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Bridge: Dec. 26, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

You can lead a man to ponder, but you can’t make him think. Judging by today’s deal, neither can you make him count.South played at four hearts when 3NT by North would have been unbeatable. Maybe North should have bid 2NT at his second turn; his king of spades figured to be worthless at a heart contract.East won the second spade with the nine and continued with the ace. South ruffed with the ace of trumps — West threw a club — and next drew trumps with dummy’s honors. South then came to his king of diamonds and returned a club to dummy’s king.DOWN ONEEast took the ace and returned a club. South took his queen, cashed the ace of diamonds, led a third diamond … and put up dummy’s queen. East showed out, and South lost a second club. Down one.South should have cashed his last trump at the end – West would be squeezed – and South also forgot to count. He knew East had started with six spades, three trumps and two clubs. Unless East had hel...

Word Game: Dec. 26, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — LANCET (LANCET: LAN-set: A sharp-pointed surgical instrument.)Average mark 18 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 22 or more words in LANCET? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — ADVISING aiding avid dais dang ding diva divan diving vain vang visa said sand sang saving siding sign sing snag gainTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Single-family house in Danville sells for $1.6 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

725 Glasgow Circle – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 700 block of Glasgow Circle in Danville has new owners. The 2,486-square-foot property, built in 1993, was sold on Nov. 28, 2023, for $1,550,000, or $623 per square foot. The layout of this two-story home consists of three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property is equipped with central A/C. In addition, the home includes an attached two-car garage, offering generous space for vehicles and storage requirements.These nearby houses have also recently been purchased:On Messian Place, Danville, in May 2022, a 3,309-square-foot home was sold for $2,375,000, a price per square foot of $718. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.In April 2023, a 2,908-square-foot home on Glasgow Place in Danville sold for $2,100,000, a price per square foot of $722. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,908-square-foot home on the 1000 block of Glasgow Place in Danville sold in May 2023, for $1,925,000, a price per square foo...

Ask Amy: 14 picks for end-of-year charitable giving

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

Dear Readers: As I offer my 20th annual year-end “charity roundup,” I’d like to remind readers that while charity truly does begin at home, it need not stay there.Those who can afford to share their material wealth should give abundantly, donating locally to the local library, after-school program, hospice center, arts organizations, historical society and animal shelter.Acts of kindness and compassion are always worth their weight in gold: Shoveling a walk for a neighbor, writing a letter to an elder and volunteering at the local food bank are all ways to express your generosity.All of the organizations I recommend have the highest rating by Charity Navigator, a trusted source. Always do your own research before donating, and choose organizations that align with your own values.Supplying shelter:Habitat for Humanity: In 2023 Habitat for Humanity helped 13.4 million people build or improve a place to call home. You can honor the humanitarian generosity of President Jimmy Carter and ...

Major winter storm brings blizzard conditions, making travel dangerous during busy holiday across US Plains and upper Midwest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

(CNN) — A major blizzard-fueling winter storm is sweeping across the Plains and upper Midwest with heavy snow, freezing rain and strong winds, making for dangerous travel conditions during the busy holiday week.Blizzards with wind gusts up to 75 mph Tuesday could topple trees and power lines, and bring whiteout conditions that make travel “difficult to near impossible,” the National Weather Service said. Blizzards happen when blowing snow and sustained strong winds combine for at least three hours and reduce visibility to a quarter-mile or less.“Widespread travel disruptions are likely across the region,” the weather service warned, adding that the storm will continue to impact a large swath of the north-central US through Tuesday.Parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming are under blizzard warnings Tuesday.Residents were cautioned to avoid travel, but if they must be on the road, to bring survival kits and stay in their vehicles in case they get stranded.The sto...

The first southern white rhinoceros born in Atlanta’s zoo arrives on Christmas Eve

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

(CNN) — Zoo Atlanta just welcomed the cutest Christmas miracle: a baby rhino.The southern white rhinoceros – the first to be born at that zoo – arrived on December 24, the park said. The calf, whose species is near threatened, is healthy and strong and receiving “appropriate maternal care” from its mother, park officials said in a Monday news release.This also is only the second rhino to be born at the zoo – the other being an eastern black rhino in 2013, the release said.While the zoo did not share further information about the calf, it said white rhino newborns can weigh between 100 to 150 pounds at birth, making them one of the “animal kingdom’s largest terrestrial mammal babies.”The newborn’s parents – 22-year-old mother Kiazi and 12-year-old father Mumbles – met at the zoo in early 2022, and park staff detected the pregnancy in spring 2023. The calf and its mother will continue to bond before entering the rhino habitat, the zoo said.“The Zoo Atlanta family is beyond excite...

Fatal shooting in Pompano Beach under investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

A festive Christmas celebration took a devastating turn when gunfire erupted in Pompano Beach. Around 7:21 p.m. on Monday in the 400 block of Northwest 27th Avenue, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputies responded to the scene, discovering two adult males with gunshot wounds.Paramedics from Pompano Beach Fire Rescue rushed the victims to a nearby hospital, where one of the individuals was tragically pronounced deceased. The shooting has prompted an intensive investigation by BSO’s Homicide and Crime Scene units to uncover the circumstances that led to this heartbreaking incident.Details surrounding the motive or potential suspects are yet to be disclosed as authorities work to piece together the events that tainted what should have been a joyful occasion. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Powerball jackpot climbs to $685 million after no top-prize winners in Christmas drawing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

(CNN) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $685 million after no ticket matched all six numbers to nab the grand prize during Monday night’s Christmas drawing.The top prize up for grabs during the next drawing on Wednesday has a lump-sum option of an estimated $344.7 million, according to Powerball’s website.No one has won the Powerball jackpot on Christmas Day since 2013, when a ticket in Missouri won a $71.5 million jackpot, according to a Powerball news release.The numbers drawn Monday were 5, 12, 20, 24, 29 and Powerball 4.While no one won the jackpot Monday, several tickets matched the first five numbers to win big prizes.Tickets in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania won $1 million each. A similar ticket in California won about $2.08 million, that state’s lottery system said. Non-jackpot prizes in California depend on number of winners and ticket sales, and will differ from fixed prizes shown on Powerball’s site.Two tickets sold in Colorado and Georgia, won $2 million pr...

Serbia cracks down on protests amid ‘election fraud’ outcry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

Dozens of people have been detained during mass protests in Serbia amid claims that elections earlier this month were rigged in favor of the ruling party.Thousands gathered outside a police station in the capital, Belgrade, on Monday evening demanding the release of at least 38 demonstrators believed to have been arrested. Authorities fired tear gas into a crowd that attempted to storm the city hall the day before, while the opposition called on the West to investigate the vote.Activists blocked traffic as part of the eighth consecutive day of protests since parliamentary and local elections on December 17, which saw the governing coalition win a majority in the national assembly. President Aleksandar Vučić’s populist Serbian Progressive Party, which has held power since 2012, declared victory despite concerns from an international observer mission that the vote “was marred by harsh rhetoric, bias in the media, pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public resources...

Fireball over Crimea as Ukraine hits large Russian navy ship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:44:54 GMT

The Ukrainian military on Tuesday said it blew up the Russian landing vessel Novocherkassk stationed in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia.Russian authorities later confirmed that the warship had been severely damaged, and that one person was killed, two wounded and six people evacuated from their homes, Sergey Aksyonov, the head of the regional authority of Russian-controlled Crimea, was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency.“The fleet in Russia is getting smaller and smaller!” Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of Ukraine’s air force, said on Telegram, thanking “the pilots of the Air Force and everyone involved for the skillful work!”He called on Russian soldiers to “put on your pants and leave our Crimea ‘home’ before it’s too late!”The attack using cruise missiles is the latest of a series of Ukrainian hits in Crimea where the Russian Black Sea fleet is stationed. Over the last months, Ukraine has managed ...