CARSON Austin Ekeler didnt want any hints. He thought he knew the name of the Chargers home venue of the past three seasons.

They changed it to Dont tell me, the Chargers running back said. It used to be StubHub. Now its Divinity Health.

Chargers punter Ty Long had a better guess.

Dignity Health complex? Long said incorrectly.

Chargers defensive tackle Damion Square didnt hesitate. He knew the answer.

The Chargers played their home games this season at Dignity Health Sports Park. The only sports park in the NFL. The only soccer stadium in the NFL, and the only venue with less than 30,000 seats.

For three seasons, the Chargers home was one of a kind, but their time in Carson will come to an end Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. To many Chargers, the ending couldnt have come any sooner. Theyre ready to move to the new, shiny SoFi Stadium in Inglewood next season.

My real feeling Im kinda ready to get out of StubHub, to be honest, Ekeler said. Its small. Its cramped in the locker room. Its a good temporary spot, I guess.

Many Chargers shrugged when asked if theyll miss their temporary home with two names. It was StubHub Center before being renamed this year.

The Dig Yeah, we call it the Dig, Ekeler said after remembering the current name of the home venue. I havent said the name in a while. We havent had a home game in a while (before last weeks game).

In reality, the Chargers didnt have many home games in Carson. They were often booed because the opposing teams fans outnumbered the home fans by a wide margin. Its hard to get sentimental about a temporary venue with jeering crowds.

Theyll likely be booed again Sunday with the stands covered in silver and black to support the Raiders, the beloved former Los Angeles squad.

Im pretty excited for the new stadium to open up, Chargers right guard Michael Schofield said. Thats one way to say it. Its just been a very unique three seasons. Look at the game last week (against the Minnesota Vikings), 90 percent purple, maybe. Thats tough. Hopefully when we go to the new stadium its a lot better. Hopefully we have a decent fan base, a decent following.

Many Chargers fans took advantage of the high-priced demand on secondary ticket market websites and sold their tickets to people wanting to see their favorite team make a rare visit to Los Angeles. For more than two decades, there wasnt a pro football team in Los Angeles. Many football fans gravitated to other teams and likely wont change those allegiances any time soon just because the NFL returned to Los Angeles.

The Rams have also seen the visiting fans outnumber theirs at home, but not as often as the Chargers have, and its definitely not as noticeable at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with a seat capacity of 78,000.

Dignity Health Sports Park, which holds 27,000, provided arguably the best fan experience in the NFL, but it wasnt much of an experience for the Chargers.

My mom came to a couple games, Schofield said. She said its very, very intimate. Its perfect for fans. Its nice for fans because theres no bad seat. You can sit anywhere and see the whole thing.

From a fan perspective it was nice, it was just hard not having a true home-field advantage. That was the problem.

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn compared Dignity Health Sports Park to high school football stadiums in Texas. Long said it was similar to the stadiums in the Canadian Football League, where he played two seasons with the BC Lions before joining the Chargers this season.

Were going to miss the place, said Lynn, who had his introductory news conference in 2017 at the home of the L.A. Galaxy. You never are going to play someplace like that again, I believe, in that type of intimate environment. Well miss it, but were looking forward to going to our new home.

The Chargers lost their first three games in Carson before winning the final five home games of the 2017 season. They have an 11-10 home record there and are 14-9 on the road during that three-year span.

Perhaps the Chargers best memory in Carson came on a night they lost. Chargers fans packed the soccer venue during a prime-time game against the Baltimore Ravens last December. The Chargers came into the game with an 11-3 record, but the loss cost them the AFC West lead and the No. 1 seed in the conference.

We actually kinda had a fan base, Schofield said about last years game. I remember that night game. Wow, these fans are getting loud. This is kinda cool. A lot of it depends on us. If were doing well, people will show up. If were not, then its going to be like last week.

Square isnt sure if the ratio between home fans and road fans will change at the new stadium just because its bigger and tickets will be more affordable.

It was the same in San Diego, Square said. You just gotta stop paying attention to (the crowd). It is what it is when youre playing with the Chargers at this moment. Hopefully it changes. We just have to accept the circumstances and perform.

Ekeler agrees with Square, but hes looking forward to playing in a true NFL stadium.

Theres something about that bigger stadium that feels like, OK, now Im on the big stage, Ekeler said. I feel like a Roman gladiator, a rock star, all that. Its just part of the experience.

There wasnt much of an experience for the Chargers in Carson, but they made it to the final game.

The rest is here:
Chargers wont shed a tear for final game in Carson - OCRegister

Nearly 1 in 4 voters in Oregon is living with a disability

by: KOIN 6 News Staff

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A number of local candidates running for office in Oregon took part in the Roll for Our Rights event in downtown Portland Saturday.

For the tour, candidates ventured around the city using a wheelchair. The event was guided by disability activists and meant to raise awareness of residents with disabilities.

These guys have no idea what theyre in for, said Amanda Siebe, a candidate for the US House of Representatives who also uses a wheelchair. It is a big challenge, especially with the raintheyre going to learn pretty quick, the challenges that we face. This city is not wheelchair-accessible.

Part of the reform the activists hope to push is the Americans with Disabilities Act laws, which have not been updated since 1994.

Nearly 1 in 4 voters in Oregon is living with a disability.

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Roll for Rights tour sheds light on citys accessibility - KOIN.com

When Bears second-year receiver Javon Wims went down with a knee injury in the teams win against the Cowboys on Thursday evening, many feared for the worst as he was down for several minutes before gingerly walking off the field. Wims, however, seems to be in very good spirits and doesnt seem too concerned about the injury based on his Instagram story.

Wims posted a six minute video to his Instagram story on Saturday, talking with a ride share driver about the Bears, while pretending he was just a fan of the team. The two discussed quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, the receiving corps, fan burner accounts on social media and more during the drive.

When Wims, still pretending to be a fan, began talking about himself, the driver wondered how his injury looked after seeing him go down on Thursday. Wims decided to speculate on the situation.

Hes not too bad, I think hell be alright, Wims said. It looked like he was OK. Wims also hyped himself up, saying that kid has a bright future, he has all the intangibles while smiling.

When the driver finally discovers who he is, they both share a laugh. The driver then asks how hes doing regarding his knee injury. Yeah, Im good, Wims says with a laugh. The driver then asks if he walked to the car alright, to which Wims replied, Yeah, I just got back. Everything is positive.

The video focused primarily on the former Georgia Bulldog messing with the driver about who he was and offering priceless descriptions of his teammates, but the reveal regarding his knee injury is good news.

This comes a day after NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wims had a slight knee sprain and that it wasnt major. The sprain occurred late in the first half when Trubisky attempted to find Wims in the endzone, but the receiver couldnt make the catch and fell awkwardly with Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith.

With Wims himself saying hes good and that he walked to the car fine, its another positive sign for the receivers recovery. However, its still too early to tell if Wims will miss any games.

See the original post here:
WATCH: Bears WR Javon Wims messes with cab driver, sheds light on injury - Bears Wire

Riyadh (AFP) - Anthony Joshua on Friday weighed in more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) lighter than heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr ahead of their controversial rematch in Saudi Arabia.

The leaner and meaner British boxer seeks to win back the IBF, WBA and WBO titles that he lost to Ruiz in a shock June defeat in New York in a high-profile duel on Saturday, dubbed "Clash on the Dunes".

Joshua weighed in much lighter compared to their June encounter, hitting the scales at 16 stones and 13 pounds (107.5 kg) ahead of the fight, seen as the biggest test of his boxing career.

Ruiz, sporting a Mexican sombrero hat, tipped the scales at 20 stones and three pounds (128.36 kg), heavier than what he weighed in their June encounter in New York's Madison Square Garden.

Joshua weighed in at 247.8 pounds (112.4 kg) in June, but the boxer has shed muscle mass in order to improve his mobility around the ring.

"Before I was trying to bench press a house. I used my body to get where I needed but then I started realising the sweet science of the sport," Joshua said.

"I am punching like a horse kicking backwards right now."

The stakes could not be higher for Joshua, who would face a long road back to the pinnacle of the heavyweight division if he loses Saturday's much-hyped fight.

Victory, by contrast, would re-establish his credentials in the division, opening the door to money-spinning fights against WBC champion Deontay Wilder or fellow Briton Tyson Fury.

Ruiz says he is ready to take on the British challenger despite his increased fitness.

"I know he's lost weight and will try to box me around, but it's just my job to prevent that," Ruiz said earlier this week.

"I'm ready for whatever comes my way."

The rematch will be taking place in a purpose built 15,000-seat arena in Diriyah on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia secured the staging rights to the rematch after reportedly offering an astronomical purse to promoters and fighters.

Joshua's take is reported to be around $60 million while promoters Matchroom Boxing were handed an eye-popping $40 million site fee to award the fight to Saudi Arabia.

Ruiz, who was locked into a rematch at a set figure as a condition of his first meeting with Joshua, is expected to receive $9 million.

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Joshua sheds, Ruiz piles on weight before 'Clash on the Dunes' - Yahoo Sports

Exceptionally preservedskulls of a mammal that lived alongside the dinosaurs may be offeringscientists a glimpse into the evolution of the middle ear.

The separation of the threetiny middle ear bones known popularly as the hammer, anvil and stirrup fromthe jaw is a defining characteristic of mammals. The evolutionary shift of those tiny bones, which started out as joints in ancient reptilianjaws and ultimately split from the jaw completely, gave mammals greatersensitivity to sound, particularly at higher frequencies (SN: 3/20/07). But finding well-preserved skulls from ancientmammals that can help reveal the timing of this separation is a challenge.

Now, scientists have sixspecimens four nearly complete skeletons and two fragmented specimens of a newlydescribed, shrew-sized critter dubbed Origolesteslii that lived about 123 million years ago. O. lii was part of the Jehol Biota, an ecosystem of ancientwetlands-dwellers that thrived between 133 million and 120 million years ago inwhats now northeastern China.

The skulls on the nearlycomplete skeletons were so well-preserved that they were able to be examined in3-D, say paleontologist Fangyuan Mao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences inBeijing and colleagues. That analysis suggests that O. liis middle ear bones were fully separated from its jaw, the team reports online December 5 in Science.

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Fossils from an older,extinct line of mammals have shown separated middle ear bones, but this newfoundspecies would be the first of a more recent lineage to exhibit thisevolutionary advance.

O. lii apparentlymoved its jaw both in side-to-side and in rolling motions as it chewed. Suchchewing ability, the team says, may have played a role in the evolutionaryseparation of the jaw and middle ear bones.

This paper describes aspectacular fossil, says vertebrate paleontologist Zhe-Xi Luo of theUniversity of Chicago, who was not involved in the new study. But hes notconvinced that O. lii represents anevolutionary leap forward in mammalian ear evolution.

Luo notes that O. lii is closely related to the mammalgenus Maotherium, which lived aroundthe same time and in roughly the same location. In Science in July, Luo and colleagues reported that a new analysis ofMaotherium revealed that its middle ear bones were still connected to its jawbones by a strip ofcartilage (SN: 7/18/19).

That finding, Luo says, wasexpected. Maotherium is well-known asa transitional organism, in which the middle ear bones had begun to rotate awayfrom the jaw but were still loosely connected by that cartilage. There arenumerous branches and twigs on the mammal family tree, Luo says, and evolutionoccurred at a different pace on them. But, he says, its unlikely that O. lii wouldhave had separated ear bones when Maotheriumdidnt, given the pairs close positioning onthe tree.

Luo says he also doesntfind the studys evidence that the separation was complete in O. lii convincing. Three of the fourskulls in the study were missing all or part of the middle ear, and the gapbetween the middle ear bones and jaw in the fourth skull may have been a breakthat occurred during fossilization, he adds.

However, the new studysresearchers reject this idea. Its common that different interpretations mayexist for a discovery in paleontology, says vertebrate paleontologist Jin Mengof the American Museum of Natural History in New York, a coauthor of the study.

But, Meng says, none of the ear bones or the cartilage in any of the skulls show fractured or broken edges. That, he says, suggests that these features were already separated in the animals before their demise.

The rest is here:
An ancient critter may shed light on when mammals middle ear evolved - Science News

Published 10:48am EST, Monday, December 9, 2019

Shelton fire departments responded to following calls this past week.

Monday, Dec. 2

At 7:07 p.m., the Huntington Co. #3, Echo Hose Co. #1 and the Pine Rock Co. #4 responded to 6 Armstrong Road for a fire alarm activation. There was no fire. Two engines, a ladder truck and the tower truck responded.

At 10:51 p.m., the Echo Hose Co. #1 and the White Hills Co. #5 responded to Oak Avenue and Elm Street for a motor vehicle accident. A rescue truck responded.

Tuesday, Dec. 3

At 12:45 p.m., the Echo Hose Co.#1, Huntington Co. #3 and the White Hills Co. #5 responded to the Shelton Intermediate School, 675 Constitution Boulevard North, for a fire alarm activation. There was no fire. A rescue truck and a ladder truck responded.

Wednesday, Dec. 4

At 4:24 a.m., the Echo Hose Co. #1 and the Huntington Co. #3 responded to 1 Pine Needle Drive to assist EMS. An engine responded.

At 3:32 p.m., the Huntington Co. #3 and the White Hills Co. #5 responded to High Meadow Road and Mohegan Road for a motor vehicle accident. An engine responded.

Thursday, Dec. 5

At 9:15 a.m., the White Hills Co. #5 and the Huntington Co. #3 responded to 293 East Village Road for a fire alarm activation. There was no fire. An engine responded.

Friday, Dec. 6

At 9:05 a.m., the Pine Rock Co. #4 responded to 94 Ojibwa Trail to assist EMS. A unit responded.

At 10:30 a.m., the Echo Hose Co. #1 and the Pine Rock Co. #4 responded to the Shelton Group Home, 149 Hillside Avenue, for a fire alarm activation. There was no fire. An engine responded.

At 1:59 p.m., the Huntington Co. #3, Echo Hose Co. #1 and the Pine Rock Co. #4 responded to Fire Engine Pizza, 768 Bridgeport Avenue, for a fire alarm activation. There was no fire. An engine responded.

At 7:49 p.m., the Echo Hose Co. #1 responded to 56 Wakelee Avenue Extension for an occupant locked out of a unit. A rescue truck responded.

At 8:13 p.m., the Echo Hose Co. #1 and the White Hills Co. #5 responded to 57 Roberts Street for a fire alarm activation. There was no fire. The alarm was accidentally transmitted when the home owner changed the batteries. An engine responded.

Saturday, Dec. 7

At 12:23 a.m., the Huntington Co. #3, White Hills Co. #5 and the Echo Hose Co. #1 responded to 6 Beverly Lane for a fire in a outside storage shed. Upon arrival firefighters found the shed about 20 feet from the main house and completely engulfed in fire. The shed was destroyed as a result of the fire. A fire pit left too close to shed caused the fire. An engine, a rescue truck and a ladder truck responded.

At 4:06 a.m., the Pine Rock Co. #4 responded to 94 Ojibwa Trail to assist EMS. An engine responded.

Sunday, Dec. 8

At 9:04 a.m., the Huntington Co. #3 responded to 505 Elk Run for a carbon monoxide alarm activation. A rescue truck responded.

At 10:13 a.m., the Echo Hose Co. #1 and the Pine Rock Co. #4 responded to 375 Bridgeport Avenue for a fire alarm activation. There was no fire. Two engines responded.

At 2:47 p.m., the fire marshal responded to 50 Cove Condominiums to investigate a fire that occurred in a motor vehicle.

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Fire log: Three companies respond to Beverly Lane shed fire - Shelton Herald

TAYLORSVILLE Two people caught in a shed collapse in Taylorsville had gone to the residence to disassemble the structure and salvage it for wood, police confirmed on Thursday.

On Wednesday, David Sligar, 64, of Layton, was killed and another man injured when a shed they were inside of collapsed, sending the roof crashing down on top of the two victims.

The men had responded to a classified ad online advertising free wood for anyone who disassembled the shed themselves, said Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray.

The accident happened in the backyard of a residence near 1900 West and 4700 South. After the 15-by-15 foot shed collapsed, a neighbor heard the surviving victim yell for help and called 911.

Gray did not know if either of the men had experience deconstructing sheds. She said the incident is considered a tragic accident and no criminal charges will be filed.

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Man killed in shed collapse was trying to collect wood, police say - KSL.com

Syleena Johnson is one of R&Bs finest singers. The singer has a jazz tone to her voice, setting her apart from many others in the industry and earning her a role in the Soul category. Shes released almost 10 albums, all of which are critically acclaimed.

Johnson has found a new passion outside of music and her current job as a daytime talk show host. Shes a fitness buff who recently competed in her first fitness competition and shared how she lost 50 pounds to prepare for her place on stage.

Prior to being signed with Jive Records, Johnson released two albums independently while promoting her music in Chicago. She became a muse and protge or R. Kelly. He worked on her first two albums. Her debut album on Jive was released in May 2001. The album received much praise and was critically acclaimed. It debuted at number one on Billboards Heatseekers, but was not a commercial success.

Shes released almost ten albums since, each titled in chapters. She received mainstream recognition when she was featured on fellow Chicago native Kanye Wests single, All Falls Down, despite not appearing in the music video.

In 2012, she began appearing on the TV One reality series, R&B Divas: Atlanta. The show aired for three seasons before its cancellation. She currently hosts the TV One talk show, Sister Circle.

Johnson has been open about her struggles with her weight. She began working out regularly in her 20s but as she aged, she realized the importance of adding proper nutrition. Shes shared her journey on her social media pages as well as her diet and workout regimen, which include clean eating and trying different treatments and detoxes.Johnson is also a certified yoga instructor.

Noticing the changes in her body and wanting to help others reach their fitness goals, she earned a bachelors degree from Drake University in nutrition science in 2015, where she graduated summa cum laude. She also shares advice and knowledge, including not being obsessed with checking progress on the scale.

Fans have noticed her weight loss over the past few months but she recently revealed that she was preparing for a fitness competition. In a Facebook video, she revealed that she passed on one completion, The Lee Haney Games, because she wasnt ready. After sticking to a strict diet and exercise and losing 50 pounds, she was finally ready to compete.

Im just pursuing all of the dreams and desires and goals and wants that God puts in my belly, she said, Being a fitness competitor is one of them. I will continue to compete hopefully with the grace of God, but the first competition, I just want to get on the stage.

Her competition was on December 7 and she won a title. On another Instagram post with her two trainers, she revealed she spent the last eight months n training and focused on weight training and building muscle.

At 41, Johnson proves that getting into top shape is possible at any age!

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Singer and Talk Show Host Syleena Johnson Shed Over 50 Pounds For a Fitness Competition - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Firefighters in Colorado Springs said no one was hurt while they battled a large shed fire early Friday morning.

According to firefighters, they were called out to a shed on fire behind a home on Alsace Way a little after 1:30 a.m.

"When we arrived, we saw a large body of fire in the rear of the house," said CSFD Lt. David Watts. "Our main concern was exposure to other structures, but we were able to quickly contain the fire once we got water on it."

Watts said the fire was so large, they thought the back of the house was on fire at first. Thankfully, the flames did not spread from the shed to any other buildings.

Inside the shed, firefighters said there were tools, equipment and building materials that caught fire, including a pile of firewood.

"We always encourage people to keep their firewood away from the houses because of an instance like this," Watts said. "A fire can easily spread from the outside to the inside if you have that firewood up against your house."

West Cheyenne Road was blocked off in both directions while crews battled the fire because they had to hook up a hydrant across the street.

During the fire, Watts said they were concerned about overhead power lines.

"The fire was actually exposing those lines, but the utilities were able to come and disconnect those," he said.

According to Watts, no firefighters and no one else was hurt during the fire. The cause is still under investigation.

The rest is here:
Shed fire under investigation in neighborhood near Broadmoor - KKTV 11 News

The Imperial Japanese Army asked the government to provide one comfort woman, or ianfu in Japanese, for every 70 soldiers, according to documents reviewed by Kyodo News on Friday that shed new light on the wartime practice of forcing and coercing women into military brothels.

The documents were collected by the Cabinet Secretariat between April 2017 and March 2019. Of the 23 documents, 13 are classified dispatches from Japanese consulates in China to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo dated 1938, the year after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident that sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War.

One dispatch from the consul general of Jinan to the foreign minister reports that the Japanese invasion had caused a surge in prostitution in the area, with a head count of 101 geisha from mainland Japan, 110 comfort women from mainland Japan, and 228 comfort women from the Korean Peninsula, which had been annexed in 1910.

The dispatch says that as Japanese forces had made further advances, at least 500 comfort women must be concentrated here by the end of April.

It also notes that 186 women had ridden south in military vehicles after the occupation of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province.

Another dispatch from the consul general of Qingdao in Shandong province notes that the Imperial Army had asked for one woman to accommodate every 70 soldiers, while the Navy had requested 150 more comfort women and geisha.

The documents lend weight to the landmark 1993 apology statement by then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono that accepted blame for the Japanese militarys involvement in recruiting comfort women, in many cases against their own will, and apologized to them.

Hirofumi Hayashi, a professor at Kanto Gakuin University, said the documents proved that the military had an active hand in gathering women.

They were sounding out the Foreign Ministry through the consulates, he said.

The exact number of comfort women remains unknown, with estimates ranging from 20,000 to hundreds of thousands. The women were recruited from mainland Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and other countries.

The issue continues to be a source of friction between Japan and South Korea, with activists setting up statues symbolizing the victims at home and abroad in an effort to raise awareness.

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Wartime documents shed light on role of Japanese government and military in recruiting 'comfort women' - The Japan Times