacha finished in the slot for his third goal in as many games. Boston defenseman Mason Lohrei, a 22-year-old making his NHL debut, was also credited with an assist.Boston doubled its lead in the opening minutes of the se...

7 Investigates: Pharmacy Frustrations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

The lines and frustration at Massachusetts pharmacies are growing for some patients.After years of pharmacies slashing hours, shuttering stories and cutting staff, patients are starting to get impacted.Viewers told 7 Investigates that their pharmacies have randomly been closed, prescriptions have taken weeks to get filled and vaccination appointments were suddenly canceled.“It’s not fair to the patients certainly and it’s not fair to the pharmacist,” said Joanne Doyle, the secretary of the Massachusetts Pharmacy Association.Doyle has been a pharmacist for over 25 years. She said she’s heard of the challenges patients are facing. She isn’t surprised because the long wait times are a symptom of a much larger problem that has been mounting in the industry for years.“Twenty years ago we would have had more staffing for certain areas and especially since COVID-19, the staffing has really dropped off and made it really challenging for a lot of pharmacists,” Doyle s...

Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson named AL Outstanding Rookie by fellow players

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

For the second time in three years, an Orioles rookie was recognized as the American League’s best by fellow major leaguers.On Thursday, Baltimore infielder Gunnar Henderson was named the AL’s Outstanding Rookie in the Major League Baseball Players Association’s Players Choice Awards. Ryan Mountcastle won the honor from his peers in 2021.Henderson opened the season viewed as baseball’s No. 1 overall prospect and the favorite to be the AL’s top rookie. He got off to a slow start in his first full major league season before turning it around emphatically. Two months into his rookie year, the then-21-year-old was batting .199 and had struck out in more than 30% of his plate appearances. But from that point on, he hit 23 home runs across 102 games, batting .275/.322/.531.On the season, Henderson hit 28 home runs — tied with Cal Ripken Jr. for the second most by a rookie in Orioles history behind Mountcastle’s 33 — with a .255 average and ....

Bruins knock off Leafs, 3-2, in shootout

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

The depleted Bruins had their chances to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in regulation and then again in overtime, but Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle scored in the shootout and Jeremy Swayman (33 saves in regulation) stopped William Nylander and Auston Matthews to lift the B’s to a 3-2 victory.The Bruins coughed up a two-goal lead n the second period and then could not cash in on an overtime power play, but they were able to push their record to 9-0-1 to start the season.With half their D corps missing, the B’s understandably started out a little shaky on their breakouts, but the Leafs were not were not accepting any gifts the B’s had to offer.Late n the period, Toronto appeared to be getting in a groove when their top two lines had back-to-back good shifts in the Boston zone but they were not able to get multiple chances on Swayman.Then the B’s took control of the game for a period of time.They broke the ice with 1:09 left in the first period on an all-around g...

Blue Jays and Merrifield decline $18M mutual option, will become free agent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:51 GMT

The Toronto Blue Jays and infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield have declined an $18-million mutual option for next season, allowing the veteran to become a free agent.Merrifield will collect a $500,000 buyout and head to the open market for the first time. He could still agree to a new deal with the Blue Jays. The 34-year-old had a productive season with the Blue Jays, slashing .272/.318/.382 with 11 home runs, 67 RBIs and 26 stolen bases across 145 games. Merrifield enjoyed a great start to the year, hitting .286/.342/.392 in 82 first-half games, but struggled down the stretch for the Blue Jays (.256/.286/.370 across 62 games). He’s still considered one of the better available players in what is expected to be a weak free-agent market. Related: Berrios, Kiermaier among 5 Blue Jays Gold Glove finalists The Blue Jays acquired Merrifield in August 2022 from the Kansas City Royals for Samad Taylor and Maximo Castillo. Toronto could look to replace Merrifield inte...