DES MOINES At a brief training the Sunday before the Iowa caucuses, Iowa Democratic Party officials told the volunteers tasked with staffing a telephone hotline system to arrive Monday morning with books, puzzles and games they were unlikely to be busy for hours.

But throughout the day and into the night, the phones rang almost constantly in the so-called boiler room, where about 50 phone stations had been set up in a security-encased call center at the downtown Des Moines Iowa Events Center.

On the other end of the phone lines were dozens of precinct leaders and county party chairs from across the state who could not download or log into a new cell phone app designed to allow easy tabulation and transmission of caucus night results.

The volunteers tasked with helping the local leaders said they had never seen the app, nor had they been trained to use it.

Iowa Democrats inside the room later described the chaos to the Des Moines Register, accounts that were bolstered by publicly available information from party officials, campaigns and candidates. But the clear problems did not trigger a change in strategy from the organizations tasked with ensuring the 2020 Iowa caucuses ran smoothly.

Instead, officials with the party tightened communication from their centralized location and forged ahead with a plan that relied almost entirely on the functionality of a cell phone app that, hours before most Iowans would caucus, was already showing signs of collapse.

Party officials would not publicly acknowledge any problems until hours later. A full tally of the caucus results would not be available for days. And the future of Iowas prized first-in-the-nation caucuses hangs in the balance as party leaders sort through the aftermath.

"The failures of this are larger than any one person," one Iowa Democrat said. "These failures were systemic."

11 a.m.

The set-up inside the Iowa Democratic Partys Caucus Day headquarters prevented easy communication among those involved. The boiler room sequestered those taking phone calls. Another room had been set up nearby for important political figures. And a strategy room acted as a command center.

Few people had access to more than one room.

So as calls piled up, it was unclear to those inside the boiler room whether party leaders located elsewhere were aware of the problems. The app, which was not complete until "pretty close to caucus time" and party chairman Troy Price had never tried to use, had not yet collapsed, but precinct leaders were having problems accessing it.

The app had been layered with security precautions, requiring both a PIN and precinct ID, that were among the features confusing many users.

Volunteers entered the day expecting to answer phone calls from Iowans looking for their caucus locations. They were armed only with an FAQ page related to the app.

Soon, a backlog of calls developed inside the boiler room as volunteers struggled to answer questions related to the app and as precinct leader after precinct leader said they would instead plan to call in results later that night, after their caucus.

The volunteers answering phones had no official directive for how to adjust their plans as a result of the meltdown.

The first caucus in Iowa a satellite location in Ottumwa kicked off at noon that day. Others were scattered throughout the afternoon.

Fifteen Wapello County-area Democrats came to satellite-caucus on Feb. 3, 2020 at the UFCW Local 230 Union in Ottumwa. Upon first alignment, 14 caucusgoers stood for Democratic presidential candidates U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and one for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.Buy Photo

Fifteen Wapello County-area Democrats came to satellite-caucus on Feb. 3, 2020 at the UFCW Local 230 Union in Ottumwa. Upon first alignment, 14 caucusgoers stood for Democratic presidential candidates U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and one for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. (Photo: Olivia Sun/The Register)

5 p.m.

About 40 people had arrived by 5 p.m. to staff the phones.

Its busy and its hard and its not a lot of fun, but its not chaos, one volunteer said.

Still, most calls focused on the app, as precinct chairs tried to log in and download it. Paper signs hung from the wall of the room listing categories of phone calls. They included things like, chairperson not present, delegate misallocation, and where is my caucus location? Each had a handful of tally marks beneath the corresponding heading.

But volunteers said there were between 75 and 100 tally marks noted under the headline, the app isnt working.

Our initial instructions were if someone was having problems with the app to tell them to just call in their results, another volunteer said.

7 p.m.

The vast majority of precincts convened their caucuses at 7 p.m. in Iowa nearly 1,700 precincts across the state. Each precinct would need to report results back to the state party.

With county party chairs already publicly critiquing the app, many precinct leaders said they planned to report their results through the hotline no matter what.

Sean Bagniewski is Democratic chair in Polk County, home to Des Moines and surrounding suburbs, which make up roughly 20% of the state's caucus precincts. He said he told his precinct leaders to abandon the app and use the phones.

"At that point, it should have been clear to every person we were going to be taking almost all of these 1,700 reports over the phone," one volunteer said.

As the calls came in, volunteers had begun taking down results on paper forms and passing them into the strategy room, which had morphed into a makeshift data entry center. One person who was in the room said the "system they created involved taking the data and compiling it through Google Docs.

People sat in clusters with their laptops papers piling up around them. Boxes were labeled new results for those that needed to be added, and another still f---ed for those that had problems with the math, the person said.

8:30 p.m.

Around 8:30 p.m., a few results had begun to flow into the public reporting system. Some of the larger precincts across the state were still wrapping up. Yet on cable television stations, which had hyped the caucus results live from Iowa for days, pundits already had started to speculate forcefully that something had gone wrong behind the scenes.

"I just think the idea of the caucus has failed to reach the viability threshold," Van Jones said on CNN. "This is starting to feel like a real debacle."

Those inside the boiler room knew something had gone wrong. About 60 people were staffing phones, but the incoming calls had reached an avalanche by 9 p.m. It didn't subside until hours later.

It was hell, said one volunteer.

The volunteers were getting complaints and pranks, including some from supporters of Republican President Donald Trump. Other callers tried to report fake results after the ID and PIN numbers from some precincts were posted in photos on Twitter. Many more callers were journalists seeking information.

"On Caucus Day, the Iowa Democratic Party experienced an unusually high volume of inbound phone calls to its caucus hotline, including supporters of President Trump," Mandy McClure, communications director for the party, said in a statement to the Des Moines Register later. "The unexplained, and at times hostile, calls contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic Partys collection of results, but in no way affected the integrity of information gathered or the accuracy of data sets reported."

Iowa state auditor Rob Sand was among those answering phone calls in the boiler room.

"It just became very clear that members of the public in general had started calling," he said.

"One call would be someone screaming at me that CNN was screaming about the results," said a different volunteer. "And then the next call would be somebody actually calling in the results. Or journalists were phone banking the phone bank. So we couldnt talk to precinct captains because CNN was having their entire staff f---ing phone bank us."

Some were friendly Iowans seeking to give the call center volunteers a boost.

"We had, every so often, the sweet calls from someone asking, Hows it going? Im thinking of you guys," said one volunteer. "But it was like, Get off the phone!"

When precinct leaders did get through, some were hung up upon. Shawn Sebastian, a Story County precinct leader, was live on CNN with Wolf Blitzer as he waited on hold with the call center. He was still live when someone from the call center connected to him and, apparently impatient while waiting for him to transfer over, hung up.

Others reported results with numbers that didnt add up properly, volunteers said. The non-working app was designed to ensure the caucus math was correct and awarded the correct number of delegates.

10 p.m.

Just before 10 p.m., McClure, the Iowa Democratic Party spokeswoman, issued the partys first public statement of the night.

"The integrity of the results is paramount," she said. "We have experienced a delay in the results due to quality checks and the fact that the IDP is reporting out three data sets for the first time. What we know right now is that around 25% of precincts have reported, and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016."

The statement did not indicate how severe the delay was likely to be. But about 20 minutes later, a call went out to Iowa Democrats frantically seeking extra volunteers for the boiler room, said one volunteer who got the call.

As the incoming calls began to slow, volunteers were put to work making outgoing calls to try to track down missing data from precincts that had not yet reported their results.

Though the process was chaotic, it mirrored what happens in most presidential caucus years, those involved said. An Iowa Democratic Party statement early Thursday also confirmed that practice.

Democrats in the room divvied up assignments based on where they had personal connections and began calling local elected officials, friends and county chairs, asking for the results data. Other times, they asked those friends to knock on the doors of precinct leaders who still owed the party data.

Meanwhile, McClure had issued a second public statement about 10:30 p.m. acknowledging a depth of problems that had not yet been conveyed to those in the boiler room.

"We found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results," she said in a statement. "In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report. This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion. The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results."

"Nobody was communicating theres this massive math issue from the other room that will take days to resolve," said one volunteer.

For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party released not only state delegate results but also the number of supporters each candidate had in first and second alignments. The three figures meant more reporting required from volunteer precinct officials and more ways for the public to check the calculations.

Inside the strategy room, data entry continued as the hour grew later.

"At that point, were already tired and miserable," said a person in the room. "I am certain that between the 15 people that were entering results between 11 p.m. caucus night and noon the next day when we did not go to bed that there are human errors that happened in the reporting of those results. Because of course there were. Do I think that (the results) are greatly affected? No. But I dont think they are 100% accurate, and they will never be."

1 a.m. Tuesday

Multiple Iowa Democrats inside and outside the boiler room complained the party did not disseminate talking points or respond to offers of assistance on a communications front.

"They let the national media say for 12 hours straight that this is the end of the Iowa caucuses," said one Iowa Democratic operative. "They didnt allow us to even have a response."

Price, the Iowa party chair, had yet to weigh in on the unfolding situation.

A news release was issued at 12:52 a.m. that Price would address the media on a phone call eight minutes later.

"At this point, the IDP is manually verifying all precinct results, he said. We expect to have numbers to report later today. We are validating every piece of data we have within that paper trail and it is taking longer than expected to ensure we are eventually able to report results with full confidence."

The statement took Price fewer than two minutes to read.

"Well be in touch soon," he said, quickly hanging up the phone without taking questions.

Epilogue

Soon would translate into 15 hours. Price did not address the public again until just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, when he said the first batch of results would flow shortly. It took until late Thursday for the party to declare it had released a full tally from Monday's caucuses.

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg held a two-delegate lead over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a finish the Associated Press declared too close to call.

Originally posted here:
Inside the Iowa Democratic Partys boiler room, where hell preceded the results catastrophe - Burlington Hawk Eye

The Grafton Middle and High School complex. (WYDaily file/Courtesy York County School Division)

York County School Division has announced plans to alternate school days for students impacted by the Grafton fire last week.

Administrators informed parents Friday that students who attend Grafton High School and Grafton Middle School would be returning to school starting Tuesday, but with a new schedule.

This following an electrical fire Monday which caused the Grafton School Complex to be evacuated late that afternoon.

The new schedule requires students at the two schools and at York High School and Tabb Middle School to alternate school days, according to the letter sent to parents from Victor Shandor, the divisions superintendent.

All Grafton complex students will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays in addition to 10 Saturdays. York High and Tabb Middle students will attend school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The alternating schedule has been adopted through May 22. With the new schedule, students will still have holidays for Presidents Day weekend, spring break and Memorial Day weekend.

In addition to the alternating days, the bell schedule throughout the school day has been altered to fit the change. This means the schools will change from the current A/B block rotation to a seven or eight-period day depending on the school level.

In regards to transportation, Shandor said information on a new system will be updated as soon as possible. This includes information for students in special education programs at the Grafton Complex, students at the Governors School, New Horizons, York County School of Arts, and the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp

Shandor said the division recognized the change might cause a significant impact on students and families.

We have been in constant communication with state education officials regarding this plan and it is likely we will have to make some adjustments, he wrote.

In addition, the school division will host two public forums on Saturday to hear from the schools communities. The first will be at 1 p.m. at York High School and the second will be at 4 p.m. at Tabb High School.

Over the course of the next week, the division will continue to develop plans for blended learning opportunities and instructional support for students when they are not in school.

These potential blended learning opportunities might also reduce the number of Saturdays students have to spend in school. (Story contnues below the video)

While we recognize that this plan may not be ideal for all families, this option best aligns with the divisions criteria for meeting the needs of all students with the resources available, Shandor said in the letter.

He said further details regarding the plan will be shared during the public forums on Saturday.

Mondays fire, though contained to the electrical room, resulted in a total loss of the main electrical distribution panel for the complex leaving the building without power, Katherine Goff, division spokeswoman, wrote in an email Thursday night. While smoke spread through the entire complex, the only sprinkler heads activated were those in the electrical room. The greatest impact of the smoke damage is on the middle school side of the complex.

Goff said division officials are working withwith the York County Department of Fire & Life Safety, Dominion Energy, county officials, insurance companies, engineers and electrical contractors and they determined that restoring even temporary power to the complex will take months.

The fire happenedin electrical switch gear/equipment located in the Grafton School Complex electrical equipment room. This room serves the entire complex, according to the fire department.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and fire officials said is very complicated to determine.

Majority of the fire damage was in the equipment room, but the entire complex sustained smoke damagewith the worse area appearing to have been the middle school portion of the complex, fire officials said.

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Here's what the York County School Division decided to do about the Grafton High, Middle schools schedules - Williamsburg Yorktown Daily

Workday (WDAY) - Get Report shares were working hard and rising after a Goldman Sachs analyst added the shares of the financial-management and human-capital-management software vendor to the firm's Conviction List.

Analyst Heather Bellini wrote in a note to investors that she was including the Pleasanton, Calif., company's shares "as we continue to see a path towards outperformance over the course of the year, especially as we see a path for subscription revenue growth to accelerate in the back half of fiscal 2021 (calendar year 2020) as comparisons get easier."

The Conviction List is a group of stocks that Goldman's research team expects to outperform.

"Furthermore, while not modeled at this time," Bellini said, "we see the potential for subscription revenue growth to accelerate in fiscal 2022 (calendar 2021) as migration to cloud financials starts penetrating the F500 and as add-on products such as planning and analytics increase their penetration into the installed base."

Bellini said that investor concerns about the pace of deceleration in human capital management, Workday's cloud-based HR-management software, and a weaker-than-expected fiscal 2021 subscription revenue guide have weighed on recent performance.

"[But] our initial thesis remains intact and we think recent underperformance creates an even more attractive entry point for the stock," she wrote.

With the fiscal 2021 subscription guide out of the way, Bellini said, "we see room for outperformance over the course of the year and note Workday has historically raised subscription revenue guidance over the course of the year."

"While we believe the market has been overly optimistic about the pace of financials adoption in the past, our field work highlights accelerating momentum in this multiyear cycle of migrating financials to the cloud, while investors confidence level about adoption has become more muted," she said.

At last check Workday shares were 2.8% higher at $192.82. They're up 24% from their 52-week low around $151 in mid-October.

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Workday Shares Added to Goldman Conviction List - TheStreet

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI A new building addition to help students in the health field at Central Michigan University learn and adapt collaboratively is complete.

The $26 million Integrated Health Studies building adds 50,000-square-feet to the universitys Health Professions Building on Preston Street. The project was funded in part by a $19.5 million investment from the state, according to Central Michigan University officials.

Construction of the project began in April and wrapped up late fall. Students began classes in the new facility the week of Jan. 13.

The building features upgraded labs and equipment focused on physician assistant and physical therapist training, according to the universitys website.

In todays world, health care professionals need to be trained in real-life environments. That includes learning and working alongside colleagues with different clinical training and using high-definition mannequins and students role-playing as patients, said Tom Masterson, dean of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions.

The Interprofessional Education and Practice Center is one of the spaces where students will get the chance to practice and learn.

The center features a two-room simulation suite equipped for use with a variety of high-tech clinical mannequins, eight patient rooms for role-playing medical scenarios, and all rooms monitored for observation and feedback.

The health professions building has programs such as athletic training, audiology, communication sciences and disorders, environmental health and safety, exercise science, kinesiology, health administration, nutrition and dietetics, physician assistant, physical therapy, public health, physical education and sport management.

Related:

$26 million Integrated Health Studies building coming to CMU

CMUs new $95 million Biosciences Building focuses on research, learning

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Central Michigan finishes $26 million addition to health studies building in Mount Pleasant - mlive.com

Above the Sunset Strip, a hillside home once owned by actress-singer Judy Garland and her husband, film and stage director Vincente Minnelli, has come up for sale at $6.129 million.

Garland and Minnelli lived at the house in the mid-1940s with daughter Liza Minnelli. It was later owned by television actor and comedian Wally Cox, who sold it in 1955 to Rat Pack entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. During Davis stay, musical acts such as the Band lived and recorded on the property.

What was once Liza Minnellis bedrooms sits off the downstairs living room. The bedroom features a hidden door that leads to the so-called Judy Garland suite, or what was the original master suite.

(Todd Goodman)

The main house, designed and built in 1941 by architect-to-the-stars John Elgin Woolf, has been updated but still contains relics from its Hollywood residents. The downstairs living room is next to what was once Liza Minnellis bedroom. The room has a hidden door behind the bookcases that leads to the original master bedroom, which has a dressing area and walk-in closet. The dressing room, untouched through the decades, retains its original mirrors.

Other spaces include a living room with a fireplace, a step-up dining room and an office. The kitchen, accessed from both the living and dining rooms, has been remodeled.

Outside, grounds designed by Davis himself feature a swimming pool, a pool house with two bathrooms, fruit trees and tropical landscaping. A fire pit is a more recent addition to the property.

Alexandra Pfeifer of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties holds the listing.

See the article here:
Hollywood Hills home where Judy Garland and Sammy Davis Jr. once lived seeks $6.129 million - Los Angeles Times

Premier Inn says it will add 735 rooms to its Scottish portfolio this year, with five new openings and additional room capacity at three other properties.

The five new hotels include a 60-room property in Aviemore, a 136-room hotel on Edinburghs Princes Street, and an 85-room hotel in Thurso.

The Glasgow area will welcome two new Premier Inn properties a 96-room hotel in Hamilton (located around 12 miles southeast of Glasgow), and a 249-room property on the citys St Enoch Square.

In addition the group says it will add room capacity at its Edinburgh East, Fort William and Inverness West hotels.

The five new properties are part of plans to add 37 hotels UK-wide this year, totalling around 4,000 rooms.

Commenting on the news Premier Inns managing director Simon Ewins said:

Were gearing up for an exciting year in Scotland with a variety of new hotels ranging from a 249-bed mega-hotel in one of Glasgows most iconic central locations to our most Northerly site in the UK in Thurso.

From its world-class cities to jaw-dropping Highlands, Scotlands tourist offer is hard-to-beat and were pleased to help make it even easier for both leisure and business travellers to enjoy the country affordably.

Premier Inns owner Whitbread recently launched its Force for Good sustainability programme which it says will eliminate the use of unnecessary single-use plastics by the middle of the next decade.

premierinn.com

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Premier Inn to open five Scottish properties in 2020 - Business Traveller

Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec transferred to from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this offseason. The 6-4, 230-pounder and former high school All-American quarterback never got the chance to be the starting quarterback in South Bend, but that is expected to change with the Eagles, potentially right away, under new head coach Jeff Hafley.

On Wednesday, the head coach of the Eagles spoke during his conference call about the addition of Jurkovec.

We set out and wanted to find a quarterback to make that room more competitive," said Hafley of Jurkovec hitting the transfer portal. "I think we know we need that. So when he entered the portal, it was very clear to us that we were going to go full speed after Phil, and we did. I watched the high school film. I'm obviously familiar with the area, being at Pitt, so I knew Pine-Richland really, and I knew his coach."

Hafey loved what he saw from Jurkovec, as did the dozens of schools that offered the Pennsylvania native out of high school.

When we watched the high school film, it's one you've got to smile on when you watch it, said Hafley. He's big. He's athletic. He can run. He's strong. He can throw the ball. He's the type of guy that, when he walks in the room, he looks like a quarterback and he has the presence of a quarterback.

Both on and off the field, there are a lot of positives about Jurkovec. He has leadership qualities, he won a ton of games in high school, put up ridiculous numbers, and could be very successful at Boston College if given an opportunity.

Then when we got to know his family, which is going to be so important to us. Just great people, great values, Hafley said. They fit us. In talking to him, it became pretty clear early on in the visit that I think we both felt the same way. We felt he was the right guy for us, and I think he felt we were the right people for him, and he shortly committed. He obviously just entered class, and he's been working out, and it's been awesome to see. I think you guys will really enjoy him. Just try not to ask him too many questions about Notre Dame. But he's a great kid. I think all those guys are really good people. We're excited about him.

So, will Jurkovec be eligible to play right away or will he have to sit out for a season? That remains up in the air, but the transfer waiver is in the works at this time.

I know the waiver will be submitted, and at that point, my hands are kind of tied, and I'll wait, just like you will, to see what happens, and I hope we'll find out sooner than later, said Hafley on Wednesday. Yeah, we'll have a plan. If it works, we'll have a plan, and if it doesn't work, we'll have a plan. We're always going to try to think ahead, and we'll just have to see what happens on that. As soon as we do know anything and we can let you know, I promise we will let you know.

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Hafley on the addition of former Notre Dame QB Phil Jurkovec - 247Sports

LINCOLN On a signing day when Nebraska inked no more scholarship players, coach Scott Frost focused on a pair of recent additions that he believes will make a quick impact his new assistant coaches.

Of course, Frost said during a nine-minute radio interview on Sports Nightly, part of the reason for the fast start of offensive coordinator/receivers coach Matt Lubick and outside linebackers coach Mike Dawson is their familiarity with what Nebraska wants to do.

Both coaches take over in spots that Frost said he considered NUs biggest offseason priorities. The team needed to add offensive weapons at the skill positions and find edge defenders to rush the passer.

Dawson, who was on Frosts staff from 2016-18 as defensive line coach and spent last season with the NFLs New York Giants, will coach the outside linebackers.

We needed to be better at outside linebacker, Frost said. Quite a few of the big plays we gave up last year because we werent in the right places or creating the plays at that spot, I feel great about the guys we have at that position right now. I think having Daws working with those guys will make us better.

With Lubick, Frost said his friend and former colleague at Oregon already knows most of the offense that Nebraska wants to run. Lubick is helping NU become a little bit more organized and a little bit more efficient, Frost said, which can make a difference considering all of the Huskers close games last season. He will probably communicate better on game day and be an asset to quarterback Adrian Martinez and the entire Husker attack.

Hes going to get our guys blocking better, running better routes, I think being more disciplined, Frost said. And hes certainly going to have more talent to work with now with the guys that we brought in.

That includes junior college transfer Omar Manning and Bellevue West product Zavier Betts, both of whom Frost said have NFL bodies. Frost said Betts still has academic work to finish but will be an impact piece moving forward.

I think one of the big things we were missing last year were playmakers on the perimeter, Frost said. With our offense, thats a necessity to make it go the way that we want it to. Its great when, in our opinion, one of the best guys that I saw all year at that position was right down the road from us.

Other quick hits from the interview:

The running back room is relatively thin, Frost said, but the incoming 2020 talent should help behind returning starter Dedrick Mills and redshirt freshman Rahmir Johnson. That includes rushers Sevion Morrison and Marvin Scott, but also receiver/running back types including Will Nixon and Alante Brown. Sophomore WanDale Robinson also showed he could handle carries.

On quarterback signee Logan Smothers: I think were going to get him in here and turn him into a fabulous player.

Frost said hes seen the camaraderie and leadership that Nebraska coaches have been seeking in the weight room during player conditioning. Finally feel like the pervading attitude on our team is what we want, Frost said.

In securing consecutive top 25 recruiting classes without qualifying for a bowl, Frost credited fan support for making an enormous difference. It should improve even more when the talent translates to the field, he said.

We dont want to be about winning signing day, Frost said. We want to be about winning games. Were starting to get the right type of players in the program that hopefully will be able to do that.

On beginning spring practices next month: I hope the teams as anxious as I am, and I think they are.

Frost said Nebraska will continue to look at the transfer portal for a player or two, but wants to avoid building a team that way.

Regarding the one-time transfer rule proposed by the Big Ten, Frost said he sees it as an attempt to start a dialogue for such change across all sports. But, he added, the goal should be to preserve the dynamics of college sports and amateurism.

Sooner or later were going to have to make those decisions, Frost said.

Signee Spotlights: Learn more about each member of the Huskers' 2020 recruiting class

Perhaps 25 years ago, Alante Brown is an option quarterback. Today, hes running option routes in a spread offense. Brown didnt get much hype in the cycle, but he could be a signing day steal. Click here to read more.

Alex Conn is a strong guy who can maul and throw smaller defensive linemen, and he has learned how to play the game at a high level. Click here to read more.

Blaise Gunnerson could do a lot of things at Nebraska.The physical tools size, speed, quickness, natural strength are all there. Click here to read more.

Eteva Mauga-Clements fits Nebraskas no fear of failure mantra quite well. He plays at full speed, takes aggressive angles and this is important has the speed to make up ground on quarterbacks or running backs who bounce a play outside. Click here to read more.

Henry Gray comes to Nebraska a seasoned defensive back. Multi-year starter potential with Gray, with a chance to play early on special teams. Click here to read more.

Jaiden Francois comes up and hits people, he has ball skills like a receiver, and he can help almost immediately on special teams. NUs secondary is stuffed with talent now, and Francois is part of it. Click here to read more.

Jimari Butler's first step and big frame make him a project worth undertaking. When raw-but-talented players from the Southeast figure things out, the results can be difference-making for a defense. Click here to read more.

The Huskers defensive coaches clearly wanted immediate help along the defensive line, and they'll get that with Jordon Riley. He certainly looks the part. Click here to read more.

An 11th-hour add the caliber of Keyshawn Greene is a major boost to a linebacker corps that continues to be remade under coach Scott Frost. Click here to read more.

Nebraska got everything it could ask for in Logan Smothers. He has the physical traits an accurate arm, toughness to absorb big hits and is elusive and explosive as a runner. He's also a coach's son with good grades and leadership qualities. Click here to read more.

Marcus Fleming hits the highest gear really, really quickly and can extend that speed for the duration of a route. He seems to understand that speed is his primary asset, too, because he doesnt spend much time getting fancy after the catch. Click here to read more.

The intangibles are there for Black. He's the longtime vocal leader of a dominant defense. That pairs well with an explosiveness off the line and a versatility that has Nebraska projecting him as a three-down player anywhere across its three-man front. Click here to read more.

Freshman running backs emerge annually on the college scene, and Marvin Scott could be the next one at a position where Nebraska has been craving depth. He's already more physically developed than many of his peers. Click here to read more.

Nash Hutmachers skills as a wrestler will come in handy as a Husker. The sport teaches leverage and positioning, and if Hutmacher hangs in there at nose tackle, hell need that and another thing brute strength. Hutmacher has that, too. Click here to read more.

Niko Cooper will be given a chance to play early and may fit next season into a rotational situation. Click here to read more.

Omar Manning represents one of the most important commits of the Scott Frost era, a sorely-needed, big-bodied wideout who can run go and post routes, commanding doubles and catching the ball over them anyway. Click here to read more.

Pheldarius Payne is a keeper, a quick-twitch, smart defensive lineman who gets into the opposing backfield with intention and haste. He tackles to inflict pain, has quick feet and runs through contact instead of getting grabby with his arms. Click here to read more.

If theres one thing Nebraska needs, it's depth, and depth at safety can go a long way. Ronald Delancy, who fell in love with Nebraska after a visit in the fall, can provide depth right away. Click here to read more.

Sevion Morrison is a big-play back, a long-striding, pretty runner who can go cross country or hit the alley outside the numbers and take it to the house. Click here to read more.

A corner/safety hybrid whos good in press coverage and equally good at getting off receiver blocks to make tackles in the run game. Tamon Lynum is a good tackler, too. Click here to read more.

The barrel-chested Kansan has the strength and agility to thrive in a fast-paced scheme, andhe already has the frame and physical mindset of a quality "Pipeline" producer. Click here to read more.

William Nixon grew up around the game during his father's coaching stops in the NFL. That experience should help him quickly at Nebraska. Click here to read more.

In Zavier Betts, Nebraska will have on day one a receiver who can run those deep go and post routes with long strides and seemingly minimal effort. He couldbe the most naturally gifted receiver Nebraska has had in many, many years. Click here to read more.

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Scott Frost says addition of assistants Matt Lubick and Mike Dawson will help Huskers get better - Omaha World-Herald

The man stands in the park, reenacting a scene from his own life. He is in the park with his family, and they are pretending to be themselves, doing things they normally do: playing games, walking on the grass. But they are not themselves. And this is not normal. But his lawyer said it was a good idea, so here they are.

In the middle of a sea of green athletic fields, dense woods, playgrounds, tennis courts, and a pond, he stands in the shade of a gazebo behind a field where his children compete in sportsa field where, as a boy, he himself competed, a field he knows better than his own back yard. His two daughters fling a lacrosse ball back and forth, back and forth.

Lacrosse is like a religion around here, the man says. All three of his kids play in lacrosse leagues after school.

Theres a photographer taking pictures of them, and the family has an easy rapport as they stand before the camera. Should we smile? asks Kallie, the mans wifea good question, all things considered. The photographer is taking their picture because of what happened when they were on vacation in the Caribbean and the man, Gavin Scott Hapgood, was accused of causing another man to die. Now they want people to see that despite that awful nightmare they are a good family. This photo shoot is one small part of what they see as their fight for survival.

Alexei Hay

The man, who goes by Scott, met Kallie freshman year at Dartmouth. They have been married for 17 years. Scott, who just turned 45, has worked in the same industry, finance, for the same company, UBS, for more than two decades. Kallie, 44, is head of investor relations at the private equity firm Gridiron Capital. They chose this town, Darien, Connecticut, the ninth-wealthiest town in the United Statesthe town where Scott grew upto raise their three kids in, two girls, ages 13 and 11, and a boy age nine.

The TV show Billions portrays commuter-rail Connecticut as the province of swashbuckling mandarins who inhale sushi and guzzle Macallan between bouts of corporate warfare. And in real life, things to do in Darien include the annual Ox Ridge Hunt Club Charity Horse Show (established 1931) or a round of golf at the members-only Wee Burn Country Club (founded 1896).

The Hapgoods live in a different world from all that, albeit an adjacent one. Darien is a family town where car-seated minivans share driveway space with Porsche 911s and Audi A8s. People raise kids hands-on, in stately old homes, and spend time with other parents. Social life revolves around Little League and private school fundraising galas and the PTA, with harried stops at Shake Shack in between.

You can plan all you want. Scotts life has moved along tracks grooved deep over decades: from the suburbs to the Ivys and back to the suburbs, a family and a job and a big house. But there are so many humans running around the planet, and sometimes two of them collide unexpectedly, at just the wrong angle in the wrong millisecond, and it causes an explosion. Thats what happened on vacation in Anguilla: Scott ended up in a hotel room 1,800 miles from the town where he grew up, and in that room was a stranger, a younger man named Kenny Mitchel, and pretty soon the other man was dead.

Scott Hapgoods rectilinear face rests on a tree-trunk physique maintained by the doubles paddle tennis league he and Kallie compete in (and dominate). He was a first team All Ivy defensive end and a second team All Ivy lacrosse player. Today hes a tanned, six-foot-three avatar of suburban masculinity, with a Mt. Rushmore brow, thin lips, and cropped sandy hair, in button-ups and khakis and breathable mesh loafers. His handshake is firm, even though the pinkie of his right hand juts out at a strange angle, the result of an old sports injury. Nothing else is out of place. In photos Scott appears every inch the Ivy League alpha male that his rsum suggests.

In person the stereotype falls away. Dark circles have appeared under his eyes. He speaks in clipped sentences, with visible tightness at the corners of his mouth. A week before the shoot, at a grim press conference, he called his life a living nightmare. Only around his family does the pre-Anguilla Scott emerge. As he stands within the force field of their affection, his warm smile melts away the tension curdling behind his jaw.

Its been hard for the kids to process what they witnessedto be witnesses, in fact, giving statements to the police in what would become the investigation of their father. They have been in therapy. Scott and Kallie have been open about what happened, and whats happening now. The kids are holding up pretty darn well, but theres little things you notice, Kallie says. At the moment, here in the park, they seem to be in a good mood.

I promised them ice cream afterward, says Scott, smiling.

Kenny Mitchel was born on the Caribbean island of Dominica, where he grew up with two brothers. His parents split when he was young. He was their favorite, says a close friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his job. He was very much loved by his family.

After his father moved to Anguilla to pursue business as a contractor, Kenny often traveled back and forth between the two islands. In 2015 he moved to Anguilla for good, to follow in his fathers footsteps.

He made friends almost immediately. He loved cooking, eating, dancing, and making music. Kenny could throw a barbecue with no warning, and fill up a yard with people at the drop of a hat, the friend says. He would say, Im going to grill up some chicken, invite everybody to come. He loved to see people having a good time.

Courtesy C&K Studios

A year after he moved to Anguilla, Kenny met a woman named Emily Garlick at a food festival where she was working. He loved food, and Emily caught his eye; he hung around her booth all day, smiling at her. She flirted, told him to go away, thinking he was too small, too little. But her friend put Emilys number in Kennys phone, and that was it.

Kenny was wiry, with dark skin and a gentle, handsome face. Garlickwhite, British, red-haired, blue-eyed, her face an ocean of frecklesfell hard. He was caring. He was passionateabout everything: his music, his food, me, his family, how he looked, she says. He loved to look sharp, funny, goofy. He loved to dance. He was a bit silly. A good one.

She recalls one of their early dates, when they spent a weekend together on the beach, and he wrote her a song on the spot. She remembers it perfectly:

When you look into the sky,Have no wings but wish I could flyNot gonna lie, I lost a few close friendsAnd Im not afraid to cry,Beautiful girl on the beach has got some beautiful eyes

After two dates they were a couple. Four months later, she says, we were pregnant. They moved in together. Myliea combination of Emily and Kennys nickname, Mylezwas born in February 2017.

Kenny was obsessed with his newborn daughter, Garlick says. He was greathe knew his responsibilities and he did them. Ive got videos of him playing with her all the time He did feed [her] through the night. He changed nappies.

Supporting his family was important to Kenny, but it wasnt always easy. His father made good money as a contractor, and Kenny had followed him into that line of work, taking on odd building jobs. Then, in September 2017, Hurricane Irma wiped out homes and caused millions of dollars in damage on Anguilla. Malliouhana, one of Anguillas preeminent luxury hotels, was hit badly. Kenny got a job there as a maintenance worker, repairing broken railings, repainting walls, and doing electrical work. He was earning around $2,000 a month and he loved the work, according to those who knew him, and he began to allow himself to dream of bigger things: college abroad, his own landscaping business.

Still, his relationship with Garlick was often tumultuous. They argued, broke up, and made up. Love for Mylie held them together, until it didnt.

On March 25, 2019, less than three weeks before he died, Kenny was arrested and charged with raping Garlick.

At the time of his death he was out on bail, with a protective order keeping him from seeing Garlick or his daughter. Garlick now flatly denies that he raped her, and the facts of that incident remain murky. He never laid a hand on me, she told Town & Country, adding that Kenny was never once violent with her. He didnt know how to be violent, she said. Still, she later confirmed that she had been the one who called the police that day, leading to his arrest. After several requests, she declined to elaborate further.

Whatever had happened, she said, was between her and Kenny. Plus, It didnt define him. He didnt deserve to die.

On the night of April 12, 2019, Kenny went out with his close friend, who recalls his being in good spirits, talking about the future. He mentioned that he had just gotten paid, and paid his bills, earlier that day.

You said to me when you left my car the night before your passing Aye frre, I love you, eh, the friend wrote online shortly after Kenny died (the two often spoke Dominican Creole with each other). At least you passed knowing that I loved you and appreciated you the same.

Anguilla has dozens of beaches, but Meads Bay Beach, a cartoonishly perfect milelong strip of pale sand on the western tip of the island, is where most visitors stay. They book rooms in one of its upscale hotels, the easternmost of which is Malliouhana, a cluster of bone-white buildings perched on a rocky bluff. It opened in 1985, and its spa and world class French-Caribbean restaurant helped spur an explosion in luxury tourism to the island. After closing in 2011 for a multimillion-dollar renovation, it was reopened four years ago by Auberge Resorts, an international hospitality management company that operates 19 properties on three continents. In high season a single room at Malliouhana can cost $1,000 a night; a suite runs upward of $1,800.

Julien Capmeil

Scott and Kallie knew none of this when they booked their seven-night stay. Amid the constant logistical tangle of school, sports, and work, the Hapgoods had little time to debate vacation destinations. They went to a travel agent and picked Malliouhana at random from a menu of options, as if throwing a dart at a dartboard, Scott would say later.

In addition to nice hotels and pristine beaches, Anguilla, population 15,000, is known for its friendly locals. The crime rate is low compared with other Caribbean islands. People leave their homes unlocked. Tourism is the economy, and guests are greeted with smiles. Many are American, and, as is the case at most Caribbean resorts, nearly all are white.

The first thing that happens when you set foot in Malliouhana is someone hands you a rum punch. Breezes blow fragrant air through the open lobby, past sea-green columns, between potted palms, over mirrored floor tiles, past framed tropical scenes by the Haitian painter Jasmin Joseph. A smiling attendant leads you onto the veranda, where sunburned pink flesh sinks into pristine white couches. Beneath you the ocean stretches for miles.

The Hapgoods wasted no time enjoying Malliouhana on their first morning. They picked their way to the beach for an early swim, down a narrow staircase hewn from the cliff face with a plastic guardrail. Staffers in uniform handed out sunscreen and towels.

Kenny was supposed to start work at 8 that morning, but according to Scotts lawyer, Juliya Arbisman, Kennys supervisor, Eduardo Urquiza, later told police that Kenny reported two hours late, around the time the Hapgoods were swimming.

William C. Lopez/NY Post / MEGA

After their swim, the family walked back up to the hotel for lunch; Kallie and the kids ordered virgin daiquiris. Most of the resorts employees are native Anguillans or transplants from other Caribbean islands. They wear straw hats and striped T-shirts and toothpaste-green board shorts, filling drinks, folding towels. They smile knowingly at the roosters that peck food off plates, and they ask guests if theyd like a Carib beer, or perhaps they might want to try a lychee?

Several Malliouhana employees said they recalled seeing Kenny working by the pool on the first day of the Hapgoods visit, and when they greeted him he seemed normal. One employee remembered seeing the Hapgoods and Kenny in the pool area around the same time at middaythe Hapgoods were eating lunch; he was painting a wall. They were separated by perhaps 30 yards, and she didnt see any interaction between them.

Kallie checked out snorkeling equipment after lunch, and the family swam amid schools of blue tang and parrotfish, five blond heads bobbing in the surf, the tangle of their overbooked suburban lives dissolving into the sea.

Afterward, Scott and the kids trudged back up to the pool, while Kallie went to return the snorkeling equipment. Sleepy from the afternoon sun, Scott decided to return to the room. The Hapgoods were in room 4849, a pair of adjoining suites configured into a larger suite with two bedrooms connected to a central sitting area. The suite was in a one-story building at the edge of the property, about 100 yards from the pool.

Scott walked along a footpath, winding through a manicured grove of papaya and hibiscus. Black roosters strutted on the grass, and emerald lizards scurried into the underbrush.

According to Arbisman, Urquiza, Kennys direct supervisor, scheduled Kenny to fix fans in a restaurant kitchen in the afternoon. But for two hours he was unaccounted for, and he never completed the assignment.

Scott flopped down on the king-size bed, flicked on the TV, and found the Masters golf tournament. Not long afterward, his daughters returned.

A few minutes later, Scott heard a knock at the door.

This is what Scott says happened next: When he opened the door he saw a hotel employeeblack, slight of build, and several inches shorter than himself. A man he would later learn was Kenny Mitchel. Kenny explained that he was there to fix a broken sink, Scott said. Scott hadnt reported a broken sink, but the guy was wearing a uniform, and he let him in.

He led Kenny to the bathroom, then went to the room his daughters were in to let them know someone else was there. He heard a noise behind him. He turned around. There was Kenny, he says, who pulled out a knife and said, Give me your money. Give me your wallet.

Scott says he told Kenny to calm down, but Kenny held the knife up and repeated, Give me your money. Give me your wallet. Scott grabbed Kennys arm and wrist with both hands to get the knife from him. The men fought.

The brawl moved into the bathroom of room 49. Scott ended up on top of Kenny, straddling him on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, his arms pressing on the smaller mans chest. His daughters ran for help, yelling that their father had been attacked.

Geshaune Clarke, 27, was working at the Malliouhana as a bellhop, his station a few yards from the front desk. This is what Clarke says happened next: He saw two children approach the desk and speak frantically to the attendant there. He couldnt make out what they were saying, but his supervisor emerged and told him to go to room 48. He rushed there with Urquiza. Clarke found the door open; it had been propped ajar in a specific way that only employees use.

Nobody was in the room.

The door to the adjoining room was locked. Clarke says he heard several thumps from the other side of the door. He told Urquiza, who had a master keycard, to unlock room 49. Clarke says that a later review of records showed that this key swipe took place at 3:53 p.m., and that he was the first one in the room. He saw a trail of blood leading from the bathroom, a few feet from the entrance. He looked inside, and his eyes locked with Scotts. Then he looked down and saw Kenny beneath Scott on the floor.

Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo/The New York Times/Redux

Kenny and Clarke were friends. They socialized and made music together, sometimes hanging out at Waves, a beach bar managed by Emily, Kennys girlfriend. Scotts right arm was over Kennys chest, holding him down. His left forearm was pressed down over the right side of Kennys neck and collarbone, according to Clarke.

He came at me with a knife, Scott said.

Urquiza immediately went over and pressed down on Kennys limp hand and foot. He wanted to demonstrate that he was there to help Scott restrain the man.

He came at me with a knife, Scott said again. Clarke didnt see Kenny move at all. Scott continued talking, explaining that Kenny had asked him and his daughters for money. You need to get that knife, he told Clarke.

Clarke walked past the bathroom and down the few steps into the bedroom, where he found the knife on the ground next to the TV. It was Kennys Leatherman utility knife, a tool he used regularly in his maintenance duties. The blade was half folded, in a V-shape; Leatherman blades lock into place when extended, meaning it was either intentionally partially folded or had been jarred by an impact. He doesnt recall seeing blood on the blade.

Clarke placed the knife on a table and returned to the bathroom. He didnt see Kenny moving, or even drawing breath. He asked Scott to get off the prostrate man. According to Clarke, Scott refused, replying that he had just been attacked. I do understand, Clarke recalls responding, but you need to allow him some airway breathing space.

When Clarke had first entered the room, he says, Scott seemed shellshocked, off-kilter, wired by adrenaline. But when they asked him to get off Kenny, he recalls, everything changed. Scott grew angry. He refused to budge and said that Kenny was breathing just fine.

I can feel his stomach moving, he said.

You could stay on him for restraint if you like, Clarke shot back, but you need to get off of his airways. Scott barked at him, asking if he knew what it felt like for someone to attack him in his room on vacation and ask for money. He was rambling a lot, Clarke recalls. He had the floor most of the time, you know?

Scott set conditions, according to Clarke: He would get up if the police or security came, or if they could find something to tie Kenny up with. Scott later told T&C, I was repeatedly saying we need to get him into handcuffs because I was frightened he had more weapons on him.

After they explained that they were hotel employees, and that Kenny worked under Urquiza, the manager, Scott told them that he couldnt trust other workers in uniform who might have been affiliated with Kenny. Clarke and Urquiza kept trying to convince him to give Kenny more breathing room, but Scott resisted, reiterating that he wouldnt do so until Kenny had been tied up or the police had arrived.

Clarke was fed up. He had had some medical training for a part-time job as a dental assistant. He knew basic emergency protocols and could see that Kenny was in distress. The man was struggling to breathe, his breath coming out raspy, fluid seemingly pooling in his esophagus. Clarke raised his voice for the first time, demanding that Scott get off Kenny. Scott shot back, asking Clarke to imagine himself in his positionhow would his daughters feel if he got off Kenny? How could he understand?

Clarke responded that he did have a son, so he could understand. He still wanted Scott to get off Kenny.

I dont want to speak to you anymore, Scott said. You need to leave. This upset Clarke; Urquiza gestured for him to calm down, and he did. Scott repeated that he wanted Clarke out of his face. So Clarke left the room and went to look for duct tape to restrain Kenny with. Clarke was so angry by this point that he considered grabbing a two-by-four to whack Scott so that hed get off his friend. But he didnt, and after a few fruitless minutes of searching he returned to the room.

Who are you? Scott asked, looking at Urquiza. And who is he? he asked, meaning Kenny. Urquiza explained that Kenny worked for him. I really dont trust you guys, Scott repeated. By this point Clarke and Urquiza had been in the room for around 10 minutes.

Kenny shifted his head and rasped, Can I speak?

Scott looked down at him. You dont have a fucking thing to say, he said, and pressed down hard with his forearm. Scott told T&C, I could feel him breathing beneath me the entire time.

That was the last time Clarke saw Kenny move.

Just then, Kallie burst through the door. When she saw the scene in the bathroom, she was shocked, and she asked Scott if he was hurt.

Scott said he was okay.

Kallie turned to Clarke and Urquiza, demanding to know where the police were. If you guys dont get the cops down here, this is going to be all over the United States news, she said, holding her phone.

She asked Scott if she should record a video of the scene. No need to, Scott said.

Around this time, which Clarke places at somewhere between 4:15 and 4:25, two security guards entered the room. Urquiza asked one of them to help restrain Kenny, while the other went outside to speak with the police on the phone.

When Scott saw the towering security guard, he said, Youre a big guy. You can hold him now. He stood, left the bathroom, and went to the other bathroom, in 48, to wash the blood from his wounds.

Clarke entered the room where the security guard was kneeling next to Kenny. They rolled him onto his side, hoping to make it easier for him to breathe. Blood and saliva dribbled from his mouth. They could see he was breathing, but barely. Clarke felt for a pulseit was faint, and slow.

The police arrived two to three minutes later. Kallie would tell the New York Post that an officer looked at her and said, of Kenny, We know him. He is a bad guy. He was just in our custodyan apparent reference to his arrest for raping Garlick.

Clarke helped EMTs load Kenny onto a stretcher. Clarke asked Kenny to give him his side of the story, but he got no response. Clarke didnt see any breath fogging up the plastic mask over his friends mouth.

A few hours later, Kenny was declared dead.

Scott was treated for his injuries at the hospitalhe later released photos of himself showing bloody lacerations on his nose, ear, and chest. He gave a statement to the police and spent the night at the police station.

Malliouhana got a room for the Hapgoods at the Four Seasons Hotel, on the far side of Meads Bay Beach. The next day, Scott recalls, Malliouhanas general manager, Kapil Sharma, met the Hapgoods in person, apologized, and said he couldnt imagine what we were going through, especially because he also has children.

The Hapgoods spent as much time together as possible over the next two days. On April 16 Scott was arrested. Kallie called Sharma, asking for help. In a very brief phone call, he told her he could not help us, Scott recalled. We havent heard a word from anyone at the resort since.

Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo/The New York Times/Redux

Scott was charged by a magistrate with manslaughter and sent to the prison, a mint-green building with high walls just across the street from the courthouse. He was escorted into the building in handcuffs, flanked by two large police officers. Within a few hours his lawyer got his case in front of a judge, who granted him $74,000 bail, citing inflamed passions of the general public and the almost imminent likelihood of public unrest. It was also confirmed at the bail hearing that several of Kennys relatives and citizens of Dominica worked at the prison, so it might not be safe for Scott to remain there.

As a condition of his bail, Scott promised to come back for future court dates, and he flew home to Connecticut with Kallie on April 18 on a private jet, arranged for and paid for by the generosity of the people that touch our lives every day, he said later. His children had flown home separately on April 17 with a family friend from Darien who had been vacationing on the island.

Furious Anguillans lined the streets near the airfield, snapping photos as Scotts plane lifted off into the sky.

Kenny Mitchel was given two funerals, one in Dominica and one in Anguilla. Hundreds of mourners cried and sang his praises, many wearing shirts that read Justice for Kenny alongside an image of his face.

The initial reports of Scotts arrest sparked frenzied gossip not only in Darien but in New Canaan, Greenwich, and Stamford, the insular communities of Connecticuts finance belt, where it seemed everyone knew someone who knew someone who knew the banker charged with manslaughter.

How big was the news? Huge, says the captain of the fitting room at the Brooks Brothers in Darien. They thought it was very strange that that would happen to someone from around here.

Within days, segments about Scott were running on the nightly news, and newspapers in Connecticut covered his situation closely. Armstrong Williams hailed him as an American hero in National Review, and Nancy Grace devoted an episode of her podcast Crime Stories to the case. Scott was placed on administrative leave by UBS, which released a statement saying they were aware of what happened in Anguilla and following the situation closely.

In Anguilla, anger bubbled across social media. Many people were outraged at what to them seemed an obvious case of their government accommodating a wealthy white tourist at the expense of a poor black local. Imagine if a black Anguillan came to America and killed a wealthy white father of three at his workplace, they said. Would he be allowed to leave on bail?

DENNIS M. RIVERA PICHARDO

Many did not accept the facts of the case. Why, people asked, would Kenny come into Scotts room wearing his uniform and pull a knife on him in front of witnesses? Hed lose his job and never be able to work at a hotel on the island again. Wild theories flew on Facebook and at bars, ranging from the vaguely plausible (Scott summoned Kenny to his room to buy drugs) to the far-fetched (it was a tryst gone wrong) to the totally whacked-out (Scott is a Freemason engaged in human sacrifice).

Rival groups of Scott supporters and Kenny supporters formed Facebook pages. The Kenny page, known as Unity for Justice, was initially formed to promote a GoFundMe campaign for Mylie Mitchel. Today the page, which has more than 2,000 followers, is an anonymously run hub for alternative theories about what happened at Malliouhana.

Conversations with many people in Anguilla suggest that the Facebook pages approach lines up broadly with the suspicions many locals have. Using annotated diagrams of the crime scene, Unity for Justice tries to find inconsistencies in Scotts public statements.

One post compared photos of Scotts hair before and after the incident; in the later image his hair seems lighter. If multiple bleaching attempts are made a participant can remove all drugs from their hair, the poster wrote. A worrying situation and one of the reasons why so many blonds arrive at sample collections.

A private page called the Hap Weekly, which has more than 3,000 followers, has served as a hub for support, fundraising, and catharsis among the Hapgoods supporters. Enough is enough. I hope the stinking pile of fossilized reptile shit known as Anguilla gets annihilated by a meteor strike, wrote family friend Oliver Prichard. And the dirtbags at the Auberge Malliouhana can go straight to hell.

Link:
What Really Happened in That Hotel Room in Anguilla? - TownandCountrymag.com

ARRINGTON, Tenn. Tennessee used two of the remaining available spots in its 2020 recruiting class after the Early Signing Period in December to add a couple of playmakers for the offense on National Signing Day earlier this week.

In Top247 wide receiver Malachi Wideman and four-star athlete Dee Beckwith, who played multiple positions on offense in high school, the Vols added a pair of playmakers who will bolster the options offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has at his disposal.

Chaney discussed both signees during Tennessee's Nashville-area National Signing Day Celebration on Thursday night.

I tell you, when you watch them play, their competitive spirit shows up, he said. You watch all the Hudl tape and all the highlights, and you can judge whether they can run or not. But when you watch them play live, you can see whats in their soul. You can see how they play. Weve been fortunate enough to see those kids perform live, and theyve got great competitive spirit about them.

Im excited about getting them in the mix. I think theyll compete early and well see what they can do. Im not sure, I know what one of thems going to play. Dee, who knows? Hes just a heck of a good athlete, and well figure that out as the time passes.

The departure of seniors Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway and Dominick Wood-Anderson three of the five Tennessee players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine means the Vols have to replace three of their top four pass-catchers from the 2019 season, so adding players in that department was a must for Tennessee in this recruiting cycle.

And the Vols delivered there, adding Top247 wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Jimmy Calloway in December and picking up Wideman, the 6-foot-4 former Florida State commitment, and Beckwith, the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder who will start his career at receiver but could play multiple roles on offense.

Tennessee also added experience with graduate transfer Velus Jones Jr., the All-Pac-12 return specialist at Southern California who joined the Vols in January.

Hes a vertical-speed guy, Chaney said. (Wide receivers coach) Tee (Martin) has coached him before, so he knows quite a bit about him. Im not as familiar with him as he is. Ive watched his tape, he can run, he can stretch the field. Hes exceptional on special teams, which I think will help us immediately. Its fun to see what hes going to be able to do.

The Vols will have a couple of familiar faces at wide receiver in 2020 in Josh Palmer and Brandon Johnson, and Ramel Keyton and Cedric Tillman were part of the rotation as freshmen in 2019, but the incoming group of new players will add talent, speed and after-the-catch ability, as will Deangelo Gibbs, now eligible after sitting out the 2019 season following his transfer from Georgia.

Its interesting, the rooms going to change, the dynamics of it, Chaney said. We signed the Hyatt kid coming in, hes a 4.3 kid. Calloway from down in Atlanta, hes another fast guy, he can fly. The addition of Malachi, thats something. Deangelo Gibbs is with us, hes going to play on the offensive side if D.A. (defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley) would leave him alone.

Its been fun. So all the competition in the room youve got all those guys that have played a little bit, so its fun to see it with a lot of competition. Weve added speed in that room, which is going to help us a lot, so I look forward to seeing how that all shakes out.

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Incoming talent at receiver has Vols OC Jim Chaney thrilled - 247Sports