Category Archives: Progress

CLEMSON, S.C. A few hours before Clemsons spring game kicked off on Saturday afternoon, Dabo Swinneys football players may not have been the only ones feeling a little nervous.

One by one, just around 11 a.m., 48 officials boarded a bus to take them from the front steps of Clemsons football facility to the locker rooms at Death Valley. There, just like Swinneys players, they put on their uniforms hoping to make a strong impression.

We want you to relax and do what you do, Steve Shaw, college footballs national coordinator of officials, told them. Relax out there and just go officiate.

Shaw knew that for many of the officials, the crowd of 35,000 on hand would be the largest group of people they had ever officiated in front of, with even more watching the broadcast on ACC Network.

But his hope is that Saturday was just the beginning of propelling the 48 officials to the next steps of their careers. If all goes according to plan, Shaw will see them back in a Power 5 stadium sooner rather than later.

Some will work Division I football coming out of here. Soon. Quick, he said. Some may go to the NFL.

The officials are all minorities and traveled to Clemson last week from Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio and Maryland, among other states, in order to participate in the 2022 Diversity Developmental Clinic. The clinic put on by College Football Officiating, the NFL, the ACC and the SEC was a way to help up-and-coming minority officials who have already excelled in their careers, jump-start their next step. Most of the officials call college football games in smaller conferences at the Division II, Division III and FCS levels. Some are high school officials.

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Diversity Developmental Clinic looks to future of football officiating: 'This is progress' - The Athletic

Last offseason, the Washington Commanders were on the verge of being the next big thing.

Final four projections in the NFC had fans and media alike grouping the 2021 Washington team with the likes of the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Mike De Sisti / The | 2021 Jan 24

One year later, most of the 2021 starting roster is back, minus a few key names like guard Brandon Scherff and safety Landon Collins.

But the value the names on the team carry has diminished greatly, specifically when it comes to defensive end Chase Young who was struggling to make an impact before he was lost for the year to his own season-ending injury.

Now, everyone is in a wait-and-see mode with the Commanders for 2022.

In a recent analysis of NFC rosters, Marc Sessler of NFL.com broke the conference into specific categories: Battling for the Throne, Postseason or Bust, Playoff Contenders, and Work in Progress.

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Washington fell into the final group, and Sessler's evaluation of the team was even less complimentary than the category he placed them in.

After mentioning the Carolina Panthers as a potential landing spot for Liberty quarterback Malik Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft, Sessler listed Washington as a disappointing alternate option for the soon-to-be rookie.

"The Commanders were a candidate to chase after Willis, too," Sessler wrote. "Until they seemingly panicked and traded for iffy Carson Wentz and his unwieldy salary. Why not just swing for a rookie arm to pair with the gritty Taylor Heinicke?"

Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images

If we're honest, we all think we know better than those occupying sideline and front office jobs from time to time.

The Carson Wentz trade has brought out the best - or worst - in all of our internal general manager and head coaching skills.

And it's clear that until the 2022 Washington Commanders show cause for excitement in the upcoming season, there simply won't be any.

Continued here:

'Work in Progress': Washington Must Earn Respect on Field in 2022 - Sports Illustrated

Hope to see you soon, she has him sign off, affectionately. Your Odysseus.

Directed by Emily Maltby for the York Theater Company, with music direction and orchestrations by David Hancock Turner, Penelope paints its title character as the author of The Odyssey. Its a promising twist, and it builds on an established idea that The Odyssey, a work abundant with substantial female characters Penelope, Athena, Calypso, Circe, even the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis is not a male creation.

The novelist and critic Samuel Butler, in the 1890s, theorized that a woman must have written it. The classicist Robert Graves whose Butler-inspired 1955 novel, Homers Daughter, imagines a Sicilian princess as the author of The Odyssey called it a poem about and for women, its hero notwithstanding.

Penelope, at the Theater at St. Jeans on Manhattans Upper East Side, feels like a musical about and for men. In its cast of 10, there are just three women, including Britney Nicole Simpson, who makes a lovely Off Broadway debut in the title role. It is not through any shortcoming of hers that this ostensibly female-centric show, as a program note puts it, is so enamored of its male characters: the five tiresome suitors; Penelope and Odysseuss son, Telemachus; and especially Odysseus. Penelope snaps into focus only in Act 2, when the wandering king returns and takes over a plot that had always been about his absence anyway.

If you are looking for a vividly written Penelope, you would do better with Madeline Millers 2018 novel Circe, in which Penelope is indelible, and surprising, in a small supporting role. Here, though, the story that Kellogg (book and lyrics) and Weiner (music) tell suffers from a failure of imagination, as if making her a weaver of tales rather than of cloth gives her definition enough. (In The Odyssey, she promises to wed as soon as she finishes a weaving project, then unravels her work each night.) She does have Odysseuss nurse, Eurycleia (an expert Leah Hocking), to conspire with, but wheres the rest of her orbit?

If, on the other hand, you are looking for an old-fashioned, comfort-food kind of musical with goofball humor, unpretentious songs and a heroine who is just fine with the world never knowing that she wrote one of its classics (I, for one, had trouble swallowing that concession), Penelope may be a good fit.

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Penelope Review: Adrift Between Ithaca and Progress - The New York Times

In the most exciting Champions League quarterfinals matchup, Chelsea hosted Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. While many expected a tight game, two goals by the midway point of the first half by Karim Benzema turned the matchup upside down. While Chelsea pulled one back through Kai Havertz, Benzema capitalized on an Eduard Mendy mistake to put Real Madrid 3-1 up. That is the way it ended and now Real Madrid has a huge chance to progress further in the competition. Here are three reasons why Real Madrid will pass Chelsea and progress to the Champions League semifinal.

They have a huge lead

Obviously, this is the first and biggest reason. Winning by two goals away from home is usually insurance enough in the Champions League to progress further. Now that the away goal rule is not in place anymore, it could be easier for Chelsea to have a chance. However, they will be playing Real Madrid and when it comes to this competition, Real Madrid is absolute kings. They have won it 13 times in the past, including the only time that the same club has won it back to back since the rebranding of the Champions League in 1992. That team was very different from the one present today, but there are still players in the roster that were integral to that run of the Spanish club.

When it comes to this lead specifically, Real Madrid already has experience of defending this margin of victory in a return leg. Last season, Madrid played Liverpool and won with the same result in the first leg. Then, in the second leg at Anfield, Real Madrid set up their tactics perfectly, allowing Liverpool to push on and lose energy early, losing the ability of their Gegenpress in the second half. That was with Zinedine Zidane at the helm, and now they have an even better tactician in Carlo Ancelotti. One great thing about having this lead is being able to set up a game plan that will include giving up control of the game, but still retaining stability, something Real Madrid has already shown in the first leg versus PSG and the second half of their game versus Chelsea.

It is their competition

As it was briefly mentioned above, Real Madrid are the best team in the history of this competition. They have 13 titles, numerous semifinal appearances, and some iconic moments, including the great comeback versus PSG in just 17 minutes in the Round of 16. While it might seem like it is irrelevant, there is truly something about Real Madrid and the Champions League. Despite having a depleted roster in so many regards since Cristiano Ronaldo left, they bounced back from two round of 16 losses in a row in 2019 and 2020, and now look set to make their second straight semifinal. In simpler terms, Real Madrid can never be discounted in the Champions League.

Even before this game, many analysts had Chelsea as favorites. Despite their internal issues and a defeat at home to Brentford 4-1 before the game, the Blues were still up there in terms of quality with Real Madrid. One could even say that Chelsea dominated in much of the game, playing with more control of the midfield, but that did not end up bringing them success in the end. On the other hand, Real Madrid used two of their four chances, plus a fluke mistake by Mendy, to show everyone that there can be no lack of concentration when a team is playing them in this competition. It just seems like the experience of the Real Madrid squad, most notably Benzema and their Casemiro-Kroos-Modric midfield, just won them this game and should win this entire tie.

The tactics Tuchel uses simply do not work versus this Real Madrid team

For the entire season, Thomas Tuchel uses a formation that is dependent on three center backs and full backs that track back defensively. Against Real Madrid, it was Andreas Christiansen playing on the right, supported by Reece James. Unfortunately for Chelsea and their tactics of a defensive line that plays high up, they played versus Vinicius Jr who is rapid, and Benzema who can reward his runs behind the defense. Reece James pushed far up the field and was not available to help Christiansen against Vini, who torched him for pace on four occasions by the end of the first half. The bigger issue for Chelsea going up in the second leg is that changing your entire approach does not really work if there is no time to prepare.

Real Madrid are hosting Chelsea on Tuesday, the 12th of April, just six days after their first leg in London. That is not enough time to practice some other options, especially considering the fact that they need to push up the field and try to score goals. What will likely happen in the second leg is that Tuchel will change who covers Vinicius on the right, but that will not help much. If Tuchel decides to push his backline further down the pitch, he will surrender some of the control to the opposition, which could kill off the tie. If he decides to push it up, no matter who is the center back on the right, Vinicius will always be quicker. It just seems that whatever Tuchel decides, Real Madrid will have the upper hand due to the pace of their star left-winger.

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3 reasons why Real Madrid will pass Chelsea and progress to the semifinal - ClutchPoints

The National Health Commission of the Peoples Republic of China reported that there had been 26,462 COVID-19 cases across mainland China. These were further characterized as 1,351 symptomatic cases, and 25,111 asymptomatic. Imported cases accounted for 107 of these, of which 33 were symptomatic. These figures are posted daily on their website, offering a comprehensive look at every location across Chinas 31 provinces, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.

The bulk of infections continues to be reported in Shanghai, the epicenter of the current Omicron outbreak across the country. Yesterday, the national health authority said there had been 24,943 new infections in the financial hub, of which only 1,006 were symptomatic. The megacity, home to over 26 million people, underwent a two-phased lockdown on March 28, which was then extended to a city-wide lockdown on April 1 as cases continued to rise.

On April 4, a city-wide mass testing of the population led to uncovering of more silent, asymptomatic cases, prompting a second round of testing on April 8. The current rise in case counts has been attributed not to further community spread but to more comprehensive efforts to locate every infection across the megacity.

Dr. Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the counterpart to Dr. Anthony Fauci in the US, explained that the repeat PCR testing enabled public health officials to bring to an end the current outbreak. Speaking with the press, he attributed the increase in cases to the mass screening with PCR tests.

The average incubation period for infection with the Omicron BA.2 subvariant is around three days. Repeat testing will identify the portion of the potentially infected population that initial testing missed. Dr. Wu said, The first test helps screen only people who have already started to shed the virus, while those who are infected but test negative would become infective if not identified immediately on the second and third tests. He added, If a round of tests takes two or three days, then theoretically the goal can be achieved in 10 to 14 days.

Shanghai health officials announced Saturday that districts that have maintained zero COVID-19 infections for 14 days after repeated rounds of testing could leave strict lockdown, which will alleviate the severe constraints endured by the population and allow them to access markets for food and supplies.

Across Jilin province and the rest of mainland China, COVID-19 cases have continued to trend down since the implementation of measures to restrict social mixing and institute other cornerstones of infection control that have been tried and tested for centuries.

These public health efforts, including those being employed in Shanghai, are enormous achievements in light of the extremely contagious nature of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. These experiences will provide important lessons for future pandemic preparedness and response in complex, densely populated urban settings.

Despite the repeated attacks and venomous language being used by the overseas capitalist press, denouncing the lockdowns as inhuman, the small number of deaths and mostly asymptomatic character of the infections attest to the efficacy of these relentless efforts at elimination. It means that the clinically severe aspects of the illness can be prevented through early intervention.

These findings are not unique to Chinas experience. Every country that had employed an elimination strategy was able to lower rates of infections and complications, including deaths. Early intervention so that the health system is not overwhelmed has meant lives were spared.

Dr. Wang Guangfa, a respiratory specialist at Peking University First Hospital, explained that symptomatic patients are quickly sequestered at hospitals and treatment is rapidly initiated, which prevents cases from progressing to a more severe or critical state. If restrictions were lifted, infections would rapidly spread, leading to overwhelmed hospitals and a rise in preventable deaths. He pointed out that comparing Omicron to the flu is both misleading and dangerous.

When the Omicron wave surged through Hong Kong in February, it killed close to 8,500 people and infected more than 1 million in less than two months. The population of the special administrative region of China is approximately 7.5 million. During the surge, the per capita death toll was the highest ever experienced by any area during the pandemic.

By comparison, the severe 2018-2019 flu season killed only 352 people in Hong Kong. In other words, BA.2 has been 24-fold deadlier. These figures are important in reinforcing Chinese health officials commitment to zero-COVID.

Notably, in the face of the purported massive rates of vaccination across high-income countries and claims that the variant is mild, Omicron has killed nearly 1 million of the 6.2 million COVID patients reported to have lost their lives during the pandemic.

Globally, BA.2, the dominant version of Omicron, continues to infect more than 1 million people a day across the globe despite the dismantling of COVID-19 data trackers across many countries. At least 3,500 people are still dying every day, of whom half are in Europe, where BA.2 has seen spikes in cases and hospitalizations, particularly in Germany, France and the UK.

Globally, rates of vaccination for COVID-19 have been declining. Evidence is also emerging that the second booster appears to provide, in the short term, a modest improvement in protection against severe illness with Omicron. However, its impact on preventing infections drops rapidly in just four weeks and is negligible by eight weeks. With waning immunity and the rapidly declining efficacy of vaccines, the long-term implications remain uncertain and should weigh heavily in pandemic response, especially given the nature of viral evolution.

The United States will soon face the brunt of BA.2, which has begun its surge in the country. However, due to the nearly complete dismantling of state COVID-19 data trackers, the country is essentially flying blind into this surge. After the US CDC shifted to relying on hospital admissions and ICU capacity to determine community risk, state after state rapidly changed their reporting intervals from daily to twice or even once per week.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former US Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, speaking on Face the Nation, said in response to host Margaret Brennans question on the current state of the pandemic, Theres no question that were experiencing an outbreak in the northeast, also the mid-Atlantic, [and] parts of Florida as well Its driven largely by BA.2. And I think that were dramatically undercounting cases. Were probably only picking up one in seven or one in eight infections. So, when we say there are 30,000 infections a day, theres probably closer to a quarter of a million infections a day.

Despite this enormous level of infection, given the current low number of hospitalizations, the majority of the country is considered low risk. Hospitalizations and deaths are lagging indicators of infection, and without detecting the infections, it will be far too late to do much of anything about it. And BA.2 is surging when there are no mitigation measures really in place to slow the course of infections.

Yesterday, Jonathan Karl, co-anchor of ABCs This Week, asked Dr. Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser, what he thought of a Washington Post op-ed by Dr. Leana Wen, one of the more vociferous advocates of the full-scale reopening of schools, businesses and public gatherings of all kinds.

He quoted her: At this point in the pandemic, we have to accept that infections will keep occurring. During the winter Omicron surge, almost half of Americans contracted the coronavirus. The new Omicron subvariant BA.2 is even more contagious. The price to pay to avoid coronavirus infection is extremely high. Some Americans might choose to continue to pay that price, but I suspect most wont.

Fauci replied, You know, Jon, I think sheDr. Wen articulated that pretty well. There will beand weve said this many times even in our own discussions between you and I, that there will be a level of infections. This is not going to be eradicated, and its not going to be eliminated.

The contrast with his counterpart in China, Dr. Wu Zunyou, who patiently explained that the outbreak could be cleared at the community level within two weeks, couldnt be more revealing. The class struggle will determine if the war against the virus can be won.

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Chinese health officials seem to make progress in the struggle against BA.2 in Shanghai - WSWS

IS LIVE AT THE SITE WI TH PROGRESS AND HOW THE CLOSURE IS AFFECTING PEOPLE. SCOTT- EVEN THOUGH THE ARE MAKING PROGRESS THE CLOSURISE AFFECTING MANY PEOPLE ESPECIALLY TRUCK DRIVERS ON TIGHT SCHEDULE 24 HOURS HE GONE BY SINCE THE START OF REPAIRS TONHE DIP AT I-20 WESTBOUND AND I-55 SOUTHBNDOU... M-DOT SAYG IN THEY'VE MADE SOME SERIOUS PROGRESS. "SO THEY DUG OUT THAT SATURATED SOIL SOUPY LIKE SOIL...AND THEY PUT IN TT HA CRUSHED STONE AND THEN THEY PAVED OVER IT THIS MORNING WITH SOME NICE BEAUTUL FRESH ASPHALT. NICE AND SMOOTH...THAT IS IN THE PROCESS OF SMOOTHING RIGHT NO" W. HOWEVER EVEN WITH PROGRESS, MANY TRUCK DRIVERS ARE HAVING TO DIVERT TO LOCAL ROADS TO GET AROUND THE REPAIR...RUNNING INTO OTHER PROBLEMS ALONG THE WAY. RICKEY GROVES - TRUCK DRIVER "I HAD TO DETOUR AND TAKE THE BACK ROAD...FRONTAGE ROAD TO GALLATIN STREET AND MCDOWELL JT TOUS GET ON 55 SOUTH AND TRAFFIC CRAZY THEN THERE'S TRAIN TRAS CK AND IF YOU GET CAUGHT TBYHE TRAIN THEN TRAFFIC IS BACKED UP EVERYWHERE THE HIGHWAYS BACKED UP EVERHIYTNG." QUINCEY MYERS - TRUCK DRIVER "IT PUTS US AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE EVERYONE'S NOT AS NICE AND KIND ON THE ROADS THEY THINK IT'S OUR FAULT WHEN TRUCKS ARE BEING DIVERTED SO IT COULD BE AND INCONVENIENCE." AND WITH E TRAFFIC THEY ARE ALSO RUNNING INTO TIMING ISSUES. RICKEY GROS VE 1:30-1:39 "I BE PAST BYRAM IN 15- 20 MINUTES BUT NOW IT'S TAKG IN BE 20 MINUTES JUST TO MAKE IT TO GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 55 SOUTH." BUTT SOT QUINCEY MYERS 1:16-1:30 "I SAY ABOUT AN HOUR.. AND 20 MINUTES ADD AN HOUR AND THAT'S 2 HOURS AND NOT EVEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT ACCIDENTS. BUT THE CONSTRUCTION OMG...WN IS GET UP ON MY GPS AND I SEE IT I'M LIKE UGH GOSH. IT'JUS ST A HEADACHE." HOWEVER, THE DRIVERS KNOW THAT THE REPAIR IS GOING TO MAKE THE ROADS BETTER ITHN E LONG RUN. 1:31- 1:36 "I MEAN YOU GOT TO BE PROFESSIONAL, AND THIS IA S JOB JUST LIKE YOURSELF SO YOU GOT TO OVERCOME CIRCUMSTANCES." M-DOT SAYS THE PROJECT IS ON TRACK TO BE COMPLETED BY MONY DA MORN

Crews make significant progress in the emergency repair of the dip on I-20 westbound

Updated: 6:41 AM CDT Apr 10, 2022

Crews have made significant headway in the emergency repair of the dip on I-20 westbound and I-55 southbound.The Mississippi Department of Transportation said they have made some serious progress."So they dug out that saturated soil, soupy like soil, and they put in that crushed stone, and then they paved over it this morning with some nice, beautiful fresh asphalt. Nice and smooth. That is in the process of smoothing right now," said Michael Flood.Even with the progress, many truck drivers are having to divert to local roads to get around the repair."I had to detour and take the back road, Frontage Road to Gallatin Street and McDowell just to get on 55 South, and traffic was crazy. Then there were train tracks, and if you get caught by the train, then traffic is backed up everywhere, the highways backed up, everything," said Rickey Groves. "It puts us at a disadvantage because everyone's not as nice and kind on the roads. They think it's our fault when trucks are diverted, so it could be an inconvenience.Truck drivers are also running into other issues besides the traffic."I was past Byram in 15-20 minutes, but now it's taking 20 minutes just to make it to the other side of 55 South," Groves said."I say about an hour, and 20 minutes add an hour, and that's 2 hours and not even taking into account accidents. But the construction, omg, when I get it up on my GPS and I see it, I'm like, 'ugh gosh.' It's just a headache," said Quincey Myers.Even with the headache, drivers said they know that the repairs are going to make the roads safer."I mean, you've got to be professional, and this is a job just like yourself, so you've got to overcome circumstances," Myers said.MDOT said the project is on track to be completed by Monday morning.

Crews have made significant headway in the emergency repair of the dip on I-20 westbound and I-55 southbound.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said they have made some serious progress.

"So they dug out that saturated soil, soupy like soil, and they put in that crushed stone, and then they paved over it this morning with some nice, beautiful fresh asphalt. Nice and smooth. That is in the process of smoothing right now," said Michael Flood.

Even with the progress, many truck drivers are having to divert to local roads to get around the repair.

"I had to detour and take the back road, Frontage Road to Gallatin Street and McDowell just to get on 55 South, and traffic was crazy. Then there were train tracks, and if you get caught by the train, then traffic is backed up everywhere, the highways backed up, everything," said Rickey Groves. "It puts us at a disadvantage because everyone's not as nice and kind on the roads. They think it's our fault when trucks are diverted, so it could be an inconvenience.

Truck drivers are also running into other issues besides the traffic.

"I was past Byram in 15-20 minutes, but now it's taking 20 minutes just to make it to the other side of 55 South," Groves said.

"I say about an hour, and 20 minutes add an hour, and that's 2 hours and not even taking into account accidents. But the construction, omg, when I get it up on my GPS and I see it, I'm like, 'ugh gosh.' It's just a headache," said Quincey Myers.

Even with the headache, drivers said they know that the repairs are going to make the roads safer.

"I mean, you've got to be professional, and this is a job just like yourself, so you've got to overcome circumstances," Myers said.

MDOT said the project is on track to be completed by Monday morning.

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Crews make significant progress in the emergency repair of the dip on I-20 westbound - WAPT Jackson

We concluded an inspiring conference with enthusiastic and forward thinking people, says Global Feed Safety Summit host and GMP+ International managing director Roland van der Post. In his 3 day summit roundup he looked back at a very fruitful gathering of key industry players. A much needed face-to-face event to set the feed agenda for years to come with the participants commitment to take the next steps forward.

Feed without safety is not feed, it is poison

Feed without safety is not feed, it is poison, this quote of one of the participants of the Global Feed Safety Summit 2022 couldnt be more true. If anything, the 3 day Summit made clear that feed safety is essential and it also need constant attention and further development. Industry leaders sharpened their minds, discussed the latest innovations and trends and came up with a list of actionable results. We have shown that the feed industry is always at the forefront and that is exactly what we need going forward, Van der Post comments. Under his supervision a number of developments and pressing issues were spotlighted. We heard experts on new feed materials, new technologies and had intense talks with each other about our carbon footprint and sustainability efforts. Of course, our core business is in feed safety, which can never be taken for granted. That said, we have the framework, the connection and the expertise within our certified companies to facilitate more than just feed safety.

In the course of the Summit, the organising committee explored 3 topics, which will have an impact in the years to come. Van der Post: I am proud that we reached such a concrete result.

Van der Post concludes: In our pressure cooker event location in the wonderful city of Berlin, we were able to take the first steps in organising commitment among each other. You cant wish for more as a summit host.

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Global Feed Safety Summit concludes with actionable results - Pig Progress

Drivers on a stretch of Maryland Route 210 have been dodging construction, ruining tires on rough road and waiting through delays at an improvement project that was supposed to take two years. Six years later, they're still wondering when it will be finished, and state highway officials have some answers.

Drivers on a stretch of Maryland Route 210 have been dodging construction, ruining tires on rough road and waiting through delays at an improvement project that was supposed to take two years. Six years later, theyre still wondering when it will be finished, and state highway officials have some answers.

Work began in 2016 on the interchange where Md. 210 intersects with Livingston Road to the east and Kerby Hill Road to the west. Its near lots of apartment buildings and plenty of pedestrians.

The end result will be an overpass allowing cross traffic to pass over, turning traffic to exit and through traffic to keep going without having to stop for a light. There are also paths for pedestrians and cyclists, which should help with safety on whats called the areas most dangerous road.

The project was supposed to finish in 2018 at a total cost of about $82.5 million. William John Gover, an assistant district engineer with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, told WTOP the work is now scheduled to finish by the end of August and cost $107.6 million.

Drivers just want it done.

Its terrible in the morning; its terrible late at night when they work on it, said Kevin Selman, who lives in Temple Hills and often drives through there. The most terrible thing about it is its taking forever.

The work turned Selmans drive to his sons house in Fort Washington into an ordeal that, at times, lasted up to an hour. He also pointed out that the highway also serves commuters coming to D.C. and Virginia from nearby Charles County, Maryland. You can sit in that traffic for like two to three hours, man.

So what happened? State engineers say it started from the ground up.

Sean Campion, the division chief for Maryland State Highways innovative contracting division, said a survey of the ground at the outset of the project is where it all started to go wrong. The contractor set their baseline and all of their design files based off of this base survey. So when we gave them a base survey that had a bust in it, it obviously did result in some necessary redesign, and then some rework as well.

That error wasnt discovered until months of design work had already commenced and the crews were ready to start putting out orange barrels and churning dirt. So everything had to start over. That pushed other aspects of the project further down the line.

And when some of that work is seasonal and temperature-dependent, it only gets worse.

Historically in the state of Maryland, asphalt plants shut down in the winter, said Campion. If that well call it resequencing kind of pushed some of the asphalt into winter months, were actually losing more time just because we didnt have the availability to go out and pave.

If youre ready to put asphalt down in November and you dont have the temperatures, you have to wait until spring, Gover said. So that could delay a project every year by six months.

For drivers who live along that highway, its been tough.

I know its going to be good but its a little painful right now, said Karina Ti, who often drives the road. They have a lot of holes [in the road]; the construction is really slow. Very slow. Its taking a long time.

Maryland State Highway pointed out that theres been progress in the last year: Some orange barrels remain, and theres still some finishing touches that need to be applied, but the overpass is in operation. Drainage systems are in place, and traffic staying on Route 210 has one less light to stop at.

I noticed they removed the traffic light, said Ti. So that part makes it faster for traffic.

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Slow going on Md. 210: 6 years after work began, what's the progress? - WTOP

COPPERAS COVE Copperas Cove High School junior Tyler Rudd did not walk or talk until age 5. His parents were told he would have to use sign language for communication. Due to his lack of speech, Tyler used a language only his little sister, Kayla, understood.

We had lots of struggles with him not being able to communicate due to his not speaking until he was five and his garbled high tones when overwhelmed, said Elysha Rudd, Tylers mother. Mrs. (Kimberly) French for first grade was a miracle worker. She helped him to be able to write clearly enough for another student to be able to translate it into an illustration. We had a very tearful, happy moment because we could actually read his writing because of her assistance in addition to occupational and physical therapy.

Copperas Cove ISD created an Early Childhood Intervention Program for Tyler due to his need for speech services because of autism and severe developmental delays.

We have had the gift of some exceptional educators through his journey to becoming who he is today. Mrs. (Sharon) Cecil was his exceptionally patient kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Beth (Schimschock) was his speech therapist. Mrs. (Ella) Doubleday, the school nurse, and several others have assisted Tyler in resource and inclusion through his years at Martin Walker Elementary, Clements/Parsons Elementary, then Copperas Cove Junior High, and on to high school.

Rudd said Tyler passed his first STAAR test his last year of junior high with the help of Math Special Education teacher Richard Love, adding that Love also ensured the success of her younger daughter, Kayla.

Kayla and Tyler Rudd have different personalities but share a common attribute that contributes to their own success. That attribute is work ethic. Neither student gives up when the work gets challenging, Love said. Both strive for greater independence in achieving academic tasks and are persistent in resolving errors. They, themselves, are the greatest impact on their success and it was highly rewarding to teach them both.

Kayla started school at Martin Walker Elementary at age 3 through anEarly Childhood Intervention program. She attended speech therapy classes twice a week.

After first grade, teachers determined that Kayla not only struggled with speech but was dyslexic and had a memory retention problem, Rudd said. We discussed her growth and progress thus far and decided to hold her back to help her future learning and confidence. Mrs. (Ella) Doubleday and Mrs. Beth (Schimschock) along with all her teachers at Martin Walker helped her grow her love of reading and assisted in her struggles with reading.

Rudd says Kayla has continued to excel and grow at Copperas Cove Junior High citing the support ofLove and Special Education Reading Instructor Veronica Sheon.

When I first met Kayla, she was cautious and reserved. Mistakes sometimes discouraged her, but she persisted, Sheon said.Wed discuss her struggles, locate misconceptions, and find other ways to grasp the concepts. She was always highly motivated. Now she has blossomed into a confident and fearless learner. She welcomes challenges and she looks for ways to solve problems independently.

Kayla participated in UIL sports including volleyball, basketball, and track and is a member of the Pride of Cove Band playing the trombone.

Kayla has already gained acceptance into marching band for next year as a freshman, Rudd said.Her grades stay in the B average range and she is a well-rounded student who continues to strive for improvement. Though she may struggle occasionally, she has the support of her teachers as well as her family to excel in what she wishes to do for her future.

Entering high school, Tyler remained on a modified learning plan, doing exceptional work but still behind his peers, said Rudd.

He has gradually moved into all general education classes, passing both his math STAAR and English STAAR before COVID forced learning to be virtual, Rudd said. He struggled but got everything done and passed. He makes As and Bs and is on track to graduate next year with his class.

Tyler participated in Copperas Cove High School wrestling and is currently a platoon sergeant in JROTC.

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Cove siblings make extensive progress with support of special education staff - The Killeen Daily Herald

AUGUSTA, Ga. Cameron Champ is going to make his third straight cut at the Masters Tournament despite the weather during Fridays second-round play.

Champ followed up his first-round 72 by shooting 75 on a cool, windy day where wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour dogged virtually everyone on the course.

After shooting 38 on the first nine, he finished with a birdie on 16 and two pars to close the round.

It was a thing where I wasnt playing badly, Champ said. I was hitting the ball well, but with the wind swirling and the greens being tricky, you just never know what to expect.

Near the projected cutline at the finish of the round, Champs pivotal play at 16 started with a stellar tee shot that took one bounce after hitting the green before rolling an extra two feet toward the cup, leaving a manageable 5-footer for birdie.

Champ said he wasnt overly concerned about Fridays result or the weekends prospects given the course conditions which include a Saturday forecast that calls for more gusty winds and temps in the low 60s.

I feel like, from here on, anyone who can stay somewhere around par is going to have a shot to win, Champ said.

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The 26-year old from Sacramento, California, said he would spend the rest of Friday relaxing with family and reflecting on the privilege of being a part of Masters history as, along with Tiger Woods and Harold Varner, the first-ever trio of Black golfers to play in the same Masters Tournament.

The impact of that milestone was not lost on him.

Its really nice to see things going in the right direction, Champ said. Is it close to where it should be? No. Its not anywhere near being close.

Champ mentioned how Woods has held the banner of success for non-white golfers for years, and that his presence is still needed to continue shifting perceptions of the game.

When you see guys like a Tiger Woods out here, just the energy and vibe he brings to the game is like none other, he said. Whether hes shooting an 80 or a 65, he just brings a different atmosphere. Ive never seen so many people gathered for a Tuesday morning practice round in my life.

Champ also tossed accolades to Varner, whos in the top 10 on the leaderboard in his Masters debut, making three birdies Friday en route to a 71 score, good for a two-day total of 142.

Im super happy to see him out here doing well, Champ said. And also, I have to mention Tony Finau. Though hes not African American, hes still out here as a minority and hes someone I call my brother.

Champ said hes passionate about seeing the game of golf become more of a mainstay in communities of color.

Thats sort of the work my foundation does, he said. Just trying to get kids access to the game. For some its just too expensive, and thats what almost made it impossible for me to play as a kid. But thankfully I grew up in a place where there were a lot of public courses. Some places, the only courses are at country clubs.

The three-time PGA Tour winner says its going to take a collective effort from everyone in the sport to truly see the game grow in its diversity.

Its going to take not just a village, but its going to take the entirety of the tour, those around the Tour and the entire golfing community to get things on a broader level, he said. Its a matter of setting up programs to introduce kids to the game. And it has to be someone who looks like them. Youre not gonna get some guy in a suit coming into those communities saying, Hey, you wanna play golf?

Its going to be easier to get those kids when they see someone who looks like them having success.

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Cameron Champ talks about making the cut, progress of Black golfers at the Masters - Golfweek