Here's the afternoon forecast from the National Weather Service. It will cloudy gradually becoming mostly sunny with a high near 79 degrees. Winds will gust as high as 25 mph.

Tonight will be partly cloudy and breezy with a low around 55 degrees.

Huge stuffed cow saves 2-year-old boy after fall out window

Police in Massachusetts are crediting a huge stuffed cow with saving 2-year-old boy who fell out of a second-story window and onto concrete below. It happened Wednesday in Chelsea.

Police say the boy was playing in a bedroom with his 12-year-old sister and bouncing on the bed when he bounced out of the window. He fell 16 feet onto the concrete. Fortunately he was holding onto the stuffed cow which broke his fall.

Great uncle, Luis Estrada, said the boy takes the stuffed animal with him everywhere. The boy has some cuts and was taken to a hospital overnight for observation, but has since been released.

World's Ugliest Dog Contest awards underdogs' inner beauty

FILE - In this June 20, 2014 file photo, Peanut, a 2-year-old mutt is held by owner Holly Chandler after winning the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The annual Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest celebrates homely pooches for their inner beauty in Petaluma. Organizers say the pooches will face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show" during Friday's events. It's intended to show that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family. (AP Photo/George Nikitin, File)

FILE - In this June 24, 2016, file photo, first place winner SweePee Rambo, a 17-year-old Chinese Crested Chihuahua, is cradled by her owner Jason Wurtz of Encino after the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The annual Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest celebrates homely pooches for their inner beauty in Petaluma. Organizers say the pooches will face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show" during Friday's events. It's intended to show that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat via AP, File)

The World's Ugliest Dog Contest is celebrating today man's best friend's perfect imperfections in California.

The pooches many of which are adoptable or previously adopted face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show," organizers said. The contestants are judged on first impressions, unusual attributes, personality and audience reaction.

A blind Chihuahua-Chinese Crested mix named Sweepee Rambo bested 16 other homely hounds in last year's competition and waddled away with $1,500, a trophy and a flight to New York with her owner, Jason Wurtz, for media appearances. The then-17-year-old champion proved that third time's the charm after falling short in the competition twice before.

By celebrating inner beauty, organizers said they hope to showcase that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family.

Contest rules prevent owners from intentionally altering their animals to enhance appearance for the purpose of the contest. These pooches are celebrated for their natural ugliness, organizers said.

FILE - In this June 26, 2015, file photo, Quasi Modo wins top honors in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The annual Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest celebrates homely pooches for their inner beauty in Petaluma. Organizers say the pooches will face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show" during Friday's events. It's intended to show that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Besides the main crown, the Spirit Award is presented to a dog and owner who have overcome obstacles or provide service to their community, organizers said.

The competition has been held in Petaluma for more than 50 years but is in its 29th year at the Sonoma-Marin Fair.

Chinese parents alarmed by miniature crossbow craze

A listing by a Chinese seller on eBay's U.S. site for a miniature crossbow capable of firing toothpicks is seen on a computer screen in Beijing, Friday, June 23, 2017. Powerful mini-crossbows that shoot toothpicks and needles are the new must-have toy for schoolkids across China - and a nightmare for concerned parents and school officials. Several cities have reportedly banned sales of the palm-sized contraptions, which are powerful enough to puncture soda cans, apples and cardboard, depending on the projectile. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Powerful mini-crossbows that shoot toothpicks and needles are the new must-have toy for schoolkids across China and a nightmare for concerned parents and school officials.

Several cities including Shenzhen and Qingdao have reportedly banned sales of the palm-sized contraptions, which sell for about $1 and are powerful enough to puncture soda cans, apples and cardboard, depending on the projectile.

The fad appears to have sprung out of the southwest city of Chengdu but quickly spread to China's east coast and even across the border to Hong Kong. In the Chinese territory of Macau, police issued a warning this week that using the crossbows might constitute a criminal offense.

Although there have not yet been widespread reports of serious injuries, parents across China have raised concerns with schools, with many circulating petitions on social media in support of a nationwide ban.

"People getting blinded will become commonplace, must ban!" said one user on the messaging forum hupu.com while another asked: "What was the inventor of this thing thinking?"

Taobao and JD.com, China's two most popular e-commerce sites, have responded in recent days by blocking sales. Searches for "crossbow" or "toothpick crossbow" now return empty.

Continued here:
Noon update: Sunny skies, ugly dogs and tiny crossbows - Quad City Times

Digital media and marketing software maker Adobe Systems (ADBE) received severalmore price-target increases to its stock on Thursday in the wake of its beat-and-raise fiscal second-quarter results late Tuesday.

XAutoplay: On | OffAdobe stock got price-target increases on Wednesday from at least four Wall Street firms, with the most bullish being Piper Jaffray, which kept its overweight rating and raised its target to 180 from 160.

Adobe ended trading down 0.4% to 143.69 on the stock market today. On Wednesday, Adobe hit a record high of 147.45.

On Thursday, Morgan Stanley maintained its equal-weight rating on Adobe, but raised its price target to 150 from 137.CFRA stuck withits hold rating on Adobe, but upped its target to 152 from 129. Baird reiterated its outperform rating and increased its price target to 160 from 140. And Canaccord Genuity stayed with a buy rating and hiked its target to 165 from 145.

IBD'S TAKE: Adobe stock has an IBD Composite Rating of 98, meaning it has outperformed 98% of stocks in key metrics over the past 12 months. For more information on Adobe, visit the IBD Stock Checkup.

"Q2 saw continued strong execution in the core top-line growth engines of the Adobe story additions to the annual recurring revenue (ARR) base for Digital Media again exceeded expectations, while revenue growth in the Digital Marketing business trended higher," Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss said in a note to clients. "Current targets for fiscal 2017 look quite conservative."

Adobe is benefiting from its shift to a cloud-computing business model for its creative software, which includes programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. It also is riding a growth curve for its digital marketing business, analysts say.

"We call Adobe one of our secular buy 'compounding' stocks, which means that investors should rationally expect Adobe shares to roughly double within a five-year window," Canaccord analyst Richard Davis said in a note to clients.

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Adobe Stock Hits Record High On Beat-And-Raise Earnings Report

4:41 PM ET A Relative Strength Rating upgrade for Red Hat shows improving technical performance.

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Adobe Systems Stock Gets More Price-Target Hikes Post-Earnings - Investor's Business Daily

If your childhood was squarely planted in the '80s or '90s, then theres a good chance your bedroom was littered with a number of Hasbro toys like Transformers, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., ROM, or Micronauts. I dont know about you, but Hasbro ruled everything around me -- get the money, dollar-dollar bill ya'll, right? Everyone I knew was having Toy Story-like adventures with their Hasbro toys (including me) and had a fleet of 3.75-inch G.I. Joes taking on ROM or a few choice Transformers. It didn't matter that it was a hodgepodge of universes, because in my mind, all of these creations existed in the same plane of made-up reality.

So when IDW decided to launch the Revolution crossover in 2016, that created a scenario where these Hasbro worlds collided, it was like they mined my childhood. They found a way to have all of these properties co-exist, and it helps to have all the licenses available. Now Transformers and G.I. Joe have a long history of crossovers, but IDW went further by getting M.A.S.K., ROM, and Micronauts involved too. This massive, shared universe would have a three-year plan to start with, and after a successful first year, the second event, First Strike infiltrates comic shops this summer.

I spoke with the co-writers of First Strike, Mairghread Scott and David Rodriguez, the artist Max Dunbar, and even IDW editor-in-chief, David Hedgecock about the big team-ups, conflicts, and what to expect from this blockbuster event. And below the interview, check out our gallery that includes exclusive sneak peeks of the first two pages of First Strike #1 (unlettered), retailer incentive covers for First Strike #2 by Jay Fosgitt and Leonardo Manco, and covers for the First Strike one-shots.

First Strike is not only an intriguing series for those already vested in the Hasbro shared universe since Revolution, but it feels as if those who have been reading the separate IDW Hasbro Comics -- whether they be G.I. Joe, ROM, M.A.S.K., Micronauts, or Transformers: Till All Are One -- may want to tune in too, since those titles are coming to a close just as First Strike is ramping up. Talk about how all of these paths are funneling into First Strike and coming out the other end with one shots and tie-ins.

Mairghread Scott: Well, for my series, Till All Are One, weve been following Starscream and Windblade as they try to maintain peace between all the various factions of Transformers. Recently, theyve been recovering from an attack on Cybertron during Titan Wars and Elita One has become a major challenger to Starscream for control of the planet. Starscream has a tenuous hold on power and another attack on Cybertron could mean losing it all together. My Till All Are One series wraps up just before First Strike, and then the annual will come out after First Strike and deal with the political fallout of the last few years of events in all these books.

David Rodriguez: Mairghread and I have worked very closely with the editors and creative teams of the other books to make sure that the events from the individual titles and First Strike tie-ins dovetailed into the events of the First Strike series itself. Both the G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand teams will be working through their own existential crisis (from internal and external forces) that will affect how they come out of this event. The Transformers must deal with the ramifications of an insurgency that changes their world in a real and permanent way. Each of the one-shots and tie-ins serve to buttress the details of those characters and teams and give them time to shine outside of the Cybertron-centric war being waged.

Since First Strike is the second story in a trilogy with the Hasbro universe, is it packaged in a way that will allow newcomers to come in fresh, not having read Revolution? Folks still have time to catch up, but whats the important stuff to know going in?

DR: I think the series works as a jumping on point without needing much catch up. The events that the reader really needs to know is that at some point in the past, Optimus Prime annexed Earth and begged forgiveness (not really) rather than asked permission. This rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way. But now Earth is getting a seat at the big kids' table on Cybertron and joining the council of worlds. But Colton, and some other upstanding citizens of the planet, decide that the risk is too great. The Cybertronians are an immediate threat and need to be dealt with. And even if you dont know that, we set this up in the early pages of the series.

MS: The Davids and I have done everything possible to make this event very new-reader friendly. We add little things like captions to introduce a character the first time they show up and David Rodriguez and I have made sure the dialogue gives you a great sense of who these people are and what they want right off the bat. That said, if you like earning extra credit, you should check out Revolution from last year, the current G.I. Joe comics, Revolutionaries, Optimus Prime, and Till All Are One. I am 100% biased, but definitely read all of Till All Are One just because weve had a grand old time doing robot politics.

First Strike has a fairly robust roster, and as in any crossover event, fans are going to wonder how you came to the decisions of your principal cast from each Hasbro property. Were they characters that artist Max Dunbar liked to draw? I particularly like how much were seeing Scarlett, Arcee, and Lady Jaye on the covers.

Max Dunbar: It would be pretty hard for them to pick a character I wouldnt enjoy drawing from these franchises. I feel really lucky to be able to draw all these iconic characters that Ive been a fan of since I was a kid. In particular, Scarlett is a huge favorite of mine, and I love drawing her new design that Giannis Milonogiannis came up with.

DR: We have yet to find the thing that Max cant draw, so that made our lives pretty easy when selecting characters. A lot of the cast came directly from the events of their own books. That gave us a pretty clear pool of characters to choose from. And then each of us had some personal favorites that we thought would fit and checked to see who was available to play a major role or just a super cool cameo. (Like Hashtag!) And the villains just sort of fell into place. We needed a group that made tactical sense and who also had something to gain from this mission. Theres no way Miles Mayhem is going to war with Transformers to save mankind. The female representation in the series happened organically (which is always nice) and I agree that its great to see them not just participating in the series, but driving most of the event.

MS: I have been telling John Barber, Carlos Guzman, and David Hedgecock that I want to write Scarlett and the G.I. Joes for years, but itd be unfair to steal it from Aubrey Sitterson since he does such a great job. So when they floated the idea of Cobra and G.I. Joe coming to Cybertron, I jumped on the idea and really wanted to write it. Outside of Starscream and Windblade, Scarlett is probably my favorite character in all the Hasbro properties, ever since my days working on the G.I. Joe Renegades cartoon. So my dream cast was just mixing the G.I. Joes and the Transformers, especially since I also get to use some of Johns characters like Optimus Prime and Arcee, too. Of course, we didnt want to leave our other great properties out, so we tried to pull in the characters we thought would work best for the plot and... well, the ones we really liked writing: Matt Trakker of M.A.S.K. and Shazraella of Micronauts are definitely the two stand-outs, though not the only additions to our list.

Fico Ossio had a monstrous task in Revolution to tell this massive story visually and also drawing so many characters. It makes a crossover like this seem so daunting from the sidelines. When we read this series, will we get a sense that no one is sitting it out?

MS: I want you to imagine David Hedgecock, IDW, and Hasbro tipping over the whole Hasbro toy box and telling you to have fun. Would you just pick up one or two toys? Or have a massive battle that used as many toys as possible? The harder question hasnt been who to use, but who might need to sit it out just for page space. That said, I think we tried to pick our teams wisely and get the coolest characters from each franchise and use them in unique ways. Ive loved finding cool ways to use the M.A.S.K. characters and the Torchbearers and the Space Knights that feel like they can live in the same world, and its been surprisingly organic so far.

DR: Even though the event and ramifications are huge, I think we went with a more targeted approach and keep our focus on the three main factions in the war. On one side are the Joes and their allies, and then a very clear bad guy group with Colton and his team. But there is also Starscream and the Cybertronians who have been attacked at home and may not see eye-to-eye with anyone involved. And that friction drives much of the conflict of our story.

Is setting the bulk of the story on Cybertron going to be an easier, or even greater task for Max?

MD: Im not sure if I would lean either way on that. There are definite challenges to the story being set on Cybertron, a crowd shot of Transformers is really tricky and time-consuming... but I think just the nature of the story, and huge scale that the action plays out on would be a challenge no matter where it was set.

DR: I am going to guess that it makes it harder because there isnt a lot of real world reference for some of the places we need to go. And I dont know if writing down you know, like that Sharkticon pit from the original animated movie helps him at all. But I have full faith that he will deliver something awesome.

MS: My goal every issue is how far can I push Max before he breaks. Have we gotten there yet, Max?

MD: Not quite broken yet! Almost... But not quite.

Will Cybertron give the Transformer characters an upper hand going in? Quoting a line in your zero issue, are the characters from G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K. for example, going to be out of their weight class?

MS: I think the Transformers are at a huge disadvantage. Joe Colton has been studying how to defeat them for years; he is a master strategist and has planned a decisive first strike (Get it?) to knock them completely off balance. They also have to try to fight off the villains while protecting their home and civilians. Transformers may be in a whole other weight class, but they have never dealt with a foe quite like Joe Colton, which is why Scarlett becomes so important, because no one knows Joe quite like her.

DR: I think it hinders the Cybertronians at first because it is SO outside of their personal reality. A human invasion of Cybertron isnt really something theyve ever considered, and even while its happening, they are still sort of like well damn, weve got termites, we ought to do something about that. And thats the teeny tiny advantage Colton exploits to get the jump on them. But that only lasts so long before the Transformers remind everyone just how deadly 30-foot war machines can be.

Crossovers give us these dream confrontations that are born out of comic shops, campfires, and gaming tables, but I think what is more interesting is who works together. There are some interesting alliances going on in First Strike, like Shazraella from Micronauts teaming up with G.I. Joes Lady Storm Shadow. Share with us the thinking and logistics behind some of these partners in crime or justice.

DR: It might sound weird, but just like in real life, a lot of the relationships happen naturally. We put the characters in situations by design and then some of them just click right away. Your example of Shaz and Storm Shadow is one of those. We knew they would be assisting each other, but there was one line that Mairghread wrote for Shaz that cemented their relationship forever. Scarlett becoming a sort of mentor to Matt Trakker is another that I enjoy, the twins and Soundwave and Miles Mayhem and pretty much everyone. Other times they are fun to draw together visually or their personalities play off each other in such a way that you just want to see them playing together more and more.

MS: My favorite part is writing how these characters interact with each other, especially when they are one the same side. In this series fans will finally get to see Elita One and Optimus butt heads, and possibly come to blows. Shazraella is a joy to write and packs a lot of attitude for someone so small. Teaming her with the worlds deadliest assassin created a lot of interesting dynamics. My favorite interaction though is probably a scene I just wrote for Optimus and Scarlett. Scarlett needs to convince Optimus to trust this entire mission in her hands when none of the other Transformers want to trust the humans very much, and I just loved having these two leaders really have a heart-to-spark conversation.

Because of the long-running cartoons, and past comic crossovers, G.I. Joe and Transformers are a natural fit, since who else on Earth could deal with Cybertronians but G.I. Joe, right? But I think what made Revolution, and now First Strike, kind of mind-blowing is folding in all of these other space series like Micronauts and ROM and M.A.S.K. who naturally fit with the Joe crowd. It really lends more to these pairings were talking about, almost gives them a boost or power-up. Talk about how those other three properties gave you more possibilities and enhanced this Hasbro universe that you wouldnt have had otherwise.

DR: It helped me to see the scope of the event when you have these groups to play with and consider how they are affected by what is happening when were building the narrative. For better or worse, the Transformers are an immense part of the universe and have been around the longest. So, anything that affects them will have a powerful effect on everything, including the Microverse. Now that doesnt mean they all have equal screen time or stake in this. But before we figured out which part everyone played, we had to consider ROM and the Solstar Order, we had to consider the entire M.A.S.K team and their emotional state when First Strike ramps up, and their contribution had to make sense. That made the entire experience richer. And again, WE HAD ALL THE TOYS!

MS: For those of you Micronaut readers, Enerchange tech comes in real handy for us in this series and the various M.A.S.K. illusions and hard light abilities are a boost going up against anyone. But more than the tech vs. tech battles, the different Hasbro properties give us a chance to show different viewpoints and desires in the script. Matt Trakkers had run-ins with Transformers, but he didnt expect to become an interstellar solider like hell have to be in this book. Transformers are the best and worst thing thats ever happened to the Microverse and ROMs people... still dont care about anyone but the Dire Wraiths. But that makes problems all its own.

Talk about the evil forces that step it up in First Strike, like Starscream or Elita One, oh and Baron Ironblood in particular, as hes been slowly assembling and retooling Cobra. Is he playing the long game in all of this?

MS: Well, Starscream and Elita arent bad guys in our book, theyre just politicians. They may have different viewpoints but ultimately want whats best for Cybertron, even if they have very different ideas of how to accomplish it. The main villain in this piece is Baron Ironblood who is actually Joe Colton, the founder of G.I. Joe. He has decided the Transformers are too big a threat and eventually their war will destroy Earth. To stop them, he assembles a team including Destro, Storm Shadow, Shazraella, Miles Mayhem, Garrison Krieger, a metric ton of Red Shadow ninjas, and more.

DR: What I like about most of our evil characters is that they really arent that bad. I mean, I love the Transformers as much as anyone, but they do kind of invite mayhem and destruction over to hang out on a regular basis. It isnt hard to make a leap that someone who has spent their life defending Earth might consider them a threat. A well-intentioned threat, perhaps, but if youre squished under a two-ton boot, youre not too worried about the boots emotional state. Every character is doing what they think is best for themselves or their people and sometimes it is selfish and short-sighted, but very rarely (Im looking at you Mayhem) is it purely cruelty or amassing of power.

Do any of you wish you had Cobra Commander or Megatron you grew up with in the mix of evil guys to write (or draw) or has this pool of bad guys given you a different yet satisfying kind of gravitas?

MS: Well, the Megatron I grew up with was a T-Rex, so yeah he'd be awesome. But hes not in our continuity and the current Megatron is a good guy, so Im not sure where hed fit in. But honestly, these villains are pretty amazing. Colton is my favorite kind of villain because he believes hes the hero. He is saving Earth by destroying Cybertron and committing Transformer genocide. He is so amazingly misguided. He also has a deep personal connection to our main hero, Scarlett, so this becomes a very personal fight. What makes the rest of our cast of villains so great is how they really dont like each other but still work well together, because they are all vicious and very skilled at killing, which is the job.

DR: I dont know, those guys cast a pretty big shadow and chew all the scenery they can get their sinister mitts on. They also come loaded with years and years of preconceptions. It was nice to have some room to breathe with this set of villains and give them a spotlight.

MD: I really like the mix of characters I get to draw. Sure, there are a few characters that would have been fun to tackle that dont headline this adventure, but I think the roster we do have more than makes up for that. Lady Storm Shadow and Shazrealla are two newer characters with fantastic designs that are an absolute blast to draw.

Can we expect more titles besides the announced one-shots bridging this to the third act, presumably next year? After all, Revolution was just short of 30 comics after all of the one-shots and tie-ins were tallied.

DR: Im sure one of our lovely editors would LOVE to answer this question.

MS: Hedgecock?

David Hedgecock: Everything you need to enjoy FIRST STRIKE is contained within the mini-series and the one-shots. Coming out of the event, we have all-new, exciting storylines that will be new-reader-friendly!

Are there any deep cut characters who makes a significant contribution toFirst Strike, perhapsa character that has thus far been relegated to the background in their respected property that we should look forward to?

DR: Not to oversell them, (probably already too late for that) but I am team Lady Stormshadow/Lady Shazraella all the way! I look forward to each of their scenes.

MS: Ironhide gets to come back in a cool way leading the defense of Cybertron and I loved writing Destro as one of the villains. Also I think Till All Are One fans will really see Elitas frustrations with Starscream and Optimus come to a boil. Also, I just want to add that this event has been amazing to co-create with Max and David. We really have tried to tell a big action blockbuster summer movie here, but also really dig down and make this story personal. The best part of crossovers is letting characters who dont normally interact challenge each other in interesting ways. If you are a fan of any of these series, I dont think you will want to miss out on First Strike. And if you dont read any of these but want to start, why not go big and start with the crazy adventure that stars everybody, then continue to follow your favorite characters whereever they go next?

First Strike is a six-issue mini-series that will be released twice-monthly, beginning in August. In addition to the main story, there will be one-shots including Micronauts: First Strike by Christos Gage and Chris Panda,G.I. Joe: First Strike by Aubrey Sitterson and Ilias Kyriazis, Optimus Prime: First Strike by John Barber and Guido Guidi due out in September; then in OctoberM.A.S.K.: First Strike by Gage and Kyriazis and Rom: First Strike by Gage and Panda, and Transformers: First Strike by Barber and Guidi. Finally, in November, G.I. Joe: Unmasked will further the team up of G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K after the events of First Strike.

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First Strike's creative team takes us inside IDW's Hasbro comic book universe - SYFY WIRE (blog)

MARTINEZ, Calif. Martinez City Council will face a full agenda today as it reviews and votes on the 2017-19 city budget, the list of capital projects it hopes to complete through 2022 and the adoption of an ordinance that would allow Martinez to join Marin Clean Energy, a community choice aggregation program.

The new two-year budget calls for fund totals of $58,447,640 in the combined city accounts in Fiscal Year 2017-18 and $51 million in Fiscal Year 2018-19.

The largest fund is the citys operations or General Fund, with $23,055,400 the first year and $22,843,000 the next year.

In the 2017-18 fiscal year, enterprise funds would account for a quarter of the total, with $14,339,600; capital projects account for 23 percent of the budget, or $13,255,470; special revenue funds, at 8 percent of the budget, or $4,497,070; internal service funds, at 3 percent, are expected to be $2,038,800; and debt service, 2 percent, would have $1,261,300.

The next year, enterprise funds for ongoing projects that are supposed to be self-sustaining or show a profit rises to 31 percent, or $15,872,000; special revenue funds, 10 percent, or $5,240,700; capital projects, 8 percent, or $3,875,000; internal service funds, 4 percent, or $1,884,400; and debt service, 3 percent, or $1,284,900.

City Manager Brad Kilger said employees made a few adjustments to the budget since May, modifying the dispatch supervisor salary range; adding the Ward Street Undergrounding Project, to be underwritten by a grant, to capital improvements; and changing the classification of the Water System In-Lieu Tax to that of an interfund transfer rather than tax revenue.

The budget includes approved position additions and changes, including the hiring of a community and economic development director and economic development coordinator, more human resources employees, and changing the assistant to the city manager position t o deputy director of administrative services.

Dispatcher descriptions and salary ranges were made more flexible, and other employee positions and salary rates were updated.

Other changes involve how the City Council might discuss midterm amendments.

City Engineer Tim Tucker has submitted the five-year capital improvement program (CIP). As is the citys custom, the Council allocates funding for the first two fiscal years of the program as part of its budgtet process and updates its list of projects every two years as well.

A five-year CIP enables the city to plan ahead for needed major capital projects, even when funding is not yet available, Tucker wrote in his report.

This latest edition is a mix of new construction, building rehabilitation and streets and water system projects.

The list, up for approval today, will be sent to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to comply with the Measure J Growth Management Program so Martinez can receive some of that measures money, Tucker said.

The five-year list has been approved by both the Franchise and Infrastructure subcommittees.

Among the routine maintenance projects on the list are annual curb ramp work and sidewalk repair,.

Martinez offers optional removal and disposing of damaged sidewalks, and that fund has a balance of $5,050, Tucker said.

Also among the routine work are annual storm drain and creek channel maintenance, as well as a one-time repair projects to address damage from storms this past winter.

Pavement management repairs will be done throughout the city, in Rolling Hills, Morello Heights Drive and St. Mary Street. Design work will be started before the next fiscal years street work will be done.

A 6-8 foot wide asphalt trail spur will be built along the western side of Reliez Valley Road from Blueridge Drive to Corte Poquita and flashing radar speed signs will be installed on the northbound curve and near Sage Drive. The combined project is being underwritten by another grant.

The Ward Street undergrounding project would put utility lines underground between Main Street and Greene Street. This is needed to be done before a prospective Transportation for Livable Communities Grant Project can be started.

Realignment of Pacheco Boulevard also will be started, and grand money will be used to repair pavement on Green and Brown streets. More pavement work will be done on Escobar, Ward, Las Juntas, Alhambra and Court streets.

Examination of some streets will be made so the city can apply for grand money that would underwrite their improvements. Several bus stops also will be improved, too.

Routine storm damage repairs and debris removal also are on the list, as is replacement of a failed culvert at Linton Terrace. Air conditioning and second-story windows need to be replaced at City Hall

The John Muir Amphitheater, Historic Train Depot, Campbell Theater and Community/Cultural Center will be examined for inclusion in the 2018-19 budget, as will ways to address increased use of the citys sports fields.

Among the Measure H park bond projects are the renovation of Waterfront Park, Golden Hills anPark and Highland Park, upgraded paths and picnic areas in John Muir Park and Alhambra Park, and renovation of ballfields at either Morello Park or Hidden Lakes or both.

One of the enterprise funds capital improvement projects is replacement of deteriorating piping at the Webster Pump Station. St. Marys hydro-pneumatic system would be upgraded and an ozone generator needs replacing.

The downtown area needs a parking study, since Contra Costa County is planning to build a new administration center and parking garage, and the county will help underwrite that cost. In addition, more parking meters need to be replaced with those that read credit cards.

The citys marina area needs to be dredged. That project has been approved, although the Council needs to vote on the extent of the work and its actual budget.

The Council will vote on an ordinance that would approve the Marin Clean Energy (MCE) Joint Powers Agreement and authorize a community choice aggregation project such as MCE for Martinez.

This is the second time the Council has seen this ordinance, which was introduced successfully earlier this year. Once all the documentation is approved, residents and businesses will be switched automatically to MCE unless they choose to stay with PG&E. MCE will send five notices to power customers explaining the change and the procedures for opting out of receiving electricity from MCE.

The panel will hear reports from the Martinez Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Martinez, two community organizations with which the city contracts for promotional events; distribute Martinez Police Department certificates to those who have participated in the Community Emergency Response Team training class; recognize the winners of the 2017-19 Budget Photo Contest; and present a check to College Park Grad Night.

The Martinez City Council will meet at 7 p.m. today at Martinez City Hall, 525 Henrietta St.

Tags: featured, Martinez City Council

Category: General News

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Council eyes new budget, capital projects, MCE ordinance today - Martinez News-Gazette

QUEENSBURY The skyline at SUNY Adirondacks campus is being transformed as two new buildings rapidly take shape.

The college is building additions on both sides of its current science building. A $17 million two-story addition is going up to house nursing, science, technology, engineering and math programs on the south side, and the $9.7 million one-story Adirondack Regional Workforce Readiness Center is going up on the north side.

Construction began last fall on the science wing and in late February on the Workforce Readiness Center. The work is progressing nicely and staying on budget, according to SUNY Adirondack President Kristine Duffy.

The science building is scheduled to be ready to move in August. Theyre furiously moving along. The Workforce Readiness Center is still ahead of schedule, she said.

Good weather helped move up the start of construction on the workforce center from late March to early February.

Duffy recently had a chance to tour the construction. The first floor of the science wing will have five science laboratories and a greenhouse. The second floor will house four more laboratories and two classrooms.

The space is just phenomenal, she said. Students and faculty will be absolutely thrilled.

Lots of student study spaces are located throughout the building, Duffy said. The classrooms are bigger and more appropriately sized for the program. The seating is easy to move around to get away from the traditional classroom chairs and desks.

The rooms also have better natural lighting, she added.

The windows bring in the beauty of our region, she said.

Once the science addition is completed, everyone will move out of the existing science space, she said.

The current science building will be renovated. Thats where a lot of the nursing program will go next spring, she said.

That space will be transformed into offices, computer classrooms, practice labs, nursing simulation labs and tutoring spaces.

The Workforce Readiness Center should be done by the end of the year, Duffy said.

It will house the colleges Business Central, a one-stop shop for students who are looking for internships and jobs, an entrepreneurship center and a large meeting space that can fit 280 people.

The expanded and renovated building is being renamed Adirondack Hall. The colleges trustees approved the name change at its meeting last month.

Half of the cost of the science building is being covered by the state, the other half by Warren and Washington counties. Warren County is responsible for about $5.76 million and Washington County $2.74 million. The Workforce Readiness Center is being funded by a $9.7 million SUNY 2020 grant.

Also under renovation this summer is a portion of Warren Hall to create the Student Success Center, which will consolidate services for students in one location and include a new student advising center.

At the Scoville Learning Center, renovations include relocating the Accessibility Services Suite into the facility. That will place it next to the Center for Reading and Writing and Mathematics Lab, which will help improve student referrals, increase collaboration and improve efficiency, according to college officials.

The project is funded by state funding and by chargebacks, the money the college receives from counties outside Warren and Washington when students in those communities attend SUNY Adirondack.

Duffy also said she is excited the college realized its $2.1 million Reach New Heights capital fundraising goal. Of that, $1.6 million is for furnishings and equipment.

Its exciting to us that 30 percent of our donors were new donors to the college, which I think is a testimony to the community spirit for this college, she said.

You can read Michael Goots blog, A Time to Learn, at http://www.poststar.com or his updates on Twitter @ps_education.

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New buildings at SUNY Adirondack taking shape - Glens Falls Post-Star

County commissioners want a little more time to mull a study recommending more than $25 million in facility improvements.

The plan, presented at Tuesdays Board of Commissioners meeting focuses on keeping core services centralized, maintaining the downtown Faribault locations.

John McNamara and Jonathan Loose of Wold Architects made the presentation, leading the board through their recommendations for the three structures: the Government Services Building, courthouse and Law Enforcement Center, which are based on meetings with a team of county department heads.

The Government Services Building is the highest priority, McNamara said, suggesting two, two-story additions totaling 13,000 feet.

The expansion would relieve overcrowding in the Social Services Department and locate the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which shares some of the same clients, nearby. It would also add needed training space as well as expand the Veterans Services, Administration and 4-H/Extension offices.

It made the most sense to reinvest in this facility, said Loose, who noted several times that the board should consider the study a 20-year plan.

Work on the Government Services Building alone is estimated at $10 million, according to the study, which includes calculations for 2018.

Security enhancements at the courthouse are included in a Wolds Priority 2 recommendations. To create a more secure, single entry point, Wold suggests closing all entrances except the lower west side door since its the only access that meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The remaining doors would be exits only.

The change would allow Sheriffs deputies to control the flow of traffic and set up a secure checkpoint where they could screen for weapons. That change, along with reconfigured restrooms would cost about $642,000, according to Wold, though the county is pursuing grant funding to help pay for the modifications.

A second suggestion for the courthouse includes repurposing space now used for records storage for the county attorney. Digital record keeping is reducing the need for storage space, McNamara said.

The largest addition at 24,600 square feet would be at the Law Enforcement Center. The three-story addition, a third priority, would increase the training area, evidence storage and indoor parking, and expand the jail portion of the building. Things are so tight at the Rice County Jail, which includes two facilities and has a capacity of 71 beds, that last fall the county signed an agreement with Steele County to house prisoners on an as-needed basis.

Costs for that project will be about $9.76 million, according to Wolds calculations.

Thats about the right size project for the county, Administrator Sara Folsted said. Folsted said shed spoken with the county auditor-treasurer, who mentioned that some debt is about to be paid off, clearing the way for additional projects.

Commissioner Galen Malecha suggested another work session to discuss the study and a serious look at the countys existing debt.

Our debts around $22 million, he said. How much more do you want to take on?

Reach Regional Managing Editor Suzanne Rook at 507-333-3134. Follow her on Twitter @rooksuzy

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Facilities study suggests $25 million in upgrades to county buildings - Southernminn.com

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The NFL's coaches and players may be on vacation at the moment, but there is plenty to do before the league's offseason comes to a close.

Just because both sides take a few weeks off to decompress doesn't stop teams and individuals from trying to improve during the down time.

After all, players report for training camp next month, and the Hall of Fame Game featuring the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals is only 44 days away.

Before the league reaches either point, front office personnel continue to tinker with their squads. While most franchises have a general idea of what their team will look like this fall, inherent limitations exist due to the 53-man limit. Even the league's best have problem areas found within the roster.

Plenty can still be accomplished in a short period. Bleacher Report identified three to four areas each team needs to address before the offseason is complete.

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The Arizona Cardinals left free agency with multiple roster holes. The organization did little to address its needs.

First and foremost, the Cardinals defense features the NFL's best cornerback in Patrick Peterson, yet the franchise has yet to find a true bookend. Justin Bethel and Brandon Williams will go into camp still competing for the position. This year's sixth-round pick, Rudy Ford, will also receive a chance to earn playing time as he transitions from safety to cornerback.

Secondly, the franchise failed to acquire Carson Palmer's heir apparent. The 37-year-old signal-caller contemplated retirement after the 2016 campaign before he decided to return. At the moment, former top-10 pick Blaine Gabbert is the most promising young backuphe's still only 27on the roster even though he's already failed during two previous stops.

Arizona will feature a versatile defense with plenty of potential spearheaded by the additions of Haason Reddick and Budda Baker via the draft. However, multiple questions linger regarding unaddressed positions and the team's overall depth.

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Continuity is an often overlooked aspect of offensive line play. A team can feature multiple talented blockers, but their skills sets are nullified when surrounded by unfamiliar circumstances. An offensive front develops into a truly special unit when the same starting five players start alongside each other over the course of multiple seasons.

The Atlanta Falcons don't have this luxury. Instead, the team is looking to replace Chris Chester after the right guard retired. Chester started all 32 games over the last two seasons. Wes Schweitzer and Ben Garland will compete to replace Chester.

Keeping the offensive line intact is important for a pair of the Falcons' skill-position performers. The league's reigning MVP, Matt Ryan, deserves an extension with only two years remaining on his current contract, while starting running back Devonta Freeman is a free agent after the 2017 campaign. These are two major pieces in need of new deals, who also benefited from the offensive line's strong play last season.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is being set up to fail.

Two offensive line starters from last year in Rick Wagner and Jeremy Zuttah are no longer with the team. Flacco's favorite target, Dennis Pitta, was released after he suffered yet another hip injury. The team doesn't have a true No. 1 wide receiver. And none of the running backs on the roster ran for more than 774 yards last season.

The Ravens defense appears devastating, but the offense doesn't pass the sniff test.

Head coach John Harbaugh has time to address each of these problem areas before the regular season begins. John Urschel and James Hurst have starting experience and should take over at center and right tackle, respectively. The team could consider a veteran free-agent option like Nick Mangold, for example.

Competition will ensue at both tight end and running back. It falls on the coaching staff to have each of these units prepared, because neither is viewed as anything more than average.

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The Buffalo Bills were one of two organizations to experience a complete overhaul this offseason with the additions of a new head coach and general manager. How they came together didn't follow a traditional course, though. The team hired head coach Sean McDermott in January. Nearly four months later, Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula hired Brandon Beane to be the general manager after firing Doug Whaley once the draft concluded.

McDermott and Beane's previous relationship with the Carolina Panthers should help create a naturalsynergy, but the Bills have yet to establish a course under their new leadership.

A good place to start is at quarterback, where Whaley remained non-committal toward Tyrod Taylor. By placing the organization's full confidence behind Taylor and adding the right pieces around him, the Bills would be on track to finally challenge in the AFC East.

Right now, the wide receiver corps is banged up and Taylor is working under a contract that is essentially a one-year deal.

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Because of his style of play and a porous offensive line, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton takes a beating. At 6'5" and 245 pounds, the 28-year-old signal-caller can take more punishment than most signal-callers, but the physicality takes a toll.

Newton didn't throw during minicamp sessions while he recovered from offseason rotator cuff surgery.

"It's doing all right," Newton said before the team's final minicamp, per ESPN.com's David Newton."... I can't really throw yet, overhand, but underhand everything is A-OK."

The team's major injury concerns extend beyond the quarterback position, too.

Offensive tackle Michael Oher, once expected to start this year,has yet to be cleared by the league's concussion protocol after missing 13 games last season. The organization could consider cutting the former first-round pick, according to the Charlotte Observer's Joseph Person.

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What the Chicago Bears need is a clear direction at the game's most important position. It'll be difficult to achieve after the team traded up to select the top quarterback in April's draft. Even with Mitchell Trubisky's addition, the organization remains adamant in veteran Mike Glennon being the starter this fall.

If that's truly the case, the coaching staff needs to give Glennon every first-team rep to fully prepare him for the 2017 campaign.

"I think it's going to be an ongoing process," Glennon said after minicamp practice, per ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson. "A new offense with a lot of new guys. I think there have been some good things and some things that we've got to work on, but that's what these OTAs and minicamp are for."

The coaching staff and front office can't waver if the 27-year-old signal-caller struggles. Otherwise, cries for Trubisky to play will be deafening.

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The Cincinnati Bengals made some interesting draft choices in recent years, and those picks will have a major impact on the team's success or failure this fall.

During the 2015 draft, the team chose back-to-back offensive tackles in Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher with its first- and second-round selections. The duo combined to start 16 games over the last two seasons and tended to struggle. Yet the Bengals surely drafted them to become full-time starters and keep quarterback Andy Dalton upright.

Head coach Marvin Lewis can't let their play pull down the rest of the offense. The Bengals are loaded at the skill positions. If Ogbuehi or Fisher continue to struggle leading up and into the preseason, the team must find different answers along the offensive line.

Meanwhile, this year's draft picks help make the Bengals offense far more explosive. For running back Joe Mixon, the key is finding the right influences. The rookie expects to train with Adrian Peterson during his down time, according to ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell. He'll work with Adam Jones, too. Due to the background of both veterans, these may be questionable choices for Mixon, but he can also learn from their mistakes.

Also, first-round pick John Ross and his speed can be a perfect complement to A.J. Green, but the Washington product is dealing with a shoulder injury, which could cost him some reps in training camp.

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Everyone in Cleveland held their collective breath toward the end of minicamp when this year's No. 1 overall pick, Myles Garrett, fell to the ground with a foot injury. The team later announced Saturday the defensive end suffered a lateral foot sprain, and he'll be ready for training camp. Even so, the organization must be careful with Garrett throughout the healing process since the defense will be built around his tremendous skill set.

On offense, head coach Hue Jackson must set the groundwork for a smooth transition into a quarterback competition. Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler and rookie Deshone Kizer will compete to become the team's starter. It'll be beneficial for all parties to know how Jackson plans to rotate each of these signal-callers even before they report for camp.

Until then, the offense will be built around the team's talented offensive line and running game with Isaiah Crowell potentially poised for a breakout campaign. The running back has yet to agree to a long-term contract with the organization, though.

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The Dallas Cowboys rebuilt their secondary this offseason. Growing pains will ensue, but the potential exists for this young and talented group to improve upon last year's 26th-ranked passing defense.

"We've been going back and forth, not only me but all the DBs and all the wideouts," Pro Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant told theDallas Morning News'Jon Machota. "I think this is the best we've ever competed against one another."

The team's secondary includes rookie cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis.

However, a pair of rookies from last year's class will help determine the team's success. The Cowboys are still awaiting the results of an NFL investigation into running back Ezekiel Elliott for allegations of domestic violence. Plus, the organization hopes last year's second-round pick, Jaylon Smith, returns to form after suffering a devastating knee injury during his final collegiate game.

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The Denver Broncos are only a year and a half removed from being Super Bowl champions, yet the team is vastly different today than the one that captured a title in 2016. Vance Joseph was named the head coach in January, and he already faces an extremely difficult decision. Should he start Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch at quarterback?

How the two prepare between now and the preseason is moot, though. Joseph won't name a starter until he can see them in live situations.

"Probably zero to none [impact]," the coach said regarding quarterbacks' performances during minicamp, per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold. "... It's going to be won on the football field. It's going to be won in the games in the preseason, and that's the way the evaluation starts; that has not changed for myself or for the staff."

Thus, it falls on the two young signal-callers to be as prepared as possible to excel once the competition truly begins. Until then, they'll be playing behind a revamped offensive line, which has yet to establish its starting offensive tackles. First-round pick Garett Bolles is on track to take over the blind side, but the staff is making him earn it. Meanwhile, a competition will ensue at right tackle between Menelik Watson, Donald Stephenson and Ty Sambrailo.

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OTA injuries are the worst. The Detroit Lions experienced a major blow to their offensive line when left tackle Taylor Decker suffered a torn labrum that will keep him out of the lineup for the next four to six months, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

In response, the team acquired Cyrus Kouandjio and former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson.The Lions still have a long way to go before they actually replace Decker. Thus, their ability to absorb both incoming options into the locker room and have them prepared to play during training camp will be vital to protect Matthew Stafford's blind side.

Keeping Stafford upright is of the utmost importance because the team wants to keep him healthy. This will be especially true if/when the organization agrees to a contract extension with its franchise quarterback. The former No. 1 overall pick is entering the last year of his current deal. He shouldn't be expected to actually play out his contract. Instead, the 29-year-old signal-caller should become the NFL's newest $100 million man before he takes another practice snap.

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Last year's 31st-ranked pass defense wasn't good enough if the Green Bay Packers are going to compete as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a wizard, but he can do only so much when the Packers secondary serves as Swiss cheese.

A heavy emphasis was placed on improving the team's defensive backs this fall. The team spent its first two draft picks to address the secondary in cornerback Kevin King and safety Josh Jones. The key for the team as it prepares for training camp is finding a consistent group to work together.

"Our biggest challenge was that we had so many guys going through the cornerback position," head coach Mike McCarthy said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Silverstein. "Teams that are playing the best are the teams that are playing together."

With King and Jones added to a mix that already features veterans Davon House, Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter, the Packers now have a talented group of corners who should be able to match up against the league's better passing attacks.

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A few problem areas can be found within the Houston Texans lineup, but the quarterback position creates a gravitational collapse that forms into the black hole and defines the entire roster.

The Texans can play defense. The offense has weapons at wide receiver and running back. But who will be pulling the trigger?

Tom Savage serves as QB1 right now. However, it's only a matter of time before rookie Deshaun Watson takes over as the Texans starter. The team didn't trade up 13 spots in the first round just to have him sit on the bench this fall.

Instead of trying to force Savage into a role he proved incapable of holding, head coach Bill O'Brien should do everything in his power to prepare Watson.

"Mentally, he has it," wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said of the first-year signal-caller, per Texans TV's Drew Dougherty.

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Like most organizations, the Indianapolis Colts are defined by their quarterback. Andrew Luck came into theleague as a prodigy, yet he hasn't fully realized his potential due to multiple injuries. Luck missed all of the team's offseason workouts after he needed shoulder surgery.

The Colts must bring Luck along slowly to make sure he properly heals before throwing him back into the fray.

"To be honest, I have not thought about it," Luck said about his potential return for training camp, per the Indianapolis Star's Zak Keefer. "If I'm ready for it, then great. If I'm not, then that's the way it is."

The quarterback wouldn't even speculate how long he needed to complete his rehab. This places the Colts in stasis. Yes, general manager Chris Ballard put together a strong free-agent class to make the defense more athletic and explosive, plus found value in the draft, but Luck's presence in the lineup is the most important dangling plot to Indianapolis' offseason.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars are at a crossroads. A year ago, the team became a chic pick to challenge for a playoff spot. Instead, the team regressed and finished with a 3-13 record.Owner Shahid Khan fired Gus Bradley after a forgettable tenure, and interim head coach Doug Marrone was granted full-time status.

The front office clearly wants to build around quarterback Blake Bortles. In order to do so, the coaching staff must take pressure off him. It can do so by making this year's fourth overall pick, Leonard Fournette, into a workhorse. The rookie is ready.

"I'm going to be here for most of the time lifting weights, running, conditioning," Fournette said during minicamp, per ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco. "I know how important this month is going to be off for us to just stay in shape, the mental things, learning the playbook more and more until I have it like it's the back of my hand."

Khan is willing to invest heavily in his team as evidenced by the massive free-agent contracts defensive lineman Calais Campbell and cornerback A.J. Bouye received. The Jags must first be able to forge an identity, and it starts before the team even steps onto the field for a training camp practice. Everyone must accept the new approach for it to be effective.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will look quite different at the start of the 2017 campaign. The team's all-time leading rusher, Jamaal Charles, its No. 1 wide receiver, Jeremy Maclin, and its Pro Bowl nose tackle, Dontari Poe, are no longer with the franchise. Even quarterback Alex Smith is treading water after the team decided to select Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in April's draft.

Under head coach Andy Reid's supervision, the Chiefs have been one of the NFL's most disciplined teams. They don't play an exciting brand of football, yet they consistently win with a ball-control passing attack and an opportunistic defense. Clearly, the team needs more explosive options, particularly on offense.

Tyreek Hill will receive a much larger role this year, but the team lacks a reliable top option without Maclin in the lineup. Chris Conley and Demarcus Robinson will both receive opportunities to take over the role.

Others need to fill voids as well. Pass-rusher Dee Ford must supply a more consistent presence off the edge. Spencer Ware has a chance to be the team's lead back. Bennie Logan steps in as the team's new nose tackle. The coaches only have a matter of months to develop these talents and have them playing to the level of their predecessors.

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These aren't the same old Chargers. The franchise now resides in Los Angeles. Head coach Anthony Lynn is leading the way, and disappointing seasons under Mike McCoy are a thing of the past. If not for quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates, the team's transition period would serve as a fresh start.

"The facts are, and I deal in the currency of the truth, we won nine games the past two years," Lynn told The MMQB's Albert Breer. "We're below average. So we have to change some things that we're doing. We have to approach it better. We have to play better."

Lynn also stated his team is talented, and it is. Wide receiver is particularly deep with Keenan Allen returning from injury, Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman, Travis Benjamin and this year's seventh overall pick Mike Williams.

On defense, Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram should terrorize opponents.

But everything comes down to the team playing together under the direction of a new staff and staying healthy. The Chargers have enough to deal with after making the move to L.A. The football part of the equation should be easy.

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While the Los Angeles Rams hope Jared Goff turns into the face of the franchise, the team already features the game's best defensive player. Aaron Donald is a monster, and he should be rewarded for his elite play. At 26 years old, Donald is entering the prime of his career with two years remaining on his rookie contract. The window to renegotiate his current deal opened this offseason, and the Rams would be wise to address the situation before it begins to fester. The former 13th overall pick skipped minicamps due to the fact he doesn't have a new deal in place.

Meanwhile, the Rams are trying to build an offense and culture around Sean McVay's vision. The new head coach is tasked with preparing last year's No. 1 overall pick, Jared Goff, for a full-time starting role after a horrific rookie campaign. As McVay tends to the game's most important position by giving Goff the type of mental exercises necessary to succeed even when the team isn't practicing, the coach feels he's gotten a good head start in creating a new culture.

"By no means are we where we need to be for what were striving to accomplish, but I think in terms of what we were trying to get done in the offseason program, we felt like it was a successful offseason program," McVay said, per ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez.

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The Miami Dolphins' primary concerns lie along the team's trenches, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Continue reading here:
Every NFL Team's To-Do List for Rest of Offseason - Bleacher Report

"Wrecked" Season 2 kicks off right where it left off, Brian Sacca told TooFab ahead of the premiere on Tuesday.

"The first episode of the second season is the pirates attempting to ransom me and I'll just say, it doesnt go as planned," Sacca said of his character, Danny Wallace.

Sacca teased exciting additions to the show, including a "really super exciting cameo" and a "badass" pirate named Barracuda. "It's like Rihanna comes to the island, but shes some psychopathic killer," the actor said.

Wrecked," a single-camera parody of the 2004 drama Lost," follows a diverse group of airplane passengers who are stranded on a deserted island facing the hardships of survival, like living without indoor plumbing, wi-fi, social media and most importantly, Chipotle.

Read the interview in its entirety (below) to find out more about the pivotal role pirates will be playing in Season 2.

There's a lot going on there. Its a very light way to end a half=hour comedy now that you describe it that way. By the way, that's how we take up the second season - right in that moment Im faced with that choice of what will I do. I hope that you would assume that I'm not going to give up my friends and let them all die because then that would make a really boring TV show if it was just me suck on an island for ten more episodes. But that's where we pick up pirates are there, the first episode of the second season is the pirates attempting to ransom me and I'll just say, it doesnt go as planned. There are some things that happen that cause the pirates to have to stay on the island for a bit, so we have some new neighbors for the first half of the second season. It's funny and crazy. The pirates are amazing because they are not, as you can see from the end of the first season -- they are not your average Somali pirate. What's fun is there is a leader of the pirates who comes and kind of runs the island. Her name is the Barracuda. She is the most badass human, both as an actress and a character so it's this awesome new energy that comes to the island with Barracuda because she can strike fear in anybody; it's like Rihanna comes to the island, but shes some psychopathic killer.

There's a bunch of stuff that happens in the first episode. The last of which makes my character really sad. They find out a bunch of truths about different aspects of his life and so for the first couple episodes of this season, I am a sad sack of a character and then I kind of find my way back to life through jealousy. I become a little bit of ajealous guy in this season, jealousy from my friends relationship with some other people.

Danny sees this as his opportunity to start new, to start fresh and disconnect from his family which changes, but this as the opportunity for him to be the person hes always wanted to be, which is why he adopts the role as the cop on the island and tries to be a heroic figure, a almost blue collar figure although we learn thats not him in any way and I think that's why hes always optimistic, he sees it as an incredible opportunity for himself. This second season, all that changes for him.

In fact, it's foreshadowing first scene of second season. My father comes back and if this can tell you anything, there is a lot of story that happens in the second season. The creators really went for making this a serialized show so we're really telling a story. But of course, it's still about a bunch of stranded people trying to survive this plane crash.

I always imagine it as a hunting club like you know those rich people who dress up and go hunting together. It seems like a rich Virginian sport, like were gonna go shoot ducks this weekend thing. Thats were I imagine he knows how to shoot a gun because I thought about that.

I shot the gun. In the pilot, we used a live gun, but we shot blanks. It was fun. In Puerto Rico there was a scene where it cuts away to a glimpse of me shooting the gun in the ocean trying to shoot fish and me and the stunt guy were climbing over coral to try and get this shot and the stunt guy was like, We have about five minutes to get this shot and then were going to be in trouble. So we shoot the shot and we turn to go back and he goes, Oh sh-t. Here are a pair of leather gloves, just hold on no matter what happens because the tide came in. So we start walking over this coral again and huge waves were coming in and knocking us all over the place and I have this live gun that Im trying to keep above water so it doesnt get wet and it was just a crazy moment that could have been in the TV show.

No, I would be crying like a baby if I was in a plane crash. Oh my god, that's still my nightmare. I mean if a plane had a little bit of turbulence, my palms start sweating. I cant handle it.

I wouldnt be leader, I would be logistics. In high school, I always wanted to be on student council, but never wanted VP or president because its too much responsibility so I ran for treasurer because I knew I would win and I knew I could make sure the logistics work. I would take a global cellphone, a life supply of chocolate pudding and a portable shower that has a solar water heater in it. I just wanna have an easy life when Im stranded on an island and I'm very serious about the political situation so I'd love to call home and say, 'OK, what's going on? Give me updates.'

First tip, dont get stranded on deserted island because its not gonna workout well for you. Second, bring a mirror because you will lose a lot of weight and if you lose weight, you'll gain confidence. Third, write memoirs in your head for book deals because once your get picked up, youll have a lot of people reaching out and you gotta think about the money deals.

Later in the season there's a really super exciting cameo that comes out and I was so overjoyed that he came on our show to work with us. I cant wait for people to find out that this person's a part of the show!

Hes previously worked closely with a member of our cast.

View Photos 19 Worst Film and TV Dads in Honor of Father's Day

Read more here:
'Wrecked' Star Brian Sacca Spills Season 2 Details About 'Exciting Cameo' and 'Psychopathic' Pirate (Exclusive) - TooFab

The Stormblood expansion for Final Fantasy XIV introduces two new jobs to the massively multiplayer RPGRed Mage and Samurai. To access them you dont have to rush through days of story quests and journey to new lands. You just have to be level 50 and talk to the right people.

Rather than lock the new jobs away in the expansions new lands, which can only be accessed by players whove reached level 60 and completed the main story, both of Stormbloods new additions are accessed via quests found in Uldah, one of the games three starting cities. Any character level 50 or above can start down the path to becoming a Red Mage or Samurai. The process is pretty painless.

The quest to take the red begins in the Steps of Thal area of Uldah, just inside the Gate of Thal. A distraught young girl seeks help rescuing her sister from a band of kidnappers. Sounds like a job for whatever random adventurer happens along.

The kidnappers havent gotten far. Step outside the Gate of Thal and youre a 10 second run to where a confrontation is going down. Whos the guy in the crimson outfit?

Turns out hes Xrthun Tia, the last of the Crimson Duelists, and his cutscene battle game is tight. The assassins? What assassins?

Xrthun has the situation well in hand, so its back to Uldah to see the girls off safely.

Since this is Final Fantasy XIV and your character is the hero of the realm, the Crimson Duelist has heard of you and thinks youd look good in a red hat. He asks you to join him for a drink at the Coffer and Coffin, where he pops the question.

Unlike the ones introduced in Heavensward, Stormbloods new jobs come complete with a fresh set of clothes. Wield your new weapon, put on your new garb, and youre all set.

Congratulations! You are now a level 50 Red Mage, ready to grind your way up to level 60 and experience all the new stuff Stormblood has to offer.

Becoming a Red Mage is easy. Becoming a Samurai is even easier. The quest is given by an Uldahn citizen hanging out right in front of the place where everyone shows up when they teleport to the city. Hes just standing there, being all excited.

The man witnessed a gladiatorial battle in which an old man from the East bested all comers using a strange, curved blade. He directs you to the arena.

There a silver-tongued showman directs you to the Gladiators guild, where Mr. Samurai is just sitting around, waiting for you to show up.

Theres no drama here. The old man thinks you might be a worthy contender, so he hands over a sword, a set of clothes and a gem containing the souls of his brethren, as you do.

Pow! You are a Samurai.

Pretty easy stuff, and so convenient. Since the two new jobs are available outside of the expansions new areas, players with characters in the 50s can switch to one of the new jobs and use it to catch up with all the story missions they have to complete before accessing Stormbloods new lands and quests.

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How To Unlock Red Mage And Samurai Jobs In Final Fantasy XIV - Kotaku

The Titans weren't ready last season. Before Nashville was famous for catfish, before Marcus Mariota's broken leg, Tennessee was being pushed around in a decisive Christmas Eve game in Jacksonville. The franchise traveled the NFL road from laughingstock (five wins combined in two years) to competitive (9-7 in 2016) in a hurry, outmuscling two AFC contenders in December wins while joining the NFL's middle class in scoring defense and offense. Parts of the roster remained undercooked, however, and general manager Jon Robinson knew it.

The signing of Eric Decker on Sunday evening completed a dramatic overhaul of the Titans' receiver group, matched only by wholesale changes in the secondary. The contract, and the ready-made feature stories touring Decker's Nashville home, cemented the Titans' status as this season's AFC It Team. Ready or not, it's their time on center stage.

Robinson had the luxury of inheriting a franchise quarterback when he arrived in Tennessee last January. That allowed the Titans to use draft capital on building up the team's offensive line and running game. Top-five rushing numbers immediately followed, but that didn't change the fact that Mariota's No. 1 wide receiver was Rishard Matthews. Mariota essentially didn't have a second perimeter option and it showed as the team's passing game decayed late in the year. Mariota completed fewer than half his passes in December, averaging just 5.9 yards per attempt in the three games before his Week 16 injury. A playoff trip would have been nice, but this team was only going so far with players like Tajae Sharpe and Harry Douglas getting too many snaps.

Robinson saw enough. He showed conviction taking Western Michigan's Corey Davis with the fifth overall pick in April's draft, then doubled down by snatching up versatile wideout Taywan Taylor and athletic tight end Jonnu Smith in the third round. With erratic receiver Kendall Wright banished, Mariota finally has a group of pass catchers he can grow up with. Decker, last seen as one of the best red-zone receivers and No. 2 options in football, completes the group. It's difficult to totally fix an organizational problem in one offseason, but Robinson's track record with the running game last season should give Titans fans hope.

The reconstruction of the secondary was no less dramatic. Tennessee has two new starting cornerbacks in former Patriots spitfire Logan Ryan and first-round playmaker Adoree' Jackson from USC, in addition to a new starting safety in free-agent pickup Johnathan Cyprien. The most exciting player of the group is second-year safety Kevin Byard, who flashed star potential in a part-time role as a rookie. After running out of defensive backs last season, the Titans look far more well-stocked this time around. Then again, the Titans aren't buzzy because of their defense.

Mariota has developed as a pro mostly out of the national spotlight, a rare luxury for a top-two pick in this media climate. That's what happens when you play for an organization that has been off the radar since Kerry Collins' fever dream 13-3 season. (It doesn't help that the next quotable item from the lips of Mariota or Titans coach Mike Mularkey will be the first.) The Titans don't drive television ratings or page views, so media decision makers were happy to ignore the franchise until they had no other choice. It's time.

Still just 23, Mariota will face the difficult task of integrating all these new offensive pieces without the benefit of a full offseason. He surprised the Titans by taking snaps during OTAs, just five months removed from a plate being inserted into his broken leg. But Mariota was not able to cut or practice at full speed in June after failing to close out the regular season healthy for a second straight year.

The familiarity between Mariota and Mularkey should limit the damage of the injury. Mularkey took over as interim head coach of the Titans halfway through Mariota's rookie season. And last year, after being promoted to the full-time gig, Mularkey helped shepherd Mariota's improved vertical passing. For all the hype about Tennessee's additions this offseason, the foundation of the Titans' offense remains unchanged. Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin comprise the nastiest tackle duo in football. DeMarco Murray and underrated second-year back Derrick Henry might be the toughest one-two punch in the backfield. Tight end Delanie Walker is still a physical freak at age 32. Tennessee's offense comes harder than Mularkey's jawline.

While there has been some typical young-quarterback streakiness, Mariota has handled himself like a pro while throwing for 45 touchdowns against only 19 interceptions over the last two seasons. Now he has the teammates to take the next step to omnipresence, not to mention the schedule.

The NFL's hipster division is perpetually on the verge, a favorite of writers looking for what's next. It's also ripe to be conquered decisively.

The Texans are at least two years behind Tennessee in developing a franchise quarterback, coming off a season where they won nine games with smoke and mirrors. No one knows when the Colts' leader will be able to throw a football again, and how swapping out an entire defense will play out in 2017. Jacksonville looks intriguing on paper again, but Robinson is the newcomer who stole the show from the Jaguars and their fancy beach house. Rebuilds don't have to take five years.

Tennessee's coaching staff might have more to prove than its well-rounded roster. Since walking away from the Bills' head-coaching job, Mularkey has waited more than a decade to run a team like this. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau turns 80(!) before the season opener and oversaw a middling group last year.

Still, don't fall for any hot takesmen who try to claim the Titans as some surprise team. (My friend Chris Wesseling smartly staked out that ground last year.) This time around, they should be the clear favorites in their division and get used to the spotlight.

Their Week 1 matchup against the Raiders should be the national game on CBS, a sentence that would have sounded bizarre one year ago. The Titans have prime-time games against Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. A closing stretch against the 49ers, Rams and Jaguars screams "hot team heading into the playoffs."

Decker's signing was just the final reminder to the football cognoscenti that Tennessee is this year's consensus trendy team in the AFC. After an offseason attacking weaknesses on the depth chart, the Titans should be ready to attack this weak division.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

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Eric Decker signing further fuels Tennessee Titans hype train - NFL.com