Picture this: You're a high school student, and the final bell of the day has just rung. You leave your un-air-conditioned classroom and start heading toward swim practice, thinking about how great jumping into a pool would feel after being in sweltering rooms all day. Unfortunately, most of your swim practices are on dry land. Oh, and when you decide to to take a quick bathroom break on your way to practice, you use a porta potty because your school's restrooms aren't currently functioning.

As awful and ridiculous as this scenario sounds, this has been the reality for the students of San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay high schools. Thankfully, a massive, five-year construction plan called Measure D is in the process of fixing this.

"This summer we did a surge of work," said Anthony Palazzo, San Luis Coastal Unified School District director of facilities, operations, and transportation. "Now the students are going to see the changes."

It all began in 2014. Measure D, a $177 million bond measure, was proposed by SLCUSD and passed with 72 percent approval. However, it was not until two years later that any construction started happening.

"From the get-go, we got the community involvedstaff, students, parentsand said, 'Hey, what do we want to do?'" said Ryan Pinkerton, SLCUSD assistant superintendent of business services. "That alone took about eight months. Then we hired architects to design it all, and that can take nine months to a year ... . The hardest part is that it takes a long time."

Though every step of the plan took a while, Pinkerton said that the longest was the approval process. In order to become reality, Measure D had to be approved not only by local voters, but also by the DSA (Division of the State Architect), which takes about a year. Now that all the planning and preparation is out of the way, however, progress has become more visible.

Both high schools are getting new gyms, tennis courts, all-weather tracks, and, of course, pools. Construction for the gyms began in late July, which was ahead of schedule for SLO High since work on their gym was originally planned for winter 2018.

"Our budgeting has been spot-on for the first round [of projects]," Palazzo said. "And I'm not just blowing smoke ... . There have been hiccups, not fatal errors."

One of these "hiccups" came during the underground digging where Morro Bay High's old, filled-in pool once stood. Palazzo said that they found "a few surprises, so to speak," mainly in the form of pipes being different lengths, going in different directions, and being in different locations than expected. That stage of the project was successfully completed, though, and the current goal is to have the pool filled sometime in August.

"We're hoping we'll be swimming by early fall," Palazzo said.

These recreation-based projects are significant because they will benefit not only the schools but the community as well. According to both Palazzo and Pinkerton, SLCUSD will allow those facilities to be open to the public so that the cities can use them for programs such as swimming lessons or exercise classes.

There were rumors about this not being the case, specifically with the Morro Bay High tennis courts, after one Morro Bay resident wrote a letter to New Times saying that he was not able to access them during hours they were supposed to be open to the public.

"The tennis courts were inadvertently locked by a substitute custodian," Palazzo said. "We wrote a rebuttal and investigated it. ... [The custodian] didn't know better."

Pinkerton wrote the rebuttal, explaining the mistake and urging anyone confused about school or district policies to contact the school or district for clarification.

As for the more academic-oriented projects, several classrooms are being renovated on both campuses, including a robotics lab for SLO High that should be finished just in time for the new school year.

"We'll probably be pushing furniture in the night before school starts," Palazzo said.

According to Pinkerton, two model classrooms were set up in SLO High prior to construction to gauge student feedback.

"We had things like flat screens, white boards, all around the room," he said. "We figured we should test it out before spending all that money on 200 classrooms."

It's not just high school students who benefit, either. Pinkerton said the focus has been on the high schools since a different project, Measure A, had already been passed to improve the elementary and middle schools. But they are "trying to touch every campus in some way." This includes the installation of new phone systems, new fire alarms, and LED lights.

"They're huge energy savers, and they come on instantly," Pinkerton said in regards to the lights. "It used to take 15 to 20 minutes for the lights to warm up."

All of the construction projects are expected to be finished by summer 2021. For a complete timeline of projects or other information about Measure D, check out sanluiscoastalmeasured.org.

"I love turning it over to the teachers and students, seeing the smiles on their faces," Palazzo said. "That's always been my favorite. ... It sounds hokey, but it's true. I always say the best days are the day we start and the day we finish. In between, it's usually a nightmare."

Reach contributer Katrina Borges through the editor at clanham@newtimesslo.com.

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Fix in progress - New Times San Luis Obispo - New Times SLO

Despite how the header image above may be construed, "England vs Scotland" as featured in KieranMerrilees' GTA 5 Project London mod pertains to the national football (soccer) teams and not an inter-British Isles battle royale.

The mod itself is a work-in-progress project of Merrilees' that's been in the works for the past several months. At present it recreates famous London landmarks in Grand Theft Auto 5, but in time hopes to "eventually do a full map overhaul with British textures [that] give it a London look."

For now, Project London includes Heathrow Airport, St Thomas Hospital, The Royal London Hospital, a few London Fire Brigade stations, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Some of those feature in the following screens:

Further down the line, Merrilees aims to finish creating Heathrow, and introduce London hotels, London bus stops, and "many other things" in their quest to reimagine the UK capital in the sprawling open world sandbox.

More information, including installation instructions and mods which compliment Project London, can be found in this direction.And since we're talking mods, check out our extensive list of the best GTA 5 mods via that link.

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GTA 5 Project London mod is a work-in-progress map overhaul - PC Gamer

Hertz's luck may be turning around, but investors will need to wait longer to see results.

Shares of the rental-car company soared nearly 20 percent on Wednesday after positive comments by CEO Kathryn Marinello.

"We have made significant progress in the first half of the year, executing on our operating turnaround plan," Marinello said in a press release Tuesday. "Admittedly, we still have a lot of work to do, but these early wins are evidence that we have the right plan in place to ultimately achieve best-in-class outcomes."

The CEO says the company is focusing on downsizing its fleet of depreciating cars by increasing spending to complete its "transformation" of its fleet.

"Of course, the hard work always comes before the pay off as reflected in our second quarter results, where increased spending to fix areas of weakness and invest in areas of opportunity were exacerbated by a challenging vehicle residual environment in the U.S.," Marinello wrote.

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Hertz shares skyrocket nearly 20% after CEO says there's been 'significant progress' in its turnaround plan - CNBC

The address for the latest million-square-foot Hobby Lobby warehouse will be 6701 SW 44. When it's complete next year, the closely held arts-and-crafts retail giant will have nearly 10.5 million square feet of warehouses in southwest Oklahoma City. [PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN]

A million square feet here and a million square feet there, and pretty soon you're talking about Hobby Lobby, which just started yet another nearly 1 million-square-foot warehouse near its corporate headquarters.

When the new distribution center at 6701 SW 44 is finished a year from now, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. will own nearly 10.5 million square feet of warehouse space, including a small percentage of office space in each structure, in industrial southwest Oklahoma City.

That's 241 acres, indoors, enough for 185 football fields.

That's about 10 percent of all industrial space in Oklahoma City, owned and leased, according to industrial broker Randy Lacey at CBRE.

Hobby Lobby "has by far the largest nongovernment owner-occupied industrial complex in Oklahoma," said industrial broker Bob Puckett at Price Edwards & Co.

But there's more: Hobby Lobby also has some 1,200 acres in hand for future expansion, said Bob Miller, communications coordinator.

Financials

Hobby Lobby ended 2016 with nearly 750 stores in 47 states, well on its way to a long-term goal of 1,000, according to retail consultancy Creditintell.

Hobby Lobby said it opened 56 new locations last year and planned to open another 60 and add 1,700 to 1,500 new employees this year.

Creditintell said the privately held company, which is affiliated with the Mardel Christian & Education and Hemispheres chains, had estimated revenue of $4.3 billion for 2016, an 8 percent increase compared with the previous year.

Hobby Lobby's rapid expansion is being funded with strong cash flow annual earnings of an estimated $860 million, or 20 percent before financial expenses with no debt, but $275 million in unsecured revolving credit with Bank of Oklahoma, according to Creditintell.

Retail acumen

Hobby Lobby also has been taking advantage of store closings in preferred community shopping centers and power centers. It often moves into spaces vacated by Sports Authority, Kmart, Sport Chalet and Sears, Creditintell said in a May 15 report.

"The glut of available real estate in the wake of the Sports Authority liquidation and Kmart's continued closings has allowed Hobby Lobby to opportunistically move into new locations at favorable lease terms," Creditintell said.

It is a well-run company, said Jim Parrack, retail specialist and vice president at Price Edwards & Co. commercial realty.

"They have no debt, which is almost unheard of in retail, and stick to what works," he said. "They value their employees and spend time training them, which leads to better customer experiences, critical in this day and age.

"And Hobby Lobby falls into the category of a value retailer, a category of which has held up well through the economic ups and downs of the last several years."

Industrial insight

Puckett said Hobby Lobby has been as savvy with its industrial development decisions at home as it has with retail property planning across the country.

"They have developed a supply and delivery system to their stores across the country that allows them to operate out of one location," he said. "This avoids expensively duplicating regional distribution centers in various locations. Part of this advantage is being centrally located in Oklahoma City with adjacent to major country-spanning interstate highways.

"Hobby Lobby is the best example of the transportation advantages to Oklahoma that the state Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce have been emphasizing for years."

Faith base

Parrack said the conservative Christian faith of the owners, the Green family, is an important part of the Hobby Lobby story even if it's a new warehouse getting attention.

Hobby Lobby stores are famously closed on Sundays out of the family's religious conviction, and the company has also been known since the mid 1990s for placing full-page newspaper ads nationwide celebrating Christmas, Easter and Independence Day.

Parrack said the Green family's faith, and its influence on its business decisions, are part of the extended Hobby Lobby saga, the chain's continued expansion nationally, and its growing industrial footprint in southwest Oklahoma City.

"You can't talk about Hobby Lobby without thinking of them as a faith-based company, and, while there are no analytics to determine what role that's played in their success, it's who they are and can't be overlooked," he said.

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Hobby Lobby is one big arts and crafts project in progress - NewsOK.com

For the first time in decades, progress is being made in cleaning up the abandoned Days Inn hotel near downtown Houston.

Matt Dougherty , KHOU 6:27 PM. CDT August 08, 2017

Nearly one month later, progress has been made on almost all of the citys stipulations for the abandoned former Days Inn hotel downtown, except for the 24-hour security guard. (Photo: KHOU)

HOUSTON - Obvious progress has been made nearly one month after KHOU 11 News first started asking questions about downtowns most dangerous building.

The abandoned and vacant former Days Inn hotel located on 801 St. Joseph Parkway has been an eyesore for residents and visitors alike for nearly two decades.

Related:Exclusive look inside 'dangerous' vacant downtown hotel

Houstonians doing business in downtown told KHOU 11 News the building had become a hazard with falling shards of broken glass and a place that attracted crime.

City code enforcement officials gave the owners a three-week timeline to secure entry points into the property, cover up all visible graffiti, remove all broken windows from the building and hire a round-the-clock security guard to supervise the property.

Nearly one month later, progress has been made on almost all of the citys stipulations, except for the 24-hour security guard.

Enforcement is a useful tool the city will continue to use to make Houston as livable and safe as ever, said Houstons public works and enforcement spokeswoman,Alanna Reed, in an e-mailed statement. But punishment is not the goal.Compliance is. In this case the owner is making efforts to comply, and city departments will continue to work with the owner and monitor the case until we get the final result that the public deserves.

Passersby in downtown Tuesday did not seem to share the optimistic sentiments of the city.

Well, they need to renovate it or tear it down, Ed Welch said. Im not so sure it can be renovated, so lets implode it.

The propertys owners could not be reached by Tuesday evening. In previous interviews, the owners said they had been approved by the parent company of Holiday Inn to construct an $85 million hotel.

The former Days Inn remains at the top of the citys most-dangerous downtown buildings list.

Photos: Exclusive look inside 'dangerous' vacant downtown hotel

2017 KHOU-TV

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Progress made at 'dangerous' vacant downtown hotel - KHOU

Harvey threw 25 pitches to Nimmo, who made little solid contact but did line a couple of singles to right field.

I havent faced Harvey before, so I didnt have too many preconceived notions, Nimmo said. But obviously you know the name and go in there expecting good stuff. It looked like good stuff to me.

Harvey seemed to agree. I got after it pretty good today, he said. I was obviously a little rusty at first, but then towards the end I was able to get the ball down and finish the pitches that I wanted to. Everything felt great.

Harvey made just 13 starts this season, with a 4-3 record and career-high 5.25 earned run average, before sustaining a shoulder injury. This is the third injury-shortened season of Harveys five-year career; he missed all of 2014 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and much of 2016 because of thoracic outlet syndrome, requiring more surgery.

But Collins said that Harvey, who was also suspended by the team after failing to show up to a game in May, had shown a strong commitment to his rehabilitation this year.

Hes got himself in tremendous shape, and hes done everything weve asked him to do, Collins said. Hes determined to be back, and I think he will be back.

Harvey, 28, left that June 14 game after four innings, having allowed four earned runs and three home runs. His fastball was clocked at 87 miles per hour, a number Harvey said he had not seen since high school.

The next day, a magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a stress injury to the scapula in his pitching shoulder. Harvey was treated with a platelet-rich plasma injection and shut down.

The long-term prospects for Harveys Mets career are still in doubt his status in the rotation has been supplanted by Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom and although he is under team control for one more season, there is no guarantee the Mets will try to retain him when he becomes a free agent.

In the short term, Collins cautioned that Harvey faced plenty of work before he could return to the majors. Youre going to have increase the pitches, youre going to have to increase the effort, hes going to have to see hitters, and hes got to find his off-speed pitches, Collins said.

He added, Its going to be a process.

A version of this article appears in print on August 9, 2017, on Page B9 of the New York edition with the headline: Harvey Advances Toward a Return This Year.

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For Matt Harvey, Pitching to a Teammate Represents Progress - New York Times

Christine Stuart, CTNewsJunkie.com

Photo: Christine Stuart / CTNewsJunkie

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz.

Little progress following Connecticut budget discussions

HARTFORD >> It was the first meeting of Democratic and Republican legislative leaders since passage of the state employee concession package, but theyre no closer to resolving the two-year budget deficit than they were in June.

The labor package resolved $1.57 billion of the two-year $5.1 billion budget deficit, but the two parties were no closer to eliminating the rest of the $3.5 billion state budget deficit Tuesday.

After meeting for more than an hour behind closed doors at the state Capitol, members of both caucuses and parties emerged to tell reporters they are continuing to share information about how to resolve the remainder of the budget deficit.

I want to share ideas and thoughts, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said. I think the people of Connecticut want us to work together.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said theres no question the people of Connecticut want the parties to work together, but we have different ideas about how the state of Connecticut moves forward.

She said Republicans dont believe tax increases will fix those problems.

Were open to see if there are any other ways to move the budget forward without them, Klarides said.

The Senate Democratic caucus has also bristled at the notion of a sales tax increase to 6.99 percent. The House Democrats have maintained their support for a sales tax increase to help municipalities keep property taxes low, but Aresimowicz admitted that a budget with a sales tax increase wouldnt pass the Senate.

Aresimowicz said Tuesdays discussion was hard because they dont have a completed budget document to negotiate.

This isnt a single party negotiation, Aresimowicz said.

He said it has to pass the House, the Senate, and it has to be signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. And theres no document they can all agree on that would get enough votes at this point to become law.

Read more at CTNewsJunkie.com.

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Little progress following Connecticut budget discussions - New Haven Register

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LendingClub Corp and OnDeck Capital Inc surprised investors on Monday with strong growth forecasts that sent the online lenders' stocks soaring, but analysts said the sector's health was still a concern.

Online lenders soared in popularity after the financial crisis when banks pulled back from traditional lending and borrowers sought other options. But rising delinquencies have made it harder to raise funds for fresh loans, prompting the sector to review its business model, which tends to attract borrowers with low credit quality.

LendingClub, which serves individuals, and OnDeck, which caters to small businesses, are cutting costs and trying to attract borrowers with better credit.

Executives of both companies were upbeat about the progress in their turnaround plans after they reported second-quarter results.

"It's great to be back to growth," LendingClub Chief Executive Scott Sanborn said in an interview. "We are excited about the momentum building in the business and the massive opportunity that lies ahead."

Sanborn took on the CEO role last year after his predecessor, LendingClub founder Renaud Laplanche, was ousted in a scandal over disclosures and potential conflicts of interest.

In a post-earnings interview, OnDeck CEO Noah Breslow called it "a positive quarter."

"We have done a lot of work to restructure the business," he said.

OnDeck shares closed 18.5 percent higher at $5, and LendingClub ended up 4.8 percent $5.46. The stocks rose in after-hours trading but remain far below their initial public offering prices of $20 and $15, respectively.

On conference calls, analysts probed executives about their forecasts, questioning whether online lenders could deliver on promises for loan growth, credit quality and profitability.

While OnDeck's initiatives were bearing fruit, the company remains a "'show me' story for investors," BTIG analyst Mark Palmer wrote in a research note.

Prosper Marketplace Inc, another online lender, has been looking to raise a new round of funding in exchange for equity at a price that would slash its market value by more than 70 percent, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

The Information first reported last week on Prosper's fundraising effort.

Earnest Corp is looking to sell itself for $200 million, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, far less than the $300 million it has raised from investors.

The sector has been expected to consolidate for several months, and mergers could be on the horizon, venture capitalists, investment bankers and analysts said in recent weeks. In theory, companies can improve profits by merging because they would need to spend less money on marketing and technology, and be able reach more customers.

"There have been too many princes wanting to be kings and they will not all be successful," Ryan Gilbert, partner of financial technology venture capital firm Propel Venture Partners, said in an interview.

Reporting by Anna Irrera and David French; Writing by Lauren Tara LaCapra; Editing by Richard Chang

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Online lenders upbeat about turnaround progress, but worries linger - Reuters

LENOIR COUNTY, NC (WITN) Tuesday marked ten months since Hurricane Matthew brought historic flooding to parts of eastern Carolina, including much of Lenoir County.

Communities there have spent countless hours and millions of dollars to rebuild homes and businesses, and now they're looking into what options they have to protect themselves from future floods.

But that unfortunately is much easier said than done and something that worries local business owners.

Russell Rhodes of Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston says, "On the outside looking in everything looks good, but we're still struggling a little on the inside and nervous. Everytime a thunderstorm comes through I check the river levels to see if it can handle that water."

As a result, some businesses aren't taking any chances. Places like this Bojangles on U.S. 70 constructed their building on an additional four feet of land that should protect it the next time it floods.

Mayor BJ Murphy says that it's preparation like this that will best serve businesses in the area, as help on a larger scale will not be quick. "The truth is no matter where we are in our flood prevention discussion with the Army Corps of Engineers it's still not going to be fast enough for this hurricane season, next hurricane season, this is literally going to take an act of Congress."

And as far as residents go, officials say the best option they're looking into involves purchasing properties and relocating people to keep them out of harms way.

All roads that were closed and in need of repair due to the flooding in Lenoir County have reopened according to Len White, the Lenoir County Maintenance Engineer, who is now overseeing the upsizing of drain pipes under local highways that will hopefully alleviate some of the flooding when it happens in the future.

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Much progress, but more recovery to go 10 months after Hurricane Matthew hits Lenoir County - WITN

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.s strategy to entice shoppers and get them to pay more for its luxury apparel and handbags is showing some signs of success.

Profit and sales in the quarter that ended in July both exceeded analysts estimates, driving the shares up as much as 14 percent in early trading.

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The fashion house has been refreshing designs and sprucing up stores to lure customers to pay full price for products, while reducing department storemarkdowns, which have eroded its brand cachet. Last month, Michael Kors agreed to buy shoemaker Jimmy Choo Plc for $1.2 billion to add luster to the brand, and Chief Executive Officer John Idol said hes planning for more acquisitions to boost growth.

The strategy is akin to that of rival Coach Inc., which bought shoe brand Stuart Weitzman in 2015 and handbag maker Kate Spade & Co. in May. While Michael Kors isshuttering as many as 125 retail locations in the next two years as part of its turnaround plan, it ended last quarter with 67 more stores than it had a year earlier -- a total of 838.

Investors have been afraid that Michael Kors was on a downward spiral, but this result appears to show them emerging from that black hole, said Simeon Siegel, an analyst at Instinet LLC. With better-than-expected numbers, Michael Kors can work to regain the permission to charge full price to customers, he said.

While same-store sales -- a closely watched measure -- fell 5.9 percent, that was far less than the average 8.9 percent estimate of analysts, according to Consensus Metrix. Idol said the company saw better-than-expected results in both North America and Europe.

Shares of the London-based company climbed as high as $42.60 in premarket trading. The stock had declined 13 percent this year through Mondays close.

Excluding some items, profit was 80 cents a share last quarter. That topped analysts average 62-cent projection. Sales fell 3.6 percent to $952.4 million, compared with estimates for $919 million.

Michael Kors also raised its forecast for full-year earnings to $3.62 to 3.72 a share. In May, it said it expected profit of $3.57 to $3.67.

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Michael Kors Surges as Turnaround Efforts Show Progress - Bloomberg

The Sedalia City Council approved a bid for the removal of this building at 302 W. Third St. during Monday nights meeting. The building will make way for the future Sedalia Police Department station.

Photo by Nicole Cooke | Democrat

While there havent been many public updates on the future Sedalia Police Department station, the Sedalia City Council approved a bid during Monday nights meeting to help move the project forward.

Council approved a bid from All Weather Heating and Cooling for disposal of property, 302 W. Third St. in downtown Sedalia, which formerly housed the Bryant Motor sales office and multiple hair salons. According to the contract in the meeting packet, All Weather will remove the building in mid-September and pay the city $500.

Mayor Stephen Galliher told the Democrat that removing the building will save the city the cost of demolition.

The police station came in a little under budget, Galliher said. We hope to get the building removed soon and the other one (on the future SPD station property) demoed.

Galliher said he believes groundbreaking will occur in October for the new station, noting that is weather dependent.

We just have to finish up finalizing the financing of it. Theres a couple options were looking at and well take the best option in the near future. Ill be happy when I see machinery digging dirt over there, Galliher said. Its a much-needed expansion. It shouldve been done years ago.

Galliher said the city is trying to plan ahead by creating a building that can be expanded in the future, to avoid the current problem of needing to construct a new building.

With the new station underway, Galliher added that staff is now starting to work on ideas for a future Sedalia Community Center, after he and council told former Park Director Mark Hewett and the Park Board to go back to the drawing board to lower the cost.

Were trying to move forward with that and get it done. Im hoping we come in much less than the original. I thought we could do it a lot less so I put a halt to it a few months ago and now were starting back up, Galliher said. I think the city really needs one and weve tried for years. Maybe this time well get it done.

During the pre-council meeting, council heard from Sedalia Regional Airport Director Eric Bowers regarding the need to control wildlife at the airport for safety reasons. He said deer are frequently in the area of the airport and even on the runway, which can cause a crash if pilots are unable to see the animal in time.

He obtained councils approval to move forward with pursing options to contain the problem. One option was obtaining a permit from the Missouri Department of Conservation for a closed hunt. Another was thining out the treeline to discourage wildlife from the area.

Bowers said he looked into getting a wildlife fence for around the airport property, but said that option isnt feasible because it would cost roughly $1.5 million.

During the meeting council also:

Approved a bid of $28,564 and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Agricycle Inc. for the yard waste grinding No. 9 project.

Approved an ordinance approving an agreement with Mission Communications LLC for software utilized by the Water Pollution Control Department SCADA system and ratifying the actions previously taken on past agreements.

Approved a bid of $73,737 and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Poort Excavating LLC for storm drainage improvements, project areas 5B and 32 from the Storm Water Master Plan. This is the plan approved by council about three years ago.

Approved the appointment of Alice Clopton to the Sedalia Public Library Board for a three-year term expiring in June 2020.

Ward 4 Councilman Tollie Rowe was absent. A detective sergeant with the Pettis County Sheriffs Office, he was in Henry County assisting with the manhunt for a suspect who shot a Clinton police officer Sunday night.

The Sedalia City Council approved a bid for the removal of this building at 302 W. Third St. during Monday nights meeting. The building will make way for the future Sedalia Police Department station.

http://www.sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_TSD080817Council.jpgThe Sedalia City Council approved a bid for the removal of this building at 302 W. Third St. during Monday nights meeting. The building will make way for the future Sedalia Police Department station. Photo by Nicole Cooke | Democrat

Nicole Cooke can be reached at 660-530-0138 or on Twitter @NicoleRCooke.

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Progress continues on new Sedalia Police Department station plans - Sedalia Democrat

The regional office of the Bureau of Land Management reported this morning that firefighting crews have made significant progress on stopping the advance of the Mammoth Fire, which started Friday north of Shoshone and marched northward over the weekend through sagebrush and grasslands to the south of Blaine County.

The BLM reported Monday morning that it expects to have the fire contained by 8 p.m. tonight, Aug. 7, and controlled by Thursday night. The fire has burned about 50,200 acres of land.

The BLM reported that a "burnout" operation on Sunday was successful in eliminating fuels in the fire's path and that most of the fire's progression had been stopped.

"Crews are improving containment lines and mopping up hotspots," the BLM reported. "Some interior burning is expected today, but should not cause any additional growth."

The BLM has 24 engines, two hand crews,one hot-shot crew, 20 aircraft, four bulldozers, three water tenders and one camp crew fighting the fire.

The wildfire started about seven miles north of Shoshone, near the Mammoth Ice Caves, on Friday, of an undetermined cause. Over the weekend, it burned north to within about seven miles of Carey. On Sunday, crews were able to stop the fire at the Picabo Desert Road, south of Timmerman Hill.

The fire has burned one residence and two minor structures, the BLM reported.

On Saturday night and Sunday morning, the fire threatened to destroy a primary electrical transmission line into the Wood River Valley. County officials and residents were put on alert Saturday that loss of the line could cause a sustained power outage in the valley. Idaho Power Co. and BLM crews were able to prevent severe damage to the line and power to Blaine County was never lost.

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Crews make progress on Mammoth Fire - Idaho Mountain Express and Guide

MADISONOn Saturday, Wisconsin offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph met with reporters after the Badgers sixth practice of fall camp.

For nearly 10 minutes, he answered questions ranging from the combination of offensive linemen that could start for Wisconsin beginning on Sept. 1 against Utah State to the other skill positions including wide receiver and his starting quarterback.

On redshirt junior Michael Deiter transitioning to left tackle and where he is in terms of getting comfortable: I think hes making some great strides. I really do. Hes smart, there are some things thatll pop out. Itll be something he hasnt quite done yettheres this pressure against that run, that pass, but hes really making strides. I think he could be a difference-maker and make a bigger impact at that spot so we gotta see, we gotta see how it figures out, but right now hes doing a good job.

If he has to get a different combination on the offensive line, how far do they go into camp and how much time do they give themselves? As we work through, hell be getting reps at center, and hell be getting reps at left tackle. And really, I do feel like reps at left tackle, especially versus our defense with the variations, wont really bother him if he had to do both. But im trying to keep him as much as he can. I know hes got a solid base playing center but hell get more of those as the camp progresses.

On wide receivers and, outside of Jazz Peavy, having players that may be inexperienced: Ive liked it. Inexperienced, but guys that have played. Like A.J. [Taylor] played last year, and Quintez [Cephus] has played and George [Rushing] is a senior. Im excited about those guys, and I think its a little bit different approach when you have played.

Now, KP [redshirt freshman wide receiver Kendric Pryor] hasnt, but man, I see him growing from what he did in the spring, so I like what that group is doing and what theyre showing. I think I like that theyre playing fast. You can tell theres an understanding across the board, so hopefully that continues.

On Wisconsins tackles and if theres one who can play as a swing tackle: I kind of see how it goes. I think right now, someone who could be a swing could be David Edwards. I think then you have good communication left and right. You got [right guard] Beau [Benzschawel] on one side, you got him there, and then you would have David on the left. Same way if you have [redshirt junior guard] Micah [Kapoi] in there. You have communicationguys that have been through it and can talk.

On Tyler Biadasz and where hes at with communication: Hes owned it, and I dont think theres a guy in the room though that wouldnt say hes owned it by the way hes approached it and what hes done to this point. Hes got to keep fighting but hes doing a good job.

On the growth of Beau Benzschawel over the course of the offseason: Hes doing a good job. Hes trying to change some things up a little bit and play a little bit more aggressive, and hes getting there. Hes utilizing the technique. Hes playing smarter. You figure someone going into their junior year now showing that things on the field. I like the camp hes had so far. Hes still got to make some steps, but hes had a good camp.

On moving Benzschawel from tackle to guard as a redshirt freshman, and if it was a better fit for him long-term: I do think it was. It was a better fit for us at the time, and sometimes youre in a spot and youre trying to get it balanced and figured out, and sometimes it just starts playing mind games with you. So Jacob Maxwell did a great job on jumping in and filling that role, and we moved Beau over and he kind of found a home. You saw a different player, a different confidence, and Ive liked that about him. But the thing I love is hes taking steps, hes getting better. Sos Micah, sos Jon Dietzen. Were going to need all of those guys.

Any surprises in the first week, and what needs to still get done in the next two/three weeks? I dont know if anythings surprised me to this point. I would say what needs to get done would be just solidifying the depth. Kind of some of the things you were alluded to, who will be the back-up center? Whos going to win that job? How are we going to adjust if we need to? The third tackle, the third guard. We know we got three guards that have played extensively. I feel confident with those guys that well find two game in and game out thatll find fight to get it done. I think thats the fun part of camp, so we got that ahead.

On redshirt sophomore tight end Kyle Penniston and if he should be better this year than last year and in what ways: I hope so, because hes done a good job. Penny can play. My big thing for him is he doesnt have to surprise us anymore. I believe he can do it every play regardless of assignment. He doesnt have to worry about a pass or a run, I think hes a heck of a football player. His growth has to be from no more surprising us if we can just lean on him and count him to get it done every time. And he can do it, so Im excited for him.

On Penniston becoming a two-way tight end (both pass catcher and blocker): Hes got to be both. I think thats the best part of playing tight end. You got to be both. He has the potential to be there, and I believe hell be there by the end of camp. Hes still got to keep taking some steps.

Happy with the scholarship numbers on the offensive line? Lacking anywhere? I think we have a good group that were working with in the two-deep. Overall, youre always trying to balance things out but I think this group of guys in the two-deepthere are three redshirt freshmen in therebut I still think its the most solid two-deep that weve had, so I feel good about that.

On going up against the defense and how it improves the offense: I think our D does an amazing job coaching-wise, player-wise, the experience they have, the detail they bring to their play, I think it really makes you play with an awareness. You cant relax for one second, whether its seeing something before the snap, being able to adjust, make calls. They really help, I think, expand the knowledge base of your o-line, and thats a good thing for us. So its always a challenge. Its fun.

What have you liked about what Alex Hornibrook has done over the past couple of practices? I think for Alex, like, the install, what weve done is because we havent had a lot of padded practices weve really had a lot of volume in the install. And so as he is able to allow that to kind of settle in, I think its pretty great. I can imagine what is on him now compared to what weve tried to do in the past. And then I expect him just to keep playing faster and faster, but his confidence in the huddle, his understanding, his leadership, his command of things, I couldnt be more excited about what I see there.

Have you found your best five guys on the offensive line? I like this five. I think what we talked about is really working hard to try to find, try to make sure we have things in place for how we back those up. Guys have a chancelike theres a back-up center position that Id love someone to step in and just own. Id love to not have to move back Michael from left tackle back to center. Theres a chance like, theres a competition at guard. I have three guards with a lot of experience that are all playing and wanting to see that competition develop. I want to see one of the young tackles fight, to push, to create that competition. Right now, these five have been the best, and thats why its been represented that way, but youll see a little bit more rotation this week.

About David Moorman and Cole Van Lanens progression: I like it. I think theres threeI think theres [Patrick] Kasl, I think theres Moorman, and I think theres Van Lanen. Right now, Ive really been using more Moorman as kind of the swing [tackle] and the other two keeping them in place so they can keep developing.

I think Cole has taken a step fromI thought the spring game was his best practice of the spring. I think hes continued to take steps from there, barring I haven't seen todays practice, but what I saw I thought was better. Patrick, the same, hes getting back to his form. David is competing, so I think we got to find who that third guy is and feel confident with him, and I think it hasnt been answered quite yet.

Excerpt from:

Joe Rudolph talks Wisconsin offense's progress in camp - Bucky's 5th Quarter

Paulie Malignaggi reiterated his claims that Conor McGregor did not knock him down, but rather was pushed down, in an appearance on Fox 5s Sports Xtra (h/t Octagon Entertainment) that was broadcast on Sunday night.

The former two-weight world champion left the McGregor camp last week after photos emerged online of a sparring session he had McGregor, with one photograph suggesting that the Irishman knocked Malignaggi, the far more experienced boxer, to the canvas.

Appearing on the show alongside anchor Duke Castiglione, Malignaggi spoke about the incidents that led to him departing the camp, McGregors poor treatment of his sparring partners and how the UFC star, despite being a fighter, will find it very hard to make up the technical gulf between him and Floyd Mayweather.

He specifically claimed that McGregors arrogance will not allow him to progress as a boxer.

My problem with Conor is his arrogance, said Malignaggi.

His arrogance is to the point where he cant progress. He cant learn. He just wants a bunch of yes men around him.

He doesnt want to be told that hes doing something wrong. He doesnt want to be told that he needs to make progress, so that he needs to change certain things.

Whatever hes doing, he just wants to be told how great hes doing.

Read more:

Paulie Malignaggi: Conor McGregor is 'arrogant to the point where he can't progress' - MMA Fighting

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Detroit's Primary Is a Referendum on Progress Since Bankruptcy Wall Street Journal (subscription) Detroit is gearing up for a nonpartisan mayoral primary Tuesday that will signal whether the progress the city made under Mayor Mike Duggan is enough to propel him to a second term in November. Since filing the country's largest municipal bankruptcy in ... and more »

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Detroit's Primary Is a Referendum on Progress Since Bankruptcy - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

The Beverly Hilton ballroom got chillier than normal on Sunday at the Television Critics Association press tour talk with the executive producers and cast of ABC's Marvel's Inhumans.

When executive producers Scott Buck and Jeph Loeb were asked by a reporter if the unfinished pilot provided to TCA reporters was the show they always intended to make, or if it was compromised by the challenges of using IMAX, Loeb responded that the question sounded more like an editorial comment and he wasn't clear of what was being asked. The reporter clarified the query,asking if what was screened was the version of the show intended, Loeb responded icily that, "The show you have seen is not the finished product."

Set to premiere in IMAX theaters on September 1st with a 75-minute version of the first two episodes, and then drop with an expanded 84-minute premiere with new footage on September 29th on ABC, Marvel's Inhumans is the first-of-its-kind partnership between a broadcast TV series and IMAX. With less than a month before the series drops in theaters, there's been plenty of speculation by press and fans if the ambitious alien characters (including a giant time-traveling dog and a character with prehensile hair) would be doable on a TV budget and time crunch.

In the meantime, Loeb did confirm that because of the Inhumans storyline on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "You do know [the Marvel's Inhumans characters] are aware of what is happening in the continuity of S.H.I.E.L.D. But this series has its own story. And the Inhumans part of S.H.I.E.L.D. are their own story."

Loeb reiterated Inhumans is a story "about two brothers, told in a Shakespearean way, and the woman in between them." He is referring to the brothers of Black Bolt (Anson Mount) and Maximus (Iwan Rheon), who have diametrically opposing ideas of how to deal with Earth. Plus there's a very complicated relationship with Bolt's wife, Medusa, (Serinda Swan), who functions as her husband's interpreter, and her childhood friendship with Maximus that creates tension to this day amongst the trio.

As to Medusa, who sports flaming red hair that comes to life via CGI and can grab and fight independently, actress Swan admitted it's been a learning process to figure out how to make it work. "The wig is very heavy. People say I have such good posture but it's my head being pulled backward," she laughed. "[Hair like this] has never been done before so there are going to be issues. Software had to be built for it. But there are definitely days shooting in Hawaii that a four-pound wig felt like a cat cuddling on my head. Then sometimes, you feel Cher-like and fabulous as it also changes her stature. Her hair is prehensile. Everyday Medusa with straight hair is relaxing." Swan characterized her active hair as "a second character. It's a serious roommate that is always in your business."

See the rest here:

TCA17: Marvel Inhuman's executive producers defend work in progress pilot - SYFY WIRE (blog)

Mirror file photos by Gary M. Baranec David Gan demonstrates the features of some of the drones he was exhibiting and selling during the 2016 Ag Progress Days. Jesse Darlington Jr., the interim manager of the exposition following the retirement of longtime manager Robert Oberheim, said technology has benefitted the agricultural industry.

Ag Progress Days has a new leader, but hes not exactly a rookie.

Jesse Darlington Jr., a facilities coordinator in Penn States College of Agricultural Sciences, was named interim manager of the exposition following the retirement of longtime manager Robert Oberheim.

I had been site manager for 20 years, so this isnt anything new to me, just a little more work. Bob Oberheim created a great show over the years; I would be crazy not to keep it that way, Darlington said.

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvanias largest outdoor agricultural exposition, will be held Aug. 15-17 at Penn States Research Center at Rock Springs.

Ag Progress Days features the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs and guided tours. It is one of only three agricultural exhibitions in the country sponsored by a major university. Exhibits showcase the latest in Penn State research, as well as information on best management practices and changing regulations in the agricultural industry.

The big thing is technology in agriculture. It is exciting where we have been going over the last 20 years. With technology, we have drones, we have autonomous tractors. Technology is here. You have crops producing more on smaller acreage. It is exciting, and you need to keep up with it, Darlington said. The Ag Progress Days exposition is a must-see for all farmers, growers and anyone with an interest in agricultural advancements.

About 45,000 visitors are expected to converge on the 500-plus exhibitors from 34 states and four provinces of Canada.

Of the expected attendees, more than 60 percent are actively engaged in agriculture or related professions.

People come to become more educated, whether they are taking a cooking class or helping youth become more familiar with 4-H programs. People want to learn more about equipment and practices, Darlington said.

Field demonstrations are always a draw at Ag Progress Days.

A new demonstration in 2017 will spotlight pull-type, no-till corn planters. Other demonstrations will feature hay mowers, rakes and tedders, hay balers and bale handlers, Darlington said. All demonstrations are weather-permitting.

Darlington encourages producers attending Ag Progress Days to ask questions of Penn State faculty specialists and extension educators and talk with experts about the latest research findings, best practices, business issues and governmental regulations that could affect their operations. Information will be available on issues related to dairy, livestock and crop production; animal health; soil conservation; water quality; and ag renewable energy.

As usual, Ag Progress Days will have plenty of activities at the 4-H Youth Building where children can learn about 4-H programming in science, engineering, technology, citizenship, leadership and healthy living. They can find out how to get involved with 4-H, play with rabbits, see robotics demonstrations and learn about farm and home safety and plant diseases.

This years youth building will showcase the variety of activities that can be done in 4-H, said building coordinator Jeanette Blank, 4-H education program associate and teen program manager, in a statement. We are also excited to be hosting the first Ag Olympics event for our 4-H families and alumni, as well as the public.

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau will have numerous exhibits and activities including learning opportunities for young visitors inside its exhibit building.

Visitors can catch up on the latest legislative issues, talk with representatives offering money-saving member benefits and enjoy fun and educational activities geared toward children all under one roof.

Ag Progress Days is a highlight of the summer for farm families across Pennsylvania, because it offers an opportunity for farmers to learn more about new advances in agriculture and technology, obtain updated information on key issues impacting their businesses and a chance to socialize with other farmers and friends from across Pennsylvania, said PFB President Rick Ebert in a statement.

Sponsored by Penn States College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 15; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 16; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 17. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit http://apd/psu.edu.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.

A 24-year-old woman from Nanty Glo who wasnt named pending notification of next of kin was killed Sunday ...

Stephen M. Piner, a major player in a Baltimore-to-Altoona cocaine ring broken up by police in 2011, will not have ...

A 39-year-old Bedford woman is one of three defendants charged with criminal homicide in the death of a 50-year-old ...

BLUE KNOB Fire destroyed a house on Route 164, about halfway between East Freedom and Portage, late Sunday ...

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Ag Progress Days manager eager to retain traditions - Altoona Mirror

Overall, the UCLA football team seemed to have its best practice of Fall camp so far yesterday.

Josh Rosens throws were better for the most part, but still show signs of being a bit rusty.

Offensive Coordinator Jedd Fisch spoke about the overall state of the offense after practice yesterday. Its fun to see [the progress the team is making], Fisch said. Its been very minimal on the mistake side and very positive on the execution side. Theres a long way to go to where we want to be, but very happy so far.

Offensive line coach Hank Fraley also met with the media after practice yesterday and he spoke about the progress the line is making. Theyre coming out every day and all trying to get better, Fraley said.

Fraley also spoke about graduate transfer Sunny Odogwu. He wants perfection and thats a good thing, Fraley said. Were all striving for that and, if he messes something up, he tries not to make the mistake a second time and thats what you want to see from the whole group.

I shot video of four drills during yesterdays practice. First, we have the offensive line hitting the blocking sled.

Another offensive line drill from yesterday was a medicine ball drill.

The skilled players have been going through a rotation of drills. One of the rotations is the ball control drill seen in this video.

The last drill video for today is from the one-on-ones between the DBs and the WRs.

Thanks to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of Inside SoCal for todays post-practice interviews. First up, we have offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch.

Next, new offensive line coach Hank Fraley discusses his guys.

Finally, we have two of Coach Fraleys guys, Kenny Lacy and Andre James.

Go Bruins!!!

See more here:

UCLA Football Making Progress Offensively - Bruins Nation

Nope, not going to talk about the big league club. Not going to win, didnt do anything at the deadline to move the club in a positive direction for the future. Enjoy playing out the string, everybody. In fact, if I could come up with a way to not write about the big league team for the rest of the season, I might do it. Most likely, that will last until about this coming Wednesday, though. So give my pouting the amount of regard it calls for, which is frankly not very much.

In the meantime, however, I will talk about one of the more positive aspects of the 2017 season: the draft class. Admittedly, the 2017 draft class for the Cardinals doesnt come without some caveats in terms of how positive it can really be; the hacking penalties put the Cards and Randy Flores behind the eight ball, and ensured there was a fairly hard ceiling on how much they could get done. Within the confines of all that, though, Flores and his department did one of the more remarkable jobs I think Ive seen of acquiring talent.

So lets update the performances so far of a few notable draftees just starting out their pro careers, shall we?

Level: State College (Short Season)

134 PA, .299/.376/.470, 9.7% BB, 22.4% K, 2 HR, 8 2B, 3 3B, .171 ISO, 4/6 SB, 149 wRC+

So far, Scott Hurst is off to pretty much exactly the kind of start one would hope to see from him. One of the most, if not the most, dynamic talents the Cards grabbed on draft day, Hurst has shown some power, some speed, patience at the plate, and generally loud contact the majority of the time.

The strikeouts are a little higher than I would have hoped, but that seems to be the case with most of the Cardinal hitters even in the minors these days. To be fair, though, its Hursts first pro season, hes playing later than ever before, and seeing better competition than hes ever faced. Still, when I looked at him in college at the time of the draft, I thought he should run a sub-20% strikeout rate in the pros. So far, hes above that, though not terribly so. Still, with a walk rate close to 10% you dont worry as much about the strikeouts.

Hes running a very high BABIP (.384), but anecdotally from the one or two sources I have who have seen him play for the Spikes, hes also just hitting the hell out of the ball. The higher of the two short season leagues the Cardinals run, State College was a slightly aggressive assignment for Hurst, considering how much time he missed with back/spine issues in college, but so far both the stats and the eye tests suggest hes a little too good for the level. Very encouraging.

Level: Peoria (Low A)

116 PA, .255/.293/.373, 3 HR, 5/8 SB, 87 wRC+, 5.2% BB, 19.0% K

Scott Hursts placement at State College felt aggressive, but not overly so, and he has so far looked as if the organisations faith was well placed. Kramer Robertson, on the other hand, was placed even more aggressively as a college senior, sent straight to full-season Peoria, and at least to this point it looks like the placement may have been a little too aggressive.

To be fair, Robertson did come out of the gate quickly; in his first seven games he hit .367 with a couple home runs. After that, though, the former LSU Tiger found the going much tougher as a professional, particularly during a 3-for-33 tailspin to close July. Hes hit well so far in August, but suffice it to say Robertson has not come out and put himself on the fast track just yet. Considering hell turn 23 in a couple months, he should absolutely start no lower than Peoria next year, and should really move up to Palm Beach if he wants to get on any kind of prospect age track. Well have to see if the organisation believes him ready for that challenge, though.

Level: State College

119 PA, 15.1% BB, 20.2% K, .082 ISO, .233 BABIP, 89 wRC+

Kirtley, product of the same St. Marys program that brought the Cardinals the perpetual power tease of Patrick Wisdom, is in many ways the exact opposite of his fellow alum. Wisdom is a high-quality defender at third, with power to spare but poor contact skills and atrocious discipline. Kirtley, on the other hand, is all patience and discipline, with modest pop, questionable quality of contact (at least so far), and no real defensive home.

On the other hand, this is a player getting his first taste of pro ball, with an aggressive placement (particularly considering Kirtley is very young for a college draftee, not turning 21 until October), who is also walking over 15% of the time and striking out not much more than that. It was an open question what position Kirtley would play coming out of the draft, but so far the Cards seem dedicated to trying him out at second, perhaps just because they cant help themselves but try to corner the second base market completely.

Level: Johnson City (Short Season)

135 PA, .319/.430/.425, 136 wRC+, 13.3% BB, 16.3% K, 9 2B

First off, I skipped round six draftee Zach Jackson, the high school catcher with the big lefty uppercut, because hes only played in about a dozen games and hasnt really gotten going yet. Well check back in on him at a later date.

Pinder, meanwhile, received a less aggressive assignment than Scott Hurst, partially because I think the organisation wanted to challenge Hurst as their highest pick, but also because of the glut of outfielders at pretty much every level of the farm system. Pinder and Hurst being assigned to two different levels allows both to play center, where they need to be evaluated first.

The best part of Pinders line so far is that near-1:1 strikeout to walk ratio; hes rocking a hard-contact-assisted .389 BABIP as well. Hes also put the ball in the air more often than on the ground, with roughly 60% of his batted balls being either line drives or fly balls, compared to a little under 40% on the ground. Admittedly, stringers and batted ball date in the minors can be shaky, but its fair to say already that Pinder is doing pretty much everything right so far.

Oh, and another note: those numbers are from FanGraphs, but I happen to know Pinder just put up a 5-for-6 performance last night that should help his line even more.

Wilberto Rivera, the clubs eighth round pick, has thrown four innings. So, you know. Lets wait on that one.

Level: Peoria

7 GS, 34 IP, 6 HR, 5.03 ERA, 16.5% K, 3.4% BB , 48.6% GB

Kruczynski was pushed to full-season ball immediately and so far has been bitten by the home run bug. Beyond that, though, hes pretty well held his own. Hes not striking out a ton of hitters, but hes also not walking basically anyone at all. So, pretty much as advertised so far.

Level: Johnson City

6 Games, 2 GS, 16.2 IP, 17 K, 3 BB, 0.55 ERA

Brett Seeburger has been nothing short of awesome so far. He is 22 years old already, having been drafted as a college senior, and so is fairly advanced for the Appy League, but hes still come out and been great. I havent been able to lay eyes on him yet for Johnson City, but as good as hes been out of the gate I need to get a look soon.

Level: State College

165 PA, .370/.433/.541, 9.1% BB, 18.2% K, .452 BABIP, 13 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR

Evan Mendoza is a bad, bad man. At least in State College, anyway.

So far in his brief minor league career, Mendoza has done nothing but barrel up baseballs left and right, sending screaming line drives pretty much foul pole to foul pole. The strikeouts are not bad, the walks are just fine, and the contact has been phenomenal.

The only downside of Mendozas profile is hes running a very low fly ball rate, just over 25% of his batted balls so far. Now, theres absolutely the small sample issue, but thats very much the kind of hitter he was in college as well. He hits the ball hard, but the swing is fairly flat and doesnt lend itself to much loft. Still, hes done nothing but crush New York-Penn pitching this summer, and you have to kind of love how many of these draftees have been startlingly good to begin their careers.

Level: State College

24.1 IP, 1.85 ERA, 21.6% K, 13.7% BB, .313 BABIP

As for the Cards newest Stanford acquisition, Summerville has had some control issues in the early going, with the walks way up compared to what you might have expected of him coming out of college. Hes walked twelve hitters in his last four starts, though, so I suspect theres probably some fatigue involved. It wouldnt shock me to see the organisation shut him down relatively soon if he continues to labour, just to try and avoid any kind of injury risk elevated by him being tired and pitching later in the year than he has previously.

Level: Johnson City

15 G, 17.1 IP, 1.04 ERA, 37.3% K, 6% BB

What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is an extremely intriguing bullpen arm. Intriguing to the tune of 25 strikeouts in just 17 innings intriguing. Yes, its Johnson City, so a fairly conservative assignment for the lefty slinger, but those numbers are still remarkable. I thought at the time of the draft the Cards might have found a bit of a diamond in the rough with Patterson, and hes not disabusing me of that notion yet.

Level: Gulf Coast League (Rookie)

58 PA, 15.5% BB, 19.0% K, .311/.431/.489, 158 wRC+

Wow. Thats really about all there is to say about Donivan Williamss performance so far. I loved the bat speed, the arm strength, and the overall athleticism Williams brought to the table at the time of the draft, but in no way was I expected a kid with the kind of plate maturity hes shown immediately. High school kids do not come into pro ball and walk over 15% of the time. Or, at least, they dont do so while also striking out less than 20% of the time.

Its incredibly early, yes. But Donivan Williams has my full and undivided attention now.

Level: Gulf Coast League

82 PA, .219/.305/.370, 93 wRC+, 9.8% BB, 36.6% K, 3/3 SB, 2 HR

Terry Fuller has swung and missed quite a bit so far in pro ball. Thats not shocking, considering how short a time hes actually been concentrating fully on baseball, but its a good reminder that there were reasons why the guy who outhomered Bryce Harper at a showcase fell all the way to the fifteenth round. Not that he should have fallen anywhere near that far, mind you; Im just saying, there are reasons Fuller was not a top prospect in spite of some elite physical tools.

Hes looked very athletic in the outfield, and hit a couple of absolute moon shots right off the bat. Hes been fighting it as of late, however, it appears, which Im tempted to chalk at least partially up to tiring out, similarly to Andrew Summervilles declining control. Fuller the first couple weeks of his season was much more patient, but has hit a rough patch the last ten days or so. The swing and miss concerns me, but the tools are still there, and have plenty of time to emerge and be polished.

Jake Walsh (16) has struck out 25 in 19 innings for Johnson City.

Will Latcham (17) has struck out 22 in 16 innings at State College, walking just 5.

Irving Lopez (18), another second baseman, has a .405 on-base percentage for Johnson City, with four homers in less than 100 at-bats and a 13:14 walk to strikeout ratio.

Thomas St. Clair (24) has struck out almost 37% of the hitters hes faced this season at JC.

Kodi Whitley (27) is running a 14:2 K:BB ratio in nine innings for the GCL Cardinals.

Wood Myers (29) put up a 162 wRC+ at Johnson City, then moved up to State College and has struggled so far.

Taylor Bryant (33) is both walking and striking out 17.7% of the time for the GCL club. Hes old for the level as a college player, but thats still encouraging. The org needs to move him up, but Im not sure to where just yet. (Hes a shortstop.)

Michael Brdar (36) has more walks (9) than strikeouts (8) playing in the GCL. He has walks like he has consonants in his name, in fact.

So far, its hard to find too many really terrible performances from 2017 draftees for the Cardinals. There are a few, of course, but the early returns on the draft this year are remarkably exciting, considering how limited the options were. Its still far too early to make any sweeping declarations about the quality of the class, but that wont stop me from thinking very loudly that the Randy Flores drafting department is the best the Cards have had since Jeff Luhnow left town.

Continue reading here:

System Sundays: 2017 Draftee Progress Reports - Viva El Birdos

Progress Chapter 53: Fate Loves the Fearless went up on Demand Progress a few days ago so let's not waste any more time in digging right into it!

Solow cuts a promo to thunderous boos from the Progress faithful, claiming that he and Starks were screwed last week. They're not used to performing in this environment, they're used to a 20x20 ring and referees like Charles Robinson, and you know who's not going to be happy when he talks to her about his time in the UK? His girl Bayley, that's right.

Ricky adds that they're gonna walk out #1 contender's and it doesn't matter how much he squats or deadlifts, because he knows they're better than #CCK, who are "punk ass bitches".

Aaron and Brookes to start, Mr. Bayley taking an early advantage but Chris comes back in with strikes and, of all things, a stepover armlock wet willy. Lykos in, sick tag moves ensue, but Starks gets the tag and the wolf man gets worked over a moment. Slick escape through the ropes, diving arm drag, back kick, calling for the brainbuster early but Ricky floats over.

Starks counters a bulldog into a falling slam, quick tags as they choke Kid out and generally abuse him in the corner. Bridging fisherman suplex gets Ricky a nearfall, back to grinding Lykos down with the quick tags but Brookes gets the tag! Double dragon screw, dropkick to a half nelson suplex to a wild figure four German suplex!

Kid alive again, Chris Brookes tope con giro, wild rolling wheelbarrow facebuster / dropkick combo, Solow makes the save but #CCK just run wild on him, tandem Codebreaker, Starks back in with a spear to cut the sequence off! Tilt-a-whirl slam for the wolf man, Aaron outside for a superkick to take care of Brookes, springboard lariat / powerbomb combo... CHRIS BROOKES MAKES THE SAVE!

Ricky throwing kicks, wiping Chris out but he wastes time taunting a crowd that hates him and further makes the mistake of throwing disdainful slaps. Brookes fires back, big slap rush, he pulls ahead but Starks drops him with a lariat! Lykos with a diving knee, Solow with an enzuigiri, Chris with a wiked knee lift, Ricky plants him with the Last Ride!

Lykos moonsault DDT blocked, Tombstone piledriver, assisted Canadian backbreaker DDT... NOT ENOUGH! Kid with the low bridge, Solow trying a wheelbarrow stomp, Brookes blocks but the wheelbarrow stomp connects and Aaron hits a cradle DDT! They're not done with him yet... SUPERKICK ASSISTED DOUBLE UNDERHOOK PILEDRIVER ON THE APRON!

Solow puts his hair up in a side ponytail in case we've forgotten he's Mr. Bayley... BAYLEY-TO-BELLY! CHRIS BROOKES LIVES BUT SOLOW TAKES HIM RIGHT INTO A WRENCHING CROSSFACE! Lykos hits a diving Frankensteiner on Starks and Solow abandons ship, Lo Mein Pain, a tornillo, the wolf man is on a roll!

Brookes sends Starks back outside and Lykos wipes both Extra Talent-ed men out! Back in, the assisted Codebreaker connects, followup senton... NOT ENOUGH! Kid holds Ricky back as Brookes gets the underhooks in...

#CCK win by pinfall with a double underhook piledriver from Chris Brookes on Aaron Solow, becoming #1 contender's to the Progress Tag Team Championship.

Really fun opener that made up for last Chapter's confusion quite well. Shout out to Aaron "The Entire Offense of the WWE Womens Division" Solow, not just busting out the obvious Bayley-to-Belly here, but also a RamPaige and the Bank Statement crossface, all in pretty short order. A tip of my hat, sir.

A man on the ring crew by the name of Spud gets a shout-out, he's only been in the business nine months but I think he's gonna be something special, guys.

Mambo starting off with a bit of fun, riding Dunne like a surfboard and getting a Gedo Clutch for a near fall. On with the lucha, thrust spinebuster and he calls for the People's Elbow but again his elbow is stuck in a bit of a time loop and no matter how many elbow pads he pulls off he has more!

Damian uses the opportunity to head outside, and cuts a dive off with the megaphone but Chuck gets it from him and throws the springboard somersault senton! Back in the ring, he finally manages to remove the elbow pad, People's Elbow connects... NO GOOD! Freeze! enzuigiri gets a nearfall in return and Dunne goes back to work, stomping away and choking Mambo with his own bandanna.

Clubbing away, well in charge, a foot on Chuck's face as he decrees there shall be no fun and fires a knee drop off for another nearfall. Trading strikes, Mambo gets a backbreaker off and the Chief Deputy is on the back foot. Blockbuster, springboard Meteora, another nearfall, the enzuigiri is scouted and now Chuck rides Dunne in a surfboard in the wrestling move sense, more specifically a Romero Special.

Fireman's carry denied, standing switch, Dunne with elbows and knees, fireman's carry Michinoku Driver... NOPE! Off the ropes, Mambo catches him, fireman's carry double knee gutbuster, superkick, Chuck You denied, roll-up gets two, to the apron, Chuck springboards in but gets caught by a spear... only a nearfall! Dunne pops him up on the ropes...

Chief Deputy Dunne wins by pinfall with a rope-hung DDT.

Good stuff, comedy early seguing to intensity nicely as the match gets more heated but never losing track that these two are, well, not the most serious wrestlers around.

Zack Gibson does his usual #1 spiel before adding that whatever we write about him online, James Drake will still be the future of UK wrestling. (Look, I got no beef with your Drake, Zack, just he's not even the best James Drake. That honor goes to one half of Evolve Tag Team Champions the Workhorsemen, pro wrestling's REAL James Drake.)

He continues saying he used to get told off for bullying people but tonight they get paid to bully! The Origin is dead, Nathan Cruz has taken his ball and gone home, and the only thing that matters is Zack Gibson and James Drake. (Now, a Drake/Gibson vs. Workhorsemen match? Make it happen, Progress and Evolve!)

Drake and Gibson just taking it to Never Say Die, wiping Cupid out and isolating D'Angelo, who's game to fight but gets taken out by That Damn Numbers Game. Alex back in, he runs into some combinations, a pop-up powerbomb into a Boston Crab, Gibson adds the Shankly Gates! Referee Paz insists on the break and demands order!

Dillon in, he takes James out with a gamengiri, strike rush for Zack, knucklelock applied, stepping up, springboarding, combo arm drag and headscissors takeover! Gibson with a double chop to the throat but Cupid is back in with a Blue Thunder Driver! D'Angelo with a rolling thunder DDT... ZACK HAS TO MAKE THE SAVE!

Charging in, Gibson sets him up in the corner, Codebreaker wipes Dillon out and they wipe Cupid out with a lariat after. Off the ropes, Zack assists Drake on his way to a tope con giro! Whipping D'Angelo into a double team...

James Drake & Zack Gibson win by pinfall with Ticket to Mayhem on Dillon D'Angelo.

Great match for what it was, establishing both these teams in one short go, one as veterans without much regard for the rules and the other as plucky kids who, well... Never Say Die. And after seeing how well they click as a team, I've gone from "that would be cool" to "GOTTA HAVE IT" on that Drake & Gibson vs. Workhorsemen match I pitched up there. Give it to me!

James Davis vs. Rob Lynch

Testing their strength in the lockup early, giving way to straight up bull moose action and then striking. Big slaps turn the heat up, they shake hands and we got Frye/Takayama punches! Davis gets a German suplex off, Lynch with one in return, trading Germans on Germans! Rob sends Davis outside with one... BIG MAN TOPE CON GIRO!

Struggle on the apron, James with a dropkick, climbing the turnbuckles... MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE! JD sets a chair up, puts Big Rob in it and cannonballs him down! Back inside, Lynch cuts him off with a forearm, back to the apron, cartwheel into a big boot on the floor, dropkick follows!

Davis back in in a big way with a back suplex on the apron, senton on the floor, motioning for the crowd to part, suicide dive but Rob catches him into an overhead belly-to-belly suplex deep in the crowd! Lynch taking his time to recover as James answers the count and he cuts referee Chris Roberts off, he doesn't want to win that way!

JD back in, they trade chops and take their shirts off! Davis dodges a boot, floats over, ducking and dogdging, Big Rob lands a Saito suplex but James pops right up into a belly-to-belly of his own! Double lariats and both men are wiped out! To their knees, slugging it out with forearms, to their feet, still throwing, JD in with uppercuts, he charges into a boot but catches a dive with an uppercut!

St. George's Cross connects... NOT ENOUGH! Big Rob hits a kick on the second try, Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, throwing forearms but Davis just wants more and harder! Charging elbows, James with a pop-up powerbomb, only a nearfall! Off the ropes for another, Lynch counters with a Frankensteiner and hits the spear... NO GOOD!

Big Rob up top... SPIRAL TAP?! NOBODY HOME AND HE LANDS ON THE BAD SHOULDER! Davis is ready to go but Roberts backs him off as the camera cuts to Lynch's mother in attendance. At last Rob throws Chris off, JD in with a schoolboy pin but it's not enough to do the job. Lynch, defiant in the corner, isn't going to let it end like that and they commit to doing it right.

Forearms for forearms, Rob working one-armed but he gets a lariat off... ALMOST! Davis with a kick to the shoulder, he hesitates for a second, cobra clutch using the bad arm blocked, double axehandle to the shoulder, the cobra clutch is back on...

James Davis wins by submission with a cobra clutch, winning a future shot at the Progress Atlas Division Championship.

JD goes in for a hug and raises Rob's hand after. Lynch picks up a microphone and says it seems like just yesterday that they debuted; the fans haven't changed a bit, and he loves all of them. He gets choked up and says it's his last time, talking about being out on his back, numb, unable to forget the ovation the Progress faithful gave him.

They didn't go off to another country, they stayed here, but he's too hurt, he can't do it anymore, and you'll see him in a few places but he'll be totally done by October. The Riots hug, Lynch goes to kiss the mat to say goodbye to Progress... AND DAVIS BREAKS THE CRICKET BAT OVER HIS BACK! THE COBRA CLUTCH IS BACK ON!

Rob Lynch having passed out, James Davis gets on the mic. He says he knows this comes as a surprise but it shouldn't. They've known each other for ten years and he's recognized a pattern, that pattern being that Lynch is a loser. He loses things, like his house, his money, his fiancee, even his dad, who left when he was nine years old. So just like his fiancee and his dad, he's leaving Rob, and leaving Rob with nothing.

So usually I drop the review blurb in right after the finish and let whatever angle stuff speak for itself before I wrap everything up at the end, but holy hell. The match was great, just two dudes clubbing the hell out of each other, opening up their entire arsenal, dropping everything they had, until a long-term injury reared its head and gave Davis the opening to win... but the post-match makes it a classic.

That moment of hesitation when Davis realized the shoulder was bad enough that he could turn it into a win, in the context of turning on him after? Brilliant. And of course, the turn itself is just the stuff of nightmares, breaking the symbol they share over Rob Lynch's back and dragging up damn near every bad thing that's happened to Rob in his life and using them as "proof" that he's a loser?

Anybody tells you heat is dead in pro wrestling and you need to turn to meta drama and bad decisions to get a crowd angry, you show 'em this match and the aftermath, because friends, heat is alive and well.

Dunne ambushes Sexsmith during the introductions and knocks him to the outside! Fighting into the crowd, throwing a chair at him as the ring crew try to keep the crowd safe! Forearm, a stomp on the floor, Pete sends Jack into about the sixth row! Throwing another chair, he's shoving the crew down!

Collecting Sexsmith again... X PLEX ONTO CHAIRS IN THE FRONT ROW! He lays one of the crew out with a fore arm and goozles another but Jack has recovered... SENTON ATOMICO TO THE FLOOR! The bell rings, Jack in control, throwing kicks, knees, From Dusk 'Til the Crippler Cockface! Dunne reverses to a pin for two and gets a snap German suplex off shortly after.

Big slaps wobble Sexsmith, punch to the back of the neck, off the ropes but Jack catches Pete with the LGBDT... NOT ENOUGH! Charging forearms met by the corner enzuigiri, another X Plex... only a nearfall! Targeting the injured arm with a kick, stomp to the back of the neck, setting Jack up in the turnbuckles, Jim Breaks Special applied for a moment, big forearm, underhooks but Sexsmith fights back and wishbones the fingers!

Pete takes a second to wrench his fingers back into place... BDSM! NOT ENOUGH! Mr. Cocko comes out to play but Dunne blocks, rips him off, and bites the fingers! Big forearm, springboard up and over, Jack with a superkick, thinking shiranui but Pete reverses to a Tombstone piledriver! Jumping Tombstone follows... JACK SEXSMITH LIVES!

Dunne right on him with Kawada kicks, pumphandle... JACK REVERSES TO LGBDT! RAINBOW ROAD... NOT ENOUGH! To the outside, Pete lays Jack out with a forearm and a Pedigree and demands the count! Sexsmith breaks the count with a little assistance from fans in the first row! Bitter end reversed into a small package... STILL NOT ENOUGH!

German suplex into the turnbuckles bad shoulder first, pumphandle applied...

Pete Dunne wins by pinfall with the Bitter End.

This ruled. Dunne being cowardly enough to jump Jack because he knew he was a real threat was enough but the match that followed just made Jack Sexsmith in a big way. Excellent match.

Pete rips Jack's boot off and beats him with it to add insult to injury!

Mat grappling early, Storm with an edge but LeRae holding her own, and when she gets an opening to take flight with a Frankensteiner, a dropkick, and a suicide dive, Candice takes charge. Setting Toni in a chair in the front row, forearms, Storm catches the boot and puts her face into the chair for her trouble!

Breaking the count, charging hip attack, uppercut, back inside but the cover barely gets one. Uppercuts on uppercuts, keeping LeRae wobbly as a snapmare sets up the champion's tradition butt bumps. To the corner, Candice comes back with some kicks, diving reverse STO gets her a nearfall! Toni shoves her off the ropes but LeRae gets the octopus hold!

Reversed by way of a tilt-a-whirl into Gargano Escape! On the break, superkick from the champion gets a charging forearm, duck a lariat, sweep, leg caught on a followup right into the German suplex from Storm! Pass aside, a... plex, going for a springboard and Toni catches her into a German suplex!

LeRae back in after dodging a hip attack, back elbow to a double stomp to the back... NO GOOD! Storm plucks her off the turnbuckles, buckle bomb, charging hip attack, Strong Zero... OUT AT ONE?! TONI CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Candice gets a small package nearfall, forearms, single knee facebreaker, climbing but Storm cuts her off with a slap!

Up top, struggling, Toni with a headbutt, LeRae slips out... AVALANCHE ...PLEX! NOT ENOUGH! Tornado DDT countered into a northern lights suplex into the turnbuckles! Strong Zero, into another, and another...

Toni Storm wins by pinfall with Strong Zero, retaining the Progress Women's Championship.

Great match. The arc from one Strong Zero getting a one count to three putting Candice away was top shelf stuff, and all the rest was basically straight-through excellence.

BSS playing HHH nonsense and get kicked for their trouble! Tandem dives, Havoc throws Bate into the crowd and Haskins kicks Seven's face off! Jimmy takes Tyler way deep and comes back as Mark is throwing forearms at Trent and taking chops in return, so Havoc comes over to poke Seven in the eye. Chest kicks, another eye poke, Jimmy wipes Bate out with a forearm and drags him over to the chairs!

Setting the champions on each other, punches for good measure, Havoc hits a dropkick to Tyler that also functions as a senton on Trent! Bate and Haskins slugging it out in the ring, Koppo kick for a dropkick, up and over, Tyler catches him with the exploder suplex but nobody's home on the shooting star press and the bridging Fujiwara armbar is on!

Jimmy using chairs to brutalize Seven outside while Haskins and Bate continue to have a wrestle inside, Tyler gets the deadlift German suplex but Mark lands on his feet, roll-through into a fireman's carry Michinoku Driver... NOT ENOUGH! Haskins and Havoc rolling two on one on Tyler, catapult into a Death Valley Driver, superkick into an Acid Rainmaker... TRENT THROWS JIMMY INTO HASKINS TO MAKE THE SAVE!

Seven thinking piledriver, Havoc catches him from behind for the Rainmaker but the superkick catches him instead! Into the "everybody do something cool" section of the match, Mark takes Seven Stars after a series of kicks but Havoc's right there with the Acid Rainmaker! Tyler ducks his, hits his rebound lariat, shooting star press connects, deadlift German suplex... HASKINS BREAKS IT UP!

Mark throwing chest kicks two for one, into corner-to-corner elbows, Bate sidesteps, Bop and Bang, tandem Banzai Drop into the piledriver... MARK HASKINS LIVES! Disdainful kicks and slaps as Haskins tries to get to his feet, crotch chop, Seven gets the underhooks but Mark reverses to a sharpshooter! Ring the damn bell!

Tyler stops Trent from tapping and Jimmy gets a high-angle Boston Crab on him! PETE DUNNE IS HERE AND HE HAS MARK HASKINS' WIFE VICKY! MARK BREAKS THE HOLD TO SAVE HIS WIFE AND SEVEN HITS HAVOC LOW!

British Strong Style win by pinfall with a schoolboy pin from Trent Seven on Jimmy Havoc, retaining the Progress Tag Team Championship.

Really good stuff, Haskins and Havoc a surprisingly well-oiled machine, but in the end foiled by Dunne plumbing new depths of deprativity by dragging Vicky Haskins into it.

Post-match, Havoc and Haskins get in each other's faces about the loss and end up in a bit of a shoving match as Vicky tries to keep the peace. Unsuccessfully, as it turns out, as when Jimmy gently shoves her away, Mark sees blood and double legs him for mounted punches! Ring crew and wrestlers hit the ring to separate them!

"Flash" Morgan Webster comes down and tries to talk some sense into them but they just keep fighting! Jimmy finally pulls away and walks off as Flash and Vicky try to talk sense to Mark.

Pete Dunne joins the commentary booth for this one by ripping RJ Singh's headset off and manhandling him out of the way, which I suppose is one way to do it.

Electric staredown, the atmosphere here is incredible. Lee invites Banks, in his fashion, to bask in his glory but eats a front kick! Throwing hands, off the ropes for a lariat and Keith is a brick wall! Catching him on a headscissors, Travis flips out, ducking and dodging, of the ropes, Lee runs THROUGH a lariat and snaps a Frankensteiner off!

Banks gives him a thumbs up for it! Soaking in the atmosphere a second, more basking and again Travis is having none of it, firing off an overhand chop. Boot up on the charge, missile dropkick and Keith is actually staggered, heading outside! Suicide dive... LEE CATCHES HIM EFFORTLESSLY INTO A SPIRIT BOMB ON THE APRON!

Parting the crowd, Keith Lee biels Travis Banks almost into the dividing wall! Back in the ring, Banks throwing desperate forearms but Lee drops him with an overhand club, a stomp follows, Travis slips out of a slam, superkick connects, a lariat takes Keith to a knee, thinking fisherman, the Limitless One reverses, off the ropes... Banks caught with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex!

Another biel sends Travis clean across the ring, Stinger splash, those wicked overhand hamhocks and Banks is absolutely melting down the turnbuckles! One more biel, another Stinger splash, another double overhand chop and Travis is in absolute agony at the hands of Keith Lee. Worked so far, why not go for it again, the biel connects but an elbow blocks the splash, firing kicks off, taking Lee down, Busaiku knee connects!

Keith to the outside, the suicide dive knocks him back this time, a second, Banks firing on all cylinders, a third dive finds its mark! Back in the ring, charging uppercut, a forearm follows to set up the cannonball but Lee deadlifts him up, thinking Spirit Bomb... TRAVIS REVERSES TO A SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB! NO GOOD!

Forearms, Lee hosses him up, fireman's carry into a backfist, charging in but Banks trips him up... AIR NEW ZEALAND! NOT ENOUGH! Kick combo connects but Keith gets him up for a swinging powerslam for a nearfall! Lee shrugging off kicks, he hits the pop-up thrust spinebuster and follows with the Spirit Bomb but he's slow to capitalize... TRAVIS BANKS LIVES!

Keith climbing, thinking Doomsault but Travis gets a low superkick into a lungblower, jumping lariat connects, Kiwi Krusher... NO GOOD! Both men spent on the mat, trying to get to their feet, Banks up first, Slice of Heaven... LEE COUNTERS WITH A HEADBUTT! Climbing, the Doomsault connects... BANKS OUT AT ONE?!

Alternating slaps and chops, Keith fires back with the double overhand chop, Travis makes the poor decision of throwing a shoulder block, tossed in the corner, the dropkick followup is rather more successful and Banks hits a double stomp to Lee's back! Dunne leaves the commentary booth and heads ringside with the sledgehammer!

Travis keeps his focus, goes for Slice of Heaven... KEITH LEE CATCHES HIM INTO THE SPIRIT BOMB! FIREMAN'S CARRY...

Keith Lee wins by pinfall with Ground Zero.

When two guys on hot streaks meet, it doesn't always go exactly as well as you'd hope. This one, though? This went better. Keith's, well... Limitless ability meeting up against Travis' incredible resilience makes for magic here, folks. Great match.

Bate and Seven hit the ring to beat Banks down but #CCK make the save! Pete's in with the sledgehammer and lays Brookes and Lykos out! Bate runs referee Paz off and British Strong Style stand united in the ring. Dunne beckons his pals draw Banks up, he lifts the sledgehammer high...

KEEP IT 100!

TK COOPER AND DAHLIA BLACK ARE BACK! CHAIRS IN HAND THEY RUN BRITISH STRONG STYLE OFF!

Bit of an awkward staredown with #CCK, but the Best Boys take their leave so the South Pacific Power Trip can have their reunion moment!

Progress honestly feel like they can do no wrong right now. Every chapter seems like it delivers at least three dynamite matches, and this is no different, with the entire show from Davis/Lynch onward just being hit after hit. But a special shoutout to Sexsmith/Dunne, where Jack once and for all feels like he's made it after tearing the house down with the Progress World Champion.

Story-wise, we got some real developments here, with Rob Lynch sadly announcing his departure and James Davis proving that maybe Regression isn't so gone after all given the vehemence with which he turned on his partner, Haskins and Havoc finally came to all out blows (with a little help from Pete Dunne stirring the pot), and the return of the South Pacific Power Couple (along with the establishment of NSD and Gibson/Drake) means the tag division is absolutely overflowing right now.

Check it out on Demand Progress, folks.

More here:

Progress Chapter 53 recap & review: London Riots explode, Dunne plumbs new depths, and the South Pacific Power ... - Cageside Seats (blog)